End-of-the-Garden Vegetable Mix, a treasure to savor

It's not the right time of the year to talk about gardens and the delicious goodies gleaned from those rows of veggies. But the thought of "end of the garden" pot of goodies came to my mind as I saw an advertisement from a major vegetable cannery touting their veggie and bean combinations.

During the gardening and harvest season, we cook our peas, butter beans, snaps, crowders, and corn separately. Even okra is stewed, fried, ,etc. But at the end of the season, a few of each of these plants refuses to completely die, still yielding a little bit of their goodness. Not enough for a pot of peas. Not enough for a pot of butter beans. Just an ear of corn. A few string beans.

You don't want to just let it those brave few stay on the vines or stalks to wither and die, yielding to the summer bugs that proliferate.

No. You pick them. Take them into the house. Shell, snap, cut. Wash. Rinse. And then....

You put them all into one single pot.

You season according to your preference. A bit of salt. A shake of pepper. Some fat - a ham bone, butter, or oil. And you cook until the flavors merge into a savory taste that you only get to enjoy once or twice a year.

It is that "End-of-the-garden" flavor rich vegetable medley that is so rich, so tasty, so undeniably good.

And it is a treasure to savor, indeed.

And that reminds me of life in general. When the summer of our youth and middle age is past. We lack the quantity of strength. We lack an abundance of activity and fruitfulness. Our yield is quite limited.

We have grown older. And are easily left to wither and fade into the existence of shadow keeping to the background.

But there is still wholesome goodness in us. We can still yield a savory goodness to the pot that is life. We are not all used up. So.....

Pick from the limited yield we have to offer and see if you can find there, too, .....

............ a treasure to savor.