tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61022668993108581362024-03-05T21:53:09.256-05:00Greenish Thumbsharing the thrill of the dig, the joy of the harvest, decadent eats, and profoundish musings along the way...Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232693432045335251noreply@blogger.comBlogger380125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102266899310858136.post-24504244386260805152017-12-30T12:35:00.000-05:002017-12-30T12:36:04.442-05:00Join the Chinese Kitchen Garden Community!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnqwJU1blxqvjn9StUqWRuIjq25iqXMyAaPtkWRadNEP3ZmPKt2_Oo2Z9oGN_SqyNf8JQ1UW3__PY1M1ZK1meRA5xPoLvzdZSMGrRT7RPi2PE99DRxGrisiGp5UxJpbmn86QVJjo5BG0/s1600/FullSizeRender11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnqwJU1blxqvjn9StUqWRuIjq25iqXMyAaPtkWRadNEP3ZmPKt2_Oo2Z9oGN_SqyNf8JQ1UW3__PY1M1ZK1meRA5xPoLvzdZSMGrRT7RPi2PE99DRxGrisiGp5UxJpbmn86QVJjo5BG0/s320/FullSizeRender11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/315736655607944/" target="_blank">Click to join The Chinese Kitchen Garden Facebook Group</a> where we talk growing, preparing, eating, cooking, using and enjoying Asian vegetables. I hope you learn a few things, ask questions (like about that crazy looking vegetable you saw at your international supermarket), and also share your knowledge with our community. This is also where you can post your pics of that dish you love from your favorite neighborhood Asian restaurant. The pic above is mala-spiced hot pot. Isn't it beautiful? </span></div>
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Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232693432045335251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102266899310858136.post-63299459799882263232017-02-21T20:06:00.000-05:002017-02-21T20:06:38.099-05:00Chinese Kitchen Garden Book Review <a href="http://www.wendykiangspray.com/" target="_blank">The Chinese Kitchen Garden</a>, just released by Timber Press, is now available everywhere. Andrew Weidman, freelance writer and <a href="http://www.grit.com/biographies/andrew-weidman" target="_blank">Grit blogger</a>, read and provided this very thorough book review. Hope it helps you decide whether this book would be a good addition to your library!<div>
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Gardeners are an adventurous
lot – to a point. We love trying new
vegetables, exotics we’ve never heard of before, based solely on descriptions
in glossy-paged seed catalogs. And those
catalogs are coming, if they haven’t already arrived, filling mailboxes and
covering kitchen tables even as they brighten dreary cold winter days. So we fill out the order forms or log on to
the websites, and select a new adventure, in the form of little paper packets
of seeds. Seasons turn, seeds get
planted, and crops grow. Now what?</div>
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Kiang-Spray (rhymes with
‘key-young’) answers that question, at least for Chinese vegetables, in The
Chinese Kitchen Garden. Laid out in four
seasons, The Chinese Kitchen garden takes us on a tour of 38 vegetables, some
you may never have heard of, others you may not have known are Chinese, many
with unexpected and delicious uses. Each
season opens with relevant garden tasks; among them soil building in spring,
pest and weed control in summer, harvest and storage in fall, season extension
and reflection in winter; before going on to present the stars of the
season. Each vegetable receives a
three-part treatment: general information including its name in Cantonese,
Mandarin, and Scientific notation, growing instructions, and cooking
instructions, rounded out with family favorite recipes.</div>
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Kiang-Spray’s instructions
demystify otherwise unfamiliar vegetables, taking the uncertainty out of
growing, harvesting and, most important, using these new kitchen exotics. She quickly takes the fear of the unknown out
of the equation.</div>
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So many gardening books tell
you how to grow something in intimate detail, but not what to do with it once
you’ve grown it. Not so
Kiang-Spray. She guides you through the
steps of each Chinese vegetable’s culture before leading you to the kitchen,
where she stands by your elbow, walking you through each recipe, telling you
what to expect, promising a personal taste of China. As an added treat, she shares a family secret
recipe, her favorite steamed dumplings.</div>
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Gorgeous photographs of
Kiang-Spray’s gardens, harvests, and family complement her prose
beautifully. Long beans, sliced lotus root,
and trellised luffa alternate with shots of her daughters, sister, parents, and
herself in and around the garden.</div>
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The Chinese Kitchen Garden is
not just about gardening or Chinese vegetables.
Rather, this is a book about food and family, how food brings family
together, how food can define a culture, a heritage, a sense of self, even a
bridge to one’s heritage. Kiang-Spray
weaves together memories of her childhood, stories of her parents’ lives, and
reports of her own daughters’ shenanigans, welcoming us into her world, at once
Chinese and American.</div>
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Throughout the book, she
compares her own, more ‘American’ gardening style to her father’s traditional
Chinese methods, drawing parallels and lessons from each. Be sure to read the
preface, as this is the story of her father, her mother, herself, and her
family. This serves as your introduction
to the family, and your invitation to the table. Kiang-Spray’s conversational voice continues
throughout the book, offering verbal snapshots of her home and her family. The Chinese Kitchen Garden is that rarest of
non-fiction books: a reference built for pleasure reading.</div>
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By Andrew Weidman</div>
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Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232693432045335251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102266899310858136.post-20442077000085703622016-12-30T17:38:00.001-05:002016-12-30T17:38:48.197-05:00Interesting vegetables to grow this season<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIYqzAHOpMMa4E_ufjhhQm6UMhhODgk4GtmVpxaqCZFhOJcaABT0V8DIjvbRXiuWUWlijWshwCYlflOGRmbHuMRpYdtmuNRiQvQLFh0Oj7d1N-99wiwgIsaHXzcoPe-blq3OHDY4nQyE/s1600/IMG_2665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIYqzAHOpMMa4E_ufjhhQm6UMhhODgk4GtmVpxaqCZFhOJcaABT0V8DIjvbRXiuWUWlijWshwCYlflOGRmbHuMRpYdtmuNRiQvQLFh0Oj7d1N-99wiwgIsaHXzcoPe-blq3OHDY4nQyE/s320/IMG_2665.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">Mother Earth Living is one of my favorite clean living magazines. In the winter edition on newsstands now, you’ll see my article that features a “like this, try that” approach to experimenting with new vegetables. There is growing and cooking information about Asian vegetables, but also other interesting vegetables t</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">hat would be fun for gardeners to try this season </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">such as the Romanesco cauliflower (tasty AND mathematically perfect!). Hope you can pick up this great magazine right now for spring gardening/cooking/living inspiration! </span>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232693432045335251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102266899310858136.post-17316057049058904822016-12-09T19:23:00.000-05:002016-12-09T19:23:17.789-05:00My interview on the Timber Press blog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you're a gardening friend who appreciates quality reading, you likely have some Timber Press books on your bookshelf or night table. Did you know Timber Press maintains a great blog with lots of inspiring gardening ideas and tips from experts, staff and authors as well? Check it out! <a href="http://www.timberpress.com/blog/2016/11/an-interview-with-wendy-kiang-spray/#more-20997" target="_blank">Here's my interview on the blog</a>. Read it to learn about the genesis of The Chinese Kitchen Garden and hear more about what's inside as well. You'll also find a link at the bottom to some of the many photos taken by photographer Sarah Culver. You'll love them and you'll love all the gorgeous photos in the book as well! </div>
