I picked a ton of lettuce and prepared salads for my husband to go to work. The zucchini are gorgeous...look at that shine...you can't get that in the store unless there is wax and who knows what else on them. Most exciting is that my beets are doing fabulous this year. I picked three on Monday and I expect to pick many more the rest of this week.
The way I prepare them is wrap them up in aluminum foil with some olive oil and salt and roast them in the oven until they are soft. I cut off all the leaves, but I leave about an inch of stem left...that prevents your beets from "bleeding" out everywhere and making a terrible mess. Once they are baked, let them cool slightly and use a paper towel to rub the skin off. Really, it's quite easy and the mess is kept at a minimum. The family either eats them like that or I cube them up and put them in salads. It's quite delicious and makes me so happy to know it came from garden to table!
Another thing that is coming on like crazy around here are the raspberries. Oh, what joy! The kids pick them for me and rinse them off and put them in the freezer. Note: anyone who picks gets the special privilege of eating them!!! I then wait until they are all harvested (mine are the type that ripen all summer, not all at once) and I make raspberry mango jam--I call it the nectar of God because it is soooooo good!!!
I do have to scare the birds and squirrels off, but I don't mind sharing a few. Next year, I think I will be covering the whole patch with bird netting to keep the critters away. We have double the harvest of last year. I need to find some good raspberry recipes...feel free to share!!! I hope all is growing well for you! Blessings to you and have a lovely week.
