Bitter Melon Fresh From Nancy and Lester' Garden. YUMMMMM!

Whenever I see bitter melon

Or hear those words...

I am taken into the memories of growing up with my mother, growing this veggie in her garden.  And all that is involved since I was usually tasked with one or all activities...

From planting the seeds

To watering the plants

To weeding the garden

To 'training' the vines to climb the string

To carefully touching the vines once the vines covered the rows (to avoid the bees that might be hitting the flowers on the vines), searching for the veggie hidden under the vine leaves.  Plus my folks let the vines run over two rows, so the covered row was a great play area for me after all my chores were done :-)

To LOVING the first picking being cooked up as bitter melon, beef, black bean stir fry.  Or bitter melon stuffed with a pork, egg, water chestnut mixture!  AND as important with the first picking -- the BITTERNESS of this veggie, which lessens with subsequent pickings,  DELISHHHHHH!  Thank you Nancy and Lester for this trip down yummy and tasty memory lane!