The Lazy Gardener’s Fav Veg

25 August 2010, by gj

I bought some dry Roman beans at the grocery store and planted them this past spring.
I just let them grow until I saw the leaves beginning to turn yellow, and that most of the beans were a nice mottled color.

The green beans are underipe, and at the farther end are some that should have been picked sooner.

Here are the just shelled beans from underipe to fully ripe.

Left alone, one week later they are all dried.

Even ignored this way (and I unintentionally shared with the local wildlife) the yield was 7:1.

The Planting

Categories: ok - so now what?, vegetarian

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Waste Not…

20 August 2010, by gj

Vegetable Juice is far away my favorite juice each morning, homemade especially! Although it takes a little extra work, there is a delightful byproduct. (Just wait-you’ll see)

This is not any official recipe, just what I made with what was in the garden:
Garden Blend Vegetable Juice
15 pounds tomatoes
1 colander-full swiss chard and spinach
15 med. ribs and leaves celery
2 handfuls dried parsley
1 pound carrots
1 cup onion
1/2 cup green pepper
2 tsp. salt
1 shot lemon juice per quart jar

Wash veggies, chop into chunks. Combine all ingredients except lemon juice in a pot and simmer about 1/2 hour.
Remove from heat. Juice in a juicer or food processor. Heat back up.
Add 1 shot of lemon juice to each quart jar. Fill the jars to within 1/4 inch head space.
Process in a water bath canner about 45 minutes.

Now here’s the good part. Take the stuff that is left in the juicer or strainer and put it into a sauce pot. Add water and simmer for a while.
Strain.
Now you have some wonderful vegetarian soup base!

Pack into freezer jars and freeze. Use as you would any soup base.

Now clean up your mess!

Categories: ok - so now what?, tomatoes, vegetarian

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Colourful Cole Slaw

4 August 2010, by gj

Slaw:
1 small ‘red’ or ‘blue’ cabbage
1 small green cabbage
1-2 carrots
1 small fennel bulb

Chop or slice all ingredients. Add dressing.
I will admit here that we do like “Marie’s” cole slaw dressing, and usually use that.
If you want to try homemade, here is our restaurant’s recipe:

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup mayonaise
1/2 cup vinegar
salt to taste

Blend all. If you are prepping ahead of time, make the slaw a bit dry – it gets creamier as the salt pulls moisture from the cabbage.

Also note, the ‘red’ cabbage will turn the dressing a little pink over time. If you don’t like that, just use all green.

Our Recipe Box

Categories: cabbage, vegetarian, you grew it - you eat it

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Garden Gazpacho

2 August 2010, by gj

As part of my birthday celebrating, Mandolin cooked a delicious dinner that featured ingredients from the garden: Stuffed Jalapenos, Grilled Summer Squash, Cole Slaw and Gazpacho Soup. Here’s the easy soup recipe:

2 pounds ripe red tomatoes
1 pound cucumbers
1/2 pound red onions
1/2 pound green peppers
3 hot peppers
1/2 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup dry vermouth
2 cups tomato or vegetable blend juice
2 Tablespoons bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons cilantro
1 Tablespoon cumin
salt/pepper to taste

You can chop the ingredients by hand for a chunky soup, or process in the food processor, as we did, for a smoother texture. Add all the ingredients except the juice and spices.

Add the juice last. Enjoy!

PS this would freeze well too.
Our Recipe Box

Categories: cucumbers, tomatoes, vegetarian, you grew it - you eat it

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Zesty Cucumber Salad

26 July 2010, by gj

This is a bit of a variation on a recipe we used to prepare at the restaurant. If you are lucky enough to have some home grown (or farm grown) radishes, use them! They have a distinct spicy taste, similar to horseradish.
If you don’t have them, you may want to increase the amount of horseradish you use.

Here is the recipe, followed by some How-To pictures:
4 small or 2 medium cucumbers, sliced very thin (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 large fresh radish, grated (about 1/2 cup)
1 onion, sliced very thin (about 1 cup)
1 Tbs. dill weed
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. prepared horseradish (we use extra hot)
1 cup sour cream
Slice cukes and onions very thin. Grate radish. Add remaining ingredients and stir to coat.
Makes about 5 cups. Enjoy!

