If you build it, they will grow... and bugs and weeds will follow

Hello fellow brethren and sistren of the soil. Farmer Sam here with a quickie garden update.

Well, here's the spread and the woman.


Now, I'm not sure this picture will do the plot justice. This is the lower end, and it is hard to see the other half. You should know that all of this is not mine. Kellie's parents and two of their friends have been planting some stuff here too.


Well, this here that your lookin' at is my little piece. Got a few peas goin' good and some broccoli. Back behind those strung up greasy cut short beans (that you can't buy at a store) are some potatoes and such that Kellie's parents have put in.
Now, we got one thing that ain't goin' too well and that's eggplant. Dadburn bugs been eatin' 'em up. Some sort of black poppin' bug. Eat ever one of 'em just like these. Actually, this picture looks like a picture of dirt because that's about all there is to it.

Well now, here's something funny.
Have you ever seen a pepper growin' straight up like that? It's a Hungarian Wax, and maybe they do that, but someone could have also grabbed the viagra instead of the fertilizer.
Well, now here's a pretty picture!
Beans getting ready to grow up strings!
Now, with a garden this size, we'll probably have a TON of food. Which means we are ready to quit teaching and sell produce full time. Well, maybe eventually. We are exploring avenues to sell produce. Perhaps tailgate markets, perhaps boxes full of produce. Let us know if you are interested or have an idea!
I'm also trying to grow avacado trees on our front porch. MMMMmmm guacamoleeeeee...

Speaking of food, tonight I made lettuce wraps that were a thousand times better than that chain Chinese food restaurant.Here's the recipe. Basically, just make the sauce, or come as close as you can. Then pour it on a mix of sauteed veggies (pepper, onion, carrots are a good start), maybe a meat (we did tempeh), and peanuts. The roll it up on some fresh head lettuce, straight from my parents' garden. Delicious.

Special Sauce

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (we used white wine vinegar)
  
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil (we didn't use this)
  
• 1 tablespoon hot mustard
• 1-2 teaspoon garlic and red chile paste (use what you have here)
  

For dessert, the wife surprised me with ice cream, fresh strawberries, and chocolate sauce! Well, that about "wraps" it up. Our friends Matt and Tanya, purveyors of delicious bread, owners of Yellow Dog Bakery, have had some deer problems in their garden in RALEIGH. And my friend Andrew's been busy with a garden of his own.

A kitchen update will be coming soon.