Friday, July 26, 2013

The Truth is in the Taste





Yesterday was a frantic work day. I not only had to accomplish some honey extraction and then deal with the cleanup but I also had a truckload of wood chips to get spread out and needed to wash up some bottles for the extracted honey. To make matters worse the Mrs. and I were also preparing dinner almost completely out of our own home grown food.

This takes much more work than normal. I think it's kinda ironic that Summer is usually when we resort to frozen and quick meals around here. The truth is after working all day neither one of us ever feels like cooking and then there is the aspect of storing the grown stuff which is a daily extra (but tasty) chore as well now.

We each pick on the other some when it comes to growing things. The Mrs. has her raised beds and I have the garden. I had been adding some raised bed areas to the actual garden but as I found out with the original raised beds as soon as my wife sees one, she jumps on it faster than Demon Kitten on a butterfly. She claimed my new raised bed for more potatoes and (yuck) Okra already.

Anyway one thing we always pick on each other for is choices of plants. The Mrs. has a thing for carrots but carrots really do not do well around here so she has been on a years long mission of carrot growing and has achieved results worthy of eating. My nemesis is corn I am determined to get a decent corn crop and usually fail due to wind damage and bugs. Another problematic plant for us has been potatoes but we both worked on that one. Like carrots potatoes do not do well in the heavy soils of the Small-Hold so we have been putting them in raised beds as well.

While we tease each other about the other's nemesis plants we were each pleasantly surprised last night. Mrs. PP raved about one of my new corn varieties which is a red corn that has a nutty flavor and I marveled at her carrots that even after a good roasting just exploded with carrot flavor. Sadly we have used all of our butchered lamb for this year so we had to use a store bought pork for dinner but the tomatoes, corn, carrots and potatoes were all ours and all fresh from the garden.

You can imagine how much extra time was added with digging and picking, shucking and cleaning off the dirt, etc. etc. etc.

Sustainable, self sufficient living is going to take a lot of prep time. Always remember that but as we are pleasantly reminded of each year the taste cannot be beat. Those who live by store bought vegetables just do not realize the extra flavors they are missing out on. Even a confirmed carnivore like myself consumed these fresh veggies with gusto.

So this morning it has been raining and now once again I am way behind. The rain is delaying the bottle drying I needed and it is cool enough that the honey isn't flowing well but relaxing all morning sure has made my tired muscles feel better.

And besides the rain was welcomed as we were getting close to needing to hand water deeply of we didn't get a bit of moisture. Still running good here I don't think we have gone a full week this Summer without some rain and I can't complain about that.

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!


10 comments:

  1. What a wonderful story about you and Mrs. PP. I could almost taste the corn and carrots. Lots of work for sure but so worth the effort. I don't have a garden but my daughter does and I'll be driving to her home for some home grown veggies. Next year the raspberries will be ready. I so enjoy the things you write.

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    1. eileen - your gonna make me blush :)

      I plant a huge garden and give so much stuff away but it isn't in vain. I am gaining skills that I believe will be valuable in the near future. The way I figure it it won't be long until local produce will be cheaper than trucked in stuff. Eventually yes I would like to branch out into becoming a full fledged organic farmer.

      Thank you for your kind words.

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  2. We are going to try and hit a farmers market one of these days. Fresh from the garden is always good. Keep up the good work.

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    1. Rob - Eventually I hope to be selling at a farmers market I think. It looks like that is the way this is heading anyway.

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    2. Farmers markets (versus fruit stands) is the way to go.

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  3. PP,

    Have you tried planting sweet potatoes? They seem to do really well here in our neck of Oklahoma.

    Nothing beats fresh vegetables from your own garden for dinner. The red corn, it has a nutty taste? I haven't tried red corn, maybe next spring I'll pickup some seeds to plant.

    I love it when your wife snatches up the garden boxes for her vegetables OKRA, Yum!!!!!

    It rained here pretty hard in the early morning hours, I think we got about 4- 5 inches in 1 hour.

    Keep Prepping :-)

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    1. Sweet Sandy - After the post I believe Glock mom made about sweet potatoes I am not sure I can plant them with out having urges. LOL. No really we haven't no one has mentioned wanting them or I prolly would have.

      Rained here all day as well. Only about an inch worth though but still it was welcomed. I figure the fall flow is going to rock.

      And Okra is the YUCK

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  4. ALL YOUR CORNS AND CARROTS ARE BELONG TO ME!!! no really - i would kill for that corn! i love corn! i have had all kinds of varieties from farmer's markets but nothing beats pulling corn right off the plant and eating it - oh i love it! and when it comes to home-grown carrots - don't even bother washing them - bahahaahahah! it sounds like you had a gorgeous meal...one i wish i could have shared!

    (ya, i know the joke might be getting old but ya know...) your friend,
    kymber

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    1. kymber it never gets old :)

      The potatoes this year are divine not sure what kind we got to grow but they are just wonderful and yellowish. We had enough for ya, even had some leftovers with tonight's meal would have been happy to set ya a place.

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    2. bahahahahah! i am so glad that your potatoes are so good - we love our potatoes. sure do wish i could have made it to supper! thanks buddy!

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