Still, we are managing to get harvests from the garden. I harvested about 1.5 pounds of chard this week. We have two varieties growing, Virgo with white stems and green leaves plus the multi colored Bright Lights.

The chard was used sauteed as a side dish, and it went into a frittata for lunch one day. We had a baked Delicata squash along with the frittata.

Chard Frittata and Delicata squash

I also harvested hot peppers last week, which I roasted on the grill, then peeled and chopped and froze for later use. There’s nothing like the smell of roasted peppers! I used a mix of Anaheim types, plus some green and red Anchos, and a few Jalapenos.

peppers on the grill

After grilling for about 8-10 minutes on a hot grill, the skins were all charred and blackened.

roasted peppers cooling

After the peppers cooled off, I put on rubber gloves and peeled and seeded them. Then I chopped them up a bit and divided into portions. My wife sealed the portions up with her FoodSaver and we put them in the freezer for later use. These taste so much better than canned chiles!

I also harvested enough tomatoes to roast a batch of them in the oven, make salsa, etc. Harvest total for the week was 9.3 pounds. For more garden harvests visit Daphne’s Dandelions, or better yet, add a link and show us your harvests!

Still, hope springs eternal, and I have been busy planting for the fall and winter. I’ve got broccoli, cabbage, collards, kale and turnips planted outside.

turnip seedlings

Inside the greenhouse beds, I’ve got cucumbers, parsley, cilantro, chard and lettuce. At least rain isn’t an issue in there!

lettuce seedlings in greenhouse

Another thing falling this week was some trees. We called in Randy’s Tree Service to take down our elm that had succumbed to Dutch Elm Disease. They also removed a weeping cherry that borers had gotten, and a small clump of non-bearing American Persimmons that were in the way of other trees and kept sending up suckers all over the place, especially in the main vegetable garden where they competed with the veggies.

spot where elm used to be

And even though Joyce Kilmer wrote that only God can make a tree, Randy and his crew took down the giant elm in less than two hours. Now all that’s left is a pile of sawdust where they ground out the stump. I could barely stand to watch the whole operation. It will take some time to get used to the new look of the back yard.

elm dust

And that is all I have to say about all that.

But in a flip-flop, last years tomato harvest was terrible, but this year we have been up to our ears with them! So far we have harvested 174 pounds of tomatoes. We still have a few on the counter, but I’m planning on using the ripe ones in some spaghetti sauce tonight, and frying the green ones. There’s a few more on the vines, but they are nearing their end.

So despite the weather, we have harvested 736 pounds of fruit and vegetables from our gardens so far this year, and we are very thankful for that. But we are ready for a slower pace – ready to enjoy autumn, and yes winter too. We’re well prepared when it comes to food. Our freezer is crammed full of goodies.

We have lots of winter squash in the cellar.

The Gold Nugget squash was very prolific this year. The size is just right for a serving.

Gold Nugget squashes

But the gardens aren’t done yet, not by a long shot. The Fairy Tale eggplants I have growing in pots are blooming and getting their second wind, as it were. I gave them a drink of fish emulsion a while back, and they have responded with a new flush of blooms. These eggplants have given us over 4 pounds of their tasty little beauties this year.

Fairy Tale bloom

I also planted an heirloom long-neck pumpkin vine back in early July, and it has taken over the lasagna garden area where potatoes grew earlier. The plants are just now starting to set some pumpkins. With 60 days left until our usual first frost date, they should mature in plenty of time – at least I am hoping they do!

pumpkin vines

The necks are already curved, and the shape is distinctive. These pumpkins can weigh up to 20 pounds, so even if we get a few of them we will have lots of pumpkin for pies and such. Lynn over at Wood Ridge had a great post last year about how to cook and process them.

baby pumpkin

I’ve also got my eye on two Asian persimmons that are on one of our two small trees. This is the Ichi Ki Kei Jiro variety (say that three times fast!). The other variety we have planted is Gwang Yang. These non-astringent persimmons are marginally hardy in our area, but we are hoping these varieties will make it here in our zone 6b climate.

persimmon fruit

One interesting thing I harvested last week was a volunteer ‘mystery’ squash that was growing over by the compost bins.

mystery winter squash

It’s a mixed variety, sort of resembling a cross between a Delicata and an acorn squash, though I didn’t grow any acorn squash last year! I have no idea what they will taste like, but we’re going to bake them up soon and see. Hopefully they will at least be edible.

