Here is a way to fix the good tasting tender Deep Cove Farms Brussels Sprouts.  This recipe was given to me by my neighbor Diane and quickly ate at Thanksgiving Dinner. As a matter of fact they were the first to go.

4 strips of Bacon

1 lb. of Deep Cove Farms Brussels Sprouts for that great fresh flavor but you can use store bought after  ours are finished but it will not be as good.

1/2  medium onion finely chopped

1 glove of garlic, I like 2, finely chopped or if you have a press that is better.

1 tablespoon brown  granulated

1 tablespoon butter but it is ok to splurge with a couple more lol

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

In a skillet, cook the bacon to tender crisp. Slice the sprouts into halves Rremove the bacon after finished and all but three tablespoons of bacon drippings. Put in sprouts, garlic, and onions and cook until the onions are tender. Add some other seasoning that you like  as oregano if that Italian or Meditterean Flavor is desire, or thyme or rosemary for the French style. With that add the sugar and bacon, stir and cover and cook until the sprouts are tender, about 30 minutes at medium heat. Occasional stir this so the sprouts do not stick.  If it becomes too watery remove the last 10 minutes. Add the butter and salt and pepper while the sprouts are cooking. Serve and enjoy

Here is something that is rather tasty and good for those cool nights that are coming.

1 med  Deep Cove Farm Kabocha Squash

1 teaspn  ground cayenne pepper

1/2 teespn ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspn ground  nutmeg

1 teaspn cumin

5 talbspn brown sugar

2 talbspn soy sauce.

Preheat  oven to 400 degrees.  Cut the

Kaboacha  squash into slices, not to thick

clean the seeds out (save seeds and roast also

because the are good)

set asides slices.  in a bowl mix all ingredients except the soy sauce.

coat each slice of squash on both sides. Add the soy sauces to the mixture

and  repeat the coating. but on baking sheet in single layer. drizzle with some olive oil

and if you want add a little sugar.  cook for 15 minutes. turn over and again drizzle with oil

and sugar if you want.

for those who want to cheat, you can use the pumpkin pie mixture

Deep Cove Farm has our apples rolling out.. Unlike our peaches this year the  infamous brown stink did  not damage the crop. Also the winter squash is starting to mature. Pumpkins and those decorative gourds will be available soon also.  The cabbage, greens, and fall crops will be out in October some time.

TO MAKE THIS AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE, I WOULD RECOMMEND SUCKERING OR CLIPPING OFF SOME GROWTH OFF THE MAIN STEM. EVERYTHING FROM THE GROUND UP TO 4” SHOULD BE PINCHED OFF THE MAIN STEM. EVEN IF YOU HAVE SOME FRUIT GROWING ON THEM. THE REASON IS THAT THE PLANT WILL THEN GO TO THE PRODUCTION OF THE FRUIT AND LEAVES ABOVE THE GROUND. THIS SHOULD BE DONE THROUGHOUT THE LIFE OF YOUR PLANT. HOPEFUL IT WILL LAST YOU TILL THE FALL IF WE DO NOT HAVE THE KILLER HEAT. JUST TO LET YOU KNOW LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME AT 1 PM IT WAS 96 DOWN HERE ON THE FARM.

SO OF THE DO’S: INCLUDE A GOOD YIELD, NO CUTWORMS OR FUNGICIDES PROBLEMS.  GOOD AIR CURCULATION. SETTING QUICKER AND MATURING FASTER

THE DOWN SIDE IS THE WEIGHT OF THESE, NEED FOR 6-8 HOURS OF SUN (THUS YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE WIND), AND THE VARITIES YOU CAN GROW. THEY NEED LOTS AND LOTS OF WATER (MORE THAN GARDENING) WHICH MEANS YOU HAD BETTER MAKE SURE YOUR ANCHOR IS STRONG TO SUPPORT THIS WEIGHT (ROUGHLY 50 LBS WHEN WATERED) AND  ALSO THEY PERISH SOONER THAN THE GARDEN NEIGHBORS. THE VARITIES THAT ARE GROWN ARE NOT THE SAME ONES THAT CAN BE GROWN IN A GARDEN.

SORRY NO HEIRLOOMS AS OF YET.

