Ahhhh!!!

It has been a long summer -- long and dry. Very dry. My plants and my lawn have suffered. But this week there was a change.

Simple Sunday ~ Black Prince Tomatoes

Aren't they beauties? I picked these on Friday. I saw that there was another one ripe when I watered yesterday evening -- I simply picked and ate it as I finished my watering chores. This is my first time growing this variety and all I can say is that I am FAR from being disappointed. They have produced exactly what the seed catalog said they would -- An heirloom from Irkutsk, Siberia. The 5-oz tomatoes are found and very uniform; the color is a wonderful deep blackish-chocolate brown (you can tell in contrast to the tee-towel that the color is certainly not typical red). The flavor us as deep, sweet and rich as the color. A unique salad tomato; the plants produce a large crop and early; a good tomato for fine markets.

These particular tomatoes will be making their way into a fine salad with freshly cut basil and the rest of the mozzarella pearls for Sunday supper - what are you harvesting this week? :)

Joining Elaine for her Sunny Simple Sunday and The Tablescaper's Seasonal Sunday.

Happy Flag Day!

I LOVE the holidays of summer -- Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day (okay, so the first 2 are not technically summer but they count as summer holidays don't they?).

Every year I plant my annual pots in some sort of *theme* -- this year is red, white & blues! I simply love these blue petunias and their white *stars* -- they seemed made just for my theme. I'll show more of my annuals in the next couple weeks.

Have I mentioned that in the summer months I only work a 4 day week? I take Thursday's off. It is my fluff my nest day and I simply love it. My current fluffing includes painting my front porch. It has been quite a job and I am really looking forward to having it completed. My antique wicker is all refreshed with a new coat of paint and cushion covers and I am looking forward to hanging my buntings and having my porch all *decked* out for 4th of July -- I'm having company. Mom and Dad are coming from Arizona and my oldest son will be here from Minnesota -- oldest son was born on 4th of July! :)

Sour Cherry Coffee Cake

Daughter's baby shower was lovely and she received so many wonderful gifts. The food was all delicious. I spent a good part of the day today putting away all the catering goodies that I drug out to use. I kind of moved slowly knowing that this is my last full weekend at home for a while -- until the end of tax season to be exact. I start working 6 days a week this week. I'll miss my play time at home but I am so busy this time of year that it goes very quickly. After a nice long walk outside (an amazing January day in Nebraska), I enjoyed a leisurely coffee time this afternoon with a piece of the leftover coffee cake -- well, I ate about 2 bites of it and then was done....son came over helped me out with the rest of it :)

Sour Cherry Coffee Cake
(Printable Version)

Topping:
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted, plus more for dish
3/4 c all-purpose flour, plus more for dish
1/4 c granulated sugar
1/4 c packed light-brown sugar
1/4 c sliced almonds
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Cake:
1-1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 c granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 c buttermilk
2 c fresh sour cherries, pitted (I used frozen)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter a 9-inch round baking dish (I am used a spring form pan so as to be able to display it on a cake plate), dust with flour, tap out excess. In a medium bowl, stir together butter, flour, sugars, almond slices, salt, and cinnamon. Set topping aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla and almond extract. Working in alternating batches, add flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour. Beat until just combined. Pour into prepared dish, and smooth with an offset spatula. Dot top with cherries, and sprinkle with crumb topping. Bake until golden and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool before cutting.

Seed Sharing!

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you. Philippians 1:3

I just adore flowers – especially the old-fashioned flowers that women have been growing for ages. Sometimes you can tie these old-fashioned beauties to a time, place or person. MEMORIES! Sweet peas always remind me of my grandma -- she had a huge hedge of them growing near her clothesline and hollyhocks remind me of a sweet, elderly neighbor lady from when I was a little girl and my family lived in the BIG farmhouse (the first farmhouse I loved), before moving to the burbs and into a tract home (okay, that was 1972 and I still am sad about that, lol) – her hollyhocks were giants in her yard and beautiful against her PINK farmhouse – those flowers and her house simply mesmerized me.

My sweet friend Sharon from A Merry Heart Journal put out the word that she had hollyhock seeds available to gift – she sent me the most precious package of them. I will be planting them this weekend in a little bed on the west side of my garage. I edged and tilled that bed this last spring but never did get it planted – now I know why – it was supposed to be for Miss Sharon’s hollyhocks!

