What are You Eating from the Garden?

[ducks4you]

Pumpkin Pie from 2 of last year's beige pumpkins. Apparently, pumpkin outside color doesn't matter.
I cooked down the pumpkins a few weeks ago and refridgerated the innards. They looked a little bit stringy BUT, I took it to my blender, added the eggs, sweetened condensed milk and spices and pulverized them. It made enough for a pie...and then some.

 

[ducks4you]

I started a pot of small garlic on top of the fridge a couple of months ago. They grew pretty tall, and yesterday I used them in an awesome beef stew.
First, I marinated round steak Friday night. The round steaks from our cow are just tough--go figure!
I used wine and brown sugar, Worsteshire (worst-e-sure) sauce, freshly ground pepper and even some dark chili powder.
Saturday morning I started with my crock pot by cutting garlic leaves, then adding a quart of rich beef broth.
I cut up the carrots into medallions, and they were Really big and long and thick carrots that DD's bought for me
DH suggested medium cuts for the 2 onions, same with yellow potatoes.
I used butter to sear the meat pieces before adding to the stew, and deglazed with a little bit more red wine and a tiny bit of water.
Everybody LOVED it, especially DH!! We still have 5 packages of frozen round steak left, and I imagine there will be more stews this winter.
Funny, ALL of the garlic and onions, which cooked for 10 hours, disappeared in the sauce.
I cut the garlic with the snippers, a Christmas present from Eldest DD.
It was a freebie from Farmer's Defense and I had Also gotten same as a freebie from Farmer's Defense, where I bought gifts for middle DD, who is also gardening. I was Very hesitant to give HER the snippers, but I Christmas gifted them anyway..
So, I told other DD's about it. We all laughed bc I ended up with my own pair, after all.
(Sorry, no stew pictures. All that is left is a quart and a pint of frozen, put away for another meal just for DH and me.)

 

[ducks4you]

Chili. Used 3 quarts of my canned tomatoes. Good to work on this. NOT quite satisfied.
I also pulverized dehydrated jalepanoes into powder. Used more than last time and like it.

 

[Dahlia]

I started a pot of small garlic on top of the fridge a couple of months ago. They grew pretty tall, and yesterday I used them in an awesome beef stew.
First, I marinated round steak Friday night. The round steaks from our cow are just tough--go figure!
I used wine and brown sugar, Worsteshire (worst-e-sure) sauce, freshly ground pepper and even some dark chili powder.
Saturday morning I started with my crock pot by cutting garlic leaves, then adding a quart of rich beef broth.
I cut up the carrots into medallions, and they were Really big and long and thick carrots that DD's bought for me
DH suggested medium cuts for the 2 onions, same with yellow potatoes.
I used butter to sear the meat pieces before adding to the stew, and deglazed with a little bit more red wine and a tiny bit of water.
Everybody LOVED it, especially DH!! We still have 5 packages of frozen round steak left, and I imagine there will be more stews this winter.
Funny, ALL of the garlic and onions, which cooked for 10 hours, disappeared in the sauce.
I cut the garlic with the snippers, a Christmas present from Eldest DD.
It was a freebie from Farmer's Defense and I had Also gotten same as a freebie from Farmer's Defense, where I bought gifts for middle DD, who is also gardening. I was Very hesitant to give HER the snippers, but I Christmas gifted them anyway..
So, I told other DD's about it. We all laughed bc I ended up with my own pair, after all.
(Sorry, no stew pictures. All that is left is a quart and a pint of frozen, put away for another meal just for DH and me.)

That sounds delicious!

If I ever have tough steaks or a tough roast, I pressure cook it with fresh garlic and other spices, olive oil, carrots, potatoes, onions, celery, and cabbage and the meat becomes so tender you don't even need a knife to cut it! You can just get what you want with your fork! I swear you could cook a leather boot in a pressure cooker and easily be able to chew it!

 

[Finnie]

I started a pot of small garlic on top of the fridge a couple of months ago. They grew pretty tall, and yesterday I used them in an awesome beef stew.

Did you plant garlic bulbs or seeds? I’m picturing you slicing sprouts up like green onions or chives, but maybe I’m wrong and you got bulbs to use?

 

[Branching Out]

Last night was perogies and pan fried Andouille sausage with some of last summer's bounty on the side. Fermented vegetables from the refrigerator hold a lot of appeal come January. These fermented cucumbers were the variety 'Homemade Pickles,' started on September 10th with 15g of sea salt for each cup of water (we decided that next time we would use 16g per cup instead). They taste pretty good, but the green beans are fantastic. Of course there is no label on the fermented beans, so I have no idea which variety it is, or how much salt I used. I probably condensed them down from a larger vessel, and neglected to put a new label on it.

 

[Branching Out]

And this morning breakfast is the cutest little Sweet Dumpling squash. Not much flesh on it, but delicious just the same. If all goes well I would like to grow a lot more of these come summer, for autumn meals.

 

[ducks4you]

@Finnie, I Did get my garlic in the ground in October, with middle DD's help. I didn't get a chance to cover it with straw, but we had successive rains, and the snow from a few weeks back hasn't melted yet.
Hoping that they haven't dried out.
Since I have been able to move one wheelbarrow of used stall bedding in the last week, I should be able to move a wheelbarrow's worth of stall onto the beds asap.
DD's who were feeding For me, and who stripped the stalls last time are still on their cruise, expected back late tomorrow.
I can still get some help from them, but not every day. I don't want to burn out my youngest DD!
When the other knee is operated on, it will be summer, and even DH can help with the horses every day for the first 2 weeks, while DD can make sure that the water tank is full, by checking every few days.
They will be on full pasture by then.
The garlic on top of the fridge is pretty much spent. I used my herb nippers to cut off all usable stems and, instead of running the dehydrator, I placed them on a tray where I can see them and I will let them air dry there, to package up and use later.

 

[Dahlia]

And this morning breakfast is the cutest little Sweet Dumpling squash. Not much flesh on it, but delicious just the same. If all goes well I would like to grow a lot more of these come summer, for autumn meals.

Does it taste similar to spaghetti squash? Does it scrape off with squash noodles if you scrape the sides with a fork? I love spaghetti squash with spaghetti sauce!

 

[Phaedra]

Well, as I didn't go out in the 'main' garden in winter, I am working with wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria to 'grow' our own sourdough starters. I guess it also counts.


The dough (with black sesame) I found this morning after the overnight bulk fermentation, look at those air bubbles, fascinating.