Farmer’s Market Goodies

I was finally able to head to the farmer’s market last Saturday after not being able to go for a month (busy Saturdays working for our business). I found all kinds of lovely things to buy, including a lot of green beans.

Dexter thought they were wonderful cat toys that I bought for him. He stole a few and I found all 3 cats playing with green beans later that afternoon. No need to spend $4 on a furry mouse, a green bean from the farmer’s market will do. I’m guessing they would also love small turnips and beets.

Have you found any unexpected uses for produce this summer?

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What Should We Build?

Earlier this summer I won a $100 Home Depot gift card from Colleen over at In the Garden Online. I can’t decide what new garden project to use it for.

Originally I though I’d build a new raised bed. I would like one that’s at least 18 inches tall and 10 feet long and 4 feet wide, this would expand my gardening area by 40 sq feet. I could grow a lot more vegetables in an additional 40 sq feet (perhaps sweet corn)?

Mr Chiots and I have also considered building a Warre hive. We are hoping to get yet another hive of bees next spring and we really want to try the Warre top bar method for managing one of our hives.

a big thanks to Mike Grenville for letting me use his photo Our New Bee Hive.
Mr Chiots has also been wanting to build me a potting bench to put out back for all of my repotting efforts. I have a small plastic folding table that I usually use for such tasks (or just the wheelbarrow if I’m too lazy to get out the table).

I can’t really decide which project I want to make, they’re all something we would love to have. Since I can’t decide I figured I’d turn you, vote in the poll for the project you think would we should use our gift card for.

Which would you would choose and why?

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Corn on the Cob = Summertime

Here in the Midwest (NE Ohio to be exact) the first real day of the summer is the day you see the first local sweet corn on sale at various roadside stands. Sweet corn is one of those things that, despite the globalization of our food system, remains a local thing. Everyone knows which local farmer grows their favorite corn and each year they wait until that farmer’s corn is ready.

When I headed to the farmer’s market on Saturday, I noticed it was finally sweet corn season, so I bought a dozen ears for lunch. Everyone has their own method for cooking sweet corn, some people boil it for a few minutes, some people for 10. I happen to steam mine for 12 minutes and that’s perfect for us.

We enjoy ours with homemade butter and a little salt, it makes for a simple delicious fresh local meal.

Mr Chiots and I were discussing whether or not corn on the cob is a Midwest thing, or if people in other parts of the country enjoy sweet corn as much as us Midwesterners do.

Is sweet corn a big thing in your area of the country? What’s your preferred cooking & eating method?

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Blooms Around the Garden

We’ve been having a lot of rainy days lately, which we actually need here at Chiot’s Run, unlike most of the country. It’s been really cool, in the low 70’s during the day and down into the 50’s at night. I’m not complaining about the weather, it’s actually very nice, but it does inhibit the ripening of the crops. I suppose it’s good for the cabbage and broccoli. The cats have the right idea on these rainy cold dreary days.

Since I’ve been inside for the past couple days, I haven’t been doing much in the garden. I did run out yesterday during a break in the rain to snap a few photos of some of the things that are blooming around the garden. I only got a few photos in before it started raining again.



I’ve noticed that the hummingbirds are loving the nicotiana and the lantana that I have in the front and the bees & butterflies love the liatris and the hyssop.

What’s blooming in your garden right now?

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Bring on the Tomatoes

My tomatoes are starting to ripen. Yesterday I picked some Tumbling Toms, Principe Borghese, Sub-Arctic and Azoycha tomatoes. I’m up to 3 pounds of tomatoes from the garden already!

The yellow one is Azoychka – A very productive Russian heirloom found at the Bird Market in Moscow. (”Azoychka” is a woman’s name.) Produce indeterminate, regular-leaf tomato plants that produce an abundant crop of smooth, 3-inch round, slightly flattened, yellow/orange tomatoes with a sweet citrusy flavor. This is a delightful small yellow beefsteak tomato that matures so early it will be one of the first varieties to ripen in your garden. Beautifully smooth, lemon yellow fruit weighs about 8 ozs. and is very flavorful, rich but pleasantly sweet with a delicious hint of citrus.

We enjoyed it yesterday sliced with some salt, pepper & drizzled with a little olive oil. It is the perfect eating tomato. Mr Chiot’s loves it because it’s not too acidic. This one’s definitely a winner in our garden, which is good. I grew this instead of Lemon Boy, which is Mr Chiot’s favorite eating tomato, so I’m glad it’s so delicious!

How do you like to eat your sun-ripened garden tomatoes?

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