KAT'S COOKING KORNER: From the Garden

Along with the end of summer, back-to-school beginnings and a return to routine, I have fit in one of my favourite pastimes at present. With Farmer's Markets choke-a-block full of fresh produce and my gardens exploding with tasty new tidbits to try, I have pulled out my canner again. I already have dill pickles, sweet pickles, pickled onions, pickled beets and salsa lining my larder, as well as plenty of jars of jam set aside for school lunches. The new produce of choice this year comes from my Community Garden plot and I have to say, before starting to experiment with it, I was at a loss as to what to do with it. Are you familiar with this member of the nightshade family?

Give up? 

These green fruits, which are surrounded by a papery covering, are related to the Cape Gooseberry, but harken from much further afield. While I grew these in Southwestern Ontario, they originated in Mexico. These firm specimens are identified as Physalis Ixocarpa or Tomatillos. 

So with the handful of plants that we decided to plant on a whim, producing vast quantities of these small green lanterns, what was I to do with them? Check the internet for recipes, of course! While I suppose I could have asked you, my lovely readers, if you had a recipe or two, I strode into a Google search that turned up millions of recipes. Over 5 million to be exact, but I suspect the vast majority of them were for salsa. Great, but after making a batch of Salsa Verde, what else was I going to do with this sink full of a foreign vegetable? Keep searching, I guess!

Those green bits are tomatillos!

You know what I found? You can make lots of things with tomatillos. I made a few batches of Salsa Verde, the second of which has a nice bite to it compliments of the jalapeños and serrano peppers. I made a couple of batches of tomatillo jam, that is delicate and delicious. Just like a marmalade! I made a tomatillo sauce for a fish dish that I cooked up last week, which was to die for. I even added them into my tacos tonight, to fill out the ground turkey, since the kids aren't overly keen on the usual Mexican spices that are called for in traditional tacos. Added a tangy kick, as well as a hint more sauce. Yum! Wowee, what a find! Kid friendly and adult too!

The spices that went into tonight's tacos.
Note the Salsa Verde in this jar 
is already 1/2 gone!

And who knew these slightly lemony tomatoes would be so prolific? Not us! It would seem that when the thick stems hit the ground, they root and send off another shoot to produce more fruit. Bonus! Err, I think. Only last week, I was by our community plot and plucked a cloth grocery bag full of tomatillos. I knew with a certainty that I would be back sooner rather than later to gather more of these green globes, seeing as how there were still plenty of lanterns to be seen and the plant was still thriving. They don't seem to be anywhere near ready to quit! I have a bag full of them frozen and might have to dig up some new recipes to use up the last of the ones that are on my counter, before heading back for more from the garden. Not that I'm complaining though!

So if you have ever thought about trying out a new plant for your veggie garden, this one is worth a try. I'm not sure what made these plants so happy, whether it was the hot season we had, or the lack of attention, but I think that I'm hooked. In case you were wondering, you pick them when the papery coating splits. It will be dry and might even turn brown and peel off. The actual tomatillos have a slightly sticky coating, but are easily rinsed and chopped up. They have a fairly thick skin, but the inner seeds aren't near so wet and slippery as regular tomatoes. For the health conscious among us, they contain vitamin C, protein, carbohydrates and dietary fibre. All in a pretty package to boot. 

And what did my kids have to say? Dig in!

Open-Face Taco with Tomatillos

Sun-Kissed Wings

Please excuse my absence. The dust bowl outside my door gets larger by the day and I run from it. I try to escape into the garden in the morning, before the noise of passing dump trucks drives me inside. Oh yes, the reminder of the workload waiting is not to be forgotten either. 

