Diane's Texas Garden

Chicken with Roasted Lemons, Green Olives & Capers

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-06:00

Yes, another lemon recipe :) I'm still picking lemons from my Meyer lemon tree so I'm going to keep finding was to use them. There are only about six lemons left on the tree, so the bararge of lemon recipes will be over soon. Maybe good news for y'all, but bad new for me :/

This is a very tasty, quick and easy weeknight dinner. It's a classic combination of flavors~~lemons, olives, chicken, butter and capers. I made a few tweaks to the original recipe that I found on Epicurious.com, but the basic recipe is the same. Try this one, I think even kids will like it!

Chicken with Roasted Lemons, Green Olives and Capers

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (I used boneless, skinless thighs...to me, more flavor :)

All purpose flour

5 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup sliced, pitted, good quality Sicilian olives or other brine cured green olives

2 tablespoons rinsed, drained capers

1-2 cups good quality chicken stock or canned, low sodium chicken broth

1/2 stick butter, cut into 4 pieces (I used 1/2 this amount)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

For roasted lemons:
Preheat oven to 325F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange lemon slices in single layer on prepared sheet. Brush lemon slices with olive oil; sprinkle lightly with salt. Roast until slightly dry and beginning to brown around the edges, about 20-25 minutes. Lemons can be made one day ahead. Transfer to container; cover and chill.

For the chicken:
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour to coat both sides; shake off excess. Heat five tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in heavy, large skillet over high heat. Add chicken and cook until golden brown, about five minutes on each side. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Stir in olives and capers and sauté for about 30 seconds. Add stock and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of skillet. Return chicken to pan, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. Remove lid, turn chicken over and reduce liquid for about five minutes. Add butter, roasted lemon slices, parsley and simmer until butter melts and chicken is cooked through. Plate and garnish with additional chopped parsley if desired.

This dish is packed with flavor! And please...eat the lemons! They are delicious :)

Buon Appetito!

Unique Potato & Lemon Dish

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-06:00

I'm not trying to turn this into a food blog...really, I'm not :) It's just that there isn't much happening in my garden right now and I still love to cook!

Although this may seem an unusual dish, it's really quite delicious. It's a unique way to use lemons, which I still have, and red potatoes . And please, do eat the lemons (including the very tender rind) along with the potatoes for the best flavor. It's really a great combination.

Red Potato Slices Roasted with Lemon & Olives

2 lb medium or large red potatoes (about 5 medium) scrubbed and sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, more for the pan
1 lemon, very thinly sliced (discard the ends and seeds)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped, fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup pitted, oil cured black olives

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425F. Generously oil a large baking dish (a 9 x 13 inch works well or use an oval gratin dish). In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, extra virgin olive oil, lemon slices, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Toss well.

Spread the potato mixture in the baking dish making sure the potatoes are evenly layered. It's OK if it's rustic looking :)

Roast, turning the potatoes with a spatula every 20 minutes or so until most of the potatoes are crisp and golden and the lemon skins are shriveled and caramelized, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Scatter the olives over the potatoes for the last 3-5 minutes of cooking. Serve hot. It's really very tasty!

Buon appetito!

Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

Baking is not my first love. Cooking is. And there is a difference. Baking is chemistry and cooking is alchemy :) Since I never did well in the sciences in school, I gravitate toward cooking where the preparation of dishes need not be too exact. In baking, it's a different story. But I do like to bake when I find a recipe that really excites me. And this one did. My friend Linda passed it on to me and I made a few of these for Christmas presents this year. This is one D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S cake! Seriously. It comes from the book In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite: 150 Recipes and Stories About the Food You Love, by Melissa Clark. I didn't have blood oranges but good navel oranges work just as well. I do hope you try this one. Actually, next time I make it, I'm going to use lemons in place of the oranges. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake

3 blood oranges
1 cup sugar
Buttermilk or plain yogurt
3 large egs
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (I used light olive oil)

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. I used a decorative Bundt pan and it looked real pretty.

Grate the zest from 2 oranges and place in a bowl with the sugar. Using your fingers, rub the ingredients together until the orange zest is evenly distributed in the sugar.

Supreme an orange: Cut off the bottom and top so the fruit is exposed and the orange can stand upright on a cutting board. Cut away the peel and pith following the curve of the fruit with your knife. Cut the orange segments out of their connective membranes and let them fall into a bowl. Repeat with another orange. Break up the segments with your fingers. Halve the remaining orange and squeeze the juice into a measuring cup. You'll have about 1/4 cup or so.

Add the buttermilk or yogurt to the juice until you have 2/3 cup of liquid together. Pour the mixture into the bowl with the sugar and whisk well. Whisk in the eggs.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gently whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ones. Switch to a spatula and fold in the oil a little at a time. Fold in the orange segments. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top.

Bake the cake for about 50-55 minutes, or until it is golden and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes then unmold and cool to room temperature, right side up.

Serve with whipped cream, powdered sugar or Honey-Orange Compote*, if desired.

*Honey-Orange Compote - supreme 3 more oranges. Drizzle in 1-2 tablespoons honey. Let sit for 5 mintes, then stir gently.

Buon Appetito!

Garden Blog Bloom Day

2012-01-15T06:00:00.000-06:00

There isn't much blooming in my South Texas garden this winter. But my Christmas cactus is a totally different story. Here it is in its full glory!

If you go back to Christmas of 2009 when I first posted about this special plant, you can see how much it has grown in just a couple of years! Very cool for me to see :)

Something to Think About

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-06:00

I received this message in an email this week and thought it is too good not to share. It has nothing to do with gardening or cooking but everything to do with life itself. Too often we question our lives, what we are doing, why things happen to us, what does it all mean. To me, this sort of sums it up.

"May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us."

New Year Noodle Soup

2012-01-10T06:00:00.000-06:00

Ok...the only thing I have to say is...Make This Soup Now. Seriously. This is one of the best soups I have ever eaten. It's hearty, tasty, healthy, nutritious and really pretty easy, I pretty much followed the recipe exactly as written and my husband loved (loved) it too!

I saw this recipe on the 101cookbooks.com website a while back and thought it looked good. So I bookmarked it. Then thegdkitchen blogged about it and I went back and looked at the recipe again and thought, "OK, I think I'll make this soup for New Year's Day." And I am so glad I did. It is delicious! I'm not even going to retype the recipe. If you want to make it (and I hope you do!), here is the link to it on 101cookbooks.com.

I usually annotate recipes in my books or ones that I've downloaded so I can keep track of whether I liked them or not. And on this one I simply wrote: Yummy! Yummy! Yummy!

And to be honest, I ate most of it with a fork!

Buon Appetito!

Great New Resource

2012-01-07T06:00:00.000-06:00

I love food. I love every thing about it. I love growing it, talking about it, working with it, reading about it, learning about it, etc. For Christmas this year I receive a wonderful new food resource book. It's called The Illustrated Cook's Book of Ingredients, 2500 of the world's best with classic recipes. It was given to me by my daughter-in-law Katie (who writes the fab food blog, thegdkitchen) and my son Mike. And I love it! Besides my new MacBook Pro, (and my son returning safely home), it was the best present under my tree :)

It has a beautifully written introduction and is organized by main food categories:

The meat chapter (as well as the other main chapters) is further broken down into sub categories, very organized, well laid out and super easy to navigate and find exactly what you are looking for.

It even has sections on obscure, but important, ingredients, such as Offal, better known as organ meats.

The book is co-written by 20 expert food consultants (only one of whom is male..heehee :), award winning writers, chefs, home economists, cooking school owners and artisan cheese makers.

In addition to being beautifully photographed, each chapter is organized by ingredient, then how to Buy, Cuts, Store, Eat, Flavor Pairings and Classic Recipes, for that particular ingredient.

This book is a great addition to my food/cooking resource library. This definitive cook's bible answers every question one could possibly have on choosing and using ingredients. If you are looking for a great book for the food enthusiast in your life (of if you are one), this is your book. And it's available on Amazon. Here's the link:

The Illustrated Cook's Book of Ingredients

Thank you Mike & Katie! :)

Meyer Lemon Marmalade

2012-01-04T06:00:00.000-06:00

This is a first for me and it's a huge leap out of my comfort zone in the kitchen...making marmalade. I've never made marmalade or any type of jelly/jam/preserves before so this a big deal. At least for me it is :)

The lemons on my tree are very (very) ripe and I need to use them quickly. Aren't they gorgeous? And they are huge!

So I searched online for a marmalade recipe that looked quick and easy and I found this one on Epicurious and thought I'd give it a try. To be honest, I was astonished (and quite proud actually) at my results :)

I made a double batch of this recipe. I didn't double it; I made 2 separate batches at the same time. In reading some of the reviews, many said doubling it will turn the mixture dark and cloudy and doubling it throws off the ratios. So I just did it twice :)

Meyer Lemon Marmalade
6 Meyer lemons (1 1/2 pounds)
4 cups water
4 cups sugar

Special Equipment
Cheesecloth
Kitchen string
12 (1/2 pint) Mason-type jars, sterilized

Halv lemons crosswise and remove seeds. Tie seeds in a cheesecloth bag. Quarter each lemon half and thinly slice. Combine with bag of seeds and water in a 5-quart heavy pot and let mixture stand, covered at room temperature 24 hours.

Bring lemon mixture to a boil over moderate heat. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until reduced to 4 cups, about 45 minutes. Stir in sugar and boil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally and skimming off any foam, until marmalade measures 212F degrees on a candy thermometer, or until a teaspoon of mixture dropped on a cold plate gels, about 30 minutes (or could be longer too).

