We're growing Russian Banana Fingerling potatoes in a grow bag and are looking forward to harvesting them later this summer.
Remember a couple of weeks ago when my confidence in my gardening plans was shaken? Well, it was completely renewed this weekend.
Our peas have come in and we’ve been gorging on the tiny green orbs for a couple of weeks. Yesterday I pulled out the vines, as they were starting to die back from the heat. I sat in a chair in the shade and sorted out all the remaining pods, which should be enough for at least two more dinners, although the snacking I did while I worked might have set us back a little.
My family has always liked peas and we tend to eat a lot of frozen peas during the winter, but having them fresh is just so much better. My daughters and I have been eating them raw from the garden, but for dinner I’ve been cooking them for a few minutes, then dressing them with a smidge of butter and salt. Yum.
THIS is why I garden.
So now that we’re finished with the spring veggies, I’m impatiently pacing around, waiting for tomatoes, cucumbers, edamame, beans, potatoes, and more to come in. If I thought it would help, I’d get a cheerleader’s megaphone and shout words of encouragement at my plants.
As for fruit, we still have strawberries, as I planted everbearers this spring and they got biz-ay as soon as they hit the ground. My blueberry bushes are covered in unripe berries, which I expect to start eating in a few weeks. I planted two grape vines this year and they’re both growing well, but I’m not counting on getting anything from them during this first year.
My herb garden is producing too, so I’ve been able to add lots of fresh herbs to our meals. I planted garlic there last fall and expect to harvest that in a few weeks.
There’s also the farmers’ market, which provided us with a wonderful bounty this past weekend. We picked up early zucchini, which I’ve thus far simply roasted with a little olive oil and salt. We got loads of berries, as well as some late carrots and broccoli. Sunday’s dinner was burgers from beef we got from a local farm, as well as lots of veggies, including plenty of peas. Last night’s dinner was local chicken that we barbecued and, of course, more peas and other yummy local veggies. Dessert was homemade French Vanilla ice cream. Delish!
Local foods. Seasonal foods. Homemade foods. Really, do meals get any better than this?