The act of sharing seeds, cuttings and divisions of your flowers is a very special thing ---- women have this done forever – passing on their beautiful blooms and prize winning garden goodies. I will share seeds from these hollyhocks when they become available. Thank-you Sharon for such a precious gift! Everytime I see those blooms, I will think of and pray for you. Do you have something to share with a friend or a neighbor -- seeds from something sweet or something needing dividing?

photo credit: BH&G

Growing Hollyhocks ~ Fall Planting

1). Sow the hollyhock seeds directly into the flower bed. The area must receive at least six hours of direct sunlight each day. Plant the seeds 1/4 inch deep.

2). Water the seeds well and keep the soil moist until the hollyhock seeds germinate. Thin out unwanted plants or transplant to another garden area. Continue watering at least once a week.

3). Cut back the hollyhock stalks to ground level after the first frost hits. The roots will continue to grow and establish into a good root system for spring.

4). Mulch the new plants to protect them from the winter. Remove the mulch in the spring to allow the hollyhocks to sprout easily.

5). Maintain a biweekly watering schedule for the hollyhocks in the spring. Either deadhead the flowers as they die or allow the hollyhock to drop the seeds and self-seed the area for new plants the following growing season.

Preserving Your Summer Herbs

Fresh is BEST -- especially when we're talking herbs. I enjoy my fresh herbs from the garden all summer long....but all good things come to an end. As my mind starts to turn to fall, I know that the goodness of my fresh herbs will be ending......but I'll have wonderful reminders of all that fresh goodness -- preserved herbs! There are several methods of preserving and depending on what herbs you are wanting to keep will determine how to preserve. Some things to remember, an herb's flavor is most pronounced just before the plant begins to flower. You can prolong the harvest by snipping off the flower buds whenever they appear. The essential oils are concentrated in the leaves in early morning, before the sun causes them to be released into the air. Early morning is, therefore, the best time to harvest. Snip individual leaves or cut an entire shoot just above a leaf node (this will encourage dormant buds to grow at the nodes for a bushier plant). Harvest the seeds of dill, fennel, and coriander when the flower heads have faded and started to dry. Clip the flower heads and place them in paper bags, then shake the heads to dislodge the seeds. Store seeds in an airtight container.

Drying: Many herbs can be air dried by tying several stems together with a rubber band and hanging them in a cool, dark, dry location. Bay, marjoram, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, and thyme are good candidates for drying. If the area is dusty, keep the herbs in paper bags during the drying process. Parsley and thyme retain more of their color if they are dried in a 150-degree oven or in a dehydrator. When leaves are brittle, pull them off the stems and store in airtight jars in a cool, dark place. Don't crumble the leaves until you use them because they will lose flavor. Dried herbs keep their flavor and color for about three months.

Freezing: Some herbs keep their flavor best when frozen. These include basil, chives, chervil, dill, lemon balm, mints, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, French tarragon, thyme, and lemon verbena. Wash them thoroughly and shake or pat off the excess water. Place individual leaves or chopped leaves in freezer bags. Flatten the bags to remove air. Dill, sage, rosemary, and thyme also freeze well on the stalks, which you can add frozen to cooking pots and remove before serving.

You can also puree herbs with a small amount of water and freeze the paste in small, zippered freezer bags. Then break off frozen pieces as you need them. Combine herbs that are good culinary companions, such as sage and thyme, mix with a little olive oil, and seal the paste in freezer bags. Or pour the mixture into ice cube trays. Once frozen, remove and store in freezer bags and thaw individual cubes as needed.

Every cook should have these top ten basic culinary herbs within his or her reach, fresh or preserved. If you don't grow herbs or not all of these anyway, check with your local Farmer's Market.

Basil – Use in pesto (which freezes beautifully), Italian sauces, soups and stews.

Dill – Not just for dill pickles, use in cottage cheese, cream cheese, goat cheese, omelets, seafood (especially salmon), potato salad and breads.

Chives – Great in everything from eggs to potatoes.

Cilantro – Essential ingredients for any salsa.

Mint – Fabulous with beverages like teas and lemonade, desserts with chocolate or with lamb.

Oregano – Great in Italian sauces , soups, and stews and a must have for greek salads.

Parsley – Blends flavors, adds color, and garnishes any dish beautifully - grow both curly and flat-leaf.