<br />Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232693432045335251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102266899310858136.post-55755808987298993612016-10-01T12:31:00.000-04:002016-10-01T12:31:00.190-04:00Heirloom Shantung jade squash<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6u-F4NRNIox8zjpFntKlaMcJqK52-Ue4k9fqghqokO0sO2AxCGW_Fxehwz8_ev9XaRnyO6u8wiuaoXu6Q-H96Txn9Pa3ZtCd0cKjpBeT2NR7kWRzfaZIm3YlOb4ih4wnRgp48LSCyL-U/s1600/Sarah-Culver-Photography-128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6u-F4NRNIox8zjpFntKlaMcJqK52-Ue4k9fqghqokO0sO2AxCGW_Fxehwz8_ev9XaRnyO6u8wiuaoXu6Q-H96Txn9Pa3ZtCd0cKjpBeT2NR7kWRzfaZIm3YlOb4ih4wnRgp48LSCyL-U/s320/Sarah-Culver-Photography-128.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">I won't wax poetically about heirloom seeds - mostly because some people can do it so much more passionately and expertly than I can, but in short, heirloom seeds - and the gardeners that preserve them - are quite amazing. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">This is a gigantic Chinese jade squash, sitting on top of a trellis in my father's garden. It has a while to go before it lightens in color and develops lovely green speckles/streaks. He's grown this squash for the past few years and loves the tender, mild taste. Later, he'll grate the pale yellow flesh and make fried squash patties or may finely chop the squash and combine it with minced shrimp and ground pork to make his famous dumplings.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Prior to these past few years though, my father had not tasted this squash since probably the early 1960's. Shortly after that time, my father made his way from rural China to bustling Hong Kong, then finally to the suburbs of the United States where he cultivated several different gardens in the backyards of several different homes. He tried for the first time, and then subsequently grew many vegetables that a typical American gardener would grow such as tomatoes, cucumbers and summer squash.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">While my father was gardening in the United States, gardeners in Shandong, China, remained guardians of this very local heirloom squash, growing them season after season, saving seeds season after season so that one day, decades later, my father would meet an old friend with a handful of seeds to share. These seeds were saved from my father's favorite squash grown back home during his childhood decades ago. While my father may now be accustomed to tasting Chinese jade squash every fall since he's been saving seeds for a few years now, I am amazed every time I see this gorgeous thing up on the trellis from a very far off place and time. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">(cross-posted at <a href="http://www.wendykiangspray.com/blog" target="_blank">The Chinese Kitchen Garden blog</a> - please visit this blog to learn more about growing and cooking Asian vegetables!)</span>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232693432045335251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102266899310858136.post-41489298631035433632016-09-03T14:09:00.001-04:002016-09-03T14:09:49.691-04:00Mexican Bean Beetle Infestation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBCcLFWr26t-k6c3CyKA4YVWnSn9XIj8Xp9z_Oai-GoaVHpMRNwq7atOWvkfO0GUoMSiRe_sM3YrNbosiQzky5DDIq5u8dSzvw4kNDLbc2GZsmu2Poj8FE9vI9dVLn0APmK3E9x_tkqc/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBCcLFWr26t-k6c3CyKA4YVWnSn9XIj8Xp9z_Oai-GoaVHpMRNwq7atOWvkfO0GUoMSiRe_sM3YrNbosiQzky5DDIq5u8dSzvw4kNDLbc2GZsmu2Poj8FE9vI9dVLn0APmK3E9x_tkqc/s320/FullSizeRender+%25285%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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So the thing that happens when you neglect your much-loved garden for weeks, is when the weather cools, it stops thunderstorming, and you have a block of time to really do some work in there, you find a total, complete infestation of insect pests - in this case, the Mexican bean beetle. Most of the leaves on my sugar snaps have taken on that characteristic lacy look, created by the larvae and beetles chomping away - mostly on the undersides of the leaves. We're near the end of the bean season anyway, so after picking the last pocketful of sugar snaps, I figured the best way to take care of this problem would be to tear it all out. Almost every leaf was home to either pupating beetles, feeding larvae, clusters of eggs, or adult beetles moving around! I made a special effort to watch for the faster moving beetles that easily drop to the ground because they can burrow into the soil and overwinter. I do NOT want this kind of problem again next year. It all - in every stage - had to go!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clusters of 30-40 eggs, laid by adult beetles as frequently as every 2 days. Will hatch in 1-3 weeks. <br />Can be squished, but not by me!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fuzzy-wuzzy was a pupa</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feeding larva with it's black-tipped spines does the most damage to leaves</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adult bean beetle. To be thrown in a bucket of soapy water till drowned. </td></tr>
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Now, on to remove all bean plant debris where the beetles or eggs could be hiding so my garden has the best chance of being pest-free next summer. <br />
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Then later, to research early bean plants to try next year. Most of the damage done to crops happens mid-late summer, and I can try to get most of my harvests before that time.<br />
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And mental note from here on out: be in the garden more to prevent a few beetles from taking complete control! Not only could my sugar snaps have continued to produce for a few weeks, but oh, the heebie-jeebies when cleaning up. I don't want to go through that again. <br />
<br />Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232693432045335251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102266899310858136.post-54044165179102791822016-08-27T18:09:00.000-04:002016-08-27T18:09:02.816-04:00Homemade fruit leather<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaV4Y893DowEPBoimyEg_VGk_C6cmJb9owVeB-9SSXPY7qq0B4rhmc-P3gyjFQ5bJMhvBe9LbKbZJvPeNwXxuOn0A4V-mF60JDep4tD-phbhPvEYWF9vPHv61YV4bwJB6A9WWNaD_rxAs/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25286%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaV4Y893DowEPBoimyEg_VGk_C6cmJb9owVeB-9SSXPY7qq0B4rhmc-P3gyjFQ5bJMhvBe9LbKbZJvPeNwXxuOn0A4V-mF60JDep4tD-phbhPvEYWF9vPHv61YV4bwJB6A9WWNaD_rxAs/s320/FullSizeRender+%25286%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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When my daughter goes to her ballet classes, I generally go for a long run/walk if it’s nice out, or I’ll read in my car if it’s not. However, before I developed these healthy habits, I used to while away the time at the shopping strip just through the trees from the side of the studio. This is when I discovered the treasure trove of stuff at Bed Bath and Beyond. Piled high from floor to ceiling is glorious household stuff – and it’s all stuff YOU REALLY NEED. There was a point when I bought a new appliance every week – waffle iron, ice cream maker, portable heater, juicer…<u></u><u></u></div>
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Of all the appliances stored in my closet, the food dehydrator has come upon the most use. As a gardener and frequent farmer’s market purveyor of ripe summer fruits, July/August/September means a lot of delicious drying food is working its way through those dehydrator trays. A favorite? Homemade fruit leather. <u></u><u></u></div>
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You can get complicated with this, and many recipes do. You can add lemon juice to prevent the fruit leather from darkening, there are instructions for straining your mixture, you can add sugar (no!). But the recipe below is all you need to know if you’ve never made fruit leather and want to try:<u></u><u></u></div>
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Fruit Leather Recipe<u></u><u></u></div>
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1) Puree a few soft fruits like the peaches we used here.<u></u><u></u></div>
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2) Pour into the fruit leather tray – right up to the top of the fruit leather tray is fine.<u></u><u></u></div>
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3) Dry until totally leathery. You’ll know when that is (about 6-8 hours? Food dehydrators are very forgiving and you can’t mess it up!). It won't be wet and you'll be able to lift and peel it off of the tray in one piece. <u></u></div>
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4) Peel off the tray. One side will be stickier than the other. Stick that side to wax or parchment paper. That’s it!<u></u><u></u></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This flexible fruit leather tray sits on top of the slatted dehydrator below. <br />To make life even easier, place fruit leather tray on the rigid dehydrator tray before filling.</td></tr>
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Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232693432045335251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102266899310858136.post-78338708265896057792016-08-18T17:59:00.000-04:002016-08-18T17:59:00.618-04:00How to save garlic that's been in the ground too long<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I should cross title this post “How to make garlic powder” because that’s the solution.<u></u><u></u></div>
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As you see in the photo above, I had a great garlic harvest. It just happened to be harvested a few weeks too late! A combination of heavy rain, intense heat, mosquitoes, and a summer vacation was what did this garlic in. By the time I was able to dig up the bulbs, the leaves had completely dried up and you can see that most of the papers surrounding the cloves and the whole bulbs, had nearly disintegrated. I did not think this garlic would store like garlic harvested at the right time would. </div>
