Posts Tagged ‘zucchini’
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Tuesday, July 6th, 2010
It’s here! It’s here! The first of hopefully many, many zucchinis! You wait all year long for this moment. The first pick!
That zucchini green color is absolutely indescribable. You can’t find a zucchini
that color in the grocery store.
So happy to get the first one. The first zucchini is kind of like the first snowfall. You are so excited for it! The anticipation! The wonder! The taste on your tongue!
You run around all giddy. You don’t know quite what to do with yourself. But zucchs do end up becoming like endless winter snowstorms. Soon you’re like, “Another one? Really? Again? That’s the fifth one THIS WEEK!”
But since I discovered the food processor shredding technique for freezing zucchini, I do not mind the onslaught of this prolific veggie whatsoever. I will gladly eat more than my share, give away a bunch to family and friends, and shred the rest for later for things like zucchini soup when we really are smack in the middle of snowstorm after snowstorm. But hah, hah! That’s a loooooong way from now.
Because at this very moment it is summer. And it is still wicked frickin’ hot out. Here comes my faux NH accent. Dude, it’s hoooooooot. Sticky! My car’s thermometer read 100°F at lunchtime. Got home tonight at 7 p.m. after a trip out to fetch milk from the local cow, a stop to pick up some corn starts and a basil plant, followed by a stop to get gas. Really, I was procrastinating leaving work and actually coming home. The thought did cross my mind that it might be fun to drive to Canada. In my car. That had a full tank of gas. And copious amounts of air conditioning.
Ambled my way home and was greeted by our house thermometer.
Excellent. The outside temp is simpatico with my internal body temp. What a fantastic homeostasis.
There was nowhere to go! Too hot outside. Too hot inside. So I stripped down to the least amount of clothing one needs to wear in order to be deemed suitable for yard wandering and watering, and I headed outside to the garden and for my sprinkler yet again. Soil-stained wet tanktop contest: my house. I win.
Tags: gardening, organic, summer, zucchini
Posted in The Growing Season | No Comments »
squash blossoms and
purple potato flowers
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
I could have titled this REFLECTING ON JUNE, but I am so excited and inspired by the plethora of new flowering veggie plants in my garden that I couldn’t help myself. After a wonderful and rather dry spring, my plants that I have been growing from seed are starting to take off. I have been a bit concerned about their small size, but I think a lot of that has to do with growing directly outdoors from seed.
My efforts are starting to pay off because my potatoes are flowering, and so are my squashes!
Good morning squash! I will head off to work while you do your thing.
Squash blossoms are so beautiful. They have this amazing deep, vibrant yellow color that I wish I could replicate on a bedroom wall somewhere. “Mix up the squash blossom yellow, please!”
Did you know you can pick the squash blossoms and eat them? I know… it seems a little strange. I have actually never done it, and this is my 4th year growing zucchini and summer squash. But I always read about yummy recipes with squash blossoms in them. Sometimes freshly picked, sometimes stir-fried, sometimes fried… but they always look yummy. Maybe I will get up the nerve and actually pick one or two to eat this year.
But they are so pretty to just look at!
I am still not sure if this first blossomer is a zucchini or a summer squash, I really don’t remember what I planted where. It was a windy, rain-threatening day when I was out planting the seeds. Soon I will see the start of an actual squash, and then I will know. And I will photograph to share with you.
In the foreground is a cucumber plant. Starting to vine out!
My cucumber plants are lengthening which means I need to trellis them. And I need to figure out a taller, sturdier trellis than my sugar snap pea experiment. Because, sadly, my sugar snap peas have gotten to the end of the trellis ladder and have nowhere else to go. I think they may be at the end of their flowering journey for this round. Sad.
Next time I will get a taller trellis. Next time I will give them more growing space. All things you learn along the way.
Which brings me to my reflections on June. I didn’t reflect on May, but I need to take a step back and gather my thoughts. June was an inadvertently stressful month as we really got into pregnancy talk. The real deal. The what ifs. The actual what are we doooooing???? We did not get pregnant this month, but we had a week of uncertainty and it really took over our thinking. Now we are definitely thinking about the future in much more concrete, ACTUAL terms than we were previously.