Sage – Primarily used in sausages and turkey stuffing -- must have for Thanksgiving!

Tarragon – Used in fish, omelets, and chicken cooked with mustard, and it’s a crucial component of Bearnaise sauce -- disclosure: NOT my favorite although I grow some because I like the scent I don't bother with stocking it in my pantry.

Thyme – French herb primarily used in beef burgundy, soups and stews also perfect for seasoning poultry and pork. I love the *flavored* thymes you can grow.

Editing to include in my dear friend Yvonne's On The Menu Monday Party!!

Radish Revolution

Am I the very last person on the face of earth to know that radishes, sweet creamery butter (unsalted) and sea salt is the GREATEST food combo there is?
Sadly, radishes have a history of languishing in my house. I have great intentions when I plant them (or buy them), but they have gone underused.
THAT was then........this is NOW!!!
In case you're concerned that I am eating too much butter (is there really such a thing -- said in my best Paula Deen accent, lol), I just had my cholesterol checked as part of my annual physical and since my number is under 150 (well, just under, total cholesterol was 148 -- pretty good for this low-carb eating old gal), I'll indulge in this sinful snack occasionally without guilt -- besides, the health benefits from radishes include cholesterol reduction (doesn't that counter the butter, lol), stablizing blood pressure, support of liver and digestive health and cancer prevention -- YAY RADISHES (with sweet creamery butter and sea salt, lol)!

The Herb Garden ~ OREGANO & Greek Salad

My oregano us going nuts!! That means ONE thing -- Greek salad for lunch (and supper, lol). This salad simply tastes like summer!!


Greek Salad
(Printable Version)
Dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2-3 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 large clove garlic (or 2 small)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Salad:
2-3 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
1-2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 large cucumber, deseeded and chopped
1/4 red onion, sliced
1/2 to 3/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives
crumbled Feta cheese
half lemon (to squeeze on top of salad)
Additional chopped oregano(optional)


In a mason jar combine the red wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano, salt, sugar, and black pepper. Place lid on and shake. Set aside. Store in refrigerator for up to a week. Assemble salad with Romaine, cucumber, red onion, crumbled feta, and Kalamata olives. Squeeze half of a lemon over the salad. Add dressing to taste. Toss and serve immediately. Serve as a side salad or topped grilled chicken as a main course.

Bountiful Basil

I have a challenge in my yard -- not enough sun. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy all the shade and the trees that provide it, but it makes it hard to grow sun-loving vegetables, herbs and flowers. This summer I decided to plant many things in pots -- especially my herbs. Then I could move them as they needed more sun. They are all thriving -- especially the basil.

I've made pesto and have been making lots of other basil friendly dishes to use up the bounty. One of my favorites to make is Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil Plate. I visited our Farmer's Market for fresh tomatoes (it will be awhile before mine are ready). This is perfect on the side of grilled meats or as a light supper all on it's on with some crusty bread.


Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil Plate

2 balls (8 ounces) fresh mozzarella
2-4 large ripe tomato
1/2 cup fresh whole basil leaves
4-5 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper


Cut an X at the blossom end of each tomato. Drop quickly into boiling water and then plunge into iced water. The peel will now slip right off. Peel each tomato using this method.

Chiffonade (this is generally accomplished by stacking leaves, rolling them tightly, then cutting across the rolled leaves with a sharp knife, producing fine ribbons) the basil, reserving some large leaves for garnish.



Use a serrated knife to halve the ball of mozzarella and then slice into 1/4-inch thick half moons (the fresh cheese is much easier to slice if you place it into the freezer for 30-40 minutes before slicing to firm it up -- don't forget it though). Slice the top and bottom off of the tomato; chop these pieces into a fine dice and set aside. Slice the tomato in half down through the center and then cut each half into 1/4-inch thick half moons.


Working in a circle on a dinner plate-sized serving platter, overlap the slices of mozzarella and tomatoes. Sprinkle cut basil over entire plate. Arrange the reserved diced tomatoes in the center of the plate and garnish with another basil leaf or two. Drizzle the olive oil over everything; sprinkle with the salt and pepper.


Serve with a nice crusty bread, preferably homemade. Makes 4-6 servings.

Salad Time ~ Go Green!!

