Hot Peppers, Fall Peas, Prepping For Garlic, Celery and Spicy Slow Cooker Veggies

A forgotten clove of garlic growing among the carrots, parsnips and strawberry spinach 

Things continue to slow down in the garden while Fall cleaning picks up. Our maple trees have yet to shed their leaves in quantities enough to cover the garden beds, but as they do, each bed will be blanketed with them to sleep over the winter
Here is the garden this week

Multiple varieties of hot peppers are coming out of the garden. These were dried for my salt free seasoning mix and subsequent pickings are destined to go into batches of hot sauce

The peas that I planted in August are flowering and starting to put out lovely green pods. They'll make a nice fresh Fall treat and I'll freeze some to enjoy later

I pulled up the tomato plants in the large bed and hung them up in the greenhouse to ripen the remaining fruit. The bed will get a layer of compost and aged manure in preparation for garlic planting

The Golden Pascal Celery is nearly ready for harvest. I will cut the tops of the plants and dry in my dehydrator, then crush and store in jars. It is an easy way to add flavor to soups and stews over the winter

I made up a small pot of spicy vegetables this week for my vegetarian son. It is an easy and satisfying dish to warm up with on a chilly evening and leftovers freeze and reheat well

Spicy Slow Cooker Veggies 

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 

2 small zucchinis or summer squash, cut into chunks 

2 chayote squash, peeled and cut into chunks 

1 large tomato, cored and chopped 

1 large yellow onion, peeled and sliced 

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks 

1 poblano pepper, seeded and cut into chunks 

1/2 pound tomatillos, husks removed 

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped 

1-2 jalapeños, whole or sliced, depending on how hot you want it 

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed 

1 tablespoon oil 

1/4 cup or 1 packet of favorite taco seasoning 

1 teaspoon cumin 

1 teaspoon salt 

Toss ingredients together in a slow cooker. Do not add water as the tomatillos will release a lot of juice. Cook on low, four-6 hours or until vegetables are tender. Serve over cooked brown rice

Weekly Harvest:

13 ounces tomatillos
2 pounds 1 ounce soup beans
1 pound 1 ounce melon
5 ounces peppers
18 pounds 7 ounces tomatoes
11 ounces zucchini

Yearly Total:

815 pounds 6 ounces