Harvest Monday

Well, really it was Saturday. I have discovered the very tasty, green, tender  pea shoots. It was time to pull up the peas and I had seen pea shoots at farmers markets but never tried them. So, I plucked all the tender bits. Oh so delicious.

Saturday I sauteed with a small bit of ginger and garlic and finished off with a bit of soy and toasted sesame oil, just wee bit of the seasonings so the most of the pea shoot flavor would be enhanced, not masked. Wonderful!

Last night I sauteed garlic slices in olive oil, took the garlic out and sauteed the shoots. Again, wonderful!
It was sad to see the peas go but I need to prepare the bed for zucchini and winter squash. 

Sunny Saturday

Take a look at the potatoes growth in just one week!

I went to the feed store today and bought a straw bale.  I will be spreading some around these lovely plants.

The orange and lemon have been in 3 years.  These are the first few flower buds on the Eureka lemon and the first heavy bloom on the Satsuma mandarin.

Wordless Wednesday

Potatoes!

Potatoes!

When I was a little girl my Mom carved out a bit of our garden for me.  I grew carrots and potatoes, always and carrots and potatoes. Each spring I would wait so patiently till I could plant them. And then, some months later, eat them.

 I have grown carrots for a number of years now, but not potatoes.  Last year I tried growing several varieties of potatoes in large pots.  I had read a decent harvest was possible but it didn't work very well for me.  So this year I just had to plant some.  Even though, they can be a pain, the tiniest dot of a potato will grow new potato plants. They are almost, just almost, a weed. Next year when I am growing something else in the bed I will be pulling tater weeds!

 And so, I planted 3 four foot rows of German Butterballs.  I did.  I did.  I dug three troughs, planted them and once they started coming up added a smaller layer of earth and covered the shoots.  I kept this up until the troughs were filled. Yesterday morning I filled the trough till it was finally full and this afternoon, after getting home form work, this is what I saw:

Go Butterballs!

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday ii

New kitchen photos

 

There are still little bits to be completed

For all intents and purposes this kitchen is done.  There are little bits here and there to do but the major work is done. I am loving it! The cabinet above needs a tile backsplash.

Changed the painting on this wall and added this new watercolor by Fidjeland. Well, it's not new to me but it used to hang in my office.

We shortened the sink cabinet and that made real room for the table. For now we have the same formica top, just shortened.  It does go nicely with the wall colors and wood. Maybe we'll install granite someday. Two new light fixtures, too!

 My new 6 burner gas stove with an electric oven and a small warming oven, the new hood and cabinets. Love those bamboo floors!

We were buying the hardware as we bought and installed the cabinets.  The last purchase was a close call. The hardware was being discontinued and there just enough drawer pulls to complete the kitchen. Only just enough.  Warning to all!  Take heed!

The last major thing to do in the house is putting in the new front door and side lights. The door and sides are on order.

Harvest Monday, even though it was Sunday

Cooked with white wine, broth, bread crumbs, garlic, salt and pepper and  a wee bit of anchovies

Easter Sunday

   This weekend had been lovely gardening time.  And the earwigs have thought it a good time to feast, too.  They mowed down my, grown from seed, tomato plants.  I did have two volunteers from last years tomato bed so those have been transplanted into the new bed.  They are probably either Brandywines, Cherokee Purples, or San Marzanos. I also bought several plants in pint pots. Two plants are sauce types, San Marzano and Amish Paste. One, a red grape type, Sweet Olive, is the only hybrid in the bunch. Another is a small yellow tomato and the fruits is 1.5 to 2 inch fruit, Yellow Perfection.  I also put in two plants of a variety known as Druzba, a Bulgarian heirloom slicer booked as a having perfect form, a long season, deep red juicy 10 inch tomato.

   Today, I picked spinach and we had an egg scramble with spinach and salsa over hot tortillas for breakfast.  I will harvest a head of celery for soup and the very first artichoke to make this evening's light meal.  We will be having a big Easter lunch with Francesca.

The iris are now my featured bloomers and the apricot tree has a bumper crop of fruit - if it only remains to harvest!