It's no secret that I like to make things. Books, crafts, trouble... (okay, really I don't make trouble. I do tend to find it somehow, though). So I am so excited to have a garden this year. I'm making vegetables!! Or, at least, I am trying to make vegetables.
The first step was the wonderful raised garden bed my husband built for me. Isn't it pretty? I planted lettuce and tomatoes and squash and peppers and herbs and strawberries and so so much more.
I had high hopes. I planned for big, crunchy salads and strawberry shortcake and hot salsa and jars and jars of tomato yumminess. But despite my hopes, my wonderful large garden had a slow start. The plants weren't growing, the leaves were turning yellow. We had an abnormally rainy spring and very little warmth to make their little roots happy. Once my clever husband found the
right fertilizer that made these little plants perk up, things started getting interesting. I've had two lovely salads, but that's about the extent of my gardenly goodness so far. I have hopes, though!!But while I wait for my garden to grow, I was thrilled to see my plum tree overflowing with delicious fruit. Last year, we missed the bulk of the plums because, well... we didn't realize what we had LOL. And by the time we did, the dogs were snacking on fruit off the ground (and boy oh boy did they get tummy aches!) This year we were prepared, though. Some judiciou
s pruning and a careful watch and we were there to harvest bags and bags of plummy goodness. I spent a few hours this week (okay, 4) making plum jam. I have plans to make another big batch, but have to get more jars. I've only done jam a couple times before, but have to say I love the the process!!So even though I'm still waiting for my salsa and salad, I will be having yummy plum jam on my english muffin. And, better yet, I'll have a dozen or so cute little jars all ready to go for the darling Christmas baskets I'm planning.
So how about you? Are you a gardener? Do you love homemade goodness? Any suggestions on what to do with my multitude of plums? And do you think it's crazy to be planning Christmas gifts in July?
58 comments:
The garden looks great! At least to me anyways. My grandfather use to have a huge garden and from spring til fall my brother and I were always out there. I've wanted to start one of my own for years now but with the kids it's hard to find the time for it. Although they'd love it! My youngest will eat a salad before he'll eat anything else. When we go out to eat that's normally what we have to buy him.
And I always buy gifts throughout the year. The hardest part is remembering where you hid them all!
LOL Lolarific :-D One year I did try to get gifts through the year and did exactly that -totally forgot what I'd bought and where I'd put it.
My gramma's have always had gardens, and in the last dozen years my parents have too. But personally I'm a vegetable garden newbie (this is only my third year).
That is so fab that your son is a salad eater. My daughters are, too. The youngest is having such a good time going out to cut a couple of lettuce leaves for lunch - so I'd say if you can find time to put in a garden with the children, it's definitely a rewarding and fun thing :-)
And hey - congrats on nabbing the Golden Rooster :-D
Lola, he's back with you? What's your secret?
Tawmy, good luck with the vegies. I remember my brother had a vegie garden on our farm and just how delicious beans and peas direct from the ground tasted. The bought one don't come near it. And I'd love a jar of plum jam. Thank you! LOL!
Oh yes, I am definitely a gardener. I must admit, though, I did a lot more gardening when my kids were younger. Now I spend my summers going back and forth between my son's house and my daughter's (in two different states, neither is the one I live in)so my garden has evolved into mainly flowering shrubs and trees and low maintenance perennials and bulbs.
Tawny, tell your husband he did a great job on the raised bed!
Hi Tawny!
It hasn't been hot enough for summer veggies or fruit. I had to turn the heat on last night because I was cold. The soil in our area isn't very good. I've thrown in the towel and I'm calling a landscaper. :(
However...I love to make plum torte. You can do several batches and freeze them.
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
1 c. flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
2 eggs
1 TB lemon juice/1 TB sugar/1 tsp cinnamon
pitted plums cut in half.
Cream sugar and butter. Add remaining ingredients (except lemon juice/sugar/cinn combo)
Place batter in a 9-inch springform pan. It will be thick and gooey.
