The new bounty season has deffinetly started. I am finding deals on food to put back for winter all over the place. I have baskets and baskets of berries, fruit is on sale and the winter produce is starting to be ready for harvest. The squash, beets, chard, carrots, corn etc are starting, and lettuce is in full swing... and I am in heaven!

Today I got a CASE of organic white beets for $5. Yep... $5!!! I spent the better part of the afternoon topping, stemming, blanching, and freezing... only taking a break to take a walk with Cyan where we picked 3 pints of free blackberries fit to BURST with flavor and nearly falling off the vine. The other day we harvested some cloud berries which we are turning into berry bars tomorrow morning for an organic blueberry picking adventure with my dad, his girlfriend, Sarah and her kiddos.

I LOVE THIS SEASON! My freezer is slowly but surely filling... canning will soon start. Tomatoes are starting to turn, very slowly, from green to striped yellow. Soon I will have my first red. It is suposed to be between 77 and 85* for the best part of two weeks and it is just heavenly here right now. The bounty is everywhere... no need to spend money when you can open your eyes and see it on the side of the road.

The season is full and I feel so blessed. I just love this season. :)

Now to pictures:
http://lh5.google.com/bluerosemama/RragU9G_L6I/AAAAAAAAA7Q/ufam9PMcj94/IMG_7727.jpg?imgmax=640
Me topping an entire case of white beets... YUM!

http://lh5.google.com/bluerosemama/RrN-ytG_LlI/AAAAAAAAA4U/iSyhUdnHY_E/IMG_7628.jpg?imgmax=640
A basket of ripe cloud berries. (which are a ground creeping salmonberry)

http://lh3.google.com/bluerosemama/Rran-dG_L8I/AAAAAAAAA7k/_Iu0BIVCq10/IMG_7732.jpg?imgmax=640
The blackberries we picked today. :)

Val

I'm sitting here eating a bowl of wild blackberries we picked today too! And we're going to have greenbeans and zucchini this week I think out of our own garden. My tomatoes are still green, green, green, but it's so much easier to eat healthy fresh local stuff. We're just loving it! I even froze zucchini, because even though it's plentiful now, in the winter we still like it in curries, etc. and it will be nice to have it on hand.

Yummy!!!! Love the pics...the cloud berries look incredible!

It's starting here too...we have been feasting on wild raspberries that grow on our land...the CSA box is full to bursting...this week we will call and see if the blueberries are in yet, up on the hill nearby where we love to pick.

I love August!

omg-i love blackberries!!!!! Im envious Val.....

Mmmmm. I hope you saved those beet greens to cook up. Yum. I like them better than the roots!

What are cloudberries? They look like yellow raspberries. I pretty much like all berries, so I'm drooling here.

I have a counter FULL of tomatoes, squash, and various hot peppers. And I have 10 pounds or so of blueberries that we're eating and freezing. We've already eaten 5+ pounds. And my neighbor has offered to pick more for us when she goes back to FL this week.

This truly is a delicious, beautiful season.

I don't eat white beet greens. They are sour and not at all like the salad greens from the red beets. I thought about it... and then tasted one... and fed them to my chickens. LOL!

It is such a wonderful abundant season.

Here is the link to the cloudberries:
http://www.amitymama.com/vb/amity-mama-market/348566-can-someone-help-me-identify-plant.html

I didn't know what they were either... but finding out that there are NO varieties of this type of berry that will make you sick was neat. I will never hesitate to pick some now. :)

Val

I want berries! where do I need to go look? Federal Way farmers market pretty much just had peppers (which we don't eat), greens (which we don't eat), nectarines, peaches, little potatoes and corn.

I spent $2 to get a bag of rainer and red cherries yesterday while driving around looking at houses.. we ate the whole bag while driving :)

Come down here. :) Our farmers market is on from Thursday through Sunday 10am to 3pm every week. There are TONS of things... berries included. I also just got 27 lbs of organic blueberries this morning for $46.25 that I am getting ready to wash and put in bags for him. This is the perfect week for picking... isn't supposed to get over 80* all week long. I can give you directions where to go if you want. :D

Val

Thursday, I'm coming down then, right? you'll have to give me directions :) I can't wait until I have a house and can get a freezer. *sigh* watch, I'll miss all the good stuff by a couple weeks.

Only if you want to. The good stuff is right this second. ;)

Val

you are so purdy!

I am jealous!!!!!!!!
Our farmers market has not been great.I got fresh corn a couple weeks ago and got home and the kids and I were cleaning it to eat and it had worms in some and others were rotten!
We had a late freeze which ruined lots of stuff and now it has been so darn hot with not enough rain.
I wish I had a garden to harvest.
I would love to find some greenbeans to can but everytime I go the farmers market they have no beans.
Enjoy your bounty!!!!

Val's market is wonderful. :)

Yes... Jody and I had a great time at market... but Jody, your gonna kill me. I found a organic u pick strawberry farm for $20 a flat... remember that the non-organic at the market are $15 for a half flat... yeah. I am going this week. I will give you directions if you want to go too. :)

Val

hehehe, found a raspberry place? I've got two that will eat strawberries, then one (Lindsey) that's allergic to them, as am I.. so we'll avoid the strawberry farm unless they've gotten some prepicked I can just buy :) Raspberries I want though..

and cloudberries.. I'm wondering if there's a way to get some for replanting in my yard once fall hits... think they'd grow off a cutting? :lol: The kids decided they don't like them after all, but I'm inhaling them :)

nak

oh... try them again on monday when you come down... i am honestly taking a tiny rooted bit right out of the ground. :blush: I want to try to grow them. If they do take off, I will give you one. :)

Val

ps fall rasp aren't until lkate aug early sept... so i will be going back... i will let you know what i find.

I can't believe how my raspberries have taken off! These are wild...last year there were a few, this year there are tons. They've spread, grown, and are producing beautifully!

Still have to plan blueberry picking...I am not sure if they are ready yet, but going to call the U pick place on Monday to see.