Lughnasa Moon of the First Harvests
Finished turning much of our garlic crop and all of three boxes of farmer’s market garlic into thin shavings, put them in the dryer and turned it on. We discovered last year that a very effective way to keep garlic is to dry it, thin. The crop this year itself was thin necessitating purchase of some to get up to a quantity that we think will sustain us through the winter. We like garlic.
Picked carrots, tomatillos and the first roma tomatoes. Kate’s made pico de gallo and corn relish today and will make pickled carrots and daikon radish tomorrow. This is the time when summer’s profligacy gets pickled or canned or dried or frozen since the plant world has little care for the distribution of its fruits beyond the spreading of seed. Humans have had to overcome the plants long established plans for propagation in order to benefit optimally from the growing season. It came in fits and starts, I’m sure, this storing of calories and nutrition, but the basics are the same now as they have been for a very long time.
When doing this work, blowing snow, howling winds and fire in the fireplace are ever present, the time when this work will make sense. Right now it just leaves a pain in my already sore left shoulder. That will pass.
