Checkerboard Salad

It’s been a crazy and fun-filled week. I’ve been working at a communal garden in Minneapolis and this year the garden is on the Learning Garden Tour so we’ve been working extra mornings to weed and get things looking spiffy for the event tomorrow. I’ve also been working in my own garden - weeding, watering, and pruning - I’m not sure if I’ll get the dirt under my fingernails out anytime soon. 

We’ve been enjoying kale, swiss chard, and turnip greens in our salads and the zucchini and patty pan squash are starting to ripen. I’ve noticed tiny green beans forming and the tomatoes are starting to produce fruit - still green but I expect we’ll get some toward the end of the month. The eggplant is disappointing - they just glare at me; they don’t grow, they don’t die, they just stare - not sure what I did to piss them off or how to fix the problem.

We had Dan’s sister and brother-in-law over for dinner tonight and you know me - let’s try something new cuz -why not? We grilled a large plate of veggies; sweet potatoes, peppers, onions, asparagus, zucchini, and patty pan squash from the garden. I topped it with a chimichurri sauce (all herbs from the garden) and it got good reviews. 

In lieu of a traditional green salad, I made a checkerboard salad; a little feta, a little watermelon, and a little cucumber; topped with good quality olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and thinly sliced basil and mint - it was visually beautiful and delicious, and not as complicated as one might think.

Ingredients:

1 block of sheep’s feta

1 seedless cucumber

watermelon 

3 - 4 basil leaves -thinly sliced

High-quality olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Instructions:

Chop feta, watermelon, and cucumber into 1-inch cubes. Arrange on a plate, alternating cheese, melon, and cucumber. Drizzle w olive oil and balsamic vinegar. 

Finely chop basil and spread it on the salad - serve!

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Sautéed Turnip Greens

Finally, we have gotten some much-needed rain. The grass has perked up (might even need a mow one day soon) and the perennial and vegetable gardens are looking much happier. The hose is still laying across the yard and I’ve used it to give the tomatoes a good soaking - because inconsistent watering leaves you with cracked tomatoes and other maladies. 

The first zucchini of the year has made its way to the grill and I’ve been picking kale and chard for salads for a week or so now. The summer harvest is starting. This year I planted turnips, which are one of my favorite vegetables. My skills at spacing those tiny little seeds are not great and I always have good intentions of thinning the plants but when it comes down to it - I don’t and then I don’t get any turnips either - sigh. 

This year I forced myself to get out and thin the plants because I found a recipe I wanted to try - sautéed turnip greens. If you’ve been to Toma Mojo Grill you know they have a delicious sautéed kale with onions, garlic, and tomatoes. I decided to recreate that recipe with turnip greens and it was a hit!

I served it with leftover veggie sausages and calico beans from our Father’s Day BBQ. When the turnips are ready for their 2nd thinning, I think there will be another batch in our very near future. 

Turnip greens are a good source of vitamin B6, folate, calcium, potassium, and copper. A very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, and manganese. You can also grow them as a microgreen - they are nutritious in any form, you could even say they are a superfood. 

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil or vegetable oil

1/2 medium sweet onion diced

1 garlic clove minced

1 pound turnip greens, rinsed well and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes 

Instructions:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until soft.

Add garlic and cook for one minute.

Add turnip greens, diced tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper, and simmer until greens are no longer tough - about 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Hello +

Moroccan Carrot and Chickpea Salad

Last weeks temps were perfect but we need rain Rain for the grass, the veggie garden, and the flowers. I water the veggie garden regularly and things are doing well but nothing really nourishes like rainwater.

I’m still working in multiple community gardens and in many of them, we have shifted our hours to early morning to weed and water before the heat of the day. We’re still dealing with horrible air and it looks like this week we have air quality warnings again - tell me how Climate Change is a hoax. 

The heat has put a stop to turning on the oven these days but on the positive side, we’ve been eating more salads and fresh vegetables. Last week I turned some quinoa, veggies, and pantry ingredients into a delicious Moroccan carrot and chickpea salad. 

Ingredients:

2/3 cup quinoa

1 1/2 cup water or veggie broth

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 onion - diced

1 cup carrots - grated

1 can chickpeas - rinsed and drained

2 cups spinach - torn

1/2 mint - finely chopped

1/3 cup raisins 

Salad Dressing

1/4 cup plus 2 T olive oil

2 T lemon juice

2T apple juice (can also use orange juice)

1T maple syrup

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp grated ginger

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp coriander

1/4 tsp sea salt

pinch of chili flakes

Instructions:

In a saucepan combine quinoa and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook quinoa for 12 - 15 minutes. Fluff with a spoon and cover - Let cool.

Prepare dressing in a small jar by whisking together oil, lemon juice, apple juice, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, coriander, salt, and red pepper flakes. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine quinoa, onion, carrots, chickpeas, spinach, mint, raisins, and sunflower seeds. Pour the dressing over the quinoa/veggie mixture and toss to combine. 

Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 - 4 days (if there are any that is).

Enjoy!

Hello +

Apple and White Cheddar Tart

I’m trying to be more intentional about blogging because when I have long gaps it feels like I’m not cooking or creating but I am - I’m just not blogging. So, here I am all intentional and ready to tell you about my last delicious dish - a 5 ingredient Apple and White Cheddar tart; it’s fast, easy, and you will get rave reviews. 

With only five ingredients, this tart recipe is perfect when you’re pressed for time or looking for a few minutes to sip a glass of wine before the guests arrive. To save time I used puff pastry - vegan if you can find it.

Ingredients:
1 sheet of puff pastry

1 crisp apple

3 ounces shredded sharp white cheddar

Honey

Fresh thyme leaves

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Thaw 1 sheet of puff pastry, roll it out, and place it on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

Thinly slice 1 tart/crisp apple into half moons and set aside. 

Distribute the shredded cheddar on the puff pastry, be sure to leave a border around the edge. 

Place apples on top of the cheddar and bake for 20 - 25 minutes until the puff pastry is browned. 

Remove from oven, drizzle with honey, and sprinkle fresh thyme leaves on top. 

Cut and serve. 

Thanks for Stopping By!

Dilly White Bean Salad

The garden is planted and so far thriving. I was worried about planting so late (after Memorial Day) but our recent tropical-like weather has really given the garden a boost; especially things we’ve started from seed like eggplant, squash, and okra. 

We are of course doing our favorites - tomatoes (8 plants this year), zucchini (just one plant), honey nut squash, acorn squash, and this year we are trying patty pan squash. We have grown patty pan in the past with mixed success, so we’ll see what happens. 

This year we have started more things from seed rather than buying seedlings because I feel like plants do better if they aren’t planted in one location, trucked somewhere, and planted in another location. Also, there is the whole concept of knowing for sure your plants have not been treated with chemicals. 

One advantage of later planting is that you can decrease or maybe even eliminate squash bugs. A later planting means the eggs have already been laid and since your plants are non-existent they don’t lay eggs on them. You should, however, check your plants every day to make sure they haven’t found you. And choose varieties that can grow and mature within our shorter growing season.

This week Mother Nature has given us a heat break and I am very grateful. I hate turning on the oven when the temps are near 90 and you can only eat so many veggie burgers, so last week I decided on a cold salad dinner. I made a big green salad with so many veggies and then I decided to try a new recipe that had just the right amount of protein and flavors for a warm Summer night. 

When I first put it together I felt like it was too lemony but then I put it in the fridge to meld the flavors and when we had dinner - it was perfect.

Ingredients:

1 garlic clove, minced

Juice of 1 small lemon; about 2 tablespoons

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

Black pepper, to taste

2 15-ounce (225 g) can of white beans*, rinsed and drained (about 3 cups cooked)

2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced (or 1/2 a large cucumber)

3–5 radishes, cut into matchsticks

.75 Oz (21g) fresh dill, stems removed and finely chopped

2 green onions, green and white parts thinly sliced

Instructions:

Make the Vinaigrette: add the garlic, lemon juice, oil, mustard, salt, and pepper to a small bowl. Whisk well and set aside for 5 minutes while you prep the remaining ingredients; the lemon juice will mellow out the flavor of the raw garlic.

Make the Salad: add the beans, cucumber, radishes, dill, and green onions to a large bowl. Add the dressing to the bowl and then mix well until evenly incorporated. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.

