Home Grown Garden Recipes

Strawberry Rhubarb Squares

Crust and Topping
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour (white or whole wheat)
3/4 cup quick oats
1/3 cup chopped nuts (walnuts are best, but you can substitute pecans or almonds)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup flour (white or whole wheat)
1 tablespoon milk
2 eggs
2 cups sliced strawberries
2 cups sliced rhubarb

Mix butter, brown sugar and vanilla; stir in 1 cup flour, oats, nuts, soda and salt till crumbly. Reserve 1 cup for topping and lightly press the rest into an 8 x 8 - inch baking pan.

Mix granulated sugar, 1/3 cup flour, milk, and eggs. Fold in strawberries and rhubarb. Pour over crust. Crumble topping over filling. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes, or until browned on top and firm in the middle. Serve warm or cool with whipped cream sweetened with brown sugar or homemade ice cream.

Cream Peas and New Potatoes

1 quart washed new potatoes cut to 1 - 1 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup shelled fresh peas
salt and pepper to taste (remember that potatoes soak up the salt)

Cream Sauce (White sauce or Bechamel sauce)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk

New potatoes can be harvested by digging gently around your potato plant bases when you start to see the ground cracking. My grandmother told me that doing this stimulates the plants to make more and larger potatoes. These top harvested new potatoes don't store well, so used them right away.  They are very delicious no matter what size.  Don't use any potatoes that have been sitting in the sun.

Boil potatoes in just enough water to cover until easily pierced by a fork.  Drain water.

Melt butter in a medium sauce pan. Add flour and whisk to make a thick paste or roux.  Add salt and pepper. Add milk slowly whisking to avoid lumps.  Stir and cook on medium heat until thick and bubbly. Do not stop mixing or it will scorch.  Add cooked potatoes and raw peas.  Cook and stir until peas are a beautiful dark green (a minute or two).  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  You can make this dish with different ratios of potatoes and peas or any vegetables you like. Just keep the ratio of butter : flour : milk the same and adjust the amount to have the correct amount of sauce.

Kale/Spinach Smoothie

2 - 4 cups Kale and or Spinach fresh from the garden
1 cup full fat Greek yogurt
1 cup frozen fruit or berries
2 tablespoons chia seeds
2 tablespoons 100% cranberry juice
add water or milk (or juice if you like it sweeter) until it blends nicely

I add all the ingredients in the above order and blend it all at once in the biggest cup for my nutribullet blender, pulsing until it all starts to blend. Then I let it blend for about 30 seconds strait after that. You have to get all the greens smoothly blended, or it can be weird to drink. This smoothie works out to about 500 calories depending on what liquid you add and what fruit you use so it can be substituted for a meal if you are watching your calories.