Monday, May 23, 2011

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!










Well, we finally got our garden going this weekend. We are a bit late, but that just means we will have fresh veggies a bit later than everyone else.

This year, Kevin contacted our buddy Charles about tilling up the garden. Charles, the guy in the blue shirt, is a native Charles City Countyion and if you need something, he is the go to man. That is his tractor with his new disc. Hell, why hand till your garden when you can have a big tractor with a disc, a nice guy (BUCK) with great dreads, come and do it for you in a matter of 15 minutes. Beautiful!

We have planted tomatoes, cucumber, cantaloupe, green beans, zuccini and squash.

We have also put in some nice potted flowers and I am hoping the climbing climatis will do well this year.

16 comments:

  1. Oops, I meant to mention the bunting on the railing of the back porch.

    Kevin found those at the Pottery and put them up in memory of my dad who passed away one year ago Sunday.

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  2. your home is so beautiful! and a garden with fresh veggies! sigh , I may just showe up one day and forget to leave!

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  3. Looks fantastic, CCC! I'm glad you saved your back from tilling, and that you had a super-handy tractor/disc guy to do it for you! They did a great job, and your garden sounds delicious, 'cept for the zucchini. blech:)

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  4. Fern, come on girl, just remember to bring something with a spotted butt!

    GL, you haven't tasted my fried zuccini or my zuccini bread, YUM YUM YUM!

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  5. meh, fry it up, it's still zuccini;)

    It's like egg-plant. You can dress it up, but it's still egg-plant...

    picky/fussy/impossible to feed out:)

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  6. I was a bit late to the party and the garden as well. Pay the man with some bounty from the harvest and I bet he is back next year and helps you to be on time... The house and yard look great!

    Fried zuccini, zuccini bread- I know people who even cut them up and bake them like french fries. I understand they taste even better.

    My sister lets hers go too long until they are watermelon sized. Nasty!

    Nothing like fresh peas from the garden... Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom, nom, nom...

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  7. Fresh peas mmmm! BTW if you ever find random foot prints in your garden around the pea patch...It wasn't me!

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  8. GL, well, if you feel that way about it, that means more for everyone else, so there!

    CNJ, yea, you need to pick them when they are still pretty small or they aren't very good.

    We haven't planted peas this year, we weren't that organized, but definitely on the list for next year.

    Actually, Charles, the guy with the tractor/disc has a 2 acre garden at his place, so eight cases of beer is the motivation.

    Since Kevin works at the brewery it works out well both ways.

    Fern, next year will plant you some peas, but how about tomatoes, we have 35 plants in?

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  9. Fern, with 35 plants, hopefully, there will be plenty.

    I love to make homemade basic sauce and then freeze so that I can have it all year for spaghetti sauce, chili, etc....

    SOOOO much better than what comes out of a can.

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  10. I'm hungry!
    (pouts...)

    <')
    Our veggie farmer is tearing his hair out, ground is not cooperating. Weather too. Hard to plant into clay mud.

    I will see you at 6 for dinner, CCC;)

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  11. I got my peas into the ground a bit late. They like cooler weather. I have only a few pods on the vine at the moment. Back off Sherry! lol ;D

    Shhhhh! Don't let the girls know you have tomatos. They will eat every last one if you aren't careful! My mom has a few tomato plants and they are packed. The girls picked and ate a bunch of her tomoatos last night. Never bothered them for a minute that they were still green.... Her pea vines are going crazy.

    I have a wonderfully easy pasta recipe at home that would go really well with your home made sauce. Ever though about adding some peppers and cilantro to the garden for Salsa fixin's?

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  12. Fern, you have had a hell of a winter so I imagine the conditions are pretty bad.

    We do eat a bit later than 6, but you can come and share a beverage or two while I cook, LOL!

    CNJ,

    We have planted green peppers in the past, did okay with them. I do think I will try it again next year. We have had great luck with hot peppers, especially jalapenos.