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In my freezer is a container of peeled cloves ready to go, and I did not need any more to be added to the already large amount. Fortunately, a Facebook friend happened to complete a project at the exact time I needed a solution for saving this garlic. <u></u><u></u></div>
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To make Linda’s garlic powder, I sliced the garlic*, dehydrated the slices in the oven on the lowest setting with the door cracked (my food dehydrator was being used at the time), and when fully dry, flaked some and powdered some in the food processor. Using my oven gave the garlic a more toasted color and flavor than Linda got in a dehydrator, but with garlic, a toasted flavor is ok with me. As you can see from the jar of Linda’s garlic chips below, her garlic retained a lighter color. Because she wanted to avoid clumping, she will store the fully dried chips in a jar and flake or powder them in smaller batches as she needs more.</div>
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I’m so excited that all this garlic could be saved and am looking forward to using my homemade garlic powder and garlic flakes in dishes throughout the year!<u></u><u></u></div>
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*I have cut garlic many thousands times of times without an issue. When I did this project, I learned something important – garlic burns! If you look at the amount of garlic I cut, and realize that raw garlic juice was on my hand for a very long time, it makes sense that a mild irritant could really affect the skin. Shortly after I finished and washed my hands, my left hand started burning pretty intensely. Intense enough to do some research on garlic burns and get to the aloe plant to use. The whole-hand burning lasted a good 20 minutes or so, but my left pointer finger and thumb continued to feel swollen and hurt for about 2 days as if I burned them on a hot pan. Crazy. Next time I will definitely wear gloves!<u></u><u></u></div>
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Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232693432045335251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102266899310858136.post-11052082159101268222016-07-19T14:59:00.000-04:002016-07-19T14:59:12.421-04:00Here's why I've been quiet - I'VE WRITTEN A BOOK!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Poor, poor neglected blog... Here's the thing, when gardening and writing are 2 of your favorite pastimes (my blog friends know what I'm talking about), the urge to blog doesn't easily disappear, but often it takes the place of something else - usually a life change - in my case, the writing of a book! If you've been following this blog, you know that I love writing about the less mainstream vegetables my family and I grow, including all the Chinese vegetables I grew up picking from the garden. You also know I love cooking and food. <br />
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I have been so lucky and thrilled to be able to put together these things to create a beautiful book I am so incredibly proud of! Though I got to include about 20 of my own photos, most of the photography is done by Sarah Culver, a magnificent artist whose eye is close to my own. Where I had the aesthetic but not the creativity or technical skill to produce the photos I wanted, Sarah was able to translate what was in my head to real life. If you love beautiful photos of the garden, you will not be disappointed when you flip through this gorgeous book!<br />
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I've also created a <a href="http://www.wendykiangspray.com/" target="_blank">website </a>and a <a href="http://www.wendykiangspray.com/blog" target="_blank">blog</a> there that will focus strictly on growing and cooking Asian vegetables. If you're interested, please check it out and "like" <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thechinesekitchengarden/" target="_blank">The Chinese Kitchen Garden's page </a>on Facebook to get notifications when there are new posts (or add to your blogroll if that's easier!).<br />
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The Chinese Kitchen Garden will be published by Timber Press in February 2017, but is available for pre-order now at your favorite bookseller like <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Kitchen-Garden-Growing-Techniques/dp/160469677X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468903536&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Chinese+Kitchen+garden" target="_blank">Amazon</a>. I'm so pleased to say that it's not even out but is already doing well! Of course for me, the main goal is not to sell books (you probably know I have a day job that pays the bills), but to share some of my family and cultural experiences with the world, to highlight some amazing vegetables you may not have tried yet, and to show off some of my mom's best authentic Chinese recipes I grew up with. I've worked really hard to make this a really rich book. Please visit my <a href="http://www.wendykiangspray.com/" target="_blank">website </a>here and learn more about this book. I know you'll love it!Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232693432045335251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102266899310858136.post-35108230875087753932016-07-15T00:07:00.000-04:002016-07-15T00:07:10.524-04:00How to keep animals from digging up newly sown seeds (bloodmeal!)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This squirrel sure seems to be enjoying the few raspberries I'm growing!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
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I'm pretty sure this gorgeous, sleek, fat squirrel is partially responsible for my garden failures early this season. While my friends are posting photos of baskets full of green beans, tonight, I sauteed up a pan containing exactly 12 beans. My family gathered around the dinner table where a plate of the 12 long beans lay straight as the tines on a fine-toothed comb. Or maybe more like a wide-toothed hairpick. Each member of my family ate his/her 3 beans - not too fast! - lest he/she be accused of taking more than his/her fair share. <div>
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What's the problem? Birds, squirrels, maybe a chipmunk...I'm not sure. When I sow a row of beans, inevitably 70% of the seeds don't come up. Sometimes it's because I'm a seed hoarder and put my faith in seeds that should have been tossed years ago. But most of the time, I go into the garden and find a frustrating little hole where I planted a seed the day before. Just a few plants make it and thus we end up with 12 beans for dinner. </div>
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However, recently, my husband went to the hardware store and came back with a bag of bloodmeal as a "surprise" for me. Whyever would you buy that, I asked??? For no other reason than, "Because it sounded like something you'd like". </div>
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I have never used bloodmeal but turns out it supplies a good deal of nitrogen and has a side benefit of repelling small animal pests. When half of my cucumbers did not come up (with the typical holes the next day where the seeds were just carefully placed), I started again with more seed and sprinkled some of the bloodmeal over the area. No digging and seeds promptly germinated! </div>
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So while we guardedly eyed each other tonight over the plate of 12 green beans, there is a bumper crop of cucumbers coming up. There will be peace once again in the Spray household and it's due to bloodmeal, a fertilizer with a name that people think gardeners would like. Well, peace again until my addictive sweet/hot pickles are made - then they'll be eye-balling each other again!</div>
Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232693432045335251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102266899310858136.post-19138264395638445672016-05-15T19:15:00.002-04:002016-05-15T19:19:53.067-04:00The Master Gardener Demonstration Gardens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Tucked behind the big red barn in Derwood, Maryland is the Montgomery County Master Gardener Demonstration Garden. I like to choose a quiet afternoon to visit this favorite spot of mine and I leave with lots of great ideas. The Master Gardeners who maintain all the well-loved bits and pieces of this demo garden are always trying new things and planting different kinds of vegetables. It's an excellent place for gardeners of all levels of experience to visit. My last visit was on the day of their bustling open house when I gave a talk on growing and cooking Asian vegetables. Good thing the speaker before me was running late because I got to take a quick tour led by my friend Erica who blogs at <a href="http://rogue-eggplant.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Rogue Eggplant</a> and also on the <a href="http://groweat.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Grow It Eat It</a> blog. Check out all there is to learn:</div>
