Meandering (I mean working) In The Garden

Are you getting tired of seeing garden pictures and flower pictures? I don't mean to take so many, but as I mosey through the garden, and see that things are growing and new flowers are blooming, I can't resist taking more pictures.  I went out this time to work; weed, water, trim, stake and just in-general-tidying-up.  But then I got distracted.  


The astilbe is flowering.

Monkshood.

Hydrangea - "Incrediball" if I remember right.  This is the first year it has flowered.

A closeup of the hydrangea.  Each one of the flowers is so delicate.

A bee in the bee balm.

Double baby's breath.

The roses are "hipping."

Single Maximilian sunflowers.

The lilies are starting to bloom.  This year, I planted a bunch of Asiatic and oriental lilies along the front fence line in my vegetable garden.  It is so pretty!  I am hoping they will spread over the years and make a nice border.  They smell so lovely!

The love-lies-bleeding amaranth bed is looking great.

More monarda (bee balm).

Another perennial sunflower - heliopsis.

More dahlia's blooming!

Each of these dahlia's were bigger than my fist.

I did get some weeding and tidying up done, along with putting up support stakes, trimming and thinning carrots.  Look - you can kind of see the path!

The oregano is flowering.  Aren't they pretty flowers?

I am really loving the borage I planted this year. 

Hollyhocks.

More hollyhocks!  One of my favorite flowers (though I like the double hollyhock's better).  No doubles yet.  

Tomatillo's starting.

Datura (moonflower) budding!

Another dahlia.  It is hard to get a size reference in these pictures, but this dahlia is between 6 and 7 inches across. 

A double oriental lily.  The first double lily I have grown and I am really happy with it!

Another single oriental lily.  I love the raindrops still sprinkled on the petals.

The wildflower garden is growing.  I put some little wire fences around it so the flowers weren't sprawling all over the walkway.

Another oriental lily.

Tiny chili peppers.

The sunflowers are blooming!  So pretty and cheerful.

The bok choy is ready to harvest.

Cosmos.  I love these "Seashells" cosmos mix.

More hollyhocks.

Grapes are growing!

Rudbeckia!  It is actually growing under the bird bath.

The big flowering baskets are spreading out.   

I've spent years trying to get this zebrina malva to grow, with no success.  This year, however, it is popping up everywhere!?  It is so pretty.

The second planting of lettuce is growing nicely.  I like to do as much succession planting as I can. 

Bumble bee in the zebrina malva.

 

A strangely shaped little eggplant is now growing.

And - look at this!  An artichoke!  I've been trying to grow one for years!  Can you tell I am really excited about it?

The grape tomatoes are loaded. 

The peppers are starting to turn color.

The other peppers are getting bigger too.

Jalapenos growing!

The gladiolus' are finally putting up buds. 

The great bonus of meandering (I mean working) in the garden - harvesting!

Bacon Wrapped Scallops

I was raised in a family where birthday meals were special.  The special birthday person always got to pick their favorite meal for the birthday dinner.  Recently, it was Charlie's birthday, and for his birthday meal, he requested scallops.  I found some tasty, large scallops at our local fish market for a great price.  I decided to wrap them in bacon for an added treat. 


Wrapping each scallop in thick-sliced bacon.

Then, into the oven for about 20 minutes.   The cooked scallops and bacon were amazing and such a treat.

The next morning, I made Charlie a special breakfast - over-easy eggs, toast with homemade strawberry jam, [leftover] bacon wrapped scallops and fresh fruit.  He was pretty happy.

Bacon Wrapped Scallops

 

• 12 slices thick-cut bacon
• 12 medium/largish sized scallops
• Salt
• Pepper
• Toothpicks

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Place a wire rack in a cookie sheet. Wrap a strip of bacon around each scallop; secure with toothpick (most of the way through the scallop).  Arrange the wrapped scallops on the wire rack.  Bake on the middle rack for 15 to 20 minutes (or until the scallops are done and the bacon is cooked). Remove toothpicks and enjoy!  There are many sauces that can be prepared for this dish, but Charlie loved just the simple kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper for seasoning. 

Note: if you want crisp bacon, use regular sliced.  If you like your bacon a little soft, use the thick cut strips.

Roasted Aparagus Bruchetta

Sooooo, I had a bunch of cherry tomatoes laying around, and I didn't know what to do with them.  As I was rummaging around the kitchen, I soon found some leftover roasted asparagus, a bruschetta loaf and some miscellaneous cheese.  Voila!  Roasted Asparagus Bruschetta was born, perfect for an appetizer or a refreshing light dinner. 

The roasted asparagus topping.  Hint: it was also tasty with tortilla chips....

The chopped cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers, onions and garlic.
 

Crunchy bread, flavorful salsa and just-melted cheese.  Charlie thought these were delicious, and I did too. 

