Fall Beets

With the completion of the hoop house we planted some kale, assorted lettuce, carrots and beets in raised beds. Today we thinned the beets and pulled up a few for salad this week. They were luscious and a deep ruby red. We have space in the hoop house this year for lavender, the raised beds and our old 8N. We decided to try to grow a few things over the winter and we are using Eliot Coleman's book "The Winter Harvest Handbook" as a guide. Eliot has perfected growing certain things all winter long in unheated hoophouses. Since we don't have heat in ours, and won't be adding any anytime too soon we figured we would try our hands at this process. Using his seed selections, everything is growing wonderfully. The lettuce is on its 2nd cutting, and we have planted a 2nd round of seeds that hopefully will take us to at least January, maybe February with fresh produce. The lettuce has been wonderfully fresh and sweet with so much flavor. This lettuce is much more than the supermarket washed, packaged and preserved lettuce. As we savor our fresh cut lettuce every night we marvel at the taste and feel sympathy for those who might never taste a salad as fresh. With each bite it reaffirms our decision to live where we do and to grow as much of our own food as we can. Mmmm, Mmmm!