Garden Update & CSA Crate Loot #10

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Good evening, lovelies!

How are you? Hope you’ve had a wonderful Saturday. I managed to get some things done around the home front but other than that the REAL highlight was going to the farmer’s market and picking up our CSA crate. The Farmer’s Market seems to be getting busier by the weekend. I was a little later than normal and missed out on the cilantro and squash blossoms. I was early to the CSA pickup though and scored extra plums and bell peppers! wOOt, wOOt! Seriously, can’t believe we’ve enjoyed 12 crate loads so far on this locavore journey of ours.

I only came home with swiss chard and strawberries from the Farmer’s Market because between the garden and CSA crate; we’re getting lot’s of great seasonal produce. Still love to support local farmer’s though!!

Check it out!

I’m always amazed by how quickly things grow ...

the watermelons are taking off…especially this one!

Baby cucumbers… whoohoo!

Cute lil itty bitty beans, curling… do you see them… ?? adorb!

Do you think fairies play inside these magical bean stalks??!! I do! 

Our family of baby pumpkins… the first family (we think) died from heat stroke! 

Sorry the lightening is off…but it was the only time of day I was able to get out with the cam (D-40) .

Green Bell Peppers… our bells are lovin’ us of this year…they dig there home (raised bed).

What’s up doc? sorry! can’t help myself!

The kale is doing better BUTl… I think the bugs have invaded it…

some kind of black bug…worm maybe?! I’m doing my best to keep them alive tho!

Damn pests.

baby jalapeno pepper… mmm, spice! Love me some spice!

My pepper pot is going to make it after all. yay!

Mmm!  Tomato’s …

Still nursing these guys too (our zucchini) is struggling this year. The plants will bear fruit but die off…

we’ve fertilized, watered and lovingly cared for them. There is a baby zuke in there 2 actually…

and the other plants have a couple also… *fingers crossed*

This week we harvested 2 strawberries, 4 jalapenos, 4 carrots & 2 heads of cabbage!

so much fun to garden with the tots! They love gettin’ dirty and diggen’ things up, that’s for sure.

Our rooster…. formerly Lois but now named Louie.. how appropriate!

Funny how things,  happen, huh?!

CSA CRATE CONTENTS:

* bell peppers

* carrots

* 2  kinds of plums red/green

* cantaloupe

* summer squash

* butterhead lettuce

* red leaf lettuce (lettuces not pictured…put em’ away before I snapped a shot!)

* garlic chives

* tomatoes

* potatoes

* onions

* green beans approx 2 1/2 lbs!

Roma and Beef steak tomatoes! juicy and sweet! did I hear someone say salsa?

Love packin’ away organic fruits, veggies and herbs in my wonder thunder produce bags.

Makes my heart leap…

btw, these bags are organic and  printed with safe water-based inks! YES!!!

I have lot’s of plans for this haul of produce… mainly to get it into my belly…

but you know what I mean, err, well, I hope, anyway! LOL!  Lot’s of menu ideas! hee, hee!!

Support your local farmer!  Join a CSA today or find a farmer’s market near you!

P.S.

you might have wondered why my site was acting wonky by displaying old posts on the main page…it won’t be doing that anymore, thanks to @dawniemom!

Enjoy your Sunday!

Urban Garden Update, Part 2 & CSA Crate Contents #9

Good evening, peeps!

Hope you enjoyed yesterday’s front yard urban garden update!

We have a lot of ideas and still have much more work to do.

It’s a slow going process but so worth every little bit of progress.

The backyard garden is doing alright this year. The heat really interferes with growth.

It’s tough but so much of a live and learn experience.  Gettin’ there.

Today, we did nothing but tend to the garden and housework… all day long! It was totally worth it because things are much neater and tidy.

The garden was fertilized, watered, weeded and we harvested basil, two serrano peppers & more peaches. Lot’s of yummy veggies & fruit coming our way shortly.

This post is full of pics and is lengthy, SO consider yourself  forewarned. LOL!

Our Basil is doing so well… parsley, cilantro, and 2 different kinds of thyme in this bed

& watermelon would be on the left …(not pictured)

Cukes trellised … so many blossoms…fingers are crossed!

Almond trees in the ground!

The area we live in was once known for it’s almond orchards…

some still exist but many have been plowed by new development

Backyard garden…  our pepper bed on the right… (chocolate, purple, green, jalapeno’s)

The calendula flowers are starting to die out… we reworked the bed today and planted more beets and dill!

Zucchini bed having some trouble… starting to come back and turn green again

WAS yellow and had spots (possibly mold) but looking a bit healthier these days.

Will get a flower then baby zuch’s die off…so, we shall see. A little bummed about the zucchini…

anyone know what might be the problem?

Dixie out free ranging or wreakin’ havoc…

she loves to eat our tomato flowers… Grr!

The eco tot and Baby C garden is in the very front of the pic… carrots and peppers so far…

all planted by Tristan, our 3 year old himself. He works this area and waters…

Baby C proved that he liked dunking his head in the muddy water after his brother watered.

