Pinch My Salt

Food, Recipes, and Photography

The Sugar Snap Peas are Back!

by 17 Comments

April CSA Box

As if the scent of roses, lilacs, and orange blossoms wafting around our yard hadn’t been enough of a clue, the arrival of sugar snap peas in our CSA box is a sure sign that spring has definitely, absolutely arrived.  While I know that the weather hasn’t been very pleasant in other parts of the country, it’s been mostly warm and beautiful here punctuated with a few brief bouts of much needed and prayed for rain.  It’s actually sprinkling on and off as I type this.  It’s one of those strange and beautiful early evenings where the sky is dark and stormy but the setting sun is low enough to break through and brighten everything down below.  It’s a striking contrast and especially beautiful since everything is wet and sparkling from the afternoon showers.

For the last month we’ve been working around the yard and slowly getting various beds in shape for planting.  My dad helped us put in an absolutely beautiful raised bed on top of an existing bed in the middle of our patio.  He designed it and did most of the work but Phil helped and I offered to help but mostly just documented the process with my iphone and went on lunchtime taco runs. Below you can see some before, after, and construction photos courtesy of my Instagram account.

New Raised Bed

Picking up dirt from the ranch

New Garden Bed

My uncle was nice enough to load us up with some great dirt out at his ranch yesterday so we’re all ready for planting.  The first thing to go in was a Tarocco blood orange tree.  This bed will be mostly flowers this year but I may stick a few herbs in at the corner closest to the kitchen.

Well, it’s time to get in the kitchen, unpack this CSA box, and make some dinner.  If any of you have started planting gardens already, leave a comment and let me know what you’re growing.  So far I have a couple tomato plants in, but I still need to decide what else I want to put in the ground.  I’d love to hear what everyone else has planned!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. VikkiD says

    My husband & I live in Southern California and we recently planted herbs, tomatoes, onion, and all sorts of peppers. There is a lot of fresh salsa in our future. I just love your cookbook The Brokeass Gourmet. The balamic vinaigrette is the best salad dressing I have ever made or tasted!
    Reply

  2. amy says

    Speaking of peas, my pea starts are up! Ihiave a mini greenhouse which has three kinds of mint (col. Kentucky, spearamint, peppermint,), cat nip for my cat, tomatoes, beets, radish, peppers, lettuce, spinach, mustard, corn, cucumber, swiss chard and find of herbs Like oregano, dill, parsley, cilantro, and soon I'll get the basil started. I am in Nw Washington in the cascade foothills.... Everything gets started in my greenhouse and then transplanted to my raised bed or large containets!
    Reply

  3. Nicole says

    @VikkiD - We'll definitely be planting some peppers soon. Last year we had tons of serranos and my husband made some great hot sauces with both green and red serranos. I'd like to try some onions... I've never grown them myself. @Amy - How wonderful!!
    Reply

  4. Lucy says

    Wow! I love your new raised bed inside your patio. I think that will be absolutely beautiful once filled with flowers. I am excited about this growing season. I'm still learning, but I grow beautiful tomatoes. This year I plan to pay special attention to growing various peppers as they were unable to grow due to that murderous summer squash that spread out over the entire planting bed! I didn't even like the squash! I've also purchased onions to grow and a raspberry bush. My blackberry has done well and hopefully the fig will produce this year (its second). I've had no luck with cucumbers or radishes, but I am going to try, try again.
    Reply

  6. Sally K. says

    We've been thinking of planting a blood orange tree too, because it's one if the few citrus trees we know that is cold hardy. We have temperatures in the 20s at times here in the mountainous part of Southern California. This tree seems just right. Best of luck with yours!
    Reply

  7. J.S. @ Sun Diego Eats says

    That is awesome, all I have now is a windowsill to grow some herbs in but cannot wait to have a garden someday and be able to grow veggies and fruits as well! The final product looks very nice.
    Reply

  9. Marky says

    Such a beautiful place on an extraordinary weather to go gardening. Also, I am amazed of the quality of the picture that iPhone produces. Excellent quality. Great job! :)
    Reply

  10. Mukta Tikekar says

    I don't really have a green thumb or the patience to plant my own veggies but seeing how things are going the GMO way, all of us may just need to take it up sooner than later. I enjoyed seeing the pics though. Looking forward to updates with pics of the produce. :)
    Reply

  11. Deborah Singer says

    It appears your comment thread has been taken over by spammers :( ANYway... I have a very small garden, and I've just begun planting easy things, I have a tomato plant, a pepper, carrots, coriander, and cucumbers, all of which are providing quite well, but I would like to start planting potatoes and onions, which I hear grow nicely also. My concern is that I don't have the proper soil for them to grow well, but I love what you've done with the raised box. I'll have to pore through the blog to find the instructions there, it is probably the answer to my need exactly. I've gotten quite a few good ideas just from reading this post!
    Reply

  13. Del Cook says

    Great photos - especially the one with the soil being dumped in the truck - made me feel like I was there! You were asking what else to plant and I might suggest some herbs like thyme, fennel, sage and rosemary. It's always great to have herbs nearby to help inspire your cooking to go to greater heights! Best of luck with the garden and enjoy your beautiful patio! Del www.applewasabi.com
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