Happy New Year!!!!

Do any of you make New Year's resolutions? I bet you all do, whether you admit it or not. Consider this one: Eat more healthily. How can you do this? Eat what is in season, try to eat what is grown locally, try to eat organic. And if you are as fortunate as I am, grow your own!

Do make this resolution...it is the best gift you can give yourself and your loved ones. Happy New Year to all my followers. I look forward to start back blogging on a regular basis. You will be reading about my triumphs as well as my failures of last season. You will also be reading about the new crops coming in the spring, summer, and fall. Additionally, I will include many more recipes.

Are you interested in starting a garden or expanding your crops beyond tomatoes and peppers? Comment or contact me. I will be glad to offer information and encouragement. And do not forget that there will be vegie plants to adopt this spring. FREE!!!!! If you were an adoptive parent last year, let me know what you liked or did not like.

To all a Happy and Healthy New Year!!!!!!

Sweet taters

I just dug up my sweet potatoes. This is the second year I have tried sweet potatoes. The crop was better than last year but I was still a little disappointed in the crop production. The vines looked fantastic this year. So good that the deer loved chomping on the tender vine leaves. I think that this is one reason that my crop was not as productive. Just another reason to put up a fence. Another issue I had was where I planted them. I decided to save space and plant them in between my pepper plants.....BAD IDEA. During the summer all was good but when it was time to dig up my potato crop, my pepper plants were still producing. I will definitely place them in a different location next year.

Why grow sweet potatoes? Well I LOVE them! I love baking them. I love roasting them in the oven with some olive oil and sea salt. I love mashing them. But my very, very , very favorite way is candied sweet potatoes which I fix only a few times a year-especially on Thanksgiving. I just boil them in their skins until the the potato is tender. I cool the potatoes, skin them, and slice them in 1/4-1/2 inch slices. Arrange potato slices in a buttered casserole dish. Dot with butter and brown sugar. Place in 375 degree oven until sugar and butter melts -usually 30 minutes. Yummy!!!!!!!!

Sweet potatoes are chock full of beta- carotine, vitamin E, B6, potassium, and iron. They are high in fiber. And they digest more slowly that white potatoes not causing your blood sugar to spike. Sweet potatoes are great additions to your diet being low in fat and cholesterol and 180 calories per cooked cup-of course that is plain NOT the candied recipe.

The bright orange of the baked sweet potato makes a great presentation with a leafy green vegie like kale. Try sweet potatoes this week. I will be preparing my sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving!

Celerific

Celery is still coming strong in my garden. I cannot believe how prolific my crop has been. Why have I never ever have grown this vegetable? It was so easy to grow and is one vegetable that I use all the time. It is great to munch on, eating it just plain or with some hummas. It seems that I am running out daily to grab some to chop in my tuna salad or add to my soups, stews, or chili-and don't be afraid to use the leafy tops. I will be using it as one of the main ingredients in my Thanksgiving turkey stuffing. The taste and smell of fresh celery is superior to storebought. This is one crop that I would definitely consider growing in your home garden. Try starting seeds indoors in February. Plant the seedlings in early May about 6 inches apart. Sow more seeds in between plants guarenteeing a longlasting crop.

Nutritionally speaking, celery leaves are high in vitamin A. The stems are a source of vitamins B1,2,and 6 as well as C. Folic acid, potassium, magnesium, calcium,phoshorus, iron, sodium, and essential amino acids are found in celery. Health benefits (especially when juicing celery) include balancing blood ph, replacing electolytes after exercise, anti-cancer compounds, lowers LDL cholesterol, aids constipation, lowers blood pressure, aid inflamation, and aids in weight loss with diuretic effect. It is certainly celerific!

So now what???????

