March Means Fresh Asparagus in the Garden

Asparagus, or garden asparagus, folk name sparrow grass, scientific name Asparagus officinalis, is a perennial flowering plant species in the genus Asparagus. Its young shoots are used as a spring vegetable.

It was once classified in the lily family, like the related Allium species, onions and garlic. However, genetic research places lilies, Allium, and asparagus in three separate families—the Liliaceae, Amaryllidaceae, and Asparagaceae, respectively— the Amaryllidaceae and Asparagaceae are grouped together in the order Asparagales. Sources differ as to the native range of Asparagus officinalis, but generally include most of Europe and western temperate Asia. It is widely cultivated as a vegetable crop.

The asparagus foliage will stay green late into winter in zone 8. Asparagus prefers a soil with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5 so it is a good candidate for raised beds. Preparing the beds is important because the asparagus can produce prolifically for years if planted in a sunny, well-drained bed. Asparagus does well planted next to basil so this supportive companion plant is a match made in heaven for Valentine's Day. The spears have started breaking through the soil in our zone 8 climate. We will plant the freeze tender basil in one month. Companion Plants Chart

Asparagus with Garlic Butter

Every March I look forward to the appearance of the first stalk of asparagus.  Our family says my asparagus is the best they have ever tasted even without all the flourishes.  The recipe below is simple, delicious, and requires ingredients I generally have on hand.

Ingredients:

2 bunches	Asparagus, trimmed of woody ends (thick spears)
4 Tbsp. 2 cloves To taste	Butter Garlic cloves Salt and pepper Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Directions:

Bring a pan of water to a boil. Drop the asparagus in and cook for two minutes. Plunge into ice water bath and then drain.
Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat, add the garlic and cook for one minute, until fragrant.
Add the asparagus to the pan. Toss gently, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Plate and add freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serves 4.

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~Grassroots Horticulture~

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Allium

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Allium is a member of the Liliaceae family, and formerly, the Amaryllidaceae family. 

Chinese Chives, Buchu (Allium tuberosum) 

Drumstick Allium

Misc.  Alliums including Drumstick All

Allium Canadense | Meadow Garlic

Common names for Allium Canadense include Canada onion, Canadian garlic, wild garlic, meadow garlic, and wild onion. It is a perennial plant native to eastern North America is a perennial plant native to eastern North 

This is a polyploid form of Allium canadenses.

• Allium canadense variety canadense.      
• Allium canadense var. fraseri Ownbey - flowers white; Great Plains from Texas to Kansas.

The leaves are flattened and solid in cross section. The onions that do this have round leaves and hollow interiors and the bulbils are smaller.

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 GrassrootsHorticulture

Fava Beans | Vicia faba

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Plant ID | broad beans

Broad beans are generally eaten while still young and tender, enabling harvesting to begin as early as the middle of spring for plants started under glass or overwintered in a protected location, but even the main crop sown in early spring will be ready from mid to late summer. Broad beans were a major food of old Mediterranean civilizations, particularly for the Romans and Greeks.

Beans and peas are jam packed with nutrition. Sometimes referred to as pulses (meaning thick soup), dried beans are a good source of protein. Introduce yourself to pulse recipes for wholesome winter goodness at this link.

 

Fava beans, mature seeds, raw

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	1,425 kJ (341 kcal)
Carbohydrates	58.29 g
Dietary fiber	25 g
Fat	1.53 g
Protein	26.12 g
Vitamins	Quantity%DV†
Thiamine (B1)	48% 0.555 mg
Riboflavin (B2)	28% 0.333 mg
Niacin (B3)	19% 2.832 mg
Vitamin B6	28% 0.366 mg
Folate (B9)	106% 423 μg
Vitamin C	2% 1.4 mg
Vitamin K	9% 9 μg
Minerals	Quantity%DV†
Calcium	10% 103 mg
Copper	41% 0.824 mg
Iron	52% 6.7 mg
Magnesium	54% 192 mg
Manganese	77% 1.626 mg
Phosphorus	60% 421 mg
Potassium	23% 1062 mg
Selenium	12% 8.2 μg
Sodium	1% 13 mg
Zinc	33% 3.14 mg

USDA nutritional information

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See more Fabaceae cousins

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Siddiq, Muhammad. Dry Beans and Pulses: Production, Processing and Nutrition. Ames, Iowa: Wiley-Blackwell, 2013. Print.

Eggplant

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Gardening | Eggplants

Growing eggplants can be a very rewarding experience especially if you are a big fan of Italian cuisine.  This year we are growing, Millionaire, a Japanese style eggplant and Fairy tale eggplant, a miniature eggplant. Both prefer a hot, sunny location.

Eggplant Millionaire (Solanum melongena var. esculentum)

Eggplant is a brilliant culinary thrill for summertime. It is a relative of potatoes, tomatoes and peppers, otherwise known as nightshades. The most popular dish, eggplant Parmesan is a staple menu item in Italian cuisine. The origin of the dish is claimed by both the Southern regions of Campania and Sicily. 

