We have been so fortunate this year! My table has been over-laden with vegetables for about a month now. We have been rotating crops on our table (oldest to newest)! We have been able to give a bunch away too.
I am, by no means, complaining! But…because of the mountainous supply of veggies, I have spent approximately 2 to 3 days each week putting them to good use, so that they don’t go to waste.
Today…I am cooking yellow squash to freeze for later meals, grating zucchini o use in numerous dishes (you would not believe how multi-purpose this veggie is!), making picante sauce with our ripened tomatoes and jalapenos, and roasting our pumpkins to make canned pumpkins for future recipes!
We always get lots of goodies, but never have we gotten this much…with a drought no less!
I am so thankful for our bountiful harvest!
Now you know what my day is consisting of. Tell me about yours!
We have been extremely fortunate in our garden endeavors this year. Because of our good fortune, we amassed quite an over-abundance of some of our vegetables. One that we have lots and lots and lots of, is cucumbers. Did I say lots? If not, LOTS!
I pickled them…we will have pickles for the next five years!
I sliced them and we have eaten them al fresco…we’re gonna turn into cucumbers.
I made dainty little cucumber sandwiches…my rough-around-the-edges husband was NOT game!
I gave some away…
I now am making salads with them…and here is one that is good for the burly men…and the dainty women, too!
(This recipe is for one of my sisters…she LOVES olives)
Ritzy Cukes
salt
1/2 lb. fresh green beans (cleaned and snapped)
2 cucumbers (peeled, split lengthwise, and seeded)
1/4 lb. black olives (pitted)
1/4 c. fresh parsley
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. minced garlic
1/8 c. shredded (fresh) parmesan cheese
Fill a large bowl with ice and water; set aside.
Cook green beans in salt water just until bright green and tender (about 3-4 minutes). Drain, and immediately submerge in ice water to cool. Drain again, and put in medium serving bowl.
Cut cucumbers 1/2 inch thick,and combine with green beans, olives, and parsley leaves. Put mustard, red wine vinegar, garlic, and salt & pepper (to taste) in a small bowl. Slowly add oil, whisking constantly until well combined. Sprinkle parmesan in and stir until mixed. Toss with salad, or serve on crackers, or eat it alone.
Enjoy!
I never knew that there would come a day when I would enjoy playing in the dirt. That one, I never saw coming. I have always been an inside girl, my nose in a book and my fingernails (and every other part of my body) clean. So, a few years ago when my husband and I decided to plant a garden, it was clearly all about the idea of it; the idea of fresh fruits and veggies right in our backyard, the idea of nutrition for our children, and it was about the idea of a cute little country garden.
It didn’t take me long to learn that there is a LOT more to my romantic ideas than I first thought! First of all, I had to get dirty! And, do you know what I found out? I like it! I like digging in the dirt…without cares, knowing that I am part of what will be coming out of it. Then, I realized that my idea of fresh veggies right in my back yard was a little skewed. Yes, there are fresh veggies in my backyard, but I had to wait to get them. But once again, I discovered that waiting and watching for my vegetables to grow was just as much a part of the fun! It is amazing to watch a plant grow from a seed…and believe it or not, it happens rather quickly. Some of the most fun I have is going out in the morning really early and noticing that the flowers are in full bloom and the bees are pollenating them. Another bright idea, was the thought that my kids are going to be nutrition powerhouses because of all the great nutrient dense foods they would be eating. Well, this IS true. Our garden provides some of the best nutrition for our children. The vegetables and fruits are packed with nutrients and there is really no loss because they go straight from the garden to the table. The last idea is the ideal country garden with the little fence and gate and romantic props, such as a cottage-y greenhouse. I don’t have a greenhouse (though I would like to have one) and my garden grows the way it wants to…haphazardly; but it is my sanctuary. It is a peaceful place that benefits us in so many ways…aesthetically, nutritionally, physically, and spiritually. I am so glad that I was wrong about my garden. It isn’t most of the ideas that I had, but it is ideal.
Had I known years ago how easy it would be to have and maintain a garden, I would have done it then. My only regret is that I didn’t.
If you are thinking that you would like a garden, some of my future blogs will be about gardening in the ground, and raised bed gardening.
For now, here are some pictures of the beauty I see every day:
