The weather has been teasing the past couple days, with overcast skies and an occasional drizzle, but nothing of any real substance. I am immensely grateful that I finally invested in drip tape irrigation this spring. Instead of spending every morning hauling a hose through the garden (and grumbling when it flattens a plant instead of staying in the path), I simply turn on the spigot and let water seep through the drip tape for about an hour a couple times each week.
I’ve been picking beans, cucumbers, and tomatoes, and I plan to finally harvest the first of the cucamelons tomorrow! I also hope to get some of the garlic, which has been curing in the basement, trimmed and cleaned up for market on Saturday. Of course, I have garlic salt made from last year’s garlic, too, and it’s great on just about everything.
I took the platter in the image at the top of this post to a small gathering last weekend, and the Dragon Tongue beans were a hit! They’re at least as delicious fresh as they are cooked. I grew everything in that dish from seed, which is immensely satisfying (including the carrots, though the harvest has been very small so far).
Next Wednesday, July 24, is the special Christmas in July Evening Market, from 6 to 8 p.m. We have a great lineup of vendors with festive items alongside their usual offerings, including some special food. Check out the Facebook page for vendor spotlights (link above).
I don’t usually get excited about Christmas in July – it’s a bit of a strange concept – but I’ve been happily working away at a new festive crochet project: Christmas trees! These cute little evergreens stand on their own but will pack flat to take up minimal storage space. I also plan to bring mini stockings, as well as my usual crocheted offerings and, of course, fresh produce.
See you at the market!