Despite the invigorating air outside and the warmth of the woodstove inside, it’s sad to see the last leaves and needles drop from our trees. Yesterday, I picked the end of the peppers – a handful of red cherries and jalapenos. The plants are done, yellow, and tired.
I shouldn’t complain. The chill here in Boise, Idaho, is less then our neighbors to the north are experiencing and has come far later than in a normal year where we can see frost on the pumpkins as early as mid-October. Nonetheless, winter points a shivering finger to the months ahead and I already miss my sweet chocolate cherry tomatoes, ripe and warm from the late August sun.
As squirrels skitter in the crisp leaves in the backyard, it’s a good time to survey the summer’s garden, taking note of what worked well and what I might change in the year ahead. It won’t be long before it’s time to start seeds again. And this year, I am wintering over lush pots of rosemary and parsley. In future blog posts, I’ll let you know how they’re doing.
Do you have a sunny, southeast facing window? If you still have herbs growing in the garden, why not try gently digging them out of the ground and potting them up?
As for end-of-the-season vegetables, the Mother Earth News website is full of recipes and ideas on ways to prepare, preserve or freeze them. I plan to pickle the peppers I picked yesterday. There’s nothing like canning fruits and vegetables to help carry summer through the cold months ahead.
In my next Mother Earth News blog post, I’ll include the simple pickled pepper recipe I’ve been using for several decades. Simple, delicious and packed with the sweet memory of summer.
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