Hello everyone!!!!
It has been a long time since I have blogged. So sorry. The garden is in its last stages. Boo Hoo!!! The tomatoes have had their last hurrah. The peppers are still producing, even though the deer are chomping them like you would not believe! The white flies have invaded the Kale and Brussel Sprouts. A good washing is all they need. The end of second crops of beans, carrots, and beets are upon us. I still have a couple of heads of cabbage left in the garden. The celery is ever present. And there are sweet potatoes yet to be harvested. WOO HOO!!! The orange pumpkins and gourds are ready to be brought to the porch for Fall decorations. This is such a sad time of the year for me. I want to have a thriving Fall garden but need a farmer to teach me how to extend the growing season. As I was about to buy Fall season vegie plants- I could not find a nursery that sold the plants. Does this mean I need to plant the seeds ahead of time? What do you do about the bugs that have decided to reside in my garden. Do I need to re-amend the soil? So much still to learn. I hope that I have inspired my followers to, at the very least, EAT LOCAL VEGIES!!! Try something new. Hopefully, I have also inspired you to start a garden of your own-whether on your deck, in a community garden, or, if you are luck enough, in a garden of your own. As for me, I will spend the winter learning how to make my garden better, how to extend the season, and especially how to control the pests organically.....especially the STINKBUG! Please respond letting me know what has been most valuable with the blog. If you adopted vegies-what did you like the most? What did you like the least? All in all, it has been an amazing season. Thank you for all your support. I will continue blogging over the fall and winter providing recipes and stories. Keep tuned!

Datsa My Pizza

The dog days of summer has brought lots of tomatoes. Even though this years stink bug infestation tried to destroy my crop, the tomatoes keep coming. One of our favorite summertime activities is to host a summertime make-your-own-pizza night for our daughter Kat and her friends. I make the dough ahead of time and a table full of toppings-many are from the garden. And of course the favored pizza sauce was Mamma Maskeroni's homemade marinara. Interestingly, I put out store-bought as well. The home-made was definitely preferred.
Everyone enjoyed making their own personal pizza. I was pleasantly surprised on the level of creativity these young pizza chefs showed.Watch out Food Network!!!

So what's in that sauce? Well here is the recipe.
Remove the skin of 24 plum tomatoes. (An easy way to do this is to cut an x at the bottom of each tomato and place it in boiling water for one minute. Remove it to ice water bath. The skin then is easy to peal off. ) Get most of the seeds out. Place tomatoes in pot. Smash them with an old fashion potato masher or fork. Bring to boil and then turn to simmer. Add one onion chopped and sauteed. Add 3-4 cloves chopped and sauteed garlic. Add 1 -2 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon celery salt, and 1 teaspoon brown sugar (if you need it). Simmer 1 hour. You will need to thicked this sauce with 1 small can tomato paste and 1 small can tomato sauce (if needed). Simmer 30 more minutes. Add a sprig of fresh basil towards the end. You can use this recipe for everything from pizza sauce to chicken parm.

Pizza Dough
Dissolve 1 pack dry yeast (I like the new yeast for pizza that Fleischmann's just put out) in 1 1/2 cups warm water and 1 TBSP honey. Add 1 TBSP olive oil. Set aside. In large bowl, combine 1 3/4 all purpose flour with 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and 1/2 teas salt. Pour water mixture into flour mixture. Stir until soft. Add more water if necessary. Knead 5 minutes. Place in large oiled bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Keep in frig until ready to use. It will be double in size. Punch down right before ready to use. Break off small ball and pull or roll to desired shape on flour surface. I transfer onto pizza paddle, pizza stone or baking sheet BEFORE I add toppings. I also use semolina on bottom of pizza dough for easy transfer.

Top with you favorite toppings and bake in a very hot oven - at least 500 degrees. Bake until cheese is bubbling.

The Best Vegetable-No I Mean Fruit

Ahhhhhh! It is tomato time. There is no other vegetable/fruit that come close, in my opinion. Technically a fruit, it is chock full of lycopene -a potential agent to prevent some cancers. It is also a good source of vitamin C, A, K, potassium,Manganese, Vitamin E, Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper. It is the taste that makes me want to grow 30, yes 30 plants. I grow a variety: plum type, cherry type, huge beefsteaks, and heirlooms.

What do I do with all those tomatoes? First, they visually are beautiful. I have a platter on my counter all summer. You should never refrigerate them. Refrigeration makes them soft and mushy-yuk. Having these great jewels on my table inspires me daily.Use them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as snacks.

For breakfast, how 'bout an omelet. I love including tomatoes along with squash and peppers from the garden. Don't forget to use the broccoli florets that continue to grow after the heads were harvested. No time for an omelet? Why not just slice one to have with your scrambled egg beaters? Or better yet, top tomato slices with 0 fat cottage cheese. Ummm!

