Crops!!!

The real test of the garden is not the pictures, although I have documented in pixels the progress of the 'crops'. No - the real test is production!!!! We kept our expectations low, this was our first real season of gardening here, and we had only done the one raised bed, and.....we just didn't expect much. We have been very pleasantly surprised.

This was the first morning I had to take a basket out to get it all in (and yes I did miss that monster zucchini several days running, it was standing upright!) think the cucumbers are about every 3 days now for picking, same for the squash, we should have our first crooknecks in a couple of days as well. The real excitement for me was the cabbage. I did not know what to expect and they looked so small from the top that I was prepared for 'nothing much'. They are perfect, They are very heavy with tightly packed leaves and the flavor is very good, next post we do kraut! We are definitely thinking we will plant cabbage in the fall garden as well.  

I resolved to add more recipes to the blog and so here is the first of my new pledge!

This is summer comfort food for me! This works with store bought veggies but is so much more satisfying with fresh!!

Gomen Salat (Cucumber salad)

Half and Half (straight cream or a combo of sweet and sour cream)

Cucumbers sliced thin – peel especially if they are bitter

3 or 4 hard boiled eggs – chopped

Sliced green onion (½ to whole medium onion)

Salt to taste - Pepper if you like

Let sit refrigerated for flavors to mix

My 'German from Russia' grandmother made this and her recipe is in the parenthesis, my recipe is how I like it. I like it a little less rich and even use 2% milk these days. I like pepper in it (Grandma never put pepper in anything white - said it looked like fly specks!) and an overnight set in the fridge to let the flavors mingle is good. This salad is a taste that takes me right back to grandmas kitchen as a kid! I am sure the genesis of this recipe is frugality - everything in it was produced on the farm, grandma had a huge garden, chickens and they milked for many years.

I will post this here today as my tribute to the 250th anniversary year of Catherine the Great inviting the Germans (her people) to come to Russia for free land!