I joke with Craig about the whole P90X workout fascination. No, I’m not planning on doing P90X. I’m doing PRE-PREGNANCY 90 DAYS EXTREME. As in, get my butt in pre-pregnancy shape over the next 3 months. Running. Lifting weights. Medicine ball. Sleeping way more. Stressing way less. Eating berries and whole foods. Laughing. Traveling. Enjoying. Relaxing. Being good to my body. Getting rid of bad habits. That’s my P90X. I was mortified at the thought of being pregnant because my body and my mind were not in the place I wanted them to be. And while I’ve been repeatedly told and reminded that it will never be perfect, I know me and I know that I have to be in a better metal/physical/spiritual place.
So I am so glad I have time, and this month has given me a lot to think about and improve upon. I’m not beating myself up. I’m just being realistic. You get out of your body what you put into it, right? And for the past few months I haven’t been treating my body… or my mind… particularly well. And I deserve better. I already know a lot of what I need to do to feel good. I need to run. And run CONSISTENTLY. I need to worry less about things I cannot control. I need to forgive. I need to let go. Blah blah blah… on and on.
I need to get real about what I want, that is for sure. I have to be more honest with myself, hold myself lovingly accountable. In the middle of a work week I’m not necessarily my own best friend. I’m clawing my way along trying to get by. I’m going to have to try a little harder to keep myself active, put nourishing foods into my body, not pop open a bottle of whine (pun intended), and GO TO BED at a reasonable hour. It shouldn’t be so hard, but when you’re in that cycle/routine it can be.
On the positive side (cause I always seek the positive… really I do try!) June was a lot about starting to eat right from the garden! Radishes first. Then broccoli rabe. Then lettuces, baby spinach, and sugar snap peas. The harvest so far has been amazing. I’ve never grown lettuces in so many colors and shapes and varieties. Squiggly and wavy deep maroons, vivid forest greens, bright yellow-limes. So yummy all of them.
And the sugar snap peas are straight out of garden bliss. Screw paying $4.99 a pound for sugar snap peas from Guatemala at the supermarket! You can EASILY grow them from home from seed! And I paid $1.49 for the entire organic seed package. I planted 12 plants, gave my sister a bunch of seeds, and I still have a huge amount of seeds leftover to plant again in the fall. And home-grown sugar snap peas are unlike anything you’ve ever tasted! It’s a small miracle that any of the picked pods ever make it inside to the salad bowl… they are that good!
While I could go on and on about garden veggies… June was also about hanging out with my nephews and really delighting in their amazingness and reaffirming just how unbelievably awesome children can be. Between soccer games, bouncy ball games, ice cream fieldtrips, overnight stays, and surprise work visits, I really had a chance to bond with my nephews this month. And I also got to feed and burp my baby nieces. Granted they are less interactive than my nephews at this point, but it is amazing being around so many kiddos. It has been such a delight and encouragement for me.
June started with garlic scapes shooting up from the garlic stalks in my garden, curling this way and that. The garlic scapes are now long gone (in my belly!), and in their absense I’m enjoying an incredible wave of potato flowers.
Do you think purple flowers means purple potatoes?
I have no idea how long this parade of flowers will continue, but I hope it will be around for awhile. I love the colors and shapes of these flowers. I love that summer is here. I love coming home to extra hours of sunlight, warm breezes, and the activity of birds, squirrels, neighborhood cats, and even the dreaded chipmunks in our yard. Summer is such a gift. It is filled with delicious scents when you go running and take in BBQs and blooming flowers. It is easy to stay up late when you don’t get around to making dinner until after 9 p.m. It’s just so reaffirming to have a whole other post-work shift when the sun is still up and the outdoors is calling.
June, I will miss you. But here comes July with even warmer temps, thunderstorms, fireworks, fireflies, our first wedding anniversary, drinking a cold beer with a freshly cut lime on the screened-in porch, farmer’s markets, home improvement projects, vacation planning, and who knows what else.
