Questions? Write Me at

Questions? Write me at fullcirclegardener @ cableone . net.

On the Menu This Week (4-30 to 5-5)

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, this year's pantry challenge is complete but I have really enjoyed having a basic menu plan to guide me.  This year I decided to continue to make a month long menu, and be intentional about using garden produce and preserves from last season.

If you are interested in joining me check out my Pantry Challenge post to get an idea of how to get started.  It is a new month and I not yet had a chance to sit down and put the new month on paper, but a quick look in the freezer gave me my plan for this week.  Here is what is what I came up with for this week...

Meals:
Beef Stirfry - frozen or fresh/bought veggies
Cabbage Rolls - use up the last of the cabbage I bought around St Patric's Day
Grilled BBQ Chicken and grilled veggies

Snack:

Well, freezer baking I had hoped to do last week did not happen so we will be depending on fresh fruits and veggies for snacks this week. :)

I noticed my rhubarb is about ready to start picking.  I plan to include some in next week's menu! :D  Oh, the EXCITEMENT of fresh produce beginning to show up in my own backyard!!! :D)


Happy Garden Eating! :)

On the Menu This Week

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, this year's pantry challenge is complete but I have really enjoyed having a basic menu plan to guide me.  This year I decided to continue to make a month long menu, and be intentional about using garden produce and preserves from last season.

If you are interested in joining me check out my Pantry Challenge post to get an idea of how to get started.  Here is what is on my menu this week.

Meals:
Tatertot Hot Dish - use frozen garden veggies if you have any left; I do not :{

Grilled Salmon & veggies
Spaghetti - I have 4 more quarts of homemade spaghetti sauce left


Snack:
Oatmeal Rasinette Cookies - made a batch today; MMMM!  Can't wait to have one! ;)

I'm hoping to do some freezer baking this week with apples, rhubarb, squash/pumpkin & zucchini that I have in the freezer.  I'll let you know how it goes. :)

Happy Garden Eating! :)

Preserving Garden Produce: Tomato Sauce

Last November I froze the last of my tomato harvest along with some tomatoes a friend had given me, so that I could deal with them later when I had more time.  My intent was to process them in January or February, but I didn't get to them until April!  The best laid plans... right? ;}


Frozen tomatoes turn soft and 'mushy' after they are thawed so they do not work well for chunky applications.  I chose, because of it's universality, to turn the whole box into tomato sauce and ended up with the equivalent of 30 1/2 pints of sauce that I froze, and more that went into a gallon freezer zip bag for a friend because I did not have another container!  I  froze my sauce because I did not use a recipe that had been tested for a safe acidity balance and, hey, I had just opened up a huge space in my freezer when I pulled the box out! ;) It is just not worth taking the risk of developing botulism in the sauce (it has no smell or flavor & is deadly!) because I didn't follow a recipe and then canned and store it on my shelf.

If you are wanting to can your own tomato sauce, try this recipe from the U of Minnesota Extension that I discovered from an extension agent at a gardening workshop I attended this spring. This recipe has been tested for safety and can easily be pureed to create a tomato sauce.  (I used my recently purchased handheld stick blender and LOVED it!  It was so worth every penny I spent on it! :D)  Please note, the ratios of individual vegetables (onion, pepper, celery) can be changed, but to maintain safety for canning and storing, you have to keep the 12 c tomato to the 2 c vegetable ratio. 

Happy Garden Preserving! :)

Plant of the Week: Luttuce

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)
When planting a spring garden, lettuce is an easy choice.  Who doesn't love a crisp, garden fresh salad to accompany most any meal!  Lettuce was first domesticated in Egypt from a 'weed' of the Aster family, but has been selectively bred and manipulated for a couple thousand year to become the widely variable and colorful kitchen staple we know today.