So that’s a look at some past and future harvests here at HA. Last week’s total harvest was about 11 pounds. Check out Daphne’s Dandelions for more harvests!

I’ve had a lot of fun experimenting with quinoa the last couple of years. It is quick cooking, nutritious, and its mild flavor allows it to combine well with the bolder flavors of curry powder, garam masala, chili powder, and cumin. It also pairs well with sweet and tart fruits like apple, orange, mango and lime.

uncooked white quinoa

This ancient grain is a natural in salads, soups and pilafs. Vegetarians and meat eaters alike can appreciate the fact that it has all the essential amino acids, thus making it a complete protein. And it lacks gluten, which makes it suitable for those on a gluten-free diet. It’s also easy to cook, taking less than 20 minutes. Can you tell I really like quinoa?

This salad makes a nice cool side dish when chilled, but it’s good at room temperature too. Cook quinoa according to package directions (2/3 cup uncooked quinoa should make about 2 cups cooked). Toasting the pumpkin seeds really pumps up their flavor.

Botanically, quinoa (pronounced “KEEN-wah” in English) is from the genus Chenopodium (aka goosefoots), which contains around 150 species of plants found worldwide, including the common and widely distributed pigweed/lamb’s quarters. Like many of its relatives, quinoa leaves are edible, but it’s the seeds that are most highly prized.

Quinoa seeds are high in protein, and contain all of the essential amino acids needed by humans, which makes it a ‘complete’ protein. It’s also high in fiber and minerals, quick-cooking and very tasty. Cooked in a saucepan, it is done in 15-20 minutes. If I’m not in a hurry, I usually cook it in the rice cooker. It takes longer that way (depending on the rice cooker cycle time), but doesn’t require any effort or attention once you press the start button. Either way, you combine 1 part quinoa with 2 parts water (or broth).

Quinoa can be grown much like amaranth, but I haven’t yet tried growing it myself. I usually buy quinoa in bulk. I’ve found it that way in health food stores, coops, and at markets like Whole Foods. In addition to the usual white variety, there is also a red quinoa available in many stores. So far I’ve not found the red in bulk, but it is available in packages in several brands.

In its natural state, the quinoa seeds are covered with saponin, a bitter tasting soapy substance. The saponin is beneficial to the quinoa plant, as it makes the seeds unpalatable to birds, allowing it to be cultivated easily and without protection. Most quinoa sold in the U.S. has been pre-rinsed to remove the saponin. If the package doesn’t specify it has been rinsed, you should put the seeds in a fine meshed strainer and rinse thoroughly with cold water, then let drain before cooking.

cooked red and white quinoa

I can’t taste much difference between the white and red quinoa. I sometimes like to mix the two together, which makes for a pretty presentation. If you look closely at the cooked seeds, you can see the germ, which is the curly white part.

closeup of cooked quinoa showing the germ

Quinoa is pretty versatile in the kitchen. We love it in stuffed peppers, where it can replace the usual rice and add extra nutrition. I also make a salad with it using roasted or dried tomatoes. I’ll post that recipe soon (I need to get a photo of it first). Cooking Light has a recipe for a quinoa side dish with apples and almonds that we like. There are also a lot of quinoa pilaf recipes floating around, but I’ve yet to settle on any as favorites.

If you haven’t yet tasted quinoa, it is definitely worth trying. It has quickly become a favorite here at Happy Acres. Try it, and you just might agree with the Incas who called it the ‘Mother Grain’.