What are You Eating from the Garden?

[Gardening with Rabbits]

Eating lettuce, radishes, rhubarb and still green beans from last year.

 

[ducks4you]

We are SO BLESSED with the good food that we grow, aren't we?

 

[digitS']

The Ethiopian mustard (middle) is a success. Like Kailan, I didn't cover them with an insect protection net, but they are not under attack. The color is also candy for the eye.

I missed the caption between the 2 photos. So ... today, I'm jealous.

Kidding, Sorta . We will have the tops of the Ethiopian mustard (Highland kale, etc. etc.) in a few minutes with lunch. I'm still dumping the 4-packs as soon as I have something else to go with them, making moving the deck off of one of the "stealth compost pits" worth the effort . Seed available so I'll sprinkle some in the open garden on the first adventure back out there. We have an afternoon wind advisory and already have gusts over 35mph.

Steve

 

[flowerbug]

1:3:1 for two crust pie (Frozen bought pie crusts are already stale,)
Shortening: flour: water
Use Good shortening or butter.
...

many margarines have added water. the margarines sold by places like Gordon's Food Service in the 1lb chunks are much better but who knows if they will change that? always read the labels. we don't buy shortening any more. i don't like it, Mom don't like it. we both will use good margarine or butter and vastly would use butter only if we could afford it. some of the margarines we've had to use after melting there's like 1/3 water in the bowl.

 

[Phaedra]

Fresh chamomile
Besides the flowers, I also cut the main stems back. The weather here recently was too dry, and the ladybugs just arrived these two days. Partnering with the ants, aphids are everywhere.

I guess, just like other herbs or cut flowers, taking the main stems out should also help encourage side shoots and more flowers later.

I used them with sage and honey to make fresh herb tea.

 

[digitS']

Sage, @Phaedra Geiermann ?

Your chamomile seems so much taller than the plants I grew. Harvesting was so limited and such a bother, I gave up on the idea.

No doubt, you have a more careful touch. Best of Luck!

Steve

 

[Phaedra]

Sage, @Phaedra Geiermann ?

Your chamomile seems so much taller than the plants I grew. Harvesting was so limited and such a bother, I gave up on the idea.

No doubt, you have a more careful touch. Best of Luck!

Steve

Yes, sage, I am building my own herb tea collection this year. To start small, my 2022 targets are different mints, chamomile, sage, lemon balm, and rose.

I tried to plant chamomiles in 2020, and as you said, such a bother. I also gave up until last winter; I collected most self-seeded young plants and transplanted them in the early spring. I am still doing my trial-and-error and not sure yet; however, it will be much easier to harvest when they are planted in a container or a higher location. Besides, I also tried to harvest them like other herbs - see if the side shoots can bring more flowers later.

In the past few years, I bought several different mints and kept propagating them from cuttings. Now four varieties thrive in the garden.

Sage, I have matured plants bought from the local nursery last year; as they can overwinter, I can always get fresh leaves. This spring, I also tried to plant from seeds, and the result was satisfying, not difficult.

One thing I have to force myself this year is to harvest and cut them back regularly. This encourages them to become much bushier plants, and we can have a good quality herb drink all the time.

The propagation keeps going on, too. After they root, I transplant them into the nursery pots and let them stay somewhere bright enough but without direct sunlight. They can be multiplied quite quickly.

I guess, every two to three weeks, I can harvest and dehydrate a basket of them.

As for the lemon balm, I have matured plants in two spots.

Roses, I mainly use two varieties: Rosa rugosa (they are called "potato roses" here as their leaves share some similarities with potato leaves) and Rosa canina (dog rose). There is one quite old and robust bush in the garden. I planted another five last spring, and they are ready to produce flowers now.

 

[digitS']

Ah ha!

I can understand the rose hips with the chamomile .

Chamomile has something of an apple-like flavor to me. Rose is not all that different. Still, it would have to be balanced with the mild chamomile.

Yes, I have had sage tea .

Steve

 

[Phaedra]

Chamomile and rose tea

 

[flowerbug]

yesterday i peeled two bulbs of garlic for what Mom was cooking. we only had some spaghetti noodles but she wanted to make something like lasagna in flavor but without meat in the sauce. it turned out ok. even with all that garlic in the sauce i couldn't taste it, but overall the dish was good. hard to go wrong with cheeses, garlic, tomato chunks/tomato sauce with garlic and some cinnamon. the cottage cheese, egg, oregano mix probably had some parmesian grated cheese in it and some other grated cheese on top.

Mom was wondering how i could have this for dinner cold, but i reminded her that i love cold lasagna and cold pizza so this was close enough. it really wasn't that cold since she only had put it in the fridge an hour before i got hungry again.