What have you done with your garden bounty so far?
Today I put up my first batch of bread and butter pickles from the cukes and onions from my garden! I am so proud of these as they only cost about $25 a jar so far given the raised beds with stone walls, and load after load of topsoil, compost and mulch, fertilizer and organic bug killers. I realize the cost will go down as we harvest and it is good exercise and tastes soooo much better than store bought. What have the rest of you started doing with your produce?
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14 Comments:
I just got my herbs and am waiting for them. I want to get some peppers, zuchs, heirloom tomatoes, because I have limited space to plant much more then that.
pjracz10 at 10:28PM on 05/31/09
I'm digging up garlic right now and it is splendid. I'm using one bulb right now, and have several others curing. I'm getting a few strawberries, which DH is grazing. I've also cut my first artichokes, which I'm going to marinate tomorrow.
I've been fortunate in that I haven't had to use any fertilizer or potting soil, and my plants look great. I have had to use insecticidal soap for aphids.
beth1 at 12:01AM on 06/01/09
Gee, I couldn't even find pickles to buy around here. Planting season just started a few weeks ago, so the only thing I've got are the few perennial herbs that came up early. Others are barely peeking out of the soil. Even the farmer's market is still mostly lettuce.
dbcurrie at 12:50AM on 06/01/09
Trimmed my herbs to keep them from getting too reedy and tall. First tiny strawberries are ripening. They are itty bitty like wild strawberries but so sweet!
I'm hoping once the plants themselves get bigger the berries will, too.
I'm happy the chipmunks and squirrels haven't found the strawberry plants yet...aaaannnd I bet I just jinxed myself on that one.
Tomatoes just getting tall and bushy, no sign of fruit just yet.
fuuchan at 1:22AM on 06/01/09
so far? Just watering the garden. I'm in New England.
goodcooker at 7:23AM on 06/01/09
I agree with the so far?
Only parsley, chives, mint, and tarragon are up so far. I just planted my pickles, green beans, and tomatoes last weekend. And peppers this weekend.
I have a bunch of collards, lettuce, and cilantro that I'm going to transfer from their pots next weekend.
joeqboo at 7:59AM on 06/01/09
I'll probably do some veg gardening next year as we just moved to this house and have been concentrating on the inside.
One thing I have done is pot some herbs. So far, my use of bounty has been limited to jazzing up dishes with rosemary, thyme, oregano and basil. I planted some basil and parsley from seed and it's growing! Little teeny adorable plants poking their heads up through the soil.
I'd like to grow some tomatoes next year (or maybe later in the summer). I'd love to grow some garlic too. I want to plant a couple of zucchini plants just to have the blossoms which are hard to find (except in Italian neighborhoods which alas, is a description I can't apply to my current neighborhood). If I remember when I'm at the store, I'll grab some opal basil seeds as I love to add those leaves to salads and dishes where their visual appeal can be enjoyed.
therealchiffonade at 8:03AM on 06/01/09
I am in north Texas so it is already hot. I have just begun to pick Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes. After I planted it, I read online that they get to be 12 feet tall in some cases! Mine is about 6 feet tall, leggy and loaded with tomatoes. We have finished the lettuce and the onions and now I am picking cukes, radishes, squash every day. My grandson eats each strawberry as it ripens so there won't be shortcake from that patch! This is so fulfilling in so many ways.
ocarol at 9:27AM on 06/01/09
Just pulled up some carrots. A little too early but boy were they sweet babies.
Tomatoes are still a few weeks away as we've had plenty of rain but not enough sun.
rrrvin at 10:21AM on 06/01/09
Since I'm a city mouse, I can only report on the current status of my Aerogarden. The basil is looking mighty fine. Might have to make some pasta sauce this week!
meem21 at 11:19AM on 06/01/09
So far I've re-potted the herbs and veggies that I bought at the farmers market two weeks ago. I have cilantro and basil, pickling cukes, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes (an oops purchase - see next sentence) and peppers. From my inside Aerogardens, my salad greens are growing really well - had some on a sandwich today and my cherry tomatoes are well on their way. I can't wait to see if I can be successful at container gardening since I'd always had a small in-ground garden before.
CooksForOne at 4:43PM on 06/01/09
we're getting carrots, summer squash (so many! we gave away 63 of them yesterday and still have more), tomatoes, onions, and potatoes soon. we've already finished off several types of greens including chard, arugula, and spinach.
i quick-pickled some carrots (apple cider vinegar, dill, pepper) for now!
Christina at 4:58PM on 06/01/09
We've just finished planting and don't have an asparagus patch....(yet), so the only thing we've got growing for harvest is herbs- chives, rosemary, baby basil, thyme and lemon thyme. The mint's really starting to take off, so that will be on this weekes menu.
Goes outside and chants to plants-- Come on babies; get growing....
CJ McD at 8:10PM on 06/01/09
I want to move where there is a longer growing season. We have 30's at night still. I'm in the UPper Peninsula of MI and our growing season is so short. Hardly can get a tomatoe to rippen before the fall frost again. Still have to bring my anuals in at night. I have started my herbs on my deck.
cmiron at 6:30PM on 06/02/09