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From Garden to Table: Simple Fall Harvest Recipes

Tuesday, October 18th, 2011
Fall harvest vegetables

Image source: FineCooking.com

For all of your fall gatherings and dinner parties this year, stick to fresh local veggies, fruits and herbs, and delicious yet easy ways to prepare them. For as much as we enjoy elaborately crafted dinner parties, there is something that has always bothered us about them. It often seems that by the time the host has finished preparing an array of time consuming and fancy dishes, he or she hardly even has time to savor them! The ratio of 4 hours of prep and cooking in the kitchen to 30 minutes of consumption hardly seems fair. So you know what we would suggest? Simplify!

Four Simple Fall Harvest Recipes

Stewed Apples
Recipe from Kevin D. Weeks at About.com

These sweet and spicy apples are great wrapped in a crepe, served with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, or simply on their own as a side dish. We like to use a nice tart, firm apple such as Braeburn or Granny Smith. You can use whatever is available to you locally this fall.

Prep time – ten minutesFall harvest apples
Cook time – thirty minutes
Total time from start to serve – 40 minutes

Ingredients:
3 apples, peeled, cored, and diced
2 Tbsp molasses
1 – 2 Tbsp rum, apple brandy, or water
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
6 – 8 grates of fresh nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
pinch of salt

Preparation:

  1. Add enough rum, apple brandy, or water to a small saucepan to just cover the bottom.
  2. Add all of the remaining ingredients and stir them together. Place the pan over low heat, partially cover, and simmer gently until apples are tender – about 30 minutes.

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What To Do With Summer Garden Glut

Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011

Cherry TomatoesIn the spring time, when you are patiently starting your seeds, hardening off the seedlings, then transplanting them, a bountiful garden harvest can seem like a far off and distant mirage. But here it is midsummer already, and all of your hard work has paid off! You have fresh, delicious veggies galore. But what to do when your 2 ripe zucchini squash turns into 5, then 8, then 12, and even your neighbors don’t want anymore free zucchini? Here are some creative ways to use the fresh veggies from your summer vegetable garden, even when you have more than you think you can handle.

Creative ways to use your summer vegetable harvest

Zucchini cupcakes

Zucchini cupcakes. Yum!

Search Out New Veggie Recipes

There are plenty of ways to use summer vegetables that are easy and do not require a lot of fuss. And don’t forget, nearly any vegetable can be steamed and frozen.

  • Zucchini. Zucchini is a fabulously versatile vegetable because it works in a variety of different sweet and savory dishes. Next time your kids are craving french fries, fry up some zucchini spears instead. They taste just as yummy with ketchup. Zucchini ribbons can be added to nearly any type of salad or pasta dish. To ribbon a zucchini, simply use a vegetable peeler to cut along a zucchini length-wise. Grated zucchini also makes an excellent addition to baked goods, such as these beautiful zucchini cupcakes from I Am Baker.
  • Kale. Every time we find ourselves with bountiful bunches of kale, we sit and ponder ways to use it. Then we recently realized — we’re kind of over-thinking it here. You don’t even really need a recipe to use kale. Just tear it up and throw it in to any soup or stew, layer it in lasagna, mix it into pasta sauce, or bake it into a pot pie to add a wicked dose of healthy greens to any recipe. Kale also works great thrown into your breakfast fruit smoothie; you won’t even taste it in there. Trust us!
  • Tomatoes. One idea that we just love for a glut of fresh garden tomatoes is some homemade Tomato Marmalade, a recipe that we found here at Sunset’s Fresh Dirt blog. You need 30 tomatoes just to make 3 cups of the marmalade mixture, so it really is a great way to use those ripe red beauties. If it is simply too hot to slave over the stove, try this super easy gazpacho recipe from Real Simple Magazine.

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Garden Fresh Summertime Snacks: Grown-Up Style and Kid Style

Wednesday, June 29th, 2011

Ever since we discovered these amazing (and amazingly easy to make) sandwich combinations at Whole Living, we have been just smitten. Whereas before our sandwich repertoire consisted only the same old pb&j, grilled cheese and cold cuts, our eyes and stomachs have now been opened to a whole world of new-fangled flavor combinations.

