It's Harvest Time

Walking out to the garden to see spots of red makes me smile!  Ahhh, it's harvest time.  My Beefsteak tomatoes are almost ready--2 are pink, and my Romas are exploding:

One lone green tomato dropped when I tugged...fried green tomatoes are tasty, too!

Not a bad harvest for June in San Diego!  So, now to decide which yummy recipe I plan to make with these juicy treats.  Perhaps....

Gazpacho

Or a tomato & olive salad

 Caprese salad sounds great, too

Or maybe I'll just toss them with pasta!

Decisions, decisions!  Fabulous decisions to make! ;o)  Hope you are enjoying your garden this season, too!

Quick Additions to the Garden & Taco Salad

Whoops, I almost forgot zucchini & cucumber to my list!  And, I also picked up a pot of chives and marigolds, because they tend to ward off bugs for their neighbors. Now, I will be checking daily for signs of life!

We put in drip irrigation straight from our hose spout.  I have 12 sprayers and 3 areas with soakers.  This was the first time I saw soaker attachments to the drip lines. I am wishing I would have marked my seed lines, but oh well!  They'll come!  Once they do I think I'll plant more lettuce.  We have been going through it rapidly.  If it is a shady spot lettuce can last awhile in San Diego summers, but is best in fall and early spring.

On our dinner plate tonight...Venison Taco Salad & Margaritas!
Taco Salad

1 lb ground venison, browned
1 chipotle, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1 can pinto beans, drained (we like the Ranch-style)

• Brown above ingredients together in a skillet, drain off excess fat

Salad
4 cups lettuce, torn
3 roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro (I love it, but you can change this to suit your tastes)
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

• Mix together. 

Vinaigrette 
1/2 lime, juiced

• Yes, that's it!  Squeeze lime over salad and season with salt.  Make a well in the center and add in meat mixture.  

I opted away from chips (mainly because a bag will just go bad here and I have tortillas on hand from San Antonio, so I just whipped up quesadillas to serve on the side).

Enjoy!

Garden Hiatus

What could possibly be more therapeutic than gardening?  Ahhh, the feel and smell of fresh dirt.  The knowing that soon cute sprouts will be popping up and making new life.  And the satisfaction that my produce will be far less pricey than the store-bought variety!  Pure pleasure!

Tonight I decided to take a break from my writing and studies and RELAX!  I had prepped my garden spot a couple weeks ago, but have not been able to commit time to dig and sow my seeds.  I felt guilty just thinking about it.  One of my garden areas is already established (I got to it before the chaos began).  In that spot I have:

• Beef Steak Tomatoes (they survived the winter!)
• Roma & Grape Tomatoes (gifts from my compost)
• Basil
• Thai Basil
• Parsley, curly & Italian (I enjoy both!)
• Lemon Thyme
• Romaine Lettuce
• Rosemary
• Mint (in a POT)
• Lavendar
• Bell Peppers
• Jalapenos

Tonight I planted the following (so excited!):

• Purple Carrots
• Beets
• Mizuna (I have recipes for this great green, too) 
• Pole Green Beans
• Purple Lettuce
• Golden Carrots
• Cilantro
• Fennel
• Mammoth Dill
• Varieties of Sunflowers (so pretty cut and they feed my finches!)

We'll see how my garden grows!  Send me well wishes and love for my babies.  I'll be sure to whip you something up with my bounty if you come for a visit!   I hope you decide to plant your garden.  My book of choice is Mel Bartholomew's Square Food Gardening and my favorite helpful website is the classic Farmer's Almanac.  

Cheers to Dirty Nails~

Wendy Jo

Homegrown Goodness

Have you ever considered taking some seeds, a little dirt, water, and lots of love to grow your own lettuce?  Lettuce is a great winter crop throughout the South and the West.  It also has to be one of the simplest things to grow, too!  Once you plant your seeds, and the leaves begin to grow you can simply cut off the ones you want and leave the rest to grow.  I cut them at the base and leave the root in the ground, and wait for next week when I have a new batch!!  They definitely grow fast and produce a lot.  Growing lettuce yourself not only saves you money, it also alleviates part of the concerns with foodborne illness (see previous post). Here's my batch from tonight...

Blogfest--Dietitians Can Help Your Garden Grow

Every spring I pick a special spot in my yard to plant my garden. For me, it's almost like a "nesting." I ruffle my feathers, lay my soil, drop my seeds, provide the sun's warmth, and watch my babies grow! It's truly spectacular. This year I decided to try something different.
Of course, I went through the process of finding the perfect spot, but in my California yard I don't quite have the space to spread my wings and plant a lot--or so I thought.

I picked up the book All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew and that is where everything changed. The idea that in a square foot you can plant your vegetables closer and more efficiently in regards to space. Brilliant! On top of that Mr. Bartholemew has an enlightening take on soil. This is the first year that my garden was overflowing with growth. I planted two tomato plants, two jalapeño plants, two fennel, a row of carrots, lettuce, herbs, and sunflowers all in the space of 6x3! Take a look:

So, if you have limited space don't discount putting in a garden for the fall or next spring. It's worth it! The taste of fresh vegetables truly surpasses store bought produce. You can also enjoy the spontaneity of choosing fresh herbs for every night's dinner. Feeling the need to be inspired for tonight's dinner with your garden delights, try out these recipes:

Greek Salad

Gazpacho

Strawberry Salad

Cantaloupe Ice cream

Cucumber Water

Although one may not think of a Registered Dietitian as a "foodie" and perhaps more of a food critic I'd like to challenge that perception. Part of what I love to do as a dietitian is to help people eat fresh, local produce and nourish their body with real food. I, like most dietitians, believe that all foods can fit. I just prefer to really savor the food that takes a swim in my mouth. Part of my business revolves on getting people set up with a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) or getting their own garden started. Next time you look to plant a garden that nourishes your body and family consider contacting a "foodie dietitian" to help you get your garden growing!

Ahhh, the Splendors of Summer

As my garden is starting to overflow with tomatoes, and my neighbor's garden is loaded with cucumbers it is time for some fresh cooking! Oh, and with the temperatures rising it's better to keep the oven off as much as possible! So tonight, in honor of my mom, I am making her favorite summer time classic of Garden Gazpacho!

My mom's Garden Gazpacho is not your typical gazpacho, but it is by far my favorite! There are a couple variations that I'll share with you for those of you who have different things available to you at this time. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family has over the years!

Nancy's Garden Gazpacho

Serves 4

Ingredients:

6 tomatoes, peeled and diced

2 jalapeños, minced (with or without seeds, but I like it spicy!)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cucumber, seeded and diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1/2 red onion, diced

1/2 cup parsley or cilantro, chopped

1/2 lemon, juiced or use red wine vinegar

Salt to taste

Croutons to serve!

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and allow flavors to swim together. Season with salt and serve with croutons! DELICIOUSLY FRESH & SIMPLE!