#fall salads

Sweet and juicy figs match so well with the salty and crumbly feta.

It is strawberry guava season. Our ten foot tree that is about twelve years old is a heavy producer. This week we harvested fourteen pounds. Picking is tedious since the guavas range from one-half inch to just over an inch in size. In recent years we’ve put garden trays under the tree and my husband shakes the tree—not so vigorously as the nut trees in California’s Central Valley but sufficient to loosen ripe guavas.

As the refrigerator filled with guavas, processing began over the weekend. You can see the steps for making the puree in the second link below. The yield was four quarts. I gave some puree away to a friend who is enamored with strawberry guavas, froze four-ounce jars for my grandson who recently started solids and sent the remainder in pint containers to the freezer. More in another post on how I use the rich, velvety puree.

To learn more about strawberry guavas and my sentimental connection with the sweet-tart, antioxidant rich fruit you can read these posts: Strawberry Guavas and Guava Season.

Labor Day marked the transition to the fall garden. The cucumbers stopped producing last week and a half dozen zucchini refuse to grow larger than five inches. The tomato plants went to the green bin and I’ll next make puree and roasted tomatoes for the freezer. Second sowings of green beans are close to harvest. Zinnias are the current glory of the garden and peppers are just coming into their own.

You can tour the garden with me in a post from last week, In My Garden Today, Early September.

The ‘Baby Belle’ peppers are a treat to have since my large bell peppers are weeks away from turning red. These went to black bean fajitas and after a brief saute, stuffed in a grilled Havarti cheese sandwich on sourdough.

This pepper escaped its supports and broke the stem so time to bring to the kitchen.

I had some extra brine left over from making quick pickled red onions so decided to try a small jar of pickled green peppers. They are delightfully crisp with a flavor punch.

I’ll be using these on tacos, salads, black bean burgers and alongside a sandwich.

The container-grown arugula is thriving and I shear it every few days. It’s useful under a special entree, with pasta or topping a pizza.

An arugula salad is a lunch favorite, here with my garden apples, diced cucumbers, dried cranberries, goat cheese and sliced almonds.

I’m having such fun with the ‘Blue Point Bouquet’ zinnias. They are stellar performers even in our cool, dank summer with no signs of mildew.

Harvests have been small in recent weeks as I plant the winter garden. You can see the progress in a post In My Garden, Late October. As I anticipate abundance later, I find particular joy in unexpected harvests. Inspecting my Lavender ‘Provence’ I found just enough blooms for another large pitcher of lavender lemonade. With our warm Santa Ana winds and work to be done in the garden, the lemonade was unseasonably refreshing.

Also unexpected was the abundant second crop of ‘Dorsett Golden’ apples from our small espaliered tree. Seven pounds will make some sumptuous applesauce and apple desserts.

The ‘Baby Belle’ peppers and ‘Red Beauty’ bell peppers seem undaunted by the chilly nights. I’m picking some of them green, though I’m eyeing one that is almost all red. Some of the radishes planted about five weeks ago will be ready soon. Here’s the first of ‘Easter Egg II.’

I harvested the lettuce transplants about ten days ago so I’m mixing French sorrel with my salad greens to extend the lettuce. I like the lemon flavor it adds. See my post On Growing Sorrel or use the search icon to check other posts about French sorrel.

Here’s one of my fall garden salads with garden lettuce, French sorrel, apples and red pepper from the garden.

My parsley plant was encroaching on newly planted spinach and likely harboring sow bugs which snacked on the newly emerged spinach. I gave it a good shearing, sacrificing the flowers which the hover flies find irresistible. I tied up the parsley bouquet and delivered it to my favorite local cafe where I’ve shared my edible flowers. Check the gorgeous and delicious fare at Little Lion Cafe. I’m sure they’ll put it to good use.

I’ve decided that pickled red onions are essential to have on hand so I pulled one of my stored red onions to make another round.

Autumn abundance describes this assemblage of Tagetes lemonii and Aster ‘Nana Hearn.’ They’re both at their peak this week so this was my bouquet for church.

My garden is still at the seasonal intersection of summer and fall. I harvested the delicata squash this week to make room for more broccoli. It seems a small take for two plants but they grew in a bed that receives less sun. Still, I’ll enjoy roasting them as golden crescents.

My ‘Royal Burgundy’ bush beans near the end of their run and will make way for the snow peas soon.

I decided to call this bell pepper red enough, fearing I’d be feeding the critters who previously stole four of them.

Strawberry guava season is nearly over—after harvesting 60 pounds this year. We generally breathe a sigh of relief at season’s end since from tree to puree, each guava is handled three times. Now I keep a few on the counter to snack on during the day, relieved to know there are not fifteen pounds in the refrigerator.

Lucy, my pointer-retriever Brittany brought in the first ‘Dorsett Golden’ apple of the fall season. It was a drop but her characteristic soft mouth did not damage it and I washed it well then diced it for my morning oatmeal.

I sent two heads of romaine lettuce home with my son, Tim and harvested the other four over the weekend. We’re expecting Santa Ana winds this week with temperatures in the 80’s which translates to bolted lettuce. Lots of salads ahead.

Here’s one of my hearty salads with garden lettuce, green beans, bell peppers and red onions. Scattered on the top are dried calendula petals from last year’s edible flower harvest.

And I squeezed the first lime of the season over my salad.

Garden arrangements are like small snapshots of your garden and here we have asters, Mexican marigold and scabiosa as the stars of the fall garden.

This Hearty Kale, Chard & Parsley Salad with Sweet Potatoes, Feta & Pumpkin Seeds is the kind of salad that feels both nourishing and deeply satisfying. With sturdy leafy greens, caramelized roasted sweet potatoes, creamy feta, and crunchy pumpkin seeds, it’s hearty enough to stand on its own as a meal while still feeling fresh and vibrant. Your Complete Guide to Kale: From Market to…

Apple Beet Farro Salad with Crispy Chickpeas

A healthy fall salad for you! Yeah! Beets and avocado and spiced chickpeas and mint- it’s Apple Beet Farro Salad with Crispy Chickpeas! I know, I got pretty excited for a salad but this isn’t just any salad! With lots of Rosh Hashanah flavors (I’m taking beets, apples, honey vinaigrette) and fall flavors (spiced crunchy chickpeas, nutty farro, good for all seasons avocado), it’s great for your…