State park trail entry point.

Journey Home

Tales from the pilgrimage.

tomatoes

  • Week 9 — Tomatoes Are In

    Ready or not, a lot is happening in the garden. Garlic scapes were ready to harvest, and I planted 78 cages of tomatoes in a separate plot. In addition to there being delays and seedlings growing too tall, not every plant is taking to the hot dry conditions in the soil. Some tomato cages were… Read more

  • The Moon is Still Out

    Walking on the state park trail before dawn is the latest iteration of my use of the trail. When I go out early I am hoping to catch some glorious photographs of a colorful sky. Recent days have been rather quotidian. At least the moon is still out at that hour. Yesterday I settled for… Read more

  • It’s Tomato Time

    Garden tomatoes are a highlight of the Iowa growing season. Growing them is a skill I learned and modified so there are enough for household needs, plenty to give to friends and family, and a generous donation to local food pantries. There really is nothing like eating a garden fresh tomato a short distance from… Read more

  • Garlic Harvest and Garden Stuff

    I spent part of Monday prepping the garage to receive two racks of freshly picked garlic plants for curing. In 2024, the harvest was July 12, so with spring planting this year, I’m running a month behind. The garlic plants look a bit weird — multiple flowers per head, small scapes — so I don’t… Read more

  • Tomato Grid 2025

    Tomato seedlings were in the ground on Wednesday. Every one of them survived until Thursday. So far I don’t need to use the extras I held in reserve. They need mulching, although I didn’t have the energy for it. Once mulched, I’ll install a tall fence to keep deer from easy access. I harvested a… Read more

  • Prepping for Tomatoes

    On Friday I dug into the garden plot that was fallow last year. Tall weeds took it over and died, leaving a soft place for wildlife and two feral cats to bed down and sleep protected from trouble. As I moved the weeds aside and pulled up the plastic, my feet sank into the soft,… Read more

  • Tomatoes in Big Grove

    On a cool Saturday morning I planted 20 varieties of tomatoes on my bench in the garage. There has been a home-garden tomato crop at almost every place we lived since we married in 1982. I am a couple days late getting seeds into channel trays compared to last year. If all goes well, there… Read more

  • Home Made Tomato Soup

    This tomato soup is much better than what Mother made from condensed soup out of a can. I’m confident if she were here, she would enjoy mine better than hers. This is a simple recipe, worth writing down. Tomato Soup When tomatoes are in from the garden, cut out any bad spots, halve them, and… Read more

  • Diary of Late Summer Kitchen Work

    This is one tart, tasty apple drink. I’m not sure what to call it. When I make applesauce, I steam cored apples in enough water to cover the bottom of a pan. Additional moisture is released from the apples. Everything goes into a cone sieve strainer resting on a large Rubbermaid pitcher. Once the liquid… Read more

  • First Year for San Marzano Tomatoes

    Now that I’ve grown San Marzano tomatoes, the challenge is what to do with them. I peeled and water bath canned the first couple of batches. That’s something: a lot of work for the yield. There have been fresh pasta sauces, salsa, and plain San Marzano tomato sauce. There is a lot to like about… Read more