Meatless Monday: Farewell Summer. Hello Winter.

Indian Summer ended abruptly in the Northeast just over a week ago when Alfred dumped record amounts of snow in places less just a short drive from here. We were lucky along the Connecticut shoreline. As the weathermen explained it, the temperature of the water on the Sound was still too warm (in the upper 50s) to allow snow to accumulate along the shore. Right at the water’s edge, all it did was rain. In downtown New Haven we had to shovel a few inches of slush. The significant amounts of heavy wet snow falling on branches still covered with leaves caused numerous downed trees, limbs, and power lines over much of the inland portions of the state. At one point, nearly one million Connecticut residents were without power; as of Sunday night, some 114,000 CL&P customers are still in the dark.

The saddest thing for me was losing my backyard miracle. My two container-grown grape tomato plants, bought at a nursery school fundraiser, had been turning out a bumper crop of tiny, tasty fruits ever since mid-July. I had finally found the perfect thing to grow in my very small, mostly shady yard.

I had been hoping for a few more warm, sunny days so all the fruit on the vine-like branches would ripen. But when the slushy snow began to fall, I rushed out to pick everything over the size of a marble. The branches were sprawling and tangled. There were tomatoes everywhere. I should have worn gloves. Here is my yield. See how many? Monetarily speaking, these two plants paid for themselves many times over, not to mention the pleasure they brought me for so many weeks.

I am not a big fan of fried green tomatoes, so I’m giving my dad’s trick of putting green tomatoes in a shoebox with an apple a try. I know it works for larger, nearly mature fruit. The apple gives off ethylene gas as it ripens; the gas also ripens the tomatoes. One of the things that ethylene does is to stop production of chlorophyll, allowing the colors associated with ripe fruit to become unmasked. Ethylene gas is sometimes used to ripen fruit as it travels to market. You can read more here. 

I hope I can salvage some of my last tastes of Summer. It’s the first day of early darkness, and right now it feels like a long time until my favorite season rolls around again.

Back to Alfred for a second: If any of you were among the unfortunate ones whose trees sustained damage in the recent storm, this link is a fantastic resource for helping you determine if your trees can be saved. 

One more thing relating to my previous post: We got our shopping cart. We used it. And, in case you are wondering, the salvia is still in bloom because we brought it in during the storm and those really cold days. Not ready to say “good-bye.”

Have a great week. And remember that Tuesday is Election Day.

I often blog on food or food issues on Monday in support of Meatless Monday, one of several programs developed in the Healthy Monday project, founded in 2003 in association with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications. Meatless Monday’s goal is “to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal  health and the health of our planet.”

Meatless Monday: Victory?!?

There was a time in the not so distant past when Americans stood united behind their president as he called for the nation to support the war effort by conserving resources (in the first organized recycling program) and growing their own produce so that canned goods could be sent to the troops overseas. In answer to the call, the “Victory Garden” was born. On farm plots, city lots, and rooftops across America, families and neighbors planted vegetables — in every available space. Nearly 20 million Americans rose to the occasion, with gardens producing some 9-10 million tons of food, an amount equivalent to what was being commercially grown! 

To get an idea of what was planted in a 1943 Victory Garden, check out the one which was recreated outside the National Museum of American History’s cafeteria and the info and images included on the museum’s website. 

After World War II ended, many of the plots turned back into lawns or flower gardens, or simply roofs. Some of the community gardens continued on as rental plots on conservation land. [My dad had one for years at Rock Meadow in Belmont, MA.] But most Americans returned to shopping in the store for their produce needs.

With the renewed interested in eating local food, backyard gardening is once again on the rise. [Look for a post in the near future on what is happening in New Haven.] For now you will have to settle for a brief report on what’s been happening in my backyard, which those of you who follow my blog know is very small, heavily shaded, and very near a very busy street.

There is nothing like a fresh-picked tomato. When the nursery school offered grape tomatoes as a selection in the plant sale a few months back, I decided to practice what I preach and give backyard food gardening a try once again. I bought two plants, planted them in two large pots, full of homegrown compost, and placed them in the sunniest spot in my yard. I know I don’t have enough sun for Big Boys : any variety with which I have ever experimented has ripened at least one size smaller than promised. The grape variety, however, has been a huge success. I put the plants in cages and let the vines roam all over. [I know that sounds like a contradiction.] I’ve been picking them by the handful, and they taste great!  There are still plenty of green ones on the vines and lots of new flowers. Just about a week ago it even looked pretty certain that these plants would prove to be a good economic investment.

My pride and joy.

But last Saturday I noticed the andromeda bush out back under the crabapple tree shaking with unusual vigor for a calm day. And then I spied a large rodent waddling through. I watched it disappear through the hole in the fence into the yard next door, presumably to a burrow under the abandoned shed. After hearing the tales of my friend across town I was pretty sure a woodchuck had paid a visit. I Googled, and discovered that the ground is littered with one of the woodchuck’s favorite foods – the crabapples we don’t eat. This could well be what attracted him or her to our yard. While I can marvel at some of the woodchuck’s habits, such as the fact that its den includes a chamber designated as a bathroom, I can’t say I’m thrilled with the possibility that it might stay here and raise a family. Once they like a place, it is very difficult to get these critters to leave, and my yard has lots of amenities.

I know my friend’s “Woody”  ventures onto the back porch to raid her tomatoes. Are mine doomed to be woodchuck fodder? Just in case, I’d been particularly careful to pick all the ripe fruit over the last couple of days. Then early this afternoon I had a close encounter of the woodchuck kind. I had almost forgotten all about Woody when I glimpsed from my garden apartment window what I thought was a gargantuan squirrel [all I could see was its head] peering out from behind a flowerpot and eyeing my crop. It lt stared at me as I stared at it, and then off Woody lumbered. Woody is really big! You’ll just have to believe me for now, but I’ll be ready to point and shoot [a photo that is] next time. I promise to keep you posted.

Have a good week and please visit again soon.

I often blog on food or food issues on Monday in support of Meatless Monday, one of several programs developed in the Healthy Monday project, founded in 2003 in association with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications. Meatless Monday’s goal is “to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal  health and the health of our planet.”