Man, Steffi, everything is further along with you. This year I started tomato growing early because I hoped to bring the harvest phase a bit earlier. But this year's cold climate has completely ruined that again. We will probably only be able to expect our tomatoes towards the end of August again. We were able to harvest a few cherries here and there, but those were probably brave early birds.
Most of the tomatoes still look like this with us:
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Green.
A few are slowly turning red:
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On the other hand, I didn't check the zucchini for two days and now I have a monster:
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I usually harvest them small if possible. They taste better that way and you don't have that much interior. I obviously missed that one...
I almost always cook vegetables without water. Sauté in a bit of butter or olive oil, put the lid on, then the vegetables usually release enough moisture themselves, season with salt, pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg, and finally add fresh parsley – done. I usually don’t need any water at all.
Also good: oven vegetables! I like them best seasoned with rosemary and chili. All kinds of root vegetables are suitable, but peppers, zucchini, eggplant, etc. work too. Always included: onions cut into eighths and garlic sliced. Tomatoes also add good flavor, but they completely break down.
Just put rosemary, chopped, chili flakes, and salt in a baking dish, pour on some boiling or at least hot water to dissolve the salt and soften the spices. Then add a good splash of wine (rosé or white) and plenty of olive oil. Cut the vegetables into bite-sized, appropriate pieces (things that take longer should be cut smaller, things that cook faster stay bigger), mix everything and into the oven at about 200°C. Stir from time to time. Until the vegetables are soft and – that’s how I like it best – slightly brown on top.
At the end, you can sprinkle grated cheese and/or feta on top. Since my husband is a meat eater, I sometimes just put meatballs on top towards the end, which then stew along.
By the way, this is the pumpkin mentioned above, which blooms nicely and really pleases the bees, but hardly produces any fruit:
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I threatened it that it would be kicked out if it doesn’t produce soon, so it begrudgingly started to form two mini fruits – one of which was already eaten by the snails. I don’t know how much longer I’ll let it live its lazy life. Its salvation is that the bees really love the giant flowers.
In addition, we ordered some more wood and finally filled up the wood piles, so that the ugly neighboring wall is not so present anymore. Now we really have a cozy little spot:
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(in the last picture with a sunbeam)
We really enjoy the place and the roof also keeps off light rain, so that a few raindrops don't necessarily order us back inside.
My velvet hydrangea seems to feel comfortable in its place and is blooming beautifully:
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Overall, even though the snails try to do the opposite, everything is growing and thriving and really brings us joy:
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And once again an example of the difference between man and woman:
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This is my husband’s newest acquisition: a rain gauge!
Reason: that way I can see if watering is necessary or not.
Woman’s answer (that’s me): I stick my finger in the soil and feel if it’s dry – then I have to water.
Man: uh-huh, well, that works too of course...
Well, as long as the toys he needs continue to be so inexpensive, he can have them :cool: