Garden Update

in photos...

So Very Handy!

I can't explain how much I love these people. They bring me joy every day. Sometimes a long story spoken so fast I can barely keep up, sometimes a playful scare, sometimes a loud laugh aimed right at the fact I just hit the tree while swinging on our rope swing, sometimes helping me in the garden, and always a bright smile that could light up all of Good Hope. I love you Josh, Coley, and Makayla!! I am certainly not a perfect sister, but I sure am a proud one!




Josh, why won't you let me take your picture? ;)

More Herbs?

Yep. I done run out of room. So what did I do? Made more. :)

I was overwhelmed with mints and such, and I have already put several in the main garden, so I decided I needed a plot just for perennials and medicinal herbs. This is the result----





Maybe I'm enjoying myself a little too much now that I graduated....? Nah.

Drying Herbs---Oven Method

I had so much Oregano, I had to do something. :)

I figured I'd share how I dried some using our oven. Later this year I am going to try the dehydrator and the traditional air drying, but this was so very easy. Quick too.

First, early on a clear morning, pick your herbs. I gathered a few small baskets full.


Next, take your herbs and place them in a single layer on a dish. I used mainly cookie sheets. Turn your oven on its lowest setting, and place the herbs inside, leaving the oven door ajar.


After an hour or so, check on them to see how dry they are. You may have to turn them, and you may end up having to leave them in the oven for a few hours. Mine took about three. When you touch them, they should crumble. You will know they are ready when this occurs. Once they are done, you're ready to bottle 'em up. you can use glass containers or Ziploc bags, but whatever you choose must be airtight. I used glass containers.


So there ya go, a quick, easy way to put up those extra herbs.

It's gittin' there.

Strawberry Plant

Bitties

Me and Mak (look how big that blame Oregano plant done got.)

Partners in Crime
(mostly organic, raw, healthy, herbal, nutritional stuff--don't worry.)
It's such a blessing to have your Mama as your best friend!

Collards

Herbs

Bitty Beets

Bitty Borage

Yarrow

Norwegian Jaerhon

Red Broiler (doomed, bless his heart) and Jaerhon

Golden Spangled Wyandotte

Buff Orpington

" Jest git that thing away from us."

Raw Ravioli

Mama made these today and I thought I'd share the recipe. They were absolutely delicious and slam-packed with nutrients.

To me they didn't taste anything like ravioli, but I'd prefer these over ravioli any day. You'll just have to try for yourself to see how good these things are.

RAW RAVIOLI

Wrapper:
-4 turnips
Peel the turnips. Slice the turnips into very thin slices by cutting them in half and then using a spiral slicer, mandoline, or other vegetable slicer to make thin round discs. These will be used as the wrapper which would normally be the pasta dough.

'Cheese' Filling:
-1 c. pine nuts
-1 c. macadamia nuts (or cashews)e
-1 c. walnuts
-6 t. Braggs
-8 t. lemon juice
-2 cloves of garlic
-1 c. parsley
Blend the pine nuts, macadamia nuts, and walnuts in a food processor until ground. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend well, until creamy.

Tomato Sauce:
-2 large tomatoes
-1/2 c. sun-dried tomatoes
-1/4 c. fresh basil
-1 clove of garlic
-6 dates
-dash of olive oil
Soak the sun-dried tomatoes until soft. Blend both types of tomatoes, basil, and garlic until well-blended. Add the dates and olive oil and blend until smooth. The sauce should be thick.

Assembling the Ravioli:
--Remove a single turnip slice from the batch. Place a tsp. full of cheese filling in the turnip slice and fold the turnip over until all the sides meet. Squeeze the edges together. Some of the filling will ooze out , but this is what will hold the edges together. Just put the excess back into the bowl to reuse. If you don't have enough filling in them they will not stick together. Place them in a single layer on a large plate and drizzle the tomato sauce on top, allow to sit for a few hours.


If you end up trying these, let us know. We'd like to know how you liked 'em. :)

Try Violets

Do any of you have a patch somewhere on your property that looks like this?



Well, iffen you do, and before you go to weed whackin' it, there's something you need to do. GATHER the VIOLETS. Some of you may know this already, but wild violets are edible. And delicious.

This is the time of year to begin gathering wild greens. Wild Violets are very available and easy to identify. They are also extremely high in vitamin C. These plants are the perfect companion to any salad. The leaves are not bitter at all, and just the right size to toss into your bowl.


As with all wild plants, make sure you know what you are gathering. Make absolutely, positively sure it is what you are after. Don't wanna eat sumthin' that could kill ya or anything.... :)

While these plants don't have flowers yet, those are edible as well. Very pretty in a salad too. Next time you're outside, and see these, run and get a basket. Gather all you want. God has provided a large array of things that are so nutritious, while we consider them weeds. Go pick some vitamin C. Enjoy!



As a side note, I have been adding lemon and bee balm to my salads too, and oh my goodness. Very good.

Starts of Squarsh

Although I was somewhat late in planting some of my things, I am glad that I was.

Here are the beginnings of what happens to be our favorite part of my garden. I planted seven varieties of 'squarsh' this year, and would have planted more if I had the room.

Little baby squash plants--