It’s time once again for Harvest Monday, where we celebrate all things harvest related. The weather here of late has been seasonally warm and mostly dry. That has helped most of the summer vegetables to thrive, and I am harvesting things mostly on a daily basis. It has been a great year for cucumbers, eggplant and squashes, and the first small-fruited tomatoes are ripening now as well. I got one big Tromboncino squash last week, which was so long it was hard to get in the photo! I cut it in half so it would fit in the frig. We spiralized one half for a side dish and the rest went into a ratatouille where it made a great stand-in for zucchini. I got another smaller head of cabbage too, which I froze for later use.
July Harvest
another July Harvest
But really, when the first tomatoes of the season start ripening it’s pretty much all about them for me! The first cherry and plum types are coming in now, and they are a real treat.
Raspberry Drop and Sun Sugar tomatoes
Later in the week I got a bigger haul of tomatoes. This batch included Sun Sugar, Cherry Bomb, Raspberry Drop, Plum Drop and Purple Zebra. Purple Zebra is a favorite here, and while it may be smaller in size this 2022 AAS Winner is big on flavor. We sliced these first ones up to use on a BLT sandwich.
assorted tomatoes
Purple Zebra tomatoes
I’m growing Plum Drop tomato for the first time this year. Like Purple Zebra, it is also from the Cream of the Crop line of tomatoes, as is Raspberry Drop. Cream of the Crop Tomatoes is a joint project between A.P. Whaley Seed Company and Frogsleap Farm. Plum Drop has a nice balance of acid and sweet flavors, and my wife and I have certainly enjoyed these first ones.
Plum Drop tomatoes
Raspberry Drop(L) and Plum Drop(R) tomatoes
We have lots of cucumbers still, plenty for our own use and enough to give some away to friends. I’m growing all these in the greenhouse, where the plants can take the heat and be free from disease and pest problems as well.
L to R: Itachi, Corinto and Nokya cucumbers
Itachi is a long, slender white Asian type cucumber that is mild flavored and crisp. It is somewhat of a shy producer for me though, so we enjoy every one we get.
Itachi cucumber
We did our best to make good use of all those veggies coming in. Eggplant sandwiches are always a favorite. We slice the eggplant thin, spritz with olive oil and bake until tender. This batch went on Mini Naan bread and was topped with cheddar cheese. I made a cucumber and sour cream salad to go with the sandwiches.
eggplant sandwich and cucumber salad
I also made a quinoa salad last week that had our cucumbers and cherry tomatoes plus a few dehydrated tomatoes from last year. It made for a cool companion dish to my wife’s Curried Chicken Salad we had for lunch one day. We’re always looking for new ways to use the cucumbers, and this treatment has become a favorite.
Quinoa Salad with Curried Chicken Salad
Harvest Monday is a day to show off your harvests, how you are saving your harvest, or how you are using your harvest. If you have a harvest you want to share, add your name and blog link to Mr Linky below. And please check out what everyone is harvesting!
We picked our first tomato last week so we have some catching up to do
It must be super fun to watch the Tromboncinos grow. How do you decide when they should be picked? I grew Purple Zebra last year, and don’t remember being impressed with the taste, compared to others. I’m glad you have a different experience with it.
I stopped growing corinto because although thevthin skin was desirable to humans, ï t was also the case for insects. They took more damage from cucumber beetles than all the others. How was it for anyone else?
I have big problems with cucumber beetles when I grow the cukes outside, but not in the greenhouse.
It’s always great seeing your harvests. The cucumber and sour cream salad sounds a bit like Greek tzatziki dip!
The flavor is a bit like tzatziki, though honey adds a touch of sweetness.