Cold Climate Gardening

When the days grow shorter, when we’ve had several freezes (and even a dusting of snow), and when we finally concede it’s time to drain the hose and close down the storm windows on the last remaining screens–that’s when we begin to harvest the leeks.

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This is not winter squash:

One advantage of homeschooling is that faced with too much zucchini, yellow crookneck, patty pan, and kousa squash, you just bring out the butter knives and conduct art class.
Wait to harvest winter squash
I had to share that with you, because I don’t have any pictures of winter squash. We leave winter squash on the vine for as long as possible, because the longer the squash has a chance to mature, the sweeter and more flavorful it will be. A light frost, which is what we expect to have tonight, will help to bring out the sweetness, but if the squash itself actually freezes, it will ruin its ability to keep well in storage.

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Is there such a thing as too much sweet corn?

On Sunday he asked me, “How was the corn you had yesterday for lunch, when I wasn’t here?” I said it was getting a little mature. He said, “Oh, I guess I better freeze the rest of it.” I had no idea how much was still up there. I’m not sure he did, either. He didn’t start harvesting corn until after lunch. While he was up there, five people left to go pick blackberries. Three people were called to help neighbors bring in their hay.

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Tomatoes the Old-Fashioned Way
I’ve been reading the The Little House on the Prairie series to my six-year-old at bedtime. We just happen to be on The Long Winter and were reading “Fall of the Year” just a couple of days ago, where the Ingalls were surprised by an early hard frost. Ma and Laura picked all the ripe tomatoes from the blackened vines and made “almost a gallon of preserves.” I wondered if this was just an old way of saying canned tomatoes, but later on it is referred to as sweet preserves by Mary. So did they have tomato jam on toast for breakfast? Does anyone know how people used tomatoes in the 1870s-1880s? Or canning and preserving practices in general back then?

Ma then goes on to make green tomato pickle. People still do this today; Frugal Upstate has a recipe for Fireballs–try them if you dare.

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We don’t have any green beans ready quite yet, though they’re getting close. And even when we do have green beans, we’re quite happy eating them boiled in water until crisp-tender, drained, and then tossed with garlic sauteed in olive oil, or maybe just butter, salt, and pepper. However, there comes a time in the life of every cook when she is called upon to produce A Dish to Pass. In my husband’s family, you are often specifically told to bring a green bean casserole. Before I married into the family, there was only one green bean casserole. You know the one, with the condensed cream of mushroom soup and store-bought French fried onions.

Either of the green bean casseroles below …

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I decided to join the Food Fest hosted jointly by Dinner Tonight and A Way to Garden. So, for the first time ever (well, not quite, there are some pesto recipes here), recipes at Cold Climate Gardening.
Clockwise from top left: White Bush Lebanese, Benning’s Green Tint Patty Pan, more White Bush Lebanese (I think), and Black Zucchini. All from Fedco.
My Opinions about summer squash, and a few facts

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This essay was written before 2001, and a lot has changed since then. Details in the Postscript.

People tend to assume, since I live in the country and have a large family, that I grow and preserve all (or at least a good deal) of the food we eat. But the truth is, I really don’t like to put food up, and I’m glad I don’t have to do it. Canning is hot, steamy work needing to be done (usually) at the hottest, most humid …

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