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The tagline for Pudbudder is “It’s all about fun – A blog about food, cooking, travel, hobbies and having fun. But it seems most of my posts revolve around cooking. Now just so my readers don’t think I spend ALL … Continue reading
Today it was salad for lunch. From time to time I think about giving up on gardening here in Central Florida. Usually the heat and bugs hit so heavy by July 15 or so that you have to wrap it up. And that gets frustrating, But in the last 24 hours I’ve picked green beans, jalapenos and banana peppers – and that makes me realize that it’s all worth it.
Today’s pick from one row in my little Florida garden.
Photo credit: Words Etc.
If you’ve ever grown green beans, you know there is nothing like fresh – from the garden to the steamer, saute pan or pot and then to your table, all within an hour, can’t be beat.
Today’s salad that included my fresh picked yellow banana peppers.
Photo Credit: Words Etc.
Today’s lunch was a salad of a variety of things from my fridge along with a wonderfully aromatic and flavorful portion of sliced banana peppers. Most summers I pickle these delightful peppers, mixing them with red peppers, garlic and spices. You’ll find the recipe and pictures here. Picking them and adding them right to the salad can’t be beat. So crunchy and fresh – there’s nothing like it.
And this year, the bugs that usually devour my tomatoes before they even begin to turn red have decided to take a hiatus. Perhaps it’s because the lizards have returned. A few years ago our cat Paper Clip decided that lizards were her favorite prey. And as the number of lizards tumbled, the bug population grew. But not this year – at least not yet – it’s early. I guess Paper Clip has had her fill for a while.
Our cats, Paper Clip (bottom) and Susie, love hanging out in the screen room!
Photo Credit: Words Etc.
OK, so the garden hat and basket of tools will remain a part of me for yet another season.
Posted in food, gardening, vegetarian
Tagged banana peppers, Central Florida gardens, Cooking, gardening, salad
you know that your basil plants are just about done. If you’re in a warmer climate, like I am, they are still thriving, but not looking as lush as they did in the heat of the summer. They love warm nights, but as the nights cool, the plants start to wind down. This is a perfect time to harvest the extra leaves and create a wonderful pesto to enjoy with pasta on bread or in other creative ways. Pesto comes from the verb pestare which means “to pound or grind.” If you want to recreate the method of the old Italian cooks, use a mortar and pestle. But with today’s food processors, the process is much easier. And you can freeze the extras so you’ll have it on hand this winter.
You can use either a full size food processor or if you do small batches, like I do, a mini-food processors works great. I prefer walnuts over the pine nuts due to cost difference. I’ve also used unsalted pistachios. They’re all delicious and lend their own unique taste to the finished product. Try toasting the nuts in a 350 degree oven for 5 – 10 minutes to enrich their flavor.
Process the garlic, cheese, nuts and basil until finely minced
Add the olive oil and process for a 15 – 20 seconds more until blended well.
That’s it! Place in either a glass custard dish or in a plastic resealable container with a layer of waxed paper directly on the top surface. This helps preserve the bright green color. Store in the refrigerator and use within a day or two.
This freezes beautifully. Some cooks use an ice cube tray to freeze cubes of pesto. They defrost quickly this way and are very easy to use. I like to use empty plastic containers that I’ve recycled from either 4 oz yogurt or applesauce portions. I then place each container in a ziplock bag. If you use ice cube trays, pop out of the trays when frozen and store in a large ziplock bag. Either way, the pesto is always readily available until next Spring’s crop is ready. You can use it soups, stews and other cooked dishes, but add at the end of the cooking process as the heat will reduce the intensity of the flavors.
This weekend we created a delicious sandwich by spreading my homemade pesto on one side of a ciabatta roll, then topping with ham, cheese, a sweet pickle sandwich stuffer, shredded lettuce, tomato and French’s Honey Dijon mustard. Delicious!
You can also create wonderful pestos with other herbs and leafy plants. Arugula blends beautifully with walnuts, Parmesan, garlic and, of course, olive oil. Try some of these combos or come up with your own matings, adding your choice of nuts, Parmesan cheeses and enough oil to bring to the desired consistency.
I have really been neglecting my blog of late and that has got to stop. I have so many ideas roaming around in my head, and I have the best intentions. I create a headline with a few bullet points and save those in a “future blog posts” folder on my laptop. But other things are just keeping me too busy – both work and family – and all good stuff!
But this evening after spending an evening in my yard, I find myself overlooking all those “future post ideas,” and returning to my thought process of a few weeks ago about Earth Day and how we can carry the message of Earth Day into our lives every day – not just on April 22 of each year.
The first picking of beans and peppers!
For me, the best way to communicate with my Earth is through plants. After enjoying our homegrown green beans and banana peppers this week, I am motivated to keep the momentum going. As I walk through our small yard I can enjoy a variety of flowers – both perennial and annuals, vegetables ranging from tomatoes to cucumbers to peppers to summer and winter squash. I can see, smell, touch and taste the fruits of my labor. As I crunch on a fresh-picked green bean, I even hear myself communicating with my Earth.I am particularly proud of my Delicata winter squash. These were started from seed that I dried from a Delicata that was purchased from the local grocery store last fall. Of course we enjoyed the baked squash, but I kept the seeds and thought I’d try to reproduce the deliciously sweet flavors of this beautiful fall delightI view this as natural recycling – buy the vegetable, clean out the seeds, dry them, store them over the winter months, plant them in the spring garden and voilà, we are on our way to enjoying our own homegrown version (as long as our famous Florida bugs don’t overtake!)I try to grow as organically as possible by treating plants with a spray of water, garlic and dish liquid. It sometimes smells pretty bad, but it seems to do the trick in most cases. The key is to spray both side of the leaves of plants in either early morning or evening – just when the bugs are ready to feast. For more ideas like this, check out Gayla Trail and her books and website.
The family chickens!
Adding eggshells to the soil also helps to enrich the soil and also acts as a bug deterrent. Those shells can be sharp to the soft bodies of snails or slugs that often pester garden soil. Rest assured that you won’t be killing the little critters — only making them seek their food elsewhere. Ouch! those eggshells hurt…. BTW the eggs I use come from our daughter’s chickens – now how organic can you get!I guess the important thing is to do what helps you communicate with the Earth in the best way for you. There are so many things you can do to preserve our Earth for the future. Check out my post from a few weeks ago for more ideas. For me taking those little seeds and watching them grow into plants and eventually flowers or vegetables brings the greatest pleasure while I know that I am doing the best thing for my beautiful Earth. Enjoy your world and keep the doors of communication open!!
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