As a respite, I have even spent time in another garden plot, wiggling weeds free of their homes between rows of tomatoes, peppers, peas and beans. The work renews me. It refills my faith in life and fairies' song. I was given reminders yesterday. For that, I returned to my garden plot once more today and was given the gift of poetry, as I rested beside my square of dirt. Blessings that I accept with open arms.

~~~

Sun-Kissed Wings

hello in a stranger's smile
shared on hands and knees
toes still wet
from early dew
This morning's prayer to please

dirt encrusted fingernails
dusty filled-up lungs
sweet songs shared
from swallow's flight
and colour wheels that run

How long shall I need this pause?
When does fleeing stop?
When sun-kissed wings
of butterfly's flight
fills this heart to the top.

A Drip in Time

So does this mean that winter is done? 

Not likely, as the good folks in Illinois have some winter weather headed my way tonight. Just when I was beginning to believe that rascally groundhog that suggested that Spring was on the way, the weatherman declares that we will get 10-15cm of snow tonight and into tomorrow. I have seen more grass than snow this winter, but about once a week we get a taste of Arctic airs again. Apparently, its on the way for another blast!

The 2C we had today was pretty sweet though. Mmm Spring, I feel you around the corner! I even pruned my butterfly and burning bushes today, just to feel like a gardener again. It helps that I wrote an article about pruning trees in the winter yesterday, I guess. Nice to have the sunshine on my face though.

Back to the harsh reality that it is still February in Canada at present. There is a snowfall warning for Middlesex county that is threatening to be the biggest storm of the season! Oh joy! Back into the snowpants again!!

Maybe tomorrow I will post pictures of my winter wonderland and the transformation that we go through. Excuse me while I go throw some of the mud-caked mitts into the next load of laundry in anticipation. Can't forget my warm woolly hat!

So, what's the weather like in your neck of the woods?

My "Fall" Garden

Can I just remark that it was a beautiful day in my neck of the woods today! The sun was shining bright and golden yellow in a cloudless sky, but that wasn't the only yellow thing to be found. Check out these hardy nasturtiums that just continue to blossom and thrive out in the yard. Beautiful, plus peppery good to eat, if you are so inclined. I love to look at them, but they are fun in a salad as well!

This here plant is also good in a salad, but a staple in the spaghetti pot as well. Anyone know what this pretty herb is called? While it has lost some of its pungency now that it is flowering, this hardy perenial is oregano! I started mine from a four inch pot and it is now competing with everything around it. If you need any, let me know! Divisions are always available!

Wow,

this colour surely lets you know what time of year it is.

The burning bush is starting to flame in the back yard,

so it's got to be Fall. 

I really do love its vibrant red though

Don't you?

While you might not recognize this prickly specimen as it sits now, you have all heard of this plant too. In fact, I think I like it just as much in this state as when it waves its pink blooms in the late summer. Does echinacea ring a bell? If you don't recognize this brown beauty by that name, you have probably heard of purple cone flowers. Should be called spiky cone flowers, I'd say!

And with the feathery wisps of grasses delicately brushing the Autumn sky, I fear that the changing of the seasons cannot be ignored. Summer is now a distant memory. Winter's warnings have been in the air on a crisp morning or two already. 

But today

I just had to get out 

and enjoy the last few precious days of sunshine

in my garden

with my poor sick kitty in tow

I soaked up some sunshine

before winter winds

erase any memory

of summer days

and the great warm

outdoors

Oh, surprise!

with all those tempting temperatures

not much writing gone done today either.

Oops!

Saturday's Email of the Week: Reaping the Rewards

Saturday's Email of the Week

Happy Saturday all!

I have to be honest with you. This week was not what I expected at all. I don't know quite what I was expecting, but I was riding off of saying goodbye to my friends/teachers from daycare, losing a client and finally losing my babysitter. To say the least, I was not in a very good mood. Kind of glum in fact. I had a big internal pout on and thought about crying into my shoes. 

Instead, I bought mulch and gardened. Mother Nature has a way of taking all your ills and whisking them away, while you toil in the dirt. At least that is how it works for me. A little meditation if you will, as I imagine things growing here, flowers blooming there and edible bits popping up in the lawn (yes, clover, violets and dandelions are all edible!). I am in the moment while debating terra firma and the rest of the world disappears. 

On Saturday last, I pulled every plant out of a small garden and rearranged it freshly and nice. It all started with a peony that refused to bloom. People say that they are particular about their depth - too deep or too shallow and they will not bloom (YUP!). So I uprooted it (to show it what for), set it aside, then debated where to replant it. That lead to the day lilies coming out, the balloon flowers moving to the front, irises being added into the mix and wishing adieu to the transcendentia. I can't always visualize so well, so I just pulled them all out, added in some new and divided the others to replant elsewhere. By the time I was done, it looked much better, but all the existing mulch had either been turned under or ran for the hills while I wasn't otherwise engaged with staring blankly at the blank slate of dirt that I had created. 

So with plants newly arranged, I headed out to the closest big box store on Monday and purchase me 6 more bags of mulch to disperse hither and yon. Most in the 'new' garden, but a bunch in places where divisions found new homes as well. I might have been just hiding from responsibility just a little bit, but at that point I didn't care. My internal pout felt pretty comfortably in place and I used the full moon as another excellent reason to indulge my escapist whims. I have to say, by the time I was done, it looked pretty darn good too. 

Eventually I could not ignore the clock any more though. I might have been down a client, but there was still work to do and only so many hours left before I would have to pick the kids up from school. Plus we were expecting friends for dinner. They always come with wine and sympathetic ears, so I kept that thought in mind and plodded through the rest of the afternoon.

