GSW {garden say what?}: menu dous

howdy!  me and my garden had so much fun telling you what to eat last week that we are back...plus, i got such a nice response i thought i would do this weekly.  you're welcome for the unsolicted menu planning.

the plan....
1. green stuffed pizza pockets with salad
2. slow cooker ribs with sauteed turnip greens and arugula pesto potato salad {weekend dinner alert!}*
3. greek burgers with tzatziti sauce on pita with a spinach, feta, red onion salad
4. pork stirfry with turnips and spicy collards + cabbage*
5. kale salad with avocado, parmesan, beans, and avocado

you need a dessert to bring to the BBQ....
rhubarb snacking cake

you porch is calling you and demands you bring a cocktail?
rhubarb mint lemondade with vodka added

*for the potato salad i am just tossing cooked and barely cooled baby potatoes in arugula pesto.  feel free to use whatever you like.  the ribs are cooked all day in a slow cooker and finished on the grill for about 6 minutes.  this makes a great weekend meal, but is simple enough for a weeknight.
*for the stirfry, just make your favorite recipe subbing in or adding turnips, thinly sliced.  serve with rice and the spicy collards + cabbage.

preserve that bounty {spring edition}

can it be that we are already at the point in the growing season where some veggies are going to seed or are so prolific that we need to figure out what to do with it all?  and quick.  here in my part of nebraska, zone 5, we had a very mild winter, early spring, and all around kind of wonky season.  some of the farmer's markets even opened early because farmers needed to harvest and sell.  at our farm we have lots of collards, tarragon, oregano, arugula, kale, spinach, butter crunch lettuce, rhubarb, turnips, and mulberries.  so i have been devising and researching ways to preserve these goodies so that i won't have any regrets later this year when the garden has been turned over and it is too cold to even remember what fresh veggies taste like.....the rest i will harvest and bring to the heart ministry center for one of their pantry days.

pizza pockets...done the lazy and TASTY way.

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here's what i have done so far....

arugula pesto: i made some pesto with blanched arugula, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, parmesan, and almonds.  i froze about half the batch in ice cube trays, popped them out {once frozen}, and stored them in a plastic freezer bag.  i can then pop a few cubes into soups, stews, and sauces throughout the year or even thaw for a pizza base.  the rest of pesto will be saved for a pesto potato salad this weekend and pasta for lunches this week.

green stuffed pizza pockets:  i used my basic recipe found here.  this time they were stuffed with kale, arugula, spinach, caramelized onion, mushrooms, and cheese.  i par bake them, cool completely and freeze.  these are great for lunches, camping, road trips, or days when it is too hot to turn the oven on...they can just be popped in the toaster oven and reheated. 

quick lift turnips {middle eastern pickled turnips}:  a friend of mine gave me the book canning for a new generation and i have really been enjoying it.  i highly recommend this book not only because it a good starter to canning, but also shares lots of preservation tips beyond canning, like freezing.  it also has a wide variety of modern canning recipes that are categorized by season. this particular recipe was for a refrigerator pickle so it only took a few days before we able to enjoy our efforts.  i will be also trying a traditional canning recipe for cumin & paprika pickled turnips.

frozen kale: i simply washed my kale, dried it thoroughly, layered it up in a ziploc bag, and froze.  this can be used just as you would use frozen spinach. 

frozen collards: same as above.  also, i am thinking about trying a pickled greens with fresh chilies canning recipe.  i think it could really be great in the winter with some BBQ pulled pork. 

frozen rhubarb: clean, chop, & freeze.  make a pie in january when you really need pie.

rhubarb simple syrup: found here. keeps for about a month or so in the fridge.  add to lemonade, herbal iced tea, or sparkling water.  or better yet add it to cocktails.

what i have plans to do next....
strawberry tarragon jam
tarragon infused vinegar
grapefruit tarragon infused vodka
....these three will be surprise gifts for some of my favorite people in town.  also, if you could see the out of control situation that is my tarragon plant. yowza.

