Ready For Winter?

Despite the radical weather fluctuations common in the Midwest the unseasonable November weather has been truly bizarre. Over the Thanksgiving holiday my Uncle John, now living in California, confessed that the warm morning air of the Bay area felt cool compared to that in St. Louis. Just yesterday, December 1st, as I was headed outside in a t-shirt to pick leaf lettuce for dinner, I noticed the wireless weather station read 71 degrees Fahrenheit. Although I am grateful to still have fresh produce in the garden (lettuce, spinach, kale, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage) it is now December and I am ready for winter to come...well, at least I think so.

Even though, Nathan had mentioned last night that the forecast was calling for extreme temperature drops over the next few days, and I also heard yesterday on NPR that they were predicting snow in today's forecast, the truth is, it just sort-of went in one ear and out the other. When it's 71 degrees and your outside working in the yard on December 1st, well, I guess I just didn't pay that much attention. However, I should have know that when it comes to weather in central Illinois...anything is possible. Pictured above, today, the first snow of the season!

Still Going Strong

Not sure how much longer it will last but the garden keeps producing. The picture of lettuce is from yesterday. It is December now and we still have broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, spinach, carrots, and kale in the garden. It doesn't quite feel like winter yet but it is getting colder. I imagine any day now we will get some consistent cold that will finally wipe some of the crops out.

I already blanched and froze a bunch of cauliflower and broccoli. I also put a few heads of cabbage in the back of the refrigerator; according to what I've read they should keep good like that for a few months. I am considering freezing some kale for stir fry and spinach for cooking before the temperature gets in the teens, temperatures below the mid 20's will wipe out kale and spinach. I am just not sure if we will put it to use.

I don’t mind the early winter production and actually expect a certain amount of it but lettuce in December is a bit extreme. As long as the weather stays this way I don’t mind, although it is a bit worrisome, global warming and all that…