Last month was Blueberries, 18 lbs from Valentines U-Pick just north of Langlois, OR. Here we have our own no-dust Bramble of Himalayan blackberries. Formidable. Seeds, yes, but full of anti-accidents!

Garden Salsa / Burrito Filling

Collection of sweet and hot peppers, cut into rough dices including seeds and webs

Equal or slightly short volume / amount of Roma tomatoes, diced.

White onion diced – a quarter fraction or less of the combined above volume. (Yellow onion is sweeter and less present as a flavor if preferred…)

Crush the ingredients in a bowl with a spoon or pestle, or pulse / combine in a blender / food processor. (Blending down into a sauce isn’t crazy.)

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Add dashes / small amounts to taste. Balance for use:

Sea salt

Cumin

Chili powder (cayenne)

Lime & Lemon juice (we use Meyer lemons if they’re ready on our tree. Sweeter.)

Garlic, crushed finely

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Fresh Cilantro, chopped

Slivers of green onion, teeny amount of crushed mint

Red Turmeric – deepens color

Red pepper flakes (if cooking as a sauce will follow, to correct spice levels – add black beans, heat through and immediately spoon over rice.) 2nd day – Goes great with chicken or pork. Add an avocado garnish and some sour cream. Burritos with lettuce or Arugula.

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Variations

Different tomatoes (watch juice levels)

Different onions / aromatics…

Fresh horse radish

Fallow seasons and closed building were intended to kill various pests (insects and plants.)

Wisteria panther

Like: maybe use something a little less industrial than the hedge trimmer to control the growth?

Finally pulled up the over-wintered tobacco experiment — attracting whiteflies and takes too much space! On to the compost pile.A first: Froggy surprise in my tool bag! I often find frogs guarding the spinach & chard, sometimes 1 or 2 in a flower pot on the fern stand — they seem to return after being gone awhile. I love when they talk at night outside bedroom deck door…

Volunteers that popped up late summer 2017, slow growth over winter, so leaves are small & plants are short — during summer they’ll get 5 ft tall even outside.  We’ve also had plants overwinter outdoors.  Tough guys!  I need to learn more about how these plants affect bees that visit; nicotinoids are very toxic to them.  (BTW, those are shallots in the background, not weeds, but plenty of cleanup is overdue!)

Picked a peck (and a half) of peppers yesterday, the last of the 2017 crop. 5-6 Pounds.  There are still lemons on the Meyer, celery, lots of Swiss chard and spinach.  Time to clean up the pepper beds and plant for winter: beets, carrots, arugula, lettuce.  Experiment with Fall-planted Beefeater tomatoes:  they have blossoms on them, but not looking too robust.  Hopefully sunshine next couple of days will give ’em a boost!   Thanks for stopping by!