Fresh Pesto Recipe

    Here is a simple pesto recipe for all you basil growers. What I like most about this recipe is that it is easily doubled or tripled. You can easily freeze this pesto in small containers & ice cube trays. It makes a wonderful spread as well as an amazing sauce to top your favorite pasta.

I do not have a food processor L so a blender works quite well.

To make one cup:

2 cups fresh basil leaves

½ cup olive oil                      

2 cloves garlic

½ cup Parmesan cheese    2 T. Romano cheese (if you have)

2 T. pine nuts (can use walnuts)

Put nuts & garlic in blender & chop fine, then add basil, olive oil & mix at high speed. Blend in cheeses.

Tip: When heating from frozen or defrosted state, heat slowly over very low flame to keep from separating. Enjoy!

Helicopter Parents

    So I’ve been hearing this ‘Helicopter Parent’ term this week from a few different sources. I never heard it before & had to do some research. Apparently, we are not just the Sandwich Generation (sandwiched between aging parents & growing children) we are also the Helicopter Generation… hovering over our children all these years. The term has been around since the nineties. So did I tune it out all these years during the teenage tester’s growing years so I wouldn’t think any amount of hovering was wrong? Is it a coincidence that I am just hearing it this week; the week she left for her first year of college? Okay, so now I start to worry & wonder ~ did I hover too much? Will my girl make it on her own, completely (relative term – I know she will need money) without me? I’m pretty sure our parents’ generation didn’t hover. It’s not genetic then, so what is it? It can’t be we have too much time on our hands because we all had/have to work. So what makes us do this? In my own case, I think there was a balance of hover & faith in her. I know I conscientiously backed off of the online check everything your child does in school websites a few years ago. (to be honest, I lost the password it was a hassle to get a new one) Forcing me into a trust situation, she started telling me school info. How novel that was & the past two years she’s done her best work. Coincidence? I think not. So now I will continue the real communication with her & pray that I didn’t hover too much & she will be just fine. I’m sure you have your own stories & to whatever degree of hovering you’ve done, they will be just fine. So good luck first time college moms. Have a little faith & believe you’ve done a great job! You have!!!

Crepe Myrtle

   My recent vacation took me to one of the lovely cities in Virginia ~ Williamsburg. This is not my first visit & the beautiful crepe myrtle trees & shrubs are always there waiting, welcoming & stunningly beautiful. From the interesting bark, to the crepey textured flowers, this tree or shrub does not disappoint. With colors in white, lavender, pink, deep pink & red, it is something a gardener could definitely find a spot for in their landscape. The long bloom time make it a wonderful choice to blend with all your blooming annuals & perennials. This is a deciduous choice for your garden, that likes full sun. The bark is so unique that the fact that it is not an evergreen should not stop you from planting one in a place of honor in your landscape. The good news is that with the rezoning (see below) done at the beginning of this year, more of us are able to plant this gem in our areas. Check your garden centers now & you will find even more choices this year for your planting zone. The link below will give you all the info you need. This isn’t just a southern choice anymore!

http://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/gardens/crepe-myrtle-trees-00400000065842/

Check out your planting zone with this link:

http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/

Stovetop Stuffed Peppers

     It has been a wonderful year for growing peppers here in zone 7a & although there are so many uses for peppers, here is a favorite to use up your ‘bell’ type peppers. This is a family favorite done on the stovetop.

    Take 1 lb. ground meat (uncooked) and add 1 egg, ½ cup cooked rice, ¼ onion chopped & sautéed, 1 T. Worcestershire sauce, ½ t. salt & ¼ t. pepper. Mix to blend ingredients.

    Take 5 peppers – cut off the tops & a bit of the bottom (so they stand up & some holes are created to let the gravy go through). Clean out the insides of seeds & membrane. If the skins are thick I boil them for ten minutes in water before stuffing. Stuff each pepper with the ground meat mixture but don’t overstuff or press the meat in too hard. (Like making meatballs, this would harden the cooked outcome.)

