Eat What You Sow

Hopefully your fall garden is starting to yield some tasty treats. We have started eating salad and beet greens; the summer squash will be ready later in the week.

If you are a new gardener or one like me that has had some "fallow" time, sometimes it's hard to get into the habit of shopping for groceries in your own yard versus the supermarket. It's probably a whole new experience for your family too. I try to cruise through the garden every day and pick whatever is ready. Doing this also gets me in the mindset of how the food should be prepared and moved into recipes that take advantage of the bounty.

It's hard work keeping up with the harvest and trying to eat every single thing that you grow. You can never slack off or you get those two foot long zucchini or radishes that resemble boulders. Not to mention the lovely blooms you get off of salad greens that have decided not to wait around and shoot up tough flower stalks. Uneaten produce also attracts unwanted bugs, birds and critters to step in and pick up the slack.

What then? You can always become a home canner and preserve your produce for later consumption. I also freeze some things like beans and squash. I always find that the neighbors enjoy free fruit and vegetables. You can be a big hit at work too by bringing in care packages. I am a big proponent of donating to local food banks (not all take fresh food though so call ahead) or soup kitchens. If all else fails, don't be afraid to pull the plants up and toss them in the compost bin. This frees up space to plant something else that you aren't sick of eating.

I have found that over the years my husband and I can't wait to snack in the yard. If we don't have something outside we can eat, we wander around the house aimlessly. Nothing looks good at the store and cooking isn't fun anymore. You just can't survive on chips and salsa. But now, all is right with the world. Our fresh limes and lemon grass make a killer Thai soup. Our European greens are hot and spicy and perfect with grilled chicken. I can't wait to see what will be ripe tomorrow!