Backyard Invaders!

No, they're not aliens from outer space, I'm talking about invasive plant species. The worst offender is poison ivy, pictured below.  This vine is growing its way up a dead tree in the back corner of my lot.  If you look closely, you can see other dead roots, some as wide as three or four inches, yes, that is one ancient poison ivy root!  I thought I had eradicated this unwelcome guest from my yard a few years ago, but it's back with a vengeance.  Notice the slightly shiny leaves in groups of three and the reddish tint to the new growth at the top. (Double click to enlarge photos.)

poison ivy roots alongside tree

Queen Anne's lace

purple loosestrife

The purple loosestrife and Queen Anne's lace are technically weeds, but they're not particularly invasive and they have a beauty all their own.  Mint (not pictured) is very invasive, however, and I've got that down to just a few plants hiding along one side of the yard.

b. coli

Okay, so no one really calls it B. coli. Broccoli, a cruciferous vegetable, is easy to grow. After cutting the main head, small sideshoots will continue to sprout from the main stalk. Here is the recipe for Broccoli Apple Salad, another family favorite, handed down to me from my mother:

• One bunch of broccoli, cut into florets and steamed (or microwaved) lightly, approximately 3 minutes
• One apple, cored and cut into bite-sized pieces
• Two stalks celery, chopped
• Cheddar cheese, preferably orange in color, cut into cubes
• One generous dollop of Miracle Whip
• Optional: chopped walnuts or peanuts      

 Mix all ingredients gently and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Too Many Tomatoes!

Oh, my gosh, the tomatoes are ripe already!  Usually I don't get ripe tomatoes until early September, but it's mid-August and I have enough to can a batch. So  I used some fresh basil from my one and only basil plant to make pesto, which went into this tomato, mozzarella and pesto sandwich -- there's one tomato down and who knows how many to go!  For complete instructions on how to can tomatoes using the boiling water bath method, click here. I use a pressure cooker to can tomatoes because I think it's easier, and you can refer to the instructions that come with your pressure cooker on how to do that. I use my home-canned tomatoes in soups, spaghetti sauce, and chili.

Pickled Beets

fresh picked dahlias and pickled beets

Hi, folks!

Today I made pickled beets, an old family favorite. I picked about a dozen beets and it made one quart and one half-pint. The recipe is from The Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash and it's easy to make because no processing is required. These jars will keep in the refrigerator for a week or two. The beet greens are also delicious, sauteed or lightly steamed.

Garden notes

Hi, everybody!  Canned 15 more half-pints of green beans this weekend!  I like the half-pint jars because they're just right for one or two servings.  Still picking summer squash, green peppers, cucumbers.  Here is one of my favorite ways to use fresh garden vegetables and home-canned tomatoes, it's just vegetable stew really, and you can vary the vegetables according to what you have on hand.
      Saute in olive oil any combination of chopped onion, peppers, celery, or carrots, garlic if desired
      Add summer squash, any variety, and eggplant if desired, chopped, salted and drained
      Saute until vegetables soften slightly
      Add one pint jar of home-canned tomatoes (two pints if making large batch), salt and pepper
       Simmer about a half-hour, adding fresh chopped basil and parsley near end of cooking time
This is also delicious left over; just spoon some onto a baguette or focaccia bread, top with shredded cheese and broil to perfection.

     

Canning green beans

Today I canned another five half-pints of green beans.  The whole project took about an hour and a half, from picking beans to finished product. Beans are the easiest vegetable to can because all you have to do is wash, trim, chop, pack in clean jars, add salt, cover with boiling water, and process for 20 minutes at 10 pounds pressure in a pressure cooker.