By Merle Lee Ann Pratt – Merle Lee Ann’s Kitchen – Author of “A Baker’s Dozen”

Senior's Scene

The Joy and Abundance of Gardening

Oct 1, 2021 | 8:54 AM

Our first day of autumn has arrived and what a wonderful day and evening it was. About 24 C in the afternoon, not much wind and a pleasant evening to sit outside and watch the sun go down.

Oh, how short our days have become! It’s still dark when I am waking up and definitely dark when I go to bed. Compared to our long days of June – another season is upon us. September has almost passed and here comes October. One of the nicest Septembers that I can remember.

I started gardening a couple of years ago and my garden has been a plentiful source of garden vegetables. I planted about 16 cucumber plants and 20 tomato plants this year as well as the standard potatoes, carrots, onions, varieties of lettuce, etc. The cucumbers are getting close to being done – 430 pounds later. I pick and sell the extra produce from my garden as extra income for myself. Tomatoes are going to be about the same kind of pounds, especially the Roma tomatoes. I have salsa and canned tomato days coming up soon. These will be put away and used later this winter. As well as some tomato sauce for spaghetti and pizza. It is so darn good – just doesn’t compare to store bought.

I also grew pumpkins this year – four plants. These four plants produced about 60 very large pumpkins They are Jack-o-lantern pumpkins that are also good for pie. The average size is about 12-15 pounds. I can’t believe how big they got. These pumpkins were also started from seeds in mid-April and planted about the 3^rd week in May. And the majority have turned orange in the pumpkin patch this year. Some pumpkin carving and pie making is coming up soon.

For those of you who don’t garden, a lot of love and labour goes into a garden. The soil is prepared by roto tilling it. Next, some seeds will go straight into the ground, while others are started in small containers and transplanted later into the ground. If frost decides to show up, we cover these little plants with sheets to protect them so they can continue to grow.

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Then we roto till the dirt around the plants or pick the weeds by hand to make sure the plants get the nutrients and moisture they need vs the weeds. As summer progresses along we watch our seeds grow into plants and patiently wait to start picking the vegetables or fruit. We will pick these vegetables, wash them, dry them, eat them and preserve them. It is a true labour of love. It’s a nice hobby.

For many people they make a living from their gardens. There are several booths at the Farmers Market twice a week in Prince Albert. These are very hard-working people bringing fresh food to your table. And if you think their prices are high think of the labour costs to get it there. And there is no comparison of fresh farm grown produce to the grocery store. And this produce is only available for a short period of time. Take advantage of it when you can.

Next, well we had a very dry period of no rain for quite a few days. Then it decided to rain. Within a couple of weeks, we had several inches fall and the grass and vegetation greened up again. What a relief. I wasn’t around for the dirty 30’s but didn’t want to see the dirty 21’s. I was very grateful for the rain.

Here’s the strange thing. Mushrooms started popping up in our grass…and lots of them, not just a few. We couldn’t identify them for certain; therefore, we didn’t bother trying to eat any of them. Then one day I noticed this rather large sized single mushroom growing in the trees just beside the deck. I couldn’t believe the size of it. At this time, it would have been slightly bigger than a softball. About a week later I look at it and it’s about the size of a kid’s soccer ball. Another week later and it’s like OMG, how huge is this? It is about 10” across the center and larger than a basketball – bigger than a one gallon /4 litre ice cream pail.

Not knowing if it was edible, I posted it to Facebook and found out that if the inside is white, it is totally edible and supposed to be delicious. It is called a giant puffball. So, we picked it. Took a slice off and it was white inside. Now how to cook it? Apparently, the giant white puffball of this size is a rare find. We made a mushroom cream bisque soup, sautéed with onions, and garnished with parsley. We also cut a 1” slice off and sautéed it in butter and onions. It was very tasty. The texture is different from a regular store-bought white mushroom. But, very aromatic and good. Are you a mushroom forager / hunter? You must be incredibly careful when hunting for mushrooms. There are species that are deadly. You must be able to recognize the good ones from the bad ones. We plan to dehydrate some of it, and we have shared it with others. You just never know what you’re going to find in your backyard.

With the times we are in, certain items are hard to find when shopping. A shortage of certain grocery items may be unavailable depending on where you are. Learn to grow a garden. A small area can supply you with a nice variety of herbs and veggies.

Be grateful for what you do have. So many of us are so much better off than others. You don’t have to look very far down the road to see someone who has less than yourself. Share what you can. We have had an exceptional summer of warm weather. Now as we enter into the autumn season what will the weather bring us? I am hoping for a warm autumn and not too much wind. The farmers have taken off over half of their crop in our area and have been pleasantly surprised with the bushels they are getting per acre. And to go along with the yield, prices are higher than they have ever seen, which will help offset the smaller yields with some of the crops.

As we move into autumn take time for a walk or a drive and enjoy the colours of autumn. It is a very pretty time of year. Especially where there are hills or along the riverbanks. Our skies are often magical in the mornings and the evenings. Saskatchewan has some of the best sunrises and sunsets in the world, and they last more than a minute! Not the 30 second sunset you see in Mexico!

I will leave you with a nice autumn song called Harvest Moon by Neil Young. A great song by a great Canadian artist. Mark on your calendar when the next full moon is on its way, make sure you go look at it, as it just might be a great big orange harvest moon!

Merle Lee Ann Pratt – Merleleeannskitchen.com – Email: merleleeann@gmail.com

This column is sponsored by MacKenzie Funeral Chapel and Crematorium – We will be there when you need us – Bev and Brian Stobbs

130 9th St. E, Prince Albert, SK

Phone: (306) 763-8488

https://mackenziechapel.ca/