Well, wouldn't you know, but they brought good news in tow! At a Car-Free Festival, I had met a woman who was a friend/business associate to my dear friend. They had chatty chatted about me in my absence, and lo and behold, the woman is in need of some social media help. By mid-week, we had a coffee date and I had a new client in my roster! Not only that, but another friend of mine contacted me the same day asking about this "social media thing" and wondering if there was a reason to get into it as a small business person. He showed up at my house with coffee in hand and left with a promise from me that we would start him out on a new path too! Two new clients on the same day!

So with my head spinning by the end of the week, I look forward to a new start next week with fresh clients, new and very different topics, and an upgraded schedule to set my days. I am excited for the challenge, nervous about how I will handle it, but ready to face the day. Perhaps my reward for tending to Mother Nature's patch was a little helping hand in the fate department? I am going to take that as a yes and head into the weekend with a smile on my face and a much lighter heart. And with that I leave you with a little light-hearted humour to go out into your day with. 

Daddy, how was I born? 


A little boy goes to his father and asks 'Daddy, how was I born?' The father answers, 'Well, son, I guess one day you will need to find out anyway! Your Mom and I first got together in a chat roomon Yahoo. Then I set up a date via e-mail with your Mom and we met at a cyber-cafe. We sneaked into a secluded room, and googled each other. There your mother agreed to a download from my hard drive. As soon as I was ready to upload, we discovered that neither one of us had used a firewall, and since it was too late to hit the delete button ,nine months later a little Pop-Up appeared that said: Scroll down...You'll love this 

.......

......

.....

....

...

..

.

\/

...... 'You got Male!

What's Going on Wednesday

I feel like I have been away forever. I went to New York last weekend and was completely disconnected from the world wide web the whole time I was gone. I left Thursday, returned late Sunday and didn't get the shakes once (unlike the university students at the University of Maryland that went through varying stages of withdrawal symptoms during a 24 hr social media-free experiment). Ha, in your face social media!

and yes, I have been right back at it ever since.
sigh...

Not here though. And I miss you! I miss you all out there in bloggy-land! I have checked in on some of you, but my own voice has been silent. I played catchup with work, and wrote articles about the aftermath of a thunderstorm cleanup, the heat wave rolling across North America and the best bathing suits to wear to the beach to beat the heat, and even delved into the joys and mysteries of coconut milk! Fascinating stuff that you should all check out and comment on ;)

But I feel like I owe myself a stint of writing too. Maybe that is because I also met up with my newly formed writing group tonight. Perhaps you agree though?

I did post a few haiku on twitter, that I will share with you again here if you missed them.

Butterfly flits by

Birds chirp, chirp, chirp hello

A break in the rain

Sunshine dreams

Offered up on ruffled leaf

My rain drop's gift

and how about a new one,

cloudless blue skies

looking cool and inviting

bake everything

Plus, I did a little gardening - trim a little here, pull weeds out of the lawn there, and snap a few pictures of the newest things that are blooming;

Fairy overseeing the garden

Columbine

My favourite discovery today though, was this absolutely stunning iris! It is so ruffly and delicate. Makes me just sigh with the beauty of it...

Iris

And you? What have you been up to? Written any good poetry, prose, songs? Taken any shocking, stunning, stimulating pictures? Painted, sketched, designed any good artwork?  Tell me what's going on!

The Gods Proclaim that my Work Day is Done

Twitter is over capacity. Blogger was down for over 20 hours yesterday. I am missing my latest post and really don't feel like re-writing it. It was a book review and I would like to include it here though, so just might have to. Sorry Book Thief!

What is going on in the web this week? I think that the God's are trying to tell me to get back outside and keep playing in the fresh air before the rains come. The forecast is for rain from now till eternity. Lovely.

So perhaps I will see how many more steps I can add into my day (I bought a step-counter to see how inactive I really am -Fat girl here I come!). We are supposed to take 10,000 steps a day (see an article I wrote about it here) and I am in the 3400 range right about now. I don't think I will make it today at this rate. That scares me for how inert I probably really am. Loving the life of a writer, but my butt certainly won't.

I am going to head back out into the yard. I spent the morning edging a walkway, garden and curb, as well as spreading some of the mulch around that I recently had delivered. If I want to beat that rain, I better act quick though.

Oops, I almost forgot that I have to pick my kids up though! Darn. I mean goody!! :) Maybe I can convince them that playing with mulch is a lot of fun! Oh boy! Or I can bribe them with a freezie. Now that's the ticket! 

Have a great weekend all!

Mid-Summer Reflections

Hello my friends. Good of you to stop by today. I have had a wonderful summer thus far, full of relaxing by the beach, visiting with family and friends, gardening and whatever whatnot that has held my fancy. I have to admit though, that works has been the last thing on my mind. Not exactly true, as I have thought about it, but just have not undertaken much paid employment. Things are about to change a little bit in that respect though, which I have to admit is probably a good thing. My little bee in the picture knows the value of a little labour. I think it is time I did too. This might mean a few less posts here, as I will be doing writing for others so my brain might be empty at the end of the day. As this has been my focus for the last couple of days, I don't feel an awful lot of inspiration today. Since I didn't post yesterday, I had to pop by for a few minutes anyway though. I thought I would take you for a wander through my garden today for a change in pace. I hope you are having a happy week, be it productive or relaxing. Enjoy!

