- Garden of Eden, Italian flat green beans
- Cucumbers, transformed into crisp refrigerator pickles
- Cucumbers, diced and tossed in a salad with black-eyed peas
- Beets, blended with goat cheese and spread on crackers
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Summer Sunday Supper
Summertime dining ... al fresco. A glass of wine, something on the grill, and lots of fresh garden goodness to share with family!
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Cooking Green Beans
We have 3 types of green beans currently coming in from the garden:
Meantime: Sauté several cloves of garlic in olive oil and butter in a large skillet. Remove the garlic once it starts to brown. Remove the skillet from heat until ready to serve beans. For variety: Try coconut oil.
Just before serving, toss the cooked beans with the seasoned oil in the hot skillet until heated thoroughly, adding salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Each bean has its own distinctive flavor and character. I'll leave it to you to figure out which is the "best".
- Jade bush beans
- Rattlesnake pole beans
- Garden of Eden pole beans - a flat, Italian variety
- Italian flat beans: 2 minutes
- Rattlesnale beans: 2-1/2 minutes
- Jade bush beans: 4 minutes
Meantime: Sauté several cloves of garlic in olive oil and butter in a large skillet. Remove the garlic once it starts to brown. Remove the skillet from heat until ready to serve beans. For variety: Try coconut oil.
Just before serving, toss the cooked beans with the seasoned oil in the hot skillet until heated thoroughly, adding salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Each bean has its own distinctive flavor and character. I'll leave it to you to figure out which is the "best".
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Garlic is in the house!
“To dream that you are eating garlic denotes that you will discover hidden secrets and meet with some domestic jar. To dream that there is garlic in the house is lucky.” ~ Richard Foulard in 'Plant Lore' (1884)
The smell of garlic in the air as one lifts it out of the ground is heavenly! And now that the curing and cleaning is finished, the aroma of garlic will be wafting out of my kitchen. You have been warned!
After the drying ...
... the cleaning and trimming ...
... the braiding ...
... the enjoying!
"Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian; wine and tarragon make it French. Sour cream makes it Russian; lemon and cinnamon make it Greek. Soy sauce makes it Chinese; garlic makes it good." ~ Alice May Brock (of 'Alice's Restaurant' fame)
The smell of garlic in the air as one lifts it out of the ground is heavenly! And now that the curing and cleaning is finished, the aroma of garlic will be wafting out of my kitchen. You have been warned!
After the drying ...
... the cleaning and trimming ...
 |
| Garlic Braids - hard neck on the left, soft neck on the right |
... the enjoying!
"Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian; wine and tarragon make it French. Sour cream makes it Russian; lemon and cinnamon make it Greek. Soy sauce makes it Chinese; garlic makes it good." ~ Alice May Brock (of 'Alice's Restaurant' fame)
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Taters
It's been so hot and dry, the potato plants are dying. (I always have to pause before I spell that word!)
I dug around in the potato bed to see what I could find. Rouse the Spouse and I enjoyed generous servings of French fingerlings for supper. That's right, the two of us ate them all! We added butter, salt, and pepper to the natural creaminess of these potatoes ... delicious!
I dug around in the potato bed to see what I could find. Rouse the Spouse and I enjoyed generous servings of French fingerlings for supper. That's right, the two of us ate them all! We added butter, salt, and pepper to the natural creaminess of these potatoes ... delicious!
Monday, June 22, 2015
Flowers Mean Veggies
Beautiful yellow cucumber flowers in a chaotic vine-y mess. Cukes can be difficult to locate! I've already picked a dozen and a half. The seasonal jar of refrigerator pickles is ready for consumption.
Pink-Eyed Purple-Hulled Peas - Good ol' southern peas! Wouldn't be summer without them. You can see baby beans beginning to form alongside the flowers.
Saturday, June 20, 2015
Zinnias
Zinnias are bright, colorful, optimistic flowers that bloom throughout the summer ... a real asset in the garden.
There's a dark side, though, to the appeal of the zinnia ... if you're a bug, that is! With a little help from the humans, zinnias effectively act as a Japanese Beetle trap.
The Japanese Beetles love bean plants, but they love zinnias more! So the bugs congregate on the zinnias until I come along with my pitcher of soapy water. With just the tiniest encouragement, those beetles will dive right in to their soapy, watery death. They can't help themselves. I am happy to sacrifice a few zinnia leaves ... they become lacy and bug-eaten ... in exchange for healthier bean plants.
There's a dark side, though, to the appeal of the zinnia ... if you're a bug, that is! With a little help from the humans, zinnias effectively act as a Japanese Beetle trap.
The Japanese Beetles love bean plants, but they love zinnias more! So the bugs congregate on the zinnias until I come along with my pitcher of soapy water. With just the tiniest encouragement, those beetles will dive right in to their soapy, watery death. They can't help themselves. I am happy to sacrifice a few zinnia leaves ... they become lacy and bug-eaten ... in exchange for healthier bean plants.
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Robber Raccoon
We had a suspicion, but Rouse the Spouse's game camera has confirmed: We have an egg yegg!
We discovered a breach in the chicken wire fence near the gate into the chicken yard (outside the safe zone). When we fail to securely close up the chicken coop right at dusk, this hungry raccoon has easy access to our fresh eggs. He breaks them open, slurps them down on-site, then leaves the broken eggshells behind.
Between robber raccoon, slithering black snake, and our aging hens our egg supply has dwindled significantly! We will fix the hole in the fence. The black snake has been relocated to distant woods. We'll think about replenishing the flock this fall or next spring.
 |
| caught with camera focused on the hole in the fence |
Between robber raccoon, slithering black snake, and our aging hens our egg supply has dwindled significantly! We will fix the hole in the fence. The black snake has been relocated to distant woods. We'll think about replenishing the flock this fall or next spring.
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Harvard Beets
A tried-and-true recipe out of the Joy of Cooking, 1975 edition (with a few procedural variations).
Sweet & Sour (aka Harvard) Beets
Peel and slice (or dice) and set aside:
3 cups freshly cooked beets
I like to cook them under pressure for ~20 minutes.
Stir in a double boiler until smooth:
I don't have a double boiler. I simply combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan, then cook over medium to low heat, stirring constantly.
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 whole cloves
1/2 cup mild cider vinegar
Cook and stir these ingredients until they are clear. Add the beets and place them over hot water for about 30 minutes. I add the beets, cover the pot, and remove from the heat until ready to serve.
Just before serving, heat but do not boil the beets and add:
2 tablespoons butter
(optional: 1 tablespoon orange marmalade)
Sweet & Sour (aka Harvard) Beets
Peel and slice (or dice) and set aside:
3 cups freshly cooked beets
I like to cook them under pressure for ~20 minutes.
Stir in a double boiler until smooth:
I don't have a double boiler. I simply combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan, then cook over medium to low heat, stirring constantly.
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 whole cloves
1/2 cup mild cider vinegar
Cook and stir these ingredients until they are clear. Add the beets and place them over hot water for about 30 minutes. I add the beets, cover the pot, and remove from the heat until ready to serve.
Just before serving, heat but do not boil the beets and add:
2 tablespoons butter
(optional: 1 tablespoon orange marmalade)
Friday, June 12, 2015
Radish Pickles are Ready
Yesterday, I moved the fermented radishes from the countertop to the refrigerator. Today, I tasted them. Crispy. A bit salty. Slightly sour. Mild radish taste. Good smell. Definitely edible! I declare the experiment a success!
After passing through the bubbly, funky, stinky stage, the radishes have given up their lovely red skin. The pigment transferred into the brine, coloring it and the white flesh
of the radish slices pink.
These unusual pickles will add interest to crudités or a cheese platter, crunchy flavor to a burger or other sandwich, a surprise garnish to soup or salad.
Compared to the bread-and-butter-style radish pickles:
The refrigerator radish pickles are crunchier than the fermented ones, and obviously made from vinegar. I would probably use apple cider vinegar next time in place of the red wine vinegar. In fact, I think I would use my tried-and-true refrigerator pickle recipe, as posted before, replacing the cukes / onion / peppers with the spring veggie mix. The snow peas and blanched carrot sticks medley very nicely with the radishes. They look about the same as the day I initially prepared them, posted on June 7.
of the radish slices pink.
These unusual pickles will add interest to crudités or a cheese platter, crunchy flavor to a burger or other sandwich, a surprise garnish to soup or salad.
Compared to the bread-and-butter-style radish pickles:
The refrigerator radish pickles are crunchier than the fermented ones, and obviously made from vinegar. I would probably use apple cider vinegar next time in place of the red wine vinegar. In fact, I think I would use my tried-and-true refrigerator pickle recipe, as posted before, replacing the cukes / onion / peppers with the spring veggie mix. The snow peas and blanched carrot sticks medley very nicely with the radishes. They look about the same as the day I initially prepared them, posted on June 7.
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Garlic Harvest Continues
I've been harvesting the garlic a bit at a time, as it seems ready.
A bonus of the hard-neck variety: Garlic Scapes!
They can be used much like scallions.
The pulled plants are hanging in the garden shed. They need to dry at least 2 weeks before being cleaned, trimmed, and stowed away.
Don't wait too late to harvest the garlic. The papery wrapper that covers and protects the bulb will deteriorate. Not a pretty sight! Still edible, but will not store well.
For more about when to harvest the garlic, check Garden Betty's post: http://www.gardenbetty.com/2011/07/the-trick-of-knowing-when-to-harvest-garlic/
When it's time to stow away the garlic I'm going to consider making a garlic braid. It's a convenient and beautiful way to store garlic! Here are some links that show and tell how to do it:
How to braid soft-neck garlic
http://www.bloomingfieldsfarm.com/garbrdhow.html
Braiding garlic video from GardenNerd
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EIzZ3hAn9s
A bonus of the hard-neck variety: Garlic Scapes!
They can be used much like scallions.
Don't wait too late to harvest the garlic. The papery wrapper that covers and protects the bulb will deteriorate. Not a pretty sight! Still edible, but will not store well.
