Fenton Friday: Potatoes and Purple Carrots

August was our coolest in 25 years, but also our driest! The heat is back this weekend, I'm hoping also along with a few decent rain storms.

We planted the Carrot 'Dragon' seeds from Seed Savers Exchange way back in mid-April. Carrots are notorious for taking a long time to germinate and grow. This variety says 90 days to havest, but I left them in the ground far longer. We dug them this week to make room for cool-season lettuces and herbs. They are gorgeous! More importantly, they are delicious --10 out of 10. I'd definitely grow them again.

In that same bed where we dug out the carrots were some German Butterball Potato plants that popped up over the summer from leftovers from previous years' crops. (Is it ever possible to find and dig up every last potato tuber?) We harvested about a cup and a half of them and they made a tasty roasted side dish for dinner last night for two of us.

This week I also harvested a couple Cucumbers, some Zucchini, lots of 'Sun Gold' Tomatoes, a few 'Lunchbox' Sweet Peppers, a handful of 'Rattlesnake' Green Beans, and a handful each of Dill and Basil for flavoring some dishes.

New intern Ellen also picked several Thai Hot Red Peppers -- they are small, but mighty!

Next week, we will plant those cool-season greens in the bed we were clearing (mentioned above). 

What are you growing and harvesting in your edible garden this week?

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 14th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton"  into the Search box above (at the top, left on this blog.)

Fenton Friday: Carrot Harvest

We finally harvested the row of carrots that I had let grow at the top of the plot for several months now. The carrots are 'St. Valery' from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds and were planted way back in late March. They are the biggest carrots I've ever grown! They are a bit woody and hard, but surprisingly are still edible. I may try shredding a bunch for carrot salad.

The Lettuce seeds still have not germinated yet -- I'll give them a few more days then give up if there is no sign of them and plant Spinach in their place.

The Peppers, Tomatoes, and Blackberries are all still producing. A few more Zucchini are forming so I will leave those plants in for another week or so.

We pulled the Gherkin Cucumber vine and in their spot planted Carrot 'Scarlet Nantes', Radish 'Cherry Belle', and Radish 'Round Black Spanish'.

The Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Brussels Sprouts are all growing quite large under the cover cloth, though this week's windy weather and cold nights dried them up a bit and I think we lost a couple. I'll do a better job checking under the cloth and watering them.

What are you growing in your edible garden this week?

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 13th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above (at the top, left on this blog).

Fenton Friday: Carrots Out, Tomatoes In

It was a fairly dry week again and the awful wildfire smog from Canada descended on us for several days making any gardening outside unpleasant, but then as I was drafting this post a soaking RAIN hit -- hurray! 

We dug up the 'Parisian' carrots that we planted from seed last March. You can watch a video of that reveal here. In their spot, I finally planted the five tomato plants I had set aside and there was a volunteer tomato plant (I believe it is 'Red Currant') that I left in there as well. The ones I planted include: 'Yellow Pear', 'Green Zebra', 'White Currant', 'Sun Gold', and 'Eldorado'. All of these tomato plants are struggling as they did not do well in the drought period in their little pots, but I hope they recover enough to give us some fruits.

We gave the Pepper plants and Dahlias some fertilizer and weeded a bit as well.

We placed the support netting over the cut-flower beds and Dahlias. Almost all the cutting-garden's seeds germinated, so we should probably thin them next week or the week after. I've already thinned the crowded Zinnia 'Thumbelina' in the Popup Garden. I managed to pull some of them out roots and all then transplanted a few in spots in my home garden. We'll see how they do in those places versus the container garden. The row of Marigold 'Super Hero Spry' seeds is not germinating yet, but I'll give them another week before I consider replacing them.

Meanwhile, we did give up on the second Zucchini mound planted with 'Dark Star' Zucchini seeds. In their spot, we planted another heirloom Zucchini 'Cocozelle'. Let's hope these do better for us. The mound with the 'Incredible Escalator' Zucchini is growing by leaps and bounds. I expect it to start working its way up the nearby trellis soon.

This next week I'm planning to pull out the last of the lettuce and peas and plant beans in their spot. I also have some more herb seedlings to get in the ground and want to start okra and cotton seeds.

How is your garden plot growing this week?

 

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 12th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.)  See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above (at the top, left on this blog).

Fenton Friday: Harvesting Carrots

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I had almost forgotten about the 'Tonda di Parigi' Carrots we planted back in mid-March! We dug up the last of the garlic this week and behind them was the row of carrots. After all the rains lately, they were very easy to pull out and clean. They are just as described on the seed pack--small, round, and packing a big flavor.

Once that bed was cleared, I planted an heirloom pumpkin in their place and 'Jambalaya' Okra seeds where the garlic we cleared out last week was located. If the pumpkin seedlings don't sprout soon, I'll put a cucumber or zucchini in their place.