Categories: cucumbers, horseradish, onions, radishes, vegetarian, you grew it - you eat it

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Tomato Salad

15 July 2010, by gj

This is a recipe from our restaurant’s salad bar ~ from so long ago it was actually before ‘Salad Bar’ was a term most people had even heard of.
Simple ingredients make the best food I believe, and homegrown even better -don’t get me started, I have a draft of a post on the ‘lack of nutritional value in the food we buy’ almost ready to post!
For now, an easy and tasty way to use all those tomatoes coming into season:

2 cups Tomatoes, cut in large chunks
1 cup Green Pepper, cut in large chunks
1 cup Onion, cut in large chunks
1 tsp. Sesame Oil
¼ cup Olive Oil
½ cup Soy Sauce
1 Tbs. Garlic powder (or 2 chopped cloves)

Mix sauce ingredients and pour over veggies. Let marinate overnight. Enjoy!

More of Our Recipes

Categories: tomatoes, vegetarian, you grew it - you eat it

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Raising Chickens 101

9 July 2010, by gj

We’ve had The Ladies about 7 weeks, this is what we have learned so far:

They need to be kept very warm, via a heat bulb, until they reach near ‘teenage’
When you first get them home they are really cute
After a while, like with any baby-anything, cute turns to affection and usually humor , as personalities develop
They eat ‘starter feed’ that is later supplemented with fresh greens and bread crumbs
They grow fast and they learn fast. I always thought chickens were fairly brainless, not so. We made the mistake of letting them totally free range while we built their run. Now they try to get out of the run (and as soon as they get out, they try to get back in). I have witnessed them plotting their escape. Really.
They don’t smell if you keep everything clean
All 5 of our chickens want to be in exactly the same spot at the same time, all the time
They will all sleep in one nest box. No matter how crowded. See above.
They are funny and surprisingly interesting to watch
Other people that have small flocks understand
It really is enjoyable to hold and pet them. They ‘coo’ when they are happy. After molting, their feathers are actually softer.
Men don’t want to pet chickens. Especially Men That Grill
Unexpectedly, you will begin to tell the difference between their vocalizations. You can tell if they are hungry, happy or afraid; or if they are upset. Weird.
Chickens can, and will, fly. Not high or far, but enough to get them out of their coop and/or into trouble.
Keep them cool in the heat by adding a small fan to the coop, also by adding a frozen milk jug of water. (Thanks Dawn!!!)
You are actually proud of their first ‘cluck’ or when they learn to fly up to their perch
Local farmers may laugh at you for keeping them as ‘pets’ …but they don’t know what they are missing

Our Chickens on YouTube
Chickens Playing ‘Chicken’
A Little Bit of Chicken Fried

Got Pics?
It is almost impossible to find building plans for a small flock chicken coop online. We will be posting ours on the website.
‘Hub-made’ coops are apparently common.
Share your pics and your chick stories and hints-I love hearing them!!! I’ll gather them all to the website to share and Thanks!

Related Sites

The Country Chicken
All About Chickens
Backyard Chickens
Self Sufficient
Poultry Pages

Categories: keeping up with the joneses, vegetarian

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Pan-Seared Snow Peas

6 July 2010, by gj

I was talking to my FB friend Diane last evening and she mentioned she was eating Snow Peas from her garden (I have seen pictures of her garden -it is wonderful!) so I thought this was a timely recipe to post.
This is Mandolin’s favorite way to eat Snow Peas. The ones in this picture, though, are really bigger than they should be picked.

What happened was (and don’t tell him this) I only planted a few seeds this year. And I have this tendency to eat them while I garden. And I guess I ate a lot.
So when I went out to get him some snow peas there were only a few left, most of those were bigger than you would normally pick them. Ooops.
Still good, buy maybe not as good. Thank goodness he loves me
(Its ok, I’ll make up for it in Eggplant.)

Pan Seared Snow Peas
Get your skillet very hot. Drizzle with a little Olive Oil. Add snow peas and a dash of garlic powder (you just want to add a little flavor, not overpower the peas).
Mandolin also added a small amount of dried onion tops-fresh onion tops or a little chopped onion also works.

Keep the skillet hot and let the peas get seared, tossing a bit to get both sides. Add just a little S & P if you like.
Eat!
It still amazes me how he can take a few simple ingredients and make something that tastes so wonderful!