Place plum halves face down on top of batter about 1/4 inch apart. (Usually about 6 plums depending on size. If you use the Italian plums, they're a bit smaller)
Top with lemon juice, sugar and cinn.
Bake 350 for about an hour. The batter should puff up around the plum halves and be slightly golden brown.
The torte is sweet/tart and very good with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. You can also use peaches or nectarine slices.
Bon appetit!
Pink
Hi Tawny,
My dad is the only one in the family with a green thumb, but he doesn't have a garden to tend to. He does have a few plants(aloe) and flowers(African violets). It would be cool if we could grow our own veggies.
Home-made jam is just so delicious. I am not much of a gardener, but I do enjoy fresh produce. I shop all year round, beginning in July for Christmas, you are late.
Wow, Tawny! Your garden looks wonderful. I hope it all works beautifully for you. I love plum jam! How on earth do you find the time to do all this?
I have not got anything approaching a green thumb but at our old house we had a bed of herbs and lavender which I loved. It's wonderful to have rosemary on your doorstep. Hope to have one again when we move back in. Enjoy your English muffin!
Well done Lolarific have fun with him
Tawny
I do so love that garden and fresh is always best I am not a gardener myself but I wish I was. We had a plum tree when I wa growing up and always had lots of fresh homemade plum jam I haven't had any for years.
At the moment I have a huge bag of oranges freshly picked of a friends tree and they are so nice honestly home grown always tastes better.
I think starting to think about Chrissy presents now is a great idea and I have started to think about what to get the grandkids already then I will go and layby them.
Have Fun
Helen
Oooh check out that gorgeous raised bed! My lovely hubby has serious raised bed envy! *g*
As you know, we have a mix of fruit and veg and flowers in our cottage-style garden and we have a vegetable allotment too. We love being able to take something from our garden (even if via the freezer) every day of the year.
I have to say that each year we different successes and failures. The first year we couldn't get the root veg like parsnips and turnips to grow, the birds ate our cherries, but we had a bumper crop of potatoes, cabbages and spinach. Last year our apples failed, this year it was our gooseberries. But we had enormous numbers of strawberries, raspberries, cherries, blackberries and redcurrants. Sadly, a creature ate our caulifowers and something got at our first crop of peas, but the corn is looking healthy and the parnsips are coming along nicely.
We're thinking of planting a plum tree! It's one of our easier to grow fruit trees. I love using plums in tarts and pies, especially a plum tarte tatin. We also use them in crumbles and fools.
Lol Tawny...Not crazy to be planning Christmas gifts in July- especially if you are planning to give gifts that are hand and personally made. As far as your multitude of plums...have you ever made wine before? Plum wine is delicious and has become my new favorite! Or you can make plum pie filling with it too.....
LOL, I don't think it's crazy to be planning for Christmas in July, Tawny, but I'm seriously beginning to doubt YOUR sanity. I mean, don't you already have plenty to do? JK, of course.
I do love fresh veggies from the garden, but I'm not disciplined enough to do all the work, which is why my tomatoes are almost always volunteers from the year before. I have a little patch that gets watered from the lawn's system and produce the most delicious and sweet cherry tomatoes.
We (you and I) live near the largest agricultural area in the world -- the San Joachin Valley -- so I think why do all the work when I can purchase from the roadside stands? Hmmm, I must be lazy at heart LOL.
Oh, mean to say your garden is lovely and your husband's vegetable boxes very impressive.
LOL on forgetting where the Christmas gifts are hidden. I can so relate. Christmas lasts for another two weeks here as I "find" various gifts that I forgot I bought. Once I hid kid toys in the crawl space over the garage, then forgot about them. We discovered those about 8 years later. The kids were too old for the toys so they went to a charity, but we had a good laugh.
I try to can homemade chili sauce in the fall. I go to the farmers market to get the fresh produce as our small garden doesn't produce enough at the time I need it. I once put up jars of blueberry peach jam. My family wouldn't try it - I think the pectin seal scared them off - but it was their loss. The jam was delicious.
