Last of the Garden

I had a few random bits left over from my Fall garden harvest. A couple tomatoes that I had harvested green and left to ripen in a paper bag, the last Violetta de Gama onion, garlic, parsley, dill, mint, a lone red pepper that I think was a pasilla, Meyer lemon, and pomegranate avrils. To this is added some farro, chick peas, dried cranberries, a little sumac, white vinegar, lemon olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. It is so fresh and makes me think of warm days. 

Late Spring Garden

Today was a huge harvest from my garden. I started a garden subscription box to maybe add a little variety to what I grow. I saw leaf’d box  on Facebook and decided what the heck, it could be cool. had never grown endive or radicchio and was excited at how beautiful they grew

Radicchio 

Endive


I have so much of these so I searched for recipes. Here are two I plan on trying.

 

Quick Sauté with Chicken and Endive

Roasted Radicchio

I also harvested bunching onions, lettuce, fennel, cabbage, beets, bok choy, and kale. So. Much. Kale. Thank goodness I love it!

Almost forgot the beans and peas! I am making pickled beets and can’t wait to eat them.

Soon I will have tons of squash as the blossoms have started forming. Yum! The broccoli has also started making tiny florets. 

Happiness achieved.

Peldyn

Seasons Change

Eating seasonally. Many of us have forgotten this due to having an abundance of veggies available all year round. Once you start to try and grow your own, be it in pots on a sunny window sill or a multi acre farm you learn this lesson. Growing things have a season. With the food shortages we have experienced I expanded my garden. While this has helped , it also really struck home how I need to adjust my eating habits. No wonder winter is the month of soups and stews. Not only are they hearty, but make good use of root vegetables and crops that are winter hardy. I will miss the ripe tomatoes of summer, but look forward to the cabbage, peas and turnips. 

So tonight’s dinner is going to be Tatie and Neeps and old Celtic recipe.

May the goddess bless you all with abundance

Tattie and Neeps Recipe

4 cups  diced potato

1 or 2 cups diced turnip

1/2 cup cream

4 tablespoons butter

2 cups sliced cabbage

1 small onion chopped 

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional 4 slices bacon crisply cooked and crumbled

Cook potato and turnip in boiling water until tender.

Drain and reserve.

If using bacon cook the cabbage and onion in the drippings until tender. Use olive oil if not using bacon.

Add potatoes and turnips to the pan with the cabbage and onion. Mash. Add cream, butter, salt and pepper, mixing well. If you like, you can let the bottom get slightly browned. Top with crumbled bacon.

Serves 6 as a side dish or 4 as a main course.

The Flowers In My Garden

I have been TRYING to have a garden for years. Notice the emphasis on trying. I have been thwarted at every attempt by nature, children and beasts. One year I had such beautiful flowers and had them well established. I thought, "This is it, finally I have the garden I want." But no, it was not to be. That year we had a freak cold snap with temperatures to 0 degrees and it killed off everything. EVERYTHING! Even though I had mulched all the plants and covered them well. I gave up last year and didn't plant since I was so ill, but this year I gave in and bought some plants and seeds. I have hope you see. I have hope that someday the cats will stop pooping in the flowerbeds and chewing everything in sight. The dogs will stop digging. The kids will stop using it as their personal Flower shop and Mother Nature will have pity on me. Gawk, who am I kidding? I am just spitting in the wind.

My Garden

The roses in my garden,
don't look so pretty and gay.
The kitties have chewed their petals,
and chased the ladybugs away.

The holes that are in the lawn,
could turn an ankle or two.
It's amazing how much damage,
a baby with a spoon can do!

My pansies' upturned faces,
are spattered with mud and creased.
From all the digging the dog did,
when he escaped his leash.

The marigolds have been trampled,
I believe that they are dead.
From the raucous game of tag,
the kids played on their heads.

So my garden is not the best,
in fact it's rather sad.
But look at all the fun,
my kids and animals had!
© April 17, 2003

I wrote this poem and I think it explains it all. One last look here at a pitiful little bloom in my garden.