The garden in July - and lots of amazing food!

Our July garden is phenomenal.  Despite the late start of the season, we are eating out of it every day.

There are lots of veggies and of course plenty of unruly flowers happily spreading themselves all over the place.

Let me show you.  Here's the entrance of the garden, protected by poultry netting, because the free-range chickens and ducks would destroy everything in it.  We don't have to electrify the fence, and it works great.

Here's a view of the mallow, borage and calendula flowers interspersed with all the veggies.  Plus the flowering cilantro, poppies and bellflowers.

Why do I interplant like this?

Because it's darn pretty, and because the bees loooooooove the flowers.

Now here's a tour of the veggies.  There were so many, I had to make a collage of some of them.  Below: zucchini, broccoli, kale and peas.

Next up: garlic, onions, and beets.

Furthermore, carrots, cabbage, pole beans.

Also: collards, cucumbers, and of course, tomatoes.  And tucked in the corner of the garden: sunchokes.

It's all about food around here, as usual.

The kids are contributing to the food scene.  Kai's speciality is breadsticks, with lots of butter and garlic powder.  Look at that huge pile in the picture.  How long do you think did it take the five of us to eat them?  Ahem.

I'm just now cutting into some killer Tomme cheese I made last year.  Killer not because we'll die when we eat it (I hope), but because it's just so good.  Creamy, nutty, great texture. 

Wait, am I boasting?  Sure I am.

And look at this cake! Yes, it's cake, albeit decorated with flowers, and I made it for our friend's wedding last week.  It's my gluten free, no-refined sugar sweet potato almond cake, which sounds weird and boring, but is anything but.

Cherries have been coming on strong in our orchard, and we scramble to pick them before the birds do.  

Also, the chickens have been laying eggs like crazy.  I noticed today that my duck is sitting on her eggs, so maybe we'll have baby ducks in a month.  That, or the broody duck will be eaten by raccoons.  I sure as hell hope not.

What can I show you next?  

Ahhh, I got it: home made pasta, since we have so many eggs.  These noodles are always a hit, although you might not believe this according to Eva's grave face.  She was grumpy because it was such a hot day, and I made her help me with the pasta.

You wanna eat?  Then you help.

Also, here she is helping me harvest calendula flowers for making calendula infused oil for my goat milk soaps.

I will leave you with a photo of the moon over the ridge.  Have I told you that I love July?

How about you?