A belated HappyEarth Day to you all!I was busy fighting a computer issue all day yesterday. Don’t ask me what happened to Monday, because I don’t remember. i suspect more computer issues then too. And for that reason, I am posting Harvest Monday on Wednesday this week. I figure that is better than skipping it all together.

I have done a much better job of photographing harvests lately. Not that the photos are better. It’s just that I got out my camera and used it before gobbling up the food. So here goes.

Our chard is HUGE this year. I could do a fan dance with these leaves. But I won’t.

Limes keep falling from the tree, one or two or four at a time.

This is one morning’s harvest (except for the eggs, which accumulate). Do you see breakfast here?

Lou’s Omelette (for 2)

5 eggs (preferably from your own chickens)

1 red bell pepper

1 or 2 green onions, including the tops

2 – 3 T Ranch dressing (or sour cream)

1/3 C grated cheese (I use a Mexican taco blend)

1/2 tsp Trader Joes 21 Salute Seasonings (a blend of dried onion and herbs)

1 T butter (or bacon grease, or margarine)

Chop bell pepper and slice onion. Saute in butter until bell pepper is slightly browned. Set aside.

Beat eggs with ranch dressing and seasoning mix. Pour into a hot skillet, adding more butter if necessary. Cover and cook until top is nearly set. Add chopped vegetables and cheese. Add salt and pepper if you like it. Cover and cook until top is set. Flip over half the omelette, cut it in half, and serve with fruit and toast.

Saute the vegetables.

Cook the eggs until nearly done, then add vegetables and cheese.

Flip to fold in half.

Voila, a beautiful breakfast fit for a king. This was all from our garden except for the bread.

I must confess, the addition of the Ranch dressing to the omelette was a trick that I learned from my brother George. It gives a nice texture to the eggs and helps the omelette fluff up.

We harvested the first of our collard greens, but I forgot to photograph them!

I cooked the collards with two ham hocks, then added carrots and onions. Very simple. The first night, we had big chunks of ham on top. But I didn’t get around to photographing the dish until the second night. Oh well. The greens were DELICIOUS! They are thick and meaty feeling, with a good flavor, thanks to the ham. The carrots were a nice touch, not typical of collard greens recipes.

Lunch one day was tuna salad sandwiches, with Freckles romaine lettuce from the garden and sweet pickles that I canned from last summer’s garden.

My pickle supply is running low. I had such a nice crop of cucumbers last year. I hope I can duplicate it this year. I also made sweet pickles out of yellow squash slices, and they were delicious.

I have so many topics with photos that I want to add: commercial harvesting of carrots and sugar beets, cattle ranching, Easter with the grandkids. But I hear a leek and mushroom frittata begging me to make it for breakfast. All for now.

Harvest ending Sunday April 20

FRUIT

5 oz Lemon, Meyer

14 oz Limes

1 lb 2 oz Oranges, Navel

Subtotal 2 lbs 5 oz FRUIT

VEGETABLES

3.5 oz Bell Pepper

14 oz Chard

14 oz Collard Greens

1 oz Green Onion

3 oz Lettuce

Subtotal 35.5 oz = 2 lbs 3.5 oz VEGETABLES

TOTAL 4 lbs 8.5 lbs PRODUCE and 14 eggs