The Garden Thread - August, 2025

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

[Diana in Wisconsin]

You are such a great guy! I feel blessed just knowing you! :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I’m going to order that next time I’m at ‘Fiesta Cancun,’ my favorite AUTHENTIC Mexican Restaurant. Along with the Fish Tacos, of course! No one there speaks English, but I know some Spanish.

I also told Beau that if there is a threat of deportation for the guy that makes the Fish Tacos, Beau is OUT and I am marrying that guy so he can stay - just to make sure I can always get his Fish Tacos, LOL!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Beau has been re-united with his skid steer! Hurrah! He spent 8 hours on it yesterday, mowing. Hoping he gets around to some mowing around here; the horse trails that he keeps maintained for the ‘neighborhood’ are looking pretty rough!

His two other trucks are STILL not fixed (parts delay) so he’ll probably be here another week before he goes back up to Bear Camp. He brought 7 dogs home with him; 4 stayed with friend Thomas to help train up and coming younger dogs this past week.

So, since I’m not getting groceries until tomorrow - maybe Tuesday, I am scrambling for a couple of meals. Luckily I bought a ‘Cheater Chicken’ on last Tuesday, so I will throw that in the oven with some potatoes and since it’s August - I am completely out of salad greens other than Kale, so I am stealing some store-bought spinach from the chickens* and making this Spinach Salad along with the chicken and potatoes:

Spinach Salad Dressing

https://www.spendwithpennies.com/spinach-salad-dressing/#wprm-recipe-container-201084

*Oh, the irony! Eating spinach that would normally go to the chickens, along side one of their friends! Just kidding - I don’t know the chicken we’re having for supper. ;)

[Liz]

I told Beau that if there is a threat of deportation for the guy that makes the Fish Tacos, Beau is OUT and I am marrying that guy so he can stay - just to make sure I can always get his Fish Tacos.......

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lol

[Liz]

I felt bad about Beau being dropped over a fish taco, so here's recipe to ward off abandonement.

Baja Fish Tacos / from a famous Cali beach eatery
Filled with beer-battered cod, tangy citrus slaw and spicy garlic-lime sauce!

Ing: 1 ¼ pound cod, cut into short strips or bite-size chunks S/p Pinch cayenne ½ teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon ground coriander ½ teaspoon granulated garlic 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 1 (12 ounce) bottle of beer (I used a Mexican lager) Vegetable oil, for frying (about 3 cups) Corn tortillas, warm (about 24 tortillas so you can double up on each taco) Cilantro leaves, sliced radishes, lime wedges for garnish

Spicy Garlic-Lime Sauce: 1 cup mayo ½ cup sour cream 5 cloves garlic 1 tablespoon lime zest 1 tablespoon lime juice ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper ¼ teaspoon (slightly heaping) salt

Citrus Slaw Ingredients: 1 teaspoon orange zest ¼ cup fresh-squeezed orange juice 1 tablespoon lime juice Pinch salt/pepper 1 teaspoon agave or honey ¼ cup olive or avocado oil 4 cups thinly shredded green cabbage 2 cups thinly shredded red cabbage ¼ cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Preparation: To prepare the sauce, processor ing smooth. Pour into a bowl, or into a squeeze bottle, and keep chilled until ready to use. To prepare citrus slaw dressing, whisk orange zest, orange juice, lime juice, pinch s/p, agave or honey, and oil until well-combined (you can also shake these vigorously in a small mason jar for convenience), and set aside for a moment. Add both of your shredded cabbages and the cilantro into a medium-size bowl, and toss the dressing with the cabbage/cilantro mixture. Keep chilled until ready to use. Next, gather and prep all of your fish taco ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.

To prepare fish tacos, add cod pieces to a bowl and season with a couple of pinches s/p, plus the cayenne, cumin, coriander and garlic powder. Marinate a few minutes while you get your oil ready and prepare to fry. Prepare a baking sheet with foil and a place a wire rack over top to hold the cod once it's been fried. Next, add enough oil to a deep pan or a medium-size pot so that the fish can be submerged when you fry it (about 3 to 4 cups worth), and bring it to 365°. While your oil heats, whisk together the flour with a couple of pinches of salt and pepper, and slowly pour in the beer and whisk just until smooth. Once the oil is hot, dip the pieces of cod into the batter and fry in batches for a 3-4 minutes, or until golden-brown.

To assemble, add a couple of fried cod to the corn tortillas, top w/ generous amount of slaw, add in some radishes (if using), drizzle w/ the spicy garlic-lime sauce liberally, and finish with some extra cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

[MomwithHope]

Always a delight to see your posts. God bless!