Don’t Panic

Remember that wheelbarrow full of squash and pumpkins that appeared at the back door last fall?  It reappeared today with cabbage, lettuce, spinach, and beets.  The Gardener is headed out of town for a week, so he undertook some preemptive picking.  The Harvest Manager has a cold, and is not operating on all cylinders.  So, what shall we do with 15.5 pounds of cabbage, 10 beets complete with luscious tops, three (3) bunches of spinach, and four (4) heads of lettuce?

Preemptive Picking as The Gardener Heads Out of Town

First and foremost, don’t panic.  All we need is a plan.

Step 1: Call the offspring who live in town to see what we can move from our kitchen to theirs.

Step 2:  Wash off the dirt, slugs, and snails.  (Yes, this can happen in a largely organic garden.)

Step 3:  Steam the spinach.  It will cook down to a generous single serving.  Recall that The Gardener will be on a plane and not eating his share.

Step 4: Move the rest to the refrigerator and wait to hear from the offspring.  The cabbage and beets will keep nicely and with a bit of diligence and the wilted salad recipe, the lettuce will be gone in a few days.