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In this African Keyhole Garden, made with the free compost bins our county provides, a central tower is continuously fed with kitchen scraps. The compost that is created provides nutrients for the plants growing around it. </div>
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Below: a lush headstart on spring vegetables using hoops and row covers.</div>
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The cute Children's Garden below is filled with plants with animal names. </div>
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Straw bales, pallets, and plants growing inside!</div>
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Above: a lovely little pond. Below: a theme I somehow missed, but it sure is well-marked, isn't it?!</div>
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A beautiful, colorful salad table!</div>
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Below: one of several beds maintained by special groups.</div>
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The annual spring open house is a wonderful event with plant sales, casual tours of the demo garden, experts on call to help with plant issues, workshops, crafts and activities for kids and tons of giveaways like seeds and this adorable popsicle stick pre-labeled and stuck with seeds below - ready to just push into the ground and grow!</div>
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<br />Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232693432045335251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102266899310858136.post-53435763037502968212016-01-08T19:05:00.000-05:002016-01-08T19:30:56.326-05:00How to make Chinese scallion pancakes<br />
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My sister and I grew up on these scallion pancakes - dense enough to carry us through those hungry hours between after school and dinnertime, yet intricate enough to be devoured crisp outer portion first with the tender and chewy layers slowly savored.</div>
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The key to making these pancakes is not the recipe, but the method used for rolling them out. Search the web for a standard dough recipe (keep in mind this is not the Korean pajeon, which often contains different and more fillings and is not made with this type of dough). My father's savory scallion filling includes: chopped scallions, chopped cilantro, sesame oil, and vegetable oil. Keep the salt handy and don't be afraid to be generous with it. The photos below show how my father rolls these delicious pancakes. Follow these instructions to make Chinese scallion pancakes how they are traditionally done - with thin layer upon thin layer of dough and the flavorful oniony mixture throughout.<br />
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Roll out a softball-sized hunk of dough.</div>
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This fragrant mixture contains: scallions, cilantro, sesame oil and vegetable oil.</div>
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Sprinkle the pancake with salt and cover it with a small amount of filling. Roll it up.</div>
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Break into four pieces.</div>
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Flatten each piece.</div>
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Roll out one of the small balls of dough into a round pancake.</div>
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Sprinkle pancake with a generous amount of salt. Add a portion of the scallion mixture.</div>
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Roll it up.</div>
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Begin to make a coil.</div>
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Coil the pancake onto itself. It will look a bit like soft serve ice cream.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNCbUfbsYdUb6bKdK-y7POJk5IDS_aYuNRmX1HrdFObPtutdc44NMazELuq7-8MiSxBGQGXgYbsWC4Ix-NDbX-0x4vzwL9XMEuEvswO2R3KRYO3WySJvgLgiWHNGys4CtACl31BHMogCg/s1600/IMG_7796.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNCbUfbsYdUb6bKdK-y7POJk5IDS_aYuNRmX1HrdFObPtutdc44NMazELuq7-8MiSxBGQGXgYbsWC4Ix-NDbX-0x4vzwL9XMEuEvswO2R3KRYO3WySJvgLgiWHNGys4CtACl31BHMogCg/s320/IMG_7796.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Flatten this coiled ball into a round pancake, pressing with your hand and rolling it out with a rolling pin as needed.</div>
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Roll the other three the same way.</div>
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The first four pancakes are done! Now the next hunk of dough can be made into the next four pancakes.</div>
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To cook these pancakes, add a tablespoon of oil to a pan over medium-low heat. When hot, add a pancake and fry on both sides until golden. Enjoy!</div>
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<br />Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232693432045335251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102266899310858136.post-58324163397375219882015-10-17T19:36:00.000-04:002015-10-17T19:36:32.340-04:00Hainanese chicken - exclusive secret!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXUCAjRDHX_YgPmwl0o9R-46vOTaeZvEgFrOlhWT9fevr9DMAnWKWruFkeofGVLdZgJYsipvv9E3ZNAnpvY6VjuJzq-6LVSs6dcqKMCjUA4g9wEwopruUbASMN0-BI_8hBX_x919JJLpY/s1600/DSC_0135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXUCAjRDHX_YgPmwl0o9R-46vOTaeZvEgFrOlhWT9fevr9DMAnWKWruFkeofGVLdZgJYsipvv9E3ZNAnpvY6VjuJzq-6LVSs6dcqKMCjUA4g9wEwopruUbASMN0-BI_8hBX_x919JJLpY/s320/DSC_0135.JPG" width="214" /></a></div>
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As you may know, I have a book coming out by Timber Press around December 2016. I can't wait for this book about growing and cooking Chinese vegetables to come out! Inside are all kinds of family stories, secrets, and even some of my favorite recipes - including a recipe for Hainanese chicken and rice. If you've had it, you know how incredible this delicious chicken is over rice, especially with a spoonful of the savory and fragrant ginger and onion oil on top. You'll have to wait for the official recipe to come out, but I will share a secret with you in advance that won't be printed in the book...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggCVtzsC_lJAZ-qKrGvHn9VIEEIT3Q53_OY89yLtGPM2xcxjXKThwxyeVa59v2R8tnCVPP8fwv9a5b2y09d1DURb1usw3_mWXKw9XQiAWAUTCPJ96VLivD1DWsvY9hT-i-uUhaVg4fhhg/s1600/CSC_0113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggCVtzsC_lJAZ-qKrGvHn9VIEEIT3Q53_OY89yLtGPM2xcxjXKThwxyeVa59v2R8tnCVPP8fwv9a5b2y09d1DURb1usw3_mWXKw9XQiAWAUTCPJ96VLivD1DWsvY9hT-i-uUhaVg4fhhg/s320/CSC_0113.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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My mom's Hainanese chicken is rubbed with salt and sits in the fridge for a couple of days. Since we have to do all that waiting, she tends to prepare 2 or even 3 of these chickens at a time. <br />
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This chicken is cooked low and slow by simmering and then steeping in a pot of water. The result is a whole chicken with the most ridiculously tender texture you've ever had.<br />
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Here's a secret: after steeping the chicken, my mom actually saves the broth for cooking another chicken. And then sometimes, she saves the broth for cooking yet another chicken! As you can imagine, this broth gets better and better over time and each chicken ends up being more and more flavorful.<br />
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Today, I was doing a final test on this recipe before it's submitted to my editor and I cooked 4 chickens in this pot! Now I'm just trying to figure out how I might savor this super concentrated broth. I may use some to cook the rice that will be served alongside my chicken. I may treat it as a base for my favorite chicken and dumplings recipe. I may freeze in small amounts to use as recipe starters. Or I may just keep the whole pot safe in the freezer for those unavoidable winter colds. No doubt it will make a really powerful chicken soup cure.<br />
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While this secret will not be included in my book, the book will be chock full of many other interesting tips and tricks, and I can't wait to share it with you!Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232693432045335251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102266899310858136.post-86579212197019345322015-08-12T22:42:00.000-04:002015-08-12T22:55:52.686-04:00Roasted Tomato Sauce Recipe (and Bonus Bloody Mary Mix Recipe!)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiE1IettyV2PU3eKOrlnBpfjG4bun3fd46pqZDKFa6zfJJIEcjwKMtYcR_bTh6WpCoMHE0nNgfpHvt09VDJavPKpQGFQZ60HREupDlROzV6tITI_zNg6cMknuST5jsvz8e36yHtrde5nQ/s1600/DSC_0042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiE1IettyV2PU3eKOrlnBpfjG4bun3fd46pqZDKFa6zfJJIEcjwKMtYcR_bTh6WpCoMHE0nNgfpHvt09VDJavPKpQGFQZ60HREupDlROzV6tITI_zNg6cMknuST5jsvz8e36yHtrde5nQ/s320/DSC_0042.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roasted tomato sauce, ready when I need it. A great use for all those summer tomatoes!</td></tr>
