This weekend I harvested a bunch of herbs from the garden and processed them for later use.  Right now I have this beautiful sage tied in bunches and hanging in protective bags while it dries, this is going to make some really tasty stuffing on thanksgiving!

I let one area of my cilantro go to seed; this is also hanging in protective bags drying out so I can collect the coriander seeds.  The flavor of the fresh seed is so sweet, pure and the aroma lingers in your mouth.

I have so much mint its silly.  Trust me I have done everything I can to go through it one mojito at a time, but I’ve been losing the battle.  I spent close to 3 hours picking mint leaves while sitting on the deck; it was a gorgeous day outside.  I then had to wash, spin dry and process into simple syrup.  Now I have mint leaves at their peak packed in syrup for mojitos or to glaze some roasted game meats, even for a simple dessert sauce.

Today I need to clip this beautiful German chamomile from my garden and start to dry it for my first batch of tea for the year.  Many nights I chop up the fresh plant and make a beautiful tea, mostly I harvest a few times a season and dry it completely for later use.

It’s great to see my garden finally growing; all of this cool wet weather has really slowed things down.  Today is absolutely beautiful and I will be outside planting more seeds, more flowers and tending to the garden.  My vegetable garden is 20 feet wide by 32 feet long, I compost all vegetable scraps, lawn clippings, ash from the fire pit as well as leaves etc. throughout the year.  This is year 4 of the garden and the soil is finally getting there, the compost really enriches the soil and the lime has helped break down so much of the clay that it’s a lighter well drained soil.  Previously my home was an apple orchard, different soil needs to grow trees, but like anything it takes time to perfect.  I have herbs planted around my deck and patio and my fruit crops and lettuces are by the garage.  My buddy Rod Markus from pasture to plate hooked me up with some amazing seaweed based fertilizer, the plants love this and immediately grow like crazy. 

Here is a rundown of what’s in the garden this year:

Vidalia onions, green onions, French breakfast radishes, red radishes, Thumbelina carrots, dragon carrots, red & gold & candy striped beets, swiss chard, arugula, green zucchini, pickling cucumbers, sweet market more cucumbers, straight 8 cucumbers, watermelon, Thai peppers, bell peppers, jalapeño peppers, pole beans, shelling peas, corn, Brandywine tomatoes, green zebra tomatoes, san marzano tomatoes, golden cherry tomatoes, red cherry tomatoes, spearmint, thyme, chives, German garlic, German chamomile, oregano, rosemary, sweet basil, cilantro, sage, lavender and strawberries.