Ladle hot marmalade into jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of top. Wipe rims with dampened cloth and seal jars with lids. It was difficult to take pictures during this process...dealing with boiling hot water, scaldingly hot marmalade, very hot, sterilized jars, yadayadayada...you get the point :)

Put jars in a water-bath canner or on a rack set in a deep pot. Add enough hot water to cover jars by 1 inch and bring to a boil. Boil jars, covered, for 5 minutes and transfer with tongs to a rack. Cool completely and make sure the jars seal. You can tell they've sealed if you hear the lid being "sucked" onto the jar or if you see the tiny seal in the center of the lid concave in. Look at these little jewels! They made great Christmas presents this year :)

Let cool completely and store in a cool dark place for up to a year. Refrigerate after opening. Some ways to use the marmalade: stir into plain yogurt or oatmeal; spread on good artisan crackers for a quick snack; slather on toast and top with a sliced banana; drizzle it over the top of a lemon cake or my simple favorite: slather a bunch on good toasted bread :)

What other ways can you think of to use this golden treat?

Buon Appetito!

North Carolina Sunset

2011-12-28T16:14:00.000-06:00

I took these pictures on Christmas Eve night off a shoreline in North Carolina while waiting for my son to arrive home from his deployment. It was truly a magical sunset and the prettiest one I think I've ever seen.

Happy New Year to all and many thanks for visiting me over the past year. I pray for good sense to prevail in our leaders as we struggle to keep the world balanced, safe and prosperous for all. Blessings to all for love, good health, happiness and warm family time in this New Year.

My Son is Home!

2011-12-28T14:42:00.001-06:00

Yes indeed...he arrived home safely late Christmas Eve Day and I cannot think of a finer Christmas present :) He looks great! And he is so very happy to be home with his family. And so are we:) Katie's brother was present at the actual homecoming and he took some wonderful photographs. Katie was kind enough to let me share some of them. Mike and Katie really are as happy as they look :)

Eagerly waiting...

Finally!

Look at that little foot sticking out between them :)

Michael...remember Daddy :)

Ya, I do remember you :)

The sweetest picture

A beautiful family reunited :)

Many thanks to all of you for your good wishes and prayers for my son and his family during this deployment. God answered them and brought Mike safely home. For this and so many other blessings in my life, I am grateful.

December Sunrise

2011-12-25T08:29:00.001-06:00

I was blessed to witness this amazing sunrise very early one morning last week and it literally took my breath away. It seems appropriate to share this on Christmas Day with my sincere wishes to each and every one of you for a blessed Christmas filled with love, family and all things good.

Harry and I are in North Carolina helping to welcome my son home from his deployment to Afghanistan. He arrived home late Christmas Eve and I can think of no greater gift than having Mike safely home with his loving wife and precious baby boy.

Merry Christmas to All!

Mushroom, Barley & Leek Soup with Mini Chicken Meatballs

2011-12-22T06:00:00.000-06:00

Ok...here's another one :) I told you I was totally enamored with my new Soup CookBook! This Mushroom/Barley soup is destined to become another of my go-to-favorites. It's tasty and very hearty; perfect for a cool fall night; or if you're up North, a cold winter night :) Do try this one. This is a great soup to make with kids who will love rolling out the meatballs and they will also love eating the results :) These meatballs are delicious served with pasta or couscous and marinara sauce or added to virtually any vegetable or grain soup. And they can be made ahead and frozen. The recipe is also easily doubled. So for me, if I'm going to make 30 meatballs, I might as well make 60!

Mushroom, Barley & Leek Soup with Mini Chicken Meatballs

For the soup:
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large or 2 small leeks, white and pale green parts, thoroughly rinsed and chopped
3 cloves garlic, either mince or very thinly sliced; I prefer the latter as it seems to take some of the bite out of the garlic
1/2 lb cremini or baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken stock
1 cup pearl barley
4-5 cups chicken broth, plus more as needed

In a large, heavy pot, melt the butter with the oil over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and garlic and sauté until very soft, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and wine, store to combine and cook for 4 minutes. Add the barley and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the barley is tender, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the meatballs.
1 lb ground chicken breast meat
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp minced flat leaf parsley, plus 1/2 cup chopped parsley for garnish
1 Tbsp tomato paste

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a large baking sheet with heavy duty foil and lightly coat with oil. In a bowl combine the Parmesan, egg, bread crumbs, tomato paste, 2 Tbsp parsley and 1 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp pepper. Mix thoroughly. Then add ground chicken and gently mix to combine. The mixture will be very sticky.

Gently shape the mixture into small meatballs and transfer to baking sheet. My own note here: Be very gentle when forming meatballs (of any kind). You don't want to "pack them" together. As you can see here, mine are kind of gnarly shaped, but that's what makes them light, not tough. Bake until the meatballs are cooked through and no longer pink in the center, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Add the meatballs to the soup and stir gently. If the soup is too thick, add more broth and heat through. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with the 1/2 cup chopped parsley and serve.

I hope you enjoy this soup as much as my husband and I do :)

Buon Appetito!

Lemony Red Lentil Soup

2011-12-18T06:00:00.000-06:00

I just can't seem to get enough of that new Soup Cookbook I bought recently! Here is another soup I tried that is too good not so share. In keeping with how I like to cook~~It's easy to make, comes together very quickly, uses seasonal, on-hand ingredients (one of my lemons :), and is hearty enough for dinner served with either cheddar biscuits or a green salad.

I like red lentils better than green or brown, although I do like them too. According to this book, An ancient preparation~~this is the biblical "mess of pottage" for which Esau sold his birthright~~red lentil soup remains common today in Egypt and Lebanon. Red lentils cook more quickly than other varieties and to me, are easier to digest. I really like this soup. Let me know if you do too!

Lemony Red Lentil Soup
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, finely diced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 cup split red lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 can cannellini beans, drained and well rinsed
1/4 cup canned, diced tomatoes
4 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of one small lemon or 1/2 of a large lemon
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped.

Combine the cumin, coriander and red pepper flakes and set aside.

Chop the onion and carrots and set aside.

Zest the lemon and freeze zest for later use. Squeeze juice from lemon. You should have about 2 Tbsp.

Measure out 1/4 cup diced tomatoes; refrigerate or freeze remainder for another use.

In a large heavy pot, warm the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add the spice mixture and cook, stirring, until the spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the lentils, carrots, tomatoes and broth. Season with 1 tsp of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until the lentils fall apart and the carrots are soft, about 15 minutes. Add the beans and heat through on low, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Using a potato masher or fork, mash the soup to your desired consistency. I don't like this soup too well pureed, so I leave it kind of chunky.

Add the lemon juice and warm through over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Serve, garnished with chopped fresh parsley.

This soup has now been added to my repertoire for quick weeknight suppers. I hope it makes its way into your kitchen as well :)

Buon Appetito!

Roasted Lemon Chutney

2011-12-14T14:15:00.000-06:00

You all know how prolific my lemon tree is this year and I'm on a constant hunt for ways to use fresh lemons. My good friend Linda suggested I try this Roasted Lemon Chutney recipe she found on the website, 101 Cookbooks. It just so happens I have the cookbook that contains this recipe! The book is All About Roasting by Molly Stevens and it is wonderful! I have one of Molly's other books, All About Braising, that lives on my counter top during the fall and winter. It's one of my favorite cookbooks. So I thought I'd give this recipe a try. A bit unusual, but it is delicious!

Roasted Lemon Chutney
Adapted from All About Roasting
1/4 cup (1 oz) finely chopped shallots
3 small lemons, washed, and preferably organic; but if not, wash them in warm soapy water to remove any waxy residue.
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 tablespoon honey, plus more to taste
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped bail or mint

Heat oven to 400F with a rack in the center. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon mat.

Soak the shallots in a small bowl of cold water to reduce their strength a bit.

Set one of the lemons aside to use later. Slice about 1/4 inch off both ends of the remaining lemons and discard. This part is mostly pith which can make the chutney too bitter. Slice the lemon into 1/2 inch rounds and use the tip of a knife to remove any seeds. Arrange the lemons on the baking sheet and brush with a bit of olive oil. Turn and coat the second side with oil.

Roast the lemons, turning every 10 minutes, until they are very tender with just a few spots of brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Don't let the lemons crisp and keep and eye on the bottoms, which tend to brown before the tops. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

Transfer the lemons to a food processor fitted with the chopping blade. If there are any juices (not burned or blackened) on the baking sheet, add these. But there may not be any. Drain the shallots, shaking off any excess water, and add to the food processor. Add the honey and pulse several times until the lemons are coarsely chopped.

Add the juice from 1/2 the remaining lemon and the 1/4 cup olive oil. Continue pulsing until the chutney is fairly smooth and creamy, with just a few lemon chunks. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper and more lemon juice or honey to taste.

Taste and correct seasonings until it tastes really great to you. Transfer to a small bowl and let sit for at least two hours to meld flavors. Just before serving, stir in the mint or basil, making any final tweaks, and serve at room temperature.

Heidi Swanson of the 101 Cookbooks blog suggests these ways to use the chutney: "A dollop stirred into brown rice, chopped sautéed spinach, topped with a fried or poached egg with a touch of soy sauce"; oe inside a savory crepe. One of my ideas is to toss it with hot, cooked pasta with lots of fresh herbs and tiny, halved cherry tomatoes. Another way I've used it is to spread it on a piece of toasted ciabatta bread, topped with a sunny-side up egg. But probably my favorite way to use this chutney is to stir a little into that Linguine with Tuna and Lemon dish I blogged about a few months ago. It ups the Yummi factor in this dish tenfold! Although this recipe is, as I said, a bit unusual, if you are a lover of lemons, I guarantee you'll like this :)

Puppies Then and Now - One Year Later

2011-12-01T17:03:00.001-06:00

I can hardly believe it's been one year since my sister and I found these two tiny puppies starving by the side of the road. I know this is an overused cliché, but what a difference a year makes.

The first minutes after I found them and brought them home. They were as scared as I was!

