Garden Update (and a winning post) !!!!!!

I haven’t posted anything about our garden this year, primarily because I always think I will jinx it.

Well, I have to brag so here goes nothing!

IMAG1392 — Our tiny Red Haven peach tree—loaded.

We picked about five pounds of peaches off this tree last weekend and I made peach marmalade from Rachel Saunders’ Blue Chair Jam Cookbook . It was a two day process but well worth it.

Our white peaches are not quite ready yet.

IMAG1400 — We are hoping they might be ready for eating this weekend.

I planted some zucchini that was meant for containers.

IMAG1397 — In fact, we grilled one last night—delicious!

It is called Astia and I ordered it from Renee’s Garden. It is a French bush variety, developed for container growing. It grows in a non-rambling, compact squash vines and the vines are ornamental, early bearing and productive. So far, we have harvested three beauties.

The first tomatoes are ready to pick.

IMAG1404 — There’s nothing better than the first tomatoes! Now if we can just keep the rabbits away from gnawing at them!

Earlier this spring, I ordered a grab bag full of seeds from Sustainable Seed Company. I got a lot of things I would never have ordered but was glad to get. I planted some giant pumpkins, some baby pumpkins, some Casaba and some watermelon. (I took the rest to school for our school garden.)

IMAG1406 — We just went to the garden and these are doubling by day! This is a Mammoth Gold variety.

IMAG1409 — Babies. A Jack-Be-Little pumpkin.

The cucumbers are vining up the hoop house but no production yet.

And the “vineyard”…

IMAG1413 — Will we have enough to make wine?

I know it takes 34 pounds to make a case of wine. I don’t think we will have that many, alas.

Finally, our latest project—a bee hive. They are loving the beauty berry bush.

IMAG1417 — It is really hard to catch a picture of a fast moving busy bee.

I hope I didn’t jinx this and I hope I have more garden posts soon!

Now for the winning portion of this post!

Please check out my winning post. I was so honored that David Kamp, the author of the latest Cook the Books selection, The United States of Arugula, chose my post as the winner. He actually read my blog and even commented on my smoked goat cheese:

Probably the least aesthetically pleasing of the entries, looking, in its final state, like something removed from a patient rushed into emergency surgery after collapsing in abdominal pain. But this was the recipe that I read and thought “Good god, this is something I must try as soon as I am able!”

I am honored! 🙂 Kamp said my goat cheese looked like an un-needed anatomical part! (Tee-hee!)

Seriously, I am laughing out loud right now!

Please check out the rest of the Cook the Books participants.