The 15 Cent Zucchini

Our Zucchini crop is starting to slow, the stems are getting long and cracked and not supporting the zucchini making end of the plant, they are just getting old. It was a good year for Zucchini at our house, we had about 20 if not more this year and each was about a pound and a half. We try to pluck them before they turn monster size, but it seems to happen overnight. We gave some away, some was made into cake, and others were grilled, sautéed, or shredded and dressed up like coleslaw. Bought the plants in pop-ups for $2.99, stuck them in the ground, did a bit of weeding and watering and that was it. No need to fertilize, we have good soil.  We compose kitchen scraps and grass and garden clippings over the summer, then in the fall we move all the compost to the vegetable beds.The tomatoes did not do as well this year, the regular tomatoes were attacked by Tomato Hornworms. (Photo from Texas A&M Agro Dept.) Nearly denuded the top of all 4 of the regular tomato plants. I plucked off all I could find and the plants eventually came back. They were also a bit shaded by the zucchini plants for awhile. Only have had about 10 tomatoes from these plants, though there are currently many green tomatoes on the plants, which I hope will ripen.The Plum tomatoes did OK, they were a bit shaded by the zucchini also, but missed being chomped on my Hornworms. Have had about 5 or 6 dry quart containers of them from the 3 plumb tomato plants.Last fall we planted garlic, from a fellow gardener. In the spring we pulled it up and had garlic, very easy. We dried it and are saving some to plant this fall. It looks like leg bones stored in a crypt.All the herbs are growing like weeds, it smells so good when I water them. Rosemary, Thyme, oregano, mints, tarragon, comfrey. The comfrey is from an original plant we took from the Farmhouse back before everyone moved out. The Farm house was where several friends of ours lived in over a period of years, there was a pool and a large yard and a lot of parties. Not to be confused with the main house on the old family farm which was referred to as the Big House.

Samuel Smith’s Fruit Ales

I have had the Samuel Smith Cherry fruit ale in the fridge for over 2 months and finally opened it Sunday. Oh it is horrid!! Tastes like a cross between someone adulterating my ale with Maraschino Cherry juice and someone ruining my Shirley Temple with some bad beer. I was very disappointed, even the Dalek looks dejected. I opened it yesterday and finished it today. The Dalek was guarding it for me, though I doubt anyone would have stole it. I have had Their Raspberry and their Strawberry Fruit ales, both were very good. The Raspberry I had in April 2010 and I though it very good, not too sweet with a definite raspberry flavour.

The Strawberry I thought was not too sweet, nor artificial tasting and good for a change. I had that back in February 2010. I wrote my thoughts on the ales on the back of the labels, I never would have remembered otherwise. Oh what a vocabulary I have for describing beer. Ug beer good. I liked the raspberry ale more than the strawberry. Sam Smith makes a pretty good fruit ale, though I have had better Belgium Fruit ales.

Perhaps the Cherry Fruit ale would be good for cooking or baking or catching flies?