I used to have a small garden box with green beans, tomatoes, sometimes peppers. But, decided not to have one this year. Oh, how I miss those fresh beans from the garden! I love them (cooked) with a little bacon grease or butter mixed in with them.
I do like to bake, but find that I don't do it much any more. I usually make my standard brownies, chocolate cake, shortbread, or pumpkin bars. (No box mixes.) I did find a wonderful recipe and doctored it up a bit for Black Raspberry-Almond bars and they've been a hit with all who have tasted them.
Have you thought about making plum jelly?
I admire you for preparing for Christmas already. I, unfortunately, procrastinate and shop at the last minute.
Wow, Lolarific, he is beating a path to your door on a regular basis!
I LOVE that raised garden, Tawny! I need several of those!
Between work and writing I just don't have the time these days to put in a garden although I certainly have the room. My nephew keeps saying he is going to come and spend a week landscaping my five acres and setting up a garden for me.
I have my wisteria(or it has me!) roses, azaleas, rhododendrons, lilies, dogwoods and gardenias and that is all I can manage. None of them are edible alas!
However, I do have a mini grape arbor that is coming along nicely. I have three different types of grape vines, but they don't produce a great deal of fruit yet so I just eat them as they ripen! YUM!!
And those plums would make lovely wine, I am sure!
Anna, I can't believe the difference in flavor in homegrown and store bought. I hate hate hate tomatoes... except out of a garden. Those I could eat standing in the back yard LOL. It really does make a difference.
Jams on it's way ;-)
Becke, I'll bet your garden is gorgeous on top of being low maintenance. I'm a major fan of low maintenance :-) I love planting and playing with the dirt and flowers, but have a tendency to get distracted once that's done (writing a new book, usually LOL) so low maintenance is great.
I'll happily pass on your compliments :-) My husband and I have a pretty good gardening partnership going. I design and plant, he builds and maintains. I harvest and cook, he eats and compliments *ggg*
I have only ever messed with growing tomatoes. I LOVE home grown tomatoes but frankly, the plants are a bear once they gain their maturity.
You have to wrestle in and sticky juice on your arm to pick them and then they get so big they wrestle YOU back...
Not worth it. That's why God made truck farms
If you are planning on your Christmas to include your handiwork you HAVE to plan for it in July.
I don't do all of that anymore myself but I used to can everything, even potatoes. I didn't have plum trees but I had apples, anybody that asked at one point could have a jar of apple jelly. I even paid extra for the pretty jars for that.
Here is a very easy cobbler recipe that I use for any fruit though I prefer berries.
Filling:
2 T Lemon Juice
3 cups fruit (cut into small pieces-about an inch)
1 cup sugar
2 T flour (AP)
1 T Butter or Margarine
1/8 tsp salt
Mix all ingredients and set aside. The salt helps draw the juices out to make a syrup.
Prepare 9 x 12 pan or glass baking dish by melting one stick of butter in bottom of pan.
Batter:
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
Mix all ingredients together until smooth (might be a few lumps but that is okay, just think pancakes) Pour into center of pan/dish. Shake slightly to even out batter. Then pour prepared filling into center of batter, don't shake it this time.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, let cool and serve. Warm with ice cream is the absolute best!
If necessary you can also use 2 cans of any fruit pie filling.
Aww, Pink - I hear you on the lousy weather (and on the heat. I'm wearing my winter gear these days: sweatshirt and socks!) I think it's affecting a lot of gardens, too. I was in Idaho a few weeks ago and everyone there was saying that their gardens were struggling because of the chilly weather, too.
And OMG wooooooow, what a delish recipe :-)
I'm going to make it this weekend. It looks so yummy!!! Thank you :-)
and good luck with your landscaper *g*
Jane, isn't it a shame when we don't seem to get our parents' green thumb? My mother is amazing with gardens. It wasn't until she moved out of California, though, that she seemed to get into the vegetable gardening like she is now. She was my inspiration to try gardening, for sure.
