Welcome to Harvest Monday, where we celebrate all things harvest related. First let me again say thanks to Michelle (From Seed To Table) for hosting HM last month. I really appreciate getting a break, as once again she has been kind enough step in and serve as temporary host. And now, on to my meager winter harvest! The brutal cold weather in January zapped much of what I had growing in the cold frames and greenhouse. Only the hardiest plants survived, and even the kale looked a bit sad after the temps finally warmed up and things thawed a bit. But there were edible leaves, and I made a cutting to go in a batch of Minestra Maritata soup I cooked up last week. The name of this Italian soup refers to the ‘marriage’ of meat and greens, and can be made with many combinations of ingredients.
kale from greenhouse
I made the soup using our Instant Pot. We’ve been using that and the microwave to cook all our meals lately, since the stove is no longer in the kitchen. I made turkey meatballs for the soup, one of the last things I cooked on the stove before it was moved out of the kitchen for our makeover project. I also added in the last of the fall cabbage which had been hanging out in the refrigerator.
Minestra Maritata
Even as the plants are struggling outside in the cold, I have new seedlings coming up to renew the never ending cycle. So far I have started cool weather crops like lettuce, kale, arugula and mizuna. I’ve got them growing in the basement under fluorescent lights, and they are ready for thinning.
lettuce seedlings
The kitchen remodeling project is moving along nicely, though noisily. The ceramic tile floor is gone, as are most of the countertops, and the new and improved cabinets are back. They hung the new microwave on Friday, which was a joy since for over a month we had been trudging all the way out to the cold garage to use it there. We’ve been having fun with meal prep, since the frig is in the dining room and cabinet contents are still all over the house. We’re hoping to have the countertops and flooring installed this week, with the backsplash to come last after they take some final measurements to ensure a good fit under the cabinets. Hopefully then we can begin putting things back to the new normal.
a work in progress
I’ll close with a video I made recently of four Eastern Bluebirds at the suet feeder. These four have been hanging around all winter, and I believe it is an adult pair and two yearlings, though I can’t say for sure. It is definitely two males and two females and the males are more brightly colored than the females, though none are as colorful as they will be come spring. The quality isn’t great, but not too bad considering I was shooting from the inside through a window. Here’s a link to the video in case it doesn’t show up: https://youtu.be/p11VJPdouTg.
Harvest Monday is a day to show off your harvests, how you are saving your harvest, or how you are using your harvest. If you have a harvest you want to share, add your name and blog link to Mr Linky below. And be sure and check out what everyone is harvesting!