A Garden Learning Moment

The honeysuckle was smelling sweet on our walk tonight.  The pups charged ahead, Guinness in the lead, and McNibs not far from me, as is their usual.  The hay in the back field has been cut, and rolled into large, round bales.  It's a pretty spot, back there.

     I had a garden learning moment this evening.  I learned from Google that rutabaga leaves are edible. But then those purple-topped vegetables in the garden I'd been told were rutabagas turned out to be turnips.  They had none of the earthy sweetness I love in rutabagas, just that unpleasant hot taste.  Oh well, good thing there will be plenty else to eat, because these are all for Joseph.   I'm still working on cleaning out the freezer from last year's harvest, so okra and patty pan squash are on the menu.  There are also little potatoes, from last year's harvest.  We tried something new with our potatoes that Joseph remembers his grandfather doing.  We stored them on the ground in the woods, with lots of pine straw over them, a sprinkling of lime to keep insects at bay, and topped with tin.  They lasted wonderfully well  for months this way.   Around February, the quality started deteriorating, but lo and behold, they began making potatoes.  Free food, with no added work.  What's not to like? 

There are 13 new quarts of lima beans on the pantry shelf, and 4 1/2 quarts of crowder peas cooling.  Oh, I hope our sweet corn does well this year!  That Southern delicacy of crowder peas and corn is good eating.  Wishing you a wonderful weekend, friends!