Today's harvest

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You talked about mushrooms, upstairs I opened a box in the kitchen and my DIL has these HUGE Portobella's same size as your shiitake, I clic on a linc (elsewhere) and up pops a bunch of mushroom recipes (sorry usually with meat) and one stood out...
..Mushroom Wellington - not vegan but you might be able to adapt? Sounds fiddley but I might give it a try.

Forgot, also on my week's menu was to be a Mushroom Barley Soup... :giggle:
Years ago I went to an occasion ( wedding or something like that), and instead of the typical grilled vegetables, Pasta Primavera (usually with way too many peppers), or something from the cocktail hour, they actually offered Mushroom Wellington as the vegetarian option. It was really good, and even if it wasn't, appreciated the effort. I actually did make one maybe a year ago. Not as good as what I had at that occasion, but still aa respectable effort. I will definitely try the recipe you provided. Im in search of one that was better than what I did , maybe this is the one. Thanks for posting it.

As far was mushroom barley soup goes, I'm waiting patiently to make it. I have a bunch of mushrooms I've been drying and saving for it. I just have a bunch of other soups that I need two eat ( trying to make room in the freezer) before I tackle it. I love mushroom barley soup. My sister in law made one the other day. It wasn't bad. (not as good as she made it out to be), but was good.

I did pick about 1/2 point of Chestnut Mushrooms today. No special texture or taste, but were a good mushroom. Didnt fit into what I was making tonight, so just sautéed them with some garlic, olive oil and wine. Thickened it up a bit, and will snack on it. Good thing I washed them thoroughly. Found 2 slugs hiding under the caps.
 

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So those chestnut mushrooms are a thick bunch on stems! I've heard of chestnut mushrooms but thought they were more like straw mushrooms. Neat. Have never seen them in the stores, or at least the ones near me.
 
Yeah, kinda like a tight compact bunch. Not too large . Biggest cap was a maybe the size of a quarter. Nothing to brag about, but if you like mushrooms, you'd like these. Kind of like a medium denseness. The color is really nice, so they do stand out in a dish. Ill probably have another bunch coming in a few days. May have to break down and make some mushroom barley soup this weekend.
 
I harvested a few beans, and a couple small eggplants today, but things slowed down considerably, due to the cooler weather. And I was going to re-pot a few of those plants I have to bring indoors soon, but they were soaked today, after the rain. So today, I just trimmed those Makrut/Kaffir lime trees, that I have trimmed several times through the summer (they had a bunch more new growth, from last time I trimmed them), but they needed a lot of trimming, to ready them for re-potting (might only trim the large one, as that's been longer), before bringing them indoors, for the off-season. I probably have to trim a little more, but it started drizzling out there again. I still have the bay laurel, plus the curry tree to trim; I'll have to find some of those spice mixes I make with large amounts of curry leaves, and make some!
The younger, 11 year old makrut/Kaffir lime tree, trimmed way back, to re-pot. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The older lime tree, a little over 21 years old, trimmed way back, before re-potting. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

A lot of trimmed branches from both of the lime trees, prepping them for re-potting. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
 
I also gotta get my curry trees, Bay and citrus in. How often do you repot ?
I used to do it every 3 years, but it seemed that the plants were stressed after this, I assume from being so rootbound, and would come down with those spider mites and scale insects out of nowhere, whereas they would not have those at all the first 2 years. Using the fabric pots maybe helped a little, but those still get rootbound - those things tout being "self root pruning", but that isn't really true.
 
Beth, how did your V8 juice turn out?
We harvested the green tomatoes, about 80, with frost around the corner.
Then we collected asparagus seeds. When we buy them, they are expensive $4/30 seeds, and we winter sow them and put them in the asparagus gardens. We have hundreds of seeds now, red berries, which need to dry further, then breaking open the berries where there are 5-8 seeds.
Green, going red, peppers, we're bringing those in too.
Preparing to take out the landscape fabric, then tilling, adding aged manure, tilling again for next year's gardens.
 
Beth, how did your V8 juice turn out?
We harvested the green tomatoes, about 80, with frost around the corner.
Then we collected asparagus seeds. When we buy them, they are expensive $4/30 seeds, and we winter sow them and put them in the asparagus gardens. We have hundreds of seeds now, red berries, which need to dry further, then breaking open the berries where there are 5-8 seeds.
Green, going red, peppers, we're bringing those in too.
Preparing to take out the landscape fabric, then tilling, adding aged manure, tilling again for next year's gardens.
I got 10 quarts of V-8 juice, using every last ripe tomato I had! We have already had 2 frosts. I have been covering the tomato plants with my 2 portable hoop houses and blankets. Right now we are in a 7 day stretch with no frost/freeze in sight. So I hope to ripen up a lot more tomatoes.
 
@bethzaring awesome! 10 qts. We're ripening peppers and tomatoes in the house now, the plants are done! Possible frost on friday, here.
 
Here's our asparagus berries, with seeds inside.
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Here's our asparagus berries, with seeds inside.
Thats cool. I never grew Asparagus from seed, only from the established root crowns. I've had fair luck at best with asparagus, but more because of the location of the asparagus bed ( not great sun). I've since pulled them out and made a potato bed out of it, nd they did great this year.

