Harvest Time!

Summer may not have arrived with warmth in Seattle last month, but the fruit crop didn't mind much. My strawberries weren't abundant this year so there weren't enough for jam. Though, my small raspberry bed thrived and for weeks my husband enjoyed the homegrown, homemade raspberry cobbler shown above.

Our plum tree produced a great crop in July. What to do with so many plums? I didn't need to get creative with a recipe as they were eaten fresh within days. Our tree is four-way grafted and a second crop of plums is coming in now.

First plum crop

Second plum crop

This is the best crop I've had from my red currant bushes! I enjoy currants mixed with my oatmeal in the morning, and they also make a great addition to raspberry cobbler. They look like ruby caviar, but I'm guessing they taste a lot better.

Fresh figs!

Late July saw figs ripening. These are now a favorite fruit of ours and we have one large tree, with a second one coming along. A third tree will be moved from the back yard to the front when it is dormant this fall.





Our backyard blueberry bushes gave us plenty of fruit for oatmeal, pancakes, and yes, more cobbler.

Foraging just a few blocks from our house yielded abundant blackberries that again resulting in a cobbler. I found a great site with desserts for two, and have made this recipe from several fruits, all of them turned out delicious and delighted the cobbler gobbler I'm married to.

Blackberries from vine to dine

With a small yard, I have to be creative with my plant placement and a few plants will be relocated this fall. Perhaps one of my most creative endeavors with garden produce was green tomato jam. With the sugar and spices, it tastes very much like apple butter. Later this month I will be making plenty of applesauce to freeze, and apple butter for bagels.