Independence Days Week #17

Plant something:
I finally got the beet seeds and chard seedlings in.

Harvest something:
- 14 lbs of tomatoes!
- 3 lbs cucs (Does anyone know what to do with cucumbers that have gotten too large and seedy? Can you still eat them?)
- 1 lb of bush beans
- 1 lb 11 oz cabbage head
- 5 oz chard
- lemon balm, dill, parsley, basil, grape leaves, calendula
- nettle seeds, feverfew, purslane, plantain, mallow flowers, violet leaves, goldenrod flowering tops

Preserve something:
- drying herbs
- making herb vinegar
- goldenrod and mallow flower honeys
- calendula flowers in oil
- froze basil and olive oil for pesto
- making sour pickles using this recipe

Waste not:
- using the flowering tops of herbs to infuse in vinegar
I lost the batch of sauerkraut I started last week. It was a very sad moment. I hate to lose food. I don't know what happened. Maybe it was too warm and humid. Maybe I didn't use enough salt. Green mold started growing on the rock I use to weight the cabbage down. I taste tested a bit of the cabbage from near the bottom of the crock and it was definitely off. I mourned the loss deeply and gave it all a respectful and solemn burial in the compost heap so that it wouldn't go entirely to waste. I'll start another batch of kraut this week and do my best to make sure I get the conditions right.

Want not:
My mom gifted me a beautiful, antique wooden mortar and pestle.
A naturopath friend did some decluttering and gave me some empty tincture bottles she doesn't need any more. I also scored some yarn she was getting rid of.
A neighbour dropped off a big bag of crab apples for me.

Preparation and Storage:
- added organic mac and cheese and energy bars that were on sale, to emergency food supplies
- turning and layering backyard compost

Build community food systems:
- local food from the farmer's market
- sharing surplus cucumbers and tomatoes with friends

Eat the food:
- made my own pasta sauce with tomatoes and basil from the garden
- stir fried chard, purslane and lamb's quarters with local garlic and dandelion vinegar
- very much enjoying grilled cheese sammiches with tomatoes and cucumbers...mmmm...