Leaving on vacation for nine days in the heart of the season always leaves us with a bit of anxiety. I was thankful that we got so much preservation done before we left, because I do not feel so much panic in seeing the current surplus'.
This is one thing that we will not preserve, these little cucumbers are perfect just to pop whole into the Greek salads that may just be dominating our diets for the next couple of weeks.
I think if anything defines the state of the garden as we return from vacation, it is blush. As we continue to preserve the summer squash and green beans, the next phase is blushing nicely. Hints of canned tomatoes, sauces and salsas come...and oh the masses of butternut! For a season that started so slowly, some things are well ahead of last year. We were keeping our fingers crossed for ripening on winter squash up until we harvested them in late October last year. This year? Well, they are well on their way!
Along with the garden bounty, the late summer blooms are dotting the landscape in all of their glory. The first goldenrod is just beginning to put on its show. The garden tends to do what it wants this time of year and really you just must wait for it to provide and then eat and process. The animals, on the other hand, gave Ellen quite a run for her money while we were gone, but that is a story for another post :)
Your garden looks beautiful.
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