Springtime?

I grow horseradish for only one reason: to make maror for Passover seder. It’s a basic raw sauce: grated horseradish and beets, white vinegar and a touch of sugar and salt. It’s delicious, but it’s one of those foods that somehow I get a craving for only once a year. It’s best when made with freshly dug horseradish. Horseradish is a deep tap root that spreads. That’s why I grow it on the far side of my vegetable garden. I keep it in check by feeding the leaves to the goats. They love helping me garden!

This is my horseradish bed this last week of March:

horseradish

Obviously, I will have to buy horseradish this year. It looks like I won’t be planting my peas the first week of April, either.

veg garden

However, one sunny corner has warmed up enough to feed my dreams of rhubarb pie.

rhubarb

And one little dog knows how to make the best of a moment of sunshine. Do you see him?

snow on lawn

Scooter says that yes, it is springtime.

Scooter

Comments:

  1. Happy Passover, Terry. All the best to you and your family.

  2. He looks like he is getting relaxed in the sunshine…..ready for a quick “springtime” nap! He is a little peanut.

  3. Hope you had a nice passover. I went to a sedar last night. I too love the horseradish.My girls are enjoying early spring, while doing some yard work the worms were popping out, gave them to the girls, what a ruckus, guess its caviar to them. Happy passover, happy easter to all.

  4. Ooh, I love your raised beds. What are they made out of??
    zabecc (at) hotmail (dot) com

    Thanks!

  5. Oh, love all those raised beds. I have three which seemed like so much room but now that I’m planting them for the first time, I wish I had three more.

    • Once the snow melts, the raised beds will warm up more quickly than the surrounding grown. Then I’ll get to planting.

  6. Looks like Scooter is trying to decide which friends to visit first — the hens on the right or the goats to the left. Hmmm….

  7. I have a small garden in the summer with tomato’s, squash and a couple types of peppers. With my bad back I’ve been thinking about raising my garden beds like Terry’s. I’ve also been thinking of how I’m going to keep the chickens out of my garden, I have a small fence around it to keep my dog and rabbits out but my rooster and hen jump over my short chicken wire fence. This year I’m starting my first compost pile, I never thought about the beds warming up faster that’s a plus.

  8. We used to get the very best horseradish in Cleveland years ago at Passover/Easter time. I accidentally mixed in a bit in deviled eggs and boy was that good! Just a tad.

    If you can, please tell me what you use between the raised beds? We will be having them for the first time this year and haven’t yet decided what to use. First we though of bark, then someone suggested this stone powdery stuff (I forgot the name), another was surprised we weren’t going to have an edible path, etc.

    • I like to go barefoot, and the stone paths hurt, and also require weeding. I put down landscape fabric. Not pretty, but effective. If I could afford it, I’d put bricks down.

      • Stone powdery stuff = decomposed granite? Not nice to walk on barefoot, sticks to shoes and gets tracked all over the house. We have grass between our raised beds with enough space to run the push mower between.

  9. P.S. I’m remembering to click through! ;) I get ads for chicken and apiary supplies. I shop there anyway.

  10. Terry feel you pain on this ENDLESS winter. Last year at this time we were in the mid 70’s and I am pretty sure I had mowed twice already.
    I agree with all the others that Scooter is just adorable.

  11. Wishing Spring to come quickly to you Terry! I am so stupid about horseradish..I thought it was just a sauce..but I like it! I remember having it at a Seder dinner! Happy Passover to you and your family!

    • Not many people grow it anymore. It used to be standard fare here on the east coast. What you’d serve with roast meats. But, it’s just not a popular condiment anymore. And, it’s invasive in gardens.

  12. Rhubarb pie!!! :-D-
    (that’s supposed to be a drooling smiley face)