Beginning to harvest

All of a sudden, the broccoli raab is ready! I picked and rinsed about 7 bunches and will pick more this afternoon. The individual plants are not that big, but the leaves are a nice deep green and each plant has small buds that look and taste like broccoli. Once the buds appear, the broccoli raab should be harvested as the florets quickly turn into bright yellow flowers. These flowers are edible, but it signals that the plant is moving past its prime.  For dinner last night I sauteed the broccoli raab in garlic and oil, added a couple of sausages, and sprinkled it with parmesan cheese.  Yummy! Broccoli raab is a bitter green that has a strong, nutty taste that I love. It is a good source of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as potassium, calcium, and iron. Good and good for you- what could be better!

I also picked arugula and spinach and  rinsed  it  for tonight's dinner. I bagged up the extra and put it out in the garage refrigerator for friends to buy.

It was a busy weekend out in the garden. Nancy weeded a large area and transplanted the eggplant. Judy transplanted the zucchini and summer squash and Marilyn planted the beans. I planted the pumpkin and watermellon along the perimeter fence. The leaves of these plants will get huge so I planted them in the good rich soil of the garden and will train the vines to grow outward into the yard. 

I finally marked off a central path that bisects the garden. I will try to keep mostly on the path when getting around the garden and try to avoid stepping all over the place which is compacting the soil everywhere.

The landscapers cut the grass and dumped it on the compost pile. I added wood ash and leaves as I continue to build the pile. It is about halfway to being 4 feet tall at which point I will let it sit and cook for the summer. I'll start another pile for the new weeds and garden debris.

The tomatoes look a lot happier in their new, larger pots. I put up sturdy stakes and began transplanting them to the garden. I removed the lower leaves and planted them deep to encourage vertical roots to develop all along the stems which will anchor the plants.  I'm not sure how many to plant and of course my 'more is better' instinct is urging me to plant more.  I can feel myself caving because really, can you ever have too many tomatoes?

Nancy was busy transplanting peppers when I left for work this morning. It is a beautiful sunny day and I hope to pick up where she left off as soon as I get home!