For more about when to harvest the garlic, check Garden Betty's post: http://www.gardenbetty.com/2011/07/the-trick-of-knowing-when-to-harvest-garlic/
When it's time to stow away the garlic I'm going to consider making a garlic braid. It's a convenient and beautiful way to store garlic! Here are some links that show and tell how to do it:
How to braid soft-neck garlic
http://www.bloomingfieldsfarm.com/garbrdhow.html
Braiding garlic video from GardenNerd
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EIzZ3hAn9s
Monday, June 8, 2015
Radish Update
Hmmm ... I could smell the funky aroma of fermenting radish when I walked in the back door this afternoon. And the first thing Rouse the Spouse said when he got home this evening was, "Something smells funny. Like a dirty dish rag." Ewww! We're going to eat this stuff??
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Weekend Garden Chores
Removed snow pea plants
Trained cucumber plants up the trellis
Checked edamame; baby beans are forming
Bush beans and pole beans are blooming; baby beans appearing
Cut garlic scapes from hard-neck garlic plants
Cut some healthy looking rainbow chard
Thinned beets; getting some nice-sized beet roots now
Okra starting to grow
Tomatoes and peppers caged for support; starting to set fruit
Early blueberries starting to come in
Picked LOTS of black raspberries
Trained cucumber plants up the trellis
Checked edamame; baby beans are forming
Bush beans and pole beans are blooming; baby beans appearing
Cut garlic scapes from hard-neck garlic plants
Cut some healthy looking rainbow chard
Thinned beets; getting some nice-sized beet roots now
Okra starting to grow
Tomatoes and peppers caged for support; starting to set fruit
Early blueberries starting to come in
Picked LOTS of black raspberries
Pickled Radish
I feel like I'm doing a little science fair project.
On June 5, I pulled the remaining radishes from the garden. There were too many for us to eat on salads and out-of-hand. Our son, Andrew, reminded me of the delicious pickled radishes that were used as garnish in a Farm to Fork dinner we attended several years ago. So I decided to turn mine into pickles.
I have one jar on the counter and one jar in the 'fridge. The sliced radishes on the counter are fermenting in a simple salt water brine. They are getting bubbly and a little smelly. The radishes in the refrigerator have been covered with a bread-and-butter-pickle style, vinegar based solution. I added a few snow peas and blanched carrot strips to this mix.
The refrigerator pickles may be eaten at any time. Of course, the longer they soak, the more flavorful they'll be. The fermented pickles should be ready after 5 days. Will we want to eat them? It's all just a big experiment!
Fermented Pickled Radishes
Bread-and-Butter Pickled Radishes
On June 5, I pulled the remaining radishes from the garden. There were too many for us to eat on salads and out-of-hand. Our son, Andrew, reminded me of the delicious pickled radishes that were used as garnish in a Farm to Fork dinner we attended several years ago. So I decided to turn mine into pickles.
I have one jar on the counter and one jar in the 'fridge. The sliced radishes on the counter are fermenting in a simple salt water brine. They are getting bubbly and a little smelly. The radishes in the refrigerator have been covered with a bread-and-butter-pickle style, vinegar based solution. I added a few snow peas and blanched carrot strips to this mix.
The refrigerator pickles may be eaten at any time. Of course, the longer they soak, the more flavorful they'll be. The fermented pickles should be ready after 5 days. Will we want to eat them? It's all just a big experiment!
Fermented Pickled Radishes
Bread-and-Butter Pickled Radishes
Saturday, June 6, 2015
This Salad is Ready to Toss!
A repeat of the Chopped Beet Green Salad recipe posted June 2. The tahini dressing really is delicious!
This time I added fresh snow peas, chopped.
This time I added fresh snow peas, chopped.
Another way to eat (drink) raspberries ...
I used black raspberries as the base for this aromatic syrup.
- Combine 1/2 oz of the syrup with 2 oz of a nice pinot grigio (or favorite white wine)
- Garnish with fresh berries
- Pour ~ Enjoy ~ Repeat
Not too sweet, berry-rich, hint of vanilla .... delicious!
Raspberry Recipes
The raspberries are currently at the peak of deliciousness. This condition is fleeting. One MUST eat raspberries every day! Martha Stewart has posted some mouth-watering fresh raspberry recipes on her website. I think I'll be trying a few ... starting this morning!
I meant to bake the Raspberry Scones for breakfast, but got the recipes mixed up. I made the Raspberry Shortcakes instead. Guess what? We ate them for breakfast, anyway! Nobody complained.
I meant to bake the Raspberry Scones for breakfast, but got the recipes mixed up. I made the Raspberry Shortcakes instead. Guess what? We ate them for breakfast, anyway! Nobody complained.
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Chopped Beet Green Salad
This recipe from Sprouted Kitchen is a "do-againer"! My beet greens weren't big enough to roast, so I topped the salad with beet pickles from last year's crop. This salad is delicious and stands up to time in the 'fridge. The dressed salad actually tasted better the next day.
Beet Green Chopped Salad
Beet Green Chopped Salad
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