hello, summer {an ode to spring via photos}

well, i guess with memorial day gone we are officially in summer mode...even if our gardens are still producing spring worthy veggies. thank goodness because i still have lots of new recipes to try with all those goodies. 
did you all have a lovely weekend?  i hope so.  we did.  there was very little working involved...and a lot of relaxing, eating, long drives, and naps.  i really enjoy weekends where i can hole up with my little family.  it is very rejuvenating for my heart.  we also had a great playdate with hendrix's cousins on sunday.  there were four children ranging from 1 1/2 to 5 1/2 here....they all had so much fun. it could of been the two rounds of bomb pops! 
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here are some pics from around our farm this spring...

trying our hand at no knead artisan bread

apple of my eye

those are big boots to fill...

we live near a great recreation center and lake

finding new parks

working on the tractor

baking cake to celebrate the end of planting

outdoor tents

my favorite spot on our farm with my favorite person

eating herby mixed greens

baking pies with last of the frozen peaches from last year's harvest





happy holiday + best sandwich

hope your weekend is full of color and playing. photo by cami rawlings.



hooray! it is memorial day weekend.  it is officially SUMMER! our plans include doing nothing, going to a fishing clinic for kids, having cousins over, roasting weenies and smores, and playing in the garden. 
what are you all doing?  either way, i hope it is great and that you try this delicious sandwich....

they had these precious eggplants at aldi this week and even though, it is too early for them here, i had to have one for a taste of summer.  plus, i had a dream about this sandwich.
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eggplant, bacon and arugula sandwiches
makes 4
8 slices of bacon
4 slices of fresh mozzarella
1 small bunch of arugula
mayo
8 slices of italian bread
1/2 of an eggplant, peeled & cut into 4 discs
1 egg
flour
breadcrumbs, seasoned with salt and pepper
salt eggplant discs and set aside.  fry bacon and remove from pan.  turn off pan. after eggplant has "sweat" towel off excess moisture.  set up a breading station with three bowls: 1. flour 2. egg beaten with a bit of water 3. seasoned bread crumbs.  dip eggplant discs into flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs.  making sure to thoroughly coat the disc. turn the pan, you fried bacon in, back on and fry up your eggplant.  be sure to only flip when the underside is golden otherwise it will stick.  meanwhile, toast your bread.  fry your eggplants until they are soft and tender in the middle. assemble you sandwiches by spreading mayo on one slice of bread, top with eggplant, arugula, mozzarella, and second slice of bread.  enjoy!!
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this week's posts in case you missed them:
reinventing leftovers
container gardening & look who likes clementine's
next week's dinner menu plan: 7 dinner recipes, 1 dessert recipe and a cocktail

garden say what?

during the growing season, the menu planning goes a little differently. it starts in the garden.  we all know i am a firm believer in planning a weekly menu.  it makes grocery shopping easier and cheaper.  it makes dinner prep easier. it makes life easier.  i like to have anywhere from 4-7 meals planned depending on my week or week and half ahead.  leaving room for leftovers and dinner out.
right now, i have quite the bounty of  rhubarb, greens and herbs.  perhaps you all are in the same boat...with some asparagus, garlic, and peas (i don't because the rabbits ate mine) thrown in for good measure.  so i scoured the internet for you and this is what i came up with...naturally, it told me to use the word "herby". a lot.

1. collard, bacon and parmesan frittata served with a mixed green salad
2. kale cobb salad
3. pork chops with cherry rhubarb sauce on polenta with herby, sauteed sugar snap peas on the side
4. tarragon salmon with asparagus (use fresh herbs throughout the recipe)
5. collard, potato and sausage gratin* with an herby salad (see below)
6. pork tacos* in lettuce wraps with cilantro rice (see below)
7. linguine tossed with kale pesto

