Tomatillo Salsa Verde

I'll admit that I've been intimidated by the tomatillos I've been receiving in my Working Gardens CSA share... But no more!

This recipe is so easy and wouldn't you know that I had everything I needed on hand from either my garden (the chili pepper), the farmers market (the onion), my CSA share (tomatillos, garlic, cilantro), or my pantry (everything else).

I used a recipe I found online: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Tomatillo-Salsa-Verde/Detail.aspx
Since I never use a recipe as it is, I of course tweaked it a bit. I didn't have a full pound of tomatillos so I reduced the amount of cooking liquid. I also didn't put the cilantro into the cooking liquid. Instead, I saved it until it went into the food processor so it would keep it's fresh taste. I also added the juice of one lime into the food processor. It turned out really yummy and it was very easy... Intimidated by tomatillos no more!

Here are all my ingredients all ready to go:

Bringing the ingredients to a boil:

The finished salsa:

I plan to use the salsa as a regular salsa and also as a topping for enchiladas later this week. Yum!

This Year's Garden is In!

Since we finally had some lovely weather today I was able to get the rest of the garden in. So if all goes well this year, we'll have any or all of the following:

• Green beans
• Onions
• Fingerling potatoes
• Three kinds of squash (green zucchini, yellow zucchini, pattypan)
• Cucumbers
• Lettuce
  
• Ten kinds of tomatoes (cherry, grape, roma, slicing, in a variety of colors)
• Cubanelle, jalapeno, and serrano chili peppers
• 5 varieties of basil, and the usual herbs
• Maybe some blueberries

Not to mention all the goodies I usually get from my Working Gardens CSA subscription...

Ummm.... Perhaps this is the year I actually learn how to can. Anyone want to teach a newbie?

I don' t have any exciting pictures of the vegetable garden since there's really not that much to look at right now, so here are some pictures of other pretty growies around the yard...

Centaura
(A recent purchase from the Working Gardens plant sale)

Snow in Summer

Reenie's Greenies

Here's what's going on in my world these days...

Here's my asparagus patch. The plants are turning into lanky teenager ferns which normally would stand tall on their own, but the slope is a challenge. This weekend I put down some straw and put in some stakes to trellis them.

My self-watering containers are once again proving to be a fantastic way to add space to my garden and grow really healthy plants. I'm down to two containers since the third has a huge crack in the bottom and won't hold water. Oh, well... The two remaining planters have a cherry tomato plant and several basil plants thriving. Pesto, anyone?

We mulched this weekend and then found places for all of our statues...

Here's what the garden looks like now that I put down straw...

The picture below shows the cucumber trellis I bought earlier this Spring. I already have little cukes starting and lots of blossoms....

Below are the tomato ladders that Richard got me for Christmas. Red and green! Ho-ho-ho! I love Christmas in June... Most of the tomato plants are replacements for the ones that I started from seed and didn't make it, but two are from my starter plants and one is from Scott from Working Gardens.

The plants I got from Working Gardens are enjoying the new mulch and look really nice next to the deck.
And here's the front of the deck, complete with the new hose basket... (Target)

And our "big rock"...

Lately we've been seeing a some bunnies hanging around our garden. Why am I not worried? There's plenty for them to eat next door at the neighbor's house...

New CSA this year

Last year we signed up for a CSA (community supported agriculture) with Katona Gardens in Marshalville. It was a wonderful experience and I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys cooking with seasonal produce locally grown.

We were also frequent shoppers at the Massillon Farmers Market where we met the Sandbrinks, who always seemed to have the kinds of veggies I love. They had heirloom tomatoes, pretty stiped squash, several varieties of basil, etc.

On a whim I emailed the Sandbrinks earlier this year in case they were considering offering CSA subscriptions this summer since I really liked their produce and they are really close to my house. The good news is that they are starting a CSA, so I signed up right away.

The program is affordable, considering how much we tend to spend at the grocery store. I like my veggies a little less-traveled anyway!

For information on the program, go to:
http://web.mac.com/weedybrinker/Working_Garden/Produce_C.S.A..html