On The Menu This Week (7-29 to 8-4)

For the last several years I have challenged myself to focus on using from my pantry and shop less for a couple months each winter... a Pantry Challenge.  With the end of February and this year's pantry challenge complete, I found that I really enjoyed having a basic menu plan to guide me.  I decided to continue making a month long menu, and be intentional about using garden produce and preserves from last season.

I have just about exhausted my stock of frozen and canned garden produce from last year, but fortunately, the garden and backyard fruit are producing fresh again.  It is now my goal to incorporate as much fresh produce and herbs as I can into our meals, and then preserve the abundance for the winter and spring to come.

Overall, I have to say that intentional menu planning has been good for me and my family. :D  It only takes me 15-20 min to put together a new menu for the month unless I get stuck trying to think of something new to add.  If you are interested in joining me in intentional menu planning, check out my Pantry Challenge post to get an idea of how to get started.

This week I raided my Pinterest recipe board for a whole new batch of ideas.  Check out what is what on our menu this week...

Meals:
Baked Caramel Apple Pancake - a few apples fell off the tree prematurely & this is a great use for them :)
Basil Chicken Burger, Grilled Green Beans*, Baked Zucchini Chips
Cilantro Thai Grilled Chicken, Garden Salad

If we have weekend company:
Summer Veggie Baked Ziti & Traditional Baked Ziti
Honey Lime Grilled Chicken & Grilled Buffalo Chicken Wings
Caprese Pasta Salad
Garden Cake

Snack:
-fresh fruit & veggies 

Garden fresh this week:
-cucumbers
-pole beans
-zucchini/summer squash
-tomatoes

What are you harvesting and eating fresh this week?  I'd love hear your favorite recipes.

Happy Garden Eating! :)

*this is a recipe I hope to post soon

Plant of the Week: Rosemary

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) photo credit

Rosemary joins basil, oregano, mint and other kitchen herbs in the mint family (Lamiaceae).  It is traditionally know as a remembrance herb and was carried at funerals and worn/used to help stimulate the memory by ancient Greek scholars.  It was also said to be found draping the Greek goddess Aphrodite (goddess of love) when she rose from the sea, and it evolved into a 'love charm' during the Middle ages.  Today, rosemary is thought to potentially have many medicinal benefits but most have not yet been proven scientifically. 

Rosemary is a prominent flavor in Mediterranean dishes, particularly meats with its strong aromatic character.  Native to the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea, it is adapted to receiving moisture from sea spray making it relatively drought tolerant.  It is a 2-6 ft evergreen shrub in it's native environment, but is a tender perennial in only the very southern parts of the US.  Northern gardeners will have to plant it as an annual or move it indoors to a very cool, but not freezing, southern window for the winter. 

Rosemary is difficult to start from seed, but not impossible.  Sow seeds thick indoors early in the spring and transplant seedlings into an attractive container that is easily moved in and outdoors seasonally.  Rosemary is probably easiest transplanted from cuttings.  Cut a piece from a branch with fresh growth, remove the bottom leaves and allow to root in water before planting in an attractive container.  Plant rosemary in full sun and well drained soil whether it is planted in the ground or in a container.

Harvest fresh rosemary for immediate use at any time during the year or dry the leaves and store them in an air tight container.

Happy Gardening! :)

Urban Farm Magazine Deal!

 

Expired!

I have been enjoying this magazine for the last couple of months.  The most recent issue has an article on shade gardening that I have found very interesting. :)

Today only (Friday, July 20, 2012 11:59pm EDST) Urban Farm Magazine is just $4.50 for a one year subscription! Follow this link* to DiscountMags.com and use promo code 9726.  You can add up to 4 years and send one or more as a gift (a birthday or Christmas gift?). 

"A guide for those in cities or suburbs looking to become more self-sufficient by growing some of their own food and treading lightly on the environment in the space they have. Articles include how-to projects, gardening basics, composting, beekeeping, roof-top gardening, preserving and freezing, and time and money-saving ideas. "

Happy Garden Reading! :)



* Discount Mags had had made these deals available to The Full Circle Gardener readers and all links in this post are affiliate links.

In The Kitchen: Elegant Grilled Chicken with Herb Sauce and Rice

I have been trying to be intentional about using fresh herbs from my garden again this summer... why plant them if you are not going to use them!  Right?!?

