I mentioned in an earlier article that I had a good harvest of greens this year. What are greens you ask? Well, this year it included lettuce, spinach and arugula, but mostly kale…three separate varieties. I wanted to harvest it for a longer period of time throughout the late spring and early summer so I choose several different varieties and planted each several weeks apart. Boy, did I have kale for the whole neighborhood and then some. I tried to cut it back but that just encouraged more production. By now most of us know that kale is on the list of “super foods” along with things like blueberries and flax meal, both of which I put in my morning protein shake along with the kale. Kale is the kind of food it is hard to get folks excited about even when you remind them it isn’t just for salads but can be added to soups, stews, omelets and smoothies too. I even made kale chips with a lovely spice blend but still couldn’t get folks excited about my kale harvest. I got my husband, Paul, to parboil and freeze numerous small bags for future cooking efforts but how many of those does one really need in the freezer? So what to do with it all? I thought about taking a couple dish pans full to one of the weekly farmers markets in the area but wasn’t sure I would have many takers there either. Finally, I dried and pulverized the rest of the harvest into a concentrated powder to use in my protein shakes throughout the winter. I’ve got about a gallon of the stuff if anyone is interested?!?
I also learned that many folks are now planting sweet potatoes, also on the super food list, so I thought I would try them. I bought two beautiful well hydrated plants and dutifully planted them on hills in my neighbor’s garden next to her other potatoes. I was quite pleased when I saw how well they were doing. About a week later, she called to say she had been to Lou’s and noted there were 25 individual plants in each container he was selling. Needless to say, it was a mad scramble to divide up the first 25 plants and replant them into their own separate spaces. The second pot of 25 plants was pulled up and gifted to a friend who I think divided them up for three separate family gardens. Yikes, this could yield another bumper crop of produce so I better start looking for preservation options.
I love asparagus and have learned it is like “gold” back here. Nobody will tell you where their secret public or private crop is growing and lord help you if you happen upon it and do a little foraging yourself. I knew the old Bob & Avis Weber farm had a nice patch so located the new owner who was willing to share. He met me at the farm and led me, circuitously, thru his strategically overgrown property to “the patch.” He and his family had harvested most of it but there was a small late harvest crop that yielded several freezer containers along with a batch of the most delicious cream of asparagus soup. I have since strategically located several other private patch’s and will dutifully ask permission to harvest a bit over the next several years as I wait for my new patch to mature. Garden fun has been a rich part of my “coming home” adventures. 2017