Category: Recipes

Ways to use food from the garden

Everyday Life…What To Do With Great Deal on Fresh Veggies 

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I did not get to plant near as much as usual in my gardens this year. Thus, I am always looking for a good deal on fresh veggies. This weeks find was cauliflower and Brussel sprouts. 

A great find is only good if you know how to use it.  Although you can just steam pretty much any vegetable, that can be a bit bland and when you have an abundance, it helps to have a variety of ways to use it. Today I decided to roast both veggies together. 

Fresh veggies need to be cleaned and cut to size for use. This will leave you with a bit of scrap but no worries! Compost is the way to deal with that. This is my compost bin which I bought before my kids were born. If you have read many of my blogs you will know they are grown, so that’s a long time. It was a very worthwhile investment.

The recipe: 

  • Fresh Cauliflower and brussel sprouts 
  • Olive oil to taste 
  • Salt to taste, optional-I do mine without salt 
  • Garlic powder to taste 
  • Pepper to taste-I use black pepper corns 
  • Onion powder to taste 
  • Parmesan cheese to taste, optional for topping 
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F 
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper 
  3. Place cleaned veggies on the baking sheet  
  4. Glaze with olive oil 
  5. Top with garlic powder, pepper, onion powder and salt if desired  
  6. Roast for 30 minutes  
  7. Remove from oven and top with parmesan cheese if desired 

If the only way you have ever had brussel sprouts is boiled to death and you don’t like them, I don’t blame you! At least give this a try. You can use this recipe on a variety of veggies such as broccoli. It will also work with frozen veggies. Just cut the time in the oven to 20 minutes. 

Rose Petals Another Small Step Towards Foraging

A few years after we planted “Papaws” climbing rose I began collecting a few petals from it. I love the smell of roses, and these had a unique smell to them. For a long time, I just used them as a potpourri. Eventually my curiosity convinced me to look up other uses for rose petals. There were so many, and it was a shame not to use them for something.

The first thing I tried was tea. Several articles I read mentioned that rose petals were high in vitamin C and antioxidants. Beginning by adding them to the tea I already made for my sons we decided to try it. I figured it certainly wouldn’t hurt to add a little vitamin C to their diet. Especially when they were under the weather. The rose petals also added a wonderful flavor to the tea, meaning they were more apt to drink all of it. Often, I now make tea with just rose petals, inhaling the steam. I not only like the taste, but I also love the smell of those roses.

To make tea all you need to do is gather the petals and steep them in boiling water just like you would a tea bag. I dry a lot of the petals and then store them in glass jars for use when the roses aren’t blooming. You can use a tea ball, or you can just use loose petals and strain your tea into another cup. If it is not sweet enough just add a little honey. 

Eventually I decided to try infusing rose petals in coconut oil. I am allergic to so many store-bought skincare items that I had begun using plain organic coconut oil on my face. It really helped my skin maintain balance, not too dry but also not too oily.  I kept reading that rose petals are good for the skin.  I have used this ever since. Last year when my husband was so sick, I let go of self-care much more than I should have to spend all my time caring for him. Although I felt it was necessary at the time, I can really tell the difference from letting myself go. So, I am getting back on track now.  The jar to the right is ready to warm and strain.

This is how I make my rose petal oil:

Rose petal infused oil 

Choose a carrier oil. I used coconut oil, but you can use olive or almond oil. Crunch rose petals into a jar and cover with oil. Add the lid then swirl just enough to coat the petals without shaking. Warming the oil will help release the scent from the rose petals. I use a coffee cup warmer or set in the sun until warm. Let it sit for 4-6 weeks in a dark cupboard. After it has sat long enough, warm the oil and then strain out all but a few of the petals. 

Finishing Up Several Things Before Cold Weather Hits

Freezing cabbage for winter

If you end up with more cabbage than you can eat before it goes bad, freezing may be the way to go for you. Sometimes I make sour krout but I did not have enough to be worth doing that this time. We use cabbage in several dishes, such as Vegetable soup, Minestroni and with Mulligan Stew (sausage, potato, cabbage and carrots).

