Oh, hey! I’m alive! Yep, it’s true. I made it through the new year. I do still exist.
Nick and I flew out to Boston for the holidays and I pretty much abandoned everything else. I had a few posts ready to work on while we were on vacation, but once we got there I just wanted to spend time with friends and family, and not think about staring at my computer. So things got a little quiet around here. But I’m so glad we just focused our time on our trip because we had such a great time.
While we were gone, we had our first frost so a few of my lingering summer veggies kicked the bucket– jalapenos, potatoes and green beans. The heartier winter veggies made it through and are still growing!
The short winter days are making it harder to garden. It’s dark when I wake up and it’s dark when I get home from work. With no daylight to harvest veggies in, this is how I am gardening these days:
I’m so cool, rocking the headlamp. I know, you’re jealous.
Headlamps, however, do not make for good photographing. Oh well.
Anyways… Here’s what happened in the garden in the weeks before we left for vacation!
I picked TONS of green beans! I’m glad they produced when they did, since the plants didn’t quite survive the frost.
This salad was a masterpiece choc full of garden veggies. From the garden, it included: curly kale, Russian red kale, green beans, wax beans, sugar snap peas, carrots, potatoes and onion tops (which taste like milder green onions). I’m pretty proud. I love walking in the back yard to make dinner! In other news– yes, we eat salads out of mixing bowls. Don’t judge. We like our salads large and in charge!
These beets. OMG! We love beets in our house so I’m so excited that ours grew so big and fast this year. We’ve been eating beets nonstop!
You can also eat the beet greens. You can cook them just like any other green, so of course we like them cooked in bacon grease. Nothing like a pork fat to health-en up your veggies. 😉
Fresh garden beets and beet greens served up with roasted garden carrots and a little ravioli for this carb-lover. We almost always top our roasted beets with toasted walnuts, blue or goat cheese crumbles and a little balsamic vinegar. Such a perfect combination of flavors.
Sometimes my veggies don’t make it into dinner. Like when I think they are big enough to pick… but they really just turn out to be weird little mutants! How funny is this carrot(s?)!?
And last, but certainly not least, how pretty is this butter lettuce!? I am so surprised, but this lettuce has survived a coupled frosts. Should be ready for pickin’ soon!
Veggies are a big part of our life year round, but for you New Years resolutioners looking to add a little green, I hope you have a super veggie-filled January! Stay tuned for some big changes coming up ’round here this year!
Happy New Year! Still loving all your gorgeous veggies!
So glad you had a good holiday, Jess! All of those veggies look delicious! And that salad is amazing, yum! Have a great weekend!
Thanks, Gayle!!
I’ve eaten beets before, but I’ve never cooked them myself. I’d love to see more beet suggestions, especially for those of us who are noobs. Haha!
Will do!! In the meantime…. the BEST way to roast them: cut off the ends, wrap them in foil and roast at 450 for about 50 minutes. After you pull them out and let them cool a bit, the skin peels away easily. They are SOOOOO sweet and tender cooked this way!!
*Wrap them individually!
Your gardening inspires me! I am going to try really hard to have a garden without killing everything this year!
Yay!! Do it!! Seriously, I knew NOTHING about gardening… I still don’t really… but it’s just fun to try, and when you have successes it’s awesome!
Haha, those carrots are hilarious looking! And, I’ve also been known to eat my salads out of huge mixing bowls too 🙂 I’m glad that you guys had a great holiday season and got to visit with your family! I’ve been having trouble keeping up with everything during the holidays too, but finally feel like things are quieting down a bit!
I love funny carrots… the instagram hashtag #naughtycarrots is quite amusing….
Oh my gosh, I just LOVE that you are still getting so many veggies! Also, I’m more than a little jealous of those big gorgeous beets! Send your extras on up my way—it’s so cold here, veggie gardens are the furthest thing from my mind! 😉
Beets are seriously my favorite thing ever! It’s finally a little too cold for herbs, so I planted a few in the kitchen and we’ll see how they do growing indoors!
You are one lucky lady having all those fresh veggies at your disposal! I love all those fresh salads and veggie dishes — they look amazing! Glad you had a nice time away, Jess. It’s always good to take a break! 🙂
Thanks, Marcie!! It’s definitely awesome to live in a place where we can grow year-round!
I am so jealous that you have fresh winter veggies in your garden! And that headlamp. Just awesome. 🙂
LOL!! I just hope my neighbors don’t peek over the fence to see what the crazy lady next door is doing! 😉
Good for you for taking a break! It’s important to take some time to yourself and enjoy family. Welcome back! I love looking at pictures of your bountiful garden. Such a great harvest! And that carrot is so funny looking, ha!
So glad you’re back to blogging Jess! It was probably great to just focus on family! Welcome back to your blogging family!
You are still kicking butt with your garden, that is amazing to me! Love that you cooked your veggies up with some bacon! Yum! Looks like you are starting the new year off great!!
Your garden bounty looks so beautiful! You and Brooklyn Farm Girl have inspired me to try a garden this year. But it will be very small. 🙂