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!  

Kale, peach, corn and feta salad

This was a blogluck contribution that I thought turned out super tasty. The combination of veggies and fruit are not something I would ever have come up with...peaches, on salad?! The flavors were amazing together though, and it is another raw kale option that tasted really nice and fresh and substantial. I think this is especially perfect now, when the peaches are just ripe and the corn is fresh off the cob.

I found the original recipe at a new blog here. Her directions are a wee bit vague though, and I made a larger amount. My measurements are below, but see hers if you want to make a salad for 2 or 4.

Serves 8
2 large bunches kale
1/4 c. sherry wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 lemons, juiced
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. cilantro
salt
1 red onion
4-6 ears corn (depending on size of ear, mine were really small, so I used 6)
4 ripe peaches
1 block salty feta

1. Remove stem from kale and chop into bite size pieces.
2. Mix vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil and cilantro. Add salt generously. In a large salad bowl, mix kale with dressing and stir well so that all greens are coated.
3. Sliver the red onion and add to salad.
4. After cooking the corn, remove kernals and add to bowl, along with peaches. Top with crumbled feta.

This salad seems to get more tasty the longer it marinates. I recommend making it at least an hour in advance.

vermicelli salad.

just so you all don't think that all i do is bake and never eat actual food...here's a recipe from the rebar cookbook. i was craving something fresh and summery and this really hit the spot.

dressing:

1 cup hot water

4 tbsp brown sugar

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 tsp sriracha sauce

4 tbsp fish sauce (or substitute soy sauce)

2 tbsp soy sauce

6 tbsp lime juice

salad:

2 cups shredded lettuce

1/2 package rice noodles

4 scallions, minced

1/2 cucumber, sliced

2 carrots, grated

2 tomatoes, chopped (i left these out because i didn't have any)

4 tbsp chopped cilantro and mint

2 tbsp cashews

1. dissolve sugar in hot water and let cool. stir in garlic, jalapeno, soy and/or fish sauce and lime juice. whisk thouroughly to combine.

2. follow instructions on package to cook noodles. strain and rinse with cold water. shake excess water from the noodles and gently toss with sesame oil.

3. to assemble salads, place shredded lettuce in the bottom of each serving bowl, add fresh herbs, then noodles, then veggies, then dressing, sprinkle with cashews and more fresh herbs.

eat!