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 I love harvesting winter squash – as we’re rushing to get all the other garden veggies harvested and processed for winter storage; all the winter squash need is gathering, curing, and storing – chopping, cooking, canning or freezing not required! We’ve got a record batch this year too – I saved seed from several varieties last year, so we’ve got lots of squash and pumpkin coming in.
Harvesting
Winter squash should be harvested after the fruit turns a deep color and the rinds harden (usually during September and October), but definitely before heavy frost. The fruits should be cut from the vine carefully, leaving [...]
Continue reading Winter Squash: Harvesting, Curing, and Storing
The zucchini looks like it’s doing great this year – right?
It looks so nice and lush – but at a closer look, there are squash bugs hiding in there!
What are squash bugs? Well, they’re brownish black, about 3/4″ – 1″ long, and they feed on vining crops like squash, pumpkins, and melons. As you can see, they cause the plant to wilt and eventually die. They’re generally found wherever these vining crops are grown. Ugly, aren’t they?
Organic controls for squash bugs include planting other varieties that repel them (obviously I didn’t do enough of that) such as marigold, nasturtium, and radish. Garden sanitation and weed [...]
Continue reading Squash Bugs
 It’s the time of year when there are usually excess vegetables in the garden that need to be taken in before frost destroys them. Many of these vegetables can successfully be stored for months if the right storage conditions are provided. Even without a garden, buying quantities of these vegetables while they’re fresh and “in season” and storing them for later winter use can make sense. Both of these approaches provide fresh vegetables more economically than buying from the supermarket in the winter when it’s most expensive. In addition, vegetables picked and stored at their peak maturity usually have better [...]
Continue reading Long Term (Winter) Vegetable Storage
 Tinker Bell Eating Pea Vines
Each time I work in the garden and consider bringing back some garden trimmings for the goats and chickens; I have to stop and look through my reference books – to determine whether that particular plant is safe for them to eat. So, I decided to make a list of garden plants that are safe for goats or chickens, and that they’ll benefit from eating. That way, I can just refer back to this list, rather than dragging out a bunch of books.
This is what I know about today that they can eat (chickens may [...]
Continue reading Garden Greens for Goats & Chickens
 The good news is that we still have squash, potatoes, and beets in the root cellar from last year’s garden…….the bad news is I need to get busy using everything up. This recipe is a great one for using the squash, and although my husband doesn’t like butternut squash, he likes this.
4 lbs. butternut squash (approximate weight before peeling)
2 onions, peeled
2 apples
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups chicken stock
½ teaspoon curry powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Scallions sliced thinly for garnish
Peel and seed the squash, and then cut the squash, onions, and apples into 1 inch chunks. Place them in a single layer on two baking [...]
Continue reading Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
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