Ack Marybelle. I'm late? Now I'm freaked and determined to get more shopping done LOL.
Before I was brave enough to try and grow my own garden, I did hit the farmers market for fruit to do jam. But it always ended up costing me so much that my husband freaked a little *g* The joy of having the fruit in the garden is making his wallet sing LOL.
Thanks, Christina :-)
I have a lot of help with it all LOL. My husband did all the harvesting. My youngest daughter helped preparing the jars and read aloud to me while I prepared the fruit and once everyone got bored, I mentally plotted and worked on my story notes while stirring the fruit.
I love growing rosemary! Throw in lavender and you've got delicious scents :-) I didn't put rosemary in the beds because it gets so huge, but once we landscape the yard, I'll definitely have a plant or two!! I can't wait to see pictures of your new garden when you get back into your house :-)
Ohhh yum, Helen. I adore citrus. I'm trying to decide which type of citrus I want to put in. Definitely a Meyer lemon, but I want some kind of orange but haven't decided which.
I'm comforted by your early Christmas planning :-D I am inspired now to get to work! I love making holiday baskets and homemade yums, and am already imagining cute little wicker and homemade breads. But now I'm thinking about what to get my kids -and wondering how I'd keep from giving them stuff early.
Anna, you know how much I envy you your gorgeous and lush gardens. I drool every time you mention your latest delicious concoction from the garden.
I'm comforted, too, to hear your ups and downs in the garden. I have hopes that someday my strawberries will produce enough to make more than one shortcake LOL.
Wine, Maria?
Do tell. I've never made wine and am so intrigued.
I'm definitely going to try plum tarts this weekend. There are some yummy recipes being shared here today and in the name of fairness, I will have to make each one *g*
I love giving homemade Christmas gifts, and am usually horrible about waiting until November and am a crazed loon trying to get it all done.
Me, crazy, Jo? Nahhhhh :-D
More like I hate wasting stuff, and, well, we have a LOT Of plums.
But time-wise, summer is easier for me to get these kind of projects done. I use the time that the rest of the year is designated for school for these kind of projects :-) Come mid-August, I'll be done, though LOL.
You're right on the plethora of wonderful produce in our area! But I end up spending so much money (and time) at the farmers markets that it just made sense that if we can do it ourselves, we should. Now doing it well... that's a different story.
Your tomatoes sound wonderful - are they producing a lot this year? For weeks, I had a single tomato on my vines. One! Then last week they exploded :-) I'm finally hopeful that I'll get my spicy salsa LOL.
Aww, thanks, Jo :-) I'll pass on your compliments.
Tawny, what a clever garden! I'm so impressed. I'm printing that picture and showing it to my DH, because I think I could actually work in a garden like that. My compliments to your smart husband!
For the past many years, we've only grown veggies, herbs and a few miniature citrus trees in pots around the back yard. But we're planning a little back yard renovation later this year (as soon as we recover from the kitchen remodel! LOL) and I can picture a raised garden like this in the back corner.
You're so smart and organized to be planning your Christmas goodies. I envy you. And I'm loving all these recipes! We used to have a plum tree years ago, and now y'all are making me yearn for that yummy plummy tart sweetness. :-)
Hope everyone's surviving the heat waves all over the country. We've got a cool marine layer here today but it'll warm up later. We're all hunkering down in the LA area as CARMAGEDDON looms. :-)
Love the garden! Your husband is such a handy man ;-)
I'm not a gardener but my husband is - except we have horrible soil so we limit what we plant. This year we have tomatoes, basil, cilantro, parsley and rosemary *g* I'll can the tomatoes and freeze the herbs. We also have blueberry bushes though not many berries yet this year.
My husband's cousin used to can plums and I'd mush them up and feed them to my babies instead of baby food *g*
LOL Donna, that's funny about losing the gifts for that long! I could totally see myself doing that.