But for now I am so content to delight in purple potato flowers.
What a beautiful shade of purple. Slightly lilac. Slightly violet.
Tags: gardening, gratitude, potatoes, summer, summer squash, zucchini
Posted in The Daily Balance, The Growing Season | No Comments »
the pros and cons of tuesday
Tuesday, June 15th, 2010
Ah, Tuesday again. Not my favorite day. It always seems to have its way with me. It’s been a busy week thus far, and I’m pretty tired out for it only being Tuesday. I even went to bed early for me last night, but I didn’t sleep particularly well. It’s not supposed to be like that! The whole point of getting to bed early is so that I sleep on clouds!
And tonight I meant to come home and go running, but I took a 2-hour nap instead. And while I was napping I dreamed I was trying to tread water on a flooded road where the water was really murky and over my head. But I had a life jacket on? And there were also waves and an undertow. And I was with a dog and some other person. No potential lack of symbolism there.
Sheesh.
So when I awoke I was groggy and it was late. I’m behind on dishes that need washing, texts and calls that I need to return, a few cards I want to send out, and potatoes that need more soil added to the growing mound. I will get those things accomplished. But not today. Today I will chalk up to an icky Tuesday. I’m in my comfies and plan to try again with a better night’s sleep.
On the positive side of Tuesday, there is a ton of beauty and growth out in the yard. Our lillies are in full bloom.
Our big bush in the backyard that gives our porch lots of privacy is starting its summer berry bloom.
Sadly these yummy looking berries are not edible. The birds won’t go near 'em!
I've taken pity on the spiderwort and let it sprawl out in the back garden to its heart's content.
I can't remember if this is summer squash or zucchini, but it is starting to grow, grow, grow!
Slow but steady, our corn is coming up!
And even though it was a rough Tuesday, I did thoroughly enjoy “homemade” salad tonight for dinner with lettuces from our garden. What a satisfying reward. I am continuously grateful for the simple, wonderful, small things that make up the plenty.
Tags: gratitude, lettuce, lillies, potatoes, salad, spiderwort, spring, zucchini
Posted in The Daily Balance, The Growing Season | No Comments »
hot, hot, hot…
Tuesday, May 25th, 2010
Hot! Sizzling! Scorching!
It was pretty darn warm here in southern NH today. Temps rose above 90°F and the humidity soared with it all. Dare I say I fretted all day long about my lettuces while I was stuck at work, knowing they were gasping in the reallllly hot temps. Must water! I pleaded with Craig to water the gardens when he got home from work, knowing that I had to be at the dentist at 6 p.m. (Yes, I have a fantastic dentist who does nighttime appointments after work!)
Craig of course gladly obliged, bless him. And I trotted off to have my 6-month cleaning which I was slightly dreading. My last appointment wasn’t so stellar. But after having 5 cavities filled over the winter and committing myself to drinking raw milk, this visit was superb. I was told that my teeth look great and my gums are looking way healthier. I can’t help but give credit to the raw milk. Because I’m still brushing and flossing and eating fruits and veggies. The milk is really the biggest change I’ve made. So happy to go to the dentist and come away feeling victorious!
I stopped on the way home to pick up some organic tomato and pepper starts at a garden stand in Groton, Massachusetts near my dentist. It was fun to poke around a garden center where they grow everything on-site. One day (maybe next year?) I will finally commit to growing tomatoes from seed. Besides the roma and cherry tomatoes and banana peppers I picked up, everything else in my garden this year I’ve grown from organic seed. And without starting anything indoors. Heh heh.
This is a huge leap for me! Each year I’ve grown as a gardener, and committing myself to growing from seed is really exciting. And as of today, May 25th, everything is coming up!!! The heat over the last few days is causing a fantastic garden explosion. I’m so thrilled.
The cilantro is almost ready to harvest!
Here come Blue Lake Beans! They've sprouted and grown tremendously in 2 days.
Come on beets! I want success this year!
