The
last few days have been cooler, the temperature in the lower teens C.,
more typical autumn weather. We've awakened to rain and grey skies
for the last few days, but by noon, the clouds gradually parted and
the sun blazed out, leaves sparkling from the earlier showers. The
afternoons progressed, with random showers, intermittent gusty winds
and sunshine. Leaves are starting to fall.
Kitchen window view
I spend my mornings in the kitchen and the afternoons working away at preparing the gardens for winter. The asparagus bed is now manured and re-mulched, the gladiola corms lifted and set out to dry, and a section is staked out in the field garden for the 100 cloves of garlic I want to plant later this month.
After a long summer of eating store bought bread, I finally made a small batch of bread, just plain white, but oh so good. With the larder full of garden goodness, its time to use it. I peeled and cubed a butternut squash, diced some onion, minced some garlic and with a few other ingredients, got a pot of soup simmering on the stove.
While it was cooking, I shredded a cabbage my neighbour had given me and packed it into my new 'fermentation jar' for sauerkraut. Leigh, over at 5 Acres and a Dream, posted about the Ball Fermentation Kit on Aug. 5, 2020. (I have to learn how to do links.) Hubby picked a kit up at TSC, so I tried it out. (I am kicking myself for selling my crocks when we moved. What was I thinking?)
The cabbage was about a pound and a half, and yes, it fits easily into a quart jar. I use the smallest slice size on the mandolin, as I like a fine shredded kraut. I sometimes put caraway seeds in, but not this time. I prefer Sandor Katz's way of doing it, putting the shreds and salt into a non-reactive bowl and massaging it with scrupulously clean hands. Then it is packed into the jar, with a whole cabbage leaf on top. That way, you have liquid to cover the cabbage right away. I am planning space in the garden for a few cabbages next year.
Hi Rosalea :) You have a nice yard! Oh I guess I need to mulch my asparagus bed too? This was my first year planting it. Should I cut down the plants? Your bread looks delicious! I made a pumpkin/apple soup the other day, we'll be eating that with warm bread for dinner tonight!
ReplyDeleteGood to hear from you Rain! Hope you are rested and revitalized by your break. Big yard, lots of mowing! but it keeps the bush from creeping in. No, don't cut down your asparagus. It needs to photosynthesize as long as it can to put energy into the roots for next year's production. Asparagus is a heavy feeder, so a shovelful of compost or rotted manure over the root is good in the fall. The spears will push up easily through that in the spring. I mulch it to protect the roots from freeze/thaw action and to keep the weeds down. Have a great day.
DeleteThanks for the tips! I can't say I'm well rested, we still have so much to do, my gosh, I knew this "fixer upper" needed fixing up, but not everything all at once lol! I have plenty of good compost from my other raised beds, so I'm going to use that for the asparagus bed. We also have lots of fallen leaves I can use as mulch! :)
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