Most people group lettuce into two broad categories, leaf and head, but according to the University of Illinois Extension there are five distinct types of lettuce.  (Find a complete description of leaf, romaine, crisphead, butterhead and stem lettuces and recommended varieties for each on the Extension page.)  No matter what type of lettuce you plant, it is important to know that all varieties prefer cool air and soil temperatures, with a few varieties willing to tolerate warm temps.  Because of this preference, lettuce is a perfect choice for a northern gardener to include in their backyard garden!  :D  When mid to late summer approaches & temperatures start to head up to 80F+, most lettuce will bolt (shoot up a flower stalk), and become bitter to the taste.  Consider extending the life of your spring crop by mulching the soil when temperatures start to rise.  You may also want to plan your garden so that the lettuce is shaded by a larger plant or one of your vertical structures, for a vining crop like pole beans or cucumbers, when the mid-summer heat arrives.

Lettuce seed is small and should be individually seeded or broadly scattered and quickly thinned to at least 3 inches apart for leaf lettuce, 6 for a loose head and 12 for a firm head variety.  Some seed companies sell seed packets which include filler to help you scatter the seed thinner, but most often the gardener will still need to thin to get optimal growth and harvest. (My best experience was to plant according to a square foot gardening plan which was 9-12 individual seeds in a one foot square patch.)  Seeds should be placed about 1/4 in deep.

Lettuce can be started indoors 4-6 weeks prior to the average last frost for a spring garden or mid summer (for us northerners) for a fall crop.  Starting seedlings indoors works especially well for fall gardens since high temperatures can hang on late into the summer some years.  Plant seedlings outdoors when temperatures constantly stay in the 70's or cooler in the fall.

Harvest as soon as the leaves are big enough to eat.  Cut off the whole plant or pull off individual leaves for a continual harvest.  Leaves will be most crisp in the morning, but can be harvested throughout the day if you desire a fresh salad for a late day meal.  Rinse leaves in cool water and dry with a towel or salad spinner before serving or storing.  Storage life for fresh lettuce is about one week in a refrigerator.

Happy Gardening! :)

On the Menu This Week

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, this year's pantry challenge is complete but I have really enjoyed having a basic menu plan to guide me.  This year I decided to continue to make a month long menu, and be intentional about using garden produce and preserves from last season.

If you are interested in joining me check out my Pantry Challenge post to get an idea of how to get started.  Here is what is on my menu this week.

Meals:
Sloppy Joes - use new tomato sauce I made this weekend!  (Hopefully a post about that to come soon.)
Italian Shells - use homemade spaghetti sauce
grill - need to check the freezer but if all else fails it will be hamburgers & hot dogs 

Snack:
Apple Peach fruit leathers - made from our abundance of apples last fall
Zucchini Bread - made & froze last month

Happy Garden Eating! :)

Organic Gardening Magazine Deal!


This looks like a really interesting magazine for those interested in organic gardening. If you have read or seen it I'd love to hear your thoughts! 

Today only (Saturday, April 14, 2012) Organic Gardening Magazine is just $4.99 for a one year subscription! Follow this link* to DiscountMags.com and use promo code 6795.  You can add up to 4 years and send one or more as a gift.  Expired!

"Since 1942, Organic Gardening has been delivering well-researched, practical and timely information and useful products and services. As the essential resource for any gardener, it provides current and authoritative information, with a focus on making the process of gardening fun and easy."

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.  I have not personally read or seen this magazine.

In the Kitchen: Cheesy Ham and Potato Hot Dish

This is a recipe I have created by combining a couple of recipes that we have enjoyed in the past.  If you are looking for a way to use up left of Easter ham or garden potatoes this is the recipe for you!

Cheesy Ham and Potato Hot Dish

 Ingredients:

2c sour cream (16oz)
1pkg cubed hash browns, thawed (32oz) or about 8 c homemade
2c cubed ham
2c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4c chopped onion
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
2c crushed cornflakes
1/2c melted butter

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine sour cream, hash browns, ham, cheese, onion, salt and pepper. Transfer into a greased 3qt baking dish or 9x13 cake pan.  Cover and bake uncovered at 350 for about 45 minutes.  Meanwhile, toss cornflake crumbs and butter. Sprinkle over the top and bake uncovered another 15 minutes or until cornflakes are toasted brown and crispy.

Enjoy! :)