Volunteer Potatoes

I guess I left some all blues in the garden last year during the harvest. It appears that I got some volunteer potatoes growing earlier in the Spring. I didn't do much for them. (I didn't hill them.) And one plant graced me with over a dozen tubers. Half of which were at least the size of a duck's egg.

Blackberries

It is that time of year again when you see Seattleites lingering along the Burke Gilman, or in Disco Park picking blackberries. (Don't worry I haven't given away your secret spot.) Jennifer and I started picking berries about three weeks ago and had enough for a crumble and breakfast for a week.

We went back about 10 days ago and got nearly five pounds of berries. I made yet another crumble, and then made preserves. It was my first attempt at making preserves, and I found most recipes to appear to have a high sugar content. (Most on the Internet call for equal weight of blackberries and sugar.) I opted for three pounds of berries to two pounds of sugar. The result was still quite sugary, so I'll adjust for the next batch.

While I can smell the fermenting/rotting blackberries while riding my bike, I doubt the season is over yet. Hopefully I'll be able to pick some more for at least breakfast use before they all run out. My height gives me the added advantage of not getting too deep into the brier while still being able to pick choice berries.