My garden is going gangbusters this month.  But then again, isn’t everyone’s?  Like Susan’s garden, I have tomatoes coming out of my ears, but I’m not complaining.  Instead, I’m whipping up quick batches of tomato sauce and freezing them for the cold months.

I planted a number of varieties of tomatoes last May — including Romas, Better Boys, Brandywine, Yellow Brandywine, Mr. Stripey, and my favorite Yellow Pear.  For a while there, it felt like we’d never have enough tomatoes, but now we have plenty.

To make tomato sauce, I chop whatever tomatoes I have on hand, simmer them in a pot for a little while, run everything through a food mill to remove skins and seeds, pour the results into freezer-safe containers, and then freeze.  I don’t add anything else and instead wait until later on when I’m cooking.

I’m actually filling my freezer with a lot of August’s bounty.  I’ve already made loads of basil paste for future pestos, sauces, casseroles, and pizzas and will be making it up until the first frost in October, when I’ll do one final mega harvest of that particular herb.  I have plenty of edamame, as well as well as grated zucchini, which I’ll sneak into soups and casseroles and hope my kids won’t notice.  I’ve even frozen fresh corn on the cob — I just shucked the ears, blanched them, and then put them in freezer bags.

There have been some days when I’ve spent a lot of time in the kitchen dealing with some vegetable or the other and it feels like I’ll never get to the bottom of the pile.  But I always do and in a few months, I’ll be glad I did all this now.

This past week we harvested more than 60 purple calabash tomatoes, all grown from seed (purchased from the Monticello Garden Shop!). Who knew that in my tiny suburban townhome back yard I could have such abundance? Remember when I was starting out (see post here). Well, they ended up growing like crazy.

Being that I have a small family, I decided to stew and freeze them so that we can enjoy our bounty this winter. Here is what I did:

• Add tomatoes to rapidly boiling water for 5 minutes
• Immediately immerse in ice water for 5 minutes
• Pull the skins off (when you boil then chill, they come off easily!)
• Add garlic, salt and herbs if you like
• Pack in freezer containers and freeze!

I guess you can also can these, but I have never done that before. I am sure there are resources on the web and in bookstores that explain how. I will leave that for next summer.

If you have resources to share on how to harvest and store your home-grown harvest – please share!

A small portion of the edamame in my garden this year. I planted more than ever, but will reap the rewards this winter.

Back in the early spring, I planted edamame. A LOT of edamame, in fact — a pound of seeds, which took up 25% of the space in my garden and even then I still had to find other places to plant.  I ended up putting extra seeds in every available nook and cranny, including around the blueberry bushes and in a flower bed.

The payoff on all that time spent on my hands and knees is all the beans I’ll be harvesting in the next few weeks.  In fact, my  family returned from a vacation last week and an hour after we pulled into the garage, I was out in the garden picking edamame pods for that night’s dinner.

Obviously, we won’t be able to eat all that edamame at once, so what I’ll be doing is blanching the pods with the beans still in them, then shelling the beans after they’ve cooled off a bit.  I’ll freeze all the edamame and have lots of yummy beans this fall and winter.  I’m cautiously estimating that I’ll put at least five pounds of shelled beans in the freezer.  My family is delighted, because edamame is one of our favorite vegetables and something that my girls will actually snack on after school.

Yes, I could just buy frozen edamame at the grocery store (and I do) butI discovered last year that virtually all of the edamame in grocery stores was grown in China.  Considering how many hundreds of acres of land in Virginia alone is given over to growing soybeans (the crops are used to replenish the soil in corn fields and the beans are given to livestock), I am appalled that grocery stores are importing food from thousands of miles away.  In addition to having concerns about any food coming out of China — even those foods that are labeled organic — I don’t like the food miles associated with foods coming from the other side of the globe.  That’s just not acceptable to me, which is why grow as much as I do.

In addition, edamame is also good for my garden.  It adds nitrogen back to the soil and helps replenish nutrients depleted by heavy feeders like corn and tomatoes.   I rotate where I plant everything, so in 2011, I’ll put edamame where the tomatoes were in 2010.

If you get a chance to grow edamame next year, I encourage you to plant some.  It’s incredibly easy — you just stick the seeds in the ground in the spring and then walk away for two months.  It requires absolutely no work at all and will add a lot to your dinners.