and for dessert?
rhubarb cinnamon polenta cake

need a cocktail?
spring smash::strawberry rhubarb cocktails with honey whiskey

enjoy these late bites of spring.  soon, the summer stuff comes in....
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collard, potato and sausage gratin
2 potatoes, thinly sliced
1 small bunch of collards, cleaned and chopped
3 italian sausage links, chopped
1 cup of shredded mozzarella
1 cup of shredded parmesan
salt
pepper
olive oil or butter
1 cup of milk
heat oven to 375 degrees.  in skillet, brown sausage and cook through.  meanwhile, combine cheeses in a small bowl.  grease 9x13 dish and cover bottom with a 1/3 of the potatoes.  season with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil or bits of butter.  scatter 1/3 each of the collards, sausage, and cheese (in that order).  repeat twice.  ending with cheese on top.  pour milk over layers, cover with foil, and bake one - 1 1/2 hours (depending on the thickness of your potatoes) or until potatoes are fork tender.  enjoy.

slow cooker pork tacos
1 boneless, pork shoulder roast
1 small can of tomato sauce
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
2 - 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 T. of chilies in adobo sauce, use sauce only and add up to two chilies (they are HOT!)
combine the tomato sauce, oregano, garlic, and adobo in a small bowl.  spread over pork roast and cook on low in your slow cooker for 8-10 hours.  shred with two forks and serve. enjoy!!

new projects + things to share

howdy! what a beautiful monday it is at the farm.  we spent the weekend celebrating the end of planting season for mike, taking a sunday car ride, visiting grandma, and trying to find the home of a dog that showed up on our doorstep.  i'm going to work in the garden today and tend to a sick cat.  just wanted to tell you about a couple of things....

check us out on twitter: @clementinepandp

follow the sayings and antics of hendrix: @HendrixtheKid

the super inspiring, ashley english, (yes, THE ashley english who has the column at design sponge) linked to a post of ours from her blog.  i was so flattered!!

did you see the shop truck article? gabrielle from design mom featured it last week. she also linked to us, too!

olive us...super cute new show.  last week was about gardening.

you all should make this rueben bake. immediately.  it is so good.
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look at what we've been working on....
his cousin and my super mom friend, andrea, has a garden for the first time this year.  so far that garden has supplied the some of goods for a zuppa toscana soup and herbed grilled chicken with herby garlic bread.

filling the growing barrels

what do you think? would you like to grow edible treats in your yard or on your deck too?  if you already are...what are you growing??

planting herbs & greens with romy

we're working on perfecting these and the heart ministry center's community garden also has some up.  we're also working on different styles and options.  stay tuned....

bountiful growing barrels, raised bed built and planted, gate put up
clementine's p+p helped andrea till and build her raised beds, as well as, set up her growing barrels

meat + potato + greens = four

last week, i made a (1) venison roast in the crockpot and served it with smashed potatoes and collards.  needless to say, it was delicious and yielded some leftovers.  i love leftovers.  mike hates them.  so i have to get quite inventive.  folks, i present you with my genius....

2.  fried or poached eggs topped with havarti and served over warmed up greens with a side of toast.

3. beef {venison} + cheddar sandwiches with horseradish served with a herby salad.

4.  kale + potato cakes* with rouille served with italian sausages and salad.
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recipe for the collards...
drunken collards (thanks, amy!!)
fry 4 slices of bacon in a pan until crispy, add 1/2 finely chopped onion and a handful of chopped portobella mushrooms.  cook until soft, stir in garlic and let sit for one minute. add chopped collards.  add olive oil, if necessary.  saute until just wilted.  splash a shot of whiskey in the pan and stir around. serve warm and enjoy!!

* i just added wilted kale to my mashed potatoes which were already seasoned and ready to go.  i did add some breadcrumbs, as well, to help the cakes hold together in the pan more. also, i made my rouille with mayo, ketchup, chili powder, chopped garlic, fresh parsley, and cayenne pepper.
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in other news:
we are done planting!! bbq + a movie to celebrate.
i have a ton on tarragon, oregano, collards, kale, and butter crunch lettuce.  its yours if you want it.
my friend, bryce, told me to start this.
too hot to cook? here's what to do.
i need to scrub my house.
goodbye & good weekend!!