When I first brought these puppies home, I had no idea what I was going to do with them. I already had two big, aging dogs at home. A puppy (never mind two puppies) was not on my radar screen in any way. But the Good Lord works in mysterious ways. It only took a few hours for me to realize that there was no way on God's green earth that I was going to give these pups up. Never mind take them to a shelter. Wasn't gonna happen. I promised myself and my husband that since I decided to keep them, I would do everything in my power to work with and train them to become obedient, loving, well trained members of my family; pleasant to be around not only for me and Harry, but for the rest of my family and all who came to visit.

Well, these pups exceeded my expectations, tenfold. Thanks to a phenomenal dog trainer who has become a dear, dear friend, Destiny of Harmony Canines, who showed me what to do, how to do it and why, and a lot of hard work and dedication on my part, Gretchen and Laci are beautiful, strong, healthy, fun, obedient, loving dogs who would do anything in the world for me, as long as they know what I want.

Gretchen and Laci are an integral, very important part of my life and my family and I cannot imagine life without them. As Destiny will confirm, I am ridiculously in love with these pups and I am not ashamed to admit it.

I thought, on my one-year anniversary of finding and rescuing the pups, it would be fun to post some pictures of "then and now". In researching my "then" photos...wow, I can hardly believe the change. So here you have it, Gretchen and Laci then:

Laci...before she was Laci, so tiny and skinny and very scared.

Even back then, (this picture was taken the day after I found her) she was so cute and sweet...this is when I fell for her. Well...OK...it was probably the night before...

And Gretchen...always with that worried look on her face. She still has that look today.

Look how skinny she was :/ And she, too, was pretty scared.

And Now look at them...

My sentinels :)

These are a few photographs Destiny took just a couple of days ago. We have started training the pups on Agility Training and Destiny was laying the groundwork with me to work with the pups. She (Destiny) brought a young girl, Zoey, with her to help with getting the pups socialized around young kids; something Gretchen especially needs. It was amazing (and heartwarming) to me and Destiny to see Gretchen so comfortable around Zoey.

This past year has been an incredible amount of work for me getting the pups to where they are today. But it's been an amazing journey and I wouldn't trade it for anything. There has not been one day that I regret keeping Gretchen and Laci and everyday I am grateful they came into my life. Because of them, and so many other wonderful things in my life, I am truly blessed.

Greater RoadRunner

2011-11-30T06:00:00.000-06:00

I can't believe I actually photographed this guy. This is a Greater RoadRunner, a member of the Cuckoo family that sprints all around the Texas landscape. I say sprint because they are able to run up to 15 miles per hour and habitually stay on the ground which makes it very difficult to capture them on camera.

I was sitting at my desk the other day and this lovely critter appeared on the wall outside my office window. I quickly grabbed my nearby camera and took as many shots as I was able to. These were all taken through glass so they aren't as clear as I'd like them to be. I'm just grateful I was able to get these shots at all. Hope you enjoy :)

Sweet Potato Chipotle Soup

2011-11-26T06:00:00.000-06:00

Remember that wonderful new soup cookbook I wrote about recently? Well this was the first recipe I tried out of that book. Considering the abundance of sweet potatoes I harvested, I thought I would give this one a try. And I was not disappointed...it was delicious and very easy! My husband loved it. Of course, he's never met a sweet potato that he didn't like :) The soup has a mild chipotle flavor but you can adjust it to suit your desired level of heat by adding more. I hope you try this one. Even this kids might like it :)

Sweet Potato-Chipotle Soup
adapted from Soup of the Day
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 small sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or thinly sliced
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced
1 teaspoon adobo sauce (or not...depending on how spicy you like it)
2 sweet potatoes (1 1/2 lbs) peeled and diced
4 1/2 cups chicken broth (or you could use vegetable stock if you want to make the soup vegetarian)
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp chopped chives

In a large, heavy pot, melt the butter of medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until translucent, about 5 - 7 minutes.

Add the chipotle, adobo sauce and potatoes and cook, stirring often for 5 minutes.

Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are very tender, 30-35 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Working carefully, in batches, puree the soup in a blender. Return to the pot and season with salt and pepper and heat through. Serve, garnished with the chives.

I served this soup with a red cabbage and apple slaw and it was a delicious meal!

Buon Appetito!

Fig Tree

2011-11-22T06:00:00.000-06:00

I simply can't believe this...I have figs on my tree! No kidding. The day after we got back from our trip to Paris & The Netherlands, I was walking around the property inspecting everything and as I was closely inspecting my fig tree, I saw it had little (and I do mean little) ripe figs! I counted three that were ready to pick and a couple more that would be ripe in a few days. Needless to say, I was surprised but thrilled! And they were so tasty too :)

I planted this Celeste tree tree on April 2, 2011, and did not expect to get any figs this year. I was hopeful for maybe a couple next year. So you can imagine my excitement at getting figs this first year. But I babied this tree through this long, hot summer. Like my lemon tree, I kept a constant, steady drip of water on it all summer long and it grew like crazy. This is what it looked like in April

and this is what it looks like now!

So far I've picked about 10 small figs off this tree. Now I know I will likely lose the foliage and any unripened figs at the first frost of the season. But I really believe that the tree is well established with a good strong root system and that if I protect it well this winter, it will come back next year. And like all gardeners, I am forever hopeful :)

Wonderful New Cookbook

2011-11-18T06:00:00.000-06:00

I need another cookbook like I need a hole in the head :) but when I was wandering through William Sonoma a couple of weeks ago, this gorgeous book leaped out at me (really it did)! It's called Soup of the Day, 365 Recipes for Every Day of the Year, by Kate McMillan. And Harry and I love soup so I simply could not pass this book up.

And it is wonderful! It's organized by month and the recipes are seasonal, which is how I cook. Look at some of these soup recipes for November:

Savory Barley Soup with Mushrooms and Thyme
Apple, Leek & Butternut Squash
Sweet Potato-Chipotle Soup (hmmm...do I have sweet potatoes?)
Lemony Red Lentil Soup with Fried Shallots (hmmm....seems I have lemons, too :)
Kale & Sweet Potato Soup with Lamb Sausage

See what I mean :)

Since buying this book, I have made at least seven soups out of it and all but one have been delicious. The one exception was just a little bland for my taste. And they are the type of recipes that scream for "adding your own twist" which I *love*! The book is available at Amazon and it is worth every penny (in my humble opinion of course :)

There is not a lot going on in my Texas hill country garden at the moment, so I will periodically blog soup recipes from this book as Fall and soup weather are finally here in South Texas.

Lemon Tree

2011-11-14T06:00:00.000-06:00

I cannot believe how beautiful and prolific my lemon tree is. It's amazing actually. I counted 37, yes 37, lemons on this tree. It has done amazingly well this year and for that, I'm very grateful. Since we had such an awful, hot, dry summer, I kept a constant drip of water on this tree all summer long and it worked because the tree is thriving and is full of lemons. And some of them are as big as my fist! Take a look...

Luckily they are not all ripe and ready to pick at the same time. Now the challenge...what to do with them! Not to worry...I've got a few recipes already planned and it'll be fun to research more :) Stay tuned...

Sweet Potatoes!

2011-11-10T06:00:00.000-06:00

Yay! I finally harvested my sweet potatoes and what a harvest it was! This was the first year I grew these yummy tubers and I was very pleased with the results. Although I probably did leave them in the ground about 30 days too long. The trip to Paris & The Netherlands got in the way of that :)

Two Saturdays ago, on a beautiful fall day, my wonderful husband and I set out to dig up that bed. The first thing I did was turn the water off on that bed about a week before harvest. This helps the ground dry out. I then pulled back and removed all the green vegetation. In doing so, I discovered this little critter. I think it's just a garden snake; nothing poisonous. But I had to physically remove him from my garden. He liked being buried under the cool, damp, dark leaves. I just brought him to the end of my garden fence and turned him loose.

Anyway, Harry and I started at one end and just began digging. Since I have never grown sweet potatoes before, I wasn't sure how they grew. Well, it seems they grow down and out. So that made digging them pretty tricky. We didn't want to damage or break any of the fruit. So we just systematically dug in the garden with our hands and small garden tools until we dug up the entire bed. It was a wonderful way to spend a lovely Saturday morning with my usually-very-busy-and-gone-a-lot-husband :)

When all was said and done, we had harvested about 37 pounds of sweet potatoes! Yes, 37 pounds. We weighed the basket empty and it weighed three pounds. So there ya go!

I had a dinner party for 13 people at my house the following Sunday and guess what was on the menu in addition to smoked tenderloin, sauteed kale and apple cake? Sweet potatoes! :) I scrubbed, peeled, cubed, roasted and mashed them with *lots* (and I mean Lots) of butter, milk and half-and half and they were Y.U.M.M.Y!

Trip to Paris & The Netherlands

2011-10-26T15:05:00.001-05:00

Recently Harry and I, his sister Esther and her husband Art took a trip to Paris and The Netherlands. Harry and Esti, as she is affectionately known by her family and close friends, were born in Vlaardingen, The Netherlands and emigrated to the United States with their parents and six other siblings in 1956. Harry, the eldest, was 15; Esti was 10. Both have been back for a couple of visits over the years, but they have not been back together.

In January of this past year, Harry learned about a conference he had to attend in Paris in October and he thought it would be a great idea to combine the conference with a trip to The Netherlands. Of course, I was on board :) and he also thought it would be fun to invite Art and Esti to come along. Harry and Esti are very close and I love (love!) her and Art too. They jumped at the chance.

None of us could have known at that time that this would be a trip of a lifetime for us all, but particularly for Harry and Esti. We had the best time! It was a walk down memory lane for both of them and for Art and me, it was wonderful to be able to share this experience with our spouses.

