Garlicky

The first thing we did upon returning home, before unpacking, even, was to harvest our garlic. It was long overdue, and we were very excited, being seasoned (heh) garlic-lovers. Still adjusting to the time difference, Kate woke up in the wee hours of Sunday morning and just had to pull one of those brown stalks out of the ground.

The result is pretty rewarding. Fresh garlic has a very different character from the kind at the grocery store. It's crisper, with the texture of an apple, and the flavor is milder. We made a loaf of garlic bread with 5 cloves, and the result was pleasant, not overwhelming. This week we'll be roasting some to spread on bread or toss with pasta and zucchini.

Now is the time to order more garlic for next year, and Kate is eager to get a softneck variety so she can dry the garlic in one of those braids that you can hang up and snip off a head whenever you need it. You can't do that with the hardneck kind. We also wanted to grow some softnecks so we would have scapes in the spring, but although the scapes we got from our CSA share were unique and tasty, they weren't the revelation we had hoped they'd be.

Next up: The full report.

Lazy Hazy

We're overdue for an update. Things have been so darn crazy around here, and the garden has been just plodding along, doing its thing. Nico's hands are stained purple with black raspberry juice. He loves identifying and picking the ripe ones himself. We were surprised to see our first two ripe tomatoes yesterday. Since we're leaving on vacation in about 6 hours, this photo essay will have to suffice as an update.

One last thing: RIP, broccoli. Whoever stripped every last one of your leaves--we'll get you someday! (Imagine me shaking my fist at the sky as I shout that.)

the jungle

ampuis pepper

RIP broccoli

zucchini and melons

anticipation