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Like other backyard gardeners, I wait long weeks through most of the summer for those first ripe, sun-warmed tomatoes. But truth be told, there are only so many fresh tomato tastings, BLT sandwiches, and caprese salads a moderate tomato liker such as myself can handle. <br />
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On my first post-vacation harvest, I came in with a shirtload of our favorite heirlooms, the Cherokee purple. Far too many for BLTs...however, just the right amount for a batch of roasted tomato sauce!<br />
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Within an hour, these just ripe tomatoes, gently unloaded from the bottom half of my shirt were transformed into a couple of generous portions of sauce that I froze and will certainly thank myself for on some future busy weeknight.<br />
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And an instant gratification bonus for my smart planning and thoughtful food preservation? A homemade bloody Mary unlike any bloody Mary you've had. Keep reading...<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Roasted Tomato Sauce Recipe</span><br />
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8 med-large tomatoes<br />
6 or more cloves of garlic<br />
a pinch of salt<br />
a tiny pinch of pepper<br />
a tiny pinch of sugar<br />
a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil<br />
optional: fresh or dried herbs such as basil or oregano (I generally leave the herbs out so I can customize later on according to what I'm using my sauce for).<br />
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle olive oil in a large baking pan. I usually end up using a couple of pans to contain all the tomatoes. Evenly sprinkle salt, sugar, and pepper in the pan. Cut tomatoes in half (<i>I don't like too many seeds in my sauce, so I squeeze the seeds out into a strainer set over a bowl. The juice that strains through becomes the base for my bloody Mary. If you don't mind seeds and have no interest in the excuse-to-drink-early-in-the-day cocktail, you can skip this step</i>). Place tomatoes cut side down in the pans. Throw the garlic cloves in with the tomatoes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltE-_mO4335pzb66qX_ZrFh1eQ0rFMIY4hrO59yo4GHsjqCxNHvTT1tAyoesuutSPm83ieOCDoYHnYAoPAYguL5aqAEoY7L3X6fl-Y9BfXx5G6lqn2lX_ttsEFE5PcWFSb3lU62bmNF4/s1600/DSC_0036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltE-_mO4335pzb66qX_ZrFh1eQ0rFMIY4hrO59yo4GHsjqCxNHvTT1tAyoesuutSPm83ieOCDoYHnYAoPAYguL5aqAEoY7L3X6fl-Y9BfXx5G6lqn2lX_ttsEFE5PcWFSb3lU62bmNF4/s320/DSC_0036.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Halved Cherokee Purple tomatoes ready to go in the oven.</td></tr>
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Roast in the oven for about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Pull off skins and break up tomato chunks with a fork or potato masher. Reheat if using, or pack, label, and store in the freezer. <br />
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*** Often, the tomatoes will release a lot of juice while cooking, making the sauce too thin for my liking. I will either pour off some of the liquid (which I could use for another purpose like as a soup base), or I'll mash the tomatoes as usual and then cook the sauce down a bit to thicken it up.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELapjNrBqgv_Q-JqA03qUy5ftl8h7J8fUz-01tqMH5iux6vRMcVGA_YYRWnm4SWpQBm9pxAhyphenhyphen2045aMn9WepDkbuuaHgXrRZ6_RkBdDXTufnmihLUCiUS8-LGK-u3nUhTaIza_1q4IDs/s1600/DSC_0043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELapjNrBqgv_Q-JqA03qUy5ftl8h7J8fUz-01tqMH5iux6vRMcVGA_YYRWnm4SWpQBm9pxAhyphenhyphen2045aMn9WepDkbuuaHgXrRZ6_RkBdDXTufnmihLUCiUS8-LGK-u3nUhTaIza_1q4IDs/s320/DSC_0043.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fork-crushed and ready to go! Puree with a stick blender if you prefer a more even texture.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Brie's Bodacious Bloody Mary Recipe</span><br />
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No part of this process goes to waste! With the tomato juice that I've strained into my bowl, I end up with one perfect portion of the base for one of my favorite cocktails (I just add a few ounces of vodka). While I just make a single serving of my friend Brie's bloody Mary mix, she is a huge tomato grower and mixes up zillions of mason jars full of the stuff - chilled on ice and ready to add merriment to an annual summer bash she throws. She knows her bloody Marys. Here's Brie's recipe below for a big invite-your-friends sized batch of the mix. Haven't tried her spicy tomato juice yet. I'm saving that one for after this weekend's pepper harvest!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-8sAdigQynGLlMtLItMrh1lrYRs0DYcdagJVoY6ATVQBZrYPZt9TLv99d0R0FHfJ0LjMcHsMwyp4eLdjWMMqna4BiVQ7Q-59uFkPJDTLLfkA3QG1YGU01XuemKxm_E4uE4u3JuG_Eu8/s1600/DSC_0035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-8sAdigQynGLlMtLItMrh1lrYRs0DYcdagJVoY6ATVQBZrYPZt9TLv99d0R0FHfJ0LjMcHsMwyp4eLdjWMMqna4BiVQ7Q-59uFkPJDTLLfkA3QG1YGU01XuemKxm_E4uE4u3JuG_Eu8/s320/DSC_0035.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I squeezed the seeds out of my tomato halves and ended up with this jar of juice. It's ready to use in the freshest, lightest-yet-most-flavorful bloody Mary I've had! Thanks for the recipe Brie!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLfqkqSC9-CRTNtAIx5331lKFPoXDDKVh2_6edHg7EyMkyfohyphenhyphenahL2tVInkI5OzCD2WXrTAlFHWuExvQ60grMAiRNuk4LPivWzRxhckXx90HkfVplfRB9dYYkEq9NvMXweOW-LkK-iieI/s1600/11845973_10153109054127549_166324728_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLfqkqSC9-CRTNtAIx5331lKFPoXDDKVh2_6edHg7EyMkyfohyphenhyphenahL2tVInkI5OzCD2WXrTAlFHWuExvQ60grMAiRNuk4LPivWzRxhckXx90HkfVplfRB9dYYkEq9NvMXweOW-LkK-iieI/s400/11845973_10153109054127549_166324728_n.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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<br />Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232693432045335251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102266899310858136.post-69503453085749527892015-06-01T21:51:00.000-04:002015-06-01T22:42:08.809-04:00A fateful string of events<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfyTp5QkrPqXatwj7ryWYwOdR1E71kPJePu92GGxvS8JHs3Xa-VpJbmfskNaEhtyQawSnKsj8oudUaMbECu7QM2n2MJqAz9vQN1KUcJCqFeN-ZrB3eETutEGLXJYY199fhI2khOGFjKY/s1600/DSC_0225+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfyTp5QkrPqXatwj7ryWYwOdR1E71kPJePu92GGxvS8JHs3Xa-VpJbmfskNaEhtyQawSnKsj8oudUaMbECu7QM2n2MJqAz9vQN1KUcJCqFeN-ZrB3eETutEGLXJYY199fhI2khOGFjKY/s320/DSC_0225+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: start;">About 10 years ago my father brought home a few white geese. A short while after that he drove hours to southern Virginia to pick up a pair of Chinese geese.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: left;">These geese live a peaceful, good life with a safe shelter to rest in at night, and eight acres to roam during the day.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: start;"> A little while later my father began raising ducks and after that came the chickens. My father is not a dog or cat guy but apparently he does keep pets. As a pet caretaker this means spending a small fortune on food and many hours weekly improving their habitat (like collecting pine needles for their shelter, building and cleaning a large chicken coop, and feeding the ducks special leafy green treats from the garden). Many evening hours were also spent taking care of predators in a way people in the country need to take care of predators.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: start;">After about a decade of keeping these animals, and with it, the intense care and work it requires, he's decided to give it up. Perhaps it was this past harsh winter of endless below 0° days and having to trudge through snow and ice to feed the animals daily that helped him reach this decision. Perhaps it was turning 70 and realizing there are still more than enough chores on his property to keep him busy enough, without the animal care. Either way, he decided that by the end of this year he would give up all the ducks, geese and chickens. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: start;">The next question was, where would they go? He had just started talking to some friends and acquaintances and found some places to bring them, but he suspected that his beloved pets would not be taken to new homes to live the kind of life they had at my father's house. They would be "taken care of" in a different kind of way. My father has had the older generation of geese for a decade. As you can imagine, the thought of this made his heart ache. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1MHeizbmiKY1HGVRBctaOxo0wyIyJhcK1A-_wk-vbx_XKmjH3tANyhFquwgD8GMAV3LkvhDXeAkwyavk-tIokk22c4bwJSqVZDKJYTu_Vb7KESxR4l81ZZBpQYa4479MoVvvquFl25wA/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1MHeizbmiKY1HGVRBctaOxo0wyIyJhcK1A-_wk-vbx_XKmjH3tANyhFquwgD8GMAV3LkvhDXeAkwyavk-tIokk22c4bwJSqVZDKJYTu_Vb7KESxR4l81ZZBpQYa4479MoVvvquFl25wA/s320/FullSizeRender+%25281%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the white geese and one of the Chinese geese in the foreground</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: start;">The other day, a neighbor my parents had never met before came to their house. She told my father she had a four acre farm just a few blocks away with horses, chickens, and a small pond, and that she had a pair of geese for 11 years. The goose pictured below, one of her favorite animals, had recently lost his mate. She'd noticed a change in his behavior and she was concerned that he was lonely. With a heavy heart herself, she explained that she'd remembered driving by in the past and seeing my father's geese happily roaming the yard. She'd come to ask if her goose could live at my father's place and hopefully find some company. He told her of course he would take the goose.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The neighbor's 11 year old goose who recently lost his mate</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neighbor's goose in the water, ducks along the edge</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">After a day or two my dad saw that the new goose was not eating so he called the neighbor who came over to visit again. He told her he was concerned the goose was not going to do well if he was refusing to eat. They decided that it was a possibility the goose was not transitioning well and might need to be back at his own home. My dad then told her he actually had a plan to get rid of all of his animals by the end of the year. He asked her if she wanted any of them. She was thrilled about the opportunity to adopt ALL of them! This way she would keep her goose and my father's entire flock would move to their new home with him. In about two weeks, they will make the exchange of animals. Before this time, she'll be cutting out a bigger pond and getting ready to increase her animals by about 10 geese, 15 chickens, and about 20 ducks. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: start;">As the neighbor left that day, she said goodbye to my parents, quacked at the ducks and honked at the geese. With that, my dad knew there would be a happy ending to the story!</span></div>
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Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232693432045335251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102266899310858136.post-18912253288062630402015-06-01T18:21:00.000-04:002015-06-01T18:21:00.116-04:00Growing Chard in My Windowbox<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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While I've been delighting in watching this chard growing in my windowboxes for the past few weeks, one day recently, my husband said to me, "Those are ugly flowers growing in the windowboxes"!<br />
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Well, guess who doesn't get to have any of this beautiful leafy green?<br />
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Since I have limited good gardening space, I'm always looking for creative places to plant edibles, and I think this "Rainbow Chard" with its bright colored stems is just perfect where it's planted, don't you?<br />
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Where have you found spots to tuck edible plants?Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232693432045335251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102266899310858136.post-34891490115172198612015-05-23T09:00:00.000-04:002015-05-23T09:00:00.862-04:00How to Grow and Use Lemongrass<div class="MsoNormal">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBRpEMncuKCZPhYOrw-V5tjsTP1_YsK_ejNJmxCFWi7rkMVGZdOIkgNrrqOfL6TMguNO5e-0kEOqzrjFY7hlwLGPu89fhcNtI1nF6x-b5KBxu5zZ8DDV9BDUJ-LhMDn4x98Z2HiCxm5tI/s1600/DSC_0175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBRpEMncuKCZPhYOrw-V5tjsTP1_YsK_ejNJmxCFWi7rkMVGZdOIkgNrrqOfL6TMguNO5e-0kEOqzrjFY7hlwLGPu89fhcNtI1nF6x-b5KBxu5zZ8DDV9BDUJ-LhMDn4x98Z2HiCxm5tI/s320/DSC_0175.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A new and small lemongrass plant in the back corner<br /></td></tr>
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As a gardener with a limited area of prime, sunny gardening space, I'm
always looking for open places to add edible plants and herbs. I have done
things like force compatible vegetables to share space by tucking basil in with
large planters of tomatoes, have used neglected window boxes to grow tidy rows of
chard, and have added beautiful red-veined sorrel to empty spots in my
perennial beds in front of my house. <br />
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This year, I wanted to claim some space in the big ornamental container by
my front door for growing edibles. As someone who is not terribly creative with
ornamental container plantings, I tend the stick with the "thriller,
filler, spiller" rule of thumb and thought what better “thriller” than the
tall statuesque lemongrass.<br />
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Lemongrass is a citrusy-flavored herb that gives Thai food its distinctive
taste. It is relatively carefree in a sunny garden in a tropical
zone. In colder zones like mine, lemongrass can be grown in containers
and taken in during the winter months, or simply planted outside in the garden
and grown as an annual. Plants can be started by seed (for a far slower
start), but it is easy enough to take cuttings from a friend or find fresh
green lemongrass stalks from an Asian grocer and root in a glass of
water. Change the water every other day and roots should appear within
two weeks. When roots are a couple inches long, the lemongrass stalks can
be planted in a container or into the garden. In the garden, lemongrass
can grow to at least three feet tall and wide. The lemongrass in my
planter has already gotten noticeably larger in the past couple of weeks, but being
situated in partial shade, and being confined to a container, it won’t get too
big.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, I won't be stingy with using the stalks when I need to. And at the end of the season, I will cut all remaining
stalks and dry for use throughout the winter. <br />
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To use lemongrass, harvest as needed by cutting larger outside stalks at
soil level. The part used in cooking is the light green or yellowish
section near the bottom half of the stalk. You can crush the stalk in this section and notice
the fresh citrus scent. Tough or bruised outside leaves with no fragrance should
be removed before cooking. There are numerous cooking methods to use
depending on the dish. To flavor soups, cut into 5 inch lengths and twist
the entire length of the section or crush with a mallet or rolling pin before adding to the
pot. To add to stir-fries, grate lemongrass or crush and then
mince. For curries, use tender lemongrass sections and cut very
thinly.<br />
<br />
I love the fragrance of lemongrass and find it very energizing and
mood-boosting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is also a critical ingredient in
making a great Thai tom yum soup like <a href="http://www.greenishthumb.net/2015/05/tom-yum-soup-recipe.html" target="_blank">THIS </a>one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Enjoy!<br />
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Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232693432045335251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102266899310858136.post-84316546264267005562015-05-15T18:03:00.000-04:002015-05-15T18:03:54.289-04:00GBBD: May 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's Garden Blogger's Bloom Day! While this is the first time I've participated in probably...years...(I've been a very very bad blogger), I'm thrilled that hundreds of garden bloggers around the world are still posting photos of their blooms reliably every month. Just about as reliably as these beautiful blooms in my May garden. Visit <a href="http://www.maydreamsgardens.com/2015/05/garden-bloggers-bloom-day-may-2015.html" target="_blank">May Dreams Gardens </a> blog to see more!</div>
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<br />Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232693432045335251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102266899310858136.post-84667923009462559852015-05-15T16:43:00.000-04:002015-05-15T16:44:09.759-04:00Tom Yum Soup Recipe<div class="MsoNormal">
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Fragrant and distinct, the classic tom yum kung soup is a perfect blend of
the most common Thai herbs and vegetables, many of which you may be able to
grow in your own backyard. Don’t have it all going in your garden just
yet? All of these ingredients can be found in Asian supermarkets, and
most can be found in your well-stocked local supermarket. Not only is
this soup a delicious amalgamation of savory, tangy, and spicy tastes (if
you’ve had this soup before, I know you’re craving it now just reading about it),
it may have health benefits. Ingredients such as shallots, chili peppers,
lemongrass and galangal are touted as having immune-boosting properties.
