Garden Harvest # 1…Peppers, Tomatoes, Garlic…and what is that in my pool?

I arrived home yesterday to a mini-bounty of vegetable goodies after being up at the Homestead for almost 2 weeks.  Usually when I have to leave the Homestead, I drag myself to my car kicking and screaming (not easy to do and the neighbours look at me funny) and then I proceed to pout for the entire 3+ hour drive.  I am not kidding, its true. Happens every week. I can’t help myself.

But yesterday I was actually a little… just a *little* excited about coming home.  Because I knew after such a long absence, there would be beautiful, colourful garden jewels to pick.  As well as a surprise.  There is always a surprise when I come home, I never know what it will be either.  Sometimes it is a nice surprise, sometimes not….I will leave the surprise until the end of this post.  No scrolling down to peek either.

After getting home and emptying the car of cooler, computer bag and clothes, I head out back to see what my efforts have in store for me.

WOOT!!!!

There are Peppers and Tomatoes READY for picking!

2 Poblano Peppers, 4 Jalapeños and 7 Serrano Peppers.  Along with a LARGE handful of Cherry Toms.  I do believe something of Mexican Origin Cuisine is going to grace my mesa tonight.

ALSO….and this was so very exciting (well, to me anyway), my Garlic was ready to be harvested!  I had planted some back in early spring (you can either plant in the fall for next year or spring for this year) and due to the hot, dry summer so far, they were ready.

So I dug those out and they are now hanging to dry.  They need to ‘cure’ for 2 weeks this way, out of the sun but with plenty of air circulating around them.  Then you can either use them up, or store in a cool place and use within 3-4 months.

As I surveyed the remainder of the garden, I was a tad miffed my regular tomatoes are not ready yet.  Lots and lots of green tomatoes on the plants, but nary a spec of colour on any of them.  They better get with the program quick – I am dying for a freshly sliced, jumbo tomato dashed with salt and pepper.

My Herbs on the other hand need another mowing.  The Sage-Brush is back at it, trying to take over the garden and the mint is trying to escape its pot.  Once the evening came and the temp had cooled down, I was able to get out there and try and tame the fragrant little buggers.  What can be dried by the hanging method is now hanging downstairs.

But a funny thing is happening with my lettuce….before I went to the Homestead, I chopped down and gave away about 6 heads of lettuce to the neighbours (I really couldn’t eat that much lettuce) and left a few in the ground for when I came back….well….now it looks like the lettuce has gone back in time to the 80’s and has adopted quite the 80’s BIG HAIR hairstyle….egads….reminds me of the guys from Platinum Blonde.

Sort of Mullet-ish with the long leaves at the bottom and the short, spikey ones on top.  I think these guys are done.  Time to use what I can and dig the roots out.

At the top of this post I eluded to a surprise….and that I always come home to one.  Sometimes I get a nice surprise, like the book I ordered arrived or the endless things that need to be ordered to keep a Homestead running gets delivered.  But, there are also some not so nice things to come home to when you have an inground pool.

There will always be the potential to find something either in or on or at the bottom of the pool.

Yesterday it was these 2 guys….apparently they thought since the pool had not been used in over a week, they were taking it over.

I may have to set up a Cabana to serve Margaritas and call it….

wait for it…..

 

Señor Frog’s

(of Mexican/Caribbean Bar fame)

Salud!

3 thoughts on “Garden Harvest # 1…Peppers, Tomatoes, Garlic…and what is that in my pool?

  1. LMAO. My lettuce bolted too, never thought of Platinum Blonde, I will never enter the lettuce patch again without that connection in mind. I replanted lettuce last week and as my romain dwindles down, the new stuff should be sprouting. Looks like you need a recipe for frog legs……mixed with fresh salsa

    • I don’t know why Platinum Blonde popped into my head…but it did (scary), and it could actually be one of them if they used those bleaching kits from the 70’s that turned many a high school girl’s hair green 😛 Hmmmm…frog legs with Salsa… blech! 🙂

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