The other night I made jambalaya. I had the shrimp, chicken, good sausage, rice, and stewed tomatoes bought from the store. Of course I used my homemade hot sauce. For the veggies, I was able to pick peppers, parsley, garlic, and Swiss chard right out of the garden. It felt a little like a natural shopping trip. Everything was awesome, fresh and tasted wonderful.
Shhh...Don't tell about them Swiss chard. I sneak it into spaghetti sauce, jambalaya, and chili. No one has ever caught me. We grow this plant year round and it is really nutritious. It has vitamins A, C, E, and K as well as a lot of minerals. It is also a cut and come again crop. We just cut off the leaves we need for that days meals and the plant grows back. Remember how big they got last spring?
About the onions. My bulb onions are long gone. I harvest them in mid spring. I have not been able to grow enough to last more than a few months. I will try to grow more this year. Anyway, the onions I use right now are oriental bunching onions. They grow in clumps and you just pull up what you need to use for the day. Another cut and come again plant. The tops are excellent as green onions. The bulbs are rather small, but there are so many of them it does not matter.
I usually only plant half of the garden for fall. Not this year. This year the whole garden will be in onions, broccoli, cabbages, beets, collards, lettuce, and carrots. Not going to waste a single inch. We should be shopping in the backyard all winter.
Letting the garden grow
13 hours ago
And not a food mile in sight :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a tasty meal to me. It must be nice to shop for fresh produce in your own yard.
ReplyDeleteI love to shop in the yard.it really is one of the wonderful benefits. I often base our meals on what is ready in the garden. Perhaps you could post a recipe for the Jumbalaya? Did I spell that right?
ReplyDeleteI get excited just running out and picking a banana pepper for our salad! I can imagine how you must feel! What a joy to be able to provide your family with so many home grown things. I go to a little market close to my house. They buy from local growers (Canton) as long as they can. I love to come home with arm loads of things to cook and freeze.
ReplyDeleteHi Aunt Debbie, HA, another food sneaker, I love it. The swiss chard is so prolific and so good for you, why not give the family a few extra vitamins and minerals? Our bulb onions don't last long either so this year I planted onions from seeds. They are just now yellowing at the tops and will be harvested as needed. Nice thought to shop in your garden, well done.
ReplyDeleteFrances at Faire Garden
If you were only a bit closer I would be round for dinner! that jambalaya founds fab..
ReplyDeleteHi vp, nope no mileage. Didn't even consider that slant.
ReplyDeleteIf is nice vp.
Rhonda, there isnt much of a recipe but I will give instructions sometime soon. I think we are due a round of recipe posts and links.
Thanks frances. I have never tried growing onions from seed. I may give it a shot next spring.
and you would be welcome, sharp green pencil. Love the name btw.
Go for it, Debbi! And who could forget that monstrous Swiss chard?!!
ReplyDeleteit is very rewarding to shop in your own backyard and then eat the rewards of all the hard labour. congrats on steps of being more self sufficient!
ReplyDelete