Archives for July 2009

I Had Many Visitors in the Shower Today!

July 7, 2009

To clarify:

When we did the addition last year, I insisted on an outdoor shower. “Nothing fancy.” (Because I always have to reiterate that over and over with Dave. Someday, I will tell you the story about the pool.)

This is the outdoor shower. It is the BEST! You have to pull the chain (or the pink jumprope if you are lazy) for the water to come out. It is even hooked up to the water heater, though sometimes in the summer I wish it wasn’t.

When I told my friends that I hadn’t used our indoor shower in weeks, they thought it meant I hadn’t actually showered. And if you know me, then you know there might be a remote possibility of that being true. HOWEVER. It is not true. I meant that I use the outdoor shower exclusively.

And while I was in the shower last night after sweating away in the garden for an hour, I had all these visitors. First, Caveman Dave popped in for a visit:

Then Ollie, referred to by some as “the black cat,” lest we get too attached. She was very starved for attention, being that we had just returned home from Hayward. She didn’t even mind the water spraying on her:

Then this three legged green bug!

I felt so sorry for its only having three legs. It really bummed me out. I wonder if that’s what the dark brown speck is on his body… So do you just squash it and put it out of its misery? Sorry, I can never do that. Instead, I put some drops of water on the fence for it to drink, just in case it was thirsty. And it did!!

Just Got Back from a Lovely Trip…

July 6, 2009

And my garden was a mess! Weeds everywhere, super dry. Pea plants that dogs have made a complete mess of didn’t come back while we were gone as I had hoped:

Have I talked about this before? How I seem to have the only vegetable-seeking dogs? I don’t know, maybe it’s the absence of squirrels around here. But ever since we had our first Viszla (or is it Vizsla? I can never remember), I have had this problem. If I were a more disciplined blogger, I would run around after my animals with my camera to catch them in the act and show you. But it seems I am never quite organized enough for that. You will just have to take my word for it.

When I built my garden, I put the fence around it to keep wild animals out. The reason I am so careful to close the gates behind me now, is to keep my dogs out. (Well, them and the chickens, too. But, Lola-as you may remember-killed all the chickens last year and they are not allowed to free-range anymore.) Anyway, the problem is, the fence is about 10 years old now and falling apart. Lola-the sociopath-has identified its weaknesses and now browses the garden at will. This week, it’s the peas. A few weeks before that, it was the asparagus. I have come to consider this normal behavior. No big deal. But then people come over and totally freak out about it. Can’t get over it. So I mention it here, as you may find it entertaining. Makes me wish I actually did chase them around all day. But with the remote to the shock collar instead of a camera…

So, I will probably pull most of the sugar snaps tomorrow and salvage what I can. I was also faced with collapsed arugula plants that had gone to seed. I pulled them up and will save the plants until they are dry and keep the seeds. (Which is so insanely easy. I finally figured it out after arugula was growing everywhere that I had thrown the old plants.). Besides that, I found that each of the hard-neck garlic plants had sprouted a scape. They are pretty, but I need to cut them off so the plant puts all its energy into producing a bulb instead of the seed head.

And, saving the worst for last: the CHIVE PLANTS! I might just dig those damn things up once and for all. Why, oh why, when you read about the virtues of chive plants, does no one tell you of the perils? Look closely at the picture below and see if you can spot the tiny black specks inside the faded flowers. Yes? Well, should you so much as brush up against one of those damned plants, thousands of hardy little seeds will fall to the ground all around the plant. And even if you can’t get things to grow in pots or well-tended rows, mark my words that by the first freeze, you will have hundreds of baby chive plants. (Yes, I do know that dead-heading prevents this problem, but come on!)

Go ahead, just see if you can pull one out. I seriously doubt it. They are almost as bad as that beautiful chamomile. Or didn’t I tell you about that stuff, either?

I Hate Beets

July 2, 2009

I hate them boiled, roasted, pickled and pureed. I hate them with orange vinegarette and in salads. I’ve tried every recipe that starts with “Even people who say they hate beets love this recipe…” (You would be amazed at the number of beet recipes that lead off with something along those lines, which tends to make me to believe that I must not be the only beet-hater out there.)

So why do I grow them? Well. My family loves beets, so I grow (and cook) the insipid things for them. I think it grossly unfair that in the intermixed gene pool that are my children, my food preferences seem not to be represented. I love mushrooms; no one else does. I love eggplant; no one else does. I love tofu; no one else does. On the other hand, Dave loves pizza; so do the kids. Dave loves olives; so do the kids. And, of course, Dave loves beets; and so do the kids.

What’s a beet-hater to do? Eat the tops. They are delicious.

Beet Greens Saute

1) Rough-chop the tops of the dreaded beets you will feed someone else
2) Heat about 2T olive oil in pan
3) Add 1-2 minced or chopped cloves of garlic. (Do not brown)
4) Add beet greens and stir until mostly wilted
5) Add a splash of balsamic vinegar*

*Of course, I could simply drink balsamic and be happy.)