YUM on the chili sauce. I was thinking I might have to hit the markets myself when it comes time to do salsas and sauces.
My dad helped hubby haul the ten yards of soil for the raised beds--in exchange all he wanted was one jar of tomatoes. Um, so far I don't have enough to even do a single jar LOL.
Deb that really does speak to how wonderful home grown is, doesn't it?!
I love baking and am getting closer and closer to non-box baking. I still haven't mastered cakes without a box mix, although I do add lots of stuff to the mix. YUM on the black raspberry almond bards, those sound delish!
I did make plum jam. Hubby and the girls like that better than jelly, and its easier, so I don't argue LOL.
The idea of last minute Christmas shopping gives me the willies *g* Not because I'm super organized, but because the crowds freak me out LOL.
Louisa, I have acreage envy :-) Your garden sounds so lovely. I'm a wisteria junky and wish so much I could grow it. It and lilacs are among my absolute favorite flowers.
Yum on the grapes!! Are you growing for wine making purposes? How long does it take a grape vine to become that productive, I wonder. I'll bet they are delish!
Joanie said: Not worth it. That's why God made truck farms
ROFL -well there ya go :-D The best of all worlds!!
Wow! You're amazing, Tawny! We are SO not gardeners; like Lolarific, our youngest is a salad/vegetable lover, too. It's terribly amusing :)
As for preparing for Christmas, I tend to limit that to the week (maybe weeks?) immediately prior. If I buy stuff early, it either doesn't "fit" the recipients or I lose them, only to find them WAY too late to be of any use. I've learned my lesson ;)
And have fun with the GR, Lolarific!
Dianna, I don't think I've ever had canned potatoes - how intriguing :-)
You're so right on the needing to get to work early with the handmade goodies. I'm debating something crafty for the grandparents this year and know I need to figure it out soon. I have a bad habit of thinking of some clever thing to make in Nov, then going nuts trying to get it done. The worst was the year I decided to knit socks for all the kids. Um, still haven't finished the first pair :-(
Oh my, and a yummy hellooooo baby. The recipe looks delish. I'll make it this weekend, thank you!!
Kate, I've been watching your kitchen renovation via Facebook and am so jealous :-) Even of the mess and stress, since I know how worthwhile it all is after its done :-) Are you loving the new kitchen?
And you are so right -what better to go with a new kitchen than yummy homegrown food to cook in it *g*
Its actually chilly here in Northern Ca right now. I went from leggings and a tank to long yoga pants and a tee, and am about to add a sweatshirt to the mix. Brrrr... July, is it?
OMG!!! You still need help with scratch cakes?!!
Honey, you've come to the right place.
Secret is in the creaming butter and sugar together. Easy to "stop" once it's "kind of gone" but wait...let it fully integrate. THEN add your eggs. Simple as...um, pie!
I'll pass on your compliment to the hubby, Beth :-)
I love blueberries and kept intending to plant some but didn't quite get that done this year. Someone told me they need a more acidic soil to grow well, so I'm using the excuse that I have to research it as my reason for waiting another year :-D But all the yumminess that can be made with blueberries? I think I'm gonna have to come to your house and enjoy them!!
:-D I used to can apricots from the neighbors tree and do exactly the same thing!!! Feed those babies :-)
I think I'm gonna have to come to your house and enjoy them!
Yes! Come here and I'll make you blueberry scones and blueberry buckle and blueberry muffins and blueberry pancakes ;-)
Fedora, great point about the kids growing right out of things before we can even get them wrapped! I'll admit, I always do the toy and kids clothes shopping much closer to the holiday for that reason and because who knows what kids will be loving in 5 months?
I love hearing how many peoples little ones are salad fans, I have to say :-)
Is that the entire recipe, Joanie *g* Tell me more, and I'll make a cake!! Chocolate please :-)
I'm so wanting to master the scratch cakes this year, so you're now my tutor. Aren't you thrilled LOL
Beth said Yes! Come here and I'll make you blueberry scones and blueberry buckle and blueberry muffins and blueberry pancakes ;-)
Okay, I'm convinced :-) I'll be there in October *g* Save me some of those goodies!!!
