What a bountiful summer it has been so far. Despite the late spring, my garden is in great production.
This is a small portion of one of the three pea fences in my garden. They are loaded and I might add, absolutely delicious. I know some people feel that growing peas is too laborious, at least the picking, and shelling part. I must say, I love the picking, but love way more the shelling.
A wonderful rhythm happens...I sit somewhere out of doors with the peas on my lap, an empty bucket on the ground to my left, and a bowl on the table to my right...oh, and my dog, Sapala at my feet...
...she eagerly awaits the juicy shells, which she immediately chews up...
Somehow the rhythm of shelling the peas is not unlike the rhythm of weaving, meditative and calming...I can't help but recall my maternal grandmother, with whom we lived until her death when I was twelve, and her huge garden out back of our house. She loved to garden, and she was a master. I remember trailing after her summer day after summer day, as she tended the vegetables or the grape vines. I recall sitting alongside of her, a pan of peas on our laps, and snapping the ends, popping open the pod, slipping our thumb to the top, and gently pulling down, gathering the peas in our hands. What a glorious upbringing I had, day after day out of doors, wandering among the vines and the garden vegetables. In the fall, going in and out of the basement as the 'ladies' 'put up' all that we grew. I know that my grandmother often works alongside of me in my garden, I can sense her presence in the hot sun, toiling and sweating right next to me...loving the earth and its bounty.
...sauteed in a little butter, with onions and garlic and just a touch of nutmeg....
Lettuce is still coming and is not yet bitter...
...and the strawberries...
What a season it has been. I have frozen more bags then I can count, this morning I made and froze three pies, so there are now 4 strawberry pies in the freezer. We have eaten strawberries plain, with yogurt, in cheesecake and in cobblers. I am not sick of them, and kind of regret that I believe today will be the last picking.
I love the bounty of summer. I love dinner time, when Freddie and I sit down to a meal gleaned from the garden that very day. We are truly blessed!
1 comment:
A blessing in deed! The only thing ready in my garden is kale, but the cherry tomatoes are soon to be ripening. I'm hoping to make strawberry freezer jam later this week. I'm down to my last container from last year....yikes!!!
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