Matching Tracksuits

Fun in Fours

First Harvest

Sunday 31 May 2009 | general

Despite the ravaging neighborhood creatures, we managing to grow things. Our plot behind the house is struggling a bit,

DSC_5862

but our squash, zucchini, melons, and onions in front of the house are doing very well.

DSC_5863

Some are even flowering.

DSC_5866

In fact, we’ve kept one thing in the ground long enough to have a harvest: radishes. A few are almost as big as a ping pong ball, and K explains that we have to pick those now, else they’ll be no good. “They don’t taste as good when they’re bigger.” Not knowing the first thing about growing radishes, I nod my head in approval.

DSC_5859

Radishes are a like dill for me: they make me think of summer in Poland.

We use the radishes to make a creamy cheese spread: diced radish mixed in with farmer’s cheese. A simple thing, but then, many of the tastiest foods are “simple things.”

DSC_5861

The cheese is a highligh of our Sunday-morning breakfast. The Girl as her usual: French toast and Maple syrup.

DSC_5867

Then we notice our back bed has been visited again.

DSC_5868

Enormous holes, spread through the bed. “It’s the worst it’s ever been,” K sighs.

Our raccoon neighbor? Dogs?

It’s hard not to take it personally. “What did we ever do to you?” A useless thought — best to start planning how to keep out of our garden dogs, chickens, raccoons, squirrels, bears, elephants, and whatever else might be lurking in the neighborhood.

2 Comments

  1. Kinuk

    Totally agree with K on the radishes…get them when they’re the right size for the right amount of…radishness. And your gzik (what my father’s folk call serek z rzodkiewkami) for Sunday breakfast sounds divine. All you need to go with that is some crusty chewy bread or rolls.

    But, I’ll happily go for L’s French toast and maple syrup, too.

    Shame about the back garden getting demolished. I hope you find the culprit and manage to secure your veg before they all get damaged (fence?).

  2. NANA

    I’m beginning to think that it was your friend the raccoon! He’s probably digging for grubs – once finding one, he will continue to forage for more.

    When we got home from your house yesterday, there was a raccoon climbing in one of our trees out front. I only got a glimpse of his tail as he was climbing the back side of the tree trunk. I was thinking, that must be an awfully large squirrel with such a bushy tail. Then, he crawled onto the first limb and I saw his “masked” eyes! He just sat there and looked at us. I forgot to check our flower beds along side the fence to see if he had dug there. I’ll check tomorrow!

    Looks like you will need to build a fence around your veggie bed like you did your compost container. Have you seen the one at Sam’s. Maybe you can increase the size next year and build one similar.