Now for lunch..nothing like an old fashion BLT. Want to make it make it a little lighter? Make your bread 100% whole wheat or sprouted wheat. Use light mayo or Vegeaise (a non-daily alternative). Turkey bacon is quite tasty.
My daughter, Kat, likes diced tomatoes, diced tomatoes , and tuna.
I like a rice cake spread with hummas with green olives, a big slice of tomato and low sodium turkey breast.

Dinnertime during tomato season looks like this.















This is all you need. The first picture shows sliced tomatoes, red onions, olives, basil leaves, feta cheese. Cracked pepper and dried oregano grace the dish. A splash good virgin olive oil, wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar finish the dish. It is a family favorite. A chunk of good bread is a must to sop up the juices. The second dish is a traditional insalata caprese. It is simply tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella cheese (hard to find but can substitute with fresh whole mozzarella), basil leaves, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Feel free to add some balsamic too! Wow- each of the flavors just pop in your mouth. This is soooo good.

I have just finished canning my first batch of fresh marinara. Please look for my future posts where I will share my marinara recipe as well as other ways to prepare tomatoes. Enjoy local tomatoes while they last.

Broccoli Heaven

When broccoli is fresh I am in heaven. Nothing......Let me repeat nothing is like it. Although I have include it in stir fry and casseroles, I prefer it just steamed- include the leaves too. I just love the taste, the texture, and the color. Perk it up with some squeezed lemon juice. Yummy .
Former President Bush gave this vegetable a bum rap. It is in fact, one of my grandson's absolute favorite veggies. Check out this website for the amazing nutritional facts: http://www.superfoodsrx.com/superfoods/broccoli/its-all-better-with-broccoli.html

Jerky Rock Fish

My husband LOVES to fish!!!!! Amen


The Chesapeake Bay is an amazing body of water providing us with seafood to die for. Every spring and summer, we look forward to the "catch of the day." Rock fish (AKA striped bass) is a delicious white fish that is as fun to catch than it is to eat. We have tried so many recipes- grill it, microwave it, fry it, try it in a sandwich...it is all good!
I wanted this time to marry my garden bounty with the Chesapeake bounty. Swiss chard was still in an calling out to be included in this wonderful marriage. I sauteed a bunch of chard with olive oil and garlic. I used this as the bed for hubby's catch. In foil, I placed rock fish with jerk marinade (reserve 1/2 cup for salsa at end ) and chunks of fresh pineapple in aluminum foil. The next step was to grill the fish packet for about 10 minutes. I placed the fish on the bed of chard, topped with the pineapple. I then made a salsa with chopped cherry tomatoes, chopped banana peppers from the garden, onions, cilantro, and the rest of the jerk marinade. Top the fish with the salsa. Yum!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nothing better.

Star Spangled Slaw

One of the fantastic advantages of vacationing t0 the beach over the Fourth of July was trekking to the beach house with fresh produce from the garden. The whole family enjoyed taking turns cooking dinner in the beautiful gourmet kitchen overlooking the turquoise waters of Emerald Isle NC. Before taking in the evening fireworks on the Fourth, our family barbequed at poolside. One dish we served was slaw made from my home grown cabbage. I used savoy, red, and green cabbage picked just days before. Everyone could not get over the fresh taste as well as the tangy secret ingredient. My Slaw Recipe (For a large Group) First you need a large prep bowl to combine all the ingredients. Thinly slice one head red cabbage, one head savoy cabbage, and one head green cabbage. Add to prep bowl. Grate (on larger slot) 6 carrots (of course from my garden). Add to bowl. Mix the following ingredients in a separate mixing bowl: 3 cups low fat mayonnaise, 4 tablespoons vinegar, 1 teaspoon celery seed, 2 tablespoon sugar, and my secret ingredient ....old bay seasoning-2 teaspoons or more depending on your preferences. Add this mixture to the prep bowl and mix with cabbage an carrots. Refrigerate for several hours...preferably all night. This mixture will soften and decrease in volume. Mix often. Enjoy This vegetable is a necessity in my vegetable repertoire-for taste as well as nutritional benefits. Due to my Polish ancestry, I have cabbage in my blood...just kidding. You will find it on our dinner table often. Sauerkraut, swatka kapusta (cabbage with tomato sauce and bacon), and

golabki (our family pronounced this dish ‘gawumpki’) are just a few ways we serve cabbage.

I promise I will provide those recipes in future posts.

Why eat cabbage?? Well if it is not in your blood already like in mine, just look at the nutritional aspect.

Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetables and is known for its anticancer properties. It's rich in phytochemicals protecting the body from free radical damage and helps fight against carcinogens. It is a good source of folate, vitamins A, B1, B6, K, and C, manganese, fiber, calcium, potassium, tryptophan, protein, and magnesium....WOW! And....It aids in digestion, boosts weight loss efforts, and can even help keep blood sugar levels under control. WOW! WOW! Do try it.

Great Zukes!

Zucchini-One of the easiest to grow and most prolific in production. Why not grow this wonderful vegetable. It contains folate,potassium,vitamin A, and vitamin C. Dark green zucchini also has some beta carotene. Well if you do not want to eat it for the nutrients-how about this fact: Because of the high water content, Zucchini are very low in calories- 26 calories per cup in its raw state.
When you a gazillion of these coming in and you have no idea what to do with the-get baking. Zucchini bead is a family favorite. I freeze them for the future. It is awesome having a dozen loaves just waiting for guests, a hostess gift, or an afternoon treat with a cup of tea. This recipe doesn't pretend to be low in calories, but it is very tasty and is a great way to sneak in some nutrition. I know that there are some nutritionists (like my daughter and friends) following this blog. I would appreciate any modifications to this recipe to make it healthier.

Amazing Zucchini Bread

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups vegetable or canola oil

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

2 cups (about 2 medium) coarsely grated zucchini (skin and all…seeds can be removed if too large).

1 cup walnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped (about 4 ounces)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325F. Squeeze out excess liquid from grated zucchini. Butter and flour two 8x4x2 1/2 inch metal loaf pans. Whisk flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a medium bowl to blend. Whisk sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, and lemon peel in large bowl to blend. Whisk in flour mixture. Mix in zucchini and nuts. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake breads until a toothpick comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Turn breads out onto rack and cool completely.

Can there be a Polish version of Tsatsiki?

Who hasn't been to a Greek restaurant and had tsatsiki? You know tsatsiki. It is the yummy cucumber and yogurt concoction served alone or with meat. Ummm- My mouth waters just thinking of it. Well my mom made a version of this every summer when cucumber were in. Instead of yogurt she used -you guessed it, sour cream. Using sour cream led me to assume that this was a Polish version-who really knows. My first cucumbers are in and I could not resist making my mom's creamed cucumbers to serve with mashed potatoes and roast beef for my Father's Day dinner. Hubby used to LOVE this as a summer staple for Sunday meals at Mom and Dad's house. My version of mom's creamed cucumbers were a hit. We could not get enough of it. Here is the recipe. Enjoy!

Creamed Cucumbers
Thinly slice 3 large cucumber or 6 small cucumbers. Thinly slice 1 medium onion. Put them all in a bowl and sprinkle 1 tablespoon salt over the mixture. Mix thoroughly. Set aside at room temperature about 1 hour. The salting draws water out of the cucumbers and onions. Squeeze liquid from the cucumbers and onions and return to dry bowl. Add the juice of one lemon, some fresh dill, and 1/2 cup or more sour cream. You can certainly lighted this recipe by using reduced fat sour cream. Garnish with fresh dill.

What's In?

Now we're talkin'. What a bounty! This is what I LOVE about gardening. I never stop getting a thrill walking into my garden to see what is ready to pick. As you can see in the picture, broccoli, yellow, green, and Italian flat string beans, cucumbers, carrots, and summer squash are all coming in- woohoo! And yes, I have gotten my first tomatoes-the earliest tomatoes ever for me. They are the Fourth of July variety- a smaller variety much like a compari tomato. This time of year, I stir-fry a lot. What ever is in gets cut up and thrown in a pan with a little olive oil. I add a little onion, minced garlic, just a tad of salt and herbs from the garden. Saute until just tender. And voila!
You can eat this dish as is or can be modified. Add some protein like chicken or shrimp. Make a substitution of salt with low sodium soy sauce and add some grated ginger. If you like it spicy, add a chili pepper. Be careful -start with a little the add more to you taste.You can also add some chicken bouillon and thicken with cornstarch. (Cornstarch cooking clue: Mix a tablespoon or more of cornstarch to a cup of cold water. When completely mixed add to warm mixture) Serve over cooked rice, couscous, or cooked quinoa.

Beet It!

