Spiced Summer Squash Bread

The end of summer is upon us. Can you feel the crispness in the morning air? See the leaves starting to change colors? Or maybe noticed Starbucks has pumpkin flavored everything again in season? However you notice it, its happening. And fast! For us gardeners, that means it's time to use up summer fruit and vegetables before the frosts start in a few weeks.

A few weeks ago I noticed a plethora of summer squash in the garden, and hopped to it. Realizing I hadn't made any breakfast breads in a spell, I opted to try my hand with a squash bread (which is fairly similar to a zucchini bread). And what an easy recipe! I think the most tedious part is shredding the squash, although if you have a food processor you can save some time here. But all in all this is an easy recipe, and a hit with the taste testers. Happy fall, y'all!

Spiced Summer Squash Bread

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 eggs, room temp. 
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or replace it with applesauce for a healthier version)
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups yellow summer squash, shredded
• Chopped walnuts, for topping (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees. Butter and flour a loaf pan.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla. Next gently stir in the yellow squash (watch out, it may splash out of your mixer at this point). Then mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and combine until mixed.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, sprinkle with chopped walnuts, and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a test stick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 15 mins, then carefully remove the loaf from the pan and continue to let cool. Slice and serve!

Harvest & Rehoming

This is what a fairly typical daily harvest looks like in our backyard. Not too shabby, right? We usually get between 3 and 6 eggs, up to a pint of strawberries, maybe some green beans or garlic, a few tomatoes, and most recently a few beautiful sunflowers.

Yes, I am still gushing over my sunflowers.

Our tomatoes are a tad green still, but a few of the Ukrainian variety are turning a deep shade of purple. Homemade salsa on the menu soon!

In other news, it was recently decided that Tubbers, the newest edition to our urban farm, wasn't enjoying himself here. The fit wasn't quite comfortable for everyone involved and Tubbers was rehomed this past week, now happily spending his days in Eastern Oregon. He's a well traveled kitty. Viva la Porkchop!

Lazy Garden Days

Finally, we have produce! With the strange Oregon summer this year, it was nearly the end of July before our garden started popping off. Thankfully, the sunshine finally arrived and the rains are staying away (most of the time) which has left the garden with lots of warmth and room to do some growing. Above is a shot of one of the five varieties of tomatoes we have growing this year, a few are Oregon heirloom varieties.

One of my favorite plants this year - my sunflowers! The fastest way to win my favor (besides baked goods) is by gifting me flowers.

I have no idea how I ended up so lucky as my neighbors on both sides of me have had a terrible time with sunflower gardens this year, yet here they are! Gorgeous, soft yellow sunflowers. I swoon every time I walk by them.

As most of you may have guessed, our garden is strictly organic. No pesticides allowed in here, baby. I have a few homemade recipes in my arsenal to keep pests at bay, but for the most part I try to do companion planting. The blue cabbage head above is a good example of my gardening mantra - the pests can have their small share as long as I get the heart of the plant.

While our cucumbers aren't the happiest of the garden lot, the squash and zucchini are doing fabulously. We already have a few sugar pumpkins, black beauty zucchini, acorn squash, and are waiting on a Japanese hard squash to fruit any day now.

And of course, the feathered ladies are enjoying the extra sunshine! Nosy and inquisitive as ever. The pullets are just about to start laying soon...

Finally, for those of you who haven't met him yet...Tubbers the special needs kitty. I say special needs because the cat has a serious issue with abandonment, as well as with overeating. We are still trying hard to integrate him into our little urban farm, however if he keeps up his late night meowing when he is lonely he may soon find himself sleeping with the chickens!

In Chicken News...

The weather here in our corner of Oregon has been less than summer like of late. Rain when there should be sunshine, clouds when we should have blue skies on the horizon. It makes for an unhappy garden and testy chickens. Come back soon, sun!!

The flock integration continues, although not with as much success as I had hoped. The older gals still pick on the pullets, sometimes with a streak of meanness, yet the younger ladies are slowly fighting back. The two flocks still maintain separate space for most of the time, however they have formed this habit of hanging out in each others hen houses (trading spaces chicken style?).

Most mornings involve me rushing outside at the sound of an unhappy feathered lady to play mediator in the chicken hierarchy that is my backyard. After some feather flapping and squawking, things calm down until the next incident (hence why I'm so unproductive...well, there may be other reasons too).