Paris was wonderful and we had a good time there, but Harry was busy with the conference and we only saw him in the evenings. The real trip started when we rented a car and drove from Paris to Holland. That's when the fun began :) We visited places where Harry and Esti were born, where they grew up, where they played on the dikes as kids, where their parents got married, where their grandparents had a small business and lived, where Harry learned to play the organ at age 10 (a passion that runs deep in his soul), villages where their parents took them, and on and on. It was an amazing trip and I feel so blessed and honored to have been able to share this time with them.

I want to document this trip as much as I'm able to with the photographs we took along they way. These are not any where near all the pictures I took; but these surely highlight the trip. I do hope you enjoy! I wrote this post particularly with Harry's children and siblings in mind who, I think, would love to see these pictures.

We did the tourist things in Paris: the Eiffel Tower, a boat trip down the River Seine, the Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, and Versailles. We were only in Paris for four days, and we tried to see what we could. Paris is a beautiful city and the food was great...the croissants were amazing!!

The views of Paris from the Eiffel Tower were amazing!

On Wednesday, October 5th, we rented this cool Audi A6 station wagon, loaded up our luggage and headed North!

It was funny, the car was great, a 2010, with an excellent navigation system, but we couldn't figure out how to change the language to English! So we had a female French guide the whole trip which made for some light, fun moments :)

Our first stop was Bruge, Belgium. This city dates back more than 2000 years and it is beautiful! Old and so well preserved. Unfortunately, we were not able to spend a lot of time here, only a few hours as we were heading to Vlaardingen for our first night. But we did get to spend a little time, did a little shopping and had a nice dinner. Bruge is known for its chocolate and fine lace and tapestry. And yes, some of each ended up in my suitcase :)

Harry and his beautiful sister! Can you see the family resemblance? :)

And I had the biggest bowl of mussels...ever! And they were yummy :)

Once in Vlaardingen, we checked into the Delta Hotel for the next six nights. The Delta is a very nice hotel located on Rotterdam Harbour, a main shipping port into Europe. Watching the ever passing ships made for easy entertainment during evening happy hour, breakfast or dinner.

On our first day in Vlaardingen, Harry and Esti wanted to see if they could find the flat (all 600 square feet of it) where Harry, his brother John and sister Mary, were born. Sure enough, Harry found it. See, my husband has a map in his head...seriously. They even got to talk to the woman who lives there now. I think she told Harry and Esti she's been living there for something like 43 years!

Just a quick aside here. I swear, as soon as we crossed the border into Holland, something switched in Harry and Esti's brains and they began speaking Dutch. Not only to each other, but to Art and me! It was really funny, even as Harry and I were getting ready in our hotel room in the mornings, he would be rattling off to me in Dutch and when he saw the blank look on my face, he said, "I'm doing it again, aren't I Di?" :-) It was cute, really.

Over the next several days we took day-long trips into neighboring little villages that Harry and Esti remember going to with their parents. We stopped in the town of Delft where the factory is located where the beautiful Delft pottery is made. Now the term "factory" is a misnomer here. The "factory" was little more than an old, two story town home, with three kilns that do all the firing of the pottery. They have four artists on site and about 10-12 who work at home and these artists do all the painting of the pottery. It was a neat place.

These symbols guarantee that a particular piece of pottery is a genuine Delft piece.

Yes, of course we bought a few things, but the best souvenir of the entire trip is a ceramic tile mural of the ancient city of Delft, a very famous scene painted by a famed Dutch artist whose name escapes me, recreated on ceramic tile by this man (I can't remember his name either:/) Anyway, he is pretty famous throughout Europe and he will be retiring in a couple of years, which makes his work all the more valuable. Harry fell in love with this piece and bought it immediately. We are very excited to have it and can't wait to hang it in our new Michigan summer home (more on that later!). Clicking on the photograph enlarges it so you can get a better view of the mural.

Here are a few more pictures of the quaint village of Delft.

Another of my favorite little towns is Veere. This village received its town rights at the end of the 13th century and it has retained its old world charm. Beautiful village...I loved it here. Esti said she could live here!

This is a bed and breakfast that says "Vacancy" :-)

And these next four photographs document how they deliver the mail in Veere!

Harry has hanging in his office a painting his dad did of this church, from this angle, down this alley more than 60 years ago!

And this is Harry looking up that alley, almost, but not quite, certain that this was the alley his dad painted that painting from.

All the church steeples in Veere have ships at the very top.

Another favorite town was Gouda and I can't even begin to pronounce it the way the Dutch pronounce it...all guttural and all :) But it was a neat place and yes, we bought some authentic Dutch Gouda cheese at the local market and it is Harry's absolute favorite cheese! It is yummy! Harry and Esti's grandmother was born and raised in Gouda so it has some family significance for them as well.

My favorite cheeseheads!

I guess one of the highlights of our trip came towards the end of it. We spent another day in Vlaardingen and what a day it was. First, we saw the church were Harry and Esti's parents were married more than 70 years ago. Very cool.

And in walking around Vlaardingen we came to De Grote Kerk te Vlaardingen, which means, I think, The Great Church of Vlaardingen. This is the church where Harry learned to play the organ more than 60 years ago. His family life also centered around this Church. We opened the doors and went into the Church, just looking around. It is a beautiful Church and I believe it dates back to the 15th or 16th century, maybe even earlier. And it has a gorgeous pipe organ at its center and at some point in time, Mozart actually played on this pipe organ. How cool is that! I'm not sure how the organ made its way to Vlaardingen, but Mozart played it at some point in the past.

De Grote Kerk steeple

Harry struck up a conversation with an older Dutch man who was in the church. It turns out his name is Ari, which is Harry's given Dutch name. Well this man happened to be the organist at the church. So he invited us up into the area where the organ is played (darn...I can't think of the name of that area). Anyway, we went up into the "balcony" and Ari and Harry were talking a mile a minute, all in Dutch of course. Ari asked Harry if he wanted to play and my husband got this big, giant grin on his face, nodded his head, sat down and played the organ, beautifully! It was a very (very) cool moment.

So yes, it was a very good day.

On Sunday, the Smit (original Dutch name) clan had arranged for a family reunion with all the cousins, et al who still lived in the area. Harry's dad had 4 brothers all of whom have passed. But many of their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren still live in and around Vlaardingen. So Esti arranged with one of the cousins for a family reunion, inviting all they could get hold of and all who could attend. We ended up with 37 people! It was great fun. Most of them spoke English, which was good for Art and me. And they were all wonderful, kind and welcoming and we all had great fun. In fact, I'm now friends on FaceBook with two of Harry's 2nd cousins! They are a little younger than my sons and are very nice young men.

Harry and Esti saw relatives they hadn't seen in many, many years. Harry even reconnected with a boy (now a grown man obviously) that he sat next to and had been friends with in the 3rd grade! This man married one of Harry's cousins and has stayed in touch with the family. It was a fun day. And for that day, I learned the only two Dutch phrases I know (will ever know):
Ik ben Aat zn vrow = I'm Harry's wife and En ik spreek geen Hollands = I don't speak Dutch!
So that was a fun ice breaker :)

Harry's cousin Marleen, her husband, their two sons...my new FB friends :)...and Harry

Monday, October 10, we piled back in the car and headed for Kinderdijk, where there are 19 windmills dating back to the 1400's. It was a cool, overcast day, perfect for picture taking. This was probably the most picturesque day of all. The windmills are simply beautiful and to me, very peaceful.

The day before we left for home, we headed far North, up to the North Sea. We visited The Hague, which is where the International Criminal Court is located. It's more of a big city than a quaint Dutch town but the North Sea is pretty amazing. A very wild sea. One can understand why so many fisherman have lost their lives on this sea.

This is some famous hotel. I can't remember the name of it but it's a beautiful building and it overlooks the North Sea.

And I just loved this...this sign says it's a Pancake House! Gotta love the Dutch!

The last of the quaint Dutch streets we walked down.

It was, by far, the most amazing trip I've ever taken. My husband was so happy to visit the places he grew up; and for me, to share this time with Harry, his sister and her husband was truly a gift.

Harry, Art and Esti...I love you all!

The State of My Garden

2011-09-30T08:11:00.000-05:00

In a word...scary. Seriously. Take a look. Would you want to walk in here?

I certainly haven't wanted to in quite some time and it shows. I'm afraid of what I might scare up. I startled a little bunny rabbit last week and I also saw a beautiful Western garner snake. But I'm not sure what other sinister critters may be hiding out in this mess. I only have one garden bed that is still growing stuff and that's my sweet potato bed. And I peeked in there a couple of days ago and oh my goodness, will I have sweet potatoes! But that's for another post :)

The current state of my garden is also very embarrassing for me. I have Never.Ever. let my garden get so overgrown and messy. I still can't believe it looks so bad. But this summer, it has just been too darn hot to get out there and work it. And it still is. It was 99 degrees yesterday...and it's the end of September for crying out loud!

Anyway, I have been procrastinating long enough. It's time I did something to clean up this mess and get my garden back! And I've also done something else I've never done before concerning my garden. I actually hired a crew to clean it out.

It pains me to admit this. I've always taken great pride in my garden, in how productive and beautiful it is (usually), and in doing all the work myself. But I finally admitted to myself that I needed help. And look what they've done!

They cleaned out all the beds

mowed all the weeds down to the ground, laid a weed mat around the entire garden floor and put down a 6-inch layer of mulch, turned over all the soil in all the beds and spread a bag and half of compost I had laying around. I was out there yesterday morning before they finished the job and couldn't believe how much better it looked already!

Of course the puppies were very curious as to what this was all about...not to mention all these great new smells! It was also a treat for them because my garden is usually off limits.

And see what it looks like now! I have my beautiful garden queendom back!

Many thanks to Mark and his crew for all their hard work!

Harry and I leave in a couple of days for two weeks in Paris and Holland. When we get back, all I have to do is add some compost to a few beds and plant my fall and winter garden. Yay! I'm anxious to get back into my garden. I've really missed it these past couple of months. I'm also anxious to get back to blogging. I've missed that and y'all too! Of course, I probably lost a lot of you guys too during my lil break :/

Thank you all for your patience and encouraging words in my last two posts. Hopefully, I will be back online by the middle of October. Until then, bon voyage! :)

The State of Texas

2011-09-12T19:41:00.000-05:00

Thank you all so very much for your kind thoughts and words. I'm working on it...I'm really trying. But as Cat can probably attest to, it's just been SO HOT and SO DRY that NOTHING is growing...NOTHING...and my garden has never, EVER, looked so bad or so pitiful. Not to mention the horrific wildfires that much of Texas is experiencing. Since early May 2011, South Texas has had over 55 days with temperatures over 100 degrees. Who wants to get out and work in that heat? And God bless those who have to.

I've said this in an earlier post...I have lived in Texas for almost 30 years and I have never seen a summer as hot, as dry and as fire-prone as the Summer of 2011. It's difficult to explain unless you are here and experiencing what we are living with. As I write this, there are wildfires all around me. How and why they have not touched us here is beyond my explanation. The entire state is a tinderbox.

It is now the middle of September, 2011. South Texas has had only 6.5" of rain this year. Think about the magnitude of that. I don't mean to be a spoilsport or a doomsdayer, but this is the reality we are living with.

Kelsey, what has your year/summer looked like? I know you had awful fires earlier this year. What do things look like now? Can you relate to this unprecedented drought?

I do hope to be back online soon.

But if you pray in any way, we ask that you pray for the entire State of Texas and its residents. This is more than anyone can truly fathom.

This photo was taken by a friend. It depicts the city of Austin in the foreground with city of Bastrop, 25 miles to the East, burning uncontrolled. Dear God, help us; and please...pray for rain.

Lil' Break

2011-08-18T06:00:00.001-05:00

Geez...it's been such a busy summer!

I was gone the first part of August visiting my daughter-in-law and grandson while my son is deployed; and then I was not home but two days when my other son, his wife and my granddaughter came to visit!

I sure got my grandbaby fix this month and loved (loved!) every second of it :)

I'm now in catch up mode. I'm gonna take a short break from my blog to regroup, catch up and try to salvage what's left of my garden in this relentless, record-breaking heat spell South Texas has been experiencing. I've lived in Texas for more than 30 years and I've never (Ever!) experienced a summer like this one.

On a good note, I've got cantaloupe ripe and ready to pick!

Cantaloupe gelato anyone? :)

Eggplant Parmesan

2011-08-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

I rarely order this dish in a restaurant. Most of the time it's gooey, bland and swimming in a watery tomato sauce. Yuck! But I wanted to try and make it at home with vegetables from my garden. God knows I have enough eggplant!

And in my freezer, I've got several batches of that fire roasted tomato sauce I blogged about a couple of days ago. So I searched my cookbooks and the internet and hoped to find a good, easy recipe. And I found one on CookingLight.com/HealthyHabits. Of course, I wouldn't be "me" unless I tweaked the recipe a little bit to reflect what "I" (and wonderful hubby) like!

So here is my version of Summer Eggplant Parmesan. It's not a simple-throw-together-quickly-on-a-weeknight-recipe, but it's not that difficult either. It just takes a little time.

Summer Eggplant Parmesan
Eggplant:
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon water
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
2 (1 pound) eggplants, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2 inch thick slices

Filling:
1/2 cup torn fresh basil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic or pressed through garlic press (about 2 cloves)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 16 oz container whole milk (or part-skim) ricotta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Remaining Ingredients:
1 24 oz jar premium pasta sauce (or homemade)
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces thinly sliced mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat oven to 375F.

To make eggplant:
Combine 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon water in shallow bowl.
Combine panko and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese in a second shallow dish.
Dip eggplant in egg mixture, dredge in panko mixture, pressing gently to adhere and shaking off excess.
Place eggplant 1 inch apart on foil lined baking sheet, coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 375F for 30 minutes or so until golden, turning once and rotating baking sheet after 15 minutes

To make filling:
Combine basil and next 6 ingredients. Set aside.

To assemble:
Spoon 1/2 cup pasta sauce in bottom of a 9 x 13" glass baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Layer 1/2 of eggplant slices over pasta sauce.
Sprinkle eggplant with 1/8 teaspoon salt.
Top with 3/4 cup pasta cause.
Spread half of ricotta mixture over sauce and top with a third of the mozzarella and 1/4 cup cheese.
Repeat layers once, ending with about 1 cup pasta sauce.

Cover tightly with foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375F for 35 minutes.
Remove foil; top with remaining mozzarella and Parmigiano.

Bake an additional 10 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese melts.
Let cool 10 minutes before slicing.

Looks yummy doesn't it? Tasted even better! :)

Buon Appetito!

Cantaloupe and Sweet Potatoes

2011-08-07T06:00:00.007-05:00

I can't believe how much the cantaloupe vines and sweet potato plants have grown! Maybe it has something to do with that wonderful manure compost I put in this bed before planting. I'm not sure, but it has to be something because this is what this bed looked like when I first planted it...

...and this is what it looks like now!

I wasn't sure any of these sweet potato slips or the three volunteer cantaloupe plants would even make it in this God-awful heat. Not only did they survive, but they are thriving! Look at the cantaloupe on these vines! There are fifteen (15!) of these babies on the vines, just this size and a lot more little ones waiting to grow. It's amazing!

There's a ton of little ones out there too! Don't ask me yet what I'm going to *do* with all these melons that will likely be ready at the same time! I suspect some of my friends will have a cantaloupe mysteriously appear on their doorstep! I also envision cantaloupe ice cream, cantaloupe bread, maybe cantaloupe preserves... :-)

And I've never grown sweet potatoes before so I wasn't sure what to expect. But the plants are gorgeous! The foliage is purple and green with very large leaves.

The potatoes should be ready to harvest 90-100 days after planting, which puts the harvest date around mid September. I can't wait for that! And I sure wish I could get a glimpse of what's going on underground in this bed! Oh well, that's part of the fun of gardening...the waiting, the anticipating and the joy of the harvest!

Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce

2011-08-03T06:00:00.002-05:00

My tomato plants are producing like crazy these days! Of course, I have nine plants so what can I expect?! :)

The problem is they ripen faster than I can use them and I had a bunch that were bordering on overripe and having to be thrown to the deer! I simply couldn't let that happen. So I decided to make fire roasted tomato sauce.

It's a very simple, basic recipe.

Preheat oven to 400F. Pick some fresh basil and thyme from your garden. Or you can use dried herbs if that's what you have. It'll work just fine.

Core and seed the large tomatoes. Then set them in a large colander in the sink for about 30 minutes or so to drain the excess water.

Toss tomatoes in a large bowl with extra virgin olive oil.

Place tomatoes, skin side down, on a foil lined baking sheet that's been coated with extra virgin olive oil, Using foil lined pans makes clean up so much easier! I sometimes throw in a few cloves of garlic that have been tossed with olive oil to roast along side the tomatoes.

Roast in hot oven for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours, until tomatoes are cooked and the skins are nicely charred.

Remove from oven and let cool. Remove the skins...they really should slip right off.

Working in batches if necessary, place roasted tomatoes (and any juice left on the baking sheet) in food processor (or blender) with the pulp from the roasted garlic cloves and some fresh herbs. Puree until mixture is your desired consistency. I don't like my sauce too chunky, so I puree it very well.

Pour into freezer bags in 2 cup increments and freeze till needed.

I'll use this as a base for any type of tomato sauce, meat sauce, in soups, etc. I don't season it until I'm ready to use the puree in something I'm cooking.

This is a great way to use very ripe summer tomatoes and I'm sure (absolutely sure!) I'll be making many more batches of this sauce this summer.

Homemade Honey Ice Cream

2011-07-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

I knew that would get your attention! Who doesn't love ice cream? Especially homemade ice cream made with only half and half, heavy cream, farm fresh eggs and delicious raw honey! No one that I know :)

For Mother's Day this past year, my son Mike and his lovely wife Katie (author of the fab cooking blog thegdkitchen.blogspot.com) gave me three very different jars of wonderful honey they bought on a trip to Savannah, Georgia. I love locally made honey and they know that. That's what made this gift so special.

I've been using the honey in the usual ways: in my oatmeal for breakfast, in salad dressings, in yogurt with berries. But I've been trying to think of a way to showcase the honey for the delicious flavor it has on its own.

Recently, I was reading the latest Taste San Antonio magazine and there was an article on locally made honey, showcasing a recipe for Lavender Honey Ice Cream. Suddenly a light bulb went off...I would use the honey Mike and Katie gave me to make ice cream! I decided to use the Sourwood honey in this recipe. Yummy!

You need an ice cream maker for this one, but in my humble opinion, every well stocked kitchen should have one :)

Sourwood Honey Ice Cream
1 cup half and half
2 cups heavy cream
7 egg yolks
3/4 cup sourwood honey (or any locally produced honey that you like)

Combine the half and half and cream in a heavy saucepan; heat to just below boiling and remove from the stovetop and let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks in a bowl until frothy.

Whisking continuously, slowly pour half of the cream mixture into the egg yolks. Pour that mixture back into the saucepan and heat on low, whisking constantly, for about 5 minutes. (This was impossible to photograph as I needed to work quickly and needed both hands!) When the mixture coats the back of a spoon, it's done.

Pour the mixture through a fine meshed sieve into a bowl and whisk in the honey.

Chill thoroughly, ideally overnight. I place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the custard. This prevents a film from forming.

After chilling, freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's direction.

Pour into nonreactive container and freeze until firm

I served it over a Chocolate Amaretti Cake...delicous!

But it's also fabulous on its own!

Should make 4-5 servings...maybe :-)

Buon Appetito!

Puppies in the River

2011-07-25T06:00:00.009-05:00

Just a quick update on the puppies. They are growing strong and are just beautiful! And I'm having so much fun with them!

Lovely Laci

Beautiful Gretchen

Throughout the course of this summer, I've discovered that they *love* the water and love to swim. We've taken them to our ranch house many times this summer and on each trip, we have a ball. Just thought I'd post some pics of our river romps this summer. Old boy Tyson hangs right in there with them...chasing balls and having fun!

Just call me the Pied Piper!

3 balls + 3 dogs = 1 happy day!

Grilled Chicken and Stone Fruit Salsa with Herbed Couscous

2011-07-22T06:00:00.004-05:00

Oh my goodness...this dish is soooo yummy! And easy easy easy! It doesn't use much from my garden, a couple of peppers and some of my herbs, but it is too good not to share. It uses summer fruit and lends itself to many variations depending on what you have and what you like. And as you know by now, that's my kind of recipe! Please try this one :)

Red Ruffled Pimento Peppers from my garden

Grilled Chicken and Nectarine Salsa
with Herbed Couscous
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (about 1/2 lime)
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 small cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts (I used thighs. To me, they have much more flavor)

In large shallow dish, combine first 8 ingredients; mix well. You can make this up to 1 day ahead and store in the fridge.

Add chicken and thoroughly coat with marinade. Let stand at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour.

Stone Fruit Salsa
2 cups diced stone fruit (peaches, plums, nectarines or a combination of all three. I used Texas peaches and nectarines)
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion (I left this out b/c I don't like raw onions :)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 small jalapeno, seeded and diced (you could use a Serrano pepper for more heat)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1-2 tablespoons good, extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup peeled, diced avocado (optional)

Combine the stone fruit and next 7 ingredients in a bowl. Let stand 15 minutes to blend flavors. Just before serving, fold in avocado if using.

Herbed Couscous
Combine 3/4 cup fat free, low sodium chicken broth and 1/2 cup water in saucepan. Bring to boil. Stir in 1 cup uncooked couscous. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with fork. Stir in 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Again, you could use any combination of herbs here that you like. Set aside until chicken is cooked.

Grill chicken over medium high heat until done...12-18 minutes depending on what you are cooking, thighs or breasts. Remove from grill.

Place chicken pieces, some couscous and salsa on a plate and serve. Y.U.M.M.Y!

Buon Appetito! :)

Tomatoes are Ripening

2011-07-19T06:00:00.005-05:00

It took long enough...geez! I've been picking cherry tomatoes for a couple of weeks now, but the large tomatoes have certainly taken their sweet time ripening. But oh was it worth the wait!!

I have Martian Giants

Costaluto Genovese (an heirloom)

And the very prolific Chadwick Cherry

You can bet these tasty summer treats will be on the dinner menu every night! :) I've got a few yummy recipes that I will share soon!

Summer Tanager

2011-07-16T06:00:00.006-05:00

Look at this beautiful bird!

We were at our ranch house over the 4th of July weekend and this male summer tanager visited us all weekend long. He *loved* the oriole feeder and the grape jelly we put out for them. Such a gift to have this beauty flitting about :)

Tomato Worms

2011-07-13T06:00:00.010-05:00

GRRRR...tomato worms are a thorn in the side of every gardener I know. They camouflage themselves so well that they are nearly impossible to find. And they can strip a tomato plant overnight. But over the years, I've discovered a pretty sure fire way to find these buggers and eliminate them from my garden.

Look for the poop...

Then look up and follow the stripped, eaten vines...

And I'll bet dollars-to-donuts you will find the culprit, happily munching away.

This guy was huge! At least 4 inches long! And really creepy looking too :/

I found three worms this size in my tomato plants this morning using this method. Let's just say these guys didn't make it home for dinner :)

Summer Squash Bites the Dust

2011-07-10T06:00:00.002-05:00

Well, it happens nearly every year...the squash vine borers destroyed my squash plants :-( But this year the bugs got them a little earlier than usual. I managed to pick some scallopini squash before they petered out, but not as much as I would have liked. Look at the damage those little buggers (no pun intended) inflicted on my plants. Just awful...

I'm very disappointed that I had to pull all these diseased plants. But this experience is very much an integral part of every gardener's life and we must accept it as it comes. I know I could have injected the vines with BT, but I don't know a lot about that product and to be honest, I really didn't have the time. So I pulled the plants and in the process I discovered 2 little toads living deep within this garden bed. Pretty neat little critters who are most beneficial to have.

A lovely little lizard was also scampering about. These guys are so fast and I was lucky to catch this shot.

One good thing came out of this experience. By pulling all the diseased squash plants, I made lots of room for my green and yellow beans to spread out and have more room to grow. Not a bad trade off I guess :)

Summer Pasta Salad

2011-07-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

Or I should call it "Summer Vegetable Salad with a Little Pasta" :) I, like most people, *love* pasta but I really try not to eat too much of it. So that's why when I make a pasta salad, it is usually mostly veggies with a little pasta :)

But anyway...you saw what I hauled out of the garden a couple of days ago and I thought the best way to use this wonderful fresh produce was to make a pasta salad. I have a few lovely Italian white eggplant, some scallopini summer squash, a few Chadwick cherry tomatoes and the first Genovese tomato.

I found a good recipe at CooksIllustrated.com and thought with a few adaptations (of course :), it would be perfect with these ingredients.

Pasta Salad with Eggplant, Tomatoes and Basil

2 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch thick rounds

2-4 medium summer squash (any kind will do), cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more to brush on vegetables

1/4 cup lemon juice from about 2 lemons

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1-2 medium cloves garlic, divided, minced or put through a garlic press

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 box short, bite size pasta such as ziti, fusilli, farfalle

2 large tomatoes, cored, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch chunks (I used cherry tomatoes here, about 2 cups)

15 fresh basil leaves, torn

Bring 4 quarts of water in large pot over high heat.

Meanwhile brush eggplant and squash with olive oil to coat, toss with salt and pepper to taste.

Grill eggplant and squash until marked with dark stripes on both sides, about 15 minutes.

Remove from grill and cool to room temperature.

When vegetables are cool, cut into bite sized pieces.

While eggplant cools, make the dressing.

Whisk lemon juice and zest, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1 clove garlic and red pepper flakes in large bowl; whisk in 1/2 cup oil in slow, steady stream until smooth.

Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water. Cook until pasta is al dente and drain. Whisk dressing again to blend; add hot pasta, cooled eggplant and squash, remaining garlic and basil; toss to mix thoroughly. Cool to room temperature; adjust seasonings and serve. You could add some feta cheese here to guild the lily...which I did :)

Buon Appetito!

Today's Haul

2011-07-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post to show what I pulled from the garden today: Some lovely Italian white eggplant, several golden scallopino summer squash, my first Genovese tomato and my first Lemon Boy tomato.

I see a pasta salad in my future dinner plans this week :)

Sweet Potatoes

2011-06-30T06:00:00.009-05:00

OK...here is another first for me...sweet potatoes!

My husband and I love them but I've never tried to grow them before. So I thought, well, why not give it a shot. I have an empty garden bed just waiting to grow something!

I bought my slips online from a Tennessee company called, George's Plant Farm. They seemed like a reputable company, had good reviews and so I took a chance and ordered 12 slips of the Vardeman variety. The description said "Ideal garden and small space, bush type. Vines good for small gardens." Well, that's me!

So when the plants arrived, I set them in a glass of water on the windowsill for about a week, letting them perk up and grow a few more stronger roots. Then this morning, I dug a few holes in my garden and set the plants. And I guess we'll just see. It's so hot these days that I hope the plants don't burn up.

little blurry image...sorry :/

From what I've read, sweet potatoes need a long growing season (90-120 days)...well, we've got that!

As I was getting that garden bed ready, I noticed three cantaloupe seedlings beginning to germinate! I planted those weeks ago and nothing germinated so I thought I had a bad batch of seeds (GRRRR) and dug them all up. Well, I guess there were a few that were determined to grow, so that's cool!

As I was working, I noticed this little guy watching me intently, remaining very still. I'm not sure what kind of lizard it is, but he's pretty cool. I love seeing these little critters in and around my garden. They eat all the nasty bugs that feed on my plants. He's more than welcome to stay and hang out :)

Anyway, this garden bed will be very interesting to watch as these little sweet potato and cantaloupe seedlings begin to grow!

I love experimenting with new stuff! So far this year, all the new varieties of vegetables I've planted are doing well, even my peppers! As always, I'll keep you posted!

Peppers!

2011-06-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

Remember how my peppers were struggling at the beginning of the season? Well, they are struggling no more! They are growing well and producing beautiful fruit. Can't wait for these to be ripe!

Corno Di Toro

Red Ruffled Pimiento

Honey bee having a good time!

Corno Di Toro

Beautiful, eh? It must have been that gorgeous compost I added to the bed :)

Summer Birds

2011-06-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

These beauties have been visiting my feeders all summer long. I actually have two nesting pair of Painted Buntings and many (many) lesser goldfinches. I haven't been able to capture an image of the female bunting but I'll keep trying. Just thought you might like a glimpse of these lovely creatures.

Last of the Lettuce...First of the Tomatoes

2011-06-21T06:00:00.003-05:00

It was a sad day at my house...I picked the last of the Lola Rossa red leaf lettuce :-(

I really enjoyed this lettuce. It was the first year I grew this variety and you can bet I *will* plant it again in the fall. The heads were not too big, not one of them bolted despite our blazing heat, the leaves were tasty, kind of bitter-like, but very good, and the germination rate was excellent. I will plant this lettuce again next spring as well.

But as sad a day as it was, I also picked the first of my Chadwick cherry tomatoes! So it wasn't such a sad day after all :-)

I also had this fresh, delicious, locally-made-in-New-Mexico-feta-cheese that my good friend Cheryl brought me back from their recent vacation.

The only obvious thing to do with these fresh ingredients is make a salad...and that's what I did! I added an avocado, Keith and Abby's Horseradish Dijon Mustard dressing and it was delicious!

I love summer food!

A Mountain of Chard...

2011-06-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

...literally.

A couple of weeks ago it became obvious to me it was time to pick the golden chard. It grew beautifully this spring but the leaves were getting very large and once that happens, the chard turns tough and fibrous and I don't like it any more.

So, it was time to pick it, blanch it and freeze it for the fall. And that's what I did. But what a tedious task.

I had to remove the tough stem off every single piece of chard you see on my counter above,

wash it, slice the leaves into ribbons,

blanch it bunch by bunch in boiling hot water,

chill it down in an ice water bath, wring the water out and separate the cooked chard into two cup bunches. It took me nearly all day.

And when I was done, I only had eight cups of blanched chard to show for it! Chard is like spinach, it cooks down to nothing.

But hey, that's OK. I was able to process and freeze all of it, although I still have another 2 rows of chard growing in with my peppers. But they are much younger and I will likely use it up before I have to blanch and freeze it all.

So now I have all this lovely, fresh chard in my freezer ready to throw into soups and stews this fall and winter. Was it worth the effort...you bet it was :)

June GBBD

2011-06-15T06:25:00.000-05:00

It's been *so* hot and *so* dry here in South Texas lately that not much is blooming. But yesterday my Texas Star Hibiscus presented its first bloom and it is gorgeous!

Visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens to see what is blooming in others' gardens on this June Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.

And in keeping with our recent mantra this dry, hot Texas summer, Pray For Rain!

Killer Homemade Pizza...

2011-06-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

...made with all local ingredients! It was delicious! Harry and I make pizza at home often. Having a breadmaker makes it so easy. The dough comes together in minutes and it freezes beautifully!

Anyway, last week we had all these fantastic local ingredients and we thought the best way to make excellent use of them was to make pizza! We had:

Delicious homemade, local beef sausage which I sauteed and drained

Locally made mozzarella cheese, shredded

Local tomatoes (not mine, yet, but I got these at the farmer's market) and my basil. Tomatoes thickly slice and basil julienned

Homemade pizza dough, defrosted

And homemade pizza sauce.

Here are all the ingredients, prepped and ready to go!

First, preheat the oven to 450F with the pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven. Preheat the stone for at least one hour.

I rolled out the pizza dough, topped it with a little sauce and the cooked sausage.

Topped that with the tomatoes and basil

Smothered the entire pizza in freshly grated mozzarella AND Parmigianno Regianno

Then popped the whole thing into the oven and onto the hot stone for about 17 minutes and Voila...we had pizza!! Incredibly delicious...who needs take out?! :)

Buon Appetito!

Golden Chard, Vegetable and White Bean Soup

2011-06-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

OK...here is what I pulled from my garden today: a large bunch of golden chard, one lovely onion, a few red core chantenay carrots and a few dragon carrots. Such a beautiful bounty...I'm truly blessed. Now the fun part, what to do with it!

And to me, the answer was simple: there is a delicious soup in the making here :)

Now I've made enough soups in my lifetime that I really don't need a recipe. The key to a good soup is high quality ingredients, homemade chicken stock if you have it, whatever seasoning you like (I like cumin and smoked paprika) and my secret ingredient, a 1/2 inch piece of Parmagianno Regianno cheese rind.

The preparation is really pretty simple and straightforward.

Dice the onion

Scrub the carrots and cut into 1/2 inch moons

Remove the stem and tough rib from the chard

Wash and spin dry

Slice chard into thin ribbons

Saute the onion and carrot in extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until onion is soft and carrot begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Add the chard, 1/4 teaspoon of smoked paprika and 1/2 teaspoon of cumin and saute for another 5-7 minutes until the chard begins to wilt.

Add the chicken stock, cheese rind and 1 can of drained, well rinsed Great Northern or cannellini beans and 1/2 cup pearl couscous

Let simmer for about 30 minutes or until couscous is cooked. Taste and adjust seasoning. Sprinkle with a little grated Pecorino Romano cheese and serve. Although delicious immediately, this soup is even better served the next day.

Buon Appetito!

Onion Harvest

2011-06-04T06:00:00.005-05:00

Look at this haul of onions! I can hardly believe it. Although last year my onions did very well also so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. But it still amazes me that all this goodness came out of my garden...again, quite humbling.

Some of these onions are as big as my fist! Amazing, isn't it?

These are my favorite onions, Texas 1015s. When cooked, they are sweet and delicious. But I don't like them raw. At All. I'll eat almost anything, but I won't eat raw onions. Ask my mom. It used to drive her crazy when I was a kid. I'd pick every single onion out of a dish. And I'll still do that...at least the raw uncooked ones. But I digress :)

Anyway, after picking these beauties, I let them dry in the sun for a little while, only a couple of hours because it's 95 degrees today!

Then they need to cure for about 2-3 weeks. (Although I have used and continue to use them as I need to during this curing process. They taste just fine...perfect as a matter of fact :) Anyway, I'll leave them on these large cookie sheets and store them in a cool, well ventilated place in order for them to dry thoroughly. I'll turn them frequently and make sure they stay cool and dry. Once the sheaths become dry and paper-like, the sheaths can be cut and the onions stored in a cool dry place in a box or something like a colander so the air can circulate. They should last about three months stored this way. But the way I use onions, they likely won't last that long!

After I pulled all the onions, I prepped that garden bed for its next tenant: sweet muskmelons! I love fresh-from-the-garden summer cantaloupe. It is one of those summer staples like tomatoes and basil. I've had pretty good luck growing cantaloupe in past gardens. Cantaloupe likes the hot Texas sun and as long as the plants stay well watered and the beetles are kept at bay, I usually get a pretty good crop.

So after I pulled all the onions, I gently turned the dirt with my pitchfork which revealed lots and lots of earthworms! Lovely sight, but I didn't take any pictures because it was SO hot, I just wanted to finish the job!

After turning the dirt, I spread the last bag of that gorgeous compost I gathered a couple of weeks ago over the entire bed, watered it well...and Done! Ready for the next crop...stay tuned :)

Bush Beans and Italian White Eggplant

2011-06-01T06:00:00.003-05:00

My peppers may be still struggling (although they are doing better....must be the new compost :), but my Italian White eggplant, Blue Lake bush beans and Gold Rush bush beans are doing beautifully! Despite getting off to a rocky start and a battle with the giant grasshoppers, these summer staples are taking off! I'm pretty excited too because these vegetables, like most of the vegetables in my spring garden, are new varieties of old favorites and I'm very anxious to see how they produce and more importantly, what they taste like! Take a peek...

Italian white eggplant

Golden Scallopini Summer Squash

Blue Lake Bush Beans

Gold Rush Bush Beans

Beautiful plants, don't ya think? :)

So just as my beets, carrots and lettuces are winding down in the garden, my beans and squash are gearing up to begin producing beautiful foods for me, my family and friends. God, I love this stuff :)

Gorgeous Beets + Beautiful Carrots = New Spring Salad!

2011-05-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

I hate to brag but look at these beautiful vegetables I pulled from my garden this morning. It's just so satisfying and humbling to me to be able to pick my dinner from my back yard.

As is the mantra this summer~~what to do with what I just picked? Well, I happened to find a Beet and Carrot salad recipe while thumbing through my recent Cook's Illustrated magazine. Again, with a few adaptations, I made what I (and my wonderful husband) thought was a delicious salad for dinner :) I hope you're not tired of my salad recipes :/ But this is the time of year to take advantage of all the beautiful vegetables growing in one's garden or at the farmers' markets!

Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad
1 pound beets, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
1 pound carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey (see note below about this honey!)
1 medium shallot, minced
1 small bunch red leaf lettuce, washed, spun and torn into bite sized pieces
1 small bunch romaine lettuce, washed, spun and torn into bite sized pieces
1 small bunch arugula, washed, trimmed and torn into bite sized pieces (optional...can also use watercress)
Crumbled blue cheese (optional...can also use feta or goat cheese)

Toss lettuces together and set aside.

Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place large rimmed baking sheet on rack and heat oven to 450F.

Toss beets and carrots with 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and sugar in large bowl.

Carefully remove hot baking sheet from oven and working very quickly, carefully transfer beets and carrots to hot sheet and spread in even layer. Quickly return to oven.

Roast until vegetables are tender and well browned, 20 minutes. Do not stir during baking and do not wash bowl.

Meanwhile, whisk remaining tablespoon oil, vinegar, honey, shallot and 1/4 teaspoon and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in now empty bowl.

Toss hot vegetables with vinaigrette and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Stir vegetables and place over lettuces, top with cheese if using and serve. I hope you find this salad as delicious and refreshing as we did!

Buon Appetito!

A note about the honey I used. In a word...d.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s!

For Mother's Day, my son Mike and his wife Katie gave me a trio of beautiful, artisan honey they bought on a recent trip to Savannah, Georgia. The one I used for this recipe is called Tupelo honey and it is so delicious it deserves its own mention. It's smooth, sweet, buttery and very rare.

It was such a thoughtful gift because they know I love to buy local honey from any place I travel to because each local honey has a flavor unique to that region. I can't wait to try them all!

Thank you Mike and Katie :)

Shrimp Cobb Salad with Fresh Greens

2011-05-26T06:00:00.006-05:00

I still have plenty of Lolla Rossa red leaf lettuce and Little Gem romaine lettuce in my garden so I'm trying to come up with new salads using these beautiful greens. I also picked the first of the carrots. Aren't these gorgeous?!

I can across a Shrimp and Cobb Salad recipe in a recent Bon Appetit magazine that I thought looked good. After reading the list of ingredients and checking to see what I had on hand, I thought, "OK, this will work...with some adaptations :)"

Look at these beautiful greens I picked from the garden!