Early lettuces in my garden last year. I like to plant a lot of lettuce in the fall, as it's so easy to grow.

Even though it’s hot as heck outside and you’re not yet sick to death of zucchini, if you want cool weather veggies, you need to start planning now, as most of your fall garden needs to be started in June and July.  Plants like lettuces, broccoli, cauliflower, endive, kale, spinach, carrots, beets, and chard are just some of the veggies you can grow without too much effort and, even better, there tend to be fewer pests around to wreak havoc on your edibles.

And, if you have a cold frame or use hoops with row covers, you should be able to continue growing some of your fall crops well past the first frost.  One of my neighbors gardens in raised beds and she simply covers one of them with an old glass window and then harvests lettuce well past Thanksgiving and into December.

Even though I’m usually exhausted with gardening by the time fall rolls around, I really enjoy gardening in September and October because it’s just so much easier and less intense.  I plant lettuces and greens and then enjoy them well past the first frost.  Since my tomatoes are still growing well into October, I’ll enjoy some pretty amazing salads as the days turn cooler. Best of all, since apples will b e coming in, I’ll make a lot of salads that consist of lettuce, chopped apples, some toasted walnuts, and a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette.  Delish.

What are some of your favorite fall veggies?

Hands down, basil is my favorite herb.

One of the great things about gardening is having an herb garden just a few steps from my back door.  I have a dedicated area that is 4′ x 10′ where I grow all the standards — rosemary, oregano, thyme, chives, sage, and more.

What you don’t see on that list is basil.  I actually grow a lot of basil, but where I grow it changes every year.  I always plant basil with tomatoes  — usually 6-8 basil plants intermingled with two dozen tomato plants, along with dozens of marigolds.  This type of companion planting is important, as it is an organic way to cut down on pests in the garden.  And the triumvirate of tomatoes, basil, and marigolds thrive when planted together.

Basil is incredibly easy to grow.  You just stick it in the ground, water it occasionally, and harvest when you’re hungry.

The reason I plant so much basil is that I preserve most of it for the cold months.  Oh sure, I could buy basil at the grocery store, but I think that dried basil is an inferior substitute and I flat-out refuse to spend $5 or more on a small bunch of fresh basil when I grow it myself with almost no effort.  So every year I plant lots of basil and literally reap the benefits for three or four months.

How do I preserve basil?  By making basil paste — here’s how:

• Cut back your basil plants.  Don’t be afraid to be aggressive; they’ll rebound.
• Wash the leaves thoroughly and remove stems and any insect friends that came along for the ride.
• Put up to four cups of leaves in your food processor, along with a tablespoon or two of good quality olive oil.
• Pulse until the leaves are chopped to the consistency of pesto.
• Spoon into small containers or an ice cube tray and freeze.
• Once frozen, store the basil paste in heavy duty freezer container.
• When ready to use, defrost and add to your favorite dishes.

I use basil paste in tomato sauces, on pasta, to make pesto, in soups, and more.  While it’s not as good as fresh basil in the summer, it’s a pretty good substitute.

It’s not too late to plant some basil for this summer.  Just make sure to water it well the first few weeks so that it can get established.

And just think of the rewards!  Right now, I’m hankering  for a platter of fresh-from-the-garden tomatoes and fresh mozzarella interspersed with leaves of basil and drizzled with olive oil.  Mmmmm.  Now that is good eating!

We're growing Russian Banana Fingerling potatoes in a grow bag and are looking forward to harvesting them later this summer.

Remember a couple of weeks ago when my confidence in my gardening plans was shaken? Well, it was completely renewed this weekend.

Our peas have come in and we’ve been gorging on the tiny green orbs for a couple of weeks. Yesterday I pulled out the vines, as they were starting to die back from the heat. I sat in a chair in the shade and sorted out all the remaining pods, which should be enough for at least two more dinners, although the snacking I did while I worked might have set us back a little.

My family has always liked peas and we tend to eat a lot of frozen peas during the winter, but having them fresh is just so much better. My daughters and I have been eating them raw from the garden, but for dinner I’ve been cooking them for a few minutes, then dressing them with a smidge of butter and salt. Yum.

THIS is why I garden.

