Harvesting and Using Broccoli

I love broccoli! It’s so easy to grow and is such a healthy vegetable! This year I started my seeds under lights in February and planted them in the ground the second week in March. I haven’t had problems with pests thankfully. But, if you have problems with cabbage worms or other bugs, cover the starts with a fabric row cover thin enough to allow light and water penetration in. Make sure you bury the edges in the ground around the plants so the little white butterflies can’t lay their eggs on them! If you don’t have fabric row covers or didn’t get around to putting them on in time, you can use a garlic spray to get rid of them. Here’s the recipe:

Homemade Garlic Bug Spray

Blend 2-3 bulbs garlic in a bit of water

Add 2 cups water,

2 tablespoons plant based liquid dish soap,

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper and allow to sit over night.

Strain through a cheese cloth and put in sprayer and spray the plant thoroughly. This recipe also works well for wireworms, ants, aphids, slugs, cutworms, and caterpillars.

Broccoli has so many health benefits! I am grateful my kids will eat it by itself, lightly steamed. However, if you or your loved ones don’t appreciate as much as we do, try slipping it into salads or soups for added nutrition. Check out the 9 Benefits of Broccoli I love that it is an alkaline food, helps prevent cancer, reduces cholesterol, and detoxes the body!

Harvesting broccoli is very simple. Once the head of the plant has grown to a medium – large size (before the head becomes loose and starts to flower) cut it off with a large kitchen knife. Notice in the picture there are little florets next to where I cut off the big one in the middle. You can let these get a little bigger and cut them off for use later or harvest now.

Here is a head I didn’t catch in time, so I will let it go to seed and save them for starting seeds next year or in the fall. This is Waltham broccoli (an excellent variety for Utah).

Broccoli Recipes

Vegan Creamy Broccoli Soup

It’s hard to miss the cheese in this one! It’s so good!

6 cups vegetable stock

1 cup cashews

1 medium onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

2 garlic clove, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped to 1 inch size cubes

1 large head of broccoli, chopped (about 4 cups)

2 teaspoons dried thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

Puree 1 cup of vegetable stock with the cashews in a blender until smooth. Set aside.

In a large dutch oven saute the onion, celery and carrot over medium heat in 1 cup vegetable broth for about 5minutes, until tender crisp. Add garlic, red pepper and potatoes. Cook for a few more minutes. Add the remaining 4 cups of broth and broccoli, thyme and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and turn heat down to medium low and let simmer until the broccoli and potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the cashew cream to soup and stir until mixed. Remove from pot and puree half the soup in small batches. You can leave some chunky or puree it all. Serve with a crusty bread and salad! Recipe from Forks over Knives Cookbook

Broccoli, Pear & Feta Salad

This delicious invention came from a last minute need to put together an extra salad for a family gathering. I have to say I was pretty proud of myself! This was so good! From the garden: broccoli and mint

2 Tablespoons agave

2 cups pecans halves

Coat the pecans with agave in a medium size skillet on medium-low heat. Constantly stir for 5-10 minutes until the pecans are caramelized and slightly darkened. Let cool.

In a bowl mix together:

1-2 heads fresh broccoli chopped into bite size pieces

4 pears chopped

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Mint-Pepper Dressing:

In a blender puree:

1 cup peppermint or spearmint leaves

Juice of 2 lemons

4 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon peppercorns

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons agave

Pour just enough dressing to coat the salad and serve! Save the rest of the dressing in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

May 23, 2013September 4, 2013

Growing and Using Herbs: Parsley

This week we are eating spinach, radishes, chives and parsley out of the garden! Look for the recipes below using them all! Parsley is more than just a garnish for your plate! It may surprise you all the benefits you can get from this wonderful herb! Here are just a few!

Parsley is rich in many vital vitamins, including Vitamin C, B 12, K and A. This means parsley keeps your immune system strong, tones your bones and heals the nervous system. It is high in chlorophyll and helps to freshen breath from the inside out.
It helps flush out excess fluid from the body, thus supporting kidney function. However, the herb contains oxalates, which can cause problems for those with existing kidney and gall bladder problems.
Regular use of parsley can help control your blood pressure. The folic acid in this herb is like a tonic for your heart.
Parsley essential oil, when massaged into the scalp, may reduce hair loss.
Use parsley daily, and you’ll feel relief from joint pain. That’s because the herb has anti-inflammatory properties.
Parsley tea relaxes stiff muscles and encourages digestion.
Studies indicate that parsley—especially its essential oil—may have a role in inhibiting cancerous tumors. In fact, scientists have billed it a ‘chemoprotective’ food.

Good Morning Green Smoothie!

This smoothie recipe is so refreshing and packed full of vitamins and minerals! even my kids will drink it! In a blender, mix together the following ingredients in this order:

1 cup water

1-2 tablespoons chia seeds

1 banana

Juice of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lime

1-inch piece of fresh ginger

1 cucumber

1 carrot

1 celery stalk

1/2 cup applesauce or 1 apple

1 bunch parsley (about 1/2 cup)

2 cups packed fresh spinach

1 cup frozen pineapple

Roasted Spring Vegetables with Curried Chicken and Brown Rice on a Bed of Fresh Spinach

The roasted spring veggies recipe is delicious! It comes from Cooking Light “Way to Cook Vegetarian” Cookbook! The chicken curry is just something I put together quickly and let cook in the crock pot.

