Photo: Great grandparents at their farm in Blandinsville, IL, with five of their six children .. my grandpa was yet a twinkle in grandma's eye. Stable boy and governess also pictured. Hodges farm, circa 1903-4

Saturday, July 25, 2009


Digging for Yukon Gold ....

potatoes that is. In April I planted several rows of these delicious golden nugget seed potatoes along with a few rows of red 'new' potatoes. Yesterday a few were harvested, boiled, mashed with half and half, sprinkled with sea salt, and infused with a mix from my mini blender of butter and fresh basil. The result ... heaven! Add a quick stir fry of tender pork loin strips with freshly picked carrots, onion, and garden sugar peas .. and we dined on a delicious and easy meal. No gravy required ;)

Eating from the garden is akin to having dined on food kissed by a technicolor rainbow. The flavor explodes with rich 'colors' not found in store bought fare. All those years growing up .. eating canned veggies and hamburger helper ... years 'wasted' food wise ;(

My best childhood memories of food always drift back to visiting with relatives during the month of July that lived on farms in Illinois .. or had backyard gardens and home canned foods. We in the USA have grown accustomed to over processed, chemically altered, blah foods that hold no candle to nutrition and/or taste compared to home grown food. I encourage anyone that hasn't planted a garden to start planning for next year to give it a try. Even if you just try growing tomatoes and herbs in containers on your back deck or patio ... it's a start to wake up the inner gardener inside all of us.

artwork credit here

9 comments:

Cindy said...

This makes me want to go to one of the roadside stands that are abundant in my area and buy up more fresh veggies. I did that earlier this week and we enjoyed zucchini, tomatoes, green peppers, onions, eggplant and even fried green tomatoes!

Kathryn said...

Oh, i so agree! I'm slow to doing "real" gardening, but am taking baby steps with container items.

Thanks for sharing - but now you've made me hungry!

LynnS said...

Being in Idaho, it's almost an obligation to grow 'taters, now isn't it?!!

Many of my memories are garden activities, plenty of veges to eat and sell at a roadside stand that my brother and I did. We got to keep all of the money, so that gave us the motivation to pick more strawberries, squash, corn, maters, etc.....

Pat said...

A few blocks from me, there were two houses where two elderly men competed with their fresh vegtable stands every summer. I used to always stop and buy from both. Sadly they have passed on and now no one has veggie stands. It inspired me to just grow my own. I don't have as much property as they did, but I can grow enough for my use.
I have to say it is one of my greatest pleasures. NOTHING tastes as good as home grown!

Mrs. Mac said...

At one home that we rented, we had two peach, one tangerine, and a lime tree in the backyard. My mom would let me take the produce to sell around the neighborhood in little paper bags .. perhaps from a wagon. Sometimes we would just put up a sign on the gate to come and help yourself to our abundance.

DarcyLee said...

There's nothing like eating something you've grown yourself. Although I just grow a few tomatoes, a couple of pepper plants, and basil, it just is so satisfying to eat your own produce.

Felisol said...

Dear Mrs. Mac,
You are special.
I don't understand how you find time for all your praiseworthy activities.

I'm content with my herbs and my berries. That is, I don't have the strength to do more.
Two years ago I set some potatoes. They stood so fine with fine flowers and leaves. Who forgot to take them up in September, yours truly.

On your other blog I read about your potato bread. I'd like to learn the recipe of that, since we are not much into wheat bread.

Sometime when your harvesting time is over.
From Felisol

DarcyLee said...

I have something for you over at my blog :)

donna said...

I love my gardens....absolutely love em

hugs
donna