Inspiring Garden Links

There are so many great blogs out there and so much good information to read about. Here’s a small list of what’s inspired me of late. What’s inspiring you? Feel free to add your comments about your favorite blog posts and I’ll add them and your name to the list!

How to Start a Worm Farm by Down to Earth, a great Australian blog
Money Lessons Learned by Square Foot Gardening , by Frugal Dad. Who knew that Square Food Gardening could teach you so much about investing? Sinfonian, are you a good investor after doing SFG?
Looks like Canning is Making a Comeback Judging by the popularity of my canning lid labels, it looks like canning really is become popular again!
How to Make Rain Barrels We’ve been curious about doing this ourselves. Has anyone tried it?
Never Pay for Onions Again A unique way to start onions

Update: If you’d like to read about how I’m such a horrible mother, check out my guest blog post on One Green Generation.

Summer Harvest Beef Stew

Beef stew isn’t really the first thing you think of having for dinner in summer. But when everything is in season, why not? I’ve been making this version of beef stew for about 10 years now and it is my absolute favorite. Maybe it’s because it’s completely devoid of peas and carrots (oh, I do hate cooked peas and carrots so) or maybe it’s the surprising plot twist at the end of the recipe, but I have yet to meet a better beef stew recipe.

Without further ado, my favorite beef stew recipe:

Summer Harvest Beef Stew
1.5lbs. stew meat
3 bell peppers, diced
1 onion, chopped
thyme, bay leaf & red pepper flakes
2 c. chopped tomatoes + 1 T. tomato paste (or 2c. tomato sauce)
2 cloves peeled garlic
1 c. really good red wine
1 c. chicken stock

Coat beef in flour and brown in a large hot pan. Take beef out and put aside. Add a bit of olive oil to pan and then add garlic, herbs, pepper flakes and onion. Saute until tender. Add meat back in the pan along with wine. Reduce wine by half. Add stock, tomatoes and tomato paste (or tomato sauce). Simmer for an hour covered and 30 minutes uncovered.

Surprise Ending
Heat 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar with 2 tablespoons sugar in small saucepan. When sugar is dissolved add into stew. Then add 1 t. unsweetened cocoa powder to stew. Stir well. Serve over roasted, quartered potatoes, egg noodles or rice.

Another Tomato & Squash update

It’s amazing what a few days will do. Our little San Marzano is getting so big and look, he has brothers!

The cucumbers (both lemon and japanese) and getting there and the beans are happy and growing. (oh and that’s Bo, our cat, in the background looking for bugs to catch).

 

Oh, and remember how I wrote that although these portofino zucchini’s were planted at different times, they had all caught up in size? Well, the one we grew earlier from seed is blossoming earlier, so there you are, it IS worth it to start earlier after all. Below is it’s neighbor who’s seed was planted about four weeks later:

 

fast food the local way

One frozen ziplock full of last years nectarine slices + Two stalks of this springs Rhubarb + One ziplock full of frozen crisp topping = A quick crisp of backyard fruit for dessert.

Crisp Topping Recipe: (Make extra to keep in the freezer next to frozen fruit for last minute sweettooth cravings)
1 c. flour
6 T. brown sugar
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
2/3 c. pecans
1 1/2 sticks of cold butter
Mix dry ingredients, cut the butter into it. Sprinkle over pie pan full of fruit and bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes.