Indian Summer.

Oh, Seattle. How you've done me proud this year with your gorgeous weather- all the way through the 10th of October! We've been 80+ days without rain, and nearly all of them have seen the sun blazing. As fall began inching its way into our hearts, the days began and ended with a sweet crispness while the days were warm and sun filled. This is the kind of weather that I could get used to on a regular basis.

The garden is nearly ready for winter slumber, although there are a good deal of lettuces, kale and beets that I am hoping will thrive enough to harvest before it's too late. Overall, it was a pretty good season. A rough June wiped out a good deal of my tomatoes, but I was pulling a good half pint every 5 days of cherry tomatoes. And, over in Woodinville, the tomatoes took off like gangbusters, yielding somewhere close to 35 pounds. There are many containers of these beauties roasted in the freezer for winter.

Here's a round up of the season's preservation efforts:

Tomatillo salsa: 6 1/2 pints
Spiced peach jam: 4 pints
Cherry jam: 8 1/2 pints
Rhubarb jam: 8 1/2 pints
Tayberry + Cassis jam: 4 pints
Dill pickles: 6 pints
Pickled jalapenos: 6 1/2 pints
Roasted Tomatoes: 10 quart sized bags, frozen
Pickled Carrots: 2 pints
Pickled peppers: 2 pints, 4 1/2 pints
Tarragon vinegar: 1 pint
Chive blossom vinegar: 1 pint
Herb salt: 2 quart jars (to be given as holiday gifts)
Blackberry syrup: 1 quart (for Italian sodas)
Peaches, flash frozen: 4 quart bags
Blueberries, flash frozen: 1 gallon bag
Strawberry conserve: 3 1/4 pints, frozen
Pesto: 3 1/2 pints, frozen

It may be getting colder, and the days getting more grey, but at least I will have plenty of summer captured in bottles to get me through.

postcards:garden love

Cucumbers

Gorgeous "merlot" lettuce

First batch of Zucchini

Tomatoes- large fruit ripening on the vines

The Dog Days of Summer

For me, summer is all about soaking up sunshine, being outdoors, flip flops, lazy weekend days, digging in the garden, and easy no-cook meals with the freshest ingredients.. I'd say that my summer has consisted of much of the above.

In mid-July, I started a couch to 5K running class. I've never run in the past, or played sports as a kid, so this was a big stretch for me. Here's what I learned: running is hard! it was hard, but I always felt great, knowing I was building endurance, lung capacity and using muscles that I don't think I've ever used before. However, when I said it hurt, I meant

that: I started having Achilles pain, and my knees ached a bit more than I think is normal, and sometimes, especially in the beginning, I seriously thought my calves were going to explode into a million shards of flesh! I also wasn't progressing as quickly as my classmates- when they were doing 2 minutes of running, 2 of walking, I was still at 1 minute. After 6 weeks, I was really discouraged and also not wanting to injure myself permanently. So I stopped going to class, and have resorted to walking, or doing the Blaine stairs. Most important lesson is just keep moving.

The garden is puttering along, although nothing is going to rival

the summer or harvest of 2009. I've had many a zucchini, the beans just coming in, beets, and pounds of onions and potatoes are stored for the coming months. The back parcel of my plot is partially underneath a large tree, so I'm dealing with acidic soil or root competition- or both- which has been frustrating. I'm building up the soil, and brought in some large pots to get chard and lettuce growing in there. Another first year at a space, so it's been a lot of learning about the soil, sun directions, and other challenges. I am convinced that my tomatoes won't ripen until I've left for my trip, and I would have missed them all. I'm planning on overwintering garlic and onions, and I know that next year will be better.

As usual, I find myself canning in the hottest days of summer..

We could have a cool day or two

roll in throughout summer, but I always find myself canning in the 80+ days sweating it out in the hot kitchen. Cherry preserves, pickles, blackberry/raspberry jam, roasted tomatoes, blackberry syrup (for Italian sodas-yum), pickled cherries (for charcuterie plates) and frozen berries have been my projects this season. I also

made a big batch of herb salt from the garden this year-some flavor to perk up grilled or roasted goods this fall and winter. A couple more items to get into the pantry before I leave, and I will be set for the season.