The garden is going insane…with beans! It is wonderful. I went out yesterday, and picked a large batch to freeze.
All together, I ended up with 11 quart-sized bags in the freezer.
And then, I remembered that I’d completely forgotten to even look at the Runner Beans. As I suspected, there were some monsters on there. Runner beans get HUGE.
Some were larger than this, and these are really too large to eat as green beans.
I’m composting all the ones that grew too big – I don’t want to leave them on the vine yet, because I want it to produce as many blooms as possible for the hummingbirds, who adore them. Later in the season, I may let them go to make dry beans. I’ve heard they make good dry beans, but I actually have never tried them before.
They are also so ornamental.
They come in red, white, and a lovely pink.
This is more the size of bean I pick to eat. They are tender and not stringy at this age.
Today, I ended up cooking the Runner beans along with a few more bush and pole beans for lunch. I like just simmering them in a pan with water, salt, and bit of bacon until they are tender. So good!
I picked my first squash today. This is a Gelber Englischer Custard squash.
Also, I have a bitty little watermelon. I have high hopes for this baby. It’s a Blacktail Mountain, which is supposed to do marvelously in the PNW.
AND, the State Dept. took their travel warning off Egypt, so as long as nothing changes in the next year, I’ll be back to Plan A. England and Egypt, my two favorite countries in all the world.
I’ve started putting patches on my Little Backpack of Geek in preparation. Besides the fact that I might as well travel with a cute/funny bag, it will be a bonus if all the thieves assume it’s a kid’s pack and don’t bother to try to steal it. 🙂 By next year, I’ll have a patch on this for all my major fandoms and geekery.
Out of Eden 
congrats on your garden produce. It all looks so healthy.
Thank you!
Those beans look so tasty! I am envious. 🙂 Have you considered growing soy beans? They taste so buttery! Also, I’m glad that your initial travel plans are back on track. 🙂
You’ll have to revive the neglected vegetable in your place, and plant some beans next year! No, I haven’t grown soy beans, partly because I am not convinced soy is healthy.
I am wondering if your chicken might enjoy some of the beans that are too big? or quail?
I would have to cook them first. Uncooked beans are somewhat toxic.