March is National Reading Month. I felt inspired to write a quick post today while enjoying some quiet time at the Crozet Library. Here is the reason why:
Come pay a visit to the library and learn more about gardening through books!
Here’s another great way to utilize some great tomato products from the veggie garden!
Tomato Vinaigrette
ingredients (small recipe, enough for 5 servings):
-3 tablespoons tomato juice
-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
-1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
-1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce or Innisfree jalapeño relish
-1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
ingredients (large recipe, enough for 20 servings):
-¾ cup tomato juice
-½ cup red wine vinegar
-¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
-4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce or Innisfree jalapeño relish
-½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Whisk all ingredients together.
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The salad that was included with the small recipe had the following ingredients:
2 cups fresh tomato, ½-inch dice (about 1 pound)
1½ cups cucumber, ½-inch dice
1/2 cup green bell pepper, ¼-inch dice
2 tablespoons shallots, minced
2 tablespoons fresh basil, coarsely chopped
This salad, with the tomato vinaigrette, could be used like a salsa fresca with chips.
The large recipe (4x the original) could be used if people just want to mix up a large batch and keep it in a jar in the fridge, to have ready for any salad.
Thank you to Marina for providing these great recipes!
Here at the veggie garden, we have been taking advantage of the nicer “spring” like weather. We have been working a lot in spreading mulch. The first step to this project is picking up the mulch in Charlottesville (we fill up the bed of our large truck). The filling part is relatively easy, it’s the placement of the tarp and tying it down process that is tricky. It’s been rather windy and rainy lately too. Certain weather conditions obviously do not make the task easy. But when it is all said and done, we can claim to be king of queen of the mulch pile. I’ve concurred that there is definitely an art to the collection of mulch and tarp tying down.
Pablo, the “mulch king?”
Good news- there are lots and lots of tomato products available in Pasture Fence and Swallowtail’s pantry. Here are some great ways to utilize them in your own kitchen:
Tomato-Basil Soup
ingredients:
-1 quart of Innisfree chopped tomatoes
-1 quart of Innisfree tomato juice
-1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
-1 cup milk
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
-1/2 cup (4 ounces) cream cheese, softened
-Basil leaves, thinly sliced (optional)
-8 baguette slices, ½ inch thick, cut diagonally
preparation:
1. Bring tomato and juice to a boil in a large saucepan.
2. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes.
3. Place tomato mixture and basil in a blender or food processor; process until smooth, or blend the soup in the pot using an immersion blender.
4. Return pureed mixture to pan; stir in milk, salt, and pepper.
5. Add cream cheese, stirring well with a whisk, and cook over medium heat until thick (about 5 minutes).
6. Ladle soup into individual bowls; garnish with sliced basil, if desired. Serve with bread.
Additional notes: Serves 8 (serving size: 1 cup soup and 1 bread slice)
May be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Thank you to Marina for providing these great recipes!
Here at the Swallowtail (FYI Swallowtail is the name of the vegetable garden building) we produce a variety of goodies composed from produce that we grow at Innisfree gardens. Several of them one is able to purchase at Pasture Fence or from our Swallowtail pantry. Our dried products (some are seasonal) such as kale chips or apple rings and our spice mixes are created by means of dehydrating (we use electric dehydrators at the garden). But it is not a requirement to own a dehydrator to make your own dried natural snacks. You can also use your own conventional oven!
Here’s one great idea:
Baked sweet potato chips
ingredients:
-2 large Sweet Potatoes
-Scrubbed Well
-1/4 cup Olive oil
-1-2 dried red pepper
-flakes (Optional)
-1/2 teaspoon salt
procedure:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 F line a baking sheet with parchment paper or waxed paper.
2. Slice the sweet potatoes into rounds as thin as you can get them (a mandolin works best if you have one).
3. Place the sweet potatoes in a bowl and toss until the sweet potatoes are well coated with oil and seasoning.
4. Spread the rounds on the baking sheet and bake until they are browned crispy chips about 20 minutes .
picture provided from: http://lindawagner.net/blog/2012/02/crispy-sweet-potato-chips-recipe
Here’s another idea for sweet potato usage!
ingredients:
-3 medium potatoes
-3 tablespoons butter
-2 medium onions, diced
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1 teaspoon dried oregano
-1 teaspoon ground coriander
-1 teaspoon salt
-12 corn tortillas
-1 recipe enchilada sauce or 4 cups prepared enchilada sauce
-1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
procedure:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F Lightly grease 9x 13 inch baking dish.
