We've been busy in the garden as usual this summer; it looks pretty and we've been able to show it off with a few parties. A VIP in our family turned one and the kids hosted 40 people in our back yard for a Very Hungry Caterpillar BBQ. It was so darn cute and was also very nice to sit back and enjoy a party at my house and do no work! The kids came early, set up, cooked, hosted, then cleaned up. Also, the week before, two dear friends celebrated a big decade birthday and 20 of us threw a potluck BBQ in our backyard. Tonight we are having 12 for happy hour before we go out to a Chinese restaurant. Since the garden looks so pretty, I'm really happy to entertain as much as I can during the summer.
For you veggie gardeners, I have some really great finds to share. New to us this year is the Fortex Pole Bean. Of all our years of growing green beans and loving them, my husband and I have voted Fortex #1 in flavor and growth habit, plus they are COMPLETELY stringless at ANY stage! They grow long, about 10", and straight, and can be picked very thin and young too. We will now only plant Fortex. Another new hit this year was an heirloom pickle called Homemade Pickle from Lake Valley. They grow to a perfect dill pickle size, about 5", are very prolific, crunchy and make perfect pickles. The pickle recipe I use year after year is Dan Koshansky's Refrigerator Pickles. It's our favorite pickle and it could not be easier. If you like super crispy pickles, this is a great one. In my experience, it's best to use these as a seasonal treat and only make as much as you can eat in a month--after that they become too soft for us. We love this recipe for green beans too. Before I put the green beans in the jar, I break off the ends then blanch in a pot of boiling water for one minute, drain, submerge in ice water and drain. The cucumbers require no prep. We serve pickled cucumber spears and pickled green beans during happy hour or use them as a side dish for lunch. Even the baby loves them! We've been making pesto like crazy too and have started putting some away in the freezer for fall and winter soups. My favorite recipe is this one.
What do you grow in the summer garden? I'd love to hear from the gardeners out there what varieties work best for you. I hope you are having a fun and restful summer at the same time! Thank you for stopping by, Kristen.
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