Category Archives: garden

Home grown salsa

This fall we made some delicious salsa. The ‘brown berry’ and yellow tomato varieties made the tomato base syrupy sweet. I used onions, garlic, cilantro, serrano chilies (that my mom grew at a lower elevation) cumin, lime juice, salt…I think that’s all. We ate a lot fresh, and cooked & canned some up too.

We also experimented with growing high elevation green chili plants and had some luck. The plants were leggy because I planted them too near some extreme tomato vines, but they fought to survive and we got a few chilies. We dug the plants up and brought them inside.

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Dried tomatoes in oil

This fall we had a lot of tomatoes to preserve. I dehydrated them and then stored them in olive oil. The fruits softened up in the oil. I’ve been storing them in the fridge and adding scoops to recipes. The oil has an amazing flavor!

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Tomato city

This summer was *insane* for cherry tomatoes. This was my first time trying a bunch of different varieties by seed. It ended up being a crazy mess of vines everywhere since I never got around to putting any tomato cages up. Picking was twister. I took as many pictures as I could.

Variety review is as follows:

Isis candy cherry – nice classic red one and a half inch fruits. I didn’t see many with the orange variegation ‘cat eye’ come through as advertised.

Cherry Roma – cute one inch little red Roma tomatoes. These were the least prolific of the six I tried and took the longest time to bare.

Blondkopfchen – my second favorite of the six. Tiny round yellow fruits that formed in incredibly prolific bunches. The fruit was sweet and had a really cute elfin point at the base!

Red fig – pretty and firm pear shaped fruits that ranged in size. We still have one of these plants hanging on next to the house in the corner of the hoop house by the 55 gallon drum we have for thermal mass. Yay December tomatoes!

Egg yolk – very round and sweet yellow fruit; prolific too. When it got very ripe it was near orange but was sweet when yellow and got sweeter.

Brown berry – Winner!!! Nice red brown color. And the sweetest, juiciest tomatoes I have ever had. Highly recommended!

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Catching up.

It only took a trip to Paria Canyon for a week in the middle May to lead me away from here. But I have loads up fun garden and craft updates from the summer and fall. I think the dire critter situation in the yard kept me longer than I intended. Lets pick up where we felt off, seeking geologic, botanical and culinary experience in Paria
We pooped in a bag provided by the BLM to keep the canyon beautiful. And we carried it for a week. Life is pretty sweet sometimes!!

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Thinning the seedlings

Tragically seedlings must be thinned. I had to have moral support to do this, because it just seems so wrong. I put about two seeds in each cup to prevent duds. Today I had to snip off the weaker ones to give the most vigorous one in each cup room to thrive. Waaah!

We’ll have to see if the chosen ones take off this week.

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Laundry greywater

When we moved in there was already a hole in the side of the house where the PVC pipe is coming out. The previous tenants must have done this as well. The washer is right on the other side of the wall, making this a much easier project. On the inside behind the washer the pipe “Ls” up and the regular drain hose is easily clamped to the “L” outside in the spring. The it pours out the pipe end into the bucket. I’m bummed now I didn’t get an action shot!

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Then the water flows out the bucket into the hose treadled into place in a hole we cut in the bucket.

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We have two 30 ft. lengths of 1.5-2 inch hose tied together with a hose connector to go the distance, but its easily disconnected for closer watering. Oh, and its got to flow downhill somewhat.

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And now with the biocompatible laundry soap…

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Big weekend transplant

Super flashy shade set up for the transplants from the hoop house outside.

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We stake with what we can find…no kitchen utensil is safe.

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Tiny bit droopy but hanging in!

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But its better than the heat of a greenhouse for these brassicas.

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Not too shabby for the chard either.

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Onions and parsley!

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Shade…

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pig out on peas!

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saving the dandelion and mallow root for medicinal teas and tinctures.

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Proof that the weed whacking was done 🙂

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Weekend gardening list update

Well, I did pretty good with the list considering I hosted out of town friends and in-town friends excited to see them. I also played Legos, played on the playground and held a brand new baby. I have pics of the work in the garden to come!

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Had a little licorice and mint tea to close a wonderful weekend of commotion.

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