Monday, August 5, 2013

The Veggies of Our Labor


 
Back in late May, we built our garden. We planted green beans, lettuce, radishes, carrots, fennel, and onions seeds along with tomato, cucumber, eggplant and pepper plants. I figured plants might be produce as we've had tomato plants over the last couple of years. The seeds were another story. I was so worried that all of our hard work would be fruitless. Boy was I wrong!!
 
I can't believe how bountiful our garden has been. Has it been on an extremely small scale, yes? But that's what I expected. I knew we wouldn't produce Farmer's Market worthy veggies, but I really wanted something to grow! We've been lucky to see lettuce, onions, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. And, the tiniest carrots I have ever seen. They may have been tiny but they were huge on flavor. If only they had grown to their full size. (My dad is pretty sure we planted them too late in the season and entirely too close together. Here's hoping for next year!)
 
With the first round of veggies, I put together a salad! Enough lettuce for two sizeable salads that included the onion.
 

 
 After we pulled up the lettuce, I immediately re-planted the remaining seeds and we currently have lettuce back in the garden! I also re-planted the onions I've pulled but they didn't make it. Either something ate them, which is what's happening to my tomatoes as soon as they start turning red, or we are out of season!
 
We made another salad recenlty and used our first pepper! It was tiny, but I didn't care. We each had half and it was so good! Good things do come in small packages!
 
 
As of last week, I had my first eggplant! I hadn't a clue what it was, when surveying the garden, and was terrified at what I might find when moving the plant leaves! I need to find a recipe, Giada has a few, for our little eggplant testing!
 


 See how little the carrots are? Still tasty!
 
 
Currently waiting out their fate!

 
Additionally, I have fourteen or more tomatoes on one plant by our fence row. I am keeping my eye on them so that nature doesn't take advantage of my free food! I can't wait to have super fresh tomatoes for salads, burgers and sandwiches!
 
I've been doing some research on what I can plant for the remainder of summer and fall. Turns out, lettuce, radishes, green beans and cucumbers are on the list. With the exception of radishes, everything else is currently in the garden, however my cucumbers haven't produced a single piece! I have blooms galore, but not one cucumber. Same for the beans! They have taken off and are sky high, but not a single bean to date. My moms seems to think the beans and cucumber don't like each other, so just like grade schoolers, I might need to seperate them.
 
I hope to keep the produce planted and growing all fall long. Stay tuned!! 
 


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