Lentils with Mint Sandwich

lentils and mint sandwichJust check out the Lentils with Mint sandwich, for example. Would it ever occur to you to use fresh mint from your herb garden with lentils? No? Us neither! With our mint springing up like crazy right now, we were anxious to find interesting new ways to use it. And this one gets two thumbs up. Not only is it tasty, but the sandwich includes everything you need in one little pocket: protein from the Greek yogurt and lentils, carbohydrates and fiber from the pita bread, and antioxidants as well as vitamins from the cherry tomatoes and mint. Talk about a powerhouse snack. We’ll take this over a crappy sugar-laded protein bar any day!

Egg and Roasted Red Peppers

Red pepper, spinach and egg sandwichThis is another one of our favorites sandwiches. Again we’ve got the same concept that is key to freshness and ease: start with a grain, add some fresh herbs and veggies straight from the garden, and top with a dose of protein. Voila, such an easy and awesome way to use goods from your summer garden, along with a couple basic staples from your pantry, and fuel your busy day. You can even make your own roasted red peppers for this sandwich by following these instructions at Our Best Bites. You’ll find that roasting your own home grown red, yellow and orange bell peppers is pretty darn simple, and as Sara points out in her tutorial, the taste is far superior to that of store-bought roasted peppers.

We adults may be perfectly happy to munch on an open-faced sandwich with a sunny-side up egg on top, our kids, maybe not so much. We all know that the little tykes tend to reject anything that looks even remotely “yucky”, “icky,” or “weird.” That is why we absolutely love this idea at Kiddio.com where we were introduced to Muffin Tin Mommas.

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Summertime is Farmers’ Market Time

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011
Farmers Market produce

Image source: Flickr/Natalie Maynor

There is nothing like lengthy days of sunshine, and balmy nights filled with humming cicadas to make us feel like children again. We also can’t help but adore the fact that summer is major harvest time for fresh fruits and veggies. Not just the cherry tomatoes, but a huge array of greens, fruits, legumes, peppers, squashes, herbs, and more are all at their peak during midsummer. Take advantage of the summer harvest and check out our local farmers’ markets. It’s a way to contribute to our local economy, support the locavore movement, and meet people from our community all in one.

Why Shop at Farmers’ Markets?

Why a farmers’ market instead of a grocery store? Well, if you don’t grow everything you want to eat yourself, then a farmers’ market is as close as you can get. You can rest assured the product has not been shipped thousands of expensive miles to reach you, and that the money that you spend goes right back into your local community. Many farmers’ markets have not just local fruits, veggies, and herbs, but also meats, dairy, eggs, baked goods, and even arts and crafts. They are also a great way for you to educate yourself about the food you are buying. Many meat merchants are happy to inform you of what their animals are fed and how they are treated, while local vegetable farmers can fill you in on valuable cooking tips, such as how to cook okra so that it doesn’t get slimy.

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Natural Pest Solutions for Your Edible Garden

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

Image source: Flickr/Fourof5Zs

The other day while driving in the car, we heard a radio commercial for a nearby Big Box garden store that is selling a 1.3 gallon container of Ortho Max Flower Fruit & Vegetable Insect Killer for less than 20 bucks. Yep, for less than the cost of a dinner out, you can spray down all of your fruits, veggies and herbs with bug-killing poison.

The issue we have with this is that the price does not accurately reflect the levity of the task one will perform when this product is purchased. Think about it for a second: why is it so easy and cheap for us to get this poison in our hands? The active ingredient in the product is Acetamiprid, and it is unknown whether this chemical acts as a developmental toxin or an endocrine disruptor. So do we want to be spraying it on plants that we will eat? Certainly not!

Yes, it’s true that chemical pesticides are cheap and highly accessible. But this definitely does not make them the best choice for your edible garden. Chemical pesticides are dangerous for the environment, wildlife, kids, pets, and for beneficial insects such as lacewings and praying mantids. Here are some safer, chemical-free alternatives to ridding your edible garden of pests.