Speaking of garlic, the annual Garlic Festival is back at the Takoma Park Farmers Market. We'll be back there sharing garlic samples and growing advice. Here is that event information.

The annual cutting garden flowers are growing quickly and the tomatoes are starting to produce lots of green fruits as are the peppers. Thanks to the black plastic netting moved over from the strawberries, I was able to eat a few more ripe blackberries that the birds were not able to get.

The beans have not sprouted at all yet, nor have the two perennial cutting garden flowers, so I plan to replace both of those soon with new seeds.

What are you growing and eating this week from your edible garden?

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 11th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above.

Fenton Friday: Carrots and Cover Crops

Carrot seedlings from a previous growing season
- we are hoping to have similar success this year. 

This week, we pulled the spent Zucchini vines and plant rows of carrots ('Orangesicle', 'Scarlet Nantes', and 'Little Finger' and a set of 'White Bunching' onions in their spot.

While the Mustard Greens cover crop is filling in nicely, we seeded in some 'Flat Dutch White' cabbage in any of the bare spots around them.

We had a storm dump several inches of rain on Thursday in a short period of time, so I am hoping the new seedling and seeds hung in there.

The cherry tomatoes, peppers, and cut-flowers are still producing well and are not slowing down yet.

How is your edible garden growing?

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 8th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above.

Fenton Friday: Carrots Assessed

I pulled the carrots today -- hoping to have 5 that were approximately the same size and shape as that is what is required to enter them into the Montgomery County Fair. No such luck. Though, they are still lovely in their own way and taste great!

For the fair entries, I collected 'Shishito' and sweet peppers, 'Sungold' tomatoes, Celosia and Zinnia flowers, Thai Basil and Garlic Chives for the herb category, along with flowers from my home garden. I'll post an update next week on any ribbons we might win.

This week has been one of near-record high heat and strong evening thunderstorms, so aside from picking beans, cucumbers, and zucchini as quickly and efficiently as possible, I have not spent much other time in the plot and the weeds are taking advantage of that. Next week the weather is predicted to be cooler and I hope to tackle the worst of the strangling weeds.

What is growing in your kitchen garden?

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 8th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above.

Savory Sunday: Quick-Pickled Carrots

 By Anastazja Kolodziej

Want the tangy taste of pickles with your lunch, but don’t have any at home? All you need is a handful of carrots and some reserved pickle juice to pickle your own carrots in only a few hours. In this recipe, we used 'Oxheart' and 'Purple Sun' Carrots we grew in our community garden plot.

Ingredients:

• Carrots
• Water, enough to cover ½ inch of the bottom of your jar
• Pinch of salt
• Pickle juice (from pickles you like)

Steps:

1. Wash, peel, and chop the carrots.
2. Put them into a jar with the water and salt, then heat them on high in the microwave for about 1 minute.
3. Once the carrots are softer (they should have some give, but not be too squishy), pour the water out.
4. Pour pickle juice into the jar, enough to submerge the carrots properly. Let them sit for at least an hour.
5. I started pickling my carrots in the morning, so they pickled for about 4.5 hours before I ate them. However, I liked their taste already by the 2 hour mark.
6. If you have some carrots left over, keep them in their jar in the refrigerator. They will stay good for a couple of weeks. 

Note: I used a handful of baby carrots to make one side dish’s worth of pickled carrots; if you are making more, increase the microwave and pickling times. 

Pin this for later:

"Savory Sunday" is a weekly summer blog series with seasonal recipes from the garden.

About the Author:

 Anastazja Kolodziej is a rising senior at the University of Maryland, double majoring in multiplatform journalism and the classics (Ancient Greek and Latin). On campus, she serves as an assistant managing editor at The Diamondback.

Fenton Friday: They're Ba-ack!

Look closely at the photo above and you will see a young rabbit trying desperately to blend in with the surrounding herbs in my neighbor's plot. This little jerk (or his relatives) chewed by Sweet Potato slips that had just started to leaf out! We also suspect he was the culprit that absconded with our missing Cucumber seedlings - when we had blamed the birds or slugs!

I put little wire frames around the other Cucumber seedlings and replanted the missing ones. I also sprinkled used kitty litter around the  Sweet Potato slips, but I may have to resort to more dire methods soon.

In the rest of the plot, we dug up all the Carrots - not a huge crop - but a pretty one. I especially like the 'Purple Sun' ones.

I also dug up the Garlic and laid it out to cure on a rack in my sun-room. Two of the garlic heads were already starting to rot and the cloves slid right out of their peels with a few starting to grow green tips! I thought I was catching them on time, but I guess our long, cool and wet spring got to those. The rest of the bulbs were just fine though.

I planted a few 'Candle Fire' Okra seeds among the strawberries and we re-planted the Basil and Marigold seeds as the first sets never came up.

Next, I plan to finally pull the peas and plant some beans.