Beet it! You must try them. I must admit, beets and I go way back. A very favorite beet recipe that graces our Thanksgiving table is buraki (our family pronounce this as burashki). This is a creamed beets recipe to die for. I'll give you the recipe later in the post. But I venture to say that many of you have not tried this nutritious vegetable. Why try it? Well just look at the beet. The color is so dark and luscious, you just know that it is good for you. In fact, beets are full of vitamin B, folate, and a very good source of manganese, potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus. The beet has been known to aid in the fight of cancer, heart disease, and inflammation. And don't forget to eat the tops. Saute or add them to your salad. I know the tops are an especially delectable treat for a neighborhood critter (UGH). Last weekend, I pickled some .The remaining crop will be canned. I would love to make some buraki in the fall. Don't forget that these are also delicious roasted with olive oil and sea salt. Throw in some other seasonal vegies. Yum!!!!!
Buraki (Our family pronounces this dish ‘burashki’)

This dish is a must at Thanksgiving. We triple or quadruple this recipe for our family.

6 cooked beets (can use canned beets)

2 TBSP butter

1 TBSP flour

1 TBSP vinegar

1 TBSP sugar (adjust up or down according the beet sweetness)

1/2 teas salt

1/2 cup sour cream

Peel and grate cooked beets. Melt butter, add flour and bring to boiling point. Add vinegar, salt, sugar. Mix and boil for 2 or 3 minutes. Add sour cream. Heat and serve.

Swiss Chard

This glorious looking vegetable is still giving in my garden. Sometimes I just like looking at it. It is an early crop (at the same time the Kale came in). Swiss chard in new to my diet and garden.
I decided to try it for its concentrations of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron, vitamin E, and dietary fiber. Swiss chard is also as a very good or good source of calcium, copper, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, protein, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc, folate, biotin, niacin and pantothenic acid. WOW! With that going for it, why would you not want to try it? Besides preparing it just the way you prepare spinach-just wilting it with a little water or olive oil and lemon, I have become a little adventurous. Ravioli anyone?

Cheesey Chard Ravioli

Prepare Marinara Sauce in per instructions in previous blog. Take 10-15 chopped swiss chard leaves lightly saute in a few tablespoon of olive oil until slightly wilted. Drain chard and squeeze excess water out. Put aside. In a food processor, put 6 ounces of very sharp chedder cheese. Process until shredded. Add 1 small container of marscapone cheese, 1 pint drained ricotta cheese, 1 container bousin (or other herbed soft cheese)with garlic and herbs. Process until smooth. Add swiss chard and quickly pulse two or three times just until it is incorporated. That will be your ravioli filling. Now for a short-cut you can use store bought wonton wrappers. but I make my dough from scratch and use my pasta maker. Usually, I use the following recipe for pasta dough: 2 cups flour, 2 large eggs, 1/4 cup olive oil, 3 tablespoons water. When I made this ravioli, I decided to experiment by adding quinoa flour as follows: 1 cup regular flour, 1/2 cup quinoa flour, 1/2 cup semolina flour, 2 effs, 1/4 cup olive oil, and 4 tablespoons water. I wanted to add quinoa flour to add some more nutrition to an otherwise caloric dish. After you mix your dough, always wrap in saran wrap and let rest about an hour before you handle it. This pasta recipe to several passes it the pasta machine to become smooth. The work was worth it! The ribbons of pasta held up beautifully when boiled. If you have never assembled ravioli before, there are a tone of websites and you tube sites to refer to. After I slipped the assembled ravioli into boiling salted water and they floated to the top, I scooped them out and gently placed them in marinara. Top with parmesan and fresh basil. Buon appetito!

Oh, What the Kale

Love that Kale It is still growing strong! Kale was the first crop that matured in my 2010 garden. Although I harvested it several times, the leaves still sprout. I love the hearty flavor. My daughter, Kat, says that she thinks she prefers it over spinach. How do I prepare it? I just chop it and put it in slightly salted boiling water. This vegetable brings back memories of my chilhood. Walking into the house smelling kale on the stove with a bacon vinegar base, I knew my Polish-born Babcia (grandmother) was cooking tonight! Yummy! Try serving your Kale next to a baked sweet potato and a choice of protein. It is not only a very nutritious meal but pleasing to the eye.

