Daily Harvests

I’m thinking next year I might do a little photo project and during June-October take photos of what I harvest every day. Or, you know, maybe just for August and September. Because every day I fill as many pails as I take out to the garden. My counter is covered with produce.

People ask me if I spend a lot of time in the garden, ore more often they ask how much time I spend in they garden. I really don’t spend more than 3-5 hours/week out there at any time except the spring when I’m getting things set up. But I do spend a lot of time in the kitchen. A lot of time.

Of course, I bring it upon myself. I want to do something with these veggies. I want to save them, sure, but I also want to treat them well in my dinners. I read a lot of online recipes, and until recently I was on FB groups for gardeners, CSA subscribers and food preservers. I also get recipes in my e-mail inbox. I’ve hopped off a couple of the groups because, well, I just can’t take it anymore!

I’ve got enough on my hands right here in the kitchen.

And, of course, I’ve got this year of ferment going on. So last night I harvested two of my four cabbages and began my first ever sauerkraut. I’m so excited.

All you do is chop up the cabbage, mix in a few teaspoons of salt, mix it with your hands until there’s enough liquid to cover the cabbage, then put it into a crock or, in my case, my handy gallon size Fermented Vegetable Master (which is much cheaper than a crock kit and has the great airlock to eliminate airborne bacteria getting into the crock). I will leave it on the counter to ferment for 14-30 days (I’ll start tasting after 14 days) and then it goes in the fridge in jars. Even though my cabbages aren’t napa style, I’m thinking I’ll use the other two for kimchi after this ferment is done.

All I can say is, I’m so happy when tomato season comes. Oh, sure, they fill the counters and I have to start figuring out the salsa production and canning.

But also, they make for super easy dinners. It’s the official beginning of pasta season, where a few tomatoes, garlic, onion and a pepper in a pan make a delicious sauce, topped with basil and parmesan.