In my pursuit of recipes that call of fresh herbs I came across a recipe for Chicken With Herb Sauce that grabbed my attention.  Two things caught my attention.  First, it looked really simple and easy, and second, it used more than one herb! :D  With the temperatures well into the 90's these days, I am doing as little cooking as possible and when I do cook I am trying to do it outdoors.  This recipe was to be cooked on the stove top but I could see no reason why, with a few alterations, I couldn't turn it into a grill recipe.  The debut of my version of the recipe was met with rave reviews from all members of the family so I decided I should share it with you too.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Grilled Chicken with Herb Sauce and Rice

Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs or breasts 
1/2 c rice
1`c chicken stock
1 tsp chopped fresh chives
1/4 tsp chopped fresh basil 

Marinade:
3 Tbs oil
3 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp fresh chopped basil
1 Tbs fresh chopped chives
dash salt & pepper 

Herb Sauce:
1/2 c chicken stock
2 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbs butter
2 Tbs fresh minced chives
1 tsp fresh minced basil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper 

Directions:
Remove the skin from the chicken and soak in the marinade for at least 1 hour.  Turn the chicken in the marinade to ensure it the meat is well coated with the marinade.  Preheat the grill and place the chicken on the  hot grill and cook over a low flame.  Cook until the juices run clear or the internal temperature reads 180F.

While the meat is cooking, combine rice, 1 c stock, 1tsp chives and 1/4 basil.  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or the rice is tender.  Remove from heat and set aside.  Also, prepare the herb sauce by combining the stock, lemon juice and butter.  Simmer on low until the butter is melted.  Remove from the heat and add the remaining ingredients.

Serve the chicken on a bed of rice and drizzle the herb sauce over the chicken and rice.  For a full grilled meal, serve with grilled fresh veggies.  Enjoy!

Happy Garden Eating!  :D

Plant of the Week: Evans Cherry

Evans Cherry (Prunus sp.)

Spring flowers

Ripening Fruit

Cherry trees produce a fruit that is either sweet (like the well known Bing) or sour (aka pie cherry).  Sweet cherries can be grown only as far north as Zone 5 and are not an option for northern gardeners.  Sour cherries are more tolerant and have long been known to grow in Zone 4, but the re-discovery of the Evan's Cherry brought cherry cultivation into Zone 3 and maybe even Zone 2!

The Evan's Cherry was re-discovered by a University of Saskatchewan horticulturist (Dr Evans) in the 1970's on a farm near Edmonton Alberta (Canada).  He found that the tree would readily propagate and was a tolerant, durable tree.  Initially the nursery market resisted the idea that cherry trees could survive in the northern prairies, but Evans was persistent and the tree now has a wide market in both the US and Canada.  In the US, the Evans Cherry is often marketed as the Bahli or Bahli Evans Cherry and grafted onto a non-suckering root stock.

The Evans Cherry is self pollinating and produces an approximately one inch diameter, red skinned and yellow fleshed fruit mid - late summer.  It is considered a sour cherry but can be fairly sweet if allowed to fully ripen on the tree.  Considered a natural dwarf, the tree grows to about 15 feet tall.  Annual growth can be very vigorous under the right conditions, with the tree putting on 3 or 4 feet of new growth in one season.  Winter dormancy is stimulated by a dry period so it is important to not water the trees in the fall.

If you are interested in an Evans Cherry Pie recipe, check out my post from a couple of weeks ago.  We thought it was delicious! :D
Happy Gardening.

On the Menu This Week (7-15 to 7-21)

For the last several years I have challenged myself to focus on using from my pantry and shop less for a couple months each winter... a Pantry Challenge.  With the end of February and this year's pantry challenge complete, I found that I really enjoyed having a basic menu plan to guide me.  I decided to continue making a month long menu, and be intentional about using garden produce and preserves from last season.

I have just about exhausted my stock of frozen and canned garden produce from last year, but fortunately, the garden and backyard fruit are producing fresh again.  It is now my goal to incorporate as much fresh produce and herbs as I can into our meals, and then preserve the abundance for the winter and spring to come.

Overall, I have to say that intentional menu planning has been good for me and my family. :D  It only takes me 15-20 min to put together a new menu for the month unless I get stuck trying to think of something new to add.  If you are interested in joining me in intentional menu planning, check out my Pantry Challenge post to get an idea of how to get started.

