Rain, rain go away….

But, on the other hand, a cooler day makes it easier to get out into that garden to investigate.

Suddenly treasures are popping up everywhere! One by one our tomatoes are turning red, the peas are plump and sweet.

Then, we find something new in the garden – a gnome hiding in the tomatillos… he must be here for a garden party!

Our daughter sets to work gathering dishes and friends for an impromptu tea party in the back yard. How exciting it is to collect goodies from the garden.

Toddlers and preschoolers just love helping spot what can be picked, and offering up that extra set of hands help to get that food out of the dirt and onto the table. Our daughter lifts the leaves to find the larger cucumbers, pushes the overgrown crab grass aside to find small red strawberries. She helps to point out the orange tops of the carrots I need to pull, and then helps to wash off the dirt with the hose.

Kids want to know that they are helping, and what better place than in the garden?

There are so many tasks that need to be done, and little hands can help with almost all of them. Give your child a bowl and tell her to pick only the red tomatoes. Or, with some children’s scissors, they can help you cut beans and peas from their vines. Even weeding is something little hands can help with - just show them which ones to pull out and they will be happy to do so.

Of course all of this is just warming up for the most interesting treat in our garden today- the tomatillo. Originally from Mexico and not at all like tomato, these fruits are the unique flavor we find in green salsa and sauces.

Although I don’t like to eat them off the plant, they add a citrus like taste to dishes that is hard to capture. And do they ever grow well here! A few years ago I planted some seeds. Now every year tomatillo plants pop up all throughout our yard. Partially because of the numerous seeds in each of the many fruits I can’t harvest that drop into the dirt, and partially because our compost just doesn’t get hot enough to break them down.

But I don’t mind.

The plant is a beautiful thing to look at, fanning out as it does across the air. Then little yellow flowers with deep purple centers begin to produce green globes that hang from all over the plant. All throughout the Summer and the Fall this plant is full of flowers and globes that slowly fill. As they mature the husks become dry, and peel away from the fruit.

There is something magical about tomatillos in the garden. People who have never seen a plant are intrigued by its presence. It is so fun to harvest, especially for kids, because the way you do it is to squish the lanterns (gently!) to see which ones are full! Some fold into nothing easily between your fingers, but the best surprise is when your fingers find resistance – a husk full of fruit!

A great way to eat tomatillos is in a garden salsa. How easy it is to make when everything can be grown in the backyard! Tomatoes, cilantro, onions, and hot peppers all growing in the garden. Add some garlic (which is always on hand) and some tomatillos and PRESTO! a fresh and yummy snack. For a truly green salsa you can skip the tomatoes and add an avocado or two instead. This is a great thing to munch on hot summer evenings

Now back to our garden party!

After harvesting the carrots and cucumbers we slice some up for our garden helpers.

Our daughter pulls apart the shells of peas to find perfect green snacks. Next we find a red tomato and a few red berries. She giggles at the delightful nasturtium flowers and leaves we can feed to her fairy friends, and as a final touch, we peel the husk of a full tomatillo into the shape of a star – the perfect addition to our garden party!

So during these last weeks of Summer when the days stretch hot and sunny or overcast and grey before you, why not head out into the yard for a little harvesting, a little make believe, and a whole lot of fun