Recipes

Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad with Herb Dressing

The tomato plant is native to the Americas, and was cultivated by Aztecs in Central America as early as 700 A.D. The earliest tomatoes probably resembled the cherry tomato, with small fruits growing in clusters on vines. Cherry tomatoes grow vigorously and produce copious amounts of fruit even when grown in containers. For best results, plant tomato transplants outdoors after danger of frost has passed. Tomato plants need warm temperatures, bright sunlight and even soil moisture. Early varieties are ready for harvest in 60 days or fewer, but most tomato crops mature in 70 to 80 days.

Candied Cranberry and Walnut Scones

The cranberry, which belongs to the same plant family as the blueberry, has drooping, pink flowers; small, thick evergreen leaves; and shiny scarlet berries. Cranberries often grow in huge, sandy bogs as low, trailing vines. The plants grow wild in northern Europe and in the northern climes of North America, where they are also extensively cultivated — mainly in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Washington and Oregon.

Walnut Bread

walnut bread

Walnuts are one of the oldest tree-grown foods known to man, dating back to 7000 BC. Inscriptions on Mesopotamian clay tablets reveal that walnut groves were part of the famed Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Today, 99 percent of U.S.

Apple Cobbler

apple cobbler

In our climate, apple trees are best planted in either the early spring or fall, when they are still young. A 4' whip, or central stem that has yet to branch, is a good and inexpensive way to start.

Apples like a sunny site with good drainage. If you want only one tree, make sure that it is self-pollinating. Otherwise, plant at least two trees, as they need one another for pollination.

Cherry Tomato Relish

The tomato plant is native to the Americas, and was cultivated by Aztecs in Central America as early as 700 C.E. The earliest tomatoes probably resembled the cherry tomato, with small fruits growing in clusters on vines. Cherry tomatoes grow vigorously and produce copious amounts of fruit even when grown in containers. For best results, plant tomato transplants outdoors after danger of frost has passed. Tomato plants need warm temperatures, bright sunlight and even soil moisture. Early varieties are ready for harvest in 60 days or fewer, but most tomato crops mature in 70 to 80 days. 

Cherry Tomato Relish

The tomato plant is native to the Americas, and was cultivated by Aztecs in Central America as early as 700 C.E. The earliest tomatoes probably resembled the cherry tomato, with small fruits growing in clusters on vines. Cherry tomatoes grow vigorously and produce copious amounts of fruit even when grown in containers. For best results, plant tomato transplants outdoors after danger of frost has passed. Tomato plants need warm temperatures, bright sunlight and even soil moisture. Early varieties are ready for harvest in 60 days or fewer, but most tomato crops mature in 70 to 80 days. 

Citrus Thyme Chicken

Thyme is a hardy perennial herb in zones 5 to 9. Although it prefers full sun in a light, dry, well-drained soil, it will tolerate some shade. Sow seeds indoors where temperatures are 70 degrees. Most gardeners have more success planting small transplants directly into their gardens. Thyme requires little care. When watering, avoid splashing the leaves. Harvest snippets as needed during the growing season or harvest the entire plant in late summer, leaving several inches of woody stems above the ground. Next year’s new growth will emerge from the old wood.

Zucchini Carpaccio

Zucchini, a summer squash, is native to the Americas (as is winter squash). Zucchini belongs to the family Cucurbita, along with cucumbers and melons. Dating back from 7,000 to 5,500 b.c., this Mexican native was an integral part of the ancient diet of maize, beans and squash. That pre-Columbian food trio is still the mainstay of Mexican cuisine and is known as the "three sisters."

Sweet Peas and Artichoke Hearts

The best time to plant peas is 6 weeks before the last frost of spring (May 15) or 6 weeks before the first frost of fall (October 15). Plant seeds 1/2 to 1 inch deep, 1 inch apart, in rows that are 3 feet apart. Water well after planting. Seeds should germinate in 8 to 10 days in spring and 5 to 6 days in fall.

Asparagus and Shiitake Risotto

Asparagus is a member of the lily family and is related to onions, leeks and garlic. First cultivated in Greece about 2,500 years ago, it is the premier vegetable of spring. Grown for its slender, immature stalk, this perennial plant multiplies through its root system and will grow for many years in climates where the soil freezes.

Spring Greens

Cool-season annuals, lettuces and other salad greens can be grown in the spring and fall from either seeds or transplants. They taste best if planted when soil is between 60 to 65 degrees and receives at least 4 to 6 hours of sun. In summer, plant non-bolting varieties and site some plants in part shade.

Pick lettuce by hand early in the day and immediately plunge into cold water to prevent wilting.

Mushroom Barley Soup

While mushrooms may appear to be a type of plant, they are classified in the fungi kingdom. Mushrooms are the “fruiting body” of a fungus. While we are most aware of the mushrooms we see at the market, another important type of fungus is yeast.

Multi-grain Bread

Grains are grasses that produce edible seeds. They are native to what is now Iran, Iraq and Turkey, or the Fertile Crescent, where they were first cultivated some 10,000 years ago. Grains enjoyed today include wheat, rye, rice, oats, barley, corn, sorghum, millet, buckwheat and flax.

Most grains are undemanding about their growing situation. They enjoy full sun but do just fine in cool, cloudy climates with poor soils and little water. (Rice, a semi-aquatic annual grass, is the exception here.)

Double Chocolate Brownies

Real chocolate is actually cocoa paste made from the seeds of the cacao tree, an evergreen that is native to and cultivated in Central and South America. It is grown as a crop in the East Indies, West Africa and Hawaii. The cacao tree needs a warm, humid climate with shade and regular rainfall. It can grow to 40 feet in the wild, but only to 25 feet when cultivated.

Blood Orange Compote

The red-blotched skin of this fruit peels away to reveal pulp that can be as red as burgundy wine, giving it the name of blood orange. A favorite of Italians and gaining popularity in America, the blood orange is thought to be the result of a mutation that occurred in Sicily during the 17th century. Blood orange flesh is sweet, not bitter, and has a hint of strawberry flavor.

Trail Mix

Attracting Winter Birds

As your garden rests this winter, it can still be a hot bed of activity. Try attracting winter birds to your yard. They ask little of you and in return provide months of entertainment, beauty and song.