Green tomatoes

Finally, we have tomatoes. Tiny green ones, that is. This will go down as the worst summer on record for our garden. Our tomato plants just never took off. We were a little late getting them in their pots this season, planting them all by mid-June. But I thought they'd catch up. They should be tall and full by now. Instead, the poor things are thin and spindly and they haven't produced at all.The rainy June didn't help.Nor did the steamy July. Our harvest should be rolling at this point, but instead our plants have just begun to fruit. If we're lucky, if we don't get blossom rot, a hurricane or some other mishap, we might have tomatoes by late Sept. Wow, what a disappointment!
Fortunately, the lettuce, eggplants, peppers and herbs are doing well. I got a few cukes too, though not the harvest I'd hoped for, and the heatwave knocked off the vines. I was able to save our blueberries from the mockingbirds by netting them.
Still, without tomatoes, I'd have to call the season a bust.

These plants are way behind schedule.

The eggplants are tasty, stir-fried with some green market onions.

The lettuce has been loving it this summer. I have had salad all season long.

New Cucumber Soup Recipe

I made a cucumber gazpacho last week from the last of my fresh grown cucumbers and it was truly delish. I especially liked this recipe because it uses fresh mint, which is also growing in my garden.

The soup is so refreshing on a hot summer day. And so easy to make! Using a mild jalapeno pepper gives it just enough kick.

Sadly, my cukes dried up during the heat wave. The vines seem to be coming back now, but it's too early to tell if I'll get anything more than a few flowers that never develop into fruit. That won't stop me from heading to the market and buying fresh cucumbers to make another batch.

Ingredients

1.1 3/4 lbs seedless cucumbers – peeled and cut in 3” pieces (or 2lbs regular cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut in 3″ pieces)
2.1/4 medium red onion – skinned
3.1 garlic clove – skinned
4.1 jalapeño – stem removed, halved and seeded
5.8 large mint leaves
6.2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
7.2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
8.1 teaspoon maple syrup
9.1 teaspoon sea salt
10.1–6oz non-fat plain yogurt
11.1/2 to 3/4 cup spring water to taste

For the garnishes

1.1 medium yellow tomato – seeded and cut in 1/8” cubes (or 8 yellow grape tomatoes quartered)

2.tiny mint leaves

3.lemon oil

1.Step 1: Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor with 1/2 cup of the spring water. Pulse a few times so the ingredients are coarsely chopped, then process until soup is very smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes. If necessary, thin with the remaining water to the desired consistency.

2.Step 2: Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight, until well chilled. Place the soup in the freezer for 30 minutes before serving.

3.Step 2: Ladle soup in chilled soup bowls or cocktail glasses. Drizzle a little lemon oil in the center of each bowl. Garnish with a few tomato cubes, a mint leaf and serve immediately.

4.Cook’s note: The soup can be refrigerated up to 2 days.

Urban Gardening Salute to the Sun



Ready to pick


I went to Vermont for a 3 day Wanderlust yoga festival over the weekend, and my garden did a salute to the sun! Over the weelend, the two cukes on the vines doubled in size; the blueberries went from small and green to plump and bright blue; the cherry tomatoes sprouted fruit; and the hydrangea exploded with colorful flowers. Wow!










Hydrangea in bloom

Cucumber salad





Frying peppers



Blueberry burst



Birds, bees and cucumbers

There's been a mini discussion going on here regarding on earlier post lamenting my lack of cucumbers. All summer, I've been waiting for them to appear. We bought seeds in the spring and planted them as directed, though in a large pot, not in the ground. We figured we'd try "picklebush" cukes which are "perfect for small gardens" according to the Burpee package. They sprouted quickly and came up strong, producing small yellow flowers within a week or two. Then, nothing. No fruit.

Consulting the Internet, I quickly found out that cucumbers are particularly dependent on bees. They have male and female flowers (as one commenter points out on my earlier post) and need the bees to pollinate them.

Our terrace generally attracts a lot of bees right here in Manhattan. But this summer, we've found them few and far between. Maybe its a lack of flowers to attract them. Our impatiens just have not liked this heat.

I read that using an electric toothbrush can simulate bees and trotted out to my cucumber plants, device in hand. I buzzed away with the metal end, touching what I figured were male plants and then the females.

And voila, a week later - two cukes growing! Small, yes, and only two, but something that resembles food at last!

Then, I noticed a more natural buzzing. Finally, the bees had discovered our terrace. Now, they're dancing among the tomatoes and frolicking on the cucumber flowers, sampling eggplant pollen and bell pepper pollen too. So, could it have been my toothbrush or was it the bees that spurred the fruit before I'd noticed their arrival? And why did the bees suddenly appear?