The Garden & Bonus! Ginger Dressing Recipe

I just traveled for work for three weeks straight. I missed Robert the most of course, and the puppy and kitty second most. I mean, how could you not miss this face:

But the thing I missed third most was my garden. I had just started to plant seeds before I left and couldn't wait to see what awaited me upon my return. In fact, I had Robert text me pictures of the garden while I was away!

Here's the garden before and after my trip. On the left, you can just start to see the snap peas and the collards peeking out from the soil. On the right, sha-zam! The red leaf lettuce had grown enough to make a huge ginger salad. I just took the outer leaves, so the little guys will continue to grow. Ginger Dressing recipe below!

 

Here's what we planted. Each box is a square foot and the number is how many of each plant is in each box.

As you can see, we followed Mel's techniques to a T, with awesome results so far! I highly recommend downloading his book:

Squarefoot gardening saves space, seeds, and water. And money in the long run. It was about a $200 investment for the supplies and soil, but once you're set up, you only have to add a scoop of compost to each square before growing again! No need to replace the soil! Plus, you only plant what you need (I mean who could use every head of kale 1 packet produces maturing at the same time?) so you can plant from 1 packet season after season.

Here are the basics:

1. Create your raised bed and line it with a drain-able weed barrier sheet. This is a no native soil technique.

2. Make your Mel's mix of 1/3 vermiculite, 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 compost (comprised of a few different types. I used chicken, mushroom, cow, and earthworm). This mix is costly, but again you never have to replace it! And it holds water well, so you use about 10% of a normal garden's watering needs. 

3. Add the mix in layer by layer, spraying down with a hose between each layer. Once filled, just top with the wooden slats spaced 1 foot apart. I used wooden siding that I had Home Depot cut into 4 ft slats for me. Then I drilled a hole at 1 ft increments and put a nail where the holes intersect.

Again, I highly recommend the book, as it will go into some detail that I didn't, but I can attest to how much I love it so far! Next year, the entire backyard may be square foot gardens! 

Oh yeah, I'm also growing a few things that don't quite fit the square foot rules. The black barrels on the right are potatoes and sweet potatoes, and the herbs (from left to right) are oregano, sage (which is going crazy!), and rosemary. These herbs have been with me for three years now and just keep getting better and better! I love being able to walk outside to snip some flavors for tonight's dinner. In fact, I just added a few rosemary sprigs to the garbanzos in my pressure cooker.

Bonus! Ginger Dressing Recipe:

This is a classic recipe with a Kelly twist.

1/4 cu each peanut oil and rice vinegar

2 T each grated onion, celery, fresh ginger root (no need to peel, the grating will do the work for you!)

2 T each ketchup, soy sauce, lemon juice (We always use organic ketchup to avoid the HFCS)

1 T sugar

1 t garlic

salt & black pepper

Puree in blender about 30 seconds until smooth consistency. Enjoy with greens of your choice and the classic accompaniments of tomato, cucumber, and carrot.

Happy Growing!

Quick & Easy & Nearly Free: Veggie Stock

Let's say your going to make these Black Bean Burgers. So, you gather this:

And chop it into this:

But wait! You're also left with this:

So the question is... what do you do with these little leftovers? You could throw them away (shame on you), feed the carrots to your dog (guilty as charged), compost them (getting warmer), or...

You can add them to your stock starter! I keep a ziplock bag in the freezer for just such scraps and when it's full or when I need broth, I don't have to use up perfectly good carrots, onions, and celery! I love this trick because it's the perfect combination of multitasking, efficiency, and saving money! And I use broth for everything - soups of course, sauces like BBQ or Teriyaki, gumbo, risotto, chili, stuffing, you name it! Just about anything that calls for water is made even better when you substitute this stock!  I make a big batch, use what I need and freeze the rest. (Sometimes I even use ice cube trays to make just the right sized servings for small portions.)

So, I said nearly free! I do add a few things to my stock: salt, white pepper, and herbs from the garden (usually sage and oregano, but just about anything works).

Here I've got kale and mushroom stems, a celery end, onion and carrot peelings, and even the core from a head of iceberg! Let it simmer for a few hours, strain and voila! You've just made stock. The possibilities are limitless! Oh, and now you can compost those veggies. And they'll turn faster because they were cooked!

Happy Stock Making!

Veganizing my Past

When I started Down to Earth, I had yet to begin my culinary journey of plant-based foods. Looking through this blog, there is a clear line in the sand. Although some posts before then are vegan, many aren't. Thus, my new project to Veganize my Past. Starting with Japanese Curry Rice!

Also, I feel a little guilty just giving you a reblog, so here are some pictures of my garden. Start planning the recipes now!

The parsley, sage, rosemary, and oregano survived from last year! (Sorry, Simon & Garfunkel - so close!) Planted 2 new blueberry bushes to go with the strawberries that just won't quit! Edamame is popping up nicely and my four squashes are growing like wildfire. The green beans are slow but hopefully steady. Cucumbers and tomatoes are but seedlings, but they look promising! In fact, I have so many cucumbers that I am going to sell a few sprouts in my yardsale next weekend!

Oh heck, and if you've read this far, you deserve a little treat! So, here's my latest obsession:

 Vegan Paninis

 Say that five times fast.

Ingredients (to make 2 paninis):
1 T olive oil
4 slices whole wheat bread
4 T hummus (make your own, but that's another blog)
1/2 cu sprouts (I used a deli sprout combo of alfalfa, broccoli, and mustard seed!)
1 tomato, thinly sliced
1 ripe avocado, thinly sliced
S&P

1. Spread hummus on inside of all four slices.
2. Layer with avocado and tomato slices.
3. Top with sprouts and season with S&P.
4. Brush outsides with olive oil and cook in a panini press. Or make your own if you're like me - Heat 2 cast iron skillets on medium-high. Put the sandwiches in one skillet and place the second heated skillet on top, so that the bottom smushes the sandwiches (you may want to spray with olive oil first). Put a few cans in the top skillet to provide some weight. Press for 2 minutes.

I think the hummus is a must, but other than that the possibilities are endless - roasted red pepper & mushroom, grilled eggplant & marinara, peanut butter & banana!

Enjoy!