Iceberg Lettuce

The only thing left in the garden now is the lettuce and a few young carrots. And tonight I picked my dinner salad out of the snow. At this point in the year, I am taking the whole plant and thinning out anything that will not be covered under my row cover to protect it from snow and frost.

What could be better than fresh, chilled, tender buttercrunch lettuce?

The garden is put to bed for the winter. The soil is amended with compost, the catnip is drying in the chicken coop, the sunflower seeds have been roasted, the chard has been frozen to be clipped for soups and sauces, and the carrots have been pulled and put up. A clean slate for the next year.

But, be forewarned, I have a pretty long list of things around the house that did NOT get done because of gardening and food storage. My six beds will be resting next year while we catch up.

And still...

...with the beans.

Yesterday was October 1st and I was freezing beans. And my fingers, it just so happens, as I picked in a 45* rain. Will it never end?

The only things left in the garden, are two green tomatoes, half a dozen bell peppers, and the plants that need to be pulled. And maybe a summer squash. And some chard and carrots. And, of course, the lettuce. You're right. This is never going to end.