June MCG Update

Lots going on in the Militant Community Garden. Things are really moving along.

We harvested broccoli last weekend.
The beets keep coming and it's hard to keep up with them.

We have a million strawberries, and I have already baked 2 cakes & muffins with them. I can't keep up with them either.


This is the BEST cake in case you haven't made it yet.



Rainbow Chard is plentiful and we have our first tomatoes, though still green, they look promising.



We have potato beetles destroying the leaves of the potato plants, and not really sure what to do about it, but I will leave that to my husband, the pest destroyer (remember it is an organic garden, no pesticides please).


Carrots will be coming up next week, and yes, this is a real photo of the crazy carrot love we picked on Sunday!


We are having a late crop of radishes (which are usually early spring).


For appetizers, I made these simple radish snacks.

Cut a slice into the center of very cold French breakfast radishes, and spread a very thin slice of your favorite butter inside.
Sprinkle on some Maldon salt and open some wine.


So good.

Many of you have asked why I haven't posted any militant emails from the Militant Community Garden lately.

Well, they fired the passive aggressive 50 year old garden manager who lives at home with his parents and wears tie dye shirts and drives an 80's Camaro and thinks he is still in high school.

I am glad in one way that he is gone, however, now the entertainment has stopped.

Well, just when you thought it was safe to pick the tomatoes.................

"We seem to be making great strides with the dumpster and there doesn't seem to be any more trash in the dumpster (which is a good thing) but there seems to be garbage and recyclables in every empty container in the garden. There's a phrase they use at most National Parks which is "Pack It IN - Pack It Out" which means whatever you bring in you take home. I have attached a picture of a sign I took when we were in Hawaii on vacation and the idea is the same.

When I was in the garden earlier today one of the volunteers pointed out a snake to me in plot 3. I took a picture of it and confirmed that it is an Eastern Garter Snake and although it is not poisonous most snakes may bite if they feel threatened (so just leave it alone because it will hurt if it bites you). I attached a description for any of you who may be interested.

Lastly, there are still people parking too close to the wood chip pile and making it hard for people to get in and out of the garden. When you come in the driveway there should be no one parked in the path from the drive by the silo to the main gate (there should be at least 20 feet from the wood chips to the closest parked car). There should also be no one (without the proper tags) parking in either of the 2 handicap spots to the left of the gate.

We have been trying to keep the email to all to a minimum but these items seem to be on going issues that needed to be addressed."


See, I knew they couldn't keep quiet. :)

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Comments

The Best cake link didn't work for me.
Anonymous said…
Dil,

Your crops are beautiful. So many delicious veggies. Great idea about the radishes and the carrots in love is worthy of framing.

Mil
Stacey Snacks said…
Hi Charmaine,
The link to the BEST Strawberry Cake seems to be working fine, however, if you still can't open it, here it is:

http://www.staceysnacksonline.com/2011/06/marthas-strawberry-cake.html
Colorado Potato bugs got into my Yukons this year. Remember you cannot plant potatoes or eggplants in that plot for 3 years. Those bugs go into the ground and wait.....
Stacey Snacks said…
Stacey,
Did the bugs destroy your potato plants?
We have our eggplants in another plot, so I will cross my fingers!
Thanks for the info.
Stacey
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
I left my plants in until I "thought" I would have potatoes big enough to eat. :) They most likely will go to the eggplant next. Love potato bugs...NOT!
Anonymous said…
My dear Grandmother used to make me radish and butter sandwiches when I was little.

Fond memories
Jacqueline said…
I love your MCG posts, glad to see they are back to their bad behavior!

Your produce is beautiful and I too, have fond memories of radish and butter sandwiches w/ tea at my Gram's.

:)
Anonymous said…
A really awful Committee Person on a good day, I would never make it in your MCG.

The garter snake thing made me giggle. I was a squeaky clean young teenager when, given the responsibility to be a hall monitor at JHS, I wore around my neck, just below my Peter Pan collar, a little garter snake. As a necklace. It just lay there. But then kids started to see it. Then the twitchy little man who was incharge of the hall monitors saw it.

No, I wasn't suspended. Too squeaky clean for that. But it gave me a memory for all time.

My farming in recent years consisted of one Early Girl tomato plant (the determinate variety that doesn't range all over the place) in a large pot on my south-facing SoCal patio. I have never seen so many wonderful tomatoes on one plant. And it was full of green ones at Christmas. Still going strong.

Things that grow in my yard do so in spite of me, not because of me. But it's fun to see your produce and read about the OCD types at your MCG.

Bebe
Bluebird NY said…
Lovely produce, Stacey. Radishes with butter is such a treat. And the MCG updates are always entertaining!
Anonymous said…
You seem to do your share of complaining! Why not give the 50 year old who lives with his parents and likes to wear tye dye shirts a break. Who are you to judge! You may be able to cook but your character needs improvements.
Stacey Snacks said…
Anon,
I'm sorry you feel that way.

If you have been reading my blog about the MCG over the past 3 years, you would know that I actually LIKED the guy who was the manager, it's just the emails were getting ridiculous, almost daily.

It's all in fun, and no hard feelings. It's just gardening. :)
Anonymous said…
I have the oddest feeling that someone showed up this afternoon in a tie dye shirt.

Your character sounds just fine to me.

Hang in there, Bebe
So happy the MCG info is back! I've missed it. and I love the mails last year about the manager. they made me smile big and that's a good thing. Radishes stuffed with butter and drizzled with salt....look beautiful on the plate and must be delish. I used to love radish and butter sands.....carrots!! what a great picture.
Anonymous said…
Stacey: Always look forward to your blogs....have made most of your recipes....delicious and keepers....look to you for ideas, first....and, most of all.....love your sense of humor.....don't ever lose it! Angela Muller
Sally P. said…
Ditto Angela's comments.

You have to have a sense of humor in life, and that is why I read your blog daily, Stacey.

You are not only funny, but smart and your recipes are always spot on.

Don't let one tie dyed apple spoil the whole bunch of girls.

You are only doing it in fun, and these people at the MCG obviously don't get your good humor. :)
Carol from California said…
I have made "Martha's strawberry cake a zillion times and always a big hit....love the cupcake version with sliced almonds! Thanks Stacey.
Anonymous said…
Your having made this as cupcakes, Stacey, how do you think it might work as mini-cupcakes? I have to take dessert to a July 4th BBQ party. Thought that one- or two-bite pickup cakes would be easier to manage than something that requires a fork.

I envision a couple or ? strawberry halves on top. Maybe only one?

Curious

Bebe
Stacey....Love the carrot couple. Your strawberries and muffins are beautiful. All of your veggies are doing great. Guess they liked all the rain we've been having. I'm sure they will like the next 5 sunny days we're going to have too.
Stacey Snacks said…
Bebe,
Sure, make mini cupcakes, but only use one strawberry for each muffin (I used only 1 for regular size muffins!).

Also, watch the baking time, they will cook up fast at 325F.

Stacey
ha ha, I love these posts, I hope they never stop! Your garden produce is looking beautiful. I'm going to try the radish with butter, we're growing those cute radishes this year.