One day last fall, my neighbor from across the street stopped me to say how much she liked the Autumn Blaze maple in our front yard. Her son had recently commented that it was the biggest tree on the street, she said, and they really enjoyed watching it turn red in the fall. Her comments were nice to hear, but…
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It was 42 degrees F this morning when I rode my bike into downtown Northfield, so tomato season cannot last long. Late last week, I harvested what will probably be my last pile of tomatoes off of the Beam’s Yellow Pear bush that has been so prolific and delicious this summer. I’ve had problems with my other tomatoes, but the…
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With fall hard upon us, it’s time to make as much pesto as possible. Yesterday while I was waiting for my red pepper relish to marinate, I decided to make a batch of pesto for freezing. Even if you do not have much freezer room, pesto is easy to make and keep for that cold January night when you want…
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When September rolls around and the red peppers start showing up at the Farmers’ Market, I get out my canning equipment and make red pepper relish. I’ve had this recipe more than 25 years, having gotten it from the mother of an old boyfriend. She was an exceptional cook, and in the early 1980s, I had never tasted anything as…
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“Why is it so much easier to weed in June compared to September?” asked my friend Julie, who gardens in St. Paul. I hadn’t thought about it, but I also haven’t weeded that much lately. And, now that you mention it, the raspberries I picked yesterday were going soft because I had not been out there as often as I…
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