Check this out!

I had to get a shot of this crazy tomato plant.

Started it in the greenhouse in this hanging bag like thing....I then moved it outside onto this hitching post where its taken on a life of its own.

Trout!

Snagged the first two trout of the season.

The first one though is quite possibly the "lunker" of the entire river: 2 feet!

And very thick in the middle. I caught it with a small blue/silver plastic lure.

Stuffed it with herbs and lemon slices; bbqed it quickly with a bit of clarified butter...suffice to say it was the best trout I've ever had in my life.

Garlic Time

July 15th Update

It's been a brutal 2011 summer thus far, with tons of rain and cold, grey weather predominating.

As this is my first summer here, I can't compare it to year's past, however I think it's safe to say that my fruit trees are way behind where they should be.

The apples and pears are still a couple of months away.

I have two types of cherries (one is a "normal" style of cherry [not sure the name yet], and the other I'm told is a "black cherry"); they have been coming in for a weeks now.

The green house is bursting though, with peppers of various kinds and tomatoes all now visibly growing.

Thai Ridge Back Dog

We've had many guests to the Farm, but by far the coolest to this point has been this guy: Chaiya.

He's a Thai Ridge Back Dog.

They come in four different distinct colours: Blue. Red. Fawn. Black.

Chaiya is Blue.

He's featured in front of the Strawberry Tub.

Morning View

The Organic Garlic Patch

The garlic plant has more than one usable portion. While many people are aware of the many uses for the garlic bulbs, not as many persons are aware that the stalk of the garlic plant is also edible. Often referred to as the garlic scape, the stalk also contains flavor and can be used in a number of different recipes. Here is more information on the garlic scape, including when to harvest the stalk for use in preparing meals.

The garlic scape serves as the stem from which the seed head of the garlic bulb is formed. As the bulb begins to grow and mature, garlic stalks also begin to lengthen. During the growth period, the garlic scape begins to curve. Contained within the garlic scape is a great deal of flavor, although the stalk never does reach the level of the pungent garlic bulb itself. Initially, the garlic scape is relatively tender, making it ideal for use as an ingredient in several dishes. As the plant continues to mature, the garlic scape gradually begins to straighten, creating more support for the bulb. At this juncture, the garlic scape is much tougher and ceases to be usable for most recipes.

It is not unusual for the garlic scape to be harvested while it is still young and tender. Chopped into short sections, the garlic scape is a tasty addition to just about any type of stir-fry. The flavor of the garlic scape adds a mild aroma as well as taste to the stir-fry, easily integrating with the other ingredients. The texture of the small sections of the garlic scape also can help to make the stir fry recipe a little more appealing as well.

The garlic scape also has a place in many different pesto recipes. Used to compliment the addition of onions to the pesto, garlic scape provides just enough of a hint of the garlic flavor to be pleasing in the recipe. As with the stir-fry, garlic scape can also add another layer of texture to the pesto.