FIRST AND FOREMOST THE TOMATO PLANTS MUST BE  DETERMINATE AND SMALL VINED. WHAT IS DETERMINATE? IT MEANS THAT THE TOMATO VINE WILL STOP GROWING AT A CERTAIN LENGHT. HIERLOOMS ARE GENERALLY INDETERMINATE GROWING 5’ OR TALLER.RECALL THAT FOR MANY PLANTS, THE RULE OF THUMB IS THAT THE ROOT SYSTEM IS ABOUT THE SAME SIZE AS THE FOLIAGE ABOVE GROWN. WHETHER THAT IS AN EXACT SIZE OF YOUR TOMATO PLANTS, IT SHOULD BE OBVIOUS THAT THESE PLANTERS HAVE TO HAVE A LIMITED ROOT SYSTEM BECAUSE THE SIZE AND WEIGHT OF THE PLANTER WOULD BE EXCESSIVE IF THEY WERE ANY LARGER THAN THEY ARE. SO LARGE PLANTS (NOT NECESSARILY LARGE TOMATOES) SHOULD BE AVOIDED IF YOU WANT THEM TO LAST. FOR EXAMPLE, MANY CHERRY TOMATOES ARE INDETERMINATE AND WILL GROW TO BE HUGE OVER TYHE COURSE OF A LONG SUMMER AND WILL BE STRESSED AFTER A WHILE IN A HANGING PLANTER. SO IN REALITY THE TOMATO SIZE IS NOT THE PROBLEM BUT THE SIZE OF THE PLANT FOR THESE UNDSIDEDOWN BASKETS. SO THE BEST ADVICE IS TO FIND A TOMATO PLANT THAT IS DETERMINATE AND DOES NOT GROW VERY BIG. A LOT OF CHERRY TOMATO PLANTS GROW LIKE WEEDS AND ARE TALL.  

SO WHAT CAN YOU GROW.  THEY ARTICLE SUGGESTED ROMAS AND A CERTAIN VARITY OF CELEBRITIES AND THESE HAVE WORKED WLL.  THE PATIO TOMATOES HAVE BEEN FAVORITES FOR YEARS. SOME FOLKS HAVE REPORTED SUCCES WITH TOMATO TUMBLER, TOMATO GARDEN PEARL, AND TOMATO YELLOW PIGMY. 

THEY ARE SOME HYBRIDS THAT ARE BING MARKETED FOR GROWING SPECIFICALLY IN HANGING TOMATO BASKETS.  THESE INCLUDE WINDOW BOX ROMA, MICRO TOM, BASKER BOY YELLOW AND BASKET BOY RED.

THESE RED CHERRY TOMATOES ARE BECOMING VERY POPULAR. THEY ARE ALSO KNOWN AS SUGAR LUMPS BECAUSE OF THEIR SWEET FLAVOR. THUS, THESE LITTLE DARLINGS ARE GOOD FOR SALADS AND SNACKS.

THIS PALE YELLOW WITH LIGHT RED STRIPPING HEIRLOOM WAS INTRODUCED IN 2004. GARY IBSEN AND NOW WIFE DAGMA LACEY INTRODUCED IT. GEE, I WONDER WHERE THE NAME CAME FROM HAHA. THIS FRUIT IS SAID TO HAVE A TROPICAL FRUIT TASTE WITH A HINT OF LIME. IT IS TARTER THAN MOST SO AN ADDITION TO SALADS IS A GREAT WAY TO ENJOY THIS TOMATO.

THE INDIAN STRIPE IS PROBABLY A STRAIN OF CHEROKEE PURPLE. IT WAS NAMED BY CAROLYN MALE OF NY WHO GOT THE SEEDS FROM SOMEONE IN TEXAS. THE MAJOR DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS AND THE CHEROKEE PURPLE IS THE SOMETIMES STRIPING WHICH IS MORE NOTICEABLE WHEN IT IS GROWING. IN ADDITION, THIS IS A LITTLE LIGHTER AND NOT AS BIG AS THE CHEROKEE PURPLE. ANOTHER THING IS THAT IT IS A GOOD COOL WEATHER TOMATO, WHICH MEANS YOU WILL NOT SEE THIS TOMATO UNTIL LATE AUGUST. LIKE THE CHEROKEE, IT IS SO GOOD FOR SAUCES, SANDWICHES, SALADS, AND SNACKING.

THE ONLY THING THE TITLE MIGHT HAVE IS THAT THE TOMATO IS CLOSE TO WHITE. IT IS A PALE PEACH COLOR WITH PINK BLUSHES. THE YIELD OF THIS PLANT IS SUPPOSED TO BE LOW SO WHEN THEY ARE OUT GET THEM. IT HAS A TROPICAL FLAVOR WITH A HINT OF MELON IN IT. IT IS ONE OF THOSE SWEET THAN TART TOMATOES.