in the clear

We've been having a stretch of dreadfully humid, stale weather. Like breathing through a damp sponge. Sweating standing still. Interspersed with powerful thunderstorms. For days and days.

Yesterday we got a break! With clear skies and fresh air. Even a bit of sunshine. I hastened through morning chores so Piper and I could head for the woods and the pond.

We had a glorious time! Piper was in non-stop Action Mode: running, exploring, sniffing, rolling ,and splashing. I took lots of ungrey, unfoggy, unmurky pictures.

Shall I go this way first?

Or shall I go that way?

Perhaps a beverage while I consider my options....

I'm delighted to see so many bees at work, both at home and in the open areas within the woodlands. I tried to get some pictures of the bees on the goldenrod yesterday. Piper helped by coming to heel while I fiddled with the camera, so the bees wouldn't fly off as she raced by.

Okay, here we are. Holding perfectly still. Looking at a bee.

Remind me why we're doing this?

This is why, Piper!

At one point, a bee I was photographing suddenly lifted off from the flower several feet in front of us, and flew straight to another flower right next to me. And directly over Piper's head.

Good girl, Piper! You are a pro!

We seem to be back to grey skies, humidity and looming rain today, but so far the air is refreshingly cool - perfect temperature for the heavier seasonal tasks that have been sidelined for the past week and more. This is a weekend when a lot must be done. So glad we got out for a purely entertaining wander yesterday. Piper does me the great favor of making walks in the woods a Priority Item, when I might otherwise think there are more important things to be done.

I would be wrong.

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Here's hoping your weekend will be highlighted with moments of pure joy.

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oh, beans!

Yesterday I picked the first of the beans.

Yay!!!

These are the heirloom pole beans from Sow True Seed, kindly sent to me by Tipper at Blind Pig and the Acorn as part of a planting project. I wrote about it here.

Since this was an experiment, I did 3 small plantings, in 2 locations, working around a stretch of very wet weather. First, on 31 May, I planted a short row of ten beans by goat barn. These seeds were presoaked to give them a headstart on germinating.

In only four days, the cotyledons began to appear. It was tremendously exciting! Really, does this sight ever get old?

The fragments of clean, dried eggshells are intended to deter nibbling animals like mice from marching through the garden in search of the salad bar. Apparently something took a nibble out of the one below anyway, but the plant rose above it!

All ten beans germinated, gradually, over a ten-day period. Every morning I went out and counted the beans.

Ha! I became a bean-counter.
Where's my calculator?
Where's my pocket protector? 

This picture was taken 30 June. The baling-twine trellis was an experiment. You may have noticed, most things here are experiments.

A second row of 10 presoaked beans went in along a 6' fence in a new (sunny!) garden spot.

That sun-blocking greenery on the other side of the fence became part of the goats' menu. The goats are excellent gardening helpers, as long as they are on the proper side of the fence.*

After 9 days, these bean plants began popping up piecemeal over several days, and on the 14th of June, I planted the remaining 20+ seeds along the same fence. These last seeds were not soaked first. To my astonishment, eight days later, they all came up simultaneously. One morning there was a perfect row of beans greeting the sun, where the day before there had been only a line pressed into the ground.

Note to self: skip the presoaking next year!

Another surprise was the luxuriant growth of the planting by the goat barn (you can see the roof in the background), in an area with patchy light:

...compared to the sparse growth of the planting along the fence, in an area chosen because it gets so much sun:

So I have learned a couple of things about how and where to plant my pole beans next year.

Meanwhile, into the kitchen with the first beans!

I wouldn't call them "stringless" exactly...

but I've never minded stringing beans, so maybe I'm not quite as lazy as the "lazy wife" these beans were named for!

But...had they grown too big? Would they be tough?

Steamed them whole...

to accompany a little leftover roast chicken.

Delicious beans!
Meaty, yet tender.
Lovely flavor.

In fact, it's a good thing I took a picture before I started eating - see the steam on the fork? - because otherwise it would have been too late and this would have been a picture of...just chicken.

Fingers crossed for a long, late harvest period. It would be very nice to put up a few packets of these tasty beans for midwinter treats, but it seems more likely every bean will be eaten up long before it can see the inside of a freezer or jar.

I'm already planning where to plant more next year.

Thanks, Tipper! And thanks, Sow True Seeds!
~~~

*The day I spent a couple of hours planting onion sets, one of the goats slipped into the garden as I was going out the gate. The goat was in and out of the garden in roughly 12 seconds, but she left a row of deep sharp hoofprints straight down the new row of onions. Little monkey.

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wordless wednesday

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speechless sunday

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pattypan psa

In recent years, most of the farm stands and farmers' markets in this area seem to be selling pattypans at a very small size. Sometimes just 2 or 3 inches across.

They are undeniably adorable at that size, but since those miniature vegetables are often sold at so-many-per-dollar instead of so-much-per-pound, they can also be quite expensive.

I've experimented this year with my own squash, and am here with a Pattypan Public Service Announcement:

Large pattypans are delicious.

And simple to prepare. Just cut the squash in half, and scoop out the central seed portion. This is a tablespoon, which gives you an idea of the squash size. It's over a pound in weight.

Two quick turns of a spoon, and the center section comes out in one clean piece. Easy peasy!

The hens enjoy the seedy centers, so nothing is wasted.

I usually just cut up and steam the squash until tender but not mushy, then enjoy it plain, or with a little butter, or mixed with other veggies. I've never bothered with sauces because the squash is so mildly flavored I didn't want to overwhelm it. But live and learn: this week there was just a bit of leftover broccoli cheddar soup in the fridge...reheated and poured over chunks of steamed pattypan squash, it made a lovely lunch.

This is the first year I have grown pattypans, and they have added much to the gardens. Earlier this week a friend stopped by and it was a pleasure to walk out into the garden and pick two pattypans for her to take home. Really, does anything feel more sweet than having enough of something special to share with friends?

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