Using the Whole Plant

June 30, 2015 ~ Stephanie B. ~ Leave a comment

Learning new things and growing and using new vegetables are fun and rewarding for me. This year, for the first time, I planted radish and turnip seeds.

As a child, I never was a big fan of radishes. Since I remember my dad enjoying them, I thought I would give them a try. I was pleasantly surprised to discover I like radishes! I planted a variety of types. Some were mild, and some had quite a bite. I do not recall what brought the idea to my mind, but I thought, “Why not eat the leaves of the radish plant?” So this spring, we enjoyed the leaves mixed with other greens in salad. They also make a nice addition to stir-fries. I have also air-dried some leaves to crumble in soups during the winter.

During the winter, I bought turnips at the grocery store when they were on the reduced produce rack. Having never eaten turnips, I thought it would be good for us to try a new vegetable. I was surprised how mild they tasted. We planted some of our own this spring. Recently some of the turnips were ready to harvest, so I pulled them. Having heard of turnip greens, I again thought, “Why not use the leaves instead of throwing them out?” After cutting the leaves into strips with kitchen scissors, they taste delicious in stir fry. Another way to prepare them is to send them through the food processor. Quarter the turnips and potatoes. Place diced leaves, turnips, and potatoes together with a bit of garlic, onion powder, parsley, butter, and celery salt in a pot. Add water to cover vegetables about half way. Cook until soft, and mash. Very tasty!

For me, it has been gratifying to realize the whole plant is edible and nutritious. God has provided for us such good gifts to nourish our bodies.

My next experiment is using carrot tops. I understand they are a delicacy in some places!

The Candy Jar and Re-purposing

June 27, 2015July 9, 2015 ~ Stephanie B. ~ 4 Comments

I have to admit that I am not always good at thinking outside the box. Often if there is an item that I no longer use, my first thought is to get rid of it instead of trying to think of how it could be used differently. Every once in a while, I do surprise myself with a great re-purposing idea. A few months ago, my husband pulled a glass jar out from under the kitchen sink and suggested we pass it along since I was not using it. I agreed, but really it was an attractive and unusual shaped jar, kind of square-shaped. Inspiration struck! It would be perfect for a candy jar. So I promptly dumped the children’s candy out of the boring plastic container into the lovely glass jar.

In general, the children are limited to one piece of candy a day, so all the Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s, and Easter candy tends to last quite a while. But by this time of year, the candy jar has dwindled; and I started to hear from them that there was “no good candy left in the jar.” When I checked, I discovered what was left was mostly milk chocolate pieces. What to do with it? I know some people would throw it away, but I have a hard time wasting food even if it has no nutritional value. Giving it away did not seem like a good option since it was all wrapped in holiday-colored foils. Another light-bulb moment! I decided to make peanut butter blossoms. I usually associate those cookies with Christmas, but who says you can not enjoy them in the summer? The peanut butter blossoms may not have won any presentation awards with a mixture of Hershey’s kisses, balls, eggs, coins, a Rolo, and even a music note; but they tasted just fine!

Summer Has Arrived

June 26, 2015June 26, 2015 ~ Stephanie B. ~ 2 Comments

Whoever first coined the phrase “lazy summer days” surely did not tend a vegetable garden or have children to drive to and from day camp. I have to admit I have had a bit of writer’s block, probably due to the busyness of the days. So I will share a few pictures from the gardens.

What a difference a few weeks make! Here are the beans two or three weeks ago.

And here they are this week.

The foliage is so lush that walking between the rows without stepping on any plants is difficult. The Lord has blessed with a bountiful harvest. On Thursday, I picked for two hours and got about ten gallons of beans.

Here is another view of the garden.

Around our house, there are vegetables tucked in among the flowers.

blog pics 415 — New lettuce among the day lilies.

Herbs are growing. The dill is especially beautiful, so fine and delicate. I am very exited about the basil, the first I have grown in years. The parsley is such a prolific plant and thrives through hot and cold days.

And here are Lima beans adding beauty between the air conditioning units.

Those air conditioning units might not be very attractive to look at, but we certainly have appreciated them the last three weeks. As spring turned into summer, we have experienced very hot and humid weather. After several hours of pulling weeds and harvesting produce in the heat, a nice cool house is a lovely blessing.

Opening Day for the Farmer’s Market

June 7, 2015 ~ Stephanie B. ~ 1 Comment

Saturday was opening day for the first farmer’s market in our town. For years I have been wanting to try my hand at selling vegetables, so here was my chance. During the winter, we prepared some handcrafts including magnets, bracelets, and photo cards. My mother-in-law knitted dishcloths and hand towels. This spring, I carefully planned our vegetable gardens and planted and replanted when seeds did not sprout. We kept an eye on the seedlings and prayed for rain during the dry spell. Friday, I spent quite a bit of time bagging up lettuce, chard, kale, mint, radishes and parsley and packing supplies for the big day.

Saturday morning, we drove up the street and began setting up our booth. This is a brand new event for our town, so we were not sure how many people would come out to set up and how many would come to shop. The good news is we had a steady stream of customers. Most folks really wanted to buy produce, so we know that the interest is there. Unfortunately, I was the only vendor offering any vegetables. I was pleased with what I sold: lettuce, parsley, chard, magnets, and cards. We are praying the market grows to meet the needs of our community.

I really enjoyed the experience. Meeting people and listening to gospel music made for a satisfying first market day.