GM Foods are Scary

In the end, it all boils down to: stop buying processed food; make your own. But the danger of GM foods is cross-pollination. We are poisoning ourselves and our planet for convenience, and it will catch up to us in the end. Remember, every dollar you spend is a vote for the kind of food you want. Don't think your choices in the supermarket don't matter -- they DO!!

 http://kojoreport.com/monsanto-no-food-shall-be-grown-that-we-dont-own/

'via Blog this'

Give your veggies some company!

Company? for vegetables? As in "invite friends over for cocktails and talk to the tomatoes?" No, I'm talking about introducing Companion Plants to your garden, which will attract beneficial insects and deter garden pests.

Borage is beautiful and edible.

I've always planted basil and marigolds around my tomatoes. I've also always had parsley, sometimes cilantro, oregano, thyme and rosemary in the garden. But this year I picked up some borage and nasturtiums at a local herb fair. Both are gorgeous! The borage is large and covered with pollinators. The flowers are lovely and the tiny hairs on the plant sparkle in the sun. Nasturtiums grow up around the base of tomatoes and wind up the trellis with cucumbers. I have also learned that their flat leaves will attract both slugs and cabbage worms, so next time I'll plant them around my cabbages.

Look closely for the tiny caterpillars, aka hungry cabbage worms that decimate all types of brassica.

I planted cabbages fairly early and they were attacked again and again by several varieties of cabbage worms. Within a week of adding the companion plants to the garden bed, I noticed a distinct uptick in the the number of insects in the garden and was fascinated to observe a wasp attacking and eating the cabbage worms! 

Wasp eating cabbage worm.

 Besides being good for the garden, companion plants add beauty in the form of foliage and flowers. My "garden" is largely in my front flowerbed this year, and will always be in the front/side yard since that is where the sun lands. I love "edible landscaping" or "kitchen garden" approach -- functional can also be quite beautiful, and companion plants offer a cost-effective, beautiful and organic approach to building a healthy garden.

Bee pollinating cucumber.

Companion plants can also be other vegetables! Onions mix well with strawberries...chives will improve the flavor of carrots...this is important knowledge that we must not loose! I also intend to learn to use some of the medicinal herbs beyond "just" for cooking.

TN Native: Rudbeckia

Also known as black-eyed susan, brown-eyed susan, conedisk, and gloriosa daisy tall coneflower! I don't know which variety I have, but it's different from the black-eyed susans I see growing along Tennessee roadsides. Gloriously beautiful in the garden, I have another variety that has brown petals with a deep brown center. Very pretty together!

Native plants are evolved and adapted to our soils and climate. They require less water, fertilizer, attention. They attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators to our gardens.

Get Your Greens In!

For Christmas, I received a copy of "What Chefs Feed Their Kids" and immediately found a fun food game that our family loves. One of the chefs played a game with her children called "open your mouth and close your eyes and I will give you a big surprise!"  My kids love playing this game and have tried lots of new foods because it's so fun. I begin by closing my eyes and letting one of them give me a bite and I try to guess what they gave me; then it's my turn. It's most fun when there are a mix of new/familiar foods on the table, or where foods can be arranged to make tasty bites (like tacos or stir fry).

The recipe I'll share here is adapted from the Greens Puree in the book. I suppose this would be a fine baby food, if you are into making your own (I was not -- we just fed bites from what we had for dinner). It's also suggested as a nice addition to soups or sauces. I had other plans for it: smoothies! 

Green smoothies hit the spot!

I love to add greens to smoothies, but I also like my smoothies really smooth, not grainy or lumpy. Since I have still not fulfilled my Vitamix lust (those things are pricey!), I have not been able to add kale or other "toughish" greens to my smoothies, just spinach occasionally.

The recipe calls for a mix of kale, collard greens, basil and spinach with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, same amount of water, and 1 tsp salt. Steam greens on low heat for 15-20 minutes (till things are soft and wilted), then add herbs till wilted. Puree in blender; thin with water, stock, etc. 

Steamed Greens, ready to puree

I had a lot of kale and a tiny bit of spinach. We had a very warm February down South and that was not terribly helpful for the spinach in the area. I also didn't have basil yet, but I did have parsely and lemon thyme, so I used that. My bright green puree went straight into the freezer!

Greens Ice Cubes for smoothies

This is a great base for smoothies! We have added it to all kinds, but if you mix the green with berries or other red/blue colors, the final smoothie is tasty, but a very unappetizing brownish hue. For "green smoothies" we add peaches, banana, pineapple and yogurt or water. I've found if I save fruit in the freezer and use that instead of ice cubes, then I can thin the smoothies with water instead of juice and not worry about watering down the flavor.