You know, gardening is a little like reading a book. You start with characters you like--peppers, tomatoes, squash--and hope they grow strong and healthy. But then comes the conflict: not enough rain or maybe too much, bugs, diseases, critters. Will there be a happy ending?
This spring, we planted a garden in Arizona, set an
automatic water timer, and went off to spend the summer in Alaska. We arrived
back in Arizona a week ago with our fingers crossed. The results were mixed. Apparently the usual monsoon rains didn’t show up, and
while the irrigation was enough to keep things alive, they didn’t thrive. The pumpkins are only softball size. Squash
bugs took out almost all the zucchini and an opportunistic buck helped himself to the bell pepper plant and fruit trees. But we do have green chilis and tomatoes!
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| Mule deer bedding down in our vegetable garden. |
The little grape tomatoes are so cute, and the cherries are
super sweet. The mid-size Celebrities are wonderful, and while the larger tomatoes have cracks, they are absolutely delicious in a bacon, lettuce, tomato, and avocado
sandwich.
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| Juliet tomatoes |
There are so many ways to use fresh tomatoes. Some of my favorites are green salads, Pico deGallo, Bruschetta, Greek salad, and just popping the little ones into my
mouth. I'm planning on drying some of the Juliet tomatoes for pizza and pastas.
Now the green chilis are a little more work, but they’re
worth it. I roast them on the grill until the skin is toasted, let them cool, and
peel the skin away. Then they can go into chili rellenos, squash and chili casserole (too bad those zucchini didn’t make it), or scrambled eggs.
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| Squash and Green Chili Casserole |
My rosemary bush thrives even without supplemental rain. Chicken tenderloins brushed with oil, sprinkled with salt and chopped rosemary, grilled, and served alongside almost any salad makes a fabulous lunch. Getting hungry?
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| Rosemary |
Money can't buy true love, but it can buy love stories. Beth Carpenter's Northern Lights series is available from Amazon, Harlequin, and other online bookstores. The next book in the series, Alaskan Dreams, will be out in May 2020.
I love that photo of the mule deer bedding down in your garden! We have a garden at our cottage and have to build a huge fence around it for protection from deer. Harvesting a crop is fun and even though our produce wouldn’t pass the grade at, say, Wholefoods, it’s wonderful to eat. Right now we have a surplus of tomatoes, so lunch will be something with tomatoes. Salad days.
ReplyDeleteI have a theory that imperfect vegetables taste the best. There are never too many tomatoes, because it means you have some to share. Enjoy!
DeleteOh, and we have a fence, too, but it's a four-foot chain link and the deer just laugh.
DeleteI don't grow anything anymore, but my daughter-in-law does, and I take advantage of her expertise. I love your pictures!
ReplyDeleteThe best kind of gardening--nurturing relationships and fresh vegetables to boot!
DeleteI don't grow anything, either, but the outdoor produce stands and farmer's markets flourish around here. But I admire those who enjoy gardening. Love your photos! That mule deer looked a little garden art at first. Big art, but art nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteHe is a handsome fellow, isn't he? I love produce stands. It's almost time for pumpkins.
DeleteI'm the friend who gladly take your excess vegetable largesse because we have deer to whom fences are only a minor annoyance. Thy even ate my knock out rose bushes down to a nub. Like the fellow in your garden, they are magnificent to look at.
ReplyDeleteOh no! Isn't that what the thorns on roses are supposed to prevent? I put a pot of mums on the porch, and they effeciently snipped the blooms off each stem. Good thing they're pretty.
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