When I saw the seeds for Rainbow Carrots I just had to try them. Not that we eat carrots that much; I just knew it would be fun growing them, then pulling them up to see what color they'd be. It will be a crop I'll always plant because it is fun. And, children love seeing the carrots. My plot at the Franklin Park Community Garden is truly at it's peak right now, that time when most of the growth has occurred and it is time to anticipate pulling stuff - the cauliflower, beets, lettuce and kale, the carrots, onions, and celery.
My yellow zuchinni has spread out where the broccolini and lettuce were. 
These orange, yellow and red nasturtiums are at the front border of my garden plot. When I pulled all my lettuce they took over the bare spots. That is a row of potatoes behind them, then a row of Sweet Peas and another row of Snow Peas. I've harvested most of the Snow Peas, using them in stir-fries and freezing some also. 
This is a row of calendula at the back of my plot. I use the flower petals for salads and teas, and also freeze the entire flower heads for use later. Eggplant, hot red peppers, fava beans, squash and cilantro are behind the calendula.I have a side row of dahlias, which have grown very tall. My tomatoes are tall too, with spooky pathways inbetween the
tall plants. One of my garden friends has a four year old daughter who comes to my plot to play while her mother is working (against the rules, of course. Children should stay with their parents.) The child hides in the trenches and picks the calendula inside, making little bouquets. When her mother comes to find her, she hides among the Snow Peas, and crouches down, avoiding her mother's calls. I've created a special hiding place for her!Little birds have come too, for the calendula seeds. I have a couple of poles stretched over the tomatoes, and they use them as a perch. I enjoy the sounds they make as I work, and I also enjoy the conversations of my fellow gardeners, many of whom are from the Ukraine. I wonder what they talk about as they hoe the dirt in their gardens and rinse their vegetables in big buckets of water. Even though I am a quiet person and don't visit much, I always greet them as I arrive.
The Russian women have a gardening style that they've brought over from the 'old country'. In spite of what they see being done, they keep their old procedures, some of which are not to their advantage. However, they collect all their own seeds, tend their plots with the utmost care, and make the most of the growing season, often planting and replanting if possible.
I've been busy with 'production', cooking and freezing what I grow. But mostly we've been eating everything, which is mostly in the form of salads and stir-frys. I made 'Beef Tagine with Onions and Apricots' a few days ago, putting it over a slow charcoal fire. It simmered, strengthening all the flavors until a rich sauce formed. I used spaetzel rather than couscous this time, just for a change.
Each time I make a tagine I learn something new - this time I learned to leave the almonds out, as the stew begs for softness when using spaetzel.Today I experimented with a Pineapple Upside Down Cake which can be baked in a Dutch Oven over an open fire, or in a barbecue with coals placed on top of the lid as well as below.
My project was to test the ingredients, and create a cake that was full-bodied and flavorful but not too sweet. I used less sugar and added several tablespoons of molasses to the flour-cornmeal batter.
Chopped pecans were also added to the top, along with a nasturtium from my garden. When I cut this cake, I served it with a scoop of fig yogurt - Greek God's Yogurt, the best I've ever tasted.