So now that we’re finished with the spring veggies, I’m impatiently pacing around, waiting for tomatoes, cucumbers, edamame, beans, potatoes, and more to come in. If I thought it would help, I’d get a cheerleader’s megaphone and shout words of encouragement at my plants.

As for fruit, we still have strawberries, as I planted everbearers this spring and they got biz-ay as soon as they hit the ground.  My blueberry bushes are covered in unripe berries, which I expect to start eating in a few weeks.  I planted two grape vines this year and they’re both growing well, but I’m not counting on getting anything from them during this first year.

My herb garden is producing too, so I’ve been able to add lots of fresh herbs to our meals.  I planted garlic there last fall and expect to harvest that in a few weeks.

There’s also the farmers’ market, which provided us with a wonderful bounty this past weekend.  We picked up early zucchini, which I’ve thus far simply roasted with a little olive oil and salt.  We got loads of berries, as well as some late carrots and broccoli.  Sunday’s dinner was burgers from beef we got from a local farm, as well as lots of veggies, including plenty of peas.  Last night’s dinner was local chicken that we barbecued and, of  course, more peas and other yummy local veggies.  Dessert was homemade French Vanilla ice cream.  Delish!

Local foods.  Seasonal foods.  Homemade foods.  Really, do meals get any better than this?

Photo credit: zanypurr's Flickr photostream

How would you like to wake up in the morning and eat farm-fresh eggs with your breakfast?  If you had chickens in your backyard, your eggs couldn’t be of a more recent vintage.

Yes, that’s right, I am suggesting that you might want to build a coop and start raising your own Chicken Little and Henny Penny.  Long thought to be the domain of country dwellers, keeping chickens has become more popular with urban farmers in recent years, as people are realizing the benefits of having their own source of free range hens and organic eggs.

Chickens not only offer up eggs and the potential for the occasional Sunday dinner, they can be fantastic weed pullers while at the same time ridding your garden of pests.  They’re also omnivores who love leftovers, so you can feed them your kitchen scraps.  And think of the free manure!

Rumor has it — and I am getting this information from people I know who raise chickens — that becoming a poultry farmer is relatively easy, although you will need to do some research in advance, as well as prepare a home for your flock.  Also, if you’re considering keeping poultry, check your local ordinances for restrictions (if any) and definitely check with your neighborhood association.

If becoming a poultry farmer seems a bit daunting, you might consider going in with some of your neighbors.  That way, everyone shares the responsibilities and costs.  And think of the community-building experience!

For more information on keeping chickens, check out Organic Gardening and Mother Earth News for a wealth of helpful articles.

If you don’t have chickens in your backyard, where can you get local eggs?  In Charlottesville, I’ve seen them at the farmers’ market, as well as C’ville Market, Rebecca’s, Integral Yoga, and Feast.

As for me, I don’t have chickens in my backyard — yet.  My husband and I have discussed it, but haven’t taken the plunge.  It helps that we get fresh eggs from a relative, so we already have a nice supply in our fridge.  We’ll keep thinking about it and, who knows, maybe one day we too will have a coop behind our house.

Photo credit: http://peanutbuttermilk.wordpress.cocm

One of the many great things about early May in Virginia is that it’s strawberry season.

Strawberries might just be one of Nature’s most perfect foods.  They’re at their best when they are grown organically and then eaten right after they’ve been picked.  Strawberries grown in California (or further afield) and then shipped to your grocery store in January just can’t compare.

Strawberries are easy to grow, but you do need to keep an eye on them so that they don’t take over your garden.  Or, you can keep them contained and grow them in a raised bed or pots on your patio.  For more information on growing berries, check out this article at Organic Gardening.

If you don’t have a garden, I suggest that you get yourself to your local farmers’ market or a nearby strawberry farm to get some berries.  One of the wonderful things about strawberries is that they freeze well, so you can save Spring’s bounty for future eating.  And, of course, there’s always strawberry jam…

Some of you may not know this, but the best way to store strawberries is NOT in the fridge.  Yes, strawberries last longer when kept chilled, but they lose flavor rapidly.  Instead, leave them unwashed and unsliced at room temperature until you’re ready to eat them.  Be advised that they will only last a couple days this way, so be prepared to dig in soon.

