Final Vegetable Harvest of 2008

After weeks of cold weather, snow and ice, the ground has thawed enough for me to get my final harvest of carrots out of my raised bed garden. If you recall from my May 12, 2008 blog article titled "New Herb & Vegetable Garden Beds" I planted the carrot seeds on April 15th, harvesting most of the vegetables throughout the summer, and left a few patches of carrots to mature in the ground until yesterday (December 10, 2008.) With numb fingers, I returned to the kitchen and washed the dirt from the carrots. They were sweet and delicious. I have a carrot soup on the menu this Sunday, December 14, 2008 and they will be the star attraction. Watch for the carrot soup recipe in an upcoming blog.

I had a great deal of fun with my gardens this summer and with expert assistance from Shelley (my vegetable garden guru), I had the best yield of home grown fruits and vegetables ever to use in the restaurant. With my last crop harvested and my fingers thawed, it is time to sit down and start planning next year's gardens. Below I have included a few pictures from my 2008 harvest.