We spend much more time gardening than we do blogging. Thought it was about time to give everyone a quick update on the garden and where we are at:
1. Jason estimates that we have picked our raspberry bushes every 2-3 days for about a month; and there is still one more good picking left, before the sun finally gets them. We have about 20 pounds in the freezer awaiting transformation into something delicious. We have use some raspberries so far to make raspberry beer (homemade brewed kit), raspberry juice and shakes, and of course it's always a welcome addition to a bowl of cereal and pancakes.
2. We are enjoying blueberries and strawberries. Both require picking every 2-3 days as well. We have mostly been eating them off the plant, straight into our mouths...mmmmm. Last night we pick about a llb of red currants....in addition to a pound I picked last week. The jury is still out on what to do with these berries, so off to the freezer they go!
3. The last two weeks were a 'pea party' paradise (minus all the work). Our garden contained 4 big rows of Knight shelling peas, from which we picked 36 lbs of peas (with shells), making 15 lbs of individual peas to freeze. Time spent picking the peas, 6 hours; shelling, 8 hours; blanching and freezing, 1 hour. The shelling part was the most time-consuming, until a pea sheller was borrowed (it came a little too late though - only about 10 lbs of shelled peas left to shell by the time it came). The difference? The peas sheller (which is more like a pea thrasher) shelled these peas in 7 minutes (compared to the 3 hours it would of taken us two to do by hand). Best way to shell peas? Watching a movie and relaxing after a hard day in the garden.
4. We have been eating potatoes from our garden since June. Jason figures we get about 3-4lbs of potatoes per plant - and we have about 120 plants in our garden (and another 150 plants in my Dad's garden because we ran out of room for them here). Right now we are feasting on Red Poniacs - Jason and I dug up two five gallon buckets full of potatoes yesterday (~50lbs)... We have been enjoying fresh potatoes as hashbrowns with our fresh urban chicken eggs pretty much every second morning, potatoes as french fries, and an item on our 'to do' list today is making shepherds pie and chicken pot pie to freeze (using up the potatoes and other yummy vegetables in our garden).
5. Other veggies that we are busy munching on:
a. Kolhrabi - a purple plant that tastes kinda like a turnip to me, but Jason thinks it tastes more like a diakon. The leaves of this plant are edible as well, and they taste awesome in stirfrys or soups. We eat the Kolhrabi raw in salads, or toss them into a stirfry as well.
b. beets - we have started pulling out the odd beet here and there. They still need a bit more time growing, but there is the odd one that is needed on our plate from time to time.
c. carrots - 'mmmmm, what's up doc?' Pulling the carrots straight from the soil to munch on reminds me of being a kid and doing the same. There is nothing tastier than local-grown carrots - store bought is just NOT the same!
d. beans- I picked my first handful of beans yesterday. I steamed them for lunch and shared the 'first fruits' with my Jason. Looks like I will be missing much of the beans when I am away in the summer - Jason will have to enjoy them for me.
e. onions - We pull the odd one out from time to time, but most of them need more time to develop into a cooking onion.
f. greens (lettuce, spinach, kale, swiss chard, collards, cilantro, dill, basil,) are all ready for the munching (and most have been so for months).
g. squashes - we are starting to see our squashes form. The sunshine that we finally got, has played a big role in their growth. We have starburst 'bursting' forth and zuchinni, spagetti squash and acorn planted this year and a couple types we are not sure of yet (surprise seeds). Somewhere in the garden is pumpkin plants, not sure how they are fairing yet, I think they got in the ground a bit too late. Also, a couple egg plants which haven't seen to grow much either.
h. Tomatoes - Our tomatoes plants are gigantic - and we are waiting for the green fruit to ripen. There is also tomatillos (green tomatoes) sprouting up in the garden - looks like we will have quite the harvest again this year. And of course, Jason will be busy in the fall making his famous green salsa.
There is not enough room to talk about all the goodies in our garden....or is it, enough space in my brain to remember all the items... what have I left out? Jerusalem artichokes, horse radish, raddishes, califlower, broccoli, asparagus, artichokes, grapes, hops, (black and red) currants, gooseberries, gogi berries, logan berries, corn; Trees: pecan, walnut, halzenut, chestnut, cherry, apple, nectarine, plum, asian pear, apricot, pear, peach, fig, olive; herbs gallore, edible flowers and I know I have forgotten a bunch more....
