Help help. I’m drowning! … In produce!!

 

This post is going to be extremely picture heavy, and brace yourselves for this blog to finish out the summer sharing how we’ve been using what we grow to come up with things to make in our kitchen.

If you’ve been waiting for an update since my last update here. You should also follow me on instagram: @alexismurda. I try to post the garden at least once a week and you can always see what we are picking, cooking and playing within my stories.

Since writing up that pickled jalapeños post last week- we’ve done 3 more gallons of peppers, more pickles (coming ASAP) than I can count (dill AND half sour), and I’m 100% over everything zucchini.

This time last year we had lost the zucchini to rot. This year we planted fewer (5), hard to believe since it is so massive, but we have kept an eye on any leaves that are dying and trying to clear away what we can to avoid extra moisture in such humid weather!

 

 

We have just gotten the first few eggplants (Italian and Japanese this year) so I’ve got a few ideas brewing for late summer eggplant recipes. I love me anything eggplant! (Remind me I said that come September.)

Standing in the middle of the garden feels like a forest of tomatoes. Some of them have gotten to be 8 ft high. Besides the varieties we grew last year, this year we added in San Marzano for tomato sauce. We are starting to get a lot so this weekend will be tomato grinding weekend!!!

 

Besides changing up the tomatoes a little this year we grew more peppers overall. Even after last year, I said we had too many. Brett went all in. We are getting almost a gallon shishitos every 3 days. And they go- my child will eat them like popcorn.

 

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One of my favorite things to do is to go out and peak through the out of control cucumbers now trying to find cucumbers. We get 3/4 a day it seems, and when you think you’ve gotten them all, another one is hiding behind a leaf full sized and ready to go!

 

Basically, we’ve hit the point in the year where everything has gone wild. Brett spends an hour a night out there picking most nights. I have to give him some appreciation- he does 95% of the bulk outside. I just get all these goods dropped and need to use my brain to come up with ways to use them.

 

If you are wondering what that basket is- it’s a garden hod and I bought this one on Etsy here. The seller also has 2 other sizes (I got the biggest one). It’s been so handy to have and Brett loves it! Just my way of saying- get out there and get me more peppers thanks!

 

One person who does 0% of the work is Portia. She’s just out there living her best life. Soaking up the rays. Can’t say I blame her!