Using Your Green Tomatoes: 2 Delicious Ways
Whether you’ve intentionally harvested your tomatoes green or found yourself with a bunch due to a sudden change in weather, there are all sorts of ways you can make use of this unique garden bounty.
Stocking Your Herbal Apothecary
For the majority of our history, we’ve relied on the inherent wisdom of plants for both medicine and nourishment. Even as modern pharmaceuticals become widespread, nature continues to provide a plethora of safe, effective remedies to those who know where to look.
Mint-Infused Honey (Plus a Mocktail Recipe!)
There’s nothing quite like fresh mint. It’s chock full of benefits all by itself, but paired with raw honey it becomes a therapeutic (and delicious) powerhouse!
Got Garlic Scapes?
I just love garlic scapes! They add visual interest to a vegetable garden with their whimsical, Dr. Seussian spirals. But while they look charming and I’m always a bit sad to cut them off, removing the curly green stalks dramatically improves the development and flavor of the garlic bulbs forming below the soil. There’s another reason to remove the scapes… They’re delicious! ♥
Garlicky Sunchokes with Lemon Butter
Sunchokes are crunchy, nutty and mildly sweet and tend to take on the flavor of whatever you cook them with. To me, they resemble a cross between a potato and a water chestnut, so we use pretty much any way we would normally use water chestnuts or potatoes. You know… “Boil ʹem, mash ʹem, stick em in a stew.”
Prepared Horseradish with Dandelion Vinegar
If you ran out and got yourself a big ol’ pile of horseradish roots after reading last week’s post, now what? What do you do with them?
Make some prepared horseradish, of course!
Why & How to Grow Horseradish
At first encounter, horseradish’s intense spiciness might seem overwhelming, but with repeated exposure, its complex flavors can be truly appreciated. The initial heat gives way to a slightly sweet and tangy undertone, adding depth and character to dishes. Its sharpness can be invigorating and add a lovely ‘kick’ to a variety of culinary creations.
Horseradish tends to have a “love it or hate it” reputation, but for those willing to embrace its bold flavors, it’s an acquired taste worth acquiring!
Easter ‘Peeps’ with Real Marshmallow Root
It was bound to happen. Once I got the bunny cookie cutters, homemade marshmallow root ‘Peeps’ were sure to follow.
Refer to *Real* Marshmallow Root Marshmallows for step-by-step instructions on how to make marshmallows from scratch!
*Real* Marshmallow Root Marshmallows
The first recorded use of marshmallow as a sweet preparation was in ancient Egypt around 2,000 B.C., where they combined marshmallow root with honey to create a delicacy that was reserved for royalty and gods.
In the early nineteenth century, Fresh confectioners created the predecessor of the modern marshmallow: a sweet merengue called Pâte de Guimauve (paste of marshmallow), which was made from marshmallow root, sugar, egg whites and sometimes gum Arabic.
Garden of Weed’n (How to Make Weeding More Fun) Part 2
The first weeding job of the year on my vegetable garden is always the most intimidating. It’s easy to maintain throughout the growing season, but preparing the beds for planting is time consuming and tedious.
A great way to transform the tedium into something engaging and even (dare I say it?) fun — is to pay attention to the weeds you’re pulling.