I Work With The Best Sort Of People

I work with a great crew of people. For Christmas they got me a few things. They got me these:

A gardening Christmas ornament and some seed saving supplies. They also pitched in together and got me one of the most insightful gifts I have recieved in a LONG time:

They also got me all the attachments for it. Salsa screen, berry screen, pumpkin screen etc. I am so excited to try it out. I think I am going to try it this weekend with some pumpkin to make some pie filling. More winter stores coming soon!

And, to MrBrownThumb, I will be glad to send you some seed to veggies that keep through the winter. Drop me a note with and address or email address and I will get some seed off to you. Would love to talk as well. Looks like you are in my area and we are thinking of a gardener get together in the area here in March or April.

Breaking Into The Winter Stores

As a gardener I like to stretch the harvest as long as possible. I like to have something fresh from the garden all the time. No small feat in Chicago. This year I grew some things that could be stored for the long haul, into the winter. This last weekend I decided to break into the winter stores for a little boost of mood. What did I break into? The onions? the ristra? No, I broke out a Crookneck Squash.

It looked great three months in. It smelled great. But what to do with it? I decided to break into the winter stores again, and what came out next? Sweet potatoes!

Three months in the store and it looked good, smelled good, was a tiny little bit odd on the texture.

So I roasted the squash in the oven with olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh thyme (I need to post on my successes with keeping the herbs going indoors so far this winter) and a touch of oil and brown sugar on the sweet potato. Into the oven, and, wow. A magnificent lunch on a cold day. What a joy. I would have gotten a picture, but they didn't even make it off the cookie sheet before they were eaten, still screaming hot, by an appreciative family.