Late spring garden
By rbeerhorst on May 28th, 2008
Our garden is underway. We are eating lettuce regularly out of the back yard now. Soon we will have kale to harvest. We are planting new lettuce every few weeks to make sure we always have some ready to pick. It is so satisfying to have food for the table coming out of our own yard.
We harvested our first rabbit last week and made a stew which was very tasty. The killing of the rabbit was very difficult for me. I do not look forward to the next one but it was important to go through with it. I have wanted to develop a greater connection with our food and there is nothing like killing a rabbit for the pot to make things real.
May 29th, 2008 at 10:36 am
Brother, I commend you for your example to us. We will hopefully have our garden up and running soon (in the intolerable heat of Texas no less). On the subject of the rabbit: what method did you employ to kill it? I am very interested in using home-raised rabbits to keep the “circle of life” in front of our children. However, the idea of killing the rabbit is difficult for me though utterly intrinsic to the process. Advice? Thank you again for sharing your life with us.
May 29th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Yes, my husband did the same because he believed it was necessary if he eats meat. We’re in winter here but we’re still eating from our garden - rhubarb, lettuce, capsicums though they’ve slowed now, silverbeet (a staple, goes in most dishes), herbs. Winter vegetables are still about 3 months away from harvest but we’re looking forward to roasted parsnips. And we’re picking mandarins from our trees. I wish we could buy straw here but it’s near impossible, even hay is too expensive. Years ago I grew potatoes on newspaper covered with about twelve inches of hay. No more. My husband is Dutch and I managed to find some kale plants here so he’s waiting to enjoy them.
May 29th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
I killed the rabbit with a wood bat behind the head while I held him upside down by the feet. That was what I read to do.
June 1st, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Wow.
How are your kids doing with the rabbit killing/cleaning/eating?
June 4th, 2008 at 4:02 am
Are kids seem nonplused by the killing and eating of animals. It usually ends up in some kind of stew so the shape recognition is not there. So far everyone one eats what is prepared.
June 15th, 2008 at 5:27 am
Wow, your garden is awesome! In NY, I of course just wish for a back yard at all! We are growing lemons and oranges at work on little trees, though.
Was thinking of y’all recently. Saw some of Rose’s sock monsters at a store in Carroll Gardens while I was shopping…