Fall Harvest

* Fall Harvest *
And what do you do with all that bounty?

So you had a good growing season and you have produce that you really don't know what to do with.  I am sure many people would love to have that problem.  

As mentioned in previous blogs, there has been a lot of fruit that is being shared through "Cowichan Valley Recycle".  The group operating this site is doing a fantastic job of trying to get people to offer things for free instead of just throwing them away.  Like they say, "one person's trash is another person's treasure" - and some of the items offered by people are weird and/or wonderful.  The website address is -  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cowichanvalleyrecycle/

Another way of sharing the bounty is offering fruit & veggies to the food bank or to your local senior's centre.  Many seniors have had to move into apartments or condos as they are no longer able to look after gardens, and they really appreciate fresh produce.

OK OK - it is a terrible picture, fuzzy, out of focus due to me not checking the camera settings.  And we ate the biggest one before
I realized the problem.
The biggest tomato in the picture was
17 ounces / a bit over 500 grams.
And it was delicious! 
The remainder will be cut up & preserved.

 I let some of the scarlet runner beans go to seed, the pods shown are drying out and the seed saved for next year.  I will have enough that I will be offering some seeds to anyone on Recycle that wants them.  Many of the beans were over a foot long, but are best picked before the beans start forming inside the pod.

 * * *

 Well, the squash did OK - 2 are missing from the lineup, having been picked & devoured.

The variety is "Sweet Meat", the largest in the picture is about 10" across and 12 lbs.

Janet (gramma & wife) cuts the squash into pieces about 1 2/2" or 40mm in size, trims the hard skin off, steams the pieces then puts them in a pan with brown sugar & butter and bakes them.  They come out tasting like sweet potatoes.

* * *

So that takes us to the abundance of apples and plums, and all the work that was done - as was mentioned on the last blog.  The following will give you a bit of an idea of what was accomplished. 

  

Jams & Jellies lined up 

all nicely trimmed

ready for Ashley's sale.

 

Complete display 
of all the various items
Ashley made, often with a little
help from "Gramma"

Apple Sauce
Apple Jelly
Apply pie filling 
Apple Butter
Plum Jam
Plum Jelly 
Raspberry Jam
Raspberry Jelly
Blackberry Jam
Blackberry Jelly 
 

 

Outside bake sales are 

not always fun

as Ashley found out!

Once you get a bit more organized  

and established things work out a 

bit better.

Another day

Another display

 of "Yummies by Ashley"

Apple pie

with pastry so tender

it melts in your mouth!

* * *

So - now it is up to you!

If you have the produce, time, energy and a little initiative,

you too can cook/bake up a storm and make a little extra money.  

* * *

GG