The mystery vegetable. Or root. Or whatever... Food, anyway.

I had a friend ask me to grow some Kohlrabi for her this year.  Oddly, Doc usually asks, didn't.  But anyway, I grew a large-ish patch for her.  I also ended up with some other items I stuck in, so hopefully it will be a nibble fest for the family. 

I had to look up that, I guess it's classified as a vegetable.  I saved about 2 or three of the little ones, so I can try them myself.  They have a pretty pronounced smell, sort of broccoli like.  I gather that you can use the leaves for eating, too. 

I might have to try and slice some up, and eat it raw, then cook another one, to see what they are like. 

I have some yellow, and green zucchini, and apples.  And some bought carrots, so that is the unmistakable time to make Zucchini bread.  Mom gave me her recipe, and I love it that way.

 I have had a foodie insult me- that type of quick bread just isn't something you would love, it's just plebeian food.  Of course, this was the same dork that wanted my knitting needles that I using on a sock, because she'd forgotten a chop stick or some other tool when making Danish Pancake Balls (Aebleskiver).  I didn't give her my needles, and she was less than charming the few times I went to her classes.

 I have decided that food is one of those things that is so personal, you can't really recommend it to people, without a provision, that it's what YOU like.  I have waxed poetic about a place that sells ribs, only to be told that barbecue is not as good as rub. (?? I like both!!) I have told people how much I enjoyed an Italian restaurant, and the bread has oil for the sop.  They hmmmed, then asked for butter.  I enjoy 13 bean soup, and my personal creation, Lazy Gardener's Soup, my husband... tolerates it, if he has to. Dad doesn't like some of the sodas I do.

I even remember giving a recipe to a friend some time ago, and she came back furious, it made her sick!  I couldn't fathom why it would, and asked her to tell me what she did.  Well, she said she didn't have any oranges, so she substituted cherries, and she didn't have peanut butter, so she used bananas, and put in an egg, because it didn't look thick enough... (sigh, and she blames ME??)

 And I could go on.  But the point is, I think I will just say, I have had it, you should try it...

And not take the blame if they don't like it!

Veggie P*rn.

Hopefully that didn't get anyone's spam checker in a panic.

Yes, it is the time for the books with all those wonderful photos, luscious, primo, just out of the garden lovelies.  And the veggies, too. HA!

I received my usual bunch, and decided to go with two companies.  Unfortunately, a lot of the companies sending out veggie catalogs have devolved since I first started buying from them.  Some have changed ownership, some have less than charming customer service, some just don't have anything that will grow in this area.  Or at least outside.  (I would still love to grow a Paw Paw, though... But I would have to grow it in the house, I suppose.)

So, I have one order out to Texas, where they have a couple items that looked neat, and I couldn't find locally.  I also have an order out, to a town... Just a very short distance away.  I found out about them almost by accident, at a seed swap.

We have seed exchanges all around nearby, and they have other items, too.  This particular one had tools, and catalogs.  I looked at one tool, and asked how much.  She said, "do you need it?"  Yes.  It was a... Okay, I have no clue what the actual name of the tool is, I refer to it as a dandelion popper.  Husband says it's a weeder.  It looks like this...  She smiles, says, it's yours.  Cool! :)

I then found a table of catalogs, after raiding the seed table, and making my donations of seeds I didn't use.  I found the company, and thought they sounded familiar.  Hmm.  Looked it up, Oh My Word, it's just the next town over!  One of these days I will have to see if I can go there in person, but for now I just order from the catalog.  A LOT from the catalog... I will see if I get a response, the first time I ordered, they have a blank page on the back of the order page. It mentions that they would like to see what your garden is, or put a picture of something, just have fun.  So, I drew my garden, and put in my Buzz kitty, showed our "plant prison fencing" with ravenous deer outside of it.  I received a personal reply with the order saying it was on the wall in the packing area, 'cause it tickled everyone so!

So, when I ordered this time, I put a little cartoon of sorts, loosely based on an actual event.  One of my cats loved to sit in the shade, and had picked a spot under one of the broad leafed veggies, crookneck, I think.  Anyway, one of the chickens was exploring, before I figured out where she was getting in the garden at, and I just watched.  Obviously, the cat thought he was invisible, all that was showing, was a flicking tail.  The hen, for some reason, decided this must be a most tasty morsel.

CHOMP!

Next thing I know, the cat is going straight up through the leaves, screeching, the chicken doesn't let go immediately, and the fight is on.  No one was hurt, much, but between dignity damage, dinner let down, and general mayhem, not much was successful at that point!

The cat was not so inclined to be benign to the chickens after that, he stayed away frome them, and hissed wildly if they came anywhere close.  I covered the chicken "leak" in the garden, and so he was safe from future attacks.

So, who knows, I might give them a laugh, and then I get some goodies from the local area, that I will make into dinner at a later date!  Stickers and poppies and beans, Oh, My!!!