With the garden finally producing some crops, they ladies have been getting their usual summer spoiling with fresh veggie treats. They've also witnessed the slow transformation of the garden, with the addition of a new bark mulch (or is it barkamulch) path. The plus side for the chickens - they get to chow down on all the weeds I yanked out of the garden path. Win win for everyone!

LeLu is still the sweetest of all of the feathered ladies. Both her comb and wattle have come in nicely, turning a beautiful color red. Signs of a good layer-to-be! One of my most favorite things to do is to pick her up, take a lazy stroll with her tucked under my arm, and sing to her in a low, melodic voice. Yep, I'm the crazy chicken lady. No fighting it any longer!

Herb Garden

No home chef setup is complete without some sort of fresh herb garden. Whether it be a kitchen window garden or containers throughout your yard, fresh herbs go a long way for any dish. Plus there is some intrinsic connection between desiring a specific flavor and returning to the earth to collect it to add to your meal.

Therapy through gardening; enough said.

Over the years, I've added and subtracted from my herb garden. Other than the plants that won't make it more than a season, I keep my herb garden in containers as I tend to lead a semi-nomadic lifestyle. Being able to move my hardy herbs, like rosemary and oregano, allows me to maintain the ability to have a micro herb garden on the go.

Not too long ago I gifted a friend a bouquet of herbs as a foodie present. It contained a snip or sprig of everything I had to offer. Starting with the purple sage at noon on the plate above, going clockwise the bouquet had some peppermint, lemon balm, more peppermint, rosemary, two types of oregano, lavender, chives, tarragon, and two types of thyme (center). I also have some chamamile, but didn't add it to the gift as it is making its comeback at the moment. In a few weeks, I hope to make an even bigger herb bouquet with the addition of cilantro and basil, my seasonal herbs.

As I may have told you before, I am super blessed in that a neighbor a few streets over runs a full fledged nursery from her large yard. If you're a Eugenian and are on the hunt for some starts for your garden, stop by her facebook page for info/details and pay her a visit. Trust me, it's worth it! She has some of the best starts and plants in town. Happy gardening!

The New Garden

It's been a bit quiet of late around this blogging corner. There has been a big influx of change here on the  urban homestead, the first and foremost being this year's garden!

If I haven't been as social these past few weeks, it's likely because I have been tilling earth trying to make something of the yard. So far I have in the ground or in pots strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, potatoes, pumpkin, squash, zucchini, peppers, lettuce, chard, garlic, chives, onions, marigolds, peas (above), pole beans, cucumbers, kohlrabi, and cabbage. Not to mention my herb garden, which I added more thyme and lavender to this past weekend.

I'm blessed in that one of my neighbors a few streets over runs a beautiful nursery and garden center of sorts from her home. I picked up quite a few of my new starts from her and can't wait for more. This Anna Russian tomato plant is one...an heirloom variety from a Russian immigrant handed down over generations. How rad is that?!

One of my mantras this year is companion planting. For instance, not planting my tomatoes near my cabbage or using marigolds to deter pests in the garden. Organic gardening is very important on this urban farm, so I try to use alternative methods for keeping pests at bay and encouraging healthy growth of my plants.

My first harvest of the season - radishes! And from two-year old seed. Next up, I'm hoping to harvest a few young potatoes from the potato bins and maybe some garlic. If you live in town, let's be garden trading friends!

Time In The Garden

Well hello there! At four weeks old, we've officially reached the teenage years for these little ladies. Curious, jumpy, and rowdy as ever. From left to right: the edge of Barney, Athena towards the back, and LeLu up front. 

This picture is from today's outdoor play time. Little Barney is in the rear. Oh my, are they growing like weeds!

In between baking and chick rearing, I had a chance to snap off a few shots of the first generation flock. Our sweet layers.

 

I love this shot; all five of them make an appearance! Left to right: Blanca, Chatty Cathy, Inara peeking from behind, Starbuck, and finally the edge of Ramona.

Over spring break we managed to do some yard work, moving the old chicken tractor, and beginning construction on a new one. Am happy to report the shallots and garlic are springing up.

One of my favorite gifts, an adorable little rose bush, is making a wonderful comeback. It's been amazing to watch everything start to return to life after such a cold winter.

It's definitely time to take a few moments out for the simple pleasures. For instance, working in the soil and earth for a few days.

I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden.  ~Ruth Stout