Because Pictures Speak So Much Louder Than Words...

I hate to even say it, but my garden is starting to wind down for the year. We have been enjoying fresh turnips all summer long, and they are wonderful, but I was looking to try something new with them. I had a few dozen still in the ground, so this morning the kids and I headed out to the garden for one final turnip harvest. We ate a bunch of them raw, and then I set about finding a good canning recipe for the rest. Below are photos of my newest creation... pickled turnips! It doesn't sound appetizing, but it is absolutely amazing!

It doesn't get much better than this...

These are the ingredients from last nights dinner:

Coho (Silver) Salmon I pulled straight from the ocean 2 days prior,
Turnip, Broccoli, Garden Peas, Radishes and Summer Squash, all fresh from my garden, mixed with a little olive oil and herbs from the herb garden.

I grilled the whole thing, and served it with some Basmati Rice.

My son thinks I'm the best cook in the whole world!

Harvesting the garden...

I can't believe that we are eating out of the garden already!  Last night, we ate our first head of Broccoli with dinner!  Broccoli is so yummy when its fresh from the garden!

Lily and I decided to do some more harvesting today... Lettuce, Turnip, Radishes, Lemon Balm and Cucumber for lunch, and more Broccoli for the freezer.

The tomato plants have all set fruit, and some of them are getting rather large already.  The squash has the biggest blossoms I have ever seen, and the little squashes are dark green and beautiful!  I'll follow up with some more pictures soon!

Weary of Winter

Its that time of year again.  The days are getting longer, the sun feels warmer, the weather starts to warm up... then you wake up the next morning and its -10F and you are knocked right back into reality.  This is February, in Alaska.  Spring is NOT just around the corner, although it is only about 2.5 months away now.

My mind is already on my garden.  I'm thinking about what I will be growing, where everything is going to be planted, how will the greenhouse be set up this year etc.  I have several things that I am sure will be in the garden, but I always try to plant one or two things I have never grown before.  Its not always a success, but its fun!  And that's a big part of having a garden, the fun of it!

What will I be growing for sure this year?

Tomato
Cucumber
Broccoli
Beans
Snap Pea
Summer Squash
Cabbage
Turnip
Lettuce
Radish
Kale
Carrot

Any suggestions from my readers for the "Something New" column?  What's your favorite "fun" plant to grow in the garden?

Turnips!

The turnip greens have been tasty all season, but I've really been waiting for the roots to bulb out.  Roasted turnips are soooo yummy!