It was pretty hilarious and I wish I would have had the camera for that shot.

Strawberries halted in production but have a a couple blossoms…

*click on photo’s to enlarge* 

Hot green chili peppers…serrano’s and jalapeno’s

These pepper plants nearly died while we were on vay k!

upon my return I discovered them to be a shriveled mess.

After a little water revival they perked up some..

Not entirely but it’s looking WAY healthier.

Tomatoes! We shaded them some because it’s hella hot

& they could use a little break from the heat.

They’re VERY happy about this.

Purple kale…

living on (just barely) after Henrietta & Dixie took the liberty of helping themselves!

Asparagus, in it’s first year… the stalks fern out… pretty, huh?!

They’re some baby gus’s in the box but the first year they get to kick it.

Our 2 peach trees sit beside this box… only 1 is producing fruit this year.

I’m still leaving out our cabbage bed, carrots, grapes, apricot, cherry and nectarine tree…

phew… it’s overwhelming! LOL!

Our first Orange Jubilee Tomato and the chicks pecked at it!

sheesh!

Now onto the CSA loot… all organic & farm fresh… support your local farmer!!!

“personal” watermelon (scored 2 extra for being early at the pickup)

& a cantaloupe from the farmer’s market.

Peaches& Saturn Peaches– round (on bottom)

red potatoes galore.

Sunny, sun… sunflowers! They brighten my soul.

Olliaberries & cilantro are from the farmer’s market…

purple basil, corn (gave 4 ears to parents)

paddy squash (3), summer squash (3) all included in CSA crate.

I like to reuse the butcher paper from the CSA box and wrap up herbs in it.

Once herbs are wrapped, I allow a tiny bit of water to run through so dampen the paper…

this helps the herbs “keep”.

Kale from the farmer’s market. I promise it’s not moldy… LOL!

Oops! PLASTIC…. next wk. I need to remember to leave the green baskets behind &

remember my cloth bags because this week I forgot them… doh! The consequences:

2 plastic bags and the green baskets. YUCK!

Red onions…  which I plan to use in salsa

Oh! which reminds me… I completely forgot to edit the jalapeno and tomato pic…

visualize 4 tomatoes, a package of cherry tom’s & a handful of peppers ( jalapeno & serrano), will ya?

All tucked inside our CSA crate!

Looking forward to using up our bounty of veggies & fruits (from the garden and our crate).

Having fresh organic produce on hand makes me giddy!

Are you involved in a CSA share?

How does your garden grow?

Hope you had a great weekend!

CSA Loot & Farmer’s Market Goods!

Hola!

How is everyone, today? Hope you’re doing well. Just finished a green juice here and ready to get into action (prepping ahead for tomorrow). Going to head out to the garden and do a little happy dance and thank the stars for all the green wonder and delight.  Love summer.

Love to support LOCAL farmers.

woo-hoo!

CSA CRATE LOOOT:

Swiss Chard & Dino Kale

Carrots, Beets, Stone Fruit (peaches, nectarines, plums), Bell Peppers, Tomatoes

Zukes, Cucumbers, Summer Squash

marjoram

Refused plastic and brought my new produce bags!

Strawberries & Spinach …

Love to marry the two and eat it right up … farmer’s market fresh!

More summer squash and  a handful of apricots!

I meant to pick up lavendar but completely forget – wah!!

& the organic farmer I normally get my kale from was not there!

Farmers Market + CSA Crate = one happy mama.

Not having to step foot into a grocery store makes this experience pretty damn liberating.

AND one that note, I’m off to make to make a flag cake - gluten free/healthier version…and it’s my first attempt…

wish me luck!

Can’t wait to celebrate the 4th of July!

{Meatless Monday} Potato Garden Pea Soup With Turnips!

Happy Meatless Monday!

Hope you all had a great weekend!!

Ours was blustery and cool…nothing like Spring taking a wintery feel! Luckily, there was still some sun and it didn’t rain a single drop (wah!) but we managed to get some things done inside and outside. As a matter a fact, it prompted us to get another project started but you’re going to have to keep checking back for more juicy deets!

Last week we made a lot of homemade meatless meals from scratch and enjoyed a few green smoothies and salads for lunch and as a side with din-din.

We’ve been harvesting turnips (and beets) lately and had some Mexican squash ( a lot like zukes) in the refrigerator so I figured I’d put the two together and make a casserole using an old recipe from the hubby’s grandmother.  We made a few changes to the recipe including dropping out the Bisquick. This way it was all from scratch. It turned out yummy!

That same day, I made a turnip greens smoothie and it was surprisingly good. This week, I’m going to try using the greens in saute’ or dish. I’m really loven’ the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) crate more and more. It makes me feel like I’m cheffin’ it in the kitch using all these fabulous fresh ingredients. It truly makes all of the difference in taste.