Information on "Adopted" Plants

Thanks to all who adopted my vegies plants this year. I wish you all good luck and months of fresh produce. As your plants mature, you may want some information on what you actually have growing in your garden. I would appreciate any feedback on varieties for next year. Please take pictures and/or recipes to share on the blog. Also, if you have any questions, ask away. Either I or one of the followers may be able to figure out the answer (or at least give our two cents worth.) So here is the list of plants you all adopted and the website so you can identify and read about the variety:

Tomatoes

• Burpee Porterhouse Beefsteak
  
• Burpee Big Mama
• Burpee Black Krim Heirloom
• Burpee Sun Gold Hybrid Cherry
  
• Burpee Burger Hybrid
• Burpee 4th of July
• Burpee Health Kick Hybrid
• Parks Beefy Boy
  
• Parks Razzleberry Hybrid
  
• Parks Whooper CR Improved Hybrid
• San Marzano Italian Plum

Peppers

• Burpee California Wonder
  
• Burpee Orange Belle Hybrid
• Burpee Hot Pepper Mix

Broccoli

• Burpee Green Goliath Broccoli

Cabbage

• Parks All Purpose Blend

Cauliflower

• Parks Amazing Cauliflower
  

Brussel Sprouts

• Burpee Tasty Nugget Hybrid
  

Life is Good- Vegies are in!

I have realized I am not the best blogger and I apologize. The past few months have been spent preparing soil, planting seeds and my "babies" I raised from seed. I was able to find homes for the hundreds of vegie plants and have only a few tomato plants left to adopt. Now that the plants are in, I hope to share recipes from garden to table. My chard is in now and here is a great recipe for shrimp pasta with chard:
Prepare 1 pound of pasta -al dente. I have been using quinoa pasta lately but any will do. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain pasta and set to side. In a large pan, briefly saute 2 cloves of minced garlic in olive oil. Add 1 pound large shrimp raw and pealed. Saute until just pink. Add juice of one lemon, 3/4 cup white wine, 2 tbsp butter (I use smart balance 50/50 butter). Add 10-15 swiss chard leaves that are chopped. Then add pasta. Turn off heat and add 1 cup parmesan cheese, a couple shakes of hot sauce. Add reserved pasta water as needed if pasta is too dry. This recipe is so incredibly easy and versatile. You can change out the vegies. I have made it it broccoli and asparagus. Enjoy!
Look out for the next blog-I will be giving you a rundown of all the tomato varieties I planted-and many of you have adopted.

Are we there yet?

How many of us have heard that out of the mouths of our babes? You can sense the excitement in their voices as you get closer and closer to a desired destination. I know that all you gardeners or gardeners to be are waiting for the day you can start putting plants or seeds in the ground. If you are like me, I have been lovingly toiling over an indoor garden. The tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, brussel sprouts, and the like have begun their life inside during the winter blizzards. I can almost hear my "babies" yell out, "Are we there yet?" Well, the fertilizer in setting on top of the soil awaiting to be tilled in in the next day or so. I will be satrting to harden my brocolli, brussel sprouts and cabbage so they get used to the cool nights. I will not be sowing lettuce, spinach and herbs in the garden this year-making room for new vegies. Instead, I will put them in planters on the patio for easy access. If you are a follower and want to "adopt" any of my vegie plant, do let me know. I have a ton of tomatoes (lots of varieties), green and orange peppers, hot peppers, cabbage, brocolli, and brussel sprouts. For those in apartments, try container gardening! I set my mother-in-law up every year with just enough vegies for her. She has three large containers -one tomato, one pepper, and one cucumber. We then plant lettuce around each plant. Voila! Instant salad. For those die-hard gardeners, do log into the MD extension site: http://www.growit.umd.edu/Gardening%20Basics/index.cfm . This site is a wealth of knowledge about gardening in our area. So to answer my "kids," "Yes, we are almost there."

