the sweet rewards

I love my garden that I have created in our back yard. This fall I planted garlic that was given to me from a co worker. In the sping I will be greated by green shoots poking their way through the mulch making way for a bountiful harvest. As spring rolls in (it seems like an eternity from now) I will sow an abundance of seeds ranging from greens, root vegtables, as well as a varity of squashes, beans and of course cut flowers.

Fall harvest fruits and vegtables may be my favorite crops. I love the dense, sugar, often storable gems gleaned from the garden. Carrots, beets, apples are gifts that after months of sunshine and heat become prime as the days get slightly cooler, shorter and the rest of the harvest has been taxed.

These root vegetables store so much flavor, nutrition and potential, I will be the first one to admit that they are a pain in the rear side to get to the final product. First they must be dug out of the soil, the greens removed, rinsed of excess dirt, soaked, scrubbed, rinsed, then cooked which usually takes considerable more time and heat than other softer veggies. 

The reward of the patience and work is so satisfying, nourishing and rewarding.
Like tonight....

On Sunday I usually have the energy and motivation to cook a proper supper. Today is the perfect example. I waited to harvest all of my carrots at once which led to me being overwhelmed and baffled by what to do with several pounds of fresh carrots. For a loss of what to do, I boiled them down in chicken stock, mashed them up and tossed it in the fridge Friday afternoon. Not until today was I inspired enough to acually created a meal that was more than boiled carrots. I am really trying to empty out the cuppords, utilizing the stock pile of dried/canned goods I have aquired. I dumped coconut milk in the carrot puree, added the rest of the spinich, onion and garlic (the only fresh produce in the house) and finished it with a healthy scoop of red curry paste. I cracked peanuts that have been neglected and baked the final bagutte that was left from a party last week to add the final texture to a perfect supper which will turn into lunch tomorrow that rounds out a very social, relaxing weekend.