    Take 3 cans of tomato soup & place in saucepan large enough to accommodate your stuffed peppers. Add ½ cup of milk & stir well. Place your peppers in the saucepan so they stand up. The gravy should come close to their tops. If not, add another can of soup & more milk. Simmer to a slow boil for 60 minutes. Serve with hot mashed potatoes for the most delicious, hearty meal ever!

Zucchini Bread - Recipe Week continues...

   So are you one those gardeners who starts harvesting your veggies & you go to a friend’s or neighbor’s house to drop off zucchini & it looks like they took off on vacation? (they’re really just hiding!!) Well then these next recipes for zucchini are for you. Easy, healthy & delicious.

    This last recipe is for Zucchini Bread. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine well 3 cups flour, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. baking SODA, ¼ tsp. baking POWDER, 3 tsp. cinnamon. In a mixer, beat 3 eggs until light, add in 1 cup white sugar, 1 cup dark brown sugar, 1 cup oil (I like canola), 2 tsp. vanilla, 1 tablespoon molasses (my secret ingredient – optional but adds such a rich flavor), 2 cups grated raw zucchini. Mix well then stir in dry ingredients & mix well. Pour into loaf pans. (I prefer the mini tin foil pans- you can reuse them too). This makes 5-6 mini loaves. Bake in oven approx 40 minutes, keep toothpick testing. Allow to cool & remove from pans. Serve warm – yum. Serve slightly toasted with butter – yummier still. Wrap individual loaves in Glad Press & Seal wrap & then store in a Ziploc bag in freezer. Something yummy you can always go to for breakfast, dessert, with dinner or as an appetizer with fruit toppings. Enjoy!

Pepper Recipe is next!

Crustless Zucchini Quiche ~ Recipe Week Continues!

   So are you one those gardeners who starts harvesting your veggies & you go to a friend’s or neighbor’s house to drop off zucchini & it looks like they took off on vacation? (they’re really just hiding!!) Well then these next recipes for zucchini are for you. Easy, healthy & delicious.

    The first is for a Crustless Zucchini Quiche. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To 4 beaten eggs add ½ cup vegetable oil, ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 medium chopped sweet onion, 1 cup pancake mix, salt & pepper to taste. Mix well by hand. Add 2 cups unpeeled zucchini chopped into small bite-size pieces & toss to coat. Pour mixture into 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 40 minutes or until top is golden brown.

(You may also add some additional cheese if you like. I often add cheddar that I have around.)

Serve while hot. The leftovers will microwave beautifully on another day. Enjoy!

Freshest Pasta Sauce ~ Recipe Week continues...

    So the last recipe using tomatoes is the most fresh, chunky pasta sauce. This work best with the plethora of plum tomatoes you are harvesting right now. I first posted this in the winter where you can use canned whole plum tomatoes in lieu of fresh picked. Very easy…

 7-10 Plum type tomatoes – boil quickly for a minute & remove from water, then peel the skins off easily (or 1 – 28-oz, can peeled, whole plum tomatoes)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (evoo)

1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. sugar (to taste)

¾ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried

½ tsp. tomato paste (squeeze tube works well for this).

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, move for serving

Heat evoo in a medium-sized saucepan, add garlic & cook until fragrant. Add tomatoes that have been roughly chopped (removing seeds prior to cooking). Add Balsamic, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, sugar & tomato paste. Cook over medium-high heat for 20 minutes. Add Parmesan, basil & any reserved sauce from canned tomatoes if you like. Add a little more evoo, sugar or salt to taste & cook 5 more minutes. Serve over 8-oz. of your favorite pasta shape. Ones with nooks & crannies work well to capture the sauce. Top with more grated Parmesan Serves 3-4. Easy & delish! Mangia!!

Stay tuned for the zucchini recipes next!!

Fresh Salsa ~ Recipe Week continues...

    It is August, and all of the vegetable gardeners out there are wondering what to do with the incredible bounty we are harvesting. Even those with just a few plants will need to have some go to recipes to have in their arsenal for the next few months. I will share a few that I have tweaked over the years & have become easy favorites. This is recipe week!!

