Veggie-tastic

This year we decided to go together with our neighbor and split a full share of crops from a local farmer. Our garden has been a bit neglected recently since being pregnant through last Summer and having two little ones around this Summer (I can't believe Lilly will be ONE in August!). So we let the strawberries take over half the garden this year and only planted a few green peppers and tomatoes (basically b/c I found a guy selling them for $1 for four plants). I tried planting herbs, but forgot to mention that I did so to Scott and when he went in to plant the maters and peppers he thought the herbs were weeds and raked 'em all up. I actually found a few that survived while I was out weeding the other day, so I'm gonna try to nurture them. Our strawberries are producing wonderfully! I pick a big bowl each day. We've had strawberry salads, strawberry Jello, strawberry shortcake and I'm planning to try a recipe for Strawberry Oatmeal Muffins. I'll let you know how that goes.

So anyway - we get a delivery each Tuesday and this week was our second one. The lack of rain or early warm weather kept the crops a little late - we were suppose to start getting them in May. So the first week we got four radishes (which were so yummy), a handful of green onions and a bag of mixed green lettuce. This week though we got a BIG bag of shell peas, a handful of green onions, a larger bunch of radishes and two kohlrabi. Woohoo!!! I thought the peas were sugar snap peas, but one bite quickly made me realize that was not so. WAAY too stringy and hard to eat.

Scott - the pea hater - willingly shelled all the peas for me! This action is what they call irony, I think. I had a picture of him actually shelling, but it also had my right sink full of dishes in the shot and I can't have you all seeing that! I attempted to make Pea Salad with them (after cooking them of course), but it failed miserably and thankfully no one but me felt the sting of loss.

Is it weird that I am happily surprised on Tuesday when I know the veggies are coming? It's exciting! What WILL it be this week!? I wonder. I'll take a picture of the booty next Tuesday so you can all see what I'm getting. Hey - and you know what? Check out this farmer's website. Maybe this is where our community will be headed - buying from local farmers instead of from the too high priced grocery stores. If I could just find a banana and grape farmer nearby - I'd be set.


And completely off topic, but just to make you smile...here's Lilly in her tennis gear and cheer pom-pom. I could eat her face!