For many years Rancho San Julian has had a pretty large vegetable garden. Some years we have used the garden just for our family meals, some years we've sold produce, and some years we've planned the garden specifically so that we have lots of ingredients to make pickles and preserves. This year I pulled together everyone who lives or works on the ranch and organized a Community Garden under the direction of Chris Thompson and Katie Hames. Since late May we have been meeting about once a week to plant, weed, water, and harvest vegetables. It has been some of the most fun I have ever had in the garden: we all pitch in, learning and having fun conversations while working while the kids run wild and have their own fun. 

Right now, our summer squash, zucchini, carrots, and beets are starting to come in, so I see a lot of fun zucchini breads in our future! If you have a zucchini, carrot or beet recipe that you would like to share, please send it to me with a photo; I would love share your work on The Ranch Table!

Happy Gardening!

Elizabeth 

Photographs by Elizabeth Poett