Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Winter Garden and Bonnie is Free

I have a few things in my winter garden.It is nice to go out there and see a little green.Down here we grow cool weather crops in the winter.These are veggies a lot of you up north grow in the summer. They can't possible survive in our summer heat but do well in our mild winters.I really hoped to have a much bigger crop of winter veggies....maybe next winter.


Here are some cabbages forming up nicely.



This is kale.



I don't use a whole lot of kale but I try to grow a lot of it for the chickens in the winter.It is nutrient packed,easy to grow and the chickies love it! It gives them a little extra nutrition when there are less things to forage on.


This is a kohlrabi.I have never grown this before or even eaten one! I am always looking to add a little variety to the garden though!



Of course,the southern staple, turnip greens.Yummy,yummy!



Here is a broccoli, still a little small.




These are brussels sprouts.Just the mention of these causes The Boy's tongue to protrude and sounds of disgust can be heard as he flees the area! They haven't made any sprouts yet but you can see little knobs where they are trying.




Bonnie is finally back with her love,Clyde ! Poor girl,she had 2 wounds. One healed up real quick,the other seemed to take forever! So now she is a free donkey again.



I have to say that the worse part of homesteading for me is caring for injured animals.I know this is part of the package,but it is so stressful and nerve wracking.A lot of prayer goes on in the barn! This is one of those things that I think will get better with experience but, the double edged sword,I don't want to have any more experience!

While I was trying to get a good picture of her, Clyde the Ham decided he wanted his picture taken instead!



Actually I am pretty sure he was just trying to score a treat!

5 comments:

brokenteepee said...

Take the brussels sprouts and quarter them. Add a little bit of olive oil, salt and pepper and mix them up. Lay them out in a glass pan. Mix in a bit of maple syrup (mmmmm - or honey but the maple syrup is better) and top with chopped walnuts. Bake at 350* for about 40min stirring now and then.

He'll eat 'em. They are yummy this way.

Now I love any way but when I tried them this way yum, yum, yum. I roast almost all of my vegetables.

The goats love broccoli leaves ya know.

Farmgirl Cyn said...

I'm a kale gal myself. Love the stuff. I cube up potatoes and fry them in a bit of olive oil in my cast iron skillet. About the last 10 min. or so, I add huge handfuls of chopped up kale...chop rather fine so it cooks quick. SO good, and pretty, too!

Melodie said...

Pricilla,
I am going to try your recipe!It really sounds good!I will remember to give the goaties some treats too!

FarmgirlCyn,
I am going to try your recipe too.I love to cook fried taters in cast iron! I have to admit I don't use kale as much because I don't have but couple of recipes for it.This one sounds yummy!

goatmilker said...

Oh your garden is so beautiful. I cannot wait till I can plant my garden. The donkeys are so cute. Have a great night Rebekah.

Texan said...

Look at your garden! I have not done a winter garden really. I do have some onions and garlic in my garden now but thats it. As cold as we have been this winter I wonder if a winter garden would have made it! We have dropped into the 20s so many times I have lost count. Not normal for us!

I love every vegetable you have growing, well I don't know about the Kohlrabi I planted it once here in the spring DUH of course it didn't do well. To hot.

That recipe Pricilla posted, gotta try that, we love Brussel Sprouts! I eat enough Kale to sink a ship, just love it!!

I too placed my order with Baker Creek and also a few packages with Hirts Gardens ... then found a site called Heirloom Acres Seeds, their prices were really good and a very large variety as well... I have a feeling a small order will go in there as well :O)...I saw seeds for the Moon and Stars melon there :O) will try them!

I agree combing over the seed varieties and deciding what to try is way to much fun!

and yep if we lived close I would so take you up on the canning education :O).