  • First thing to do wash and cut the cabbage the size you want it. Fill the steamer basket with the chopped cabbage. The bottom pan needs about 5 inches of water. Turn the fire on low so the water can start heating while you are chopping up the cabbage.
  • Then set the steamer in the bottom pan and turn the heat up medium high just long enough to wilt the cabbage, about 15 minutes should do it.
  • Next put the steamer in the sink and run cold water over it to stop the cooking process. If you skip this part the cabbage will continue to cook and will end up mushy when you unthaw it for cooking.
  • After cooling the cabbage put a serving size in freezer bags. How big of bags and how full you fill them depends on the size of your family and how many you are cooking for. I used gallon bags and filled them about 3/4 full. Flatten the bags and lay them flat in the freezer. This makess them easier to store and they will thaw quicker when you are ready to use them.

Bathtub Remodel

While I was working in the kitchen, Charles was working on the master bathroom. He is hooking up a tub with a whirpool. We both have disabilities, but we refuse to give up on our activities. The whirlpool should help with the arthritus and his leg that was broken in several places back in 1975. I can’t wait until I get to try it out. When it is finished I will post a follow up.

Find Our Recipes: How We Use What We Grow

Using what grow

Scroll down until you see this page list on the right side. The “Everyday Life” page will show some of what we do with what we grow and a few recipes. Several recipes are listed under that page. More will be added through the winter as we use things we have stored or preserved.

  • Irish Pototo Soup
  • Roasted Chicken
  • Sweet & Sour Cole Slaw
  • Taco Salad
  • Vegetable soup
  • Chili
  • Apple Crisp
  • Pickled Beets and Eggs
  • Pea Salad
  • Pizza Pasta
  • Banana Nut Bread

If you have Questions or a recipe you would like us to add, leave a message in the comments.

Christine

Frost Warning Calls For Our Final Harvest

We got a frost warning for tonight or tomorrow so today I went out and picked the last of the tomatoes and bell peppers. That is all we had left this this week. No sign of the pests we sprayed, so if it decides not to frost, we may get a few more. The red lettuce is almost gone to seed so hopefully a few more days and I will be able to collect the seeds for next year. After bringing everything in, it was time to start working on using more of our fresh veggies.

Cole slaw, sweet and sour style was as far as I got. If you ever need to chop cabbage for anything this handy little chopper is the best. I had never seen or used one until I met my mother-in-law. She made and canned or froze everything you can imagine. I don’t use her recipe because my family likes this one better, but her methods worked better than any I had tried. I learned a lot from her.

For sweet and sour Cole slaw I just use cabbage and carrots. Some people like to add other veggies like radishes, so if you like other veggies add them and shred everything. For a large bowl like this one cabbage and two large carrots. After shredding add 3/4 cup of sugar (I use organic) and one cup of white vinegar. Let it sit over night. For my dad this was it, the way he liked it. Most of the rest of my family add a couple large tablespoons of Miracle whip. As are almost all of my recipes, this is adaptable to your taste. Add more veggies or use red cabbage more or less sugar and the same with Miracle whip or Mayonnaise if you like that better. I am big on adjusting recipes to suit my family’s taste, so try different ways until you find your favorite combination.

Comfort Food For a Cool October

Comfort food an a cool October day

Cooler weather this week means it is time for some comfort food. Spread butter all over it and add some seasoning. Just sprinkle a little Pepper, Garlic and onion powder. Make a tent with the foil so it keeps the steam in but does not touch the chicken, so it leaves the butter and seasoning in place. Put it in the oven and slow roast at 250 for a couple hours, pull it out to baste every half hour. The pan in the back is for stuffing. Add a little of the liquid from the chicken to the pan, to flavor the dressing. After two hours Remove the tent and turn the oven up to 350 to brown the chicken for about 45 minutes to an hour..

We are having cornbread & herb stuffing with mushrooms, macaroni & cheese (for our son) and beans with onions along with this chicken. Yummy!