~~~

Balloon flowers still blooming

These delicate little flowers were a gift that I was allowed by a dear woman that I gardened for last year. Their beauty  and hardiness remind me of her every time I look at them.

My butterfly bush hoping to attract a few winged friends to the garden.

 These unique sunflowers have a heady honey scent that is tempting for bees and me alike.

A green zebra tomato that is almost ripe. I cannot wait to taste this heirloom variety and hopefully save a seed or two so we can continue to preserve its quality.

This little gourd is compliments of last year's leftover Thanksgiving display. I cannot wait to see what colour it ends up and how big it grows!

Another heirloom variety plant picked up from the Gathering on the Green in the spring. This is the second eggplant I will have got from this plant thus far. I bought the plant on a whim, but my first taste was pure Yum!

and a little more sunshine at the end of the day

peeking through the black-eyed Susan.

Bountiful Peas

June and we're already eating peas!

Green Thumb Journey

I have been getting my hands dirty the last couple of weeks. Many bushes have been trimmed, including the forsythia, dogwood, cedar hedge and lilac tree. I have planted tomato plants, pickling cucumbers (seen right), eggplant and relocated sunflowers that self-seeded from last year. Last weekend, I even dug out a whole pile of sod and created a new garden bed. The corner was hard to get at with the lawn mower and I seem to always be behind in edging, so this solved an issue for me. Plus, I am always keen on beautifying my space. Must divide, relocate and flourish! Yes, I am crazy (I think my problem is that I cannot bear to let anything go). Time on my hands? Not overly, but I seem to have a problem; a gardening addiction. I am willing to carry that cross.

So here is the newest garden patch.

Doesn't look like much yet,

but when the black-eyed susans,

lady's mantle and sedge grass settle in

with sunflowers towering in behind

it will be a pretty space.

