3 posts tagged “vegetables”

After one of the coldest springs in a long time, we're finally around the bend - it's Spring.

For us, that means putting our garden.  This year, though, was different since we had to start from scratch instead of just working with a garden with great soil, but a host of weeds all ready and waiting to pop up. 

This year though, we had to first convert the by-law required 6 inches of pea gravel that was laid down for the slides and swings used by the family daycare that used to be here.  We were able to give much of the pea gravel away to friends who filled in walkways or potholes.  C. then spent hours sifting through the remaining gravel/sand mixture and we were left with some very, very sandy soil.  We weren't surprised by this.  Though we live above the 200 year flood plan marker, much of our city is in a river valley.  We were able to get some decent soil for cheap and then got some mushroom manure from a fund raiser to help feed the dirt.  It's not as lovely as the soil at our old house, but we figure we'll just add more and more compost and fertilizer as we go.   And, as I alluded to, it does have the wonderful quality of having no weed seeds in it...yet.

Fruit Salad

Currently taking root:

• salad greens
  
• spinach
• beets
• snap peas
• carrots
• bush beans
• kohlrabi
  
• radishes
• onions
• cilantro
• basil

On the same outing, we also picked up and then planted some raspberry canes and since they're suckers, we should build up a nice little patch in a few years.  We also are trying something new: watermelon.  We're too cool a climate to start it from seed, but C. picked up the seedling on a whim and we'll see how it goes!  We also planted some pepper seedlings and next week will get some heirloom tomato seedlings from a co-worker.  She has seeds brought sent over from her husband's family in Poland and I'm looking forward to using seed that that doesn't have a patent!

Now, we wait.

Last night I made dinner.  I made big barn bowties out of the Rebar cookbook 

Rebar: Modern Food Cookbook

Here's what it was:
Chopped and steamed together - onion, garlic, carrot and savoy cabbage, (we have some great pots and pans that let us do this wonderfully), add thyme and sage.
Boil bowtie pasta.
Throw in some walnuts to broil.
Melt some butter (the recipe calls for brown butter, but I don't bother straining out the solids).

On the plate, bowties with veggies on top, and some sprinkles/dashes, etc. of Parmesan cheese, balsamic vinegar, and brown butter. 

Yummy!

Even with the cold air and burned bits settling out of the air.  Did you notice that assemblage? Yep, forgot those walnuts.  They reminded me they were there when the smoke started pouring out of the oven.  Many - do nuts ever have a lot of oil in them.  Instead of simply dousing it with baking soda or covering it, we grabbed it and threw it out into our backyard.  Not the most advisable course of action (how come we never think if the sane things in times like that?) but effective nonetheless. 
With windows and doors open for awhile, we were able to get things cleared out by the end of the night and the brouhaha didn't seem to bother my little boy.

Tonight:
Seafood Chowder - with scallops, clams, shrimp, corn and some potatoes.  And no oven use.

I'm on my maternity leave and while my days are primarily filled with looking after my son, I have been reading a lot.  My return to reading after his birth actually happened primarily during the night time feedings.  If I could read, it kept my mind occupied and the time seemed to go by faster - if I was able to keep my eyes open and my mind on what I was reading! 
This morning I visited our local public library system's annual book sale.  There are always a lot of books for dirt cheap (like $1 for non-fiction and 25 cents for fiction), and on the last day of the sale, you can get a box of books for a buck.  (I was realizing that this is a smart way for them to go - not only does it get rid of all their books, it helps get rid of all those boxes, too!)

Here're some books I'm excited about:

Putting Food By (Plume)

As well as The White Mountains, I also found the second book, The City of Gold and Lead.

The White Mountains

Now I just need to add The Pool of Fire and the trilogy is complete.  I would not describe myself as a sci-fi or fantasy fan, yet I find that some of these types of books are some of my favourites, like the Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit.  I was first introduced to these books in Mr. Williaume's grade 4 class.  He would read books aloud to us and I remember enjoying these.  I was surprised when I found that I still liked them when I re-read them almost 10 years later and am now happy to have them in my library. 

Pemberley

I'm a Jane Austen fan, (though I haven't read all her works yet - and in some cases prefer the movie versions to the books - but shhhh! - don't tell the hardcore Austen fans that!), and Pride and Prejudice is my favourite.  I re-read it regularly. 
This book is a sequel to P & P, set one year later.  Looking forward to it.  By the way, if you're another P & P fan, check out this book, which is the beginning of a trilogy that looks at the events in P & P from the perspective of Darcy.