So the lettuces did wilt a bit, but a healthy watering revived them.
I see potato sprouts!
The zucchini are up!
These sugar snap peas are ready to be staked/trellised. I need to figure out a way to do this.
Can you spot the radish? They are ready to harvest! I thinned a few this weekend and gave the babies to my Mom. First pick of the season!
If you look real close into the heart of the plant, you can see where the first broccoli rabe stalk is forming.
My carrot sprouts. They are slow and steady. And I am so excited for their progress.
The garlic plants are getting gigantic!
I am very thrilled with how the garden is going. Here it is the end of May, and everything is starting to flourish. The coming months should be exciting to see how my hard work to plant seeds and try new veggies pays off. Weeeee!
Tags: beans, beets, broccoli rabe, carrots, cilantro, gardening, garlic, lettuce, organic, potatoes, radishes, raw milk, spring, sugar snap peas, zucchini
Posted in The Growing Season | 2 Comments »
mid-may garden delights
Tuesday, May 18th, 2010
This past weekend was simply gorgeous. The weather was warm, super breezy, not humid at all—absolutely perfect weather for being out in the yard and garden.
I worked diligently to clear out the dying tulip stalks in the front garden. I clipped back my quickly growing chrysanthemum stalks so that they wouldn’t get too leggy. And I did some serious deweeding in the front bed.
Vacant land! I planted asters and dahlias here.
I've never attempted to grow annual flowers from seed.
I also planted sunflowers, asters, dahlias, and zinnias in our side garden bed alongside the house. The front of this bed is where our lettuces and baby spinach are growing.
Speaking of baby spinach, could the little leaves that are now forming be any cuter?
Our radishes are also coming along quite nicely. They should be ready to start picking soon. I was going to thin them out, but I decided against it for now. Because they are an “early” variety, I won’t mind if some of them are tiny.
In addition, I broke down and planted summer squash, zucchini, cucumber, and corn this weekend. The technical 90% frost date is May 20th for Southern NH, but I just couldn’t take it any longer. Plus, I’m feeling a wee tad of grower’s guilt that I didn’t start these seeds indoors a few weeks ago. I meant to do it, but I got busy or lazy or apprehensive. Next year! Next year I vow to start a bunch of seeds indoors to transplant. Heh heh.
Two years ago I grew acorn squash in our garden, and it was delectable. I was in love with them. We had a bumper crop of acorn squashes with their dark black green and golden outer flesh.
I heart acorn squash. Especially stuffed acorn squash. And grilled.
I saved the seeds and they’ve been hiding out in my upstairs closet patiently waiting to come out and play. Last year I didn’t plant acorn squash because I ran out of room. This year with the addition of our new raised garden bed, I have the room. So out the seeds came!
Hope these buggers are still good!
I also “broke” in my new Fiskars trowel this weekend. Finding a good garden trowel is like striking gold. I’ve spent more than enough money buying garden trowels, only to quickly destroy them the moment they hit a rock or tough root. They bend quite easily and snap. This trowel I scored from Home Depot for a sweet $0.99. And it’s awesome. Hard, hard plastic. I highly recommend.
Craig did a thorough lawn mowing which helped to make our yard seem so much more hospitable. We are in serious need of a weed wacker/edge trimmer. However, I went around and clipped the tall grasses along the borders of our garden beds and fence with garden sheers.
These grasses, once dried, will make great garden hay for mulching our potatoes.
After four years, we invested in a garden hose reel to contain the untangly mess of our long hose. It took two of us to get it put together and hung, but I love it. The design of our side bed has really come together!
To top it all off, we finally grilled for the first time this spring. Organic chicken thighs and skewers of green peppers and red onions on top of salad.
I can get used to this. And yes, those are pretzels on top of Craig's salad.
The man likes a crunchy topping.
Tags: acorn squash, cilantro, cucumbers, flower seeds, gardening, herbs, lettuce, organic, radishes, raised garden bed, summer squash, sunflowers, zucchini
Posted in Household Management 101, The Growing Season | 1 Comment »