Since it was so cold out yesterday, I figured I’d whip up a batch of potato soup. I honestly didn’t think there was such a thing as doing so but I used my Vita Mix rather than slave  over the stove. Hey, the mood was  felt right for experimenting and besides, homemade bread and butter makin’ was in in the works to go a long with it. *wink, wink*

It turned out really silky and creamy and needed more texture but the taste was wonderful. It totally worked out too…  while  looking up a “potato soup” recipe,  in the Vita Mix book, it happened to contain a “Potato Garden Pea” soup recipe. It worked out perfectly for a base to reinvent the wheel with.

Our CSA crate came with all the ingredients the recipe required except the dried rosemary so I swapped it out with some fresh dried thyme (meant to show you guys that on the vlog!). Oh, and in the latest CSA vlog I mention garden peas are sugar snaps…. nope they’re regular peas, you unshell em’ and everything. The peas were absolutely the best I’ve ever had right out of the pod. With a gorgeously green color to them.  They eventually went into the blender too but I had to taste them alone. OMG! Steamed turnips were also added to the mix. It was quite the creation and had a velvety smooth texture after being pulverized in the Vita.

Next time, I’ll add in some chunks of potatoes AND greens  for some texture. It was still a hearty meal.

POTATO GARDEN PEA SOUP WITH TURNIPS

3 baked potatoes- washed and scrubbed

4 cups of veggie broth

1/2 tsp of thyme or rosemary

1 medium red onion cut into chunks

1 cup of steamed garden peas

2 medium turnips peeled, sliced and steamed

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp of pepper

After the potatoes are done baking – quarter and place into the VitaMix along with everything else and whip it right up (about 6-7 minutes)! And for those of you, who aren’t familiar with the VitaMix when placed on High the machine will heat food up which is why you can use it to make soup. If you don’t own a VitaMix, all you would need to do is pour all ingredients into into a pot and warm. The potatoes may need to get cut up into smaller pieces, or mashed in the pot, or if you own an immersion blender, go to town! It’s really up to you. With summer a few weeks away, soup weather will be long gone. This recipe is perfect for these little spells of cold and will keep you warm from head to toe!

mmm, mmm, good!

moving on to more-yum- yum eats…

last week, we also  enjoyed homemade hippe hummus at lunch. I found a great idea at the Yummy Raw Kitchen that has the boys (included dear hubby) smiling every bite!

sorry for picture quality still using camera or crappy digital!

The eco tot absolutely loves these little hummus tostadas on our homemade oat bread (need to get post up)… which is what I’ve been calling them. lol!

He and Baby C enjoy them without the onions. My husband thought I was a genius after having his first one but I had to confess and tell him it was not my creation. He’s hooked!  We also didn’t have any sprouts like Nikki but instead added the organic micro greens we had on hand.

Yesterday, we topped our “hippie hummus tostadas” with homemade pickles (the hubby made some last week!)  and added some avocado + red onion instead of yellow. Tonight or tomorrow we’re hoping to pickle some turnips and beets and make beet kraut too!

Last night, a little meal planning went on and some raw vegan meals were included. We enjoyed a raw dish for din-din last week and I’ve decided I’ll save it for next week’s Meatless Monday!  I know, I know….it was supposed to be this week!!

Such is life in this mama’s lane… and besides… without my camera… I’m a little LOST!  (you want good rawkin’ food porn pics, right?!) lol!

This week will be different. I did a little planning this week and it’s not as hectic in the hubby’s work schedule. It’s not the best excuse but such is life in the mama lane…

Anyhoo- you’ll get the RAWESOME low down next week. Thanks for being patient.

Looking forward to a great week ahead- especially since it’s a holiday weekend in the US.

What meatless meals have you been dishing up?

Please share in the comments or feel free to jump on board and add yourself to Mr. Linky!!

OR share your recipe on RYD’s Facebook page!

CSA Goods: Crate 6 and our chicks!

Gotta luv-Community Supported Agriculture!!

I can’t wait to figure out something to do with the cherries and chocolate mint besides the obvious. 

What would you do with them?

Anyway, sorry, if I was going really fast… the boys were up from their nap and I didn’t want anyone to get upset with mama’s attention on the camera!

I didn’t mention it … but there was also zucchini, carrots and strawberries in the crate. Oh yeah!

And just so you know- our chickens are a little over 3 months now…

the 2 older ones are Henrietta and Dixie. They’re 2 years old… the other red/orange colored hen is Ruby, the black with white is Patsy, and the Arcana is named Lois!

Lois will lay greenish to blue eggs. Cool, huh!

Super excited about this summer’s, CSA experience, our own harvests and the Farmer’s Market.

Have you thought about joining a CSA?

What about visiting any local farms in your area? Our cherry farms are almost ready to open.

Do you have any farms near you?

Check out localharvest.org

There are so many reasons to join a CSA…

here are just a few:

* fresh ORGANIC food

* eat foods in season & local

* food borne illnesses are less

* support your local farmers!!!

Heart being a locavore! ‘

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