Garden Party

I have had requests to post pictures of my garden this year. Here they are!!! We worked hard this summer to prepare for a fall garden. The pictures don't do it justice. I have had hard time capturing an image of the garden as a whole. 

The garden plot

I have six or so rectangular plots about 4' x 8'. We don't have a whole lot of sun in our yard and this spot makes the most of the sun. I planned the rectangular plots so that I have easy access the each bed in it's entirety. I can also rotate crops easily this way by planning my planting in successions. 

Here is some of what was planted in my garden this fall:

Swiss Chard.... Yummy!!!

Arugula, also known as Rocket Salad or Roquette greens. A spicy, delicious salad green. It is my favorite, with a peppery bite. 

Tat Soi, in the Bok Choy family.  A delicious Chinese green.

Peas please!!!

Carrots and Collards

This is my first true attempt at a fall garden. So far it has produced well. I have been busy enjoying the local farmer's market and have not depended excessively on our garden goodies. Now that the market is closed, I am looking forward to eating more from our little plot. My overgrown radishes have fed our chickens well. They love the greens!

The carrots are about ready for harvest and I will harvest them through the early winter. They are protected by being in the ground. The chard also needs to start being used. I love me some chard! I may try my hand at freezing some. I will let you know how it goes. It does not like temperatures below 30 degrees. So I am harvesting and putting some away now! The arugula, collards and kale should overwinter until we get a hard freeze, or dip well below 30 degrees. The collards and kale actually improve their flavor  after some chilly weather.

I will be whipping up some of these garden goodies soon and plan on sharing my favorite recipes!

What is your favorite Fall vegetable?

Cool Weather Gardening

Cool weather gardening is some of my favorite all year. Not only because of the foods that grow, but because there aren't any mosquitoes to eat me alive!! Last weekend I got out into my winter vegetable bed. I weeded and sowed some seeds. Here is what it looks like at the moment. A bit pathetic, I know. I sowed seeds for beets, swiss chard, kale, and a few kinds of lettuce. Hopefully the massive rains that we have had didn't wash everything away. We should know in a week or so.

Here is some of the chard that I planted last fall. The roots survived the cold and now new leaves are coming up. I am looking forward to some yummy chard pizza!

Here is a bit of kale that survived the winter and the flood in the fall. I thought surely every seed got washed away. Then a little row of these guys popped up and surprised me. Come on and get some growth on you so I can eat you up!!

I opted to plant some real vegetables in my front flower bed instead of ornamental plants. They took the cold beautifully and we get to eat them! The key is to get them into the ground before a frost so that they can take the cold.  Here's my first shot at trying to grow broccoli. I planted around 9 plants and this is the biggest head so far. I think that I planted them a little late last year. I know that next year I need to plant them a little earlier to get some bigger heads. But I will try again!! Also, did you know that the leaves of broccoli and cauliflower are perfectly edible? They are delicious sauteed with a bit of garlic and oil.

More chard!! You can't have enough.

And some lovely cabbage that is just starting to get some size on it. I can't wait for it to get a bit bigger and land in my kitchen!

I really hope that my lettuce comes up in the garden! I have some big plans for it, not to mention it will be a really lovely sight to behold.

I am also waiting for some sugar snap peas to pop up out of the ground. Yum, yum! It is time to plant the early spring veggies! And of course plan your summer garden. Spring is around the corner. I can hardly wait! I am dreaming about tomatoes and cucumbers, okra, peppers and watermelon. And of course, the Marietta Farmer's Market!

Here's to spring...... just a few short days away!

Oh My Lands, This is Good!

Ok, so I bought some Swiss Chard last week at the farmers market. Absolutely beautiful. No clue what I would do with it. Poor chard. It sat in the fridge for a week. Today I had the will to cook it and thought about putting it on pizza. Sounds crazy, I know. I googled chard recipes. Tons of them out there! I settled on this one from Angel Valley Organic Farm in Jonestown, TX. You have to try this!!!! Lucky me I planted chard with my fall veggies. So excited!

For once, I followed the recipe pretty much as is.. It is tricky to get it on the hot pizza stone. Try flipping it over onto a cutting board then carefully flipping it onto the hot stone. So worth it! Excellent with some red wine. Yum...I am off to relax and enjoy this delicious meal.

Chard Pizza

Pizza dough:

4-1/2 tablespoons hot water

4-1/2 tablespoons milk

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

pinch of sugar

1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons whole wheat flour

1 cup unbleached white flour

Combine the hot water and the milk. Add yeast and sugar, and stir to dissolve the yeast. Mix in the olive oil and whole wheat flour. Gradually add the white flour, stirring to make a soft dough – the dough should be a little moist. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface (I use whole wheat flour for this) and knead it for about 5 minutes. Put the dough into an oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a warm, damp towel and let it rise in a warm place until it has doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes or so.

Pizza topping:

1 bunch chard (or any other greens of choice), roughly chopped

1 small red or yellow onion

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

handful of chopped pecans or walnuts

balsamic or red wine vinegar to taste

salt

olive oil for sautéing

4-5 ounces white cheddar or mozzarella cheese, grated

While pizza dough is rising, place pizza stone in a 500 degree oven, and warm it for 20 minutes. In the meantime, sauté onion in olive oil until it begins to soften. Stir in chard, handfuls at a time, and cook it all until wilted. Season to taste with salt and vinegar. After dough has risen, roll it out on a floured surface, and place it on a well-floured pizza peel or back side of a metal pizza pan. Distribute all but a few tablespoons of the cheese over the dough. Cover with the greens mixture, the chopped garlic, the pecans, and then the rest of the cheese. Slide the pizza onto the warmed pizza stone and bake in 500 degree oven for about 11 minutes, or until the edges are nicely browned.