What is my favorite way to eat strawberries?  With this amazing fruit, simplicity is the way to go:

• Strawberries taste amazing with plain or vanilla yogurt.
• Angel food and pound cakes are also quite wonderful when topped with fresh strawberries.
• Strawberries dipped in chocolate!

Strawberry season always seems too short to me and then  I have to wait patiently for it to roll around again the next year.  Luckily, blueberries and raspberries are right around the corner!

Home-canned pickles. Photo credit: firefly64's Flickr photostream

I’ve been gardening for about 15 years now, but didn’t really have much of a kitchen garden until a couple of years ago.  Last year, my family moved into a new house with a blank slate for a yard, which gave me the opportunity to imagine all the possibilities and just how big my kitchen garden could get.

As of this spring, I have about 400 square feet dedicated to food, which is my largest garden yet. I created all this space, as well as my surrounding flower beds myself, most of it last year after we moved in.  Needless to say, I have invested hundreds of hours in creating this little botanical utopia.  I’m not even going to stop and calculate how much money I’ve spent on seeds, plants, dirt, mulch, and more.

I love gardening.  I believe in gardening and its positive impact on my health, my family’s health, and our environment.  Nothing pleases me more than to walk outside on a July afternoon and pick veggies and herbs for our dinner.  Once October rolls around and my  garden stops producing, I miss having fresh tomatoes and basil and more.

My husband is on board with all this too — he benefits from all the great produce, but also from having less yard to mow, and he believes in gardening for the same reasons I do.  Like me, he loves having a freezer and pantry full of last summer’s bounty.  However, last week, he said something that stopped me in my tracks and which I have been thinking about ever since.

I was telling my husband about my plans for something in the garden — canning pickles this summer — and he commented, “Why bother?  It’s less expensive to just buy them at the store.”

Why bother? That really stuck with me and I’ve been pondering it for days, wondering if what I’m doing is really worth the time and effort.

The answer is a resounding YES.  Growing my own food and eating locally and seasonally IS worth the effort.  Cooking from scratch and preserving the bounty of my garden means that my family eats better throughout the year.  Our food doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup and other additives, plus home-cooked food using fresh ingredients just tastes better.

As for those pickles, it costs me almost nothing to plant the cucumbers, dill, and garlic I’ll need for dill pickles.  Vinegar is cheap too.  One day in July or August, I’ll find that I have too many cucumbers on hand, so I’ll pull out some jars, various ingredients, and my canner and I’ll whip up a batch of pickles, which should cover all the cook-outs and barbecue dinners my family will have in the next year.

When I can my own pickles — or make spaghetti sauce or chicken broth or bread crumbs — I control what ingredients are used.  I know that my food doesn’t contain crap that I don’t want my family to eat.  I know that my cucumbers, garlic, and dill will be organic, because that’s how I garden.  I know that my pickles won’t contain any ingredients that I don’t want in them.

Yes, there is a cost to my time to make the pickles and preserve, but that doesn’t concern me because I’m making them because I want to — because I want to bite into one next winter and remember the bounty of Summer 2010.

Photo credit: www.gardeners.cocm

Are you composting?

Compost is important — it enriches your soil and gives your plants a vitamin boost that’s quite potent.  That crumbly black stuff coming out of your compost bins makes for a healthy, thriving garden which means lots of tomatoes and beans and cucumbers and more.

I will tell you honestly that I didn’t start composting until last year.  Given that I’ve been gardening for more than 15 years, one would think that I would have been composting all along, but for some reason I didn’t have compost bins scattered around my yard.  I shudder when I think of all those food scraps going to waste.

My household of four used to produce around three bags of trash every week.  Now that we’re directing our food scraps to the compost bin, we’ve cut our trash output to only 1-2 bags per week.

Nationwide, a typical household throws out 474 pounds of food a year  — that’s nearly 26 million tons of food scraps ending up in landfills annually!* The E.P.A. actually estimates that food scraps and yard trimmings make up around 25% of U.S. trash production. **

Think about how much food you throw out every day and throughout the week.  Now multiply that by 100 families or 1,000 families and imagine the difference that composting can make.

Composting is so important that it’s now mandatory in San Francisco and the new composting programs have been wildly successful.

Are you ready to compost now?  To get started, check this article at Organic Gardening.