Growing Gold

Despite repeat invasions from one very fat (and single-minded) groundhog, the vegetable garden's bounty has been wonderful this summer: French zucchini, several different types of lettuce, spinach, garlic scapes, garlic, kale, Swiss chard, golden beets, red beets, scallions, radishes, and all kinds of spices (dill, basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme, parsley, mint, chives, sage, etc.).

Zucchini (Not Quite There Yet)

Teeny Tiny Eggplant!

Cucumber! (So Close)

Pole Beans!

Golden Beet, Breaking the Surface

Tomatoes! (Unripe)

Empire Apples! (Unripe)

Blueberries! (Unripe)

Obviously it's still too early for a lot of our garden produce, but it's just the right time for potatoes! Mom planted her Yukon gold potatoes in early May, and now we have dozens of little golden gems nestled in the soil away from prying eyes.

Potato in the Ground!

Garden Harvest (Dirty)

Garden Harvest (Clean)

Being sent out to the garden to snip a sprig of parsley or cut off a chive stalk feels distinctly like a chore, but going out to the garden to gather potatoes is actually fun. It truly feels like a harvest! Think of hunting for Easter eggs...only the resulting treasures aren't full of quarters and jelly beans. The potatoes grow in between the roots and can be found just by brushing away the topsoil. Now we've collected enough to start thinking about potato recipes! I'm thinking boiled with herbs and butter, mashed with garlic, roasted with rosemary...or maybe even chopped up in an omelet.

Tiny Potatoes, Perfect for Omelets