Boo and I are not falling for the marketing trickery that races us right past the beautiful fecund late days of summer, when there is piles of food in the garden and we are planting the late summer garden, and into Autumnal purchasing. Already I see posts and advertisements for Fall. Soon the Hideous Halloween stuff will be out with all its plastic throw away rubbish.
Here on the farm I wake again to another late summer day. I see no point in longing for winter – right? It is cooler this week but the heat will come back – I am sure of it.
Wai and Boo both put on a bit of weight while I was away – I did too if we are being truthful. Boo and I walked 12,500 steps yesterday. It won’t take long to get us back in shape. and that was just clean up and weeding and picking.
I was thrilled to see Quacker in amongst the chickens. She is just as noisy as ever and doing well. I am not sure where she is sleeping yet. I will follow her this evening. She thinks she is a chicken now.
Jude and FreeBee are just as sweet as ever and Jude sat on command without hesitation. A tomato helped with that but that hog has such a good memory. FreeBee is still the sleepiest hog in the world.
Yesterday evening, Ton came half way down the drive for his walk as usual too. I have to put him on a lead or he will not come at all. Then he (Ton) lay down with his cat in the driveway while Boo and I went further. He is looking really good though slightly more confused than when I left. Dog dementia.
I will continue working in the tomato vines today. These tiny tomatoes go straight into the freezer whole. I will fill big bags of them and take them out a handful at a time in the winter. They are for two of my favorite winter dishes. The fridgata (OK, frittata!) and cacio e pepe with tomatose and garlic and basil. These tiny whole tomatoes are like a burst of summer in the deep winter.
Then I will sow some more veg. We have just tipped over from a very full moon so there. There is a lot of light in the sky. Hopefully I get a good strike. We need to get the fall greens into the ground.
Also I am going to pick some of the wild plums down in the Farmy Food Forest. We are going to make wild plum brandy. Sounds good right, Mad? The little plums taste really sweet but the skins are bitter so it will be interesting to see how it turns out.
Bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches for dinner tonight. Better get the dough rising!
Take care and talk soon.
Celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
20 responses to “Late Summer is NOT Early Fall”
My favorite kind of dinner! I didn’t know one could freeze little tomatoes; can’t wait to try this.
It is great in the winter.
It’s so lovely to see the animals again and Quacker the chicken 😉
Wild plums must be halfway between plums, sloes and damsons. I’m sure you could make brandy, gin and vodka infused drinks with them, but if they are sweet, dont use too much sugar (or honey). You can always sweeten alcohol later if necessary, but you can’t remove sweetness if you add too much! Sloes and damsons are bitter, so the sugar is essential. I recommend freezing the fruit and thawing it, before adding alcohol – it works the same way as a frost, which bursts the fruit slightly and then it infuses better. Otherwise, prick each individual pulm with a large pin.
No mention of Mr. Flowers? I hate to have to ask.
Oh the excitement at seeing so many dear “friends” again! Quackers safe and sound and living as a chicken, brilliant. You have certainly jumped straight back in at the deep end, though of course l would have expected nothing less. I so agree about late summer, but hate to admit that l have fallen into the trap of referring to an autumnal nip in the air. Must put a stop to that.
So grateful to see the animals again and to hear about farm life. I so enjoy this time and season on the farm.
Welcome home Celi!!! So great to see here again ~ and all of our Farmy Buddies!! Oh dear, how did my Boo Boy gain some weight?!!! And great to Quacker ~ becoming a Chick!!! I so agree with you on the fall vegetables!! Mother always had a big fall garden for our family of 8 and 6 kids. We always ate very well ~ the last lettuce Thanksgiving ~ sometimes Christmas!! Boy you’ve jumped right back in Celi ~ as if you were never gone!! I would’ve love to seen Boo, Ton, Wai, Jude, n FreeBee when you back home!!!! Wow!!
My animal enrichment garden is growing and growing. I didn’t even THINK about freezing small tomatoes whole! I just brought in a handful, and they were immediately claimed by other keepers. I am the gardener, but none of my animals eat tomatoes. I do have pumpkins growing from seeds that Big Al the Giant Tortoise pooped out. He at the pumpkins in November, pooped the seeds out around Mother’s Day. Everything about tortoises is slow, including their digestion!
I agree. Let it be summer for as long as possible! It is so great to see your animals again. It’s funny how we all get so attached to them, even through cyberspace.
And of course we are looking forward to summer. So our plantings are very different to yours at this time. BTW, I listen to what you said and I have posted every day since Sunday and it’s now Friday. I’ve now to do five word Friday on the first Friday of the month.
Gosh Judith! You are racing away! And already the first Friday of the month!! Good job!
The cicadas started buzzing this week right on schedule. I was on the phone with my son in S Carolina. He could hear them all the way from Iowa.
Ours started today too! So I went out and sowed the greens – still not Fall yet though.
I agree!
Here in Australia it’s the first calendar day of Spring but we have had all sorts of winter weather including a flash hail storm yesterday that gave us much needed precipitation. We had a good garden harvest winter but preparing for a hot summer.
Btw I wish we could go back to the old… ancient ways of celebrating those festive occasions without all the consumerist rubbish.
12,500 steps … with humans being 2 footed and dogs 4 footed, I wonder if Boo did twice as many steps and therefore, will get in shape half as quickly?! LOL These are lovely late summer photos.
I am rather hoping Boo will get in shape faster- he is alarmingly overweight!
Lovely photos Celi … I have tomato envy, not surprising given the time of year
I LOVE fresh tomatoes. I don’t eat them at all through the winter. Sun ripened and never refrigerated is the only way! Soon you can get yours in the ground!
I know .. 😊