In July, our after-work garden is at its most lush. The warm days and plenty of sunshine ensure vigorous growth, rich flavors, and an impressive variety of fresh summer vegetables.
Harvesting is underway in the garden beds and the plastic tunnel. Tomatoes are ripening in all colors and sizes, cucumbers hang thick and fast from the plants, and the zucchini are growing so fast that they need to be harvested several times a week. The watermelons are also thriving and are slowly taking on color. A real highlight of midsummer.
Midsummer in the plastic tunnel
Tomatoes, cucumbers, and zucchini are now in full production in the plastic tunnel. The plants continue to be regularly tended, pruned, staked, and monitored so that they remain healthy and can channel all their energy into the fruit.
Right now, we can see just how important the ongoing care we’ve provided over the past few weeks has been. Week after week, we tended to the plants, pruned them, and nurtured them. Now they’re rewarding us with a harvest that tastes like summer.
Fresh from the Field
The full vigor of summer is also evident in the garden. Herbs such as basil, parsley, chives, and thyme are growing abundantly and are being harvested regularly. Spring onions are especially tender and aromatic right now and can be used in a variety of ways in the kitchen.
Another particularly delightful find is the rare “Rossa Lunga di Firenze” onion. This mild, slightly sweet red onion variety from Italy is now showing off its characteristic elongated shape and delicate aroma.
In addition to the ongoing harvest, there is still plenty to do. The garden beds are being tended, harvested areas are being cleared, and the ground is already being prepared for fall vegetables and later replanting. So while we’re harvesting in one spot, something new is already beginning to grow in another.
Straight from the garden to the end of the workday
The current harvest is a true celebration of summer: cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, watermelons, herbs, and much more are delivered fresh every week to our two after-work restaurants. Many of these products are prepared and served the very same day.
It is precisely this connection—from the garden to the plate—that gives them their special flavor. Our open-pollinated varieties, in particular, now show just how much flavor they have when they are carefully tended, given time to grow, and harvested at the exact moment when they taste their best.
Now it’s time to keep watering, tending, harvesting, and preparing. The garden is in the midst of midsummer and gives us a little bit of that “end-of-the-day” feeling every day.
