I'm back. My youngest brother got married out in Vernon, B.C. this summer so it was a very busy summer. This is the latest extension to the veggie and herb garden. The large plant against the fence is a castor bean. This plant gets the most comments from people who pass by.
It was another bountiful summer except for the root crops. The beets and carrots were coming along nicely before we left for B.C. I had one of the beets grated over my salad and it was delicious. When we returned, though there was nothing left except the carrot and beet tops above the ground. Below ground the roots were decimated. Very curious indeed.
I love kale so this year I planted 2 different types. One was a cross between russian red kale and lacinto kale and the other was lacinto kale. Both are a flat leafed kale and very tasty. I'll get pictures next time I go to the garden. My favourite way to eat kale is in a kale avocado salad. I got the original idea from the raw food chef, Chad Sarno. Basically you chiffonade kale and then add a chopped avocado, some lemon juice and some celtic sea salt. Then get in there with your hands and massage the whole thing until the kale is wilted. For a variation I add garlic and cayenne. If I'm making it for my family I'll quite often add grated carrots to sweeten it a bit for their sweet palates.
