Summer Garden Update

The garden is coming along very well, considering the cold and rainy weather we have had so far.  The big bush in the back is the enormous rhubarb.  I don't have a way to eat any of it this year, but I am hoping to give some away to friends and neighbors.  It is a shame to let it go to waste.  

June 8th- the garden is looking green

The large section with the white blossoms is the strawberry patch.  There are a few tiny green berries starting to form, much to my excitement.  It won't be long until the first picking arrives!  The green beans are in front.  They are nice and hardy.  The two raised beds are new this year.  I have zucchini, spaghetti squash, carrots and assorted herbs in them.  The carrots took a long time to sprout up, but they are coming in little by little.  It is really sweet to see their little tufts appear.

I don't have a recipe today, but I am excited about my garden and wanted to share.  I am on the hunt for a fun new recipe to use when my strawberries arrive though.  It won't be long.  

Happy Summer!  

Strawberry Spring Salad

My strawberries are starting to get nice and red! It's me and the squirrels in a show-down, vying for each and every fruit. I think we are 60/40 and I'm in the lead.

I actually found out about this salad from Allison, fellow WFDM blogger. It's a simple fresh salad that is light and sweet - I found it a really nice way to finish off dinner. The fresh garden lettuce was so nice in there in this delicate, sweet way, and it is my first basil of the season! The big star of the salad though, is the blogger's strawberry-basil-lemon dressing. It would make excellent sorbet - this is such a tasty flavor combo (she does have a smoothie recipe for it). I doubled her olive oil just to make it a little more filling, and took out the sweetener (she uses 1-2 t maple syrup).

Spring Salad with Strawberry Lemon Basil Dressing

for the dressing (yield: 2/3 cup):

From the blog Oh She Glows

• 1 cup fresh strawberries
• 1/4 cup packed fresh basil
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• fine grain sea salt & black pepper, to taste

for the salad:

• Slivered almonds, toasted
• shredded unsweetened coconut, toasted
• mixed greens
• strawberries, chopped
• fresh basi, chiffonade

1. Preheat the oven to 300F. Toast the almonds for about 7-8 minutes and then remove and add the coconut. Toast another 2-4 minutes, or until lightly golden, watching closely so the coconut doesn’t burn.
2. In a food processor, add the strawberries, basil, lemon juice, and oil. Process until smooth. Add in the salt, pepper, and maple syrup to taste and process again.
3. Assemble the salad as desired. Leftover dressing should keep for at least a few days in a sealed container.