   The second recipe I’d like to share is an easy fresh salsa. It begins the same as the bruschetta recipe.

    First take a handful of ripe tomatoes (any & all types will do) & chop into small chunks. Place in container & salt. Salting now will draw some of the water from the tomatoes. The lime juice added later takes on a truer flavor if there is less water. So… chop, salt, sit & drain. Repeat this step a couple of times. While the chopped tomatoes sit, chop sweet onion & garlic finely. Add to drained tomatoes. Take your garden peppers, some without heat & a few with. I think jalapenos work best for a controllable heat for your salsa. (Tip ~ the most heat from peppers comes from the whitish membrane & not just the seeds!) Add to your mixture. Now add the juice of one lime & cilantro flakes. (Fresh cilantro is fine, but difficult to grow so we don’t all have this herb on hand.) How much of the above ingredients are up to your tastebuds & harvest! Start with 5 medium tomatoes, ½ sweet onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 bell pepper, 2 jalapeno peppers, 1 lime, 1 tablespoon cilantro flakes, salt & pepper. 

   Serve with your favorite foods & chips. Salsa is the world’s #1 condiment!

Recipe Week! ~ Bruschetta Tomato Topping

    It is August, and all of the vegetable gardeners out there are wondering what to do with the incredible bounty we are harvesting. Even those with just a few plants will need to have some go to recipes to have in their arsenal for the next few months. I will share a few that I have tweaked over the years & have become easy favorites. This is recipe week!!

   The first is a bruschetta fresh tomato topping for the toasts you can now buy or the ones you grill yourself:

    First take a handful of ripe tomatoes & chop into small chunks. Place in container & salt. Salting now will draw some of the water from the tomatoes. The liquids later added take on a richer flavor if there is less water. So… chop, salt, sit & drain. Repeat this step a couple of times. While the chopped tomatoes sit, chop ½ sweet onion & 2 garlic cloves finely. Add to drained tomatoes. Add a tsp. sugar (takes the acidic edge off), a couple twists of ground pepper, 1 tablespoon evoo (extra virgin olive oil), 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (secret ingredient). Mix together well & then add 2 T. roughly chopped fresh basil. (fresh works best but flakes will do). Now adjust for your taste buds! Easy & delish!

   The easiest way to serve is on the round toasts they sell now. You can easily slice your own baguette bread, drizzle with evoo & grill in a pan. When you flip add some fresh mozzarella to the grilled side, a basil leaf & the bruschetta well drained. Cover until the cheese melts & the second side of your bread is grilled. If using the toasts, just follow the same steps but place on tin foil under a broiler, or toaster oven until the fresh cheese melts. Yum! Nothing better than this!!!

Theme Gardens

   One of the joys I find while gardening is having smaller theme gardens. These can be tiny areas within a garden adorned with chotchkies or a theme using certain plants for effect. I know that white gardens are popular & the herb garden which has been around for centuries. I like to pick up small chotchkies for small theme gardens. It makes shopping garage sales/flea markets more interesting (since I’m always in the hunt for something specific). Right now I have a barnyard garden with chickens, roosters, pigs & cows. They fill in some room early on before the plants start to spread. (My plants have grown quite a bit since these were taken, but small items are easy to move around!) I also have an angel garden with smaller pieces & I keep other ‘gardening angels’ around my beds for nice interest. I also have a bunny garden that includes a nice stepping stone. One of my garden club members has an adorable small scale fairy garden. This is fun to try with tiny plants in scale to your pieces. (Moss & other plants can take on a whole new feel when scaled differently). Although not all in the same spot in my garden, I do like to pick up pretty pitchers at the sales & tuck them around my beds. When it rains I have ready water to pour right there. These gardens all make nice destinations for your garden visitors!

    Although there are some now, the garage/tag sales with be starting up again in full force come September. When you’re scanning all those tables, look with a fresh eye & something may spark your interest!