Cherry. Roma. Whatever You Got
After occupying the dining room table for the better part of the winter as well as the spring with plant starts, we’re finally reaping the benefits. Oregon’s late spring had many gardeners wondering if their tomatoes had even a chance of making it this year, and with a majority of Roma tomatoes still green as we enter October, some people are ready to throw in the towel. Luckily, there are infinite amounts of recipes, and options for those green tomatoes in the garden, one of my favorites being a southern style green tomato pie. Unfortunately for our garden however, the tomatoes wont stop growing, and turning red. This year has yielded more tomatoes than we know what to do with–well not really. Caprese salads, and fried tomatoes have been a common treat around the house. 
As I rush to get the final seeds in the ground for winter, we thought it best to make room by taking the existing tomato plants out as the end of the season draws near. That however is hard to want to do as our plants wont say die. I’ve prepared the garden for winter by planting some lettuce, onions, collards, chard, and some mustard, and have already got some solid sprouts, and with the Eugene weather having trouble keeping its temperature highs below 70 degrees, its no wonder we’re off to a good start. I was saddened to find that this year was not the year for my hops to come into full swing as I’d made some locational mistakes when planting them. I do however look forward to trying again next spring, and getting some good home brew experiments underway.
My buddy Jesse, who is a leader at the University of Oregon’s Urban Farm, was nice enough to drop by the other night and share with me some fresh produce from his garden, and offer some ideas for this winters harvest, as well as brainstorm some awesome recipe ideas for some innovative mustards.
Eugene has been a wonderful place to meet so many veteran gardeners as well as those just getting started. My blackberry bushes were an amazing meeting place for gardening minds alike this summer, as we spent chunks of time during the day picking, eating, and talking about concoctions and recipes we could bring to life with the immense amount of produce growing around us this year. As the apple and pear trees begin to bear fruit, I can’t stop thinking about all the pies that will soon be passing through my oven, and the cider into my stomach.