Spring Roasted Veggies:

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon chopped shallots or red onion

1 lb. carrot, sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise

1/2 pound radishes chopped in half

2 cups asparagus, sliced into 2-inch pieces

1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

1 tablespoon fresh chopped chives

Preheat the oven to 500`. Combine vinegar and shallots in a small bowl and set aside.

Combine carrots and the next 5 ingredients in the bottom of a roasting pan (I used a 2-inch rimmed jelly roll pan), toss gently to combine.

Bake at 500` for 20 minutes or until they begin to brown, stirring occasionally.

Remove pan from the oven; add the shallot mixture and asparagus, tossing to combine.

Return pan to oven and bake for 5 minutes. Stir in parsley and chives and serve hot!

Curry Chicken and Rice

The Chicken Curry is so simple! I add Maya Kaimal Coconut Curry Sauce from Costco to 4 organic chicken breasts and 2 cups brown rice and 2 cups water in a large crock pot (adding more water if needed, throughout the cooking process). Cook on low all day or on high for a half a day. Simple as that! Serve on a bed of fresh spinach!

May 23, 2013September 4, 2013

Chipotle Bean Burritos

I love these burritos! Lots of smoky flavor mixed with fresh cilantro from the garden and creamy sour cream make these a huge hit!

4-5 cloves garlic, chopped

Olive oil 1 can (15 oz.) pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4-1/2 teaspoon chipotle seasoning, mixed with 1/4 cup water

sea salt and pepper to taste

Whole grain tortillas

Chopped lettuce

Chopped tomatoes

Shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Avocado

Sour cream

Fresh cilantro

Salsa

Saute the garlic in the olive oil for a few minutes, stirring constantly, do not allow to burn. Add the beans and chipotle water mixture. Begin to smash the beans and cook until heated through and makes a thick paste. Heat the tortillas and add your favorite toppings!

May 23, 2013September 4, 2013

Spring in the Garden

The majority of my time spent in the yard is in the spring time! From spring clean up and pruning to laying down compost, planting beautiful bright annuals and veggies, I spend about 10 full days (throughout May, April and March) working busily to prep it for the growing season! After all that time and hard work I get to sit back and relax for the rest of the year… well at least until the harvest and fall clean up (with a little weeding in between too)! If you prep the right way you won’t be a slave to your yard! Instead you will be enjoying it as you stroll through your own gardens or swing from a hammock!

Each year I lay down 3-4 inches of compost as a top cover in every bed. This has many benefits! First it acts as a mulch to prevent weeds from germinating underneath the layer, it regulates moisture availability to the plants, is a natural and organic fertilizer, and is more esthetic! I get many comments and questions about how much time I spend in the yard and people are always surprised at how little time I give to growing a beautiful and attractive landscape! The key is in the compost! You may also wonder if after so many years whether my beds will start to get really high from adding it every year… that is simply not the case. Organic matter is an essential part of our soil and is constantly breaking down from plant use or the elements. The ideal percentage of organic matter needed in soil is 5%. However, Utah usually has about less than 1%! Compost really is beneficial! Check out some of the pics of my front yard!

We have this little shady nook by the front porch that is north facing. It doesn’t get very much sun, but just enough to grow a beautiful Japanese Maple, Box Woods, Corabells, Hostas and Impatiens.

The bed just in front of the shady nook is my sunny perennial bed filled with bee and butterfly loving plants, like Bee Balm, Penstemon, English Lavender, Chrysanthemums, Yarrow, Zinnias and Cosmos! In front I have an annual bed filled with short stack Zinnias and Dahlias, framed in with my favorite Karl Forester grasses!

As we go further out towards the sidewalk there are more water wise plants placed around the flag pole, like pink Salvia, Iris’s, Hens and Chicks and Day Lilies! Again in front of that is another annual bed, this time I added purple Double Ruffle Petunias in the mix of Dahlias and Zinnias. I’m so excited to see all the happy bright colors pop in another month or two!

As you walk up towards the front of the house you can see Weeping White Pines, Laural’s ( a broad leaf evergreen that does best on the north or east side of the house), Echinacea, Peonies, Lavender, St. John’s Wort, Purple Salvia, Old Fashioned Roses, Day Lilies, Balloon Flowers and Creeping Thyme to fill in space. My husband welded the water feature last summer. It’s a beautiful sound to hear the water falling through the rocks!

A picture of the third annual bed.

I love this little spot in the front yard that takes you into the perennial beds through the gate into the back yard. On the left is a large Pacific Sunset Maple, Dogwoods, Burning Bushes, Iris’s, Tall Hedge Buck-thorns, Rose of Sharon, and Autumn Brilliance Service berry. On the left is a Cedar Atlas and other perennials like Peonies, Balloon Flowers, Corabells’ and Lilies!

One last shot of the stone steps leading up towards the front door. The red tree on the left is a Columnar Crimson Century Maple. On the right is a Niche Willow

May 3, 2013

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