This 'n That Harvest

The warm-weather vegetables have made only desultory progress this summer. (The sweet peas, on the other hand, are now seven feet high and still going to town.) So I did what I could with these, er, slim pickins' from the raised beds today: Swiss chard ('Bright Lights'), some Stupice tomatoes, a green-ripened-to-orange pepper (it only took three months), a Hungarian black hot pepper (it's not very hot, though, just a little piquant), a handful of Fortex string beans (which I learned about from the mavens at Cold Climate Gardening), a small clump of garlic chives, some plain ol' basil, and a few nasturtium blossoms. I sautéed chopped (store-bought) Vidalia sweet onion in a generous amount of olive oil, then added the tomatoes (chopped in chunks), both the peppers (the sweet pepper in narrow slices, the "hot" pepper in thin rings), the green beans, some salt, and let the whole thing cook down and blend for about ten minutes. The chard, basil (both cut in chiffonade strips) and garlic chives (finely chopped), were tossed in for the last minute or two, then the whole thing got ladled over spaghetti noodles and topped with shredded Parmesan, with the nasturtium as a garnish. I'm not calling this a stir-fry, because you don't want to undercook the vegetables; if you give the onions, tomatoes and peppers at least ten minutes to get comfortable, their flavors will play together very nicely. I enjoyed what I got to taste of the Fortex beans, but most were snuck out of the pan by my 11-year-old. The Stupice is an heirloom Czech tomato noted for early maturity, but its flavor, eaten straight from the vine, is a little tart. When cooked, though, its acidity really woke up the dish in a good way. Mmm...yum.

Comments

[Josh]

We certainly have had some strange summer weather this year! Being one that hates our muggy heat, I'm not exactly complaining. And down here in Rockford, IL, my veggies seem to be doing well anyways, just as long as we don't get a frost anytime soon! My peppers seem to be taking their time ripening though. They are a first time for me, so I'm not sure what to expect anyways.

[Chan S.]

Hello to Rockford! (We visit my sister there quite frequently, and my kids love the Discovery Center. But you are warmer...my sister's oak leaf hydrangea actually flowered this year, unlike mine.) I hate hot, muggy weather too, so I really shouldn't complain. I've given up hope on the eggplants (but they are notoriously finicky about cool evenings and need long hot summers), but I'm confident that we'll get enough tomatoes, peppers and zucchini to be sick of eating them before the season's done (but it may be that we'll need the intervention of a frost protection blanket a couple of nights).

[rosemarie hanson]

I also grew Stupice this year, and have filed it under Why Bother. The SunGolds and Sweet Baby Girl cherry tomatoes are earlier, sweeter, and not much smaller. Sadly, my Fortex were underplanted and under supported with tragic consequences! I get maybe 3 a day!.

[Chan S.]

So far the Stupice is far outpacing the others I'm growing in maturity and in yield. I like the fresh tomato sauce I get out of them, but I'm not impressed with their flavor uncooked. If my other tomatoes ever ripen (they're coming along very slooooowly), I'll have to do a real taste test. I love Fortex! But my plants have been stingy this year too, so I've only been able to use them as additions to rather than the main ingredient in a dish.

[Lynn S]

I've never had any Swiss chard so I have no idea what it tastes like but the rest sounds really good. Unfortunately, my other half is not very adventurous when it comes to food, especially vegetables. In fact, you might say he's downright cowardly about trying new foods.

[Chan S.]

I have to confess that I end up eating a disproportionate share of the garden harvest, although my 11-year-old is coming around quickly. My younger two are still at the stage where any dish with mixed ingredients is horrifying to them.