If you grow basil in your garden, at some point in the summer you’ve got way more than you can eat in salads or on sandwiches or even steeped into tea. That’s when you know it’s time to make pesto. I made three pestos on my local TV mid-day show, Daytime Blue Ridge. For a step-by-step how-to, youContinue reading “Traditional Basil Pesto”
Tag Archives: harvest
Carrot Top Pesto
Did you know you could make pesto out of just about anything? Like the tops of carrots or kale leaves or even a weed called purslane? I tried making three kinds of pesto this summer and this was my favorite. I liked it even more than basil pesto. It tastes bright and crisp and lemon-y. The perfectContinue reading “Carrot Top Pesto”
Grateful for Zucchini Galore
Growing zucchini can be tricky at our house. We have a small yard with a big garden and once we attract insects like squash bugs or squash vine borers, it’s tough to find a way to give our plants a pest-free zone. One year in an attempt to save them from the bugs overwintering in ourContinue reading “Grateful for Zucchini Galore”
Blueberry Zucchini Muffins
When your garden gives you more zucchini than you can eat for dinner, it’s time to start eating them for breakfast. My family fell in love with these hearty, just-sweet-enough muffins. Recipe inspired by Ambitious Kitchen Makes 12 muffins (I often double the recipe to be sure to have leftovers) Ingredients 1 1/2 cups white wholeContinue reading “Blueberry Zucchini Muffins”
Zucchini Parmesan Crisps
We don’t always have a stellar zucchini crop, but this year the plants delivered. So I’ve been searching for every and any way to cook our gorgeous green squash. These baked rounds were a hit at our house. Recipe inspired by The Food Network’s Ellie Krieger Makes 4 half-cup servings. Ingredients 2 medium zucchini (about 1Continue reading “Zucchini Parmesan Crisps”
The Raspberries Are Ready
My raspberry bushes made me so happy I could cry last week. For the first time since we bought those first woody canes four or five years ago, they produced more fruit than we knew what to do with. Bowl after bowl, day after day, we picked big, bright berries. And the next day, thereContinue reading “The Raspberries Are Ready”
Sampling Scapes
Garlic is not a mainstay of our garden. We have grown it a few times, but most years we struggle to find garlic bulbs in the fall, when it’s time to plant. Last year, though, I asked at my farmers market: Will you be selling any seed garlic this year? When should I look forContinue reading “Sampling Scapes”
Spring Stir Fry (with Scapes)
In early summer, our garlic bulbs send up flowers that must be picked if the plants are to grow into fat, tasty bulbs. The best part is the flowers (scapes) are edible — and delicious at that. I experimented and found I liked the stem of the scapes best. They have a starring role in this simple, yummyContinue reading “Spring Stir Fry (with Scapes)”
Strawberry Season
Strawberry season is nearly over at our house. We’re just about done with those three weeks or so in May when our two berry patches draw us in and don’t let go. Sleep? Dinner? Travel? Forget it. We have berries to pick! In the cool of nearly every evening, we search and snap the redContinue reading “Strawberry Season”