What are you harvesting this week in your edible garden? 

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 8th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above.

Fenton Friday: Pass the Peas (and Carrots!)

Carrot 'Oxheart'

I decided to dig up some of the carrots we planted last fall. These 'Oxheart' are not even close to the "massive" roots that the seed packet described. Still, they will do for a snack, once I get done scrubbing them.

I harvested a few strawberries and asparagus spears, as well as snipping off all the garlic scapes.

The peas are really humming along now, the hard part is waiting until each is about 4-inches long before I pick them. Pictured are a few that made it to my kitchen, the rest I eat right there in the plot.

I managed to plant a few sweet potato slips as well as the "regular" white 'Satina' potatoes.

The heat and humidity have descended on us, so I'll have to be more diligent about watering and also weeding. I also need to start getting all my pepper and tomato seedlings in the ground now.

Peas 'Snak Hero'

Due to the heat now, most of the cool-season crops are bolting (setting flower, then seeds). I am going to let the last of the radishes do so, but hope the beets and other things hold off until they are at a decent size to harvest.



My next task is to go through all my warm-season seed packs this weekend and start direct-sowing the okra, beans, marigolds. etc.


Back in my home garden, I ripped out a bunch of mugwort, laid down cardboard, and applied a thick layer of leaf compost. I then cut a hole through the layers and planted some 'Amish Melon' seedlings, that I got from a fellow gardener. I'm not a big fan of muskmelon, but I'll give it a try and am happy to let the vine sprawl in the side yard where it can hopefully out-compete any returning mugwort.







What are you harvesting this week in your edible garden? 

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 8th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above.

Fenton Friday: Kale Sprouting

Kale seedlings

We had another very dry week here. Which meant watering the newly planted seedlings every day. It was a relief to see that the Kale seedlings sprouted and so have some carrot seeds.

Today, I added a row of Cilantro seeds. It is not the easiest thing to grow here - every bug and critter likes to chew on it - and the hot weather can make it bitter, but I figured why not give it a go as I have the space and plenty of extra seeds.

The tomato plants are still producing and the marigolds are blooming their heads off. I have one - just one - red okra  and I think I should be digging out my sweet potato soon if I want to have time to cure it.

Carrot seedlings

 
How is your edible garden growing this week?

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 8th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above.

Fenton Friday: Surprise Carrots

While we were cleaning out one of the garden plot beds this week, I gave a tug on some leafy foliage and ended up with a big handful of carrots! These were the ones I planted early last spring and had totally given up on. The row was kept shaded and hidden when the cosmos, zinnias, and celosia came up and the mild, wet summer helped also. I dug the rest of the row and cleaned them off. They are sweet and not woody or tough in the least. This just proves what I keep telling folks at my cool-season edibles talk--carrots take for-ev-er to germinate and grow.

I think I'll seed in a new row of them this weekend and see if by next spring they are ready.

What is growing in your edible garden this week?

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 7th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above.

Fenton Friday: Carrot Seedlings

The intern's carrot, arugula, and lettuce seedlings are up and will need to be thinned soon. Their radishes are a bust as are the kale, leading me to think they were both batches of bum seeds.

I am ready to rip everything else out -- as soon as I work up the energy to do so. It is that time of year when everything is breaking off and falling over. The okra, sunflowers, and tomatoes are falling into the pathways or onto other plants and being straight up pains-in-the-ass.

Broccoli seedlings and garlic plus onions await their turns to go into those soon-to-be-open spaces.

How is your edible garden growing?

About Fenton Friday:
Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 5th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.)

Fenton Friday: Carrot Harvest

Once again my community garden plot exceeds my expectations. I had thought I'd run over for a quick minute this morning to clear out a handful of carrots to make room for fall season seeds, but that turned into a half hour of digging up lots of carrots and leaving still more in the ground for when I have more time. Carrot soup recipes, anyone?

I also have given up keeping up with all the tiny currant tomatoes. I pick a pint of these little guys each day and almost as many end up on the ground. Ah well, feast or famine, right?

Following up on last week's report of bean flowers forming, the green/pole beans are now starting to come in. Only a few today, I will check back in a couple days and see if I have enough to make a meal from at that point.

How is your garden growing this week?

About Fenton Friday:
Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 4th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) 

Fenton Friday: First Strawberries and Carrots

Another dry week here, which meant almost daily watering at my community garden plot. One blessing is that we finally received a load of compost and wood chips as my pathways and beds were an explosion of weeds overnight! I spent an hour yesterday just pulling out thistles that seem to have appeared out of nowhere.

While weeding, I was amazed to see what looked like a touch of red on a couple of my strawberries and today I returned to find 3 of them full ripe! I ate them immediately and also pulled out a few carrots to check on them, though small, they are sweet and delicious.

How is your edible garden growing this week?

About Fenton Friday:
Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 4th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.)