Vegetable garden is priceless amid the pandemic
In a normal growing season, the August harvest would be simply the icing on life’s cake. In a time of pandemic, it is a practical way to help fill the larder and ease, a little, the underlying anxiety of these times.
By Adrian Higgins
Washington Post
Aug 15, 2020
Excerpt:
The other day, I had this rather tasty meal: a baked zucchini sliced lengthwise, with each half filled with a saucy mixture of sausage, tomatoes, onion and garlic. The plate included steaming boiled potatoes.
I don’t know if this was a meal fit for a king, but it was certainly one befitting the gardener. All the ingredients, save the pork, came directly from the garden. It is that time of year, when months of disparate planting and cultivating, converge for the summer feast. To the list of current grow-your-own fare, I might easily have added peppers, beans, beets, chard, carrots, melons, corn and cucumber.
Growing edibles is pleasurable and laborious. When you sit down to eat your work, there is a sense of satisfaction – not only the lofty feeling of empowerment but also the more practical reward of consuming food that is fresh and nutritious.
The potato was a variety named Kennebec, a white, midseason spud that is firm, buttery and waxy. You just don’t seem to find potatoes of this quality in the grocery store. When was the last time you saw fingerlings for sale or authentic young, new potatoes?