Try it tonight or the next time you’re fighting a cold. Serves 4.<br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Tom Yum Kung </span></span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span>
6 cups chicken stock<br />
<br />
2 stalks lemongrass, cut into 5 inch sections, and bruised with a mallet<br />
<br />
1 inch piece of galangal or ginger root, sliced<br />
<br />
3 shallots, cut in half and crushed with the back of a knife<br />
<br />
4 kaffir lime leaves<br />
<br />
1 8-ounce can of straw mushrooms, rinsed<br />
<br />
2 chili peppers, chopped<br />
<br />
1 tablespoon chili paste<br />
<br />
12 Large shrimp, peeled tail-on and deveined<br />
<br />
1 lime, juiced<br />
<br />
2 tablespoons brown sugar<br />
<br />
3 tablespoons fish sauce<br />
<br />
Handful of cilantro, coarsely chopped<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Bring chicken stock to a boil over medium high heat. Add lemongrass
sections, galangal and shallots. Tear the kaffir lime leaves halfway and
add to pot. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add straw
mushrooms, chopped chili peppers, chili paste, shrimp. Add lime juice,
sugar, fish sauce. Simmer for a few minutes more until shrimp is
cooked. Remove from heat and garnish with cilantro to serve. Enjoy!<br />
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Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232693432045335251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102266899310858136.post-42545567960795641222015-03-11T12:54:00.002-04:002015-03-11T12:54:39.342-04:00Microgreen Smoothie Recipes<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Recently, I was a guest speaker at the Library of Congress. My
talk was about how to grow and add microgreens to your diet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the talk, one gentleman asked me if one
could add microgreens to smoothies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
answer is you certainly can! In its raw form, microgreens have been found to
have from 4 to 40 times the nutrients found in their mature counterparts, so definitely a
great addition to a smoothie. </span><br />
<br /><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think I expressed my opinion that it would be "sort of a
waste" to add microgreens to a smoothie, which as soon as the words left my
mouth, I realized was a dumb comment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
said this because 1) I personally love to eat microgreens in a salad,
especially the more substantial greens like sunflower greens, and 2) I like to
hide veggies I don’t love in smoothies and juices, thus adding microgreens
would be a waste. Plus, I'm just not a really big smoothie maker. </span><br />
<br /><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This gentleman said he likes to make smoothies all the
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I hope he forgives my comment
because adding microgreens to smoothies would be an absolutely delicious,
nutritious, and convenient thing to do! For him, I have found several
microgreen smoothies recipes to try. There are many out there (try Google and
Pinterest), and a reliable way to use them would also be in your existing favorite green
smoothie recipe. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><strong><br /></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><strong>Superfood Warrior by urbanhydrogreens.com</strong></span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">¾ cup chocolate almond milk</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 banana</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1-3 teaspoons cacao powder</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 tablespoon almond butter</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">½ cup ice</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 handful kale microgreens</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">3 shakes cinnamon</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><strong>Tropical Broccoli Breeze by urbanhydrogreens.com</strong></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">½ cup pineapple juice</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">½ cup unsweetened coconut milk</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 banana</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 handful broccoli greens</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1-2 tablespoons coconut shreds</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">6 ounces ice</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><strong>Avocado Smoothie by sproutpeople.org</strong></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></strong></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 avocado</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 tablespoon lemon juice</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 cup milk (any kind)</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dash cayenne</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dash salt, if desired</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">½ cup sunflower greens</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 tablespoon fresh basil</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 tablespoon honey</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><strong>The Cure-All by urbancultivator.net</strong></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">(makes a large amount)</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">¼ cup beet microgreens</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">½ cup pea shoots</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1/8 cup oregano</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">¼ cup radish microgreens</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 banana, frozen</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">½ mango</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">6 cups orange juice</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 cup plain yogurt</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Squeeze honey</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><strong>Anti-Oxidant Smoothie by urbanhydrogreens.com</strong></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 cup vanilla almond milk</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">½ frozen banana</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">½ cup blueberries</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 handful kale microgreens</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></div>
Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232693432045335251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102266899310858136.post-42001463685778906712014-12-24T22:52:00.000-05:002014-12-24T22:52:32.997-05:00Durian Ice CreamMy mom has always loved durian. With a few good Asian supermarkets around us, she's able to taste her favorite fruit from time to time. She would probably describe it as unique, rich, tropical, pleasant, and sweet. This large and spiky "King of Fruits" however, is notoriously stinky. Its taste and smell have been described by my family (and confirmed by the population at large) as similar to: gasoline, excrement, and rotting pineapple, with a texture like baby vomit. This is why in some of my earliest memories, she is eating durian in the garage, on a stool, next to the car, by herself. She was not allowed to enjoy her favorite fruit inside the house.<br />
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This year, I figured there would be no better homemade gift than to make her several pints of ice cream, starring her beloved durian. No one in my family made me go outside like we used to make my mom, but I do warn against making this recipe while it's 30-something degrees out. When I cut into the grand, sharp thing, it let out a "ppffftttt" and began releasing its intense odor. Suddenly, I had a family of drama queens running around, opening every door and window, forcing me to make my ice cream while shivering in my winter coat. But as my younger daughter said, "You made our whole house stink! You really love Popo (grandmother) don't you".<br />
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The recipe below was adapted from <a href="http://chinesefood.about.com/od/dessert1/r/durianicecream.htm" target="_blank">this </a>recipe, and uses the flesh from a whole, large durian. It is less sweet just like my mom would prefer, so add more sugar if you like a more conventional sweetness. Just taste the custard before allowing to cool and add more sugar if you like. Makes about 2.5 quarts or about 5 1-pint containers. *Most ice cream freezers only spin about 1.5 quarts. This recipe makes 2 batches. <br />
