Harvest Time: The Work Begins

When I plant seeds in the spring and see all the neat rows, I forget that I have to harvest it later!  So, here we go...the work has begun! 

Red beet day

 Cabbage Day

 Making sauerkraut in a crock

 Cabbage ready to set for 10-12 days

 Weed wacking break

 

Country fun

Strawberries, Chicks, and Kid's Gardens

We picked these strawberries at Swamp Fox Farms because mine are in the shade and did not produce well.

$10 worth made 5 jars of jam, 3 quart bags frozen, and enough strawberries to put on top of shortcake.  Delicious!

We have 23 new chicks!  So so cute.  They sure grow fast!  Hopefully, some will be good layers in about 17 weeks.

 This is Jedrek's garden.  They measured, found the perimeter and area, and planned their gardens in April.  Now they are getting produce from them. 

 This is Slade's garden.  The boys made Kale chips and salads from their gardens, so far.

This is Elena's garden.  She wanted mostly flowers.  She has a path with zinnias on both sides, and sunflowers on the outside.  She harvested the radishes for salads.

 

 

Kale chips are surprisingly crisp and delicious.  I can give you the recipe.  If you want it, just let me know.

Have a great day!

Brocolli Stir-fry: Fresh from the Garden

It is a new year in the garden! I couldn't believe it when I saw some of the brocolli ready to pick.  The first year I planted brocolli, I missed the harvest because I thought it would get bigger, and then it flowered.  So now, I keep a close eye on it. 

This past weekend, I made brocolli stir-fry with tofu and rice noodles.  It was my first time making tofu.  Michael Pollan, who wrote In Defense of Food, talks about tofu being one soy product that is not bad to eat because of the way it is made.  This meal was a big hit, except for some of the kids who were not too sure of the tofu.  I think the more we have it, the more they will get used to it.  Here is my recipe:

Broccoli Stir-fry with Tofu and Rice Noodles

2-3 heads of brccoli

1-2 Tbsp. olive or coconut oil

onion

garlic (optional)

4 Tbsp. soy sauce or tamari

2-3 Tbsp. honey

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)

block of tofu

1-2 packages of thin rice noodles

Put rice noodles in a pot of cold water to soak for 15 min. while you make the stir-fry.  Stir-fry onion and garlic in alittle coconut oil or olive oil, just for a few minutes.  Add broccoli and cook until they are cooked the way you like them.  Boil the rice noodles for 5 min.  Add soy sauce, honey, red pepper flakes, and tofu to the stir-fry.  Drain and add the rice noodles.  Mix together and serve.

 Here are some more pictures of the garden, June 2013.

 Watermelon plants

 Buttercrunch lettuce

 New Zealand Spinach that came up from last year.

Purple potato blooms