Here in Northern Ohio, the weather has been cold and rainy. Pretty typical for this time of year, I guess, except that March was warm- in the 70’s and even hitting 80 a day or two. So this seasonally appropriate weather feels chilly and unfair.
The chickens are laying, the trees are leafing out, but the garden is neglected. A late snow and night-time frosts are keeping me from planting-out any but the hardiest of seeds. While the tiny tomato and pepper plants languish in the DIY ‘green house’ made from cattle panels and clear plastic, I’ve been dealing with garden ennui.
Today, between showers that weren’t predicted, and in temperatures 10 degrees lower than the weather channel promised, I went out to see what was growing.
The peas finally sprouted, the carrot tops were tiny, but visible, and some early greens were showing but too small to eat. However, the asparagus was ready to pick! So I did!
Along with some stew made from last year’s frozen veggies and our own pork, fresh baked bread, was the real star of the meal: asparagus picked at the last minute and quickly sauteed in butter and spices. And with one fresh vegetable, my garden ennui is cured.
Also ready to pick are some stalks of rhubarb. I planted three roots two summers ago, and one has really taken off. The other two probably need another year to grow before I take too much. But I predict that a rhubarb pie is in my near future.