Here is another project that I undertook a few weeks back. There was a sad holly bush, little more than a few twigs really, that got relocated last fall. It survived the transplant, but was getting buried by grass and weeds. I cut out a quarter-circle and added some heuchuras for comfort. Now it is a simple little space to welcome people at the driveway's edge.

Yesterday, I even struck further afield and went by the girls daycare. They have a patch of garden there that is plenty green, but mostly weed. I did some gardening there last year, that was muchly appreciated. With a barbeque coming up tomorrow, a request was put forth last week for my ministrations again. I gladly got in and got dirty digging out weeds and moving stuff around.  I was not able to totally bring it up to (my definition of) a beautiful flourishing space, but I did add some irises from my house and offered pointers to potential gardeners in residence there. Maybe I am weird, but I really love to see the difference I can make just be giving a little TLC where needed. As I have mentioned before, it is almost like a meditation, but it certainly brings me in touch with Mother Earth. Always a good thing in my books.

   I have not spent all my time in the garden though. We have had so much rain that the ground has been literally soggy at points. They are calling for more rain tonight, so gardening tomorrow will probably be cancelled again. The worst part about that (or probably a blessing) is that I am stuck inside. That usually creates enough of a guilt factor that I end up cleaning. AGHHHHH! Now that project is a never-ending, soul-sucking, task that seems to lack any glory or praise-worthiness. It still needs to be done though. So I will admire my beauties from water-washed windows as I brush dust-bunnies away from their hiding spaces.Somehow it just doesn't feel the same...

I Love Your Blog!

 Jingle tagged me in a game and I am game to play along.

10 Things I love:

1. My children (even when they drive me nuts)
2. My Mother for always being there for me and believing in me even when she hasn't always agreed with my choices or decisions
3. My sister for always listening to my sorrows and woes, providing me with a best friend forever and never forgetting that a little bit of fun is the best medicine in life
4. My friends for allowing me the tears that needed to be shed , the time to explain what I needed to pour out of my soul and the wine to wash it down with
5. My garden for giving me much needed meditation, direction and beauty
6. Wellspring - as they provided me with so much emotional support when I was lost and soul-less. The hugs, smiles, soggy shoulders and kleenex helped to keep me here.
7. Yoga for the way it lets the world just wash through me and make it alright. Plus hip-openers are just a beautiful thing. Ohm... ;)
8. Sunshine for putting a smile on my face all the year long
9. Seafood, LOOVVVEEEE any kind, all kinds, YUM!!!!!
10. Poetry and the creative expression that comes with it (check out Jingle's Thursday poetry rally if you are a fan too!) Really, just writing in general. I love my expressions of writing so that I can release what trundles along in my brain. I love these people down here's writing because it makes me laugh, cry and generally smile. Words just fill me up and are generally just great!!!

I am going to tag;

•  Me at Is That a Promise or a Threat?
• Janet at Wherefore Art Thou?
• Suzicate at The Water Witch's Daughter
• Ron at Vent
• Brian at WaystationOne

Whether you play or not, is up to you. I just wanted to say that I like you! Have a fantabulous day!!

My Moon Flower - Oenothera triloba

Oenothera triloba

Ha, I have found you my pretties! I have been calling these beautiful flowers "Moon Flowers" for lack of a better name since I found them in my garden. I should explain that when we purchased the house I live in at present, it was obvious that the original owners were avid gardeners. Unfortunately the gentleman that bought the house from those folks, when they could not tend it any further, was not in possession of a green thumb. He lived in the house for approximately a year, then rented it out for about a year. When we moved in and the snow melted, I was excited and aghast. The remains of a well-manicured garden and lawn was hidden underneath weeds and shrubbery that was reeking havoc with  the light expectations of the straggling plants underneath. I found a bedraggled peony, that I still cannot get to bloom, abysmal rhubarb, day lilies by the wagon load and WEEDS! I would never have guessed that thistles could flourish so well in the middle of the city.

