The Garden Thread - March, 2025

March 1,2025 | Diana in WI/Greeneyes in Memoriam

[FamiliarFace]

You are so versatile! Whenever we have professionals come here, I see the swampers that help. There’s always a couple of them. I’m always impressed with the job they do. We’ve helped out friends cut their trees, and are realizing we’re not getting any younger. I don’t need a hospital stay for either of us, so we hire that work out in the last 5 or so years. Even the professionals have near misses with these trees. So I’ll watch and be moral support, and bring a cool glass of water or lemonade if you’d rather.

[FamiliarFace]

It sounds really great!

[Liz]

Iced Blueberry Scones
Delicious, easy to make .......can be gluten-free.

Ing 2 C Flour or use Gluten-Free 1/3 C Sugar 1/2 Tsp Salt 1 Tb B/Powder 1/2 C Unsalted Butter, Grated, very cold or frozen 1/2 C Buttermilk or Cream plus more for tops 1 Lge Egg 2 Tsp Vanilla 1 C Fresh Blueberries Frozen OK Vanilla Icing 1 Cup conf 3 Tb or more Milk 1/2 Tsp Vanilla

Steps whisk flour, sugar, salt, b/powder; cut in butter til mixture is crumbly. Add whisk-combined eggs, buttermilk or cream, vanilla then add blueberries; stir to moisten. Should hold together in a ball.

Press dough on floured surface into 8" circle, 3/4" thick. Brush top w/ buttermilk or cream. Sprinkle w/ bit sugar; cut into 8 wedges and place on greased baking sheet. Leave a few inches between each to expand. Fridge 15-30 min. Bake 400 deg 20-25 min til golden brown. Remove and cool slightly. Drizzle w/ Icing and serve. Store airtight.

[MomwithHope]

I’ve got a small electric I’ve had for more than a few decades Works great, still can get chains and parts. We have long extension cords and I don’T use it far from the house Hubby has a big gas one. You’ll love yours.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Great news! Fingers crossed for you here, too!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I have a battery-powered Black & Decker chain saw. Of course, Beau LAUGHS at it, ‘Oh, I see you’re bringing out THE BIG GUNS, today!’) but it gets the fruit tree and small shrub pruning done that I need to do.

Also, I don’t have to be constantly fiddling with it. He’s always fixing SOMETHING with his array of chainsaws. But, it keeps him out of my hair, LOL!

You’ll love the convenience of it!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

It’s become a favorite at holiday meals. Everyone (even carrot haters) loves it.

https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a9648/whiskey-glazed-carrots-major-league-yum/

[FamiliarFace]

I will definitely give this a try. Thank you!

[FamiliarFace]

Last night I used the leftover corned beef in this fabulous and very easy dinner. I’ve made it several times, but this was my best effort yet. It was soooo good!! Had steamed green beans with butter salt and pepper as a side. Throw in a salad if you want.

The main thing I’ve learned from this latest try is to not use leftover cabbage, carrots, or onions from a previous meal. Only use the corned beef. Start with fresh ingredients and this is a delightful change up from the usual corned beef and cabbage. Using whole grain mustard is also key.

Gnocchi with Corned Beef and Cabbage
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

*Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
*4 tablespoons unsalted butter (salted butter also fine)
*3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
*2 carrots, chopped
*1 onion, chopped
*1 teaspoon fresh thyme
*1/2 small head Savoy or green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
*1 17.5-ounce package potato gnocchi
*6 ounces deli-sliced corned beef, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
*1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
*2 tablespoons minced fresh chives (optional)

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Melt 2 tablespoons butter with the olive oil in another large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion, thyme and a big pinch of salt to the hot oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start softening, about 4 minutes. Add the cabbage, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the gnocchi to the boiling water and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain the gnocchi and add to the cabbage mixture. Add 3/4 cup of the reserved cooking water, the corned beef, mustard and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until everything is coated, 1 to 2 minutes, adding the remaining 1/4 cup cooking water as needed; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Divide the gnocchi among shallow bowls. Top with the chives.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/gnocchi-with-corned-beef-and-cabbage-5562226

[Liz]

Such an interesting list of ingredients.......a fab dish to be sure.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

That sounds really good! I love Gnocchi...in anything! I grab it when I see it at ‘Dollar 1.25 Tree.’ ;)

My Mom used to make a homemade version of Mac-N-Cheese and put corned beef in it. It was a favorite meal as a kid.

