Monday, January 11, 2010

Harvest Monday and it is 42.3 degrees outside!

It is hot, hot, hot, hot out there and yours truly was a little slow off the mark in moving the pots inside and into the shade covered section today. I waited until it was 43 degrees outside before performing this duty to protect all and sundry from the ridiculously hot Australian sun. Some pots, like the cucmber pot are too big to be moved, ever, not even if we get another 46.6 degree day. I did discover that an old sarong makes a great makeshift shade cloth when draped and tied between two tomato stakes. Here is a picture of my handy work. The ties used??? Old stockings cut up into useful sizes!



and here is a picture of the now barren part of the balcony, sweltering in the heat! At least it gives me a good excuse to sweep and mop it later this evening when it cools down.



Oh and note to self, next time you decide to run out onto the white-tiled balcony in this weather remember to put your shoes on!!! I don't think the soles of my feet could have burned any more if I was walking on hot coals (or in any event I don't think I'd made a very good firewalker)

Anyway enough about hot Melbourne days and onto much more sunnier (pun not really intended) horizons - harvests. Would anyone care for a martini? A martini of ripe tomatoes that is! My favourite flashing light martini glass that usually comes with me on picnics to swill champagne from was lying around the kitchen and I thought it would make the perfect vessel to contain a few of the ripened tomatoes. Apparently I even took it outside for a spin according to this photography!



Green Zebras, Black Russians and cherry tomatoes have been ripening indoors instead of on the vines due to the wilt. Here is the master collection of ripening tomatoes!



I also ate the L shaped cucumber! It was still pretty tiny but oh so very tasty.



I have had lettuce most nights, but this hot spell has killed off any chance of more. I will plant some once the weather cools slightly.

And now for the star of the show - the first ever balcony garden eggplant! I did pick him this week and he was just little bigger than my fist. I know that is small and he probably had a lot of growth left in him but with today's very very very hot and sunny weather I thought better to eat him now than when he is bigger but fried to a crisp.



I diced up the eggplant, along with a few baby zucchinis that never pollinated, and put them in a tuna pasta bake! Soooooooooooooo tasty.


If you want to see other harvests pop on over to Daphne's Dandelions! I am going to put my feet in an ice bucket and sit in front of the air conditioner thinking about snow.

16 comments:

Bangchik and Kakdah said...

That definitely is hot.... hotter than what I am used to. ~bangchik

Daphne Gould said...

Congrats on the first eggplant. It must have been just wonderful to eat. I hope your weather cools down a bit. I don't ever remember it getting over 38 here where I live. I just couldn't imagine it in the mid 40s.

Michelle said...

Your poor garden, I hope it comes through the heat ok. The eggplant is probably loving it, lack of heat is the biggest problem I have when it comes to growing that vegetable. I think it is tastiest when harvest young, before the seeds develop.

Jamie said...

Well done with the eggplant, Prue. It's actually one of my favourite vegies. At our local Yum Cha Chinese restaurant they make deep-fried egg plant 'chips', which are extremely delish. And good luck with the hot weather. It sounds yucky.

Kirstie Close said...

So impressed with your eggplant! Sorry to hear about your feet- OW!!!! Hope everything survives the Summer...

Emily said...

I get a vicarious thrill from your hot weather as I sit and type with frozen hands. Congrats on the eggplant!

Lynne said...

Good grief. Here in Napier, New Zealand, we whine if the temperature goes above 30. I can't even imagine what 42.3 feels like, other than a mental picture of myself horizontal and possibly unconscious!!

PJ said...

Bangchik - hot and it stayed hot all night, but I think it is a drier heat than what you would get (I have trouble with humidity)

Daphne - thanks! It was a bit exciting and I flet guilty that I ate it all myself, hehe. Maybe I'll share the next one. As for the weather, 40s are not fun, but it is a part of life here, I'd struggle in cold weather, I complain where it gets under 10 here!

Michelle - It does get a bit battered. Good to know eggplant loves the heat, I was beginning to wonder how it survived so well next to the heater which jets out some very hot air, now i know! Will heed the advice about eating it young. :)

Jamie - thanks I love it too. So versatile and tasty. Might have a go at making eggplant chips, that sounds fun! Hope you folks aren't too hot up there, cool change is on its way here.

Kirstie - you will have to come over and share the next one! Did you survive the heat last night? Do you even have air con or did you have to join hamish in the kiddie pool?

Emily - and I do the opposite, I use the Northern Hemisphere blogs to cool down! :) I love all the pictures of snow, and can only imagine what it is like.

Lynne - temps in the 40s are pretty nasty but ok if you have airconditioning and lots of iced tea. I think I like the sounds of the cooler temperatures in Napier! Might have to cross the Tasman to escape the summer heat!

Kalena Michele said...

Girl, please stay cool!! Your tomato harvest is AMAZING :) Cucumbers are my fave veggie though, so I hope that it tasted amazing.

Anonymous said...
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Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Wow, your harvest looks scrumptious in spite of the tortuous heat. I've had great luck ripening Black Russians on the windowsill. I hope you do, too, as they are one of the tastiest tomatoes I have ever found.

Lisa said...

Hahahaha - you need one of these for those cucumbers!!!

http://www.japantrendshop.com/heart-star-shaped-cucumber-mold-set-p-242.html

Lisa said...

And one of these just for fun

http://www.japantrendshop.com/green-capsule-mini-mobile-garden-p-443.html

ljd said...

I'm a brand-new follower, plus an almost new blogger. You have a great blog - I'm planning a spring "pot garden" (no balcony!). Thanks for an always good read.

ljd said...

I just did leave a comment, but I don't think it came thru - so, again, I love yr blog, it's always a good read - I'm new at this (blogging), but not so new at gardening. I'm planning a container garden (no balcony!). Wish me luck -I'll be back for 'advice'...

PJ said...

Kalena Michele - they tasted great!!!

Kate - the black russians seem to be the easiest of them all to ripen off the vine, and you are right they taste amazing!

Lisa - hehehe fun, fun, fun. I think I just need to master a few normal ones first!

The Eighty Lady - Welcone on board, and so glad you love reading the blog. I love writing it, and getting all the feedback from everyone about the good, bad and scary bits of the balcony garden! :)