In My San Diego Garden and Kitchen

Oh, rhubarb is so humble. It grows like a weed. I mean, it's one of those plants that people hardly ever buy, it just sort of lives wherever…You go anywhere and rhubarb is part of the fabric of the world. It's part of the landscape in Estonia. It's part of the landscape in Maine. It's certainly part of the landscape in Iowa. And it's a valuable thing to bring to the table.
—Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl

My humble rhubarb “patch.” Established plant on the left and a young clump on the right.

Rhubarb is a valuable perennial “vegetable” in my garden. I make compote to freeze, use it in desserts and mix with berries as an extender for jam.

The last of the ‘Dorsett Golden’ apple crop harvested recently.

Last week I cooked rhubarb with some of my apples and froze a dozen pints. As the rhubarb-applesauce cools I add a cup or two of my frozen strawberry guava puree.

The compote assumes a lovely pink color and adds bright flavor. It’s also a way to use the numerous pints of guava puree that remain in my freezer from last season.

With some of the best apples I make pureed applesauce to freeze for my grandson, Shiloh who will start solid food in a few months.

I failed to capture the apple-cranberry crisp I made for the July Fourth. Then last night, just a few apples became sautéed apples, a simple fruit dessert.

Thinly sliced apples, dried cranberries, cinnamon, nutmeg and a friend’s family maple syrup from New Hampshire made a sumptuous finish.

With the last of the apricots I made a small batch of apricot preserves from my mother’s recipe which uses no pectin. The flavor in intensely apricot and the color says summer to me.

A surprise artichoke came as the plant had an unexpected resurgence. A few more are on the way.

The ‘Double Click’ cosmos, with their wiry stems sort of arrange themselves in a vintage pottery vase.

See what other garden bloggers harvested from their gardens last week at Harvest Monday hosted by Dave at Our Happy Acres.