yep another post on the run. lets get the bad news out of the way.
my garage was broken into by kids...how do I know it was kids? because they took the time to rip the car stereo out and left the thousands of dollars worth of tools sitting in the open.
Germination of the in situ squash and melons has been aggrivatingly poor.
now the good news.
my wife and I celebrated our 7th anniversary this sunday. I cooked her favorite dish. Chicken marsala. Despite being an avowed vegetarian I will handle chicken twice a year. Valentines and our anniversary, with one caveat: It must be free range organic. Pricey but I'd like to think it contributes to the results. And the recipe translates well to mock chicken too. Behold
"Chick'n" "Marsala"
Dredge thawed "quorn naked cutlets" in 1 cup flour 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp oregano, 1/4 tsp salt. (I am approximating the measurements, I have made this so many times I just eyeball it now. Secondly, if the cutlets are slightly damp, it helps the flour stick.)
saute in 1Tblsp olive oil/1Tblsp butter on medium heat until both sides are golden. Throw in a cup of sliced crimini mushrooms, naw go ahead and throw in the rest of the crimini mushrooms because they are just that good. Pour in a cup of Marsala wine (white port also works very well) and cover. Lower heat slightly and Simmer for about ten minutes until the wine reduces and thickens a bit. Flip the cutlets once during cooking. If the sauce has not thickened sufficiently, add a scant teaspoon of flour and stir well with a fork to prevent clumps.
then yesterday I finally got to use the morels I found at the grocery store. Granted the joy pales in comparison to finding them in the wild, but I have never cooked with them. I sliced and boiled them in a cup of water in a saucepan for about 30 minutes, then added whole cream, about half a lemon worth of juice, some minced fresh thyme, a little salt and pepper, then let that reduce again by about a third, and added just a touch of flour. This went over angel hair spaghetti Sadly I was the only one who really liked the results but my enthusiasm more than made up for the lack from the rest of the family. My wife said the look and texture reminded her of the infamous dinner scene from Hannibal. Apparently she does not have the stomach for anything resembling brains. The taste though...was out of this world in my less than humble opinion.
In garden news, the potatoes are flowering! Time to start the green beans in the flats! My lemon tree is making more flower buds! The soup beans appear to be doing well, the black eyed peas...not so much.
Thats it. Gotta go. Take care.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Still in the thick of things
Well as can probably be guessed by my extended absence, my work life has eaten my blogging time. But as I have a spare moment right now, I'll try to hit the highlights.
1.)First pound harvested! radishes put me just over the top of 1 pound composed of radishes, lettuce and arugula.
2.) the peas and most of the broccoli are beyond hope. Something ate them, and this time it wasnt the dog. I suspect its the neighborhood cats. They seem to have mowed it to appropriate height. So in went seeds for zucchini, delicata, and waltham squash, as well as french melons, nothing germinated yet.
3.) The situation in the bed out front seems to be improving, though I definitely lost a couple tomato plants, the survivors seem to be bouncing back.
Our daughter had to compose a persuasive paragraph for school on any subject...and completly unprompted she chose:
Gardens vs. Grocery Stores
I think people should have a garden instead of driving to the grocery store. If people make gardens in their backyard they can get their fruits and vegetables from their backyard.
You can buy packets of seeds for 10 cents which would be less expensive than buying produce. Gardens can keep people on a healthy diet. If you have a garden you wouldn't pollute the air as much because you wouldn't put gas in the air. People wouldn't have to pay money for gas. Plants take in carbon dioxide. Gardens look beautiful. When people come over they would be surprised by how much effort you put into it. My dad is growing his garden.
Some of the things I think you should have in your garden are tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries, corn, zucchini, and blueberries.
Needless to say I was beaming when I found out.
In other news, The area behind the bench I have dedicated to native species has borne fruit, or rather its inhabitants have been fruitful. More specifically, baby spiders, thousands of them. Go forth my pretties and feast on beetles and cabbage moths.
Speaking of the area behind the bench, I have a lone, but alive nonetheless ginseng plant coming up.
And speaking of the bench, I give you the view from the bench a.k.a. my favorite spot in the yard, overlooking my second favorite spot in the yard.
This picture was taken about ten days ago, since then the fennel (between the wormood and valerian) is taller than the fence, The valerian has exceeded six feet, the pond has cleared slightly from the lilly pads out competing the algae, and the wormwood threatens to take over the universe.
1.)First pound harvested! radishes put me just over the top of 1 pound composed of radishes, lettuce and arugula.
2.) the peas and most of the broccoli are beyond hope. Something ate them, and this time it wasnt the dog. I suspect its the neighborhood cats. They seem to have mowed it to appropriate height. So in went seeds for zucchini, delicata, and waltham squash, as well as french melons, nothing germinated yet.
3.) The situation in the bed out front seems to be improving, though I definitely lost a couple tomato plants, the survivors seem to be bouncing back.
Our daughter had to compose a persuasive paragraph for school on any subject...and completly unprompted she chose:
Gardens vs. Grocery Stores
I think people should have a garden instead of driving to the grocery store. If people make gardens in their backyard they can get their fruits and vegetables from their backyard.
You can buy packets of seeds for 10 cents which would be less expensive than buying produce. Gardens can keep people on a healthy diet. If you have a garden you wouldn't pollute the air as much because you wouldn't put gas in the air. People wouldn't have to pay money for gas. Plants take in carbon dioxide. Gardens look beautiful. When people come over they would be surprised by how much effort you put into it. My dad is growing his garden.
Some of the things I think you should have in your garden are tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries, corn, zucchini, and blueberries.
Needless to say I was beaming when I found out.
In other news, The area behind the bench I have dedicated to native species has borne fruit, or rather its inhabitants have been fruitful. More specifically, baby spiders, thousands of them. Go forth my pretties and feast on beetles and cabbage moths.
Speaking of the area behind the bench, I have a lone, but alive nonetheless ginseng plant coming up.
And speaking of the bench, I give you the view from the bench a.k.a. my favorite spot in the yard, overlooking my second favorite spot in the yard.
This picture was taken about ten days ago, since then the fennel (between the wormood and valerian) is taller than the fence, The valerian has exceeded six feet, the pond has cleared slightly from the lilly pads out competing the algae, and the wormwood threatens to take over the universe.
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