Natural Pest Solutions for Your Edible Garden

Grubs
To rid your vegetable patch or lawn of grubs, which are baby Japanese Beetles, you can use a natural remedy called Milky Spore. Milky Spore, or Bacillus popillae-Dutky,  is a naturally occurring host specific bacterium. One application can last up two ten years, as the bacteria grows. Milky Spore is a good option because it kills only grubs, and will leave beneficial organisms in your garden, such as worms, unharmed.

Not to worry butterfly lovers, grubs and caterpillars that eat your leafy vegetables are not the same as butterfly babies. We’ll have more on this topic later.

Slugs and Snails
The best solution for dealing with slugs and snails is to use a combination of preventative and cultural methods. Baits alone will not take care of your problem. The first step is to eliminate their favorite hiding spots like overgrown weeds, piles of yard debris, low growing leafy branches and dense ground covers. Then do a little hand picking at night with a flashlight (great fun for kids!), set out a few beer traps, set up copper barriers around your raised beds and sprinkle a little Sluggo around your leafy greens (pet and wildlife safe).

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Kicking Off the Outdoor Season with Sunset Magazine’s Celebration Weekend

Friday, May 27th, 2011

Sunset Celebration 2011The outdoor season is almost here and I can hardly contain myself. I’m dying to pack up the Cozy Cruizer (see below), drive to a sunny destination and just chill.  I can’t think of a better way to kick off this year’s camping season then to take our first road trip down to Sunset Magazine’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California, for their annual Celebration Weekend.

See details at the end of this post for a chance to win 2 tickets and more!

I have never been to the Celebration Weekend but I expect to literally experience all home and garden topics the magazine has to offer in person. If you’re familiar with the magazine, then you know what I’m talking about.  If not, then you’ve been missing out!

Sunset’s Celebration Weekend Lineup

  • Cooking seminars with celebrity chefs
  • Home and garden ideas
  • Regional artisans and exhibitors
  • Wine seminars and tastings
  • Outdoor kitchen ideas
  • Make it Your Own seminars

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Starting an Herb Garden is Fun and Easy

Wednesday, May 11th, 2011
Fresh Herbs

Image from CookThink.com

Herbs have been used for centuries as for both medicinal and culinary purposes. They are incredibly versatile and somehow have the power to enhance just about any dish from chicken, to fish, to salads, sauces, soups and vinegars. So if you’ve ever prepared any of these things, surely you have worked with herbs.

Here at AML, we use fresh herbs whenever we can. And what we love about this is that it means we are snipping leaves straight from our own plants, not pulling a slimy plastic bag out of the bottom of our crisper (blech!). If you’d like to grow your own herbs, this is a great time to start! They are fun and easy to grow, and make attractive borders or container plants. You can have your very own fresh herb garden regardless of the (lack of) time and space you have available.

Six Easy Herbs to Plant, Pick, and Cook

When deciding which type of herbs to plant, think about what dishes are your favorite, and which you most enjoy preparing.

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Why Harvest and Re-Use Rainwater in the Garden?

Tuesday, April 12th, 2011

Regardless of where you live, at some time or another you have probably experienced a mandatory water restriction. During a city or county-wide water restriction, which typically happens between June and September, a number of rules may be implemented, such as specific time slots during which you may use a sprinkler on your lawn and garden, and bans on decorative fountain use, power washing, and car washing at home.

Simply put, many (if not most) municipal areas cannot keep up with the demand for water, and must put restrictions on how and when we use it. During these times, we’ll bet you’ve thought, “there must be a more efficient way for me to get water, sans treatment chemicals and super high prices.” Well, you’re right. There is a way, and it is called rainwater harvesting.

What is rainwater harvesting?

Rainwater harvesting is exactly what it sounds like – simply a method of collecting rainwater in order to re-use it. This process may be implemented at home, at work, or on a larger scale for agricultural use. Either way, rainwater harvesting has a great number of benefits, including that it:

  • Can help to relieve the strain on a city’s water supply
  • Will help you to save money by reducing your water consumption
  • Allows people to garden and farm in areas with no other water supply
  • Increases water security and independence
  • Gives you water that is free of the chemicals and toxins that municipal water may contain
  • Reduces the amount of storm water that flows off your property and into the sewer system
  • Permits you to water your plants and/or lawn without contributing to water shortages

How can I harvest rainwater?

