Yum!

More photos from today, see post below (from earlier today) first.....

I ♥ U

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(Chioggia beet chips, they shrunk down quite a bit in the oven; they disappeared from the plate even faster though.)

We normally don't like beets unless they are in "chip" form, so I sprayed a cookie sheet, sliced the beet thin, then sprayed the beets with oil, salted, and baked until I smelled them and remembered I had done all the above.  Oopsy!  The experiment worked.  Wish I had 10 more out in the garden to 'chip'.  

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Here is what became of my 'buried treasure' (new Red Gold potatoes)...oven roasted in olive oil, sea salt, fresh dill, and fresh chives.   I wish I had more garden space to work with, it would be great to grow potatoes just for harvesting when new.  Ahhh, the dreams of the home gardener!

EDIT:  I can't believe I forgot to put this in again.  We went strawberry picking yesterday and it was a heavenly field of ripe, scented berries.  The birds were singing, and my daughter-the-diva was complaining.  (Usually it is my lovely boy who has nothing nice to say, but in an odd moment of clarity, he was happy!  He picked his little heart out and had nothing but pleasant words to share.)

We picked about 22 pounds in all, and I have been quite busy processing berries ever since.  Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam, Strawberry Ice Cream, and a bounty of quartered frozen berries to keep our smoothie addiction alive and well.  I still have 8 quarts waiting for me in the fridge downstairs, HELP.

Second Sowing

This weekend the peas were ripped out and some root vegetables were sown. The peas were still producing rather well but I have some succession sowings that are ready to be harvested so that made the decision easier. I picked up two new carrot varieties, Burpee's Short n' Sweet and Petite n' Sweet; both are recommended for growing in small spaces and heavy soils. I also sowed some Golden Beets. I went through all of my Chioggia seeds with out getting one beet, hopefully I will have better luck this time around.

I pulled another carrot today out of curiosity and was very happy to see that it was perfectly straight (I thought to take a picture after I had eaten a few bites).

We also built the grape trellis, but more on that later. This gorgeous creature was hanging around while I was ripping out the peas.

Bye-Bye Beets and a Biodynamics Intro

What is Biodynamic Agriculture? Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association
Posted using ShareThis. A very interesting topic for sure. I like the idea of trying to make our food as nourishing as possible. To learn a little about this fascinating form of agriculture click on the title in purple text above.

I treated myself to a couple of new books this weekend:

Farmer John's Cookbook, The Real Dirt On Vegetables- tales and recipes from a CSA
http://www.angelicorganics.com/ao/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=130&Itemid=180 I am IN LOVE with this book though I have only sneaked a peak here and there and am really looking forward to reading it from cover to cover. This book also touches on Biodynamic practices a bit.


Jerry baker's Terrific Tomatoes, Sensational Spuds, and Mouthwatering Melons- this book is full of growing tips written by a man who learned about gardening from his Grandmother during the war, and is full of "Grandma Putt's old-fashioned grow-how".
http://www.amazon.com/Bakers-Terrific-Tomatoes-Sensational-Mouth-Watering/dp/0922433925
I yanked my pathetic chioggia beets this weekend, they are just not growing as they should. I think I need to modify the soil before trying them again for fall. They had lots of organic matter, maybe too much. That darn horse farm compost again, very heavy and we loaded that bed full of it. From Jerry: "Even small beets send their roots a long, long way into the ground. If they have to struggle through heavy soil or bump up against underground obstacles, they won't develop the way you want them to." These suckers were put out in the coldframe way back in March. I have wasted enough time on them and will be devoting their plot to a more successful crop of bush beans.