Delicious Organically Grown Garden Vegetables

In the heat of the summer, there’s nothing I enjoy more than fresh organically grown vegetables from our garden. Tomatoes, green peppers, cucumbers and yellow squash. It doesn’t matter. It’s all good! Whether I’m eating a raw tomato straight from the garden or sauteing squash and zucchini, I’m in heaven.

We had a great crop of tomatoes this year. We grew some Cherries, Better Boys, Early Girls and a few Roma’s. One of my favorite things to do with tomatoes is make tomato sandwiches. Fresh sliced tomatoes, a little onion, light mayo and toasted whole wheat bread. That’s what I’m talking about! Of course, we also throw them in salads, make home-made salsa, marinade them in Italian dressing and just eat them all by themselves. Nothing beats a home grown tomato.

Saute Some Garden Goodness

Our Yellow Squash and Zucchini plants produced an abundance of fruit this year, as well. I like to saute them in a little olive oil, basil, garlic and onions. This makes a wonderful, healthy side-dish. We also had a few really nice egg plants, which we promptly made into Egg Plant Parmesan. Oh, so good!

The only disappointment this year was our pepper crop. I’m not sure what happened? Our bells, jalapenos and banana peppers all came in under sized. Additionally, we didn’t harvest any where near what we usually would get. BUT, they were still awesome! We toss them in salads, use them in recipes and just eat them raw.

It’s All About The Herbs

Last year we started growing some herbs for the first time. We now grow Basil, Oregano, Rosemary, Cilantro and Mint. We cook all summer long using fresh herbs. At the end of summer we make Basil Balls and freeze them for winter use.

Time To Roll Up Your Sleeves

Of course, gardening does not come without some hard work. First of all, you need to prepare the soil. We add organic matter from our compost pile and till the soil before planting. Because we don’t use herbicides, weeding is a must. To help keep the weeds down and the moisture in, we mulch around the plants. We also don’t use pesticides. Instead, we use Rotenone, a natural, non-chemical solution to keep the pests at bay. It works well. At the end of the day, it’s all worth the effort. Especially when you get to kick back and eat some of the fruits of your labor.

Fresh Garden Veggies, No Chemicals Necessary

The rewards of organic gardening are many. Fresh, delicious vegetables. Chemical free food. A nice, relaxing way to spend some time each day. And a tremendous savings on your food bill! We estimate a savings of several hundred dollars per year in our household. So, next year, why not plant yourself a little garden? Already have one, what do you grow?

Tagged as: basil • Compost • garden • organic • vegetables • veggies