2011 Food Challenge

For 2011 I have a challenge for you - all of you. It doesn't matter how old you are or where you live - ANYONE can do this. My challenge for you is to GROW at least ONE SOURCE OF FOOD this year. It can be as small as chives in a pot on your window sill to an acre sized garden - maybe even a fruit tree? I'd like to know what you guys are doing - so share with us - what are you planting, how is it working out for you and your family? Maybe this will save you some money. Watching a tiny seed grow into something that will be on your plate if very rewarding. You need to know where your food comes from - and when it comes from your own earth...it is even better. Growing your own food is something that EVERYONE should know how to do. What if there is an economic collapse? What if you and your spouse become unemployed? If you have many food allergies - growing your own food could be your cure. There are so many pros to growing your own produce.

Gardening and Arugula Pesto

This morning I cleaned one of my garden planters in the front yard to get ready for lettuces. I had arugula (aka rocket) there all spring and summer up until a few days ago. I had just a few cups of arugula left so I made some pesto and stuck it in ice cube trays and froze it overnight then placed in plastic bags. (Will keep for a good three months in freezer)

 

***ARUGULA PESTO*** 

*4 c arugula 

*1/4 c nuts - whatever you like - pinenuts are the norm but I actually used mixed nuts, it is what I had on hand 

*1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese (use vegan to make vegan pesto, or omit)

*1/4 c EVOO - use your good stuff for this recipe

*one garlic clove (or two if you really love fresh garlic) 

*S & P to taste 

Place arugula, nuts, garlic and Parmesan cheese in food processor until just shy of smooth - while your food processor is running slowly add your EVOO - process until well blended - taste - add S&P - taste again - adjust your s & p - should look like green beautiful applesauce 

So, in my cleaned garden bed I planted two lettuce mixes made up of Beet Bull's Blood, Spinach Bloomsdale Long-Standing, Lettuce Red Salad Bowl, Lettuce black-Seeded Simpson, Mustard Tendergreen, Ashley, Prizeleaf, Royal Oak Leaf, and Salad Bowl. We should be eating some delish lettuces in 35-45 days. I'm excited. I'm also working on cleaning out the big garden in the backyard. Bugs have tore it all to hell. All of my squash, zucchini, corn and half of my tomatoes are gone. My eggplant is doing really well. I was surprised because this is my first year to try to grow eggplant. Easy shmeasy. Can't wait to plant my fall crops.