How Does Your Garden Grow?

I love growing things. That said, I also enjoy more relaxation and less physical pain as the years go by. I've found that container gardening and raised beds provide both.

Most of these zinnias are volunteers from last year that came up in the vegetable garden.

Zinnias provide vivid color and are very heat/drought tolerant.

They do tend to fall over and often need some support.

We currently have three raised beds with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and eggplants.

We usually grow more than we can use in these small beds.

My old mandevilla spent another winter in the garage.

It does require frequent watering but I think the result is worthy of the care.

 

Wonderful color!

Succulents are another good choice for easy care containers.

They also spend the winter in the garage.

Texture with very little care.

I have no idea what this plant is or where I got it.

It has very sharp needle like points so it must be treated with respect.

My begonias were cut back and placed in the garage over the winter.

With a bit of sunshine, fertilizer and water they are very happy.

My potted oleander bloomed again this year.

This year I planted my iron wash pots with yellow lantana and moss rose (Portulaca grandiflora).

 

 

The red crepe myrtles are really pretty this year.

A bit of welcoming color at the front door.

While photographing the zinnias in the vegetable garden I found MORE cucumbers ready to pick.

 

I spend more time on the patio relaxing with a cool drink and a good book these days.

I enjoy growing pretty flowers and fresh vegetables with much less effort than in the past.

Containers and raised beds are working for me.

Happy gardening!

 

♥andPeace,Myra

Farmers Market & Football

Last weekend the Razorbacks played at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. Saturday morning we visited the Hillcrest Farmers Market on Kavanaugh. I didn't have my camera with me but thanks to my phone I captured a few scenes from the market.

There were colorful flowers.

Vegetables of every color and shape.

Heirloom tomatoes!

Shoppers of all ages.

My favorite - sunflowers.

I left the market with honey, squash relish, bread and a free iris to plant in my garden.

Getting ready to call those HOGS!

We won the game and survived the 100+ degree temperatures.

 

Hope you had a good weekend.

 

♥andPeace,Myra

My Tomato Pie

Our tomato vines are finally producing ripe fruit.  This has not been our best year for tomato production. Now in the middle of August, they are ripening faster than we can eat them. What to do with all those tomatoes? I've been seeing recipes for tomato pie in magazines and on the Internet so I decided to make one. There are literally hundreds of recipes out there. Some peeled and seeded the tomatoes. Some precooked the crust. Some had onion and some didn't. The variations went on and on.

Hot out of the oven, ready to serve!

 

After reading ten to twelve recipes I decided to put together my on version of tomato pie.

I invited my mother for dinner and we agreed this recipe is a keeper!

 

What you will need:

9 inch pie crust

Tomatoes

Onion

Cheese

Mayonnaise

Balsamic vinegar

Fresh basil

salt/pepper

Panko bread crumbs

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Precook pie crust with pie weights.

 

While the pie crust precooks, thin slice the tomatoes (5-6 depending on size).

Place tomatoes on a couple of paper towels on a baking sheet and salt.

Allow the tomatoes to drain while the pie crust precooks.

Blot the top of the tomatoes prior to placing in the pie crust.

Slice about 10-12 very thin slices of onion with a mandolin.

Be careful not to add too much onion.

I cut the basil with kitchen shears.

Mix about 3/4 cup mayonnaise with about 1 cup cheese.

(I mixed mozzarella, Parmesan and cheddar with good results.)

 

Layer the tomatoes with the onion, fresh basil, mayo/cheese mixture ending with a layer of tomatoes. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with salt/pepper to taste.

Top with a sprinkling of Panko bread crumbs.

Ready for a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.

 

Enjoy!

 

This simple rustic dish is delicious as a light lunch or dinner with fresh fruit.

 

 

♥andPeace,Myra

 

 

Cucumbers and Eggplant

With cooler temperatures and frequent rain this season our garden has taken on a life of its own. Yesterday I removed the cucumber vines. They were not producing very much and were drying up and really ugly.  I harvested the remaining cukes.

 

This morning I decided to try a refrigerator pickle recipe.

 

I don't can so I hope these will be good.

They are supposed to last in the refrigerator for three weeks.

 

The eggplant is just starting to produce.

Another new recipe - Eggplant Gratin.

I made it for lunch today.

I used the eggplants, ripe tomatoes and fresh basil from our garden.

Very nice dish, however, very labor intensive.

 

Speaking of tomatoes, here it is August and they are just starting to ripen. Spring was so wet and cool we had to replace most of our plants. Hopefully we will have our "bumper crop" this fall!

 

♥andPeace,

Myra

Peppers and Mushrooms

Do you know where your food comes from? These peppers and mushrooms are grown near Vancouver, BC.

Long rows of yellow peppers.

Peppers in several stages of development.

 

Beautiful healthy plants with yummy peppers ready for picking.

A simple pepper bloom.

 

 

One of the greenhouses where peppers are grown.

Have you ever wondered where those mushrooms in the grocery store come from?  Well, they don't come from a log out in the deep woods somewhere.

Almost ready for harvest.

Waiting to be weighed and packaged for shipment.

 

Soon to be found in a market near you.

 

 

♥andPeace,Myra

 

Marinated Vegetable Salad

This is my go to recipe for potlucks and family get togethers.
If you can open a can you can prepare this dish.
I like it because you can make it ahead of time.


Ingredients:
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon mustard
1/2 cup Wesson oil
1 cup sugar
1 - (12 ounce) can shoepeg corn
1 - (17 ounce) can LeSeur peas
1 - (16 ounce) can green beans
1 - (2 ounce) jar pimento, chopped
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1 stalk celery, chopped
 

Oops, I forgot these two items when I shot my ingredient photo.

Method:
Mix first six ingredients.
Heat to boiling.
Stir well.
Set aside to cool.

Drain canned vegetables.
Add pimento, pepper, celery and onions.
Pour cooled dressing mixture over vegetables and mix well.
Chill in refrigerator several hours or overnight,
 stirring occasionally.

 

I also forgot to photograph the dish after I made it.
I prepared this for a "luncheon" recently and fortunately I had a small amount left over for the photo.


Recipe from: Glenda Adams
"Memories - Country Living"

♥andPeace,Myra