in the garden

take a moment to pause & savor
the work that has been & yet to be done.
take a walk in the garden
eat lunch in the garden
as summer transitions to fall.

this is my favorite time of year.
the harvest is plentiful
my pantry is full
& there is still so much to be.

A juice recipe

Last week while talking with a couple friends about gardening I asked them if they knew any juice recipes using spinach. They suggested carrot, apple, ginger, spinach, and lemon. The other night I got out the juicer and tried it. I knew I liked carrot, apple, and ginger together, but wasn't sure what the addition of spinach would bring.

The following amount yielded about 2 1/2 cups of juice:

6 carrots, washed

2 gala apples

slice of ginger

juice of part of a lemon, to taste

lots of spinach, probably a gallon size ziploc full

First I blended the carrots, apples, and ginger, and it made the most beautiful orange. Then the spinach produced a thin, green slurry to which I just squeezed the lemon in by hand. Stirring it all together certainly makes it a dense green so I was surprised by the sweet taste. The spinach itself is subtle, and kind of just deepens the carrot and apple flavors. My husband was surprised how much he liked it. I added a cube or two of ice to my glass and also tried a sprinkle of fresh pepper on top.

Do you have a juice machine? If so, what recipes do you like?

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garden notes:

5/12/11 Thurs.

`The robin eggs in our plum tree hatched! Mama and Papa robin take turns feeding the three babies.

Collards

Don't let these photos fool you into thinking our garden is in full on spring/summer mode. The collards we planted this spring are currently mere leaflings, towering only about two or three inches above the soil. Meanwhile the above two collard plants somehow managed to survive through the winter without a hint of bitterness.

First, a memory. I've been a vegetarian now for thirteen or so years but when I was a kid, apparently it was a struggle to get me to eat my vegetables. Because I remember one particular occasion when my dad drew a picture of me sitting in front of a plate of peas, with a fork and spoon beside the plate. Clearly he knew I was a visual learner. I don't remember what happened after that but I suspect I ate my peas.

Well lately I have discovered I have a real fondness for collards and kale, since my husband and I have been growing them in our garden over the past couple years. And I would like to share with you one of my favorite quick ways to prepare collards. It is tasty and simple, which is just the kind of food I like.

Collards over Polenta

Prepare the polenta. When cooking various grains, I always consult the Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home for the correct water/grain ratio. For polenta, use three parts water to one part cornmeal. Then I add in a little Better Than Bouillon vegetarian broth to the cooking water for the polenta. When the water boils add the corn meal in a steady stream, stirring. Put a lid on it and let cook on low until done, about ten to twenty minutes.

Prepare the collards. Wash a bunch of fresh collard leaves and cut away any large stems. Then roll the leaves and cut into large pieces. In a medium saucepan saute a clove or two of garlic in a little butter then add the collards. Stir briefly then put the lid on the pan to let them begin to steam. After a couple minutes check and stir. Add fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice, sea salt, and a few drops of sriracha sauce and stir. Cover again and let cook about eight more minutes. I don't let the greens cook too long, just till they are softened and still nice and green. Serve over the polenta and add a little fresh parmesan and cracked pepper.  This summer when we start getting tomatoes, I'll probably chop up some tomatoes to add to the top.

This is so satisfying you won't need anyone to draw a picture of you eating them to convince you they're good.

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4/21/11 garden notes:
`picked first two radishes
`harvested first batch of spinach
`planted more lettuce
`the strawberry flowers are starting to close
`it never really rained