I have the recipe (somewhere!) but it’s very similar to the one below. Mom would use Elbow Macaroni, though. And you can’t BEAT ‘Free Government Cheese Food Product’ which is what I’m sure she used. Back then, name-brand ‘Velveeta’ was a LUXURY for po’ folks like us. ;)

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/creamy-corned-beef-casserole/#RecipeCard

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Scones! We had a bakery in Madison called, ‘The Flour Box’ and they made these orange and chocolate chip scones that were to die for! When Step-Son was little, on Saturday mornings we & I would hit the Farmer’s Market on the Square because he and I were the only Early Risers in the house. They were our favorite treat. :)

I tried making them from scratch, but they were just not the same, you know?

[Liz]

That's maddening ....a secret ing no doubt. You could try this famous
Chocolate Chip Scone recipe from "Farmhouse Inn", couple secrets revealed.

Ingredients: 2 ¼ c. flour (Gold Medal or Pillsbury) 1/3 c. sugar 1 T. baking powder 6 oz ice cold unsalted butter, cut into teeny tiny cubes ¾ c h/cream 1 c mini choc/chips 3 sweet oranges, zested Orange Glaze: 1/2 c conf sugar 1 1/2 Tbl fresh squeezed orange juice Secret: 1 orange, zested w/ tsp Grand Marnier

Instructions: Whisk flour, sugar and baking powder together to incorporate. Toss the tiny cubes of butter with the flour mixture (the smaller the pieces of butter, the better). If you have time, refrigerate overnight. In a food processor or with a pastry blender (even two forks will work!), combine the butter/flour mixture until it resembles a fine meal. Add the cream and combine until the dough is very crumbly.

Mix in chocolate chips and orange zest. BE GENTLE! … and do not over mix, or the scones will be hard as rocks. Turn the dough onto parchment paper or a lightly floured surface. Gently form into two round disks, 1 ½” thick. Cut each disk into 6 wedges. Bake 400 deg on parchment lined baking sheet 12-16 minutes til golden brown on the bottom. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes before drizzling with the orange glaze.

For the glaze, whisk the fresh squeezed orange juice from the zested oranges into the powdered sugar. Add more juice to thin or more sugar to thicken if necessary. [Optional: Zest an additional orange and place in a small bowl with 1 teaspoon Grand Marnier. Stir the marinated orange zest into the glaze.] Use a small whisk or spoon to drizzle the glaze over the cooled scones.

Tips: Cut ice cold butter into teeny, tiny pieces and toss it with the flour, sugar, baking powder mixture and refrigerate overnight. She says that the butter is easier and faster to incorporate, especially if you are making scones first thing in the morning.]

when making scones, “a lower-protein all-purpose flour, such as Gold Medal or Pillsbury, is better than a higher protein flour, such as King Arthur.” Used Gold Medal

Try these w/ Cara Cara navel oranges, a sweet pink orange originally discovered in Venezuela in 1965, which are usually available in markets from late November through April and the sweet rind is great in most everything. Trader Joe’s may carry Cara Cara oranges when in season.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

That looks exactly like it! I remember the ‘orange’ being in the glaze, not so much IN the scone. Thanks! :)

[Liz]

Wow, that’s good news......it is a popular much loved recipe, passed around a lot.

And how about all the swell baking tips?

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“And how about all the swell baking tips?”

Who knew you could over-kneed a scone? LOL!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Saturday Morning PING!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

10 Reasons to Grow a Vegetable Garden

Do you ever wonder whether growing your own food is worth the time and effort? Here are some benefits to growing your own organic food for you, your family, and the environment.

There was a time when I didn’t give much thought about the foods we buy in the grocery stores. That changed when food recalls became more frequently reported in the news. One food recall in particular caught my attention because the local news reported E. coli contamination of spinach that was sold at my grocery store. It was the fall of 2006, and
eventually affected 26 states stretching from Wyoming to Maine.

The first question that came to mind was, “Why was my grocery store selling spinach from California when it grows quite well here in New England?” Even though I was likely to purchase produce in season, I just didn’t realize that most of it was shipped three thousand miles across the country. Call me naive, but I believed that all food was grown locally, and brand names had regional plants across the country that packaged the foods to sell in our grocery stores.

This was an eye-opening experience for me. I wondered what else didn’t I didn’t know!

Continues...

https://growagoodlife.com/grow-your-own-organic-food/

[Bob434]

[[ One food recall in particular caught my attention because the local news reported E. coli contamination of spinach that was sold at my grocery store. It was the fall of 2006, ]]

I remember that- tu4ned out I think that water used to spray the fields with got contaminated with cow manure because of high water or something if I recall right.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

It was the start of WAY too many fresh food recalls!