The Garden and a Recipe

Our garden is doing its job this year.  If you have read any of my previous posts you know that the first year our garden went gangbusters but last year the weather did not cooperate and it did not produce much for all the work hubs put into it.  This year is much better.

Hubs just uncovered this sign a couple of weeks ago.  It was still packed from our move 3 years ago.  We made this sign together when we were first married and planted our first garden together.  It is missing the single vegetables that I had painted and was hanging from the bottom.

Tomatoes of course.

Summer squash and cantaloupe.

 Green beans, lima beans and the cucumbers are growing through both.

More tomatoes.

Tomatoes, bell peppers and many varieties of hot peppers.

These vines are the gourds that I plant along the fence inside the garden.

This our pumpkin and winter squash patch.  Hubs probably would not like this picture because it shows the grass that we are always battling on that end of the garden.  I wanted to give you a small tour of what our garden looks like and a share a recipe for cucumber relish that I am making my second batch of this season.  I have tried a few different recipes but this is my family's favorite.  I thought my mother gave it to me around 30 years ago but she says she never canned relish.  I am still leaning toward it coming from her recipe box because it has her recipe for pickled beets on the other side of the note paper I have it scratched out on.

Cucumber Relish

Night before:
Chop (I use my little Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus chopper)
10 cups cucumbers
1 stalk celery
3 sweet red peppers
3 cups onions
Mix together in large bowl and cover with 1/4 cup salt and 6 cups of water.  Leave overnight.  I cover the bowl with a large tray and leave it sit on my counter.
The next day drain mixture well. 
Make mixture of:
4 cups sugar
4 cups distilled vinegar
2 teaspoons celery seed
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
Bring to a boil and pour over mixture and simmer for one hour.  Seal in hot jars. 
I process for 10 minutes in a hot water bath.

Use some old utensils that you do not care about turning a yellow color from the turmeric.

This recipe usually makes around 14 half pints.

Let me know if you try the recipe how it turns out for you and if you like it.  Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a great week so far.  Blessings!