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GARDEN RECIPESDuring the short, frigid days of winter, slices of summer appear in my mailbox: the seed catalogs arrive! As I make myself cozy near our woodstove, I scan the pages, circling “must have” items like Roma tomatoes, Jalapeno chilies and Straight Eight cucumbers. I don’t stop there. More exotic offerings such as Black Zebra and Box Car Willie tomatoes and tiny gherkin cucumbers for cornichons share space on those same pages. The herbs that I’ll order run the gamut from common Genovese basil for pestos to a new strain of orange thyme and even lavender mint. By the time the garden delivers its bounty in August, we have plenty of produce to make complete meals from the garden, with extra to share. It’s not too late to get the kids involved, either. Let them grow a pizza herb garden in a container or in the ground. Rosemary, thyme and basil are good pizza herbs. If they balk at eating salads, a salad garden is just the ticket: think mesclun greens, radishes, peas and carrots. You get a bonus here. They become good stewards of the environment and much more adventurous when it comes to trying healthy foods. “Cooking” from the garden gets me through the blistering heat of summer when I don’t want to be chained to the stove. And talk about homegrown health - what can compare to a juicy bite of a ripe red tomato kissed by the sun or the taste of a homegrown melon sprinkled with sweet herbs? Basil loves tomatoes! Secrets for success.• For a longer harvest, plant indeterminate varieties of vegetables. Determinate varieties ripen all at the same time; indeterminate ripen throughout the season. • Intersperse basil among tomatoes to help overcome insects and disease and improve the growth and flavor of tomatoes. • Thyme, rosemary, sage and peppermint benefit the cabbage family in repelling white cabbage butterfly. • Plant a few radish seeds in cucumber hills to protect against cucumber beetles. Let radishes go to seed right alongside the cucumbers. • Produce and herbs grown in containers need more watering and fertilizing than in-ground plants. My garden guru and local gardening expert Ron Wilson grows everything in containers. “If it grows in the ground, chances are it can be grown in a pot, and better”, Ron states. Since I’m a country girl who loves to get on her knees and dig into the soil, I’ll take issue with that… Very Veggie Summer Supper SaladLet the garden be your guide! Top the salad with whatever suits you. Layer on a large platter or place on individual salad dishes. Drizzle with vinaigrette right before serving. To augment the protein content, add strips of cooked chicken, beef or salmon. Serves 2-3 as a main dish. 10 oz mixed greens Raspberry Vinaigrette Go to taste on this. Whisk together: Tomato Napoleons For each serving: Balsamic Drizzle Whisk together: Make a bed of greens on a small plate. Slice tomato horizontally into
three slices. Core out a small hole in the top and set aside. Put one
slice on the greens and layer as follows: Put top of tomato on second layer. Pour balsamic drizzle over. Put basil sprig in cored out hole on top of tomato. If desired, crumble more cheese and put around base. Spaghetti Squash “Pasta”Inside spaghetti squash are pasta-like strands. Here’s how to prepare this super side: First, poke a few holes into the squash. Bake in a 350 degree oven until tender, about 35-45 minutes. Meanwhile, make a simple garlic sauce: sauté 2 teaspoons garlic in 1/4 cup olive oil just until fragrant. Add a shake of red pepper flakes if you like. Set aside while squash finishes baking. When cool enough to handle, cut squash in half. Scoop out seeds. Rake out the spaghetti-like strands with a fork . Add to sauce in skillet and toss to coat. Serve with Parmesan cheese. Serves 2-4 as a side dish.
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