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<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Durian Ice Cream</span><br />
<br />
1 whole durian<br />
6 large egg yolks<br />
1/4 cup sugar<br />
3 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
3 cups light cream<br />
3 cups whole milk<br />
<br />
Cut open durian and remove segments of flesh. Remove seeds. Puree in a food processor. Press the puree through a sieve to strain out the stringy fibers. You will have about 2 cups of smooth durian paste. Cover and chill in the refrigerator. <br />
<br />
In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks with vanilla and sugar. <br />
<br />
Bring milk and cream to near boil over medium heat. <br />
<br />
Reduce heat to low. <br />
<br />
Ladle about a cup of hot milk mixture and whisk into eggs. Pour egg mixture into milk mixture on the stove. Stir constantly until thickened, a few minutes. Do not let the mixture come to a boil. <br />
<br />
Allow custard to cool, then chill in refrigerator or in a large Ziploc bag set in an ice bath. <br />
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When very cold, pour half the custard into ice cream machine. Add half the durian paste and spin until frozen. Remove to freezer-safe container to ripen in freezer. When ice cream freezer bowl is completely frozen and ready to use again (usually in 24 hours), spin second batch of custard and durian mixture. Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232693432045335251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102266899310858136.post-19503467423665093312014-06-08T22:28:00.000-04:002014-06-08T22:28:00.744-04:00A garden book you'll definitely need to buy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilRSQyy3cJRr23HfEQ5SAYmgplsjpOU04eJjBkVppBw1crMmOvga8en5gWZL-Cs-LD8to_nBfEJZScd0Q7IAVeY7OpAs5PbrmO40NI1bmW-GzygHqpBWjd6taw97jH44MRDzvudeQxQG4/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilRSQyy3cJRr23HfEQ5SAYmgplsjpOU04eJjBkVppBw1crMmOvga8en5gWZL-Cs-LD8to_nBfEJZScd0Q7IAVeY7OpAs5PbrmO40NI1bmW-GzygHqpBWjd6taw97jH44MRDzvudeQxQG4/s1600/download.jpg" height="320" width="256" /></a></div>
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Many of you might know Niki Jabbour's bestselling book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Year-Round-Vegetable-Gardener-Matter/dp/1603425683/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=134QEPCPYDC0Z2M2K4N8" target="_blank">The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener</a>. Niki has followed up with a new book that is truly fantastic. Appealing to newbie, experienced, or any other level of gardener in between, this book contains 73 illustrated plans for a ridiculous number of specialized gardens. I'm thrilled to say that my plan for growing an Asian vegetable garden is included. This is a book that everyone will want to own - and it's available on the shelves of your favorite bookstores now! </div>
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<br />Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232693432045335251noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102266899310858136.post-3419560601874341512014-06-01T22:18:00.000-04:002014-06-01T22:18:00.074-04:00No-till gardening<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsaOE5X0KnitZrKZnbV0iBPlxKKc1rggXpYDjTIDEn_bDLuO6lO9wRVurPiLuNTjJpBu3q3ffJzWwEEFLquSOleZbINIntDbyniJwlCJ-2FEJTvudj3u8zEjjF9mM_2HJ9SHR6EQa78Oc/s1600/DSC_0283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsaOE5X0KnitZrKZnbV0iBPlxKKc1rggXpYDjTIDEn_bDLuO6lO9wRVurPiLuNTjJpBu3q3ffJzWwEEFLquSOleZbINIntDbyniJwlCJ-2FEJTvudj3u8zEjjF9mM_2HJ9SHR6EQa78Oc/s1600/DSC_0283.JPG" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
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One of these days, I'm going to collect all the materials to build a thick and proper lasagna garden. But for now, the goal is to do take some action so that my raised beds aren't a fallow sitting duck, just waiting for any and all weed seeds to drift on in and take root. Typically, by the time I'm ready to transplant my seedlings, my beds are filled with dandelions, shotweed, and creeping charlie. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhspUyD3We3rpO-WJN4NlaNezWdttkzKEA36y4FbwRxZG45unmxbssr1l-t_vVc-fu95KiagxvjN9YU3YiDEMbALkLvLoRAQWi_ay7VlnfR3SvDVe8jKQVzqz1pOpK0A-vIkz4MjsXOQ6g/s1600/DSC_0284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhspUyD3We3rpO-WJN4NlaNezWdttkzKEA36y4FbwRxZG45unmxbssr1l-t_vVc-fu95KiagxvjN9YU3YiDEMbALkLvLoRAQWi_ay7VlnfR3SvDVe8jKQVzqz1pOpK0A-vIkz4MjsXOQ6g/s1600/DSC_0284.JPG" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
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This spring, I started by weeding the garden well, adding a thick layer of compost and manure, then topping it all off with a thick (and it needs to be thicker than it is in the photo above) layer of straw. Below, when I'm ready to plant, I'll be able to pull out the mulch and simply plop the seedling in the soil. We'll see if this method reduces my weed-pulling time and how it lasts the season! Do you "no-till" or use a lasagna gardening method? How does it work for you? </div>
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<br />Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232693432045335251noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102266899310858136.post-90213083458796900992014-05-25T22:04:00.000-04:002014-05-25T22:04:00.055-04:00Dandelion Jelly<div>
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I have a lawn. It's just not made of grass. It's about 60 percent creeping charlie and 40 percent dandelions. Though the yellow flowers are no doubt very pretty on a sunshiny spring day, once they develop seed heads, all I can envision is a lawn of more and more and more and more dandelions. Their long tap roots and ratty leaves are less than attractive to me and truth is, to me, they're weeds I spend a lot of energy pulling. <br />
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As I wandered Home Depot the other day, I walked down a quiet aisle looking for fencing options when I passed bags and bags, stacked two stories high, of product promising me a weed-free grass lawn. Oh, I know there are intense anti-lawn folks out there, and in all other philosophies we are kindred spirits, but my 60/40 mix is simply not going to do it. I got sucked in and bought a bag. </div>
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On the way home, I was thinking about the upcoming weather and trying to figure out the best time to finally eradicate all the weeds (the chemicals require the lawn to be wet) when I suddenly snapped out of it. I am not an herbicide user. I decided that if I could put the dandelions to use, I may (hopefully!) come to see the dandelions as an asset rather than a nuisance. <br />
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My older daughter and I spend a quick 20 minutes picking all the flowers we could manage to. We tried some battered and fried blossoms. Tasted like...batter. Then I made this dandelion jelly. Delicious! Just like the recipe described - like spring honey. A friend who appreciated a jar said it was fabulous on crostini with some goat cheese, the dandelion jelly, and some finely chopped fresh herbs. I'd take food over herbicide any day. Wouldn't you?<br />
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Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232693432045335251noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102266899310858136.post-16685224789347804312014-05-18T21:53:00.000-04:002014-05-18T21:53:00.478-04:00Purple Asparagus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's been perhaps 6 years and the asparagus is ridiculously fat, very tender, and on rough days, makes me feel like a competent gardener! In my raised bed, I add a layer of manure in the very early spring each year and mulch with straw as the asparagus begins to send up shoots. Aside from the that, the only trick with asparagus is patience. <a href="http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1603.html" target="_blank">Here's </a>some advice about growing and harvesting asparagus. If you grow asparagus, how long did it take before yours got really good?Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232693432045335251noreply@blogger.com7