Yesterday I had many flashbacks to mt wonderful father. He was a man’s man! He passed way too early at 63 years old in 1970. I often wish I could talk to him again and thank him for the lessons he taught me. He was and is MY HERO!
Today was as eventful as watching paint dry – we had nothing on the calendar! So we begrudgingly took on the role of garden warriors, battling weeds and unruly plants. We even conquered the treacherous two sheds, organizing them with military precision. And let’s not forget the epic battle to get the potting bench in shape – it was a close call, but we emerged victorious!
We did some harvesting, and around 1:00 p.m., Mary headed for the kitchen. She had something on her mind. Maybe she finally decided to confront the vegetables for being too seedy.
I quickly assumed my role in the kitchen as chief Chopper. With a razor-sharp knife, I made short work of the kohlrabi, onions, peas, mushrooms, and several different colored peppers. I guessed it; Mary is doing stir-fry!
Here Are Some Interesting Facts About Kohlrabi:
Name—Kohlrabi comes from the German words kohl, meaning cabbage, and rube, meaning turnip. It is also known as German turnip, stem turnip, and cabbage turnip.
Appearance – Kohlrabi is a biennial vegetable that grows just above the ground, forming a turnip-shaped globe at the base of the stem. The bulb can be white or deep purple, with pale green to white flesh and multiple stems growing out of it. Some say it looks like a cross between an octopus and an alien spaceship, and it’s also nicknamed Sputnik because it resembles the early Russian space satellite.
Taste and texture—Kohlrabi has a taste and texture similar to broccoli stems and cabbage, but it’s slightly sweeter. The leaves can be eaten raw when young and tender or cooked like other greens when they mature. Raw kohlrabi is crunchy with a mild flavor that can add texture to salads. The bulb can be used in salads and soups, roasted or sautéed, or steamed.
Nutrition – Kohlrabi is a good source of fiber, vitamin B6, and potassium and an excellent source of vitamin C. Vitamin C is essential for repairing wounds, forming scar tissue, and maintaining bones, teeth, and cartilage. Kohlrabi is also low in sugar and calories and contains antioxidant compounds.
Sometimes, Mary calls me “Chop Chop.”
Mary knows the order in which to cook the various veggies. The first is the kohlrabi because it is thick and hard, and the last is the mushroom, which cooks quickly.
Mary uses her creative culinary skills.
Using soy sauce and Mary’s secret ingredients is like having a party in my nose—and everyone’s invited! The house smells so good that even the neighbors are coming over to take a sniff!
Chop Chop provides the ingredients.
The Chef (aka Task Master or Slave Driver) asked for more onions, so I chopped one in half. This onion is so fresh; it still has its baby teeth!
The onion was picked ten minutes ago!
Now goes in the cabbage and Swiss chard, also fresh from the garden!
Our cabbage tops off the stir-fry.
The rabbits are a pain in the tucass! So, today, we did some severe bunny-proofing. The gate shown below is where the beasts get into the backyard from the street. Mary suggested we close it off with a seal under the gate. While at the gym yesterday, I developed a solution.
There was a four-inch opening at the bottom of the gate, but that was eliminated!
The Bunny Wars Continue
I used my heavy-duty stapler and fastened the 1/2″ by 1/2″ galvanized fencing to the bottom. It scrapes the cement, but no crazy rabbit will be coming into the yard via this entry point.
They are not getting under this gate!
Every time we saw the rabbits, we would scare them. I would yell obscenities, and Mary would give them the “Mommy Look.” They ran away to the back of the Shed.
So, we cleaned out the back of the shed, which had some large watering pipes, and I placed a small fence so they could not get to the back of the shed!
It was wedged into the space using the spring already in the fence because it was rolled up.
We will see tomorrow morning.
We went to the front yard with several things in mind, including checking out the sprinkler heads, getting rid of the bird nest under the eve, planting our new flower, putting up the 4th of July decorations, and washing down the patio. We succeeded!
The front yard watering system gets a check!
We came inside around 7:30 pm, had a small dinner, and watched An American President, one of my favorites. Tomorrow we are going to do Casablanca.
Good night all and sweet dreams!
