Seasons

The calendar tells us there are four seasons. Our friend Bob claims there are two: crock pot and barbecue.

The first fall frost came on October 15, the night after the full moon. I’ve heard that the weather is coldest at the full moon.  The cloudy skies on that night must have held in just enough heat to keep it above freezing.  The following night however, was clear giving ample opportunity for frost to creep into the sweet potatoe, basil, and tomato beds.  Frost left their leaves black and the sweet smell of decay filled the air.

Before more damage is done, we harvested the sweet potatoes.

And since the tomatoes that survived the frost are not going to grow or ripen in this cool weather,  I picked and processed them into lacto-fermented salsa:

Blend together

Green (or red) tomatoes

Hot Peppers 

Cilantro

And Basil (protected from the frost in the greenhouse)

MIx in 1 T sea salt (non-iodized) and 1/4 C whey for each quart of final product.

While I was at it, I dug up some horseradish roots.  If the salsa isn’t spicy enough, this is sure to make your nose run.

Add enough vinegar (I used distilled) to make the horseradish root blend up easily in the blender.

And just when you think you ready for winter, spring appears.  These apple blossoms fared the first frost without fright.  Yes, this is mid-October.  At this rate, we’ll have fresh apples ready on the first day of barbecue season.