So over a long period of time, I attacked the project that was my garden. I gave a very aggressive pruning to a shrub that was almost lying on the ground from a lack of pruning and winter snow that punished the untamed boughs. With the addition of light and space, I found many plants, some of which I had to question their lineage. Was that a valid plant or noxious weed? Some I left to explore, some were pulled in the name of order. The Oenothera triloba hid for a while, which I am glad of. It looks remarkably like a dandelion, so would have been pulled post haste. The real beauty and show of this special plant happens at night though. As day winds to a close and dusk encroaches, this relative of the evening primrose family struts its stuff. Literally right before your eyes, you can watch the flowers open! They only last for one night and close up by mid-morning the next day. Do not rue the passing of the flower in too short a span though, as these plants continue to bloom most of the summer. It also makes babies pretty prolifically, so you can enjoy them yourself, spread them around your garden, or share them with friends. They will turn up their nose at your gift of a dandelion until the pretty yellow blooms pop open at night. 

Hopefully you have a night full of clear skies where you are. I have to make do with pictures of the outside world tonight, as rain plummets down. May the night still live and hold promise for you...

Go, Green Thumbs! Go!

Busy as a bee

with not a sec to spare.

Working in the garden

when weather is fair.

I must plant impatience

surrounded by lots of thyme

to spend with Mother Nature

whose bounty I find sublime.

So poppy outside

and soak up some sun.

The season is short,

but has just begun!

Go,

Green Thumbs!

Go!

You are my SunShine

   There were rays of sunshine amidst the busyness of the day. I took advantage of the lack of rain to plant a few herbs and annuals into the garden this afternoon. As it is supposed to rain tomorrow in my part of the world, it thought that the new plants might be happy to have a big bath tomorrow. I must admit that I hope it does not rain in the morning though. I stuffed the van full of garage sale items to tote out to my aunt's house this morning. The hope is to become fabulously rich by selling my excess wares to the unsuspecting bargain hunters tomorrow. So in honour of a hopefully sunny morning, I thought that I would play a little ditty to help encourage the sunshine to come out and play...

Sensational Saturday

Sensational Saturday slays shameful seasonal slump.

Playing along at six word Saturday. My weekend is shaping up to be the best ever in fly-by-the-seat-of-your- pants happenings. Yesterday was spontaneous hot dog smörgåsbord and fun. Today, we gathered dirt, a mop head (that the kids insisted I use right away. HA! NOT!!!), yard bags and new plants salvaged from a garden going by the wayside. That morphed into lunch, which switched into digging and planting. Neighbours appeared and conversation ensued. I am a natural for being long-winded, so soon enough the dinner hour arrived. So did dinner! I schmoozed up steak, hot dogs, burgers, salad and beer, but tried to counter with offerings of shrimp and new plantlets (euphorbia and black-eyed susan). Not sure if that is a fair offering, but I presented all I knew about the grand big world of the blog-o-sphere as after dinner conversation. Probably painful to the not inclined, but they humoured me with  their interest and plied me with more beer. So I stayed. Sensational. Need say no more. Hope your Saturday slayed too.

Garden Guise

She wandered through the garden checking for new growth and dreaded weeds. Growth gave her heart a leap. Weeds gave her drive and purpose. When she was in a garden she existed. She was confident and sure. Never afraid of choice; to divide and conquer. It was when she stopped that she lost her path.

~~~~~

OK,  I am jumping onto the bandwagon that you are all  pulling along. So Mr. G-Man, here is my first attempt at a Friday Flash 55.  And in case anyone was wondering, yes I spent the day puttering in the garden :)

The Fairy Child

I was peeking in my garden,

looking for them there.

Were they behind the mushrooms three?

Could I catch them unaware?

I inhaled the 

breath of springtime.

Gazed on daffodils 

joyous in season's prime

but my heart's desire

was to catch a sight

of the secretive garden fairies 

in full fanciful flight.

Anon, I doth ne'er fear
that tomorrow's morn

I will seek in the clear

and hope that mine quest 

is not clothed all forlorn

to spy my childhood 

wing'ed friends;

the fairy child

in my garden beds.

Spring Plantings

Signs of Spring and cool sunshine

Brought me outside

To turn the earth

and feel dirt

with fingers 

Pale from winter's ways.

Insistent breezes

blew sweet remembrances

and promises of 

a bountiful tomorrow.

DNA dug in.

Yesterdays rains,

Aided by a watering can's drops

Finished morning's work.

Hope lives

in tomorrow's turn.