Some of today's pickings from our garden.

Oh my, how pretty! It looks like a Renaissance painting. And delicious too!

Ah, Wohli, now you see why I prefer growing food to just flowers - just as colourful, with the bonus of eating them all immediately! Actually, we picked so many runner beans today that I had to blanch and freeze a good 2 pounds in weight - Thank Goodness for freezers! The others in this pic have been eaten!

I bet it was all delicious. Tried Swiss Chard for the first time last week, wasn't bad, Kale is next. Want to see if we like it before growing any!

So colourful.

A bountiful harvest and colorful too!!

They look great, very encouraging for me to try to grow my own. I was given 2 butternutsquash plants from my foster child's school fete. I just put them in the soil, and leaving them to it. They are growing quite big, but no squash yet.

brilliant david looks better than the supermarket stuff, well done mate

David,
I keep coming back to look at this pic. I think you have a natural flair for the artistic. We ordered seeds today and decided to go with some more unusual colored varieties. You have inspired it!

They look fantastic David, I wouldn,t want to spoil the arrangment by eating them :) Dee..

Many thanx for the comments, everyone. I quite happily spoiled this sample arrangement by cooking/eating, I can tell you! A good way to get yourself/the kids to eat greens such as spinach, kale, chard, etc., is to combine it in a coloured rice timbale. I originally used to use spinach, but have since found this useful for other "greens" such as the chard or kale. Heat some olive oil in the base of a saucepan, add chopped spring onion and the green of your choice, heat further while stirring. Add long grain rice and stir until coated with the heated oil. Fill the pan with plenty of water, heat to boiling point,then simmer until the rice is cooked and the water has evaportated. Spoon into household mugs/cups, upturn onto the individual' dinnerplates with the main course, and garnsh with chopped tomatoes or a teaspoon of homemade tomato sauce. The red/white and green colouration goes gr8 with Italian chicken dishes, is irresistible to the eyes and gastric juices, and gets our kids to eat their "greens" Just a tip - Bon appetit ( ok, so this is French!). Oh dear, Wohli, what have iIdone? I feel so responsible now, but, hope you enjoy!

You are so right about the kids and eating their veg. Mine are grown now but one won't eat any greens unless grown at home and one loves to try new weird and wonderful dishes preferably without meat, just veg.

Your kids have, therefore, paid you the ultimate compliment, Wohli! You must feel really satisfied with what you have done in the past, and continue to do. It is, for me, encouraging to see something like this actually written. Thank You so much!

You are very welcome, I think mine turned out reasonably well. It's a real gamble, kids! :)

Congratulations David!! what a great bounty!! How about green beans, tomato, garlic and basil drizzled with a little olive oil and baked under grated mozzarella and served in a crepe? or a tortilla...just say "Mange!" (man ja) or buon appetito! kids usually love Italian (pizza?).... Isn't it a treat to eat your own FRESH vegs? When my Mom was not in the garden, she was in the kitchen preserving the fresh veg and fruits and berries from the garden for the long winter ahead... while we were swimming in the lake and playing..she laboured so we could eat well the next winter...and did we ever!! She canned tomatoes, beans, plums, peaches, rhubarb, cherries and blueberries and made strawberry, raspberry and blackberry jam!! I was blessed with a wonderful mother.

Oh, Lori, you're making me hungry again! Your Mum sounds fantastic, and you certainly ate the best!

Lovely and nutritious!