Purple Peppers!

I started this blog as a way for me to keep record and memory of my first full season as a community garden member.  I have never been one to journal much and having the opportunity to have other people read about my experience has helped me to keep up the momentum and write.  Although, I think the real appeal is pictures!  Unfortunately - I still can not find the cord that connects my camera to my laptop, so no pictures to post this go around.  

It is officially mid July and hot here in the Berkshires - and my arugula crop is really feeling the heat.  To date, I have not really had to do much watering, but now I find myself watering the greens in rescue mode every evening after work.  The good news is that the watering pays off and each morning I am able to walk out my back door and harvest a bowl full of greens for that days lunch.  My lunch time salads are a real treat - arugula with chopped carrots, onions, purple peppers, beets, zucchini, and cucumber.  Of course I add a bit of goat or blue cheese to help tie all the flavors together. 

I pulled the pea trellis up across the street and have planted egg plant, tomatoes, and winter squash in it's place.  I have to admit the plot looks a bit bare now, but the seedlings will grow (as will the weeds) and I am hoping to have some adult looking plants shortly.  This week I will pull up the green bean bushes in the plot at the house and make room for fall beets.

I have harvested my first round of potatoes from the food bank plot and I have to say - they were mighty tasty!  Of course I snuck a couple into my dinner!

On the canning and preserving front - I made my first batch of bread and butter pickles!  And I have to say - they are amazing!   Other than that, I think I am jammed out.  I have made red currant, black raspberry and blue berry jam, so everyone knows what they are getting for Christmas, right???

Oh yes - purple peppers - I traded plants for some vegetable starts at the beginning of the season with my old farm manager and ended up with a mixed six pack of sweet peppers - one of which was a purple pepper.  Word on the street is that these purple beauties pack an antioxidant punch, however, they are kind of tasteless.  Pretty, but tasteless.  Since I can not share a picture, here is a link to more (and a photo of) about the purple pepper.