Hi, Tawny,
July is late for me to start shopping!
I begin my lists and shopping usually
in February or March!! "Folks" started
having great sales early this year.
I try to get some Christmas shopping done before the school sales begin!
Pat Cochran
Lolarific, congrats on the rooster!
Tawny, I love homemade goodness, but I do not garden due to my very brown thumb. The dh gardens, mostly tomatoes and beans. There's nothing that says summer louder than a tomato sandwich made with a garden-ripened tomato.
If you have an excess of plums, is there a local women and children's shelter nearby that might take fresh produce? It's a shame to waste them. Or make the dogs sick. *g*
I love plums. Too bad they don't mail well.
I'm not much of a veggie gardener. But I love to plant flowers and bushes.
Now as far as those plums...when I was growing up we had plum trees and my mom made fantastic plum jelly.
Tawny, I love my glamorous new kitchen!! Sometimes I just stare at it and wonder who lives here. But I'll get used to it. Today the contractor's guys are back, touching up a few things, painting a few spots, adding the crown molding. I've missed the piercing shriek of their table saw. :-)
And yes, a new garden is the perfect accompaniment to the new kitchen. :-)
No smarty, it's not the whole receipe...
But if you look at MOST reciepes, they have basic foundations...cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Alternately add dry and wet ingredients beginning and ending with dry.
The differences come in the type i.e. chocolate chip, mocha, coconut, pound vs genoise, layer vs angel food...and extra ingredients.
Now, forget most of that if you make a carrot cake or other vegetable cakes (zuch bread)
email, me....
No smarty, it's not the whole receipe...
But if you look at MOST reciepes, they have basic foundations...cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Alternately add dry and wet ingredients beginning and ending with dry.
The differences come in the type i.e. chocolate chip, mocha, coconut, pound vs genoise, layer vs angel food...and extra ingredients.
Now, forget most of that if you make a carrot cake or other vegetable cakes (zuch bread)
email, me....
The potatoes weren't bad, I generally used them in stews and soups, or to cook with my green beans. You could fry them too but not exactly my fav. It was really a case of browning them in a skillet but I didn't care for the texture.
I also used to can soup stock, I didn't strain it though, I left cabbage and tomatoes in the stock, the only thing I didn't can was the bones.
Oh wow, Pat. I bow to your shopping excellence!!! Go you for being so close to done. I'll bet you love the holiday season LOL
Nancy, I'm still waiting for my tomato sandwich :-) And, to tell you the truth, my summer. It's chilly here this week!
Hmm, plums do mail well in jam. Just sayin' *g*
and that's a great idea about the shelter. I'll look into that if I don't use up the last of the harvest this weekend. But I came home with another 3 dozen jars today, so I might not have much left after the tarts :-D
Christie, I'll admit, I'm a lot more comfortable with flowers and bushes myself :-) This vegetable and fruit thing is still kinda new.
I'm not a jelly or jam fan usually, but I do love it homemade!
Kate, you're quite the renovating Queen :-)
I going to nag hubby now, and see how long before I can line up for a renovation crown...
Ahhh, Joanie, you rock :-)
I'll be emailing for cake recipe instructions!!!
Yummmmm and thank you :-D
Dianna, WOW. You really rock the canning. My gramma did that- almost everything we ate was from her garden when I was growing up. She didn't do quite as much as she got older, but she's still putting up blackberries this year and she's 91 :-)
I think you and she are going to be my inspiration!
WOW!!! Artemis, I'm blown away at all the yumminess stocking your pantry. It sounds like you really have a lot of wonderful produce coming out of your garden - and out of your kitchen.
I've never made pickles. They kinda intimidate me LOL. And I so wish the corn had grown, but it's still a little stubby and sad in my yard :-(
Ohhh, Christmas lists. Now those I can do year round. I love me some lists!!!
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