Garden Produce

                                                                         June Garden

July Garden

The best food is food you know the most about.  Mindless eating begins with not knowing where your food comes from and what is in it.  Information leads to making the best choices.  There is so much information available, it can be overwhelming.  So keep it simple to begin.  I like to grow foods in my garden and have done it every year since 1973.  For 30 years, I preserved a large amount and it was a staple for our family.  Fresh fruits and vegetables were eaten in season.  Canned, frozen, and dried foods were for off season.  Since the children left home in 2000, I preserve much less, but can afford to buy the more available organic products now available in stores and farmer's markets.  As always, I am ever conscious of what is in my food before I consume it.

The best source for gardening is your local Extension Office as it has the information for the local area. I have used this source for as long as I can remember and continue finding it most helpful since I became a Master Gardener.  For Missouri this sight is a helpful beginning:

http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=CB19

Keith and I both enjoy working in our gardens and this year was no exception even with the usual challenges.  This year we have met one big challenge with huge success - trapping critters that steal our food!  Since this is an ongoing process at this time, I will blog about it later as I am still taking photos.  We are 3 for 3 today - 2 possums and a raccoon in 3 days!

Intuition combined with education and experience has helped in our success and minimized our failures. As with most things in life, nothing ever goes by the book all the time. 

This year we choose to grow lettuce, spinach, kale, onions, leeks, beets, radishes, cantaloupe, peppers, tomatoes, squash, and corn.  We like other vegetables too but sources for good produce are available nearby for the amounts we want when we want them and garden space is utilized for what we want to produce with the most success.  We also have many herbs that come back every year including oregano, lemon balm, thyme, cilantro, sage, savory, curry, peppermint, St. John's Wort and a couple that have to be replanted every year:  rosemary and basil.  Gooseberries come back every year too.

This year I am only perserving tomatoes, peppers, and onions in the form of hot sauce and salsa.  I am including my favorite recipes for both:

                                                                     Beti's Hot Sauce
makes 10 pints
25-30 whole tomatoes
4 cups jalapenos and/or habanero peppers
3 green peppers
3 large red and/or white onions
2-3 cups red cayenne peppers

Remove seeds from all peppers except the red cayennes.  Cut all into chunks for blender and process at puree.  Cook to boil and simmer 1/2 hour or more depending on consistency wanted.  Prepare jars and fill to 1/2" of top.  Add 1/2 teaspoon canning salt to each pint.  Adjust lids, process 10 minutes in water bath canner.  Makes 4-5

                                                                     Beti's Salsa

makes 8 pints
8 cups tomatoes, peeled, chopped and drained
2 cups zucchini, chopped (seeds removed, if large)
2 1/2 cups onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups green peppers, chopped (seeds removed)
1 cup jalapeno peppers, chopped (seeds removed, optional)
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
1/8 cup canning salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste

Mix all together and bring to a slow boil for 10 minutes.  Seal in prepared jars and process in water bath canner for 10 minutes.