Garden update

Another pest has invaded my garden. The thing is, I'm sure they were there before the slugs started taking over (I've gotten them down to a low roar now, fortunately). This time it's cabbage maggots. They burrow into the roots and work their way up, eventually killing the plant. We noticed one day that one of our cabbage plants was wilted to the ground. Soon after, two more plants (pictured left). There's no hope for them once they're infested. If I would have done my research before planting a garden, I would have known to protect the plants as
seedlings/transplants. Hindsight is 20/20! So I can only hope that the rest of the remaining cabbages will survive unharmed.

On a more positive note, we have been enjoying freshly picked lettuce and kale. It's been awesome to walk out the front door and be able to pick the base for our salads, or a leaf or two at a time for sandwiches. Oh! And my cilantro (started from seed, go me!) is doing beautifully. It's still too young for picking, but it is growing new shoots all the time. I need to start some more to keep the succession going. I failed miserably at cilantro last year, even though I got a decent transplant.


On to a recipe for your enjoyment. This goes out to all the kale and garlic lovers! I've shared this recipe before using spinach, but the kale really changes the tastes.

Garlicky Kale
1 bunch kale (about 6 or so large leaves if handpicking from garden), chopped
toasted or raw sesame seeds
toasted sesame oil
Bragg's liquid aminos, Nama Shoyu or soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup water

Directions:
In a wok, boil 1/2 cup, add the kale and immediately remove it from wok once it's at it brightest color (this takes a minute, literally, just keep turning it to get all leaves in the water). Let drain and cool in colander, then squeeze out excess water . In a medium-sized bowl, add sesame seeds, garlic, even amounts soy sauce and sesame oil (you'll have to play with the exact amounts to get a taste you like). Once you've made the marinade to your taste, add the kale and mix so it's lightly coated with the marinade. It's good to eat right away or let sit overnight!
WARNING: this WILL give you gnarly garlic breath that is lethal enough to wipe out close friends or family. Eat at your own risk!