This is the first time I've grown either of these varieties and I must say I'm very happy with both of them. The Lolla Rossa red leaf produces beautiful heads and none has not bolted yet, despite our very warm temperatures. And I like the Little Gem romaine because the heads are compact with tender leaves and very tasty!

So here is my version of Shrimp Cobb Salad with Fresh Garden Greens

1 small head of red leaf lettuce, thoroughly washed, torn into bite sized pieces
1 small head romaine lettuce, again, thoroughly washed, spun out and torn into bite sized pieces

4 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled and set aside

1 pound peeled, devined shrimp, marinated in a little extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic (1 clove) the zest and juice of one lemon

1 pint of cherry tomatoes (mine are not ready yet!), halved

1 small bunch of carrots, scrubbed and shredded

1 small avocado, peeled and diced

And one of the best things about this salad is the dressing. It is killer! (Thanks to son Keith and his wife Abby for this one!) I'll share the recipe at the end of this post.

It's pretty simple from here.

Tear the lettuces and toss to combine. Then top with carrots, tomatoes, shrimp, bacon and avocado. Drizzle dressing over the top and serve. And one of the great things about this salad is it can be adapted in so many ways using whatever fresh vegetables you like and/or happen to have on hand. I hope you try this one (and don't forget the dressing!)

Buon Appetito!

Lemon-Dijon Honey Vinaigrette

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 peels of lemon zest - use veggie peeler
2 small shallots
1-2 garlic cloves, cut into quarters
2 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard (we use horseradish dijon...delicious!)
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 Tablespoons Canola Oil
1/2 cup good Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Combine salt and lemon zest in food processor. Buzz several times to blend...about 6, 3-second pulses.

Add shallots, garlic, honey, dijon mustard, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Blend for 30 seconds to combine.

Combine oils and slowly add to food processor to emulsify. Taste for seasoning....and done! This recipe makes about 2 cups and it keeps very well for at least a week in the refrigerator. This has become my go to salad dressing...it's simply delicious!

Thanks Keith and Abby! :)

My Son

2011-05-22T06:00:00.017-05:00

My son is a 1st Lieutenant, an Infantry Officer, in the United States Marine Corps. He left today for Afghanistan. Harry and I pray every day for his safe return to his beautiful loving wife and precious baby boy. We will fly this deployment flag in our son's honor until he is safely home with his family. We are so very proud of him.

Godspeed Mike...Semper Fi

Gorgeous Compost

2011-05-19T06:00:00.007-05:00

We gardeners get excited about the strangest things...like a pile of composted horse manure and pine shavings! But seriously, only a gardener would think it's even remotely cool to write about something like this...much less post pictures...and then actually think people would care! But look at this stuff...to a gardener, this is like gold!

My wonderful friend Shelly has a gorgeous mare named Izzy, short for Giselle. Shelly invited me out to the barn where she boards Izzy to pick up some manure compost for my garden. I jumped at the chance! Yesterday morning, I went out there and hauled back three big contractor bags full of this stuff.

It's been sitting in the hot sun for about six months and it is completely composted and the perfect mulch for my garden. Yesterday afternoon I spread it on three of my beds and watered it thoroughly. My beds look beautiful!

Maybe it will help my struggling peppers :/

And this stuff is full of good nutrients for my soil and is better than anything I can buy in a bag. And the good thing is there is plenty more where this came from!

And here is the beautiful Izzy who helped contribute to this pile of organic love for my garden :)

Thanks Shelly!

Bullock's Oriole

2011-05-16T06:00:00.004-05:00

We were at our ranch house a couple of weekends ago, and this gorgeous pair of Bullock's Orioles, male and female, stopped by to visit us. They do frequent our feeders in the summer months and they found great pleasure in drinking from the hummingbird feeder! I looked in my Birds of Texas bird book and I'm pretty sure these are Bullock's Orioles, the first spring male and the female. Aren't they beautiful?!

Neat, huh? :)

Tomatos and Peppers

2011-05-13T06:00:00.004-05:00

I thought I'd post an update on how the tomatoes and peppers are doing. The tomatoes are doing very well...lots of blooms and even a few tomatoes beginning to form! They are growing tall and are very healthy. And so far, no bug problems...yet.

My peppers on the other hand are struggling. I gave away all the good seedlings this spring and the ones I had left are having a difficult time taking hold. It has been very windy up here on my hill and the wind has really given my little pepper seedlings a beating. I have three Red Ruffled Pimento plants that are doing OK and one Corno Di Toro that is doing well and two others that are not.

I just hope they survive. I may have put these little ones in the ground too soon. But I had to. We were leaving town for a few days and I had no one to come in and water them inside. At least outside, they get watered every day by the sprinkler system. All I can do is wait, hope and pray :/

I have one Italian White Eggplant that is doing well and two others that are not. This is a new variety for me so we'll have to see how they do in this climate. I do hope at least one does well and produces some fruit for me. I'm anxious to try this variety of white eggplant.

So as you can see, my garden this year is, once again, a mixed bag. Some plants are doing well...others not so well. But I still get enormous pleasure out of my garden...every.single.day that I'm out there. I take the good with the bad and love every minute of it :)

Beautiful Spring Salad

2011-05-10T06:00:00.004-05:00

Here is a sample of what dinner salads in my house have been looking like for the past few weeks. Take a Little Gem Romaine, add some spicy arugula and finish it with some gorgeous Lolla Rossa red leaf lettuce. Top with a crumbling of blue cheese, some good peppery olive oil and voila~~a spring garden salad.

Doesn't get any fresher than this :)

Lemon Tree is Blooming Again

2011-05-07T06:00:00.018-05:00

Y'all know how prolific my lemon tree was last season. I bet I got over 80 lemons from that tree. No kidding. And I used or gave away nearly every single one. I lost a few to frost over the winter; but only four or five, so that's not bad.

Well, the tree bloomed out again and it is full of tiny green lemons-to-be! All I did to revitalize my lemon tree this spring was to scoop out a good bit of the top layer of soil, maybe 1/3 of the pot. I made a mixture of equal parts of fresh potting soil, compost and Medina Growin Green granular fertilizer. I added that to the pot, mixed it in real well and watered it. Seems to have worked because it looks great and is full of blooms!

The bees had a really good time pollinating all the beautiful blooms :)

And look at all these tiny new lemons! The tree is living out by my greenhouse. I was going to move it onto the back patio, but it seems really (really) happy in that spot. It gets lots of sun, but some afternoon shade from the greenhouse and lots of cool breezes on top of the hill. I think I'll leave it where it is!

It looks like I am in for another bumper crop of lemons!

And check this out...as I was photographing the lemons, I noticed these two walking stick insects hanging out on the underside of the leaves. They are so well camouflaged that they are very hard to see. But I'm always looking closely at my plants/trees, etc for signs of bugs/critters, both good and bad! These guys are really neat and they are beneficial, too. They eat the bad bugs that create havoc on my plants.

Anyway, I was really glad to see these strange but really cool looking bugs on my lemon tree!

Great Book

2011-05-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

While I was surfing the Internet a few weeks ago, I came across this book, Grow the Good Life, by Michele Owens, who writes the hilarious and insightful blog, Garden Rant. It looked interesting so I ordered it from Amazon and I was not disappointed. This book is wonderful! It's not a garden-how-to-book. It's a book that makes an entertaining and persuasive case for having a vegetable garden. Michele Owens is funny, intelligent and sarcastic. It really is a great read.

This is from the back of the book and her words describe exactly, in a nutshell, how I feel when I'm in my vegetable garden.

"The vegetable garden is as much about the experience as the food, and the experience is simply one of life's most beautiful. The smell of good soil, the exercise of digging, the beauty of the plants, the sound of the birds, the feeling of the sun on your face, the sense of accomplishment and power--these things are entirely irresistible. While I garden for a million fine reasons, underlying them all is the fact that I never feel more optimistic, engaged, productive, or peaceful than when I am in my garden."

Michele Owens

Grow the Good Life

Another Great Arugula Recipe

2011-05-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

...at least in my opinion :)

I'm still picking arugula from my garden and it's kind of fun to dream up new ways to cook with it. As in all my recipes, I like to keep things as simple as possible and use ingredients I have on hand.

So tonight, I had a handful of arugula

1/2 box of whole wheat penne pasta that I cooked, drained and tossed with extra virgin olive oil

and a little (about 1 1/2 cups) of left over tomato sauce that I made for homemade pizza the other day. As an aside, this pizza sauce is E.A.S.Y., delicious and very versatile. I'll share the recipe at the end of this post.

To make this dish I thinly sliced the washed and stemmed arugula and thinly sliced a clove of garlic.

Over medium/low heat I sauteed the garlic for about 30 seconds, then added the arugula and cooked it until the arugula began to wilt, about 3-4 minutes.

I added the tomato sauce and simmered for about 4 minutes.

Then in went the pasta; stir until thoroughly combined.

Simmer over low heat until pasta is heated through. Plate and top with a generous grating of Parmigiano Reggiano and serve.

Buon Appetito :)

Simple Tomato Sauce
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15 oz) Muir Glen Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes
1 tsp dried basil
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup water
1-2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Kosher salt

In a small frying pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to let it scorch or the garlic will taste bitter.

In a bowl, stir together the garlic-oil mixture, tomatoes, basil, oregano, thyme, pepper, water and 1 1/2 tablespoons of the vinegar. Season to taste with salt and add additional vinegar if necessary. Use right away or refrigerate in an airtight container for at least a week. It also freezes well. When seasoning with the red wine vinegar, add just enough to make the flavor really sparkle; the sauce shouldn't taste tangy.

This is my basic, go-to pizza sauce and simple, virtually no-cook tomato sauce. It's really tasty and lends itself to many different dishes. I really hope you try this one :)