Harvesting vegetables is one of the great rewards of gardening here in Alaska. Mike and I have been harvesting cucumbers, broccoli and lettuce from our garden. Well, I have to say, the garden we visited today was enormous compared to our little plot of dirt!
Earlier this week, our friends (Chuck and Dawn) had invited us to go with them to Central, Alaska for what is called a Vegetable Feast hosted at Mac-Lin Gardens. Since we had been wanting to visit Central for some time, we thought this would be a great opportunity to meet some locals and get to enjoy some incredible vegetables. So, we accepted Chuck and Dawn's invitation and got ready for a real, Alaskan adventure!
For those of you who are not familiar with the geography of Alaska, Central is located about 130 miles northeast of Fairbanks. Heading out the Steese Highway (Alaska 6) past Chatanika (WAY PAST Chatanika), we drove until the pavement ended and the road turned to a dirt/gravel mix. Then, we kept driving and driving and driving. Don't get me wrong, this was not a boring drive. In fact, it was incredibly beautiful! We drove up and over summits. We drove above the tree line where no trees grow. We saw lazy streams and meandering rivers run through valleys with rolling green hills on either side. It was an absolutely picturesque drive!
Once we arrived in Central, we found our way to Mac-Lin Gardens and were warmly welcomed by our hosts, Mac and Linda. They have quite a spread of land with lots of gardens and greenhouses! When we entered their home, the table was loaded with freshly picked and cooked vegetables. It was quite a bountiful harvest. I had never seen so many vegetables on a table at the same time!
After reading a scripture out of Genesis, Mac led us in prayer and then turned loose their 25-30 guests to fill their plates. I piled my plate high with tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, potatoes, turnip greens, cucumbers, and squash. It was truly a feast!
Once we finished the meal, Linda gave us a tour of their home (a work in progress) and a tour of the gardens. We were able to see their greenhouses and all the wonderful veggies that grow in the warm, humid environment. Inside the greenhouse, I spotted lots of tomatoes! These are absolutely my favorite summer vegetable. It didn't take long to find out that they sell tomatoes.
After buying a few pounds of the red, ripe and juicy tomatoes, Mike, Chuck, Dawn and I decided we should start our trek back to Fairbanks. As we were walking to our car, we noticed the most incredible bee hive we have ever seen. It was massive! Chuck wanted Mike to go stand by it to have his picture taken. Mike, fortunately, had enough sense to keep his distance!
As we were driving back, we decided to stop along the side of the road to pick a few blueberries. We picked for about 30 minutes and then decided we needed to get home before the sun set (it sets officially at 10:32 p.m.). So, full and content, we jumped in the car and called it a fun, filling day!
Chuck and Dawn
The table was filled with fresh veggies.
Mike and Bob solve the world's problems over a cup of coffee.
The greenhouse was loaded with lots of veggies!
Mike eyes the cucumbers.
Kristie keeps her eyes on the tomatoes.
That is one hot, red chili pepper!
Chuck picks his own tomatoes.
The tomatoes were so juicy!
Mac fills up a grocery bag with tomatoes for Kristie.
The "salad" garden has carrots, radishes, and lettuce.
Cabbages grow big in Alaska!
Lots of cabbage
Run! Run for your lives! It's a bee hive!
The fireweed is past bloom on this hillside.
Winter is not far away according to the fireweed.
Picking blueberries a a fun fall activity.
Lowbush Cranberries
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