Early Morning Picking

    I woke up around 3:45am this morning.  My back was aching, R was snoring and I was too hot, so I decided to get up at 4:00am.  Puttered around inside for a while, and then went outside to see Butters, the neighbour’s cat, who was wide awake and poking at the screen on our front door. 

    After giving her her morning pettings, I wandered around the yard.   I thinned the beets.  Actually, there are no beets yet (the tips are still only the size of large marbles), but there are lots of greens, so I washed up a bunch and they are sitting on the stove ready to be steamed.  The beet greens look fantastic this year, as the bugs seem to have left them alone.  Hardly a mark or a chew hole on any of them.

    The Calima and Derby string beans (both green) were ready to be picked, so I grabbed a bucket and, still in my housecoat and flip-flops, hit the garden and started picking.  It was cool out and the sun hadn't yet risen (no glare in my eyes!), so it was the perfect time of day for it.  This is the first time I have grown these varieties and I’m impressed by both.  They are delicious for raw munching in the garden – sweet and crisp - and the plants are producing lots.  The Calimas are especially productive.

 
Later this morning, I spotted R in the pea patch, so went out to help him finish picking.  It was a small pea harvest today.  Before coming inside, we thinned the carrots.  To my surprise, the white carrots were much larger than any of the other varieties!  I scrubbed up the little carrots and boiled them for a snack.  Soooo good.  The white carrots are sweet and very mild.  They looked so much like parsnips that I had been bracing myself for a strong, maybe even bitter, taste.

  

     I harvested the first of our Gelber Englischer Custard squash last night.  The plants are putting out lots of squash, and they are quite compact.  Perfect for growing in large containers.  I sliced the squash and baked the slices on a cookie sheet with salt, pepper, and olive oil.   I am very happy to report that this variety lives up to the hype!  Very tasty, and dryer than zucchini.  With the exception of a small piece R agreed to try (A+ for keeping an open mind and risking his taste buds), I ate the entire thing myself.  

Bea poses with the Gelber Englischer Custard squash.

Bea then attacks the Gelber Englischer Custard squash.

GEC Squash and Calima beans

Three seconds later....PHOTOBOMB!

Just out of the oven.  Yum!

The first dahlia to open this summer:

Whirligig Zinnias

Johnny Jump-Ups

Music Box Sunflower

Dwarf Hollyhock

Orange Begonia

Hungarian Hot Wax Peppers

Gelber Englischer Custard Squash

The Romanesco cauliflower is starting to develop...

Red Onion, gone to seed.

Potato flowers

Borage

Cherry tree

Black Plum tomatoes

Lacinato kale, red Swiss Chard, and nasturtiums