To dry onion tops:
I use the tops from the spring onions as well as the storing onions. When I trim them, I set the clean green tops aside.
Use a non-stick skillet, get it hot. Slice the tops the way you normally would. Turn the temp down on the skillet to the lowest setting. Add tops. Stir a bit as the pan’s temp lowers. Keep on the heat, stirring occasionally, until the tops have thoroughly dried. This will take a while. They will feel crisp to the touch.
You can keep them on your kitchen shelf or in a spice jar for up to one year. They are great in soups, onion omelets, etc. Drying makes the flavor a little more powerful, just like with herbs. Adjust your recipes accordingly.

Categories: onions, snow peas, vegetarian, you grew it - you eat it

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Spinach-Cheese Pastries

24 June 2010, by gj

With the garden pretty much planted and only beginning to produce; and the pests not yet well established, there’s not a lot to do in the garden right now. So I thought I would fill that void by making something using some of the spinach that is currently at it’s peak.

At the same time, sometimes it’s nice to just not have to go anywhere, not even to the local market. This was one of those days. So I wanted to see what was in the house already and what I could do with it.
My husband is a Pro at this. I can look in the fridge and cupboards and think ‘there’s nothing to eat in this house’.
He can look and make an entire (delicious) meal.
I think its a magic talent

So this is what I came up with:
Fresh garden spinach
Fresh garden large scallions
Garlic powder
Mozzarella Cheese
Pastry (Phyllo) sheets*

I washed the spinach then dropped it in boiling water for just about 2 minutes until soft. Drain really really well (I squeeze it when it’s cool, then press with paper towels until no more water comes out. It was about 2 cups cooked. Chop it up.
I added the last of our shredded mozzarella nd some garlic powder.
I chopped the onions and sauteed them just a bit to bring out the flavor, and mixed it all together.
Spray a pan and set the oven to about 350 F.
I took a sheet of Phyllo dough and carefully folded it in half. I put a small amount (about 2 heaping soupspoons) onto the dough then rolled it and tucked the ends under.
I put a few small pieces of butter on the top, we only had about 1 Tablespoon left in the fridge.
Yeah, I better get to the market soon.

Bake until the dough starts to turn brown. I think it was about 12 minutes, but don’t quote me. I don’t usually time things.

*you could also fill pop & fresh type dough or pie crust dough cut into smaller pieces

It made 12. I went to take a picture when they cooled, this was all that was left.

Growing Spinach
When to Grow What

Categories: spinach, vegetarian, you grew it - you eat it

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Beans for Peanuts

6 June 2010, by gj

I’ve planted about 2 ½ pounds of assorted dry bean seeds (pinto, kidney, navy and black) this year on the cheap.
I bought dry beans like those pictured below from my local grocery. The price was about $2 per pound, about what you would pay for a packet (1/8 pound) of seeds at your local nursery (or more through the mail with shipping charges added).
I planted in beds that total about 20 ft. x 4 ft. I expect this will provide the three of us (bean lovers) with enough beans for homemade hummus, baked beans, three bean salad and bean soup for the entire year.
“What?” you may be thinking. Yes it’s true…and it gets even better:
Since the beans are seeds, I expect to also have enough seed left from my harvest to plant next year. So for approximately $5 we could theoretically have enough beans for the rest of our lives.
“What???” You may be shocked and amazed but it’s true.
These beans will never become soup, but their kids will.

Dry beans are easy enough to plant. Just drag your trowel through the soil to make a small trench. Throw in beans. You can take the time to carefully set them in but I don’t. They seem to handle overplanting very well. Cover the trench and water. I try to plant mine before a rain.

Beans are a very healthy source of protein (much better for you than meat) and are high in fiber. A diet high in fiber is good for a lot of what ails you.
We really love them too, most especially as hummus. You can use a variety of beans to make it.
Pick the beans as the pods become plump for fresh eating, or let them dry on the plant.
Beans produce more the more you pick, so have at ‘em. Dry or fresh you just open the pod to get the beans.
As for the downside of beans – since they are high in fiber they will produce gas. When my youngest was little and Mandolin Jones would pass wind, he would look to the sky and say “Ducks, did I hear ducks?”
Poor girl went to kindergarten a little confused, thinking that’s what a duck was.

More on growing Dry Beans
Homemade Hummus
Other seeds from the market

Categories: garden planning, gardening, vegetarian

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