her able hands

We woke this morning to a cool and steady drizzle, the humidity still fairly thick but the temperature so much lower than all week, that it’s delicious. I made a few much-need phone calls (Hi Jen! Hi Debra! Hi Lisa B-K! good to hear your voices.) It stopped raining so Lila and I got the stroller out and took a walk down to the farmers’ market (and got drenched in another downpour on the way home.) I feel such a mix of emotions while I push Lila around the tiny market. Ecstatic that it’s there, within walking distance. Sad because I should have a tent set up, my table piled high with Chard, Beets, Haricot Verts, Burgundy Bush Beans, and all of my interesting summer squash and cucumbers.

But it’s so good to see that crops are coming in, and customers are returning. The same smiling faces engaged in tableside conversations. Heads bent close, people talking about growing practices, about variety, about the bugs. I love to see vibrant food and money changing hands, to imagine what kinds of meals the veggies will turn into once taken home. I miss that conversation, people asking how to best prepare something. It was fun to try new recipes and then share them the following week.

I may not make it this year, even with the things I did manage to get in the ground. Beetles are defoliating a lot of the plants (beans, chard, squash, cukes.)

I’ll head out tomorrow early with the sprayer full of rotenone/pyrethrins, see if I can stop the infestation. Not sure what to do about the powdery mildew all over the squash leaves (and spreading.)

I just hope I can at least harvest a few of these pretty little babies before it spreads. The green squash and pattypans are much smaller, and already showing spots. I may never see those on the table.

I’ll try sulfur if the temperature stays down, but it’s phytotoxic if the temperature goes over 85*. I hate to take drastic measures, even when they’re considered “organic,” but it’s going to take some work (some years of work) to achieve soil and environmental balance in the gardens. One step at a time, but in the meantime, I want to at least harvest a few beans, thank you very much. These are the favored Vermont Cranberry pole beans beginning to climb the trellis I made around the front porch. So far the damage to them is negligible.

We have an interesting thing going on at the back edge of the property. These weeds (goldenrod, I believe) have millions of red aphids all over the stalks of the plants. I look at the density of the bugs and think: well, thank the goddess these weeds are here, because otherwise I’d be taking this photo in my garden! I have seen a lot of Japanese Beetles munching on the aphids, which is interesting. I didn’t realize they’d do that. Or maybe they’re just fighting the aphids for the yummy green food.

Anyway, back to the market! The Garlic Guy was there, and his Russian Red this year! Holy! I took a shot of it cupped in my palm.

I’ve never seen the Russian so big and bulbuous. I can’t wait to cook with it. Got three bulbs of that, and two of the smaller Chesnook. Interesting to hear him say that people were freaky about his $1.25 per bulb price on the big heads. I guess the average person has no clue how much labor goes into getting that one gorgeous head of garlic onto the table. Maybe they don’t realize how much they’re paying for rancid, dry, sprouting garlic in the grocery store. This guy and his wife grow such incredible garlic. I’d pay $2 a head if that was what he charged. It’s been a long winter and spring without it, with much cursing and gnashing of teeth over the yucky grocery stuff. My own isn’t quite ready to harvest. Next week, I think. Though tiny (but hopefully tasty.)

I also scored some green beans, Blue Lake (not my favorite, but they picked them young enough to make me happy.) I’m thinking the Molly Katzen recipe for oven roasted beans with red onion, garlic, olive oil and balsamic. It’s actually cool enough to put the oven on. Maybe with peanut vermicelli. A light salad of these cucumbers with the rest of the goat cheese and some dill. I’ll save the zucchinis and the spring onions for grilling with the chicken breasts in the freezer. I’m not sure why I bought the bread. It’s decent, but I can top it for sure. I should know better than to waste $5 like that, I could make four for that price. But I was feeling lazy. Too bad nobody had red tomatoes yet, I’m feeling all Bruscetta-ish.

Look at the pretty Shiro Plums! They look so sweet in my favorite blue bowl.

The bad news is that something ate Every Last Bit of my basil. Beetles, I think. Boo. No pesto this year, unless another planting takes. I have a ton of seed. I’ll try a new spot, and do some pots for the porch, too. I don’t know if I can survive a year without pesto in the freezer. I may have to suck it up and fork over the $4 a bunch at the bigger farmers’ market, for enough to make a small batch. Mmmmmm. Pestoooo. I was kind of thinking that the promise of pesto might get our Eve and Dawn to come up and visit!

But seriously? If I ever decide to move again? Shoot me first, but then remind me to do it in the winter. Missing so much of the growing season just breaks my heart.

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