Claudia's Marinara

For those who have been waiting and waiting for the next blog. I apologize. I have been so busy cooking and "gardening." A few weeks ago we threw an 81st birthday for my beloved Mother-In-Law, Terry-known to us as Lovey. What a fabulous dinner! I promise I will share the menu at a later time. Consuming many hours of my time is delicately separating each tomato and pepper seedlings and replanting them in separate peat pots. I began in late January and early February sowing seeds in soil filled plastic containers-you know the salad, tomato, and strawberry containers that we toss in the recycling bin. My neighbor, Julie, donated hers as well. These make marvelous little greenhouses. Just poke some drainage holes, fill with soil, seeds, and water, replace plastic lid, and place in a sunny window. When germination occurs, take off the lid. So now I have to move them to their own home. Trust me, I now have hundreds of little babies. Enough fo me and all my friends!!!!!! Last year, I had a GREAT crop. Many summer days were spent making homemade marinara sauce. Believe you me, I will be sharing the recipes in the summer blogs. What do you do now? Our family has already eaten all the marinara put up from last summer. I will probably offend many of my readers. I apologize in advance. But I refuse to use the convenience bottled marinara/spaghetti sauce. To me they taste too sweet or too salty or too processed. I like to be in control of my sauces limiting salt and sugar. So I make my own in the off season. Below is my recipe. Just spoon over your favorite pasta or use it as the basic foundation for spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parm, lasagne, ravioli, or any other tomato based Italian dish. Try it....you'll like it!

Claudia's Easy Marinara
Place 2 28oz. cans San Marzano canned tomatoes in a large sauce pot. These can be found in the Italian food section of the grocery store. They tend to be more expensive but worth the price. Mars Food Store, by the way, is the cheapest place in town. I love this tomato so much, I decided to add this variety to my garden this year. Use a potato masher or large serving fork to crush tomatoes. In a separate saute pan, saute one small chopped onion in 2 TBSP olive oil. Feel free at this point to add 1 pound of sliced mushrooms to the saute pan if you wish. Saute until the onions are soft and translucent. Add 3 crushed and chopped cloves garlic and saute a few more minutes being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the sauteed mixture to the tomatoes. Add one small can of tomato paste. Add two large cans of tomato sauce (preferably no salt added variety). Bring the sauce to a soft boil. Now for the spices-add 1 teas dried oregano, 1/2 teas. celery salt, and 2 bay leaves. Of couse, you can add a stem or two fresh basil to sauce right before serving. Add more oregano or celery salt to taste. Remember, once you put it in, you cannot take it out. So be conservative at first. Cook the sauce for about 30-45 minutes. This is a more fresh sauce so you so not have to cook it long. I use this for a lot of different Italian dishes.

Parmesan Dressing Recipe

Want a yummy salad dressing recipe? When I was at Sabatino's in Little Italy years ago , I had their salad with "House Dressing." I knew that I could somehow replicate it. Here is my rendition of that salad dressing. Many have asked for it so enjoy!

Parmesan Dressing

Please keep in mind that although these are the ingredients, the total of each is an estimate. Please adjust it to your personal taste.

In a blender put in 1 -2 large stalks of celery and half of sweet onion. Add about a teaspoon oregano, one clove garlic, 1/2 teaspoon celery salt, 1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper, 1/4(or less) teaspoon sugar, and about 1 cup grated parmesan cheese. Pour in about 3/4 cup red wine vinegar and a couple dashes of balsamic vinegar. Start blending. When combined and blender is still running, slowly add extra virgin olive oil until fully emulsified. Taste and adjust to you liking.

This salad dressing is best when it is served the same day. It will store a few days in frig. You may have to blend it again. Not only is this great on salads, but try it on sandwiches, subs, or as a vegie dip.

Glass Half Full

All my "babies" are sprouting on my windowsill. I cannot contain my excitement for planting season.It should be right around the corner. Oh really? Who am I kidding. My garden was buried by nearly 50 inches of snow from back to back blizzards. Light snowflakes are falling as I write this blog. I choose to stay positive though. The temperatures have risen just above freezing the past few days and the gentle snow melt is beginning. This , I know, will be beneficial for the soil. Gardeners must remain positive, hopeful. As my dad and gardening mentor always said, "Hope springs eternal." So when the next nor'easter dumps more snow on us this winter, I will see the glass half full-just getting the garden ready for when my "babies" become "youngsters." I will be testing the soil as planting season approaches to see if any of my nutrients have leeched through the soil.And for those out there who truly doubt that spring is really around the corner, I just saw the first of the migrating robins and ceder waxwings flock to our crabapple tree. This normally takes place in mid March. Do they know something we don't know?

Winter Gardening

Welcome to my first blog. I cannot wait to share my garden and cooking stories. We have just experienced a monumental snowstorm in Maryland with nearly 30 inches of snow covering my vegetable garden. So how am I spending my time? Shoveling? Of course not!!!! I have planted my tomato and pepper plants. WooHoo! Only three more months till planting.