Pretty much any way you can think of to collect and re-use water may be considered rainwater harvesting. This can be as large or small scale as you would like.

One of the most popular ways to harvest rainwater at home is by installing a rain barrel. A rain barrel is a receptacle that collects water directly from your gutter’s downspout, then stores it for later use. You can buy a commercially made rain barrel at your local garden store or online at Clean Air Gardening and follow the installation instructions. Or, if you are a do-it-yourselfer, you can make your own rain barrel using these instructions from Apartment Therapy’s Re-nest blog.

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Six Great Ways to Celebrate April: National Gardening Month

Tuesday, April 5th, 2011

Image source: Squakfox.com

We always think of the act of gardening as a celebratory event. But during the month of April, our green thumbs get an extra special boost because it is National Gardening Month, as designated by the National Gardening Association (NGA). So even if you have never planted a single thing in your life, April is an excellent time to get started.

6 Great Ways to Celebrate National Gardening Month

(1) Host a Plant Swap Party

The basic gist of a plant swap is to ask your friends to bring a few plant starts that they have divided from their gardens. Most perennials can be easily divided and therefore are easy to share. Make sure that you, as the host, have extra containers on hand, and plant markers, such as Popsicle sticks or plastic spoons that can be written on with a permanent marker. Make it clear to your guests what they are expected to bring to swap- you may wish to include seeds and bulbs, or even tools and gardening books. We think plant swaps are an awesome idea because they can truly save you a lot of money. To make your plant swap special, consider serving iced tea and a yummy garden-inspired treat, like these Rose-Walnut Scones. (And you can learn how to make your own rose water here!)

(2) Organize a Neighborhood Garden

Chances are, if you live in a big city, you’ve witnessed an awesome trend that has started to grow lately. Driving down the street, you may notice an unexpected green patch next to an apartment building, or a plot of flourishing herbs and vegetables next to a vacant lot. These community gardens have been started by individuals who wish to maintain a garden, but don’t have a yard in which to do it. The community collectively shares the responsibilities and decides what to grow- some are flower-filled relaxing spaces, while others are vegetable gardens from which the harvest is donated to a local food bank. For tips on how to start your own neighborhood garden, check out this guide from Urban Harvest.

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Let Your Kids Get Dirty: Tips For Starting a Children’s Garden

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011

Spring is rearing its lovely, glorious head, and before we know it summer vacation will be upon us. Then comes the inevitable time when you find yourself repeatedly calling to your children, “Why don’t you turn off the TV and go play outside?” We remember that our moms used to say that to us, too. But without anything outside of particular interest to a child, well, he is or she a lot more likely to stay glued to that comfy butt-spot on the couch, gazing at the tube.

What you need is something to entice your kids to get out in the fresh spring and summer air; something that will keep their bodies and minds healthy and active; something that affords them a learning experience while still keeping them entertained. What you need is a children’s garden.

Now if you shudder at the thought of your kids tromping garden mud through your kitchen every day, try to relax. A children’s garden does not have to be a big backyard plot. It can be a few pots on your balcony or a window box outside your kitchen. In fact, starting with a little space is a good idea to help keep your kids, and you for that matter, from feeling overwhelmed.

Tips for Beginning, Sowing, and Harvesting a Children’s Garden

Focus on Edibles

If there is one thing that kids find super rewarding about gardening, it’s that they can eat the results of their work! Many kids only know fruits and veggies as things that come off of grocery store shelves, so take this opportunity to show your children where vegetables really come from, from seed to harvest. A children’s garden also gives you the opportunity to plant things that you would not normally find at the store. Like these Carnival Blend Carrots, for example. They come in funky purple, white and yellow shades, making them way cooler than the average carrots. Or how about these Sugar Snap Peas that are so crunchy and sweet, your kids will want to eat them right off the vine. Plus, the vining plants are really pretty. Fun, Easter egg colored radishes grow well in pots, as do these cute little Baby Round Zucchini- a treat that you will never find in a produce section.

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