Tuesday, June 11, 2013

June Veggies & Recipes

Bunch of Red Roses on Vine
Roses Going Crazy

June is Bustin’ Out All Over


As Oscar Hammerstein II hints, June can be a very intense month. Weddings, graduations, Father’sDay…plus the mad race most gardeners with day jobs are running to get plants in and watered. End of fiscal year means wrap-up of finances for some businesses, and some people, like myself, are being downsized as a result. Some years it seems like the additional daylight makes everyone and everything crazier, maybe I’m just projecting? In any case, I’m giving myself as much of a break as I can with my menus. Here are some tips for simplifying menus during stressful times:

  • Rely on tried and true recipes, especially comfort foods. Pasta dishes are often cheap, easy, and comforting. It’s good to have (or start) a file of these, either analog or digital.

  • Make easy side dishes. Plenty of garden lettuce makes for easy salads. Most fresh veggies can be steamed, braised, or sautĂ©ed with very little fuss or forethought.

  • If you’re trying a new recipe, make sure it’s simple and fun, and that you actually have time to make it and enjoy the process of creating it.

  • Rediscover lunch at dinnertime. Perhaps an informal sandwich or salad bar where family members make their own?

  • Better yet, let someone else do the work. One of my posts this month will be about the Art of the Sandwich, as made by local Santa Cruz natural foods stores. Premade natural foods are a boon when time and nerves are short.

  • Eat strawberries! They’re at their prime, and are healthful and refreshing snacks for the stressed. Or try my mom’s simple strawberry sauce over ice cream or shortcake. Balsamic mint strawberries are also and easy, healthy treat with yogurt. Here are some tips for storing strawberries.

Enjoy your month and take some deep breaths as needed!

Butterfly Bush Purple Flowers
Cultivar or Weed? You Decide
June Veggies & Fruits: For Recipes, click links


Asian Greens: Mizuna, Tatsoi, Bok Choy
Chard
Kale
White and yellow honeysuckle
For Bruce: One of His Fave Flowers
Scallions & Spring Onions
Snap peas & Snow peas
Summer Squash (end of month)
Zucchini and maybe other Squash
Raspberries (end of month)
Apricots (we hope)

Favorite & New June Recipes

Potted Pepper Bearing Fruit
Another Garden Project Succeeds
Cariofi alla Romana: Artichokes with Mint & Parsley
Joe’s Cherry Pie (we hope!)
Strawberry Mojito or Nojito


Pink roses
June's Official Flower

No comments:

Post a Comment