The Basics - Preparing Asparagus

The Basics - Preparing Asparagus

Many people do not realize how easy it is to prepare asparagus.  The lower portion of each asparagus stalk can become tough, stringy and very unpleasant to try to eat.  Harvest your asparagus as described in:  Asparagus - From Spring to Winter.  Then hold onto the top end of an asparagus stalk with one hand and onto the bottom with the other hand and then bend (see the first picture).  The stalk will snap in two (see second picture above) and the bottom end is the tough one (compost or discard this end) and then the top part is the tender edible part (see picture below).  If you don't believe me then please try to eat the bottom part - it's as if asparagus has an invisible line separating the good and bad portions.  Continue snapping each asparagus stalk that you have harvested.  Some "bad" portions on 1 stalk will be larger than other asparagus stalks.  Cook as desired and enjoy.

NOTE:  If asparagus is not fresh it will not "snap" as described.

Garden Fresh Pasta Salad (Part 2 of Vegetable Base)

This is great for summer lunches - cold, refreshing, delicious and healthy!

Garden Vegetable Base

1 medium head of broccoli (cut into small pieces)

2 or 3 green onions (chopped)

1 green bell pepper (diced thinly)

1 red or yellow bell pepper (diced thinly)

2 stalks celery (chopped)

3 large carrots (peeled and shredded)

3 cooked or baked chicken breasts (either shredded or cut into bite sized pieces) (sometimes I use leftover baked chicken from the night before or sometimes to save time I buy chicken breasts that have already been baked)

1 bunch of cilantro (washed and chopped)

1/4 teaspoon ground hot chile pepper or cayenne (again - I prefer spicy food so I will add more than 1/2 teaspoon - but only add according to your taste)

NOTE:  Many times I will substitue tender young zucchini or yellow squash for the celery or I will add whatever is in season from the garden at that time.

Prepare everything as directed above.  In a large stainless steel or glass bowl - Stir all ingredients together by hand using a wooden spoon.  Split "vegetable base" into 3 equal parts.  Use 1/3 of vegetable base for recipe below.

Note to Vegetarians:  Simply omit the chicken breasts

"Garden Vegetable Base" before dividing into thirds

Garden Fresh Pasta Salad

1/3 Vegetable Base
1 English Cucumber (peeled and cubed)
1 package Penne Pasta - cooked, drained and cooled (I like to use the low-carb pasta but vegetable pasta is also good)
1/2 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise

Cut the cucumber and cook the pasta (as explained in ingredient list).  Mix 1/3 of the vegetable base, the cut cucumber, the pasta (cooked, drained and cooled) and the mayonnaise by hand with a wooden spoon.
Enjoy!
(Again, this recipe can be made ahead of time and stored in the refridgerator)

Part 1:   Veggie Cream Cheese Swirls

Part 3: Garden Filled Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Green Beans - Pole Beans vs Bush Beans



Green Beans - Pole Beans vs. Bush Beans

Pole Bean: 

                 Pro - it's easier on your back and knees when harvesting, you don't have to bend down

                       - a space saver

                       - great taste (equal to the bush bean)

                 Con - you must provide a fence or trellis for the pole been to climb

                        - they can become wild looking and tangled

Bush Bean:

                 Pro - tastes great (equal to the pole bean)

                       - neat and tidy - won't get twisted with other plant rows

                 Con - you must bend down or get on your knees when harvesting

                        - takes up more ground space than the pole beans

Well there you have it - I guess I prefer the Pole Bean to the Bush Bean.

Please feel free to share your pros & cons in the comment section

On the left side of the fence you will see my pole beans and on the right side of the fence are my pickling cucumbers



Purslane - A Good Weed??

Purslane - A Good Weed??

My garden is overflowing with Purslane.  It wasn't until a few years ago that my husband helped me discover this delicious weed - yes I said weed.  Purslane is a very fast-growing weed that can take over your garden but now, whenever I weed my garden I make sure that I am having a salad for lunch or dinner and I include a few Purslane leaves.  Purslane has a mild green lemony flavor and tastes great in any garden salad.  Most importantly, Purslane is actually good for you - I am not a nutritionist but my husband tells me that Purslane is high in vitamin E and Omega-3 fatty acid.

WARNING:  If you are not absolutely sure if you have Purslane growing in your garden then Don't take a chance on eating something that might resemble these pictures!