Spring greens are GORGEOUS right now and although I love salads year round, they never taste quite as good as they do when the greens are sweet and tender in spring. At my house, we like dressing our salads with a variety of different homemade dressings but none are as popular as good ole ranch-style dressing -- creamy and cool and with the addition of fresh, spring herbs, just the perfect compliment to the tender, fresh greens. I've used the same ranch-style formula for years with few variations.....it's tried and true. When my June copy of EVERYDAY FOOD came in I spied a great formula for making different dressings with a Creamy Salad Dressing Base. I've been playing with those formulas all week and thought I'd share both my tried and true recipe and that formula for making the 6 different dressing using the creamy base.


Ranch-style Dressing
(Printable Version)

3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4cup buttermilk (I always use real buttermilk, I freeze it in 1/2-1 cup measurements)
1-1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons sugar (or 1 Splenda packet)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1-1/2 teaspoons dried parsely (or 2 Tbsp fresh chopped)
1/4 teaspoon dried dill (or 1 tsp fresh)
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash sweet paprika

Wisk all ingredients together and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Makes 1cup.


Creamy Salad Dressing Base
EVERYDAY FOOD
(Printable Version)

1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
desired mix-ins (see below)
coarse salt and pepper

In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, sour cream, and mayonnaise until smooth. Whisk in desired mix-in. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Mix-Ins:

Green Goodess ~ 1/2 avocado, mashed until smooth, 1/4 cup finely chopped chives. 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley.

Roasted Garlic ~ 1 small head roasted garlic, skins removed and cloves mashed until smooth (about 2 tablespoons).

Blue Cheese ~ 3 ounces blue cheese, crumbled.

Ranch ~ 1-1/2 reaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, 1 small garlic clove, minced, pinch of cayenne pepper.

Thousand Island ~ 1/3 cup ketchup, 3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish.

Peppercorn-Parmesan ~ 2 ounces finely grated Parmesan (2/3 cup), 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper.

Blue Ribbon Recipes ~ Strawberry Relish

Have you ever entered something into the county fair? I have! Growing up, we were 4-H kids and my kids were also 4-H kids (and have competed at State Fair level). Entering the fair is what 4-H kids do. As an adult, I still enjoy entering things into the open class competition and am thrilled to win a BLUE RIBBON! I've entered things like crocheted doilies, quilts, baked goods, jam & jellies, pickled items and garden grown goodies. County fair time is quickly approaching in Nebraska and I am scrambling to figure out what I am going to enter this year. We are very excited that our state fair has moved to a neighboring county starting this year. I thought it would be fun to have an ongoing segment for the summer on blue ribbon winning recipes. Maybe you'll find inspiration to enter something in your local fair.

Strawberry Relish

2 quarts strawberries (ripe but not overly ripe)
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
7-1/2 cups sugar
2 Tbsp vinegar
1 packet liquid pectin

Combine all ingredients except pectin. Boil for 3 minutes. Stir constantly; remove from heat. Add pectin; stir and skim for 5 minutes. Pour into hot sterilized jars; seal*. Yield: 9-1/2 pints.

This recipe is from Blue Ribbon Recipes and was originally entered into the Rochester Fair by Ruth Henderson of Farmingham, NH (it is very close to the recipe below that is from an old canning booklet).

* This is an old recipe and standards now require that jams, jellies, fruit relishes, etc., be water bath processed. Here is complete directions on how to do that ~ Water bath canning.



Joining in at Lisa's Tempt My Tummy Tuesday!

Strawberries in a Strawberry Pot

Have you ever wanted to know how to grow strawberries in strawberry pots? It is actually very easy and a lot of fun....a great project to do with kids. There are many reasons why you may want to plant a strawberry pot. One of the obvious reasons is if you live in a condo or an apartment and you have no garden area. You can place these beautiful pots right on your deck and enjoy the freshly picked strawberries as they become ripe. That said, even people who have gardens, like myself, often choose to grow strawberries in strawberry pots. For me, I like the look of a lush strawberry pot but for others, using a pot makes controlling the runners easier than in a bed.

Getting Started:
First you need to make a trip to your local nursery or gardening center. You should be able to find all you need to get started there.