With the recent heat, I have had a complete lack of desire to cook anything, but here is what is on our menu this week if I work up the desire to cook...  :}

Meals:
Smoked Beef Brisket and baked beans
Chicken with Herb Sauce  (fresh basil, chives & parsley) over rice
Chili Burgers (aka Sloppy Joe) & pasta salad - use homemade tomato sauce

Snack:
-fresh fruit & veggies

What are you harvesting and eating fresh this week?

Happy Garden Eating! :)


Update:  I just harvest our first zucchini.  I will include it in our meal plan as baked or fried chips at some point this week.  OOOH, I'm sooo excited! :D

*this is a recipe I hope to post soon

In the Kitchen: Evan's Cherry Pie

My husband has a passionate desire to grow trees, especially warm climate fruit trees.  After we bought our home, he almost immediately began to research cherry and peach trees trying to find a variety that could be grown in zone 4.  He found the Evan's (aka Bali) Cherry tree, which was developed in Canada, and decided he had to have it!  It had just been introduced to the US market at the time and was hard to find, but it has now been seven years since he planted two trees in our backyard.  We have had a very small crop for a couple of years due to poor pollination (bad timing of flowering), and birds who love to eat the bright red fruit.  Finally this year we were able to harvest enough fruit to make a pie! :D

I looked at several recipes before deciding to combine a couple and make my own version.  The result looked beautiful!  As for taste, we thought it had the perfect balance of sweet and sour cherry.  Give it a try and see what you think. :)

You will need to first harvest, clean and cool the fruit.  Once the fruit is cool, remove the pit.  (We purchased a cherry pitter that was worth every cent!  It quickly and efficiently removes the pits and was easy task for little helpers.)  Be aware that the flesh of the cherries will oxidize and turn brown once exposed to the air so freeze or use them quickly.

Evan's Cherry Pie

Ingredients:

1 c sugar (divided)
3 Tbs corn starch
1/2 c reserved cherry juice
4 c pitted cherries
1 drop red food coloring (optional)
2 9" pie crusts
1/4 c crystallized sugar

Instructions: 

1.  Preheat oven to 400F. 

2.  Drain and squeeze cherries to obtain about ½ c of juice and pour into a medium saucepan.  Combine 3/4 c sugar and the cornstarch.  Stir into the cherry juice.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened. 

3.   Remove from heat and gently stir in the remaining sugar, the cherries and optional red food coloring. 

 4.  Pour filling into crust lined 9 inch pie plate. Carefully cover with the top crust, seal and vent. 

5.  Bake 45 minutes or until crust browns and filling begins to bubble. If necessary, cover edges with aluminum foil during last 15 minutes to prevent over-browning. 

 Prepare the filling and fill the pie.

 

 Cool the pie well to allow the filling to thicken before slicing.

Good to the very last bite!

Happy Garden Eating! :D

On the Menu this Week (7-9 to 7-14)

For the last several years I have challenged myself to focus on using from my pantry and shop less for a couple months each winter... a Pantry Challenge.  With the end of February and this year's pantry challenge complete, I found that I really enjoyed having a basic menu plan to guide me.  I decided to continue making a month long menu, and be intentional about using garden produce and preserves from last season.

For the first time in seven months I do not have a month long menu plan made and to be honest, I'm lost!  It only takes me 15-20 min to put together a new menu for the month unless I get stuck thinking of something new to add, but I just haven't taken the time to do it. :{  If you haven't made your plan, join me this week and make a plan for the rest of the month. (Better late than never!)

I have just about exhausted my stock of frozen and canned garden produce from last year, but fortunately, the garden and backyard fruit are producing fresh produce now.  It is now my goal to incorporate as much fresh produce and herbs as I can into our meals, and then preserve the abundance for the winter and spring to come.

Overall, I have to say that intentional menu planning has been good for me and my family. :D  If you are interested in joining me in intentional menu planning, check out my Pantry Challenge post to get an idea of how to get started.

Here is what is on our menu this week...

Meals:
-Basil Chicken Burgers* and Garden Pasta Salad - using garden fresh basil in both! :)
-Spaghetti - using the LAST JAR of home preserved spaghetti sauce :{
-Savory Crock Pot Pork Loin and grilled garden fresh Green Beans

Snack:
-fresh fruit & veggies
-Raspberry something - summer bearing raspberries are just about done for this year
-Evan's Cherry Pie - our Evan's cherry tree has just enough to make our first pie this year


What are you harvesting and eating fresh this week?

