Monday, March 8, 2010

March Monday Harvest


Despite my whining, the garden is actually fine. I discovered that if I can't keep up with the produce, giving some away is a nice way to prevent plants from bolting AND spread some joy. Boxes of lettuce and spinach, bouquets of kale, all went visiting other people this week. If all goes well, I'll get some spinach and beets in to the food pantry tomorrow morning also.

The picture above is the result of my meandering out into the garden one afternoon this past weekend. Peas, eggs, carrots, kale, broccoli, all good and all wanting to be picked. Having the telephone outside with me means no running up the stairs when a child says, "Mama, it's for you." Sometimes I forget to bring it in, though! I flash-froze some steamed broccoli and peas for the oldest kid to put onto her pasta meals when she wants something near-instant. The kale is waiting in the fridge, wrapped in damp paper towels (can't find those cloth bags I have somewhere.

And the baby lettuces were transplanted, so that's a pressing chore out of the way. And I take my hat off to those of you who can eliminate the spare plants that come up in your planting cells. I ended up transplanting the second Cherokee Purple tomatoes into their own little cells, so now Denise doesn't have to grow her own.

Still need to get the potatoes out, and the beehives didn't get worked even though it was sunny. Instead, there was frisbee to watch, and grandparents to play with, so lots of growth and harvest; just not all in the garden.

14 comments:

Heiko said...

Well done for all that multi-tasking and spreading some cheer to others. I can't just thin out seedling just like that, I'll make space for it somewhere...

Jeff Vandiver said...

I think it's great of you to share your bounty of vegetables with others. I hope to do that this year, as well.

Ribbit said...

Sharing is wonderful. I remember leaving cucumber grams on doorsteps. I bet you'll inspire more people to grow their own!

Jan said...

It's great to share! Love the way you're completely loaded up in the photo. When I go down to the veg plot, usually I forget to take some bags with me... which is fatal as it's a bit of a trek back up the terraces!

chaiselongue said...

And I thought March was supposed to be the hungry gap in the garden! It all sounds wonderful! We had snow today - first time in the village for 30 years - so we're wondering where spring has gone!

Unknown said...

Great! Love the arm loads of fresh food.

Stefaneener said...

Heiko, thanks. It's the nature of the beast, I'm afraid. I only have so much room, although it's only by force of will I'm not planting 72 paste tomatoes.

EG, you'll no doubt have lots to share.

Ribbit, you know how much more welcome those have to be than zucchinigrams!

Jan, you need to tie some bags to your waist so you can't forget! I do tend to over-carry.

chaiselongue, not here. March is the beginning of full-on eating, and if you time everything right, summer produce starts coming in as spring is fading. I'll have a gap in there somewhere. It's cold and rainy today, so it's always changing. No snow here, though.

Michelle, I wish I could eat it all.

kitsapFG said...

What a productive day! Good harvests, sharing abundance, frisbee watching... it all sounds ideal. :D

Well done!

Daphne Gould said...

That is a really nice harvest. You look like me when I'm bringing things in from the garden too. I'm always trying to carry too much.

Dave @ HappyAcres said...

What a great haul from the garden! It sounds like you got a lot accomplished.

And it's nice to share with others. We take some of ours to the food pantry and to the soup kitchen I volunteer at.

Kristin said...

Doesn't it make you feel so proud to grow all that and have enough to share? Kudos!

Stefaneener said...

kitsapFG, my life is all abundance. Sometimes it's an abundance of mess, but mostly just good things.

Daphne, I call myself "sherpamom" sometimes, but this I'm doing to myself.

Villager, welcome. And yes, having enough to share is true wealth.

Kristin, enough to eat, keep, and share. That's real magic.

chris in tandem said...

How about a trade: I have bolivian sunroot tubers that produce about 10 pounds of sweet crunchy goodness each in the late fall/winter, for some eggs?

Susan said...

Nice haul! I really want carrots. Our seeds did not grow. Will you come to my house and leave flash frozen veggies for when I want something near-instant?