Weekly Garden Thread - March 21- 27, 2020

March 21, 2020 | Diana in Wisconsin/Greeneyes

[Diana in Wisconsin]

The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you.

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It is impossible to hijack the Weekly Gardening Thread. Planting, Harvest to Table Recipes, Preserving, Good Living - there is no telling where it will go - and that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us! Send a Private Message to Diana in Wisconsin if you'd like to be added to our New & Improved Ping List.

NOTE: This is a once a week Ping List. We do post to the thread during the week. Links to related articles and discussions which might be of interest to Gardeners are welcomed any time!

[Liz]

Navajo tacos are popular in the West. Nice recipe to have when you run out of taco shells. Pile taco fixings atop fried dough....taco-seasoned ground beef, tomato, onion and avocado, dollop of sour cream.....delicious and filling. CHEF TIP: do the bread dough first, assemble toppings while dough rises; fry light golden brown on both sides, then add fave toppings.

FINAL Pour 1/2-1 inch oil in a large skillet; heat to 375 deg. Pinch off golf ball sized pieces of dough. Flatten and gently stretch out edges turning to form a 5-6" disks, 1/4-inch thick. (You could also roll them out on a lightly floured board, but pulling the dough is

NAVAJO TACOS

FRY BREAD Mix in bowl 3 1/4 cups flour, cup nonfat dry milk powder tb baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt 5 tb chilled lard in small pieces. Slowly dribble in hot water, mixing with fingers into ball that pulls away from sides of the bowl. Add more flour or water as needed to form a dough that is not too sticky. Cover; let rest for 10 minutes. more fun.)

Make a small hole in the middle of each disk, so the frying doesn't balloon dough. Hold in single layer. Gently place in the hot oil pressing down with tongs to submerge. Fry golden brown around edges, then turn and fry golden......only takes a few seconds. Drain on paper towels. Repeat.

CHEF TIP: If time is at a premium, use frozen thawed bread dough, pkg of Rhodes frozen rolls, or even tube of biscuits.

VARY Native American bread is also great served with honey, jam, butter. Or toss in cinnamon sugar.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

The wife is pre-diabetic.

Do you have any recommended substitutes for the potatoes? (I realize how horrible of a question that sounds as I love all things potato)

[Califreak]

That’s good eatin right there!

[Liz]

Just add her fave veg.......zucchini is great here.

[Liz]

That dish’ll scare away the pesky virus........LOL.

[metmom]

Do you have any recommended substitutes for the potatoes? (I realize how horrible of a question that sounds as I love all things potato)

One good substitute for potatoes in beef soup or stew is turnips.

I've been making beef barley soup for years with turnips and never told mr. mm.,P> One day I didn't have the turnips and had to use potatoes and he noticed the difference and said something about the potatoes being all weird.

I said "That's probably because I used actual potatoes this time."

The pause in the conversation was hysterical. He isn't often left speechless but I got him that time.

I have also heard, but have never tried it, that mashed cauliflower with enough butter and salt makes a great substitute for mashed potatoes.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

I have subbed parsnips....may have to try turnips.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

Today's to-do list which I posted yesterday.

Also for tomorrow, more seed starts, pruning some plants, ripping out the 4x4 border that surrounds the swing set I put in 20 years ago for my kids.....they are adultish nowadays so no need for it. Will tear up the tarp that is beneath the old woodchips in that are and re-border it with non-preasure treated wood.

Got a bunch more seed starts going, had the son pull up the old pressure treated 4x4s, finished loading a hot compost pile and added some ash from the wood stove, cleaned up some fallen pine tree branches, leveled the 2 raised bed planters which were a little cattywompass. 3rd was fine.

Also ripped out some blackberry bushes that were trying to come back. Finished my 2nd vertical strawberry growing station with some upgrades from the 1st one ...added mesh fabric over the 2.5 inch holes that I have drilled in the 4" pvc pipe.....the mesh helps avoid sloughing of soil. 2 more of those to go. When all four are finished I will have 28-30 strawberry plants growing in a 20" wide, 36" long area with a height if about 6-7' inside the greenhouse.

Tomorrow. Seed starts, haul more of my pile of rich soil to the raised beds, steal the great soil that was created in the kids play area and settled on the blue tarp beneath the former pile of woodchips..... pull up old blue tarp.

Possibly tomorrow.....dig up more of BlackBerry shoots.

[metmom]

I have never tried parsnips but they are more carroty in flavor, aren’t they?

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

They are more “carroty” in texture. A sharper flavor...think 1/5 across the spectrum from carrots to horseradish....closer to carrots.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

If they sell a produce item in the USA I have probably tasted it since I used to to be a produce man in a grocery store.

[metmom]

Interesting.

[metmom]

Sounds like parsnips would be good if you wanted to add a little kick to your meal.

[Liz]

The medics say shortness of breath is a sign of the virus. My DR says that's
also a sign of anemia. So I hunted up recipes to amp up our amino acids......just in case.

Slow Cooker Steak Chili
ING ¼ cup chili powder 2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons oregano 3 bay leaves 2 teaspoons brown sugar 4lbs steak (cut into 1 inch cubes) 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 ½ tablespoons kosher salt 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 4 cups chopped onions 1½ cups chopped celery 6 garlic cloves (chopped) 2 jalapeno peppers (seeded and chopped) 1 ½ cups beef stock 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes,1 ounce semisweet chocolate chips 3 tablespoons masa harina (corn flour) 2 cups water ½ cup chopped cilantro ½ cup chopped parsley

PREP Mix combine chili powder, cumin seeds, cayenne, cinnamon, oregano, bay leaves, br/sugar; set aside.

METHOD S/p beef cubes. Heat oil in a large deep skillet over high heat. Add about 1/3 cup of the beef mixture to the skillet and cook until browned. Transfer the beef to the slow cooker. Repeat with remaining beef, in batches if needed. Add more oil in between batches if necessary. Once the beef has finished cooking, add the onion, celery and 1 tablespoon of salt to the skillet and cook while stirring until the vegetables begin to soften (about 2 minutes). Add garlic, jalapeños, and the spice mixture and cook for another minute. Stir in the beef stock, tomato paste, and crushed tomatoes and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in the chocolate chips, masa harina, and 2 pinches of salt and cook for an additional minute. Transfer in slow cooker w/ beef; stir in water. Cover; cook on high 6 hours, stirring 1-2 til beef is tender. Toss bay leaves; stir in cilantro and parsley.

SERVE Topped w/ grated Cheddar, sour cream and chp scallions.

Add an iron-rich kale or spinach salad....
and drink lots of orange juice....helps your body absorb iron.

[Jane Long]

Saving!

Very similar to an old family steak soup recipe....with a molé twist.

Thanks for posting.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Great idea! That looks great! I’m going to substitute bear meat because we still have a goodly amount of that to use up. The spices seem to be the thing in this recipe; the type of meat can play second fiddle. ;)

I love spinach and I love kale - we’re having a kale salad with supper tonight!

Can’t do OJ - my Dad, Sis and I all have a reaction to it - it makes our joints just ACHE. But, if I eat a fresh orange or mandarin, no problems. Go figure.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

Yed...I love to add them to stew. Just treat them like carrots

[Liz]

No problem. Make this Italian Orange Salad. Use olive oil in the
dressing------some nutrients we consume are soluble only in fats.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

That is BEAUTIFUL!

I just bought a red onion, today! Of course, I had to sell one of my kids to get one, but whatever...Mama NEEDS her nutrition these days, LOL! ;)

[Liz]

Do whatever you have to do......but stay healthy.