Thursday, August 17, 2017

August Harvest


Well, it's been almost a month and a half since I last posted, and, in that time, there's been a host of hearty harvests that have graced 
our table, like the platter of sweet, precious figs, above, 


from our one and only fig tree, planted by my husband's father,
 who was a farmer, over sixty years ago, on the outskirts 
of the village in which he was born and grew up.

 

The 'fruits of his labour',
 we are still enjoying, today.


It was very hot, the day we picked the figs, and looking 
up towards the sun to pluck each one from its stem, was
stressful on the eyes, but worth the effort, in the end.

 

   What proved to be more of a challenge, for me, was the rough
 and rocky road back to the car, as I struggled to keep my balance, fearing a flip with every little slip, unlike my husband, whose footsteps seemed to fit perfectly between each pebbly crack and cranny!  


Earlier, we had stopped by the three loaded
walnut trees, to give them a good watering, in
 preparation for their collection, next month.


It's the obvious difference in the shape of their leaves 
that assists in the distinction of each, since from afar, 
these two golden green globes look almost identical!

Facing north, towards the sea, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, zucchini and cucumbers

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, our veggie 
garden is finally in full swing, after a late start.

Facing south, a variety of tomatoes

Due to our neighbour's towering Leyland Cypresses,
an entire side of our garden, unfortunately, does not
get enough sunlight for veggies or flowers to thrive,
so we planted in the field across the cement wall,

In the background, just before all the dry weeds begin, green onions, most of which 
will be yanked to dry in the sun, then roughly braided and used as cooking onions.





where our little chapel of St. Irene can be found,
 overlooking all the pretty produce in progress.

Clockwise, from top left: lemons, plums, pomegranates and tomatoes

 Our fruit trees are also flourishing! And, since 
tomatoes are technically considered fruit, I 
included them in the collage above. 


Our lemon tree did not disappoint; a second series of blossoms
 a little while ago, freshly scented the breeze and now the fruit
provides tangy, citrus accents in roasts, cakes and cookies.


I hope you've enjoyed reading about our August harvest, this year. We are blessed to have such healthy, organic fare at our fingertips, although, I admit, my  husband deserves all the credit for digging, planting, watering, weeding and worrying about it! I merely whip up a dish with whatever bundle of beautiful, earthy goodness he gathers.


Simple, seasonal, local food (and you can't get any more 
local than your own garden), is, by far, the most exquisite.


What's growing in your garden?
 Thanks for visiting!
xo
Poppy 

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