We are having nice rains. This has helped the garden grow. Everything looks like it is doing very well. I planted my third patch of corn and it was up in less than a week.
We have our gardens all filled with a variety of vegetables -- cooking and sweet onions, lettuce, peas, radishes, tomatoes, green and hot peppers, sweet corn, potatoes, zucchini squash, turnips, pumpkin, cucumbers, green beans, red beets, carrots and cabbage. There are flowers along the border of our garden, usually marigolds and zinnias. The marigolds are good for mole prevention. We always do a marigold border around the garden. There is a lot of work in big gardens such as we have, but it saves us a lot of money in food costs once it is all ready to eat. I was raised with a garden as part of my life and wouldn't want it to be any different.
Our asparagus is about done for the year, but it will soon be time to harvest peas, which are a favorite. Each part of the growing season brings a new vegetable that we all enjoy.
The first radishes in the spring are the best ones. I plant them shortly after the danger of the first frost is over and they always surprise me by how quickly they begin to grow. I take them out when they are marble-sized because I am so hungry for a bite after a long winter without them.
We all like sweet corn, so once that is ready we will have many meals with just corn, sliced cucumbers in a sour cream, or salt, tomatoes, green peppers and lettuce. Those meals are so easy to make and I just couldn't imagine having to buy all of that at a store. When you grow it yourself you know where it's been.
Since the children are home from school I can really see the grocery list grow. A family of 10 takes a lot of time and effort but we enjoy the children and wouldn't want it any other way. A big garden helps a lot in feeding the family. Even with the large garden and raising and butchering our own meat we still live so much more expensively than our ancestors did. My mother said they never used to buy items such as paper towels, Kleenex and so forth. Now we sometimes buy those things. I do save all my old clothes for rags. They come in handy when there is a mess -- which is quite often at our house with the younger children. Then I throw the rags away, although I cut off buttons and reuse them.
The recipe I am sharing this week is such an easy way to use fresh peas from the garden. This salad is very colorful and is a favorite to serve to people after church services.
Ham and Pea Salad
2 c. fresh peas
1 1/2 c. cooked, chopped ham
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 c. chopped red onion
1/2 c. ranch salad dressing
In a serving bowl, combine the peas, ham, cheese and onion. Pour the dressing over the top and toss around to coat evenly. Serves 6 to 8.
Lovina Eicher is Old Order Amish. She hand-writes this column from her home in southern Michigan. Anyone with cultural or cooking questions can send them to: Lovina Eicher, The Amish Cook, P.O. Box 2144, Middletown, OH 45042.
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