Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Last summer harvest

These zinnias were blooming all summer. I can't tell you how much I/we enjoyed these cut flowers inside and growing in the garden outside. They will definitely be grown next year.
We pulled the last of the summer veggies last weekend. It was just in time as we are expecting a freeze tonight. We still have a few tomatoes, beans, okra and peppers out but we're not too worried if we lose them. It's just that time of year. We did pull up tons of basil and I've processed about 10 cups of pesto! That's basically all we have in our freezer.

Most of our fall/winter greens are growing great. We eat fresh salads and cooked greens daily. LOVE IT! I guess my tastes have changed, right mom? I can't imagine loving greens this much as a child, but they are literally my favorite part of dinner now. What's wrong with me:) I love the raw kale salad with vinegar and oil and slightly cooked collards with sauteed onions and tamari sauce. Here's a close up of the swiss chard and lettuce. We have red leaf, romaine, and butter crunch scattered in different beds.
More lettuce and collards here.
Here's a shot of Daniel watering from our water barrels. We were able to go the whole summer without using city water. He is watering the broccoli patch. Down below that is another bed of greens some started from seed and then some transplants.
In this picture you can see some sweet potato vines, then brussel sprouts on the left, red cabbage on the back right, and lettuce in the center. We've never had success with cabbage and never tried brussel sprouts. They are looking good so far.

This is from last week. It shows the green beans, sweet potatoes, yellow tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers. Our green beans look great but I'm afraid we're going to lose them tonight.

Here's our version of Angelica's (our favorite restaurant in Boone, NC that has changed names and menu). It's a Harvest Bowl. There's cornbread on the bottom. Then seasoned black beans piled on top. There's also boiled sweet potatoes and cooked greens packed on the sides. It's topped with sliced avocado and tomatoes. A dab of vegan sour cream is great on top.

6 comments:

William Kruidenier said...

So impressive -- thanks for these great pix. I have become a huge Brussels sprouts fan of late. I grew them a few summers ago and they did well. But I've started steaming and eating them lately because I've read how nutritious they are. They are near the very top of the nutrients-per-calorie list, alongside mustard greens, turnip greens, kale, etc. Unfortunately, I can only rarely find organic ones at EarthFare so have to buy conventional and remove the outer leaves when washing. Man, are they good when steamed.

Laura said...

i am so beyond impressed. that garden looks gorgeous and delicious. i love how you are really embracing a holistic lifestyle and are true to that and are enjoying the fruits from that! yall are awesome. what amazing lessons and habits you are teaching your girls.

Anonymous said...

I am nothing short of jealous!!

Anonymous said...

Girl of mine -- I really cannot believe, even though you're a vegan, that you have come to love all those greens! I'm trying, but it is impossible to get organic veggies in Mtn City. I go to Earth Fare for veggies and fruits when I'm in Boone. Your dish looks scrumptious, you must fix it for me next time I come.

Anna Morrison said...

Yummy! your harvest bowl looks 10 times better than Angelica's!

Everything is gorgeous. I am quite envious.

claibird said...

Your garden is so lovely. It's like a fairy garden. Have the girls been catching fairies in the summer? It looks like just the place for whimsy. I just tried to make a harvest bowl-ish dish the other night and couldn't remember all the ingredients. Markus and I also have a very small compost pile and a water barrel. We live in downtown Lexington, so our garden is rather small. Good to see some sustainable practices going on in SC!