You’ve worked hard all spring to get your garden going, but now you are searching for a way to enjoy your garden again. It is hot out, and your enthusiasm is starting to fade. But why now? This is precisely the time when you should be the most excited, as the fruits of your labor, quite literally, are coming to fruition. I would like to share with you one thing that you HAVE to do to re-energize and get the most enjoyment out of your garden as possible.
Once you implement just this one idea, you will experience many other benefits as well! Read on to see what has turned my garden burn-out back into enjoyment!
So here it is… Cut Out the Middleman
This is so simple to do. Each evening before dinner, grab a colander and head out to the garden. Pick only what you plan to eat for that meal. Then simply rinse it off with a hose or in the kitchen sink, place it on the counter and let your family help you with the rest! However, if you plan on canning or freezing, go ahead and pick that as well.
Who is the middleman? That would be you. You are the one standing between your garden and your table. By simply allowing each family member to do their own meal prep, you can enjoy fresher, more flavorful meals, reduce food waste and even improve your family’s health. Get ready to revolutionize the way you feed your family!
Don’t Over-harvest
To maximize freshness and flavor of your garden-to-table meals, it is important to harvest only what you need. This means taking a more intentional approach to not only your gardening, but also your meal planning. It also reduces the temptation to over-harvest, which leads to a crazy amount of food waste. By picking only what you plan to use in the immediate future, either eating, canning or freezing, you can ensure that your meals are as fresh and flavorful as possible.
As you plan your meals, take stock of what is ripe and ready to be harvested, and make a plan for how you will use it. For example, if you harvest the veggies such as the ones pictured below, just add some grilled chicken, nuts and olive oil to these items, and you have an incredibly healthy and filling salad.
If someone in your family doesn’t like one of the ingredients, such as onions or basil, they are free to pass on that particular item. Or, if they are crazy about sugar snap peas, they can easily throw in some extra! Just keep all of your prep tools handy, and they can help themselves as they go. Speaking of prep tools, herb shears like the ones shown in the picture above, are a fun way for your kids to prep their own food. It might even get them interested in foods that they wouldn’t dare try otherwise!