I was wandering past my garden this morning, and what did I see?
A little round something just staring at me!
I'd spent a bit of time this weekend pulling out plants that were past their prime, moving some chickenwire fencing around, and relocating a garden box from one patch of dirt to another patch of dirt. Apparently, all of this dirt-disturbance brought a potato up from its underground lair to check out life in the open air.
Early in the season, I'd had some potatoes that did that weird sprouty thing out of their eyes while they were hanging around in my compost pile. There was so much sproutiness going on that I cut the potatoes into pieces and planted each piece in a little dirt patch, sprout down (or up? I forget. The internet says sprouts should go up, so maybe I actually did that). Lo and behold, the dirt patch turned into a potato plant patch, which eventually was overrun by the cucumbers (those bullies!). The potato plants died down, and I forgot about them until today, when the first little potato rose to greet me.
Dude, there's dinner underground out there!
A bit more digging around with just my hands turned up even more potatoes. All those years of training in the sandbox in my parents' back yard really paid off. What fun! I'd root around with my hands in the dirt . . . another potato! And another! I'd think I was done and then whoops! another! Then I'd think I had another potato and nope, a rock . . . ooh, but there's another potato! It was buried treasure hunt, and I was apparently the one who had buried the treasure and lost the map.
I know from helping a friend dig potatoes that I ought to go back out with a pitchfork; that's likely to net me a few more spuds (and possibly to impale others). But this is so incredibly cool. I mean, they look like real potatoes -- the kind you might actually buy in a store (well, except they need a bit more washing).
I love that this is truly Trash-to-Treasure, that this is what I get from rescuing two zombied potatoes from the compost bin, and it's actually going to make the main part of a delicious meal for me and people I love.
A little round something just staring at me!
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| Do you see what I see? |
Early in the season, I'd had some potatoes that did that weird sprouty thing out of their eyes while they were hanging around in my compost pile. There was so much sproutiness going on that I cut the potatoes into pieces and planted each piece in a little dirt patch, sprout down (or up? I forget. The internet says sprouts should go up, so maybe I actually did that). Lo and behold, the dirt patch turned into a potato plant patch, which eventually was overrun by the cucumbers (those bullies!). The potato plants died down, and I forgot about them until today, when the first little potato rose to greet me.
Dude, there's dinner underground out there!
A bit more digging around with just my hands turned up even more potatoes. All those years of training in the sandbox in my parents' back yard really paid off. What fun! I'd root around with my hands in the dirt . . . another potato! And another! I'd think I was done and then whoops! another! Then I'd think I had another potato and nope, a rock . . . ooh, but there's another potato! It was buried treasure hunt, and I was apparently the one who had buried the treasure and lost the map.I know from helping a friend dig potatoes that I ought to go back out with a pitchfork; that's likely to net me a few more spuds (and possibly to impale others). But this is so incredibly cool. I mean, they look like real potatoes -- the kind you might actually buy in a store (well, except they need a bit more washing).
I love that this is truly Trash-to-Treasure, that this is what I get from rescuing two zombied potatoes from the compost bin, and it's actually going to make the main part of a delicious meal for me and people I love.
Fabulous!
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