Today was one of the last harvest days in the garden. Picked sweet potatoes, peanuts and a few overgrown Scarlet Runner Beans. Also noticed he chestnuts started falling from the tree ( a week later than last year), and they will likely drop over the next week or two. I just have to get out there and get them before the4 squirrel do.

- The peanuts will dry for a few weeks in the boiler room, then be roasted
- The sweet potatoes will be save until Thanksgiving

I did plant some Kale seedings , which ill cover with a make shift ' green house' , which will provide me with kale over the winter and an early spring harvest before I rip them up to put tomatoes in.

Garlic to be planted within the next week or two .
 

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Larry, that's so fun that you grew peanuts.
We wanted asparagus but more than we could afford, those 2 and 3 year crowns are expensive. So we did the winter sowing and made two beds of asparagus. It takes 2 years to get a crop going, but we add more every spring, and besides the two squares in the yard, we have some growing on the lot line we share with a neighbor and a patch up by the deck too, which is spreading.
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We found out today our farm friend up the road that brings us aged composted manure, used all hers up putting in her own gardens. I was so happy for her that she got gardens going for herself and wished her well. She wrote me back, made arrangements to pick up manure from another neighbor, and drop it in our gardens (big truck and trailer).....wow we are so blessed!
 
Sunflower heads drying.
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Sunflower stalks drying to use for propping up netting or beans next year.
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Celery before dehydrating, and cabbage before sauerkraut.
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We're still ripening peppers to red and yellow, then we chop them outside.
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The last of the tomatoes, ripening now.
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Our first grapes, a somerset seedless variety.
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A visitor we haven't seen now for a while and I hope we don't see again.
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We found out today our farm friend up the road that brings us aged composted manure, used all hers up putting in her own gardens. I was so happy for her that she got gardens going for herself and wished her well. She wrote me back, made arrangements to pick up manure from another neighbor, and drop it in our gardens (big truck and trailer).....wow we are so blessed!
Funny you should mention that. Someone on a local garden forum I participate in owns a stable, and just offered free aged manure for anyone to come and pick up. I've never had the opportunity to amend my garden like that, so I'm excited to give my soil a boost. Coming tomorrow to pick some up.
 
Cool Larry, the next year, the crops will be really good. The garlic is bigger (it's a nitrogen suck), the onions are bigger, the tomatoes are more productive, it's magic, lol. Ours is free too but she loads it with a loader into a long trailer she drags with a big truck. The trailer is hydraulic and can dump the manure where ever we want it. So while she won't ask for money, between taking the trouble, and the gas, I pay her anyways. There's no way we would shovel enough into a trailer, then unload as much as she brings. Besides, we're no spring chickens. Bock bock bock.
 
Cool Larry, the next year, the crops will be really good. The garlic is bigger (it's a nitrogen suck), the onions are bigger, the tomatoes are more productive, it's magic, lol. Ours is free too but she loads it with a loader into a long trailer she drags with a big truck. The trailer is hydraulic and can dump the manure where ever we want it. So while she won't ask for money, between taking the trouble, and the gas, I pay her anyways. There's no way we would shovel enough into a trailer, then unload as much as she brings. Besides, we're no spring chickens. Bock bock bock.
I hear ya. The local county dumps piles of compost and wood chip mulch for the community to take as needed. In the beginning of the season, I make many trips to stock up ( Im not as young as I used to be, and its heavy work for the amount I use and need). I have a co worker who has a horse and has offered me some manure, but what he is offering, although better than nothing, is a drop in the bucket to what I need . This guy, I texted him asking how much I an take 9 without being greedy). He basically said I can take what I want. So tomorrow, I'm going to max out whatever I could fit tin my SUV. I will drive slowly and not make and sharp turns, as I did that once with a car full of buckets filled with compost, and a few spilled. needless to say, my wife was not thriller. I could only imagine how much trouble Id be in if I did the same with Horse crap lol . Good thing I have a comfortable couch to sleep on, just in case.
 
Larry, when we set up the trailer to haul it ourselves, we line it with a tarp. Same tarps we use to cover things in winter and summer. Then we can hose it off.
Well, comfortable couch or not, lol, I hope it doesn't come to that!
 
I' ve always wanted a pick up truck for hauling crap ( both figuratively and literally), but never got one. Always having to be creative when trying to take home huge orders from Home Depot, and all my garden runs ( soil, mulch, landscape stone ...). I used to have a Ford Escort , when I first got my house. Its amazing how much you can fit in a hatchback when you put your mind and a little physics and geometry into it. Now, with the SUV, I line it with one of those heavy movers blankets/ pads and an additional old comforter blanket. I've never done any irreversible damage ( yet). but had a few close calls. I usually use old buckets, bins and large flower pots to transfer the soil, mulch and now manure. Im hoping for an uneventful experience, but if I have any mishaps, Ill be sure to take pics to remind of a lesson I should learn from.

ON a sweeter note, Bliss, those grapes look great. How old is the grape vine ?

And just to keep on a harvest note, Im sure everyone is sick of my mushroom pics already, But picked about a pound more of oyster mushrooms.

As far as the green tomatoes go, this pic was taken about 12 days ago, when I ripped up my vines. I'm now at about 90% ripening rate from pure green tomatoes. I always thought they had to show a little color to ultimately fully ripen, but apparently that not the case. What I did find is quality is definitely better when they have done some, if not all ripening on the vine itself, but definitely better than what you get in the stores in the winter.
 

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