Early August Produce

We just returned from a twelve-day vacation in Michigan . Before we left I made sure I weeded, watered and mulched the gardens. Late July is about the best time for a home gardener to go on vacation in New England. By that time, garden plants have become established, and weed germination has typically  slowed down. Our college son stayed home to work, so was able to keep  the garden watered. This definitely helped in the ninety degrees plus heat.

Even before unpacking, I grabbed a pair of shears and went to the garden to see what had ripened while we were away. Overall. I was pleased with what I found. Although some of the greens had  bolted in the heat, the kale, mizuna and swiss chard were still doing well. So too were the cucumbers and summer squash.

Conversely, I had to pull up a couple tomato plants as they had no leaves left. I am not sure what caused this, but the tomato plants I have survived do not look great either. It looks like tomatoes are one vegetable that I will be buying at the farmers markets this year. Another crop that is struggling this year is the green beans. They recovered earlier this summer after being eaten by deer, but they are still not flourishing.

This was my first year planting turnips and they have definitely done well. I picked an early batch in June and they were great in salads and chopped into mashed potatoes, but I have realized that they still had a lot of growing to do. Now they are three times the size and will add flavor and nutrients to several meals.

Turnips in early July

Turnips picked August 3rd

In addition to the roots, turnip greens are also edible and packed with vitamins and minerals. I simply chop them and simmer in a pot of water flavored with a bouillon cube for about 30 minutes. It can be served on its own or I sometimes added to other dishes and serve over pasta or rice.