Common Purslane

 

Reap a Harvest

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."  Galatians 6:9

It's the same with my garden - every year by the end of June I become so impatient wondering when the first cucumber will ripen, or wondering when will I be able to eat the first tomato?  I continue weeding and watering my garden with seemingly no results.  Then I start to think that something is wrong with my plants and that I will have a summer without any fresh produce.  It happens overnight - a snap of God's finger and my garden is overflowing with fresh fruits and vegetables.

The same thing can happen when "doing good."  We might be ridiculed or ignored and therefore become exhausted or even lazy but we must persevere and keep doing good and glorifying Christ Jesus.  We will "reap a harvest" only in God's own time.  So, don't give up! - Be patient and keep on doing good - the harvest is coming!

Lord, thank you for your promises.

Part 1:  Reap What You Sow

Strawberry Mango Jam

Strawberry Mango Jam

4 cups crushed strawberries (washed, hulled & then crushed)

1 cup crushed mango (peeled, pitted and then crushed)

Juice from 1 lemon

1 package of fruit pectin

6 to 7 cups of sugar (I always use less sugar because in my opinion most jams & jellies are too sweet.  Using less sugar might make your jam a little more runny or syrup-like but most times I haven't been able to tell a difference)

Directions may vary according to each fruit pectin brand - all fruit pectin packages come with an instructional insert - but these instructions will work with any regular size pectin package.

1.  Gather your canning jars, lids and rings (you will need 6 or 7 half pints).  Canning Basics - Jar Sizes

     Also, gather all other canning supplies:  Other Canning Supplies

2.  In a large stainless steel pot mix the fruit (crushed strawberries & crushed mango), lemon juice and fruit

     pectin - stir until pectin is dissolved.

3.  Start the water boiling for Jar sterilization:  Sterilizing Jars & Lids

4.  Bring the fruit mixture to a full boil over meduim-high heat - gently stirring all the time.

5.  Add the entire amount of sugar (again - I use the lesser amount - 6 cups) - stirring until dissolved.

6.  Bring this mixture to a full boil again - continuously stirring.  Boil hard for a full minute (you will notice

     some foamy stuff on top - that is supposed to happen.  If it boils too close to the top of the pot then you

     will need to turn the heat down slightly).  Constant stirring is a must!

7.  Remove the pot from heat and skim foam off the top and discard the foam.

8.  By now your jars should be sterilized and ready to be filled.  Take the jars out of the boiling water (I use

     my jar remover and make sure that the water is drained out of each jar).  Fill each jar up to the threads

     of each jar (about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch of headspace)

9.  Wipe the rim of each jar with a damp cloth making sure that any jam residue is gone (any residue left on

      the rim can stop the jar from sealing).

10. Place a sterilized lid on each jar and then tighten a ring on each jar.

11. Place all jars in a "Water Bath Canner" and process (boil) the jars for 10 minutes (make sure that the

      water level in the Canner is 1 inch above the tallest jar)

12. Remove the jars and place them on the counter or table to cool (I always place them on a cloth because

      there have been a few times when a jar cracked and then the jam oozed out making a mess - the cloth

      will help if that happens).  You will hear the wonderful popping sound of your jars sealing.

13. Allow the jar to cool for 24 hours and then store in your pantry or in your fruit cellar until the winter

      and then enjoy a little bit of summer.

Filling sterilized jars with Strawberry Mango Jam



Sealed jars of Strawberry Mango Jam

Other Jelly or Jam Recipes on this blog:

Blueberry Jam

Peach Jam

Copyright, Permissions & Disclaimer

Maintaining Lilac Bushes

 

Maintaining Lilac Bushes

Lilacs are one of the first flowering bushes of the spring and one of the most long-lived.  There are also so many different varieties of Lilacs: double lilac, light purple lilac, dark purple lilac, white lilac, french lilac etc. - the list is endless.

When talking about maintaining Lilac bushes you first need to know if you have a regular oldfashioned lilac bush or a "non-suckering" lilac bush (please see the last 2 pictures at the bottom of this post).  Simply look at the base of your lilac bush and if there are little lilac shoots growing, then you have a regular lilac plant.  Some people do not like the unkempt look of the traditional lilac plant but I don't mind the wild look - I actually prefer it.  Over the years I have been able to start many new lilac bushes from the suckers that my traditional lilac bush produced.  I am able to separate 1 or 2 lilac suckers about every 5 years - (I should add "successfully separate").  There have been times when I tried to separate these suckers too soon and they just ended up dying - trial and error is the best way to learn in this case. 

This lilac bush has produced many "suckers" but none are large
enough to separate.

This lilac bush is about 45 years old (which is
young in Lilac years).

This is a "non-suckering" lilac bush