Grow Your Own #31

Our summer garden is off and running with zucchini blossoming, beans growing, tomatoes hanging on the vines, peppers sprouting, little eggplants budding, herbs getting taller, as well as bunnies, squirrels, and chipmunks trying trying to eat it all before we do. While we only have herbs to cook with so far, the rest of it is doing well and we’re getting excited about the coming harvest.

It’s time for the next round of Grow Your Own, the blogging event that celebrates the foods we grow or raise ourselves and the dishes we make using our homegrown products. Many thanks to Graziana of Erbe in Cucina for hosting our last round, Grow Your Own #30. Read more

Tatsoi with Garam Masala

When we planted tatsoi last October, I didn’t realize that it wouldn’t sprout until spring. I had heard it would even grow in the snow, so I impatiently drummed my fingers while checking the garden daily, waiting for signs of life. I had planted the seeds under a cold frame and thought for sure we would have greens in December. When the seeds finally sprouted in March, they grew slowly at first, then as spring went on the leaves suddenly jumped from just four or five centimeters long to as much as 15 centimeters. We will continue to plant tatsoi as a cool weather green because we like the flavor and it grew very well in our garden, much better than the spinach which never grew any taller than a few centimeters. Read more

Cannellini Bean Salad with White Balsamic Vinaigrette

Bean salads are an essential part of any recipe file and are great for summer picnic salads since they are often dressed with dairy-free vinaigrettes. I like to mix up my own vinaigrettes, usually tasting and estimating until I get a flavor I like. In his new book, Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking, Michael Ruhlman explains how to use ratios to create everyday dishes. The standard ratio for vinaigrettes is three parts oil to one part acid, though it can vary depending on whether you choose a citrus juice or vinegar. Citrus juices tend to be very acidic and need some extra oil to balance the flavor, but generally vinegars work well with this three to one ratio. For this vinaigrette, I used one part white balsamic vinegar to three parts extra virgin olive oil.

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Lemon Thyme Sorbet

We have English thyme and lemon thyme, both of which grow prolifically in our garden. I’ve become rather fond of the flavor lemon thyme adds to poultry, fish, and even desserts such as this refreshing lemon thyme sorbet. Last month I sampled some lemon thyme butter cookies that knocked my socks off, and I’ve held off making them for fear that I might eat them all myself. I must find an occasion to make them and give them away so I can justify tasting just one again.

Somehow, I managed to get the boys hooked on lemon sorbet. They’ve always liked tart citrus flavors, even going so far as to nosh on lime slices, but their level of devotion caught me by surprise. They hung all over me as I photographed this and shared it with delight. Read more

Baked Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Herbs

Mashed potatoes were a staple in our home when I was growing up because it’s a simple and inexpensive dish that compliments many of the foods we ate. Fried chicken and country ham just aren’t the same without mashed potatoes and gravy, and they go well with many other dishes. My mother used to make potato pancakes with mashed potato leftovers, but as the kids grew up there were fewer and fewer leftovers. We still laugh about my brothers and the amount of potatoes they could eat as they grew into the teen years. We passed the bowl around the table until it reached my brother Jeff, and he would always ask, “Anyone want any more potatoes?” then proceed to empty the bowl onto his plate. He still jokingly says it when the family gathers for the holidays, but now he’s got more competition for the potatoes.

I don’t remember Mom ever baking mashed potatoes, but I’ve had them a few times with special dinners and they make a perfect accompaniment to Easter ham. The top takes on a slightly crispy crunch and I add fresh parsley, sage, thyme, and chives from our garden to brighten the flavor. We recently built some raised beds and I transplanted the existing herbs to their new home and seeded some cilantro and dill, both of which like the cool spring weather. Next month we’ll add the basil seedlings and the herb garden will be complete. Read more

Grow Your Own Roundup #26

Winter is officially over north of the Equator, though many of us haven’t seen any warm temperatures yet and are in the middle of what we fondly call “mud season,” that time of year when snows are melting and the ground is soaked and muddy. For those of us growing spring vegetables, the gardening can’t wait for the ground to dry off so we slog it out in muddy boots trying to prepare beds for planting. Just today I was out checking for any signs of sprouts in our new raised beds and had water running into my shoes.

Thanks to everyone who joined in this month. We had six participants from three countries, and we cooked with our homegrown kale, lemons, Meyer lemons, lettuce, basil, and scallions. Welcome to our new participants!

If you are new to Grow Your Own, you can visit the Grow Your Own page to learn more about the event. Nate and Annie of House of Annie are hosting for April, and the deadline is April 30. Stay tuned for more information from Nate and Annie. I’m booking hosts for the coming months, so please send me an email if you are interested. And be sure to visit the Grow Your Own Flickr photo group to see all the things we’ve been growing and eating.

And now for the round-up! Click the images to visit the posts. (Presented in the order received.)

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