Well, then. I’d really like to make a few dishes from what’s growing in my garden already! I am the most impatient gardener! I love seeing what’s changed from one day to the next.

I adore hunting for all those little green fruits. I am genuinely excited by every single fully-grown tomato and every single green bean. I keep a close eye on the cucumbers and zucchinis and keep my fingers crossed for the celery, carrots, and parsley!

Now my vacation is starting, and it should be wonderful, but it’s terrible! I have so many green tomatoes. I know they’ll start turning red while I’m away! I can only bear this heart-wrenching truth because I’m sure there will be plenty ripe by August. I have eight lush, growing bushes! I never thought I could get so excited about growing vegetables! Actually, they’re growing by themselves. With all the rain we’ve been having lately, I hardly have to water them. I just pull the weeds, and then I just watch and admire. I observe.

But now I have vacation. Soon, the whole family is heading off on holiday, and I’m hoping for more sun than last year. For more walks and more photos! We plan to visit a few new places that promise beautiful landscapes and some different attractions. It will be the perfect opportunity to relax, recharge, and spend precious time with my loved ones. Despite my worries about the garden, I’m looking forward to the upcoming adventures.

I hope your summer is just as full of joy and exciting moments. And if you have your own gardens, I wish you a big harvest and lots of delicious meals from your own vegetables! For example, you could try my favorite recipe for half-sour pickles, straight from my wife’s notebook:

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of ground cucumbers (small, pickling cucumbers)
• 1 liter of water
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• 3–4 cloves of garlic
• Dill (the more, the better)
• 2–3 horseradish leaves
• 2–3 red currant leaves

Preparation:

1. Wash the cucumbers thoroughly; you can cut the ends off if you like.
2. In a large jar, place all the other ingredients at the bottom, then fill it up with the cucumbers.
3. Bring the water to a boil and dissolve the salt in it, then let it cool completely.
4. Pour the cooled brine over the cucumbers so they are completely submerged. None of the ingredients should be above the waterline.
5. Cover the jar with a cloth or a lid (not airtight) and leave it in a warm place for 3–4 days.
6. After this time, the half-sour pickles are ready to eat. You can store them in the refrigerator to stop the fermentation process.

See you soon! I hope you enjoy the half-sour pickle recipe and that you get as much pleasure from it as I get from every day spent in the garden. Bon appétit!