The Veggies are Coming! The Veggies are Coming!

Here in Vermont, in case you haven’t heard, we had what some folks, biblical or otherwise, might refer to as a FLOOD.   While most people were drawing up architectural plans for an arc, our family was figuring out how we  might push a roto-tiller through a swamp or wondering if the chicken coop would float with a dog, cat, toddler and two adults on top.   In the end, the water did recede, but alas, took all of our soil’s nutrients with it.  As a family, we are currently in the process of turning chicken poop into black gold.  If that sentence makes no sense to you visit this article to learn more, but in the meantime, our gold has not yet come in and our garden went into spring nutrient free (at some point I will give you more information on all the ways chickens rock, right down to their pooh, but that is for a different night).  This year we planted with high hopes and short seedlings.  It is mid-July and  we still have short seedlings.   The good news, with some love and Epsom salt we are starting to see our plants spring to life.  The tomatoes and peppers are booming with fruit.   The broccoli plants look good, they just need broccoli.  The cucumbers are coming and by the weekend we may have our first batch of sweet relish.   I can’t really talk about lettuce, because this year the lettuce not only adapted but spread.  If only the rest of the salad would arrive, then we would be in business.   Tonight, however, my hope was renewed when I pulled the seasons first zucchini out of the garden.  Sautéed in butter with caramelized onions it was the perfect addition to the chili rubbed pork chops that were flaming up on the grill.   If you have ONLY ever eaten zucchini from the store, you have no idea what you are missing.  The flavor and texture were like fireworks in our mouths.  So in short, if you have a garden, do not let this late season get you down, the veggies are coming.  Perhaps some more than others, but they are coming nonetheless.  If you don’t have a garden, late or otherwise, than get to your local farmer’s market this weekend and get some fresh zucchini of your own, because it was well worth the wait!!!

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