Garden On, Vashon

Looking on the (almost) Bright Side

I hope you read Susan Reimer’s article in today’s Beachcomber (8/18) on the delayed harvest of tomato, corn, and other summer crop classics. Good article, Susan!

But while the coolness of this summer is definitely a drag on the fruiting veg, let’s choose to be positive and look on the (almost) bright side. The leafy vegetables have been more than happy this year. Some might call it a “Cabbage Year”, but hey, that’s not so bad!

Chard, spinach, beets, turnips, kohlrabi, lettuce, parsley—all of these have loved this cooler weather. The chard at GreenDale farm has been growing leaves a foot and a half long for two months, with no sign of relenting. The roots of beets, turnips, and kohlrabi are the size of softballs, with tall, lush greens.

Granted, GreenDale Farm grows off the power of alpaca poop and plenty of sunshine. In contrast, my at-home “hole in the forest” can only get chard and beets to half that size. But in my garden’s half-shade, and in this cool weather, my succession plantings of lettuce have grown well.

Yes, my tomatoes are green, and their numbers sparse. But let’s not mistake last summer’s conditions for a new “normal.” My garden records over many years show that half the time my tomatoes ripened in mid-August; half the time, not until MID-SEPTEMBER. And some years, my tomatoes go room-mate with my Thanksgiving guests.

Great Conditions for Planting that Fall Garden

Those of you trying to start your fall garden will appreciate this week’s cooler temperatures. It’s warm enough for seeds to sprout, but not so blistering hot that small seedlings or transplants will shrivel in the heat. Seeds to plant now include arugula, carrots (keep soil moist), lettuce, spinach, endive, radishes, and cabbage to let overwinter for eating next spring. Heck, I’m STILL making good coleslaw out of my over-wintered cabbage.

Or you can buy transplants of lettuce, broccoli, fall cabbage, brussels sprouts or cauliflower from VIGA vendors or our local stores, on offer now. Farm stands, such as Pacific Potager on the south end or Island Meadow Farm around the corner from Minglement, will also sell transplants.

Divide and Propagate Now

After summer’s peak, when stems are hardening into woodiness, is an excellent time to take cuttings from shrubs. In my garden, that will be buxus (box), hydrangea, cistus, daphne, and rockroses. I like to take heel cuttings: you pull away a minor stem from where it attaches to a major stem, pulling away a little cuticle of the joint with your cutting. Dip in rootone, stick into a soil/peat mix, and put into a warm, moist place. 

The Arboretum Foundation has an excellent, yet brief guide to propagation, called “Cuttings Through the Year.” Only $8.50, including tax & shipping. To get it, click on the link above, or call 206-325-4510 between 10am—4pm, Tuesday–Sunday.

And if you like poppies, clip and bag some poppy seed capsules now, before they shatter and scatter. If we’re “lucky” enough to get snow this winter, you can sprinkle those stored-away seeds onto the snow and get very good germination toward next summer’s flowers. 

Zucchini, Coming On Strong

I’m reaching out to the two “Zucchini Taste-Off” winners at last week’s farmer’s market— Risa Stahl for her “Grilled Zucchini Quiche” and Karolyn Hoffman for her zucchini “mapleicious” cupcakes. I’ll post those recipes when they return my phone calls.

For me, this year’s zucchini surprise has been how good it is when grilled. Slices of round ‘Eight Ball’ (also sold as ‘Ronde de Nice’) are as easy to flip as pancakes, and they make a good base for grilled meats or asian noodles. 

Before you fire up the coals, take a moment to slice your zuke  1/4″ or thicker. Set the slices in a colander, salt all sides, and let them sweat while your coals are prepping. 20-30 minutes later, rinse off the salt and pat dry, then rub with fresh cut garlic and some olive oil. Thrown down on the grill, they take just a couple minutes per side. Add a little worcester sauce or steak juices—now THIS is essence of August!

UPDATE:  Risa Stahl’s Zucchini-poloosa Winning Recipe for Grilled Zucchini Quiche

Preheat oven to 375
Assemble 1 basic pie crust
Brush zucchini slices with olive oil & balsamic vinegar and grill on both sides
Chop, then Sautee one onion
Roll out dough and put in pie pan
Sprinkle grated cheddar cheese onto crust
Spread onions onto cheese
Arrange Zucchini on top of cheese and onions (see picture)
Combine eggs, milk, parmesan, flour, salt, rosemary
Pour liquid mixture onto the other ingredients
Bake 40-45 minutes