SOAPBOX AND RECIPE OF THE WEEK

After they retired, my grandparents bought some land out in the country, and Grandmother always had about an acre garden. One of my fondest childhood memories is wandering through that garden, investigating the various crops, picking ripe vegetables, and sitting on the porch snapping green beans with Grandmother. Nothing smells or tastes like fresh vegetables that you’ve picked that morning. There is nothing in the best gourmet organic supermarket that can compare; no commercially grown food rivals what you can grow in your own backyard, or in pots on your porch.

And if you’ll allow me to step up on my soapbox for a moment, I think this is one of the things that’s wrong with the world, or at least with the U.S. So many people now grow up without knowing what food looks like, let alone tastes like, before it’s processed into oblivion --- no wonder our national nutrition is so awful.  So do yourself a favor this summer: if you have a yard, or a sunny spot where you can put a few containers, plant something. And if you can’t plant something, take a little extra time on the weekend and do your veggie shopping at a farmer’s market. Here are two links to help you find a local farmer’s market:

Agricultural Marketing Service

Local Harvest

If you’d like to try your hand at turning your thumb green, start with container gardening. Containers are easy to relocate and care for; you won’t need to weed; and you can control the soil type handily. Herbs grow extremely well in pots; they’re beautiful, fragrant, and very hardy, needing little care. And fresh herbs (pick ‘em first thing in the morning for the best flavor) add so much to your cooking!  Tomatoes and strawberries do extremely well in pots. There are miniature varieties of cucumbers that also are great container plants --- I grew some last summer and soon had more than I could eat or give away. Other plants that do well in containers include peppers, lettuces, squash, green beans, radishes, and green onions. Check out this website for more information about container vegetable gardening.

If you’ve got even a little space in your yard, you can grow quite a lot. I have a fairly small raised bed that I put in an otherwise useless side yard. I am a haphazard gardener; I plant whatever I think I’ll like and let it duke it out for space. What grows, grows. It works very well, mainly because I filled my bed with excellent soil and add a rich compost and more soil once a year. I have very few weeds and the yield is quite good for a garden of this size. Except for the annual relocation of marigolds, I have very little work to do, and can enjoy fresh veggies well into the late fall. But if you want to get all fancy about it, check out Square Foot Gardening.

My little garden is already starting to yield its bounty. This year I’ve planted yellow crookneck squash, zucchini, cucumbers, several varieties of tomatoes and peppers, fennel, and Swiss chard. I also have cherry tomatoes, red okra, and cukes coming back from last season; along with the Immortal Herb Corner (you can’t kill ‘em!). The squash, zucchini, and peppers are already setting fruit --- just in time for the grill! I like to sprinkle them with olive oil, salt and pepper. They need nothing else. But if you want to get fancy, try some herbs de Provence.

Summertime is pesto time. I love making (and eating) fresh pesto.  I make a lower-fat version simply by substituting water for some of the olive oil, and I don’t put cheese in mine, although some people do. I also don’t really measure; I just put stuff in until it looks like the right consistency. But for you, I’ll try to guessitmate:

FRESH PESTO

¾ cup pine nuts
1 bunch fresh basil
2 cloves of garlic (more or less depending on your taste; I like it fairly garlicky)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Water as needed
Salt as needed

Grind the pine nuts to a rough paste in a food processor. Add basil leaves and garlic; process until smooth. Leaving the processor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil, and then water until desired consistency is reached. Add a little salt) and adjust for taste(be conservative; as it sits the flavors will “marry” and become more intense).

One of my newest, most favorite uses for pesto is on grilled eggplant. If you don’t have a grill, you can just as easily do this in the oven.

GRILLED EGGPLANT

Slice an eggplant in ¼ inch thick slices, leaving the peel on. Brush both sides with pesto. Grill (or broil) until tender (1-2 minutes each side). Add a little more pesto and top with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Return to grill (or broiler) until melted.

Bon Appetit!

Comments

[sop2mezzo]

When I was at my parents today for Mom's day, I read an article called the Amish Cook in a local rural newspaper. The article was all about the fresh veggies, the beautiful harvests, the great untouched outdoors...

It went on to list a recipe for a noodle casserole that included pre-packaged noodles, ground beef and condensed soups (multiple flavors.) What the heck?!?!

The eggplant sounds like a killer dish for this week :) I'm making it!