Trying to Keep Up

  The smells and tastes of summer are all around. Herbs, garlic, salad greens, onions, green beans, carrots, squash, beets, leeks, peas, cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower and spring potatoes are all making their way to our table. Sauerkraut is fermenting under the couch, pesto is frozen away, pickles waiting on the pantry shelves and frozen green beans piling up. My next favorite thing to eating fresh out of the garden is stocking it away for the cold winter.
   I planned, planned, planned all winter but when it comes to actual yields there are always a few surprises. My heirloom cucumbers have not done well at all. I have had to rely on my hybrid for any cucumbers and thus the very slow process of pickling a quart here and another quart there. I was hoping to have it all done in a week, but it will take all summer before my pickle guzzling daughter will be satisfied.
    The tomatoes are loaded with fruit. Two ripe tomatoes and one green have made it home so far to be savored. For me, tomatoes are the quintessential taste of summer. And the most work as well......

Comparison of garden. June 18th.

First planted. First week of May.

Garlic Harvest!

More Garlic!

Lettuce, tomato, peas, broccoli, basil and spinach.

Tomatoes in their cages.

Green beans.

Catching runners from the strawberries.

Lettuce grown under the trellis.

Beets, green beans, cucumbers, broccoli and lettuce.

Dill, green beans, green tomato and potatoes.

Sauerkraut.

Pesto!

Freezing herbs for the winter.

Preparing green beans for freezing.

I can't wait!