Beet it

The many outdoor projects planned for the month of July have been put on hold thanks to two constants: rain and grass. The rain, however, has been good for one thing other than the lawn: the garden. I'm worried about the tomatoes -- we've had others rot on the vine during periods of steady rain -- but the other goods have been doing just fine, including our beets. We're slightly late in harvesting them, but during my mowing tasks on Sunday Gina got to work and started pulling them.

I had planned to grill some sockeye salmon for dinner and decided the beets would make a perfect side. One of my favorite summer salads is beet with watercress and goat cheese. The sharpness of the goat cheese, the peppery watercress and the sweetness of the beets are a perfect combo.

Remove the stems, boil the beets for 30 minutes or until tender, then drop them in a bowl of ice water. Remove the skin, then cut the beets into 1/4" cubes. Toss them with some watercress and balsamic vinaigrette, and then top with crumbled goat cheese.

Also, I can't take credit for all the mowing around here. Gina's dad, Ken, borrowed an old John Deere and helped us tackle some of the meadow. Here he is working on the upper field:

I could really use an old tractor like that...