Roasted Asparagus Bruschetta

 For salsa:

• 1 1/2 cups chopped cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onions
• 1/2 cup finely chopped mixed sweet peppers
• 1 cup chopped roasted asparagus
• 3 basil leaves, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• about 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
• dash pepper and salt

For bruschetta:

• 1 bruschetta loaf
• provolone cheese (probably about 8 slices?)
• dash of Parmesan cheese

Mix together all salsa ingredients.  It is better if the salsa is allowed to rest for several hours.  Then, slice bruschetta loaf and place slices on wire rack.  Broil for about 5 minutes, until crispy and slightly browned.  Remove from oven and place cheese slices on bread.  Broil for about 2 more minutes, until the cheese is melted.  Remove from oven.  Top bread with roasted asparagus salsa (try not to get too much of the sauce on the bread or it might get soggy), and top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.  Return to broiler for about 2 more minutes, or until the Parmesan cheese is melted.  Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Granola

Granola is such a versatile food - it can be eaten straight out of the bag, with milk and fruit, with yogurt, or as a dessert parfait.  I made some granola the other day, using a slightly-modified recipe from a friend.  

 

Mixing up the wet ingredients.

 

 

The dry ingredients.

 

Coming out of the oven, dry and crispy. 

 

With milk and strawberries for breakfast, mmmm.

I love putting almonds in my granola.

Granola

Wet Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or applesauce)
• 1 cup honey (or maple syrup, or ect...)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat all wet ingredients together until sugar is melted.

Dry Ingredients:

• 9 cups rolled oats
• 2 cups almonds (or any kinds of nuts you would like)
• 1/2 cup flax seed

Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and mix well.  Spread out on baking sheets (I had to use two) in a single layer (or at least as much as possible).  Bake at 300 degrees F, stirring often, until dry.  I baked mine for about 40 minutes, stirring about every 15 minutes.  Add 2 cups of dried fruit after baking (I like to add cranberries, but any dried fruit would do).  If you add the fruit before the baking, it has a tendency to burn.

Lamb Shanks

Last year we bought two lambs from a local farmer.  We have enjoyed experimenting with all of the different cuts of lamb.  Lamb Shanks anyone?  This was both the first time I have cooked and eaten lamb shanks.  After doing some research, I decided to try using two different methods and compare them.

The first recipe was a Barbecue Lamb Shank style.  For this one, I made a fresh herb paste, using fresh thyme, oregano, rosemary and mint from the garden.

I trimmed the "silver skin" off of the lamb shanks (or at least as much off of it as I could).

Then I coated the shanks in the paste.

And tucked them away in a zip lock baggie for about 12 hours in the refrigerator.

The next recipe was a long slow braising technique which finished on the grill.  All this recipe used was chicken broth, red wine, lots of fresh garlic and a squeeze of lemon.

Put all the ingredients in the pot and simmer for about three hours, flipping the shanks every 1/2 hour.

I also put together a pan of fresh vegetables to roast on the grill - par cooked potatoes, celery, carrots, onions and a mix of sweet peppers - brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with a little kosher salt.

The barbecue lamb shank when on the grill one hour and twenty minutes before eating time at about 250 degrees F.  We put the carrots on at about the 1/2 hour mark.

Then piled the braised lamb shanks and the rest of the veggies at about 20 minutes left. 

The delicious platter of lamb shanks and grilled vegetables.

While both recipes were good, I liked the barbecue lamb shank recipe better.  It had so much flavor from the fresh herb paste, and also from being in the grill for longer. 

Recipe #1 - Barbecue Lamb Shanks

• 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 3 3/4 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 4 lamb shanks
• Finely chop fresh herbs.  Combine all chopped herbs and everything else except the lamb shanks.  Stir  until the mixture forms a paste.  Trim as much silver skin as you can from the lamb shanks. Coat the shanks with the seasoning paste, place in a plastic storage bag, and refrigerate for 12 hours.  Build a fire (wood or a combination of charcoal and wood) for indirect cooking by situating the coals on only one side of the grill, leaving the other side void. When the cooker reaches 250°F, place the lamb shanks on the void section of the grill. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the lamb reaches 125°F for rare, 135°F for medium rare, or 145°F for medium. Let the lamb rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.
  
  
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  Recipe #2: Braised Lamb Shanks

  • 4 lamb shanks, each about 1 pound
  • 1 cup Port or red wine
  • 8 cloves garlic (don't bother to peel them)
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1/2 fresh lemon 
   Combine the lamb shanks, wine, chicken broth, and garlic in a skillet just large enough to hold the shanks. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil; cover and turn the heat so that the mixture simmers gently. Cook, turning about every 30 minutes, until the shanks are tender, at least 2 hours and more likely longer.  Remove the shanks and strain the sauce. Preheat a charcoal or gas grill or the broiler; the rack should be 4 to 6 inches from the heat source, and the fire hot.  Grill or broil the shanks until nicely browned all over, sprinkling them with salt and pepper and turning as necessary; for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, reheat the sauce gently; season it with salt and pepper, then squeeze the lemon and add juice. Taste and add more seasoning if needed. Serve the shanks with the sauce.

 Note: I cooked a total of 4 lamb shanks and cut each of these recipes in half.