Your local nursery will carry more than a few varieties of strawberries that grow well in your area or for convenience you can order them online.You will have a choice between June bearing, everbearing or day neutral. An everbearing variety will produce strawberries throughout the summer, usually two or three crops. Day neutral varieties also produce strawberries throughout the growing season. June bearing varieties produce one large crop in late spring/early summer depending on where you live and then they will be done producing until the next year. June bearing plants are known to produce larger berries.

What You’ll Need:
Strawberry pot
Potting soil
Strawberry plants
PVC Pipe with holes drilled into it or a heavy-duty cardboard tube (left over from your gift wrapping paper or from foil or plastic wrap)
Pea or Small gravel



What To Do:
Place potting soil into the pot up to the lowest holes on the sides of the pot.
Remove a strawberry plant from its plastic container.
Break up the soil around the roots of the plant and fan them out a little. Place the plant into the pocket, add some more potting soil and pack it firmly around the roots. Plant the strawberry plant so that the crown is just barely above the soil surface. Plant strawberry plants in all of the lower pockets. Dig a small hole in the center of the dirt. Place PVC pipe or cardboard tube so that it is standing straight up the middle of the pot. Pack some dirt around it but you will probably have to hold it with one hand or have someone hold it for you until you get enough dirt around it for it to stand up by itself. Fill the pipe or tube with gravel. Add more potting soil up to the next pockets and plant strawberries in the same way as above. Keep repeating until you have filled the pot up with soil. Plant three or four strawberry plants in the top of the pot. If you used a cardboard tube, gently remove the tube leaving the gravel in place. If you used PVC pipe, just leave it in there. After planting, gently water the top of the pot and each opening. For the rest of the season you should be able to water just from the top as the gravel will help to spread the water throughout the dirt and take it down deep enough to the bottom plants. Keep an eye out though. If it looks like the plants in the holes are not getting enough water then you will have to gently water them through each opening. Placing some sphagnum moss around each plant will help to hold the dirt in if it is being watered out.

Place the strawberry pot in a sunny location (at least six hours of sun a day) and rotate it every few days so that each plant gets enough sunlight. Continue to water the plants every day. Containers tend to dry out much faster than a garden bed. If you planted everbearing or day neutral it is a good idea for the first few weeks to pinch off the blossoms when they flower. This gives the plant a chance to put its energy into establishing the roots and the plant itself before having to produce fruit.

Enjoy your beautiful pot and lots and lots wonderful strawberries!



I also love to grow herbs in strawberry pots. I'll save that for another post!

More Asparagus!

I want to start by saying I am not a gardening expert. I LOVE to garden but you'll read very few posts on gardening at Faithfulness Farm. Mostly, because it is an area in which I feel I have much more to learn than teach. I had comments on my homegrown asparagus, and my thought was, *if you only knew HOW easy it is to grow*. That said, I thought I'd share some of my limited knowledge/experience and point to a great article that says it all.

If you don’t have asparagus in your garden yet, this month and next are the time to plant it. This is not a vegetable that can be grown in a container, so you will need to give it a dedicated space in your garden. Growing asparagus is quite easy, but does require a little patience. You can start with seeds, but most gardeners plant crowns (dormant roots) because you can harvest a year earlier.

To plant asparagus, dig a trench that is 12″ deep and 12″ wide. Set trenches 3-4′ apart. Set the crowns about 18″ apart and spread the roots out evenly. Asparagus is a heavy feeder, so backfill the trench with compost or well-rotted manure, then add more dirt. Water well and then keep the asparagus well-watered throughout that first summer, but don’t drown it either. Spread about 2″ of mulch over the area to suppress weeds. For some reason, asparagus doesn’t tolerate weeds, but a good layer of mulch should mostly keep them out. After that, it will be easy enough for you to pull out the odd weed that does appear.

That’s it. You’re done. Now all you have to do is wait. And wait and wait. And then wait some more. The plants need a few years to grow and spread. You can harvest a few spears after one year, about half the year after that, and then all of the asparagus every spring after that. The plants multiply like rabbits (but not in an invasive way) and an asparagus bed can last for years, possibly even decades. About a dozen crowns will feed one adult well during a season; two dozen crowns will net you enough for a family or to freeze some asparagus for later eating. The great thing about asparagus is that after your initial planting effort and then patience while the plants get settled, your reward will be years and years of fresh asparagus.

Want to know more about growing your own, here is an article from Mother Earth News from a few years ago, THE FINE ART OF GROWING (AND COOKING) ASPARAGUS.