    I have four large wooden barrels that I have planted with some herbs that I use alot, but that is a good idea to plant cilantro.

    I would love to make salsa. Kevin loves salsa and chips.


    I just came back in from checking the garden, seeds already coming up and the mater plants looking good, now if I can just keep the dang deer out of it.

    Gracie is on duty and Elvis is too, that is if he isn't sleeping in my bed!

    I did pull out the .22 rifle to fire warning shots if necessary.

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  13. I guess since GL hasn't been back, I will have to be #14, wouldn't want to have a curse on my blog.

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  14. I dug out my easy peasy pasta recipe. Snipped it out of the paper a few years ago.

    One egg pasta and variations

    One egg - 2 servings
    3/4 cup semolina flour
    1 egg
    1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
    1 or 2 teaspoons of water or milk

    Two egg- 3-4 servings
    1 1/2 cups flour
    2 eggs
    3/4 Tablespoon oil
    2-3 teaspoons water or milk

    Three egg - 5-6 servings
    2 1/4 cups flour
    3 eggs
    1 Tablespoon oil
    3-4 teaspoons water or milk

    Mix flour oil and egg(s) in a bowl or mixer until it has a course, crumbly look like corn meal. Add water or milk 1/2 teaspoon at a time until the mixture starts to hold together.

    Switch to the dough hook on the mixer or knead by hand.Knead in mixer 7-10 minutes. Dough should not be sticky or in separate pices. add liquid if separate, flour if sticky.

    If kneading by hand, turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 7-10 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 15-30 minutes. (Now is a good time to get out the pasta machine and set it up)

    Set the pasta machine to the widest opening and roll out a ball of dough a little larger than golf balls. Roll through pasta machin to make a thick oblong shape. Fold in half and run through again. Repeat 3-4 times then roll out to the desired thickness.

    Let dry as you roll out each ball of dough. Lightly flour the sheets of pasta and run them through the blade attachement. (*if you choose)

    Hang the strips on a pasta rack , floured surface or cooling racks to air dry. (*I like to let them dry overnight if possible. Lasagna noodles definately overnighters.)

    To cook, be sure the water is at a full boil. Fresh pasta cooks very quickly and floats when done. Drain in a colander, but do not rinse. Because pasta will continue to cook after it's done, be careful not to overcook.

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  15. I make the two egg version and get 9 pasta noodles- good for rolled lasagna in a 9 X 9 baking pan.

    I use a full Table spoon of oil (vegetable works just as well as olive) and a Tablespoon of milk right out of the gate.

    When I let the dough rest, I don't cover it. Did the first few times, haven't since- no differences, so don't waste the plastic wrap.

    I hang my pasta over the metal cooling racks- turned on their sides. Just the right width to get noodles on both sides.

    If you wish to go the route of raviolis, mix ricotta cheese and grated mozzerella in a bowl. You can add in parmesean too if you'd like. Roll the dough out on a floured surface. I use a drinking class- flour the rim to prevent sticking, then press down to cut circles. Put a decent amount of cheese (cooked sausage too if you like) to one side of the circle. Fold the other side over. Using your finger and a small glass of water, wet the edge of the pasta, press closed to seal and press with a fork to make the little lines. Set these out to dry. Once dried, freeze in a plastic container.

    Cook as needed in boiling water. Pasta may not all rise when done- depending on weight/amount of cheese mixture inside each one. Drain off water, pour tomato sauce over raviolis and enjoy.

    Rolled lasagna- cook noodles slightly, drain and rinse. Paste a bit of sauce on noodle, sprinkle with cheese (& sausage) roll up and place in 9X9 baking pan. Repeat with the remainder of noodles. Pour the rest of the sauce over the rolled noodles, sprinkle with cheese. This can be frozen for later or cooked at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Good by itself or as a side dish.

    Add in some fried zuccini, some foccacia bread, mmmmmm, mmmmmmmmmmm good.

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