Garden Fuss

Today included a busy morning of sowing some of the last seeds, corms, and seedlings into the garden beds. I am so excited about the addition of more perrenial herbs to the herb section in the middle of our large veggie bed. Sorrel and lemon grass are the latest additions as well as a red cilantro I picked up from the "Friends School Plant Sale". So far so good as far as the early peas go. They are about an inch to two inches tall now. If it doesn't get too hot too fast I see lots of nummy pods in our future. Some of the seeds sown today included georgia collards, parsnips, edmame soy beans, green beans, burgundy beans, purple hull peas, swiss chard (red), turnip, kholrabi, and golden beets. The plants we put in (Eb came home from work in time to provide a much needed assist) included two types of mystery tomato plants. Which could be old german and/or chocolate cherry.(one ofthe kids lost the tags when moving to greenhouse). This brings our current tomato plant count to ...

Not 1 minute into prairie grass planting

It's taken me a few days to get this recipe typed and ready to go. I sure hope you all have survived the wait and are ready for a taste of summer? Without further a do here is the recipe. Quantina's Mango Bread Pudding with Coconut (c) Ingredients: 1 loaf (4-5 cups) old cinnamon bread (no raisins) cubed 4 slices of day old white bread 2 cups milk 1 1/4 cup evaporated milk 1 tbsp vanilla extract 1 - 14 oz can condensed milk 1/4 cup dried coconut flakes (unsweetened) 5 large eggs 1 cup sugar 2 ripe mango's diced Method: 1. Scald 2 cups milk & evaporated milk 2. Add one can condensed milk & vanilla 3.  Whisk 4 large eggs & 1 cup sugar until all sugar is dissolved  4. Slowly combine 1/4 cup of milk to the eggs continuing to stir as to temper them 5. Add egg mixture to the rest of milk (stirring so you don't get scrambled eggs) 6. Add Mango & Bread 7. Let mixture sit at least 1 hour in the refrigerator 8. Pour pudding into well buttered bakin...

Speaking of the market again, I think I need to mention again the many cheeses to be had. To nosh on a fresh curd made this past Wednesday, a fresh garlic cheese that is buttery smooth *my favorite btw*. A peppery jalapeno, and sharp sharp cheddar. That's all I had time to try today but I look forward to the smoked cheddar and ghouda which I hope to have with a piping hot smoked sausage from the sausage shop down the way. Follow the links to some of the closest markets in our area, and be sure to stop by and support locally farmed, raised, and produced products. Minneapolis Farmers Market   Midtown Farmers Market Kingfield Farmers Market Mill City Farmers Market St. Paul Farmers Market Who knows maybe we'll run into each other and fuss and discuss this whole food revolution.  :o)

Is it cold? Why yes indeed its as cool as an icebox cucumber. However, the Minneapolis famers market is still in full affect. I have just tried fresh ramps for the first time and I am so glad I didn't miss their short season I am totally a believer, Hooked like a spring crappie I am!! Tonight there will be stirfry with ramps and a curried cauliflower soup with a nice multigrain bread with an herbed cheese. All items found at the mrket for less than $20. Eb was even kind enough to buy two tomatoe plants to replace the ones we lost early in the seed starting process. They are strong healthy pineapple, and virginia sweet varieties. Oh, less I forget we also have shitake mushrooms.... Nom nom nom!
So get out there and enjoy your local market you never know what you'll find.

The garden beds are filling in with beautiful blossoms daily (tulip and daffodil that started today). I was so happy to look out the window for the mail lady to see awesome creamy tulips and abundant crocus blooms. *sigh* I just had to share pics of the fruits of last falls labor. This is the good life!

Two years ago in May J. ran into the house screaming about some strange "bug thing" that fell on him out of the tree. It was jumping around and looked very menacing and dangerous. On the outside it looked like a twig or piece of bark that just scraped off of the large oaks we have in the yard. Upon further exploration we found that it had the most beautiful purple belly that didn't quite belong on the same menacing creature with what look like pincers on both ends. To the left you will find a picture of a caterpillar in the same family as the one we found. I'll try to find the pictures we took of our back yard guest for you all, but you get the idea from this one shared from bugguide.net . What we did was submit pictures and a description of our caterpillar to bugguide.net and whatsthatbug.com . After almost two years we have gotten answers to a question that plagued us. We didn't know if the caterpillar was a new species and invasive or poisonous so any news was...

Pollo picata with Elotes, refried beans, guac, and a berry smoothy...... Enough said now let's eat!