GARDENING TAKES TIME!

We had thought about cutting back this year and make a smaller garden. Once we start planting and planning it seems like an impossible task to cut back. There as just so many wonderful things we want to plant!! The rows in the garden are about 50 feet long. We have 13 rows of corn, 3 rows of green beans, 3 rows of potatoes(3 varieties), 1/2 row of red beets, 1/2 row of carrots, 2 rows of sugar peas, and lettuces, arugala, bell peppers, heirloom, regular, and roma tomatoes,onions, dill, basil, nasturtiums, and radishes. I may have forgot something, but you get the idea! We are NOT cutting back! I think there will be plenty to share and give away. The challenge comes in finding someone who is willing to come out in the humidity and heat of NW Ohio and harvest things.

It's hot, hard work, and not many have the stamina. Just saying...! We've been enjoying asparagus and can hardly eat it fast enough. Today I froze some because we couldn't use it fast enough, and tomorrow I'm taking some to my niece to eat.  As long as we keep it picked it will continue to produce for a while. Over the weekend we grilled some. I wrapped the stalks in thin slices of bacon (1/2 slice per spear) and grilled them until the bacon was crispy. Even our grandson, who said he doesn't like asparagus enjoyed it!!

Pinto beans, Spanish rice, and homemade tortillas!

Tonight was MEATLESS MONDAY and we had one of our favorite MM meals...pinto beans, spanish rice, and tortillas. I had lots of fresh cilantro and chopped that to add to the rice and beans as a topping. So Yummmmy!!!

Apple Dapple Cake

I made this cake the other day. It's called Apple Dapple cake and it is so moist and delicious. It's great, espcially when apples are in season! After making the cake in a tube pan, you poked holes in it and pour over it a brown sugar/ milk/ butter mixture and let it soak into the cake. Of course, no icing is needed for this cake! It's really good with a cup of coffee or tea!

Richard came in earlier and said that the beans and corn are now up! He always gets excited when the first seeds poke their little heads up. The rains have been just about right for watering the plants. Not too  much to drown them out, but enough to help them grow! I can hardly wait for that first lettuce salad!

Hope you are enjoying spring in your part of the world and can find a little or BIG area to garden in! Even a small pot can be exhillerating when it begins to 'feed' you!!

VEGETARIAN BLISS

FRESH DANDELION GREENS ~ CLEANED AND READY TO EAT!

It's been a meatless week here on the farm. I made a delicious quinoa casserole the other night and stuffed in into acorn squash halves and baked them until golden brown. It was delicious and so healthy. Very little fat, and lots of protein and nutrients. Tonight I enjoyed a helping of sauteed kale. I first sauteed onion, fresh garlic and ginger, and added rice vinegar and a touch of balsamic at the end. Kale is another power packed food that is so good for you. I had a veggie burger along side the kale. The guys had grilled brats and pasta salad.

If you would like to try the quinoa casserole here is how I made it. First cook 1 c. of quinoa in 2 c. water until water is absorbed. Saute 2 diced carrots, some mushrooms and onion until slightly cooked. Add this to the quionoa along with 1 c. peas and 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese. The recipe calls for 1 c. milk and 1 c. sour cream. I didn't want it to be too 'soupy' so I skipped the milk. I would normally use yogurt, but I had some sour cream to used up in the fridge so I used that. After cooking the squash for 1/2 hour at 350 upside down on parchment paper, I turned it over and added the casserole to the squash and topped with a small amount of cheese. To conserve on the fat content the cheese could be omitted.

I then returned it to the oven for another 15 minutes or so. It was hearty and delicious!

This weekend I'll cook a dish of dandelion. My dad would always go out this time of the year and dig a big bunch of greens and call me and say "I have dandelion, will you come cook them for us?" My mom was a great cook, but for some reason he would call me and ask me this. I think it was because he knew how much I liked eating them! I make a sour sauce and add some bacon for flavor. Of course, this is not a meatless dish, but it's packed with goodness. Dandelions are very good for your liver and gall bladder. In fact, friends of ours have parakeets that had a liver condition and they were prescribed dandelion root to give the birds! Interesting, huh!

We don't use fertilizer on our lawn and don't have dogs anymore, so we are safe to just go out in the yard and dig these. This is a sure sign that spring is here!