Happy Garden Eating! :)


*this is a recipe I hope to post soon

2nd Annual HSV Garden Challenge: Final Linkup

 It is time for the final linkup for the HSV Garden Challenge and we have really enjoyed gardening together again this year.  We started the season with intentional garden and associated lessons in our school time, and then we spent the 3rd month planting and watching the plants grow.  Now we have just begun to harvest this week.

Our reading during the first month has come to life as, unfortunately, Peter Cottontail has also spent time investigating our garden and eating.  The kids now realize that the cute visitor(s) are destructive in the garden and are chasing them from the yard when they see them.  The other evening I couldn't help but secretly smile as I listened and watched my youngest run across the yard yelling "Go away, Peter Cottontail!". 

Memories are made when hands are involved and I love when we are making garden memories whether it is using the garden to do a craft or harvesting together.  Today we had our first real harvest of peas and enjoyed harvesting together and eating the fresh peas together. :)


Happy Gardening with your Kids! :)

How to Make & Use a Potato Tower

Early this spring, Sara, a fellow gardener and reader, left a note on The Full Circle Gardener Facebook page, asking what I knew about growing potatoes in a barrel.  I had honestly never looked into the idea, but in the process of looking for information for her I became intrigued!  A month or so later I started seeing a variety potato tower ideas on Pinterest.  The idea of getting an abundance of potatoes (as much as 100lb according to some sources) in a small area had me hooked and with the pile of salvaged redwood decking we'd used to make our new strawberry bed still laying around, I decided to see what we could do about making a potato tower.

I found four deck railing spindles for the up rights and several pieces of 2x4 decking that my husband cut into 2ft and 2.5ft lengths.  We screwed the bottom 3 layers onto the uprights, set the structure in our chosen location, and covered the grass with newspaper to keep it from growing up into the tower.  I then added compost for the planting medium and placed eight sections (should have 2-3 eyes per section) of seed potatoes in the soil, covered them and watered.  (You can plant four seed potatoes per square foot according to the square foot gardening method.)  The extra boards we cut for the sides were set aside to be added later as needed.

It has been about a month since I planted the potatoes and most of the plants are about 12 inches tall. Last week I decided it was time and added the first layer of additional soil.  When adding additional soil be sure to cover only 1/3 of the plant at a time so that it maintains enough leaf area to feed the potato tubers you are wanting to produce below ground.  The portions of the stem that become buried will root and potentially produce more potatoes.  Continue to add side boards and soil all summer.  Fresh 'new potatoes' should be ready for harvest about 10 weeks after planting.  For more information on the final harvest see my Plant of the Week post on potatoes.

Here's to trying a new gardening method this summer. :)  Have you grown potatoes in a bucket or tower before?  I'd love to hear about your experience.

Happy Gardening! :)

Garden Crafty: Potato Stamp T-shirts

I was inspired by a good friend and Pinterest last night and so today we are feeling patriotic and crafty today!  As part of our summer school program, we are studying the flag and our nation's foundation today, so what is better than including a few fun activities to go along!  :D  Besides, it is terribly hot outside and some fun inside activities are just what we need to keep us all sane.  If you too are feeling the need to stay out of the heat today, try your hand at creating potato stamps.

Here's how...

1.  Gather supplies:  potatoes, t-shirt (new or old), acrylic craft paint, paper plate, large piece of cardboard, surface covering (newspaper, cardboard, plastic)

2.  Cut potato in half the shortest direction and then carve the desired shape into it.  In my case, I cut two potatoes and carved a star into all of the ends.

3.  Slide the cardboard into the t-shirt to prevent the paint from passing through more than one layer of fabric, and then lay it flat on the work surface.  (When working with children, be sure that the work surface is covered and 'mess safe' in case of the inevitable spills and mishaps.)

4.  Pour paint onto a paper plate.  Load the potato stamp with paint and stamp onto the shirt.  (It is a good idea to first trial stamp onto a paper towel to see how your stamp works.  If you are satisfied, the GO FOR IT! ;D)

5.  HAVE FUN!!! :D

Happy Garden Crafting! :)

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Independence Day! :)  The kids and I started the day by making our own flag inspired breakfast using backyard grown raspberries we picked yesterday, blueberries and a banana. :D  I hope you are able to take some time to celebrate our independence day with some family and friends this week.  Then come back and share your Independence Day & garden inspired food or crafts.

Update:  Check out our patriotic, garden inspired craft this morning for an indoor, beat the heat activity today. :)


Happy 4th of July Gardening! :)