Half(ish) Through 2021 Update

James with the first of the squash from the 2021 harvest.  Squash make up the majority of what I eat in the winter.

It's official, I have made it 1 year on vegetables that I grew in my very own backyard and with plenty to spare!!!

Let's not misconstrue that though, I have most certainly been to the store and I have most certainly eaten out.  However those are both optional for me now.  I don't have to go to the store unless I really really really want that tub of ice cream or chips or chocolate or whatever my latest craving is.  I also don't have to eat out unless I want to, which makes eating out much more enjoyable when I do partake.

Food security is what I now have!  Your average chump has to go to the store and/or eat out whenever they are hungry.  I do not, I can cook my own meals from my own vegetables whenever I want or I can eat out if I want, it's MY choice.  Now that is what food security is all about.

Harvesting Garlic

The mountain of garlic that you can work up to if you continuously plant your largest garlic cloves year after year.  This is only 68.92 lbs (31.26 kilos) of garlic.

Harvesting garlic is easy to do once you know how to recognize when your garlic is ready to be harvested.  Since the bulbs grow underground you don’t really have any way to tell for certain until you pull one of the heads up but there are a few signs that you can use to recognize when your garlic is ready for harvesting!

Garlic Scapes: The Underappreciated Tasty Treat

Garlic scapes ready to be harvested.

If you’re growing garlic, you may have noticed stalks growing out of the tops of the plant with a small bulb forming on each one.  This stalk is your garlic scape.  It is edible, incredibly delicious and can be enjoyed in a variety of ways.  If you’re not growing garlic, you can find them at the farmers market or your favorite local farm and the tempura recipe below is a great way of enjoying them as well as any other vegetables that you find yourself having lots of.