2. Bake the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet until soft, about 40 to 50 minutes , let cool, and then peel and mash.
3. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions and sauté until translucent (5 to 7 minutes), stir in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
4. Stir in the cumin, oregano, coriander, and salt; cook stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add the mashed sweet potatoes and cook for 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat.
5. Wrap the tortillas in a dish towel and place in a steamer basket over boiling water for about 10 minutes. Fill each tortilla with about 1/3 cup of the sweet potato filing and roll up place the filled tortillas in the prepared baking dish.
6. Pour the sauce over the top and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted 20 to 25 minutes.
Enchilada sauce
ingredients:
-1 tablespoon vegetable oil
-1 medium onion
-minced chili powder
-2 teaspoons ground cumin
-fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
-8 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
-4 cups pureed tomatoes
-salt to taste
procedure:
1. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the onion, chili powder, cumin, and oregano; cook stirring for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and continue to sauté until the onion is soft (2 to 3 more minutes).
3. Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Cook over low heat until flavors are fully developed, 30 to 45 minutes.
I don’t about you but I love music. Especially music that has to do with gardening. Here is a gardening song by Mr. John Denver:
It’s always fun to look back and remember happy memories & happy faces. Here’s a look back at last fall (2015).
I don’t know about you, but I still have some “fall” squash in my pantry. Here’s a great way to use it!
Agave Roasted Squash
ingredients:
-1 buttercup Squash, or other winter squash (about 1.5 Ibs)
-2 tablespoons Agave nectar
-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
-freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to taste
procedure:
1. Cut top and bottom end from squash, then sit flat on cutting board and cut in half top to bottom. Use a sharp spoon to scrape out seeds, washing out the inside of the squash if needed. Cut the squash into half-moon slices about 1 inch wide. (Any shape of the slice will work, but they need to be close to the same thickness.)
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray roasting pan with non-stick spray or olive oil. Lay squash in a single layer on the roasting pan.
3. Mix together the agave nectar and balsamic vinegar and brush on top layer of Squash (some will run down, which will coat the bottom as the squash roasts). Roast the squash for 15 minutes, then turn each piece. Brush second side lightly with the agave balsamic mixture (it will look glazed already and you maybe tempted not to brush it but do it so the glaze can run down and coat the other side). Roast 15 minutes more, or until the squash pierces easily with a fork and is lightly browned.
4. Grind black pepper and sea salt over squash and serve hot (you could make this easier to eat by cutting off the peeling before eating. But I thought it was simple enough to cut the rind off as you ate it, and kind of liked the look of the squash with the rind left on).
Please note: you may feel free to substitute the agave with honey or balsamic with another kind of vinegar.
I realize that carrots are not exactly in season right now, but some times I do buy organic carrots from the produce section when I cannot buy carrots from my local farmer.
Anyhow, especially because of the cold front we’re experiencing, I’ve been in the mood for soup. Here’s a great recipe for Carrot Soup (with N African spices):
ingredients
-vegetable stock (about 5 cups)
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1 medium sized yellow Onion, thinly sliced
-1/2 teaspoon of salt
-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
-1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seed, ground
-1 teaspoon coriander seed, ground
-2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
-Cayenne Pepper to taste
-2 pounds carrots, thinly sliced,about 7 cups
-1 medium sized white potato or sweet potato, peeled and thinly sliced, about 1 cup
-1/2 cup fresh orange juice
-1/2 cup crème fraiche or light sour cream
procedure:
1. Heat the olive oil in a pot and add the onion, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté over medium heat until the onion begins to release its juices, about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic, cumin, coriander, ginger, and a few pinches of cayenne. Cook until the onion is very soft, about 10 minutes. You may add a little stock if it begins to stick to the pan.
2. Add the carrots, the potato, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 quart stock. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the carrots are very tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth using a little extra stock if needed.
4. Return to the pot, add the orange juice, and thin with stock to the desired consistency. Season with salt to taste and for additional heat, a pinch or two of cayenne
5. Garnish each serving with a swirl of crème fraiche and sprinkle with cilantro.
Enjoy and stay warm!
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