garden variety

some garden updates... the jalapenos are AWESOME and this red italian roaster was supposedly amazing, but too hot for me to even consider trying. there are three more curly green ones on the plant waiting to ripen.

we finally got two small eggplants (two more were removed by some creature perhaps, and rotting on the ground, unfortunately). i made eggplant parm with them and they were delicious. the tomatoes have started ripening, including the black prince tomatoes, which i mistook for diseased tomato, and threw the first one away. once i figured out they're supposed to look like that, we've been eating them and they taste pretty good, although i'm still getting used to the color.

i found one of our big beef tomatoes unripened and on the ground before it began to rot and decided to fry it up with cornmeal, flour, cayenne, and garlic powder (i wish i had added black pepper too), and it was so good that i considered yanking off some more unripe tomatoes - in fact, i probably will.

3/4 of the garden has now been removed (dead, unyielding plants and rotting green beans - completely my fault for not keeping up with them, a big disappointment). and we've planted seeds for pickling cucumbers, zucchini, and broccoli. i started seeds for kale and brussels sprouts that i'll transplant when the carrots and lettuce are all gone.

this plot is too small! i'm glad though, rather than too big. we should have some edible corn in the next couple weeks, and hopefully a lot more tomatoes. i may transplant the peppers and eggplants so they can actually have some room to grow.

so to add to the successes:

• eggplant
• tomatoes

and what didn't work:

• green beans - mostly because we don't love them enough to pick and eat that many i guess, although the plants yielded a hefty amount.
• carrots - i think the soil is too rocky, because they are too stubby

i wish i was planting cauliflower, potatoes, and butternut squash. no more room.