The beginning of August marks the midpoint between the summer solstice and fall equinox. Known as Lammas or Lughnasa, this is the time when harvesting begins in earnest. Above: Costata Romanesco zucchini, Zephyr summer squash, National Pickling and Boothby Blonde cucumbers, a mix of favas, and the first Shishito pepper.
After harvesting, the garlic was left to cure in a warm, dry room. Coastal conditions are damp and we’ve had trouble in the past getting the bulbs to dry quickly enough. This year, we cut the tops off midway through curing, leaving about 10 inches attached. This allows excess moisture to escape, especially with the thicker Music stems.
We check the garden most every day to keep such rampant producers as the summer squash and cucumbers on the small size and under control. Still, some get away from us. The Red Cored Chantenay carrots struggled this season, with most of them failing to germinate, and we pulled what remained to make way for fall planting.
While attending to garden chores, we saw that the Egyptian onion had formed bulbs the size of shallots. Though it’s taken us several years to appreciate it, this perennial allium continually proves its worth.
The first of the tomatoes also made their appearance this week, and now is the time to delve deeply into the summer squash dishes we’ve been waiting all year for.
The first flush of cucumbers produced enough to make a small batch of pickles with. We cut the blossom ends off to keep them crisp, and, while we’re at it, trimmed the stem ends to even things up.
Harvesting this week: Kale, chard, salad greens, favas, cucumbers, summer squash, carrots, fennel, radishes, and shishito peppers.
Putting-up: Quick Sour Pickles.
Diary of a Tomato 
Hey, that carrot seedling on the rock looks like one of my harvests! kudos on the nice squash. I am getting NO summer squash again this year. Well, one golden zuke, but that is it.
As much as we joke about having too many summer squash, we miss them when they’re gone or don’t come in.
Nice squash and carrots! I have gotten very little of either so far…well, none for carrots. They are teeny tiny so far! Yours look great and I’m really intrigued by those Egyptian onions.
If only the carrots grew like the tromboncino do! ;) If you’re interested, send me your address via email (leduesorelle @ comcast.net), and I’ll mail you some Egyptian onion bulbils.
I too am intrigued by the Egyptian onions, must learn more. Your squashes are so pretty, I am not having much luck with my late spring carrot planting, trying for a fall planting and hoping to do better.
If you’re interested, Norma, I can mail you some bulbils to grow out — just email me your address!
Your posts are so informative…I love that. I have had my first great year with cucumbers and it is so funny. We try to get them when they are small too, but boy some really do hide and then all of the sudden you are like, “Wow…how did I miss that one?” Ha Ha. I have not had a use for learning to pickle, but I am going to have to check back at your old posts on this :)
The Zephyr squash sure looks nice. You are getting lots of squash and cucumbers, wish I were. Everything is just poking along, and as you point out, it’s Lammas and the sun gets ever lower in the sky.
Such beautiful photos. I want to grow Zephyr squash next year. It is so colorful. The weather this week has reminded me that fall will be here soon.
Looks like a great harvest! The squash are just beautiful with the flowers still attached.
Beautiful harvest and beautiful photos, thanks for sharing.
You have some beautiful cucurbits there. The Egyptian onions look really interesting – I keep meaning to investigate perennial alliums – I don’t grow any but clearly I should be.
Your fresh veggies look great. I got one carrot from my spring planting – one. I planted again and they are doing pretty well. I can’t believe our temps are in the nighttime 40’s this week. That’s not exactly tomato weather. :-)
Great looking squash!
Everything looks gorgeous! The two-color squashes are so cute. I love all your photos.