WFP: Love and beans…
I’m happy to report that my first big canning session is done… and it was accomplished at a mere 2 days postpartum! Crazy, no? I think it’s hilarious. Basically what happened was when my family came to meet little Asa on Saturday they also saw that I had a crazy amount of bush beans that were on the verge of being overripe! Before I knew it a bunch of them had rolled up their sleeves and harvested what they could. They tipped a bunch and put them all in my fridge in big bags, and then promised to return to help me deal with them.
So many beans! There’s more, too. We’ll likely do a batch of dilly beans this week. I love those!! I’m amazed already by this harvest- we planted them in just two raised beds!
So Monday my mom took the day off work and came by with my friend to help me get these suckers canned! I would have just taken the easy route and frozen them, but they were just a little too ripe for that- so canning would soften them just enough to keep them yummy.
They also went through the garden and harvested all this. I think stuffed squash is in my future. The garden is really getting productive already!
The view from my kitchen window that night. So much love! Seriously, I couldn’t have been happier with the kind of energy I received that day. A little sore, unable to do much myself because I’m recovering from having a baby two days before… and some of my favorite people came and showed me just how well they know me and care for my family. It was beautiful.
The result. It’s the first installment in my root cellar for the year. Definitely a project this month is to clean that place out and get it really organized for the fall.
Anyway, a big part of why I love food the way that I do is for exactly these reasons. It not only nourishes people, but it brings them together for a common purpose. While it seems like a small thing, having my loved ones pull together to help keep us from losing some of our harvest was a real message of love and respect for what we’re doing. Not to mention all the other family and friends who have brought us food each day so that we won’t have to make it. I have visions of years to come- full of gardening and canning, helping loved ones recover, simple and beautiful meals around a breezy outdoor table… It’s a happy time in my life, and it makes me proud to welcome Asa into such a great community of people.
And for good measure- Vera, in nothing but an apron, helping Papa make omelets this morning. My little naked chef.
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I spy a nudist at that dinner table! Hee hee.
Seriously, though, that’s a wonderful picture and this is a wonderful post. I love the story of everyone pitching in to pick beans.
I know! I can’t keep clothes on the girl. Our neighbors have taken to calling her “nature girl”.
🙂
I love that window picture, that’s the definition of family right there. And I completely agree with your little nudist. Her choices of garden and kitchen wear closely match my own.
I’m becoming completely jealous of your garden. We’ve barely had a summer out here and everything is so far behind, it’s unbelievable. It’s almost August and I’m still picking snow peas.
Hahaha, your comments always make me laugh.
I’m so sorry about your garden! Hopefully August will be more fruitful. We’ve had these waves of wet and hot, and it’s caused everything to ripen faster than I anticipated! I’m hoping you’ll do more posting about your garden- I’m always interested!
I wish there was more garden news to post. We’re still eating spring veggies. I don’t think we’re even close to having any color show up on any tomatoes or peppers. I doubt that we’re going to get any local corn this year unless it really heats up to temperatures that I really don’t want to see. But yeah, I should post some more.
That’s so awesome, you’re definitely lucky to have so much love surrounding you:)
What a great post!
Vera’s apron is adorable and I love the photo of everyone together in your backyard with Vera, not a stitch of clothing.
Wow: I can’t believe what you’ve gotten from your garden already! You have a definite green thumb 🙂
Seriously though, I hardly do a thing! We just put it all in the ground… How’s your garden doing?
Eh… things are kinda going. Apparently we’re really REALLY good at growing lettuce and kale, but since we don’t have a fence up the rabbits ate all our broccoli and cauliflower buds. We have tons of herbs but no tomatoes (not even little green ones!) We have two peppers on our one plant and one squash blossom, but nothing from the pumpkin and no blooms yet on the sunflower.
I keep meaning to look up if cauliflower/broccoli leaves are edible. I may as well do SOMETHING with them, since they’re not producing any crowns!
I just looked it up, and they are totally edible! So cool, what a great idea… From what I can see they are not that great raw, but can totally be roasted/cooked just like any other green. I could see them being great to use for like a stuffed cabbage kind of meal, but obviously it’d be stuffed broccoli/cauliflower leaves. So cool. Now I’m thinking I’ll have to blanch and freeze some of the leaves flat for stuffing through the winter! This is great. 🙂
I was definitely going to cook them, kind of like kale or collard greens but blanching and freezing flat sounds good too!
Maybe there are some broccoli wraps in my future, with some noodles and sesame oil and all sorts of fun stir fry veggies.
🙂
So much to love in this post!
At least she’s wearing an apron now!
Those beans look so yummy! :)’
What a wonderful story about everyone pitching in. That is something that the world could really use more of, really, is that kind of thoughtfulness and support and lovingness.
That really is a lot of beans and they look so healthy and beautiful! My mouth is watering over the dilly beans recipe and your goods there.
I have been looking for certain summer squash all summer and I think the buyers out here neglected them. I can’t find much in the way of anything good, so I am totally jealous of your squash photo. lol
Your photo of the yard from the kitchen looks surreal, like it’s something that only happens in a screenplay! The togetherness there is truly heartwarming. Truly a blessing.
Vera is so super cute in her apron. I can’t help but to keep thinking when I see her in photos how she looks really tall at 2 years old!
I couldn’t agree more. I aspire to keep this kind of love going in my life. We have to spread it around!
You should totally try dilly beans, they are so delicious! I hope you get some good squash soon. If I lived nearby I’d give you a basket full!
As for Vera being tall, I don’t think she is much taller than average, although her Papa is 6’4″ so I wouldn’t be surprised if she shoots up at some point. 🙂
Thanks for the ping!
Thanks for linking to us! Your beans look lovely. It’s great to gather bits of homesteading news from the interwebs. Happy harvesting!
-Jennifer McCharen
Web Content Coordinator – Chelsea Green Publishing
I love visiting your house. I also loved those beans–they were super-tasty. mm…
Yay! Am I seeing you and Diane tomorrow? I guess I’m seeing you tonight, so I can just ask you then… great. This has become a useless comment. I’m posting it anyway. 😛
Your comments are never useless because they always make me smile. Ergo: your comments are always awesome. Just saying. See you tomorrow!