Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Garden Tuesday: First Food

Well, the garden is growing right along, after 6 weeks of cold rain. Not that it's been all that warm, and not that we've lacked rain (although we've not been the subject of monsoons as Chan has), but everything is relative. And the boys have had their first picnic lunch of the summer, so the world might be turning our way, after all.
We've had some more growth in our garden. Does anyone know how to tell when these onions are ready to harvest?

This is going to come off as a shameless plug for a product. When we were buying our soil, we bought the last of the locally produced potting soil, then had to buy Miracle Gro soil for the top layer of the last quadrant of the garden. I hate to admit it, but look at the difference in the size of the plants (all seeded on the same day). The friendly folks at Miracle Gro can send me more products to sample, if they'd like. I testify honestly.
We cut some lower lettuce leaves, so our lettuce plants closest to the camera in the big picture are looking a little scrawny (Dog might notice that). First they went into turkey grinders, on homemade French bread toasted in the George Foreman grill, with some homemade mayo, shredded cheddar cheese dill pickle chips and our beloved lettuce. Excellent lunch, just excellent. And, yes, I did use a Pooh plate. What better way to make lunch fun?
At dinner, a salad too small for all of us. Thankfully, only 5 of us were home
. The lettuce got washed about a million times - no insects or dirt for me, thank you - and mixed with shredded carrot, shredded mozarella, and craisins. Topped with an orange balsamic vinaigrette dressing I pulled out of thin air, there were people swarming around the salad bowl looking for the elusive "more!"

And of course, you wanted this...

ORANGE BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE DRESSING

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp snipped chives (1 tbsp dried)
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder
pinch salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup salad oil

Combine in a cruet or jar. Shake vigorously. Enjoy!

And, just for variety, my first moss roses have bloomed. They're not classic pretty roses, but they're certainly colorful!

12 comments:

buffalodick said...

Nice lookin' sammich!

SissySees said...

I love lettuce straight from the garden - washed, of course!

Pam said...

Your garden is looking great! My neighbor just gave me a ton of lettuce last night and we had a delicious salad for dinner. YUM.

I love your orange dressing, it sounds fantastic. Your turkey grinder left me drooling too. I know what I want for lunch today.

Paula said...

Yeah! First harvest! I just bought a bag of that Organic Miracle Grow yesterday! I'm going to plant another can of garbage can potatoes, this time with an all purpose russet type. I fear I'm going to have potatoes coming out of my ears, but I think I finally found something that I can grow successfully! Your lettuce looks wonderful on that sammie (which has real turkey on it I notice, not that processed stuff). Love the Pooh plate! Totally made me smile when I saw that. And that dressing ... YUM! So perfect! Regarding the onions, I just pulled two to use as green onions. Typically, you have to wait until the tops flop over and look dry. It's up to you if you want to use them now as green onions or wait and let them get bigger. I LOVE fresh onions! They're so much more mild and flavorful than the cured one (but I like them, too!)

Christo Gonzales said...

and this cooler weather lately will keep the lettuce hanging in there - you might want to shade it if it starts getting too hot....how nice to have fresh greens!

Tatersmama said...

Just for the record, I'm a total convert to your mayo! It's the BEST!

Hey, you can start in eating your onions whenever you want to. I like them at that size, but when they start to turn brown and flop over they're ready to be dug out. Fresh home-grown onions? There's nothing better. ;-)

Now I've got to start looking for some Miracle Gro, so I can be ready for spring...

tavolini said...

Roses look beautiful!

That lettuce looks so fresh and crisp--very tasty! I agree with you on the miracle grow. I get the powdered kind, mix it with water, and dip all my seedlings in it before I plant them. Flowers, too!

The Blonde Duck said...

I did a science project on plants once with fertilizer and Miracle Grow won!

Melanie said...

So excited for you to be the Creative Woman this week at the Pond!

pam said...

Yum, that lettuce looks so pretty and green and fresh!

DayPhoto said...

I agree! I started using Miracle Grow about 8 years ago and have never turned back! Wonderful stuff!

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

cidell said...

That, is like the prettiest looking salad I've ever seen.