I have started the canning and preserving mode.  Even though the first part of the summer with all the rain about did in the garden between weeds and fungi of one kind or another, I have managed to limp through it and now the plants look like they will continue bearing for awhile.  The tomatoes are doing better, the cucumbers have been slow but now are going full on, the peppers and tomatillos are producing non-stop and the eggplants have finally kicked in.  The squash rotted away and I didn’t replant timely.

In between trips, I made tomatillo sauce and marinara sauce though both were small batches, about 5 1/2 quarts of marinara and 4 quarts of tomatillo sauce.

This last weekend, I made bread and butter pickles, using a new-to-me recipe found here Chef John’s breadnbutter pickles.   This recipe adds jalapeño peppers, some clove and whole peppercorns.  I really like the taste, a bit more layered and not as sweet, of course being the only consumer of pickles in the house-I have no one to help with the comparison!

I am freezing tomatoes as I pick them and hope to have enough to make more marinara.  I think I will have to buy some romas to augment my supply in order to make salsa.

I have lots of poblano, habanero, green bell, jalapeño, and hot peppers.  I will make stuffed peppers and freeze them today.  In the next few days will make the first batch of hot pepper jam.  The kitchen counter is crowded! I am starting to plant the fall garden, ordered a hard neck garlic variety and more sweet onion sets.  I will plant some green beans, mesclun, kale, radishes, beets and turnips.  Also picked up some napa cabbage and broccoli starts at the local big box store, on an impulse, so will find a spot for these too!  And have been planning some clean up work at the community garden so need to start recruiting assistance!  Looking forward to a bountiful fall.

We have had just an enormous amount of rain the last few weeks.  The community garden has been flooded, leaves are yellowing, fungi raging through, and weeds taking over.  From here on out, interest may wane as the initial blooms of excitement fade what with weeding, 90 degree days, and bugs-lots of mosquitos.   We had about 5-6 inches of water in the gravel walkways which means the rainwater cache system underneath was completely full.  Had to pump the water out across the field and to the street several times as we keep having torrential downpours.  The silver lining is we don’t have to water!

And while all of the hard work can be a bit much, the harvesting helps, tomatoes are ripening, along with peppers, cukes, squash, onions.  The fence at the community garden keeps all the critters out except for little chipmunks and squirrels.  At home, all my tomatoes were stolen, the numerous San Marzanos, and the Georgia streaks!  I suspect a ground hog or raccoon.  With the neighbor and her dog gone for the summer, the critters have free rein.  I will have to put up a fence now to keep them out.  We enjoy the Cherokee purples and mortgage lifters, making Caprese salads, BLTs, sliced tomatoes on sausage biscuits, hopefully I will start canning tomatoes very soon.