Dun dun DUN! Cucumber!

It took awhile to concede that our zucchini plants were in fact cucumbers, and our fantasies of zucchini bread reluctantly turned to gazpacho. The first little guy started out looking like a pickle cucumber, and we weren't sure if it'd grow anymore, but fearing premature death, we decided to give it a chance to keep going. Behold, our behemoth cucumber, Herbie. Yum...

Sizing it up.

Ready, punt!

Movin' on up.

Victory!

Building a weighing device. Very scientific.

Recipe for success: plant vegetables, revel in ensuing madness

In the true fashion of a dedicated West Philly shopper, Ingrid picked up a clothesline while on a run earlier in the day. Given our revived interest in elementary school throwbacks (yo-yos, gecko lanyards, or capri sun, anyone?) and our ears/minds/souls still reeling from an incredible performance by Lang Lang and Herbie Hancock, we couldn't not JUMP ROPE FOR YOUR HEART! It's only fitting that as we spend hours upon hours admiring the prickles on cucumbers and fuzz on cherry tomatoes, we add some cardio to our epicurean lives. Funny that at the height of preparing for post-college life (MCATs, GREs, LSATs, existential freak-outs) all it takes is the snap! of a rope brushing pavement to get everyone out of the house and onto the sidewalk on a hot, humid summer night.

Not again!

For those of you who think that we should get over ourselves and welcome the generously donated free fertilizer, let us assure you that one whiff of this masterpiece will make you reconsider. Seriously. Please remind any pet owners you know to CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR PETS! AND KEEP THEM OUT OF FOOD-PRODUCING GARDENS! Please!

Feelin' hot hot hot

Our trellis seems to be working pretty well in keeping our plants off the ground and growing vertically. We're getting a little bit nervous that it's nearly August and we've gotten a grand total of three edible cherry tomatoes, but at least the cool, rainy summer has meant fewer trips from the bathtub to the front yard hauling buckets of water. I think that all of our biceps are grateful. A passerby told us that it needs to be in the 80s degrees F at night for the tomatoes turn red, so whenever you're bored please feel free to do a rain/hot weather dance!