How Does Your Garden Grow? {July 17, 2012}

This week is a very special week. Bonbon Break Media (that's Kathy and I) have launched our new magazine!

And..."How Does Your Garden Grow?" is featured in the Backyard! So please hop on over and enjoy yummy garden fast food like this:

....and ENJOY! Please share your garden links in the Backyard. See you there!

How Does Your Garden Grow? @ Bonbon Break

 

How Does Your Garden Grow? {July 10...oops 11, 2012}

My garden is being so tolerant this summer. The morning's fog hides the sun so the plant's thirst won't get the best of them. Lately I have been seeing my garden like this:

The view from my computer

And it hurts to see that the weeds are winning in some places. While on business calls, I pull and throw, pull and throw the tall thistles and toss them into the bucket and I feel like I am gaining some ground, only to come out the next morning and find some that have grown knee high. How DOES that happen?

We are now enjoying our garlic and we are still snacking on peas and strawberries. I really need to plant some more lettuce. Perhaps when I pull the peas.

I need to use our chard and kale. We do have a chard "tree" now (top right). The red stem is a nice addition.

Yesterday I roasted broccoli and garlic from the garden with sesame oil, olive oil and soy. It is so simple, yet so tasty. The kids asked for seconds. I really should grow more broccoli because we are a broccoli house. 

I did fail to report that our corn WAS knee high on the 4th of July....actually waist high, but that is only because the beds are 2 feet tall. Ha. 

It is interesting, this year we have a very TALL garden. Sunflowers. Corn. Green Beans. Even our zucchini is shooting straight up toward the sky....and the nasturtiums....oh the nasturtiums. They are BOOMING. The variegated variety that we planted is absolutely gorgeous. I know they will just become deer food at this point, but it might keep the deer away from our tomatoes. MAYBE.

Our onions are almost ready. I remember doing a rapid harvest on our way out the door to a camping trip last year. 

Last year's first onion

My sweet little onion harvester

We have little baby zucchini as of yesterday and I know to keep an eye on them or they will turn into baseball bats if I blink for too long. Get ready for the long long long list of zucchini recipes!

For now, here are some of my favorite summer posts for preserving this wonderful summer harvest.

• No Fail Pesto
• Blackberry and Nectarine Jam
• Making Freezer Jam
• Processing Zucchini / Summer Squash - Part I: Blanching & Freezing
• Processing Zucchini / Summer Squash - Part II: Grating & Freezing
• Recipe Roundup - Zucchini

AND....do you see that fancy button on the top right? That is our site. Bonbon Break. Monday is our big....no HUGE day. What an experience this has been. Please join us next week for our first issue AND How Does Your Garden Grow will be featured in the Backyard! Pictures and everything....I promise. 

So....HOW is YOUR Garden Growing?

How Does Your Garden Grow? {July 3, 2012}

Dear Garden,
Please don't fail me now. The garlic has been harvested, before it turned to mush. Our lettuce has been consumed (by us). But I know you know you are being neglected both by the weather (lots of rain and low temps) and by your caretaker who is working on her *little* project. Thank you for the strawberries, peas, lettuce, chard, kale, garlic and radishes you have offered us thus far. Please tell your gardenmates that there will be better conditions ahead.

Thankfully,

Val

P.S. I got a new macro lens for my iPhone today. Super cool. Just beware that the magnet isn't very strong that holds it on and when it pops off somewhere between the garage and the front yard, you will have to consider yourself very lucky when you find it on the third visual sweep.

How Does Your Garden Grow? {June 26, 2012}

Sunday was the big day in the garden. (I won't write about the rest of the week because it mostly involves deer and sour sentiments and this is a HAPPY post). I pulled 46 heads of garlic out and they are in drying mode. These are HUGE heads of garlic and I am feeling quite proud. The last time we planted garlic, we lost about 12 heads to rot. This time we only lost 3. That is a major improvement! They are now sitting happily in our drying rack (which I adore--thanks mom).

After I pulled the garlic, I left the leaves along the side of the bed, for what it is worth. I know there are a lot of pests that do not like the fragrance of garlic, so we will see if this helps.

The peas are incredibly plentiful and the kids are regularly heading out to the garden for snacks of peas and strawberries. THIS is why I garden.

OK, enough about the garden for a moment. Almost 4 months ago, my blogging buddy, Kathy from My Dishwasher's Possessed, and I embarked on an incredible adventure and it is all going to come to fruition on July 16 as....

Logo by Loea Design

This is my third child. Bonbon Break is an online magazine for moms by moms. We have just launched our Facebook fan page and our Twitter page, so any support you can offer would be greatly appreciated. If you visit our site right now, you can sign up for our weekly newsletter, which will send you a reminder directly to your email when we launch. 

It has been a thrilling and fun adventure with Kathy and an unimaginable source of personal growth. I am so appreciative that she is my partner and for the overwhelming support for all of our friends and family. *full heart*

THANK YOU in advance for your support and PLEASE let me know how YOUR garden is growing!

OH yes, before I go... the winners of the awesome reCap Mason Jar caps are:

Tracey

Laura

Libbey

and Rossel  please contact me with your mailing address so I may send your caps to you!

Pub Burger Sauce

Do you remember that scene in "When Harry Met Sally"? In the cafe. You know the "I'll have what she's having" scene? They were thinking about this burger with this sauce. 
I am not a burger lover, but after the Good Apple and I read this recipe in Cook's Illustrated we had to try it out. Now the burger is good. Great local beef combined with butter (Yes, this is not lo cal. You ARE eating a burger. Come on now.),  pan-seared and then finished in a 350 degree oven. Juicy? Yes. Great flavor? Sure. But it is merely a vehicle for this...

Honestly, I am at a loss for words. Perhaps I will share what happened the first time we ate this sauce. The Good Apple ate TWO whole hamburgers. TWO! And I am sure he was considering a third. So, this sauce comes with a warning. Beware of over indulgence.

And yes, another warning. The Lil Man said, and I quote, "I would have to knock my head off if I couldn't have more of that sauce". He's serious. It isn't just for burgers and the Lil Miss couldn't get enough of the "Num Num". Please make sure you make enough to avoid any bodily harm. 
Here it is ladies and gentlemen, our adaptation of the infamous sauce...
Pub Sauce3/4 cup mayo

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp chopped chives

1 tsp ground pepper

1 tsp garlic, minced

And yes, I made extra, but not quite enough according to the peanut gallery. Well go on. Make some and if you need a lovely little cap like the one pictured above - go here, if you would like a chance at a free one...follow me over here. Enjoy!