Eggplant Millionaire (Solanum melongena var. esculentum) flower

Eggplant Parmesan Make eggplant parmesan instead of lasagna to skip the unnecessary carbs and still enjoy all the cheesy goodness. Ingredients: 2 large Eggs, lightly beaten 1 Tbsp 2 cups ¼ cup 2 (1 lb.) Filling: ½ cup ¼ cup ½ tsp. 1 ½  tsp. ¼ tsp. 1 (15-oz) 1 large Final: 1 (24-oz) ¼ tsp. 8 oz. ¾ cup Water Whole-wheat panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) Grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Eggplants, peeled and cut crosswise into ¼ - ½-inch-thick slices Cooking spray Torn fresh basil Grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Crushed red pepper Minced garlic Salt Container part-skim ricotta cheese Egg, lightly beaten Jar pasta sauce Salt (optional) Thinly sliced mozzarella cheese Finely grated fontina cheese Directions: 1.      Preheat oven to 375° 2.       To make eggplant, combine 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon water in a shallow dish. Combine panko and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano in a second shallow dish. Dip eggplant in egg mixture; dredge in panko mixture, pressing gently to adhere and shaking off excess. Place eggplant 1 inch apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until golden, turning once and rotating baking sheets after 15 minutes. To make filling, combine basil and next 6 ingredients (through egg). 3.      To assemble, spoon 1/2 cup pasta sauce in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer half of eggplant slices over pasta sauce. Sprinkle eggplant with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Top with about 3/4 cup pasta sauce; spread half of ricotta mixture over sauce, and top with a third of mozzarella and 1/4 cup fontina. Repeat layers once, ending with about 1 cup pasta sauce. Cover tightly with aluminum foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Remove foil; top with remaining third of mozzarella and 1/4 cup fontina. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese melts; cool 10 minutes.

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Grassroots Horticulture

2006-2017

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Mother's Day Dinner Surprise

This is a journal entry so we can find the recipes again. The fondant potatoes are cut to look like large scallops.  I grow thyme, very successfully, so there is an unlimited supply of this herb in my garden. Thank you to my wonderful daughters for a special Mother's Day.

Forty Clove Garlic Chicken
Fondant Potatoes with Thyme Sauce
Brocolli
Peaches 'n' Cream Bars

Fondant Potatoes with Thyme Sauce
https://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2013/06/fondant-potatoes-creamy-crusty-blast.html



Forty Clove Garlic Chicken recipe
I made this years ago, based on a James Beard recipe. 
My daughter updated it based on the America's Test Kitchen slow cooker. 
It's still yummy!


Peaches 'n' Cream Bars recipe from
Taste of Home  - Hubert Scott, Cockeyville, Maryland
Link: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/peaches-n-cream-bars/

Substitute a Potato Crust for National Quiche Lorraine Day, May 20

Plan ahead! May 20 is dedicated to the food holiday National Quiche Lorraine Day. Quiche Lorraine is believed to have originated in the rural Lorraine Region of France. Here, we have substituted a mashed potato crust for the original dough found in the quiche many years ago. Quiche in translation is equivalent  to the Mediterranean pita or pie.

The pie included egg, spinach, and bacon cooked in a cast iron skillet. Cheeses were added to kick up and complicate the flavors. I would add onion in any form; green onion, chopped and sauted Bermuda onion, or leeks.   

Cheeses from Lorraine include bon dormois, brie, Carré de l'Est, Comté, Langres, Malgalor, Marcaire, Montagnard, Mossa, Munster, Pastour, Petit gris, Petit Liffol, Pizzalor, Port Salut, Roussot, Saulnois, Suprême des Ducs, Sylphide le savoreux, Tourrée de l’aubier, and Vergalor.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

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Health and Flavor

CREATING Broccoli cheese soup for now and later

If you are growing broccoli or are a member of a wholesale club and find it impractical to buy and use the huge packages of produce here is a recipe for the tiny trimmed broccoli florets I find at Costco.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

2 Tbs.     Butter, unsalted

2 lbs.       Leeks, thinly sliced white and green

1 bag      Broccoli florets (3 lbs.)

4             Garlic cloves, minced

6 cups     Low-sodium chicken broth

2 cups     Water

1 1/2 cups Fat-free evaporated milk

2 cups     Extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 8 ounces)

2 Tbsp     Dijon mustard

                Salt and pepper to taste 

1.  Clean the sliced leeks by soaking them in a large bowl filled with cool water so any sand sinks to the bottom of the bowl.
2.  Melt the butter and cook the leeks and any broccoli stems. Stir in the garlic and continue to saute.
3. Stir in the broth and water and bring to a simmering temperature. Add the broccoli florets. 
4.  Add milk, cheese, and mustard until cheese is melted. 
5. Use an immersion blender until desired consistency is achieved.
6. Salt and Pepper to taste.

I fill and freeze individual containers of the soup for a quick and satisfying lunch. This is hearty and delicious for a cold winter day. This is modified from an America's Test Kitchen Recipe.

                                                                                                                                                                                                             

All material © 2007-2019 by Jeanette Hyden for Grassroots Horticulture

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An Easy Weekend Dish Using Basil

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Gardening and Harvesting Sweet Basil

CREATING Caprese Salad for a simple weekend meal 

Campari Tomatoes and Sweet Basil

                                                                                                                                                       

The 100's of spider lily bulbs I planted, may not have bloomed this fall, but we have an abundance of basil for green salads, pesto and another favorite, Caprese salad. Until the first frost we will be enjoying fresh basil for many recipes.  The Caprese salad is so easy and fast to prepare. I take Campari tomatoes and quarter them, cut a good quality mozzarella cheese into 1" slices, chiffonade the basil and drizzle with Balsamic vinegar and EVOO. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper.

All material © 2007-2017 by Jeanette Hyden for Grassroots Horticulture

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