Garden Blog - Seeds Planted

It's spring! Finally. And that means it's time to get the gardens cleaned up, planted and set before it gets to hot to deal with the heavy work. I have several gardens in my yard all with a varying degree of help needed. The one in the best shape right now is the side garden (above). Over the years, I have kept a spiral notebook documenting the rise of each garden, the fall not so much because by that time I lost interest, hence the fall of the garden. I think I will try to do this electronically at this point.

Today I cleaned most of the weeds out of the what I call the driveway garden. This is a garden in my front yard, next to the driveway. The show piece of this garden is a huge white Peony which is due to bloom in about 20 days or so.

There are few things in this garden that have not come back yet...will they? There are also two things that I don't know what they are. One, I think is some sort of mum, the other, I'm not sure. I'm not even sure that it is not a weed. But for now I will let it stay. I have started keeping the tacky plastic plant markers just for this reason. I think also taking pictures and labeling them will help when it comes to identifying things next year.

The driving force behind today's clean up was so that I could plant some seeds. Earlier this year I stopped by Brookside Gardens and saw some beautiful tall snapdragons. I purchased some seeds recently and today put those seeds in the ground. Historically, when it comes to seeds I am either wildly successful or the opposite. So wish me luck...

I also planted a number of seeds in the side garden. Chinese Forget-me-nots, two types of Zinnias and Portulaca.

Oh and while I was out there Miss Tootie the cat came along, meowing a very self satisfied meow. When I got closer I saw she had blood on her paws. I guess I'm just glad I didn't have to see what it was that she killed...

Beet Salad Recipe

This is the beet salad I mentioned in yesterday's status update on facebook. I made it a bit differently. I used baby greens and shredded broccoli instead of the chard and dandelion greens, I also didn't have any tarragon. It was really fabulous. I've also made just the dressing before for use on a regular garden salad, it so worth the few short minutes it takes to throw it together.

Emeril's Roasted Beet Salad With Walnut Dressing
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, Emeril’s Food of Love Productions, 2008
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By Planet Green ContributorSilver Spring,MD, USA Mon Jul 21 19:46:00 EDT 2008

3 to 4 small beets, (red and/or golden) tops removed and washed
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon salt plus more for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more for seasoning
1/4 cup sherry or banyuls vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup grapeseed or olive oil
1/2 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon minced tarragon
1 bunch baby dandelion greens, washed, de-stemmed and cut into bite-size pieces
1 bunch rainbow chard, washed, de-stemmed and cut into bite-size pieces


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Cut a piece of aluminum foil about 12 inches square. On one half of the square, place the beets, 2 tablespoons olive oil, water, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Fold the opposite side over to cover the beets; fold all edges to form a tightly sealed packet. Place the packet on a baking sheet, transfer to the oven and cook until beets are tender, about 45 minutes. (Beets are done when a pairing knife is easily inserted into the middle.)Remove the beets from the foil packet. When cool enough to handle, rub the skin of the beet gently with a paper towel and remove the skin. Slice the beets into 1/8-inch thick rounds (if possible, use a mandoline) and set aside.In a blender, combine the mustard, vinegar, shallots, honey, tarragon, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and mix well. While the blender is still running, slowly pour the oil in a slow, steady stream into the blender to emulsify the mixture. Transfer the dressing to a mixing bowl and stir in the walnuts.Pour 2 tablespoons (or more to taste) of the dressing over the prepared dandelions and chard, season with a pinch of salt and pepper and toss to coat. In a separate mixing bowl, toss the sliced beets in 1 tablespoon of dressing and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Place about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the dandelion greens on a plate. Serve with the sliced beets and cheese crisps. If desired spoon more dressing over each salad to taste.Yield: Salad 4 to 6 servings; Dressing 3/4 cup

A New Favorite Recipe

Pan-Sautéed Chicken with Vegetables & Herbs
From: Campbell's Kitchen
Prep: 20 minutesCook: 1 hour
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. paprika
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
4 bone-in chicken breast halves
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 small red onions, cut into quarters
1 lb. new potato, cut into quarters
8 oz. fresh whole baby carrots (about 16), green tops trimmed to 1-inch-long
1 1/2 cups Swanson® Chicken Stock
3 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano leaves
Chopped fresh thyme leaves

Directions:
Heat the oven to 350°F. Stir the black pepper, paprika and flour on a plate. Coat the chicken with the flour mixture.
Heat the oil in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until it's well browned on all sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet.
Add the onions and potatoes to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes. Add the carrots, stock, lemon juice and oregano and heat to a boil. Return the chicken to the skillet. Cover the skillet.
Bake at 350°F. for 20 minutes. Uncover the skillet and bake for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with the thyme, if desired.
Serving Suggestion: Serve with corn muffins and steamed broccoli flowerets. For dessert serve red grapes.
Cost per recipe: $9.65
Cost per recipe serving: $2.41
Total cost of meal (including serving suggestion): $14.13
Kitchen Tip- To use 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves instead of the bone-in chicken:
Heat the oven to 350°F. Stir the black pepper, paprika and flour on a plate. Coat the chicken with the flour mixture.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until it's well browned on both sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet.
Add the remaining oil, onions and potatoes to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes. Add the carrots, stock, lemon juice and oregano and heat to a boil. Return the chicken to the skillet.
Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle with the thyme, if desired.
Nutrition Information
Calories 406, Total Fat 15g, Saturated Fat 3g, Cholesterol 82mg, Sodium 311mg, Total Carbohydrate 34g, Dietary Fiber 5g, Protein 35g, Vitamin A 192%DV, Vitamin C 27%DV, Calcium 7%DV, Iron 16%DV

Moving to Facebook

I've lost my passion for this blog for now. Friends and relatives looking for the latest pictures, please sigh up for Facebook and add me to your friends list. This the spot where all the pictures are these days...

July 4th Parade

Downtown SS

Splash Park

Beach 5

Beach 4

Beach 3

Beach 2

Beach 1

Sheryl Crow Concert