Serve: Store in the fridge for 15 to 30 minutes before serving, to allow the flavors to combine. more. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Portabella Mushrooms with Avocado Chimichurri Sauce

I’ve been so lax with my blogging lately - for lots of reasons but mostly I’ve been gardening; at home, at the Hopkins Community Garden, at Vera’s Garden, and soon Karamu Communal Garden - I guess you could say I like to plant things, let’s hope they all grow.

We’ve also just returned from a 12-day vacation in Europe. We traveled with friends starting in Prague and then on a Viking River Cruise from Regensburg to Budapest. We had some good and some not-so-good weather but the sights were beautiful - we even took a bike excursion around the Inn River in Passau, Germany. 

Now we’re back, the garden is planted, flowers are in pots and the peonies will bloom this week - Summer has arrived. 

Dan did his traditional Memorial Day camping with his family last weekend and I had a weekend of cleaning out flower beds and hanging out with friends. 

Last night we decided to grill some portabella mushrooms with zucchini and onions and I tossed together a chimichurri sauce for the mushrooms - it was quick. It added something that I always feel is missing when grilling mushrooms. 

Ingredients:

3 portabella mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed 

3 T balsamic vinegar

2 T olive oil

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 salt and pepper

1/4 tsp paprika

Chimichurri Sauce

1.5 cups finely chopped cilantro

2-3 cloves garlic (minced)

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 tsp red pepper flake

2 Tbsp olive oil 

2 red wine vinegar 

1/2 tsp each sea salt and black pepper

1 small ripe avocado, cubed

Instructions:

Clean mushrooms. Combine all marinade ingredients in a shallow container and add mushrooms - marinade for 10 minutes on each side. 

In a medium bowl combine all ingredients for the chimichurri sauce and set aside. 

Grill mushrooms put them on your plate and add the sauce. It’s that easy!

Here's to Summer - may she treat us well and improve our garden harvest!

Thanks for stopping by! 

Mighty Microgreens -Little Greens with a Powerful Nutrient Punch

Last night we had dinner with friends and it was brought to my attention that I have not blogged in quite some time - almost a month to be exact. I guess that’s what happens when you have a lot going on. 

I’ve been working on my garden design and thinking about moving our front lawn from pretty grass to more flowers and a bee lawn mainly because pretty grass is just too hard to maintain and I have other things I’d rather do with my time. 

The garlic in the veggie garden has emerged and it looks like it will be a good crop - fingers crossed. The crazy Spring weather has me wondering when to begin planting. I’ve got some spinach growing in winter sowing jugs - but it’s not doing much - we need more sun and warmth. 

I’m planning to add some new veggies - okra, patty pan squash, and some lemon cucumbers and I’ve got all my seeds purchased just waiting for some real growing weather, which to be honest doesn’t arrive in Minnesota until mid to late May. So while I wait I’ll clean garden tools, finalize my growing plan, and read. 

You may recall I mentioned a Master Gardener class for Microgreens in my last post - it’s come full circle. The class, which will be held on May 1st & 2nd, is in the final stages. Microgreens are planted, slides are ready and we have our activities and tastings all planned. 

Microgreens (aka vegetable confetti) are very young vegetable greens that are harvested when

they are 1–3 inches tall. They consist of the stem of the plant and 1-2 leaf pairs. They are low in calories and high in fiber, are good sources of vitamins A, C, E, and K, have many minerals and antioxidants, and have as much as 4 to 40 times the nutritional content of mature vegetables. The best part, they can be grown year-round.

Mighty microgreens are also pretty easy to grow; you can grow them in soil, use hemp or fiber mats, or hydroponically. With just a few items - soil or mat or water, a container, seeds, and water you can get started and in about 2 weeks they are ready to be harvested and enjoyed. 

Many vegetables can be grown as microgreens from broccoli, kale, and chard, which are mild to radish, mustard, and arugula, which are spicy to peas and sunflowers, which are crisp there are many options. You can use microgreens in many ways; add them to a salad, as a replacement for lettuce in tacos, as a nutrient punch to a smoothie, or my favorite on avocado toast - yum. 

I’m on my third batch of microgreens and today I harvested some broccoli and used them on top of my avocado toast. I started with a slice of toasted seeded bread, mashed avocado, added a little salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, and then topped with the microgreens - a quick and delicious breakfast. 

Enjoy your greens and thanks for stopping by!