Saturday, June 07, 2014

First Things First


Well, the garden is off to a really good start this year...knock on wood, and I'm ecstatic to have several "firsts" to report.  For one thing, my cherry tree actually made some cherries this year and they stayed on long enough to ripen!  To me, growing cherries has always seemed like such an exotic thing (I honestly don't know why) so this was pretty cool.  Of course, they were kinda small and not enough to do anything with, other than just eat, but I was happy.  I plan on getting another tree so, hopefully, that will make them more productive.


This is also my first year to successfully grow cauliflower!  I had tried a couple times before, and I'm not sure of the time of year I tried, but this worked.  You know I had posted not long ago that I was about to think they were not going to do anything and then a couple days later I noticed the first heads starting to form.  They grow pretty quick after that.  I haven't cut one yet but it won't be long.  And you know, I've never been one to cook cauliflower really.  I just like it raw with dip.  But I think I want to try to make some kimchi this year and I might add some to one batch.


Some of my potatoes are doing well, but that's not a first.  I though this was interesting though: the 2 left hand rows were planted from last years seed taters or ones that sprouted up this spring in the garden and I transplanted them over to the rows.  The right hand 1 1/2 rows are from seed taters I bought fresh this spring.  As you can see they are much more vigorous.  I thought this was kind of interesting as I didn't think that would make that much difference.  Oh well, maybe I'm easily amused.  Hopefully I'll get some kind of decent potato harvest either way.

So, it keeps storming on and off again here and I keep going on and off again. lol!  Some days I feel pretty good and some days I could snap somebody's neck for looking at me wrong.  I dream sometimes about moving to an area that doesn't get low pressure systems much but I have no idea where that would be.  The desert maybe?  So, for now I hide out in the cool basement studio and growl at things that go by.  I am throwing, trying to get caught up on pottery, in between working in the garden.  I hopefully have a very cool restoration job coming up in Birmingham and that will be a lot of fun to work on.  Still waiting to see if they accept my estimate though.
So, there you go.  Any firsts in your world?

6 comments:

ErinFromIowa said...

Oh my goodness! You are so busy and that is a good thing. :) I got out the Kenmore and gave it a good cleaning and then oiled it up. I am going to sew a few cute maternity dresses for my middle daughter to kick around in this summer. They are expecting a boy the beginning of September!

JO said...

Cherry's now that is a wonderful fruit. Prices in the store are so high I can't buy them. The rest of the garden looks really great too.

I don't think you would want to live in the desert. Sure couldn't have a wonderful garden like you have now. Of course if you feel better that would maybe over look the rest.

MamaHen said...

Hey Erin! I recently did a little sewing for Jack and that has now made me want to do some more sewing. I used to sew a lot and need to get back to it.

Hey Jo! Yeah, they are really high here too, so I rarely buy them. Will be great to have my own.
Yeah, I don't know long term how I would like the desert but I sure did love visiting there. I just think about it sometimes.

Ed said...

I think I said early July for cauliflower up here which is probably mid June down there so I was pretty much right on the money! They are beautiful heads.

I never ate much cooked cauliflower either but I've branched out this winter and now cook it all the time. My favorite easy way to cook it is to just cut it into florets, lightly spray it with some spray oil, salt and peper it, add a squeeze of lemon juice and bake it until it starts to blacken in places. Stir a couple times. It is so good that way.

The other way I just learned this spring was to make a soup out of it. I used America's Test Kitchen recipe for cauliflower soup and it is divine with a loaf of crusty bread!

ErinFromIowa said...

I second Ed on both of those recipes!

MamaHen said...

Hey Ed! thanks! yeah, you were just about right on! I'll try the 2 ways you mentioned; the soup sounds especially good.

Hey Erin! yeah, they sound real good.