Handful Harvest

(Starting at the strawberries and going clockwise)

The strawberries are finally beginning to dwindle.  There’s not more than 20 strawberries left in the patch to be picked over the next few days.

My herb garden is doing well besides being full of grass.  I hope to dry several herbs for cooking and teas this year.  I picked a handful of thyme to dry.  I love using thyme in chicken broth.

Only a handful of peas are ready, but in a day or two we’ll have buckets.  The kids were delighted to eat them raw right out of the pods.  It is by far their favorite summer treat.  I wish that I would have planted more.

I picked a bunch of mint to dry too.  I’m hoping to dry it for peppermint tea.  This is my first year growing this, and I’m glad I decided to keep it in a pot and not put it in the ground as it’s growing like crazy just like everyone says it does.  We’ve been putting some in water, in sun-tea, and it’s great chopped up in a fruit salad.

The raspberries bushes just had a handful ready, though it will be small buckets in a few days as well.  It’s just so barely starting.

Last but not least, the chamomile is in bloom, and I intend to grow my own chamomile tea for this winter.  It’s another first for me.  These miniature daisy-like flowers smell so delicious, I hope they’ll keep coming because this isn’t nearly enough.

Although these little bits and handfuls of harvests aren’t much for putting away (besides the herbs), and we’re just eating them as we pick them, I must admit this little bit of a “breather” is just what I needed.