Bean, Kale and Chard Soup

As I harvest all remaining cool season vegetables from my garden (making room for warm season ones), I am enjoying finding ways to use them in the kitchen.  My friend, Cory, recommended trying kale and chard in a cannellinni bean soup.  The result?  Fantastic soup! 

The color of the greens in the saute pan is gorgeous.  I wanted to eat it just like this, but continued on with the soup recipe.

The verdict in my house was a solid thumbs up.  I have many more greens and am considering a second batch for the freezer.

Kale, Chard and Bean Soup (combo of Cory Pfitzer and Martha Stewart recipe):

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed and chopped
1 bunch kale, stemmed removed and chopped
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups cold water
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
2 cans cannellini beans
1/4 tsp  oregano
1/4 tsp  basil leaves (or 1/4 c fresh basil, chopped)
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp parsley  (or 1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped)
1 Tbsp course salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Fresh Parmesan cheese

Place olive oil, onions and garlic in large saucepan over medium heat.  Saute for 3 minutes, add chopped celery.  Cook 3 minutes and add Swiss chard and kale.  Continue cooking for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.   Stir in tomatoes and dry spices and cook for 3 more minutes.

Add 4 cups of chicken stock and 2 cups cold water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.  Add cannellini beans and simmer for 10 more minutes.   Soup should be pretty dense.  Serve with fresh Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top and fresh bread.  

Enjoy!

Harvesting Nasturtium Seeds

Nasturtiums are in full bloom so watch for seeds forming on your plant once the blooms die.  I plant nasturtiums just about everywhere:  in pots, in the ground and with my vegetables.  Check out their beauty:

Look closely and you'll find seeds that look like this:

They typically are clustered together.  You can let them dry on the stem or pick and let them dry out before storing in a glass or paper container. 

I love these seeds!  So big and juicy.  Once dried, they look like this:

Nasturtiums are VERY easy to grow and quite prolific.  They produce lots of seeds so you'll never have to buy seed packets again!

Spring Flowers

(Note: this is a duplicate post from another blog that I write for at http://hellotherehouse.blogspot.com.  I write a Garden Seeds blog each Monday and this appeared a couple weeks ago)

Gardening in Arizona is twice the fun!  Unlike many parts of the country, the low desert has two gardening seasons:  a cool season and a warm season.  As much as I have enjoyed the cool season vegetables, I am equally excited to begin my warm season flower planting. 

Warm season planting is just around the corner - it runs from mid to late-February to mid-March.  These plants love the heat and will thrive until it gets cold again. 

Purchase your seeds now and begin planning where to sow some beautiful flowers seeds!  Here are good choices for easy plants to grow from seed:

• Black-eyed Susan
• Butterfly Weed
• Marigold
• Desert Milkweed
• Daisy
• Gaillardia (Blanket Flower)
• Gazania
• Geranium
• Hollyhock
• Mexican Sunflower
• Nierembergia (Cup Flower)
• Pansies
• Petunia
• Poppy
• Ranunculus
• Safflower
• Sage
• Snapdragon
• Sunflower
• Sweet Peas
• Verbena
• Wild Hyssop
• Yarrow

Some photos from my garden last year:  (Hollyhock, Breadseed Poppies, Sunflowers and Mexican Sunflower)

In my experience, some are easier to grow than others.  For more details on planting these seeds, please refer to the University of Arizona's Cooperative Extension publication "Flower Planting Guide for the Low Desert."

http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/summary/az1100ndx.html

This document includes a chart similar to the Vegetable Planting Guide I have referenced in the past.  It is an excellent resource that charts the time to plant, amount of sun, days to bloom, height, water needs and growing difficulty.  Everything you need!

Desert Wildflower Hike

I did a hike today on the Wind Cave Trail in Usery Park.  It is known for its wildflowers and did not disappoint.  Despite very little rainfall in the last few months, there were wildflowers and many desert adapted plants in bloom.  Check them out:

Desert adapted plants (in order):  Brittlebush, Chuparosa, Orange Globe Mallow, Pink Fairy Duster)

 

These desert adapted plants grow easily in a landscaped yard.  They will do best with drip irrigation as opposed to flood irrigation.  Add them to your xeriscape for added color and wildlife!

Soil Excitement!

I am constantly asking for community donations for both our school garden and the upcoming silent auction at Broadmor.  The majority of the time I find businesses very charitable and friendly, even when declining my request.  The Tempe/Phoenix community certainly is a generous one.

Here is a donation that excites me so much I have to share it with everyone.  Western Organics donated 23 cubic yards of soil to our school garden today.  I was brimming with excitement watching the truck dump it next to our garden and couldn't wait to get my hands in it.  It is a combination soil of mulch, volcanic sand, compost and some gypsum.  Yippy!

My friend Cory and her son, Conrad, came to watch and help.  A big truck dumping soil is pure entertainment for any 3-year boy.

Conrad approves!  Check out his cool tractor:

Thanks Western Organics!!

Book Recommendation

One of the reasons I have a vegetable garden is to fully understand where and how food is grown.  Each year, I learn more about growing produce and have a greater appreciation for the time, effort, patience and hard work involved in farming.

I recently read the book, "Hunter Girl:  Revolutionizing the Way We Eat, One Hunt at a Time", by Georgia Pellegrini. 

Here is the description from Amazon:  What happens when a classically-trained New York chef and fearless omnivore heads out of the city and into the wild to track down the ingredients for her meals? After abandoning Wall Street to embrace her lifelong love of cooking, Georgia Pellegrini comes face to face with her first kill. From honoring that first turkey to realizing that the only way we truly know where our meat comes from is if we hunt it ourselves, Pellegrini embarks on a wild ride into the real world of local, organic, and sustainable food.  More than a food-laden hunting narrative, Girl Hunter also teaches you how to be a self-sufficient eater.  Each chapter offers recipes for finger-licking dishes.  

Enjoy!

Thanks Mom!

My mom is in town, and that equates to more gardening!  Mom is an experienced gardener, and certainly one of my inspirations.  I appreciate her ideas and suggest she do WHATEVER she wants in my garden during her 3 months here as I know it is hard for her to be away from her beautiful yard in New Jersey.

Her latest efforts include pansies on my front porch and turning my gnarly birdbath into a succulent garden:

Succulents include:  Pachyveria "Royal Flush", Aloe humilis, Sedum Brown Bean, Crassula "Springtime", Pachyveria glauca "Little Jewel" and Graptoveria "Opalina".

Succulents require bright light and porous soil with good drainage.  They will suffer from a frost so protect them!  Water thoroughly when soil is dry - I'm using peat moss to help keep them hydrated.