Saturday, August 3, 2013

August has arrived.

And with it, the 100 degree temperatures. Not for long though, as they should begin their regular descent to the 90s this month by into the 80s by late September. Yay for Fall!
 
 
But not so fast. I've had a great summer with plenty of flowers in bloom, including tomato blossoms (which usually stop mid-June). In fact, I've had enough tomatoes this year to make three gallon size bags of tomato sauce. The last time I bought a jar of Ragu was in May! This summer has truly been a blessing and I've enjoyed actually having tomatoes in the summer....not December. Although, I 'm sure I will still have December tomatoes too.
 
 
I've also developed a fond love for my grill, using it for just about every meal I possible can. I've gotten into the habit of preparing pizza crust and side items like beans and rice on the weekends to free up dinner time by throwing something on the grill and heating up the side dishes.

 
The Cucumber/Melon/Gourd patch is growing quite nicely in this heat. Last month, I came home to discover a nice cucumber that had grown after our week of rain. I picked it a little too early, as most of the inside was not yet developed. The part that was still made a nice cucumber sandwich though.

 
I recently tried my hand at making hummus and it was delicious. Sadly, I didn't grow any chickpeas this year, so mine where store bought. I'm not sure how homemade hummus connected with pesto in my mind, but it did. My basil took off after all the rain we recently had and its been growing by leaps and bounds ever since. Which is how I arrived at Pesto. I purchased some pine nuts early this week and plan to make my own non-dairy pesto this weekend. I'll let you know how it goes.
 
Still hoping to get more Zucchini and an actual pumpkin this year. Both plants have taken a beaten from the heat in the past two weeks. I purchase some more Cotton Seed Compost for nutrients and a couple bails of straw to keep them weed free and hold in the moisture.
 
How is your summer garden growing?

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