This morning, I harvested my garlic. The total haul: 18 Russian Red hardnecks and 17 Transylvanian softnecks. On November 8, I had planted 16 hardnecks (some of them split resulting in 18 bulbs) and 18 softnecks (meaning I only lost one over the winter). They will now spend a day or two on the porch airing out before I brush off the dirt and hang them to dry and cure in my hallway for about three weeks.
Hardnecks on the top, smaller softnecks on the bottom
I also harvested my first Cocozelle zucchini (zucchino?). Looking forward to grilling it and the two eggplants I harvested yesterday. After grilling, I will add a tiny bit more olive oil and sprinkle a little chopped mint on the zucchini and chopped basil on the eggplant. Served with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, olives, prosciutto, crusty bread – perfect summer antipasti!
Today, I also harvested two Asian eggplants. This deserves a separate post and needs to be celebrated, as I have not had much luck with eggplants in my plot in the past. I did not grow this particular plant from seed but rather purchased it from Neighborhood Farms back in May. It did exceptionally well in my plot, and today, I harvested the first two eggplants.
Today, I harvested my Roderique shallots, a French banana-shaped type. It is the first time I have a real crop, yay! I am so excited as I absolutely love shallots, and they supposedly store very well. Last year, I only harvested three bulbs total (the rabbits got the rest), but this time around it is 34. I had planted them on April 26, and they were ready for harvest as they had started to lean with the bulbs pushing out of the ground, and the foliage was starting to yellow.
Shallots pushing out of the ground and leaning, ready for harvest
I will now let them cure in the shade on my porch for the next two weeks before I prepare them for long time storage, either by braiding them or just cutting off the stems and storing the bulbs in the pantry.
34 shallots in total, ready to be cured
I found three seed shallots from back in April. The have come a long way since 🙂
Size comparison: What I had planted vs. what I harvested
I cure my shallots on my south-facing back porch. It is shaded for part of the day by large trees, but there are a few hours of full sun in the afternoon. Last year, I devised a method to shade my garlic while curing – weighted-down umbrellas. It worked great, so here we go again.
Tried-and-true method of providing shade on my porch
UPDATE (July 12, 2026): I had to move the shallots inside a little earlier than planned. Ideally, I had wanted them to air out on the porch for another day, but the garlic was ready to be harvested, and I needed the space. So, I carefully brushed off much of the dirt this morning and hung them in 4 bundles of about eight each in my back hallway to cure. They will stay there for two weeks, and I will check on them regularly and move them around to ensure they dry out and cure evenly.
I love late June in the garden. Everything is starting to take off, and typically, there are no major pest issues yet. Apart from the rabbits, rats and birds perhaps, but no mildew, blight or aphids etc.
I harvested the garlic scapes and lettuces. The rhubarb is still producing. I also harvested mint, which I hung to dry in my pantry, and I picked some flowers, herbs and seed heads to make small bouquets. The tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, cucumbers and squash are starting to flower. Everything looks fresh and green and full of promise 🙂
Last night, I harvested the remaining lettuce from the garden plot. About five heads total. I cleaned them all and stored them in the fridge. Just in time for the big heat wave that is supposed to start the day after tomorrow, Wednesday. We are expecting temperatures of 100F (feeling like 113F), so I will not be turning on the stove. Salad it will be for dinner.
This morning, I harvested two heads of lettuce form the garden plot. The garlic scapes are coming in, and with the recent heat, things are growing nicely. I also finished weeding the communal bed, planted the last Zinnias there and mulched the entire bed with straw.
My disorderly lettuce, kale and Swiss chard patch, with shallots to the leftCalendula, lavender and sage border (with now spent grape hyacinths towards the corner) at the front of the plot
Over the last two days, I completed almost all the planting for my plot. I transplanted my tomatoes, basil, cucumbers, squash, hot peppers, marigolds, strawflowers and dahlias, and also added an Asian eggplant seedling I had purchased from The Neighborhood Farm. My lone surviving Delicata squash was leggy and did not survive transplanting, so I will pick up two more Delicata seedlings from The Neighborhood Farm this weekend. All that’s left for now is to inter-plant everything with more marigolds, and sow nasturtium and beets. I may move the dill I had planted last week closer to the cucumbers. I also need to stake the tomatoes and refine my cucumber teepee.
It feels good to finally start incorporating home-grown vegetables and fruit into our meals again. Tonight we had a caramelized leek tart with a simple side salad. I tweaked this recipe, using Gruyere instead of Blue cheese. First time I made this. So good!
For dessert, it was a simple strawberry-rhubarb compote over vanilla ice cream.
