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Goodies from the garden

August 3rd, 2013 at 10:30 pm

The weather has been so good for DH's garden! We have been so fortunate to have lots of cherry tomatoes and a few larger tomatoes, and so far, two bell peppers! We have had green onions and earlier we had lettuce and radishes. Plus, we have herbs! I've been using lots of herbs in breads, and in cooking. Tonight, we are having rosemary potatoes. I baked a pan of focciatta bread yesterday using basil, rosemary, and oregano.

DH has a small space so the garden is kind of limited, but we feel so blessed in having as much as we have.

I asked DH if we could grow peppermint because I like trying different teas. He has and I've been brewing peppermint tea with a green tea bag. I have been doing this in Mason jars and then putting them in the fridge for a refreshing iced tea. The other day I took a jar with me to a workshop so I could enjoy it after lunch. The kidding I got...sheesh! One person said it looked like urine and another asked if I was drinking moonshine. I gave each of them a taste in a paper cup and they immediately were amazed that someone could brew tea like that with homegrown peppermint. We have become a society far removed from homegrown it seems.

A friend has shared green beans and we have had quite a few meals from the "mess" she shared. Another friend gave us squash and zucchini that someone gave her since her husband refuses to order. I immediately made roasted squash one night. Tonight we are having roasted zucchini with onions and bell pepper. It sure smells good!

Other than some chicken and a few potatoes, most of supper was from the garden, either ours or someone else's. Yum!

13 Responses to “Goodies from the garden”

  1. Wino Says:
    1375569412

    I don't know if you're aware, but you don't actually have to brew tea in boiling water. If you put the tea into the water, seal it, and place it in direct sunlight, you'll have tea in about two to four hours, and the energy to brew it is free. If you're afraid of bacteria forming, you can actually seal the jar with the fixings inside it, and place it in the refrigerator overnight to steep.

    Of course, the above supposes you're drinking iced/cold tea. If you like hot tea instead, you're stuck with heating it using your preferred method.

  2. snafu Says:
    1375570052

    Our electric company puts out a free, spiral bound type cookbook several times a year featuring inexpensive, easily obtained products. This spring they featured zucchini with slightly off beat ideas like zucchini lasagna, chocolate cake, zucc substitute banana loaf, muffins, muffins and more muffins, breads, and pages of Italian meals. DH says he doesn't like zucchini so I never mention it's inclusion in nearly every meal between now and November.

  3. ThriftoRama Says:
    1375571743

    I could use that zucchini book right about now...

    Our garden is doing great as well. We've had more rain than usual in July, so it's been a real help.

    I think people who give me weird looks for homemade stuff are weird! They can say what they want, we'll keep eating the good stuff. I planted my own peppermint patch this year, because I drink so much peppermint tea!

  4. rob62521 Says:
    1375572267

    Thanks, Wino, for the reminder of sun tea!

    Snafu, I'm with ThriftoRama...would love a cookbook like that as well. And I like the idea of the sneakiness of the project ZI (zucchini inclusion) in your meals!

  5. rob62521 Says:
    1375572337

    ThriftoRama...maybe we'll call the home grown stuff our "secret" since these folks are missing out. We just finished supper and DH was very happy. I'm sure my Home Ec teacher from high school would have been as well...lots of vegetables, lots of colors and textures... :-)

  6. ThriftoRama Says:
    1375574592

    It's just timely because we had fried zucchini as appetizer tonight and from the same darn zucchini, I also had enough to make two loaves of zucchini bread!

  7. rob62521 Says:
    1375574859

    That was one big zucchini! Have you ever shredded zucchini and added egg and bread crumbs and made patties and sauted them in oil? They are pretty tasty and a good use of zucchini.

  8. creditcardfree Says:
    1375579111

    Sounds so wonderful! It's been two years since I had a garden and I miss it.

  9. Jazzmint98 Says:
    1375584729

    I make chocolate mint tea, which my sister gave me some several years ago to plant. I believe it is more popular now because I saw the plants at Home Depot in the spring. It is very yummy and refreshing!

    My garden is doing well too. I have a couple tomato plants, onions, cilantro, dill, basil, and 1 cucumber plant that is trying to take over the whole garden!!

  10. baselle Says:
    1375593030

    Methinks your co workers are drinking too much Gatorade in funny fluorescent colors if they are teasing you about mint tea!

  11. rob62521 Says:
    1375620697

    :-)

  12. pretty cheap jewelry Says:
    1375622846

    put that tea in a reused big drink cup from a fast food restaurant and they will change their attitude! my hub makes his own ice tea and takes it with him in those big cups.

    AND gotta make shredded zuch patties today, thx!

  13. Joan.of.the.Arch Says:
    1375630097

    Tabuli uses a good deal of mint. My Afghani friend uses so much mint in her cooking that she harvests and dries it continuously through the summer in order to have enough for the cold months. Mint is good in green veggie salads, too. Great in cucumber salad with a yogurt dressing.

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