It’s time once again for Harvest Monday, where we celebrate all things harvest related. Just as our cucumbers are about done for, the pole beans are setting on and last week I got enough for our first taste of them this year. These first ones are an heirloom variety from Tennessee I’m growing for the first time called Turkey Craw Variant. They are a bit earlier than the Turkey Craw beans I’ve been growing for a few years now, and we certainly enjoyed eating them. Like all the heirloom beans I’m growing these have strings, but they are easily removed before cooking. They also have a flavor advantage that too often got bred out of the string-less beans, plus they don’t get tough like the modern varieties do if left to grow too long before harvesting.
August Harvest
Turkey Craw Variant
And I hauled in lots more tomatoes last week as well. The small cherry varieties are very productive this year, and we’re getting plenty of the slicing types too.
tomato harvest
Harvest Moon tomato
Hot Streak tomato
I did a tomato tasting last week of my trial varieties Hot Streak and Harvest Moon. I thought Hot Streak was okay but not an improvement over other red varieties I’m growing. The Harvest Moon, however, was outstanding! It had a rich, full flavor that pretty much stole the show for that meal. I look forward to tasting more of these beauties.
Hot Streak and Harvest Moon tasting
The eggplants are still producing well too, and I got lots of them last week in all sizes and shapes. I also found a mature Centercut squash hiding in the abundant foliage of those vines, and brought it in.
eggplant harvest plus Centercut squash
I got a big batch of paste tomatoes one day along with more of the larger eggplant. The paste tomatoes were Zenzei, Juliet and Health Kick. Juliet is a baby Roma type, and always does well for me here. Zenzei was a 2023 AAS Winner and a standout last year in our garden. I made one batch of Freezer Tomato Sauce with most of these, though not all.
paste tomatoes and eggplant
Zenzei tomato
Dehydrating tomatoes is one of my favorite ways to preserve them and concentrate the flavor. And Juliet is one of my favorite varieties for drying! I did one tray of them last week, with more to come I am sure as more tomatoes set on.
before dehydrating
after dehydrating
With all the eggplant coming in, eggplant sandwiches were on the menu last week. I had one for lunch, along with what I am calling Cheesy Baked Tomatoes. I sliced up a tomato and roasted it on the sheet pan along with the eggplant, but only for about 5 minutes. Then I topped with mozzarella cheese and some fresh basil and put it back in the oven just long enough for the cheese to melt. Other cheeses should work well too, and I am looking forward to making this side dish again soon.
eggplant sandwich and cheesy tomatoes
In non-harvest news, I found a swallowtail caterpillar feeding on one of my potted parsley plants. I moved it over to a plant I set out in the pollinator garden just for the caterpillars. We love seeing the big swallowtails flying around, and I have both fennel and parsley as host plants for them.
swallowtail caterpillar on parsley
And lastly, the hardy hibiscus are still putting a show with daily blooms showing up on our plants. Fireball has big red blooms, and has been a standout since we planted it a few years back. I just set out Luna White this spring, and already it has had quite a few blooms on what is still a small plant. You can see a bee on one of the blooms, and they do visit them for pollen.
Fireball hibiscus
Luna White hibiscus
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!
I read your Spotlight report on Centercut squash. I got the impression that it is eaten young, i.e. still green. The one in your picture looks like a winter squash. How is it when it is mature like that? A competitor with butternut? The Harvest Moon tomato is beautiful, and I’m glad it’s tasty too. And boy, those Zenzei tomatoes get big. That’s a bonus when making sauce.
Hi Will, the Centercut is a dual purpose squash – useful when green or mature. The matures ones are a bit sweet than the butternuts I have grown, but otherwise the consistency and taste are the same. My wife makes pumpkin pie with the puree from Centercut and everyone (including me) loves it!
Very envious of your tomatoes. Kurs are going to be a disappointment this year. The hibiscus flowers are beauties