Garden Veggies

Our veggie garden gives us a lot of joy. I'm a lucky gal to be married to a guy who has a "green thumb"! We prepared this 10 x 30 foot plot of ground last summer, with the help of our youngest son (now 23!). We are so thankful for his help. Planting this spring was so easy, especially as the straw cover kept the soil so moist and fertile through the winter. 

My hubby did the planting this spring, and we both are enjoying the produce, as well as the beauty! I picked out some decorative pole bean seeds for fun - and they are doing perfectly on the teepees our son constructed last summer.

So far, we are enjoying cucumbers, green beans, tomatoes, green peppers, and potatoes. We missed out on our salad greens and radishes, as we were gone on several trips this summer.

It's been quite awhile since I've posted a recipe (something I like to do on Tuesdays), so I thought I'd start out again by sharing a few little ideas on preparing fresh produce.

Cucumbers 

I learned this method of preparing a cucumber salad from my dear mother (she passed away in 2007, and would have turned 94 this August 1st). I simply stir together a mixture of salad dressing and a bit of honey, salt, and pepper - and then drizzle it over sliced cucumbers. 

Green Beans

My hubby and I came up with this method of fixing green beans - our favorite way to prepare freshly picked green beans. After cutting off the ends, bring to boil in a pan of water - till crisp-tender. Transfer the beans to a frying pan, and fry in a bit of melted butter. Add salt, pepper, and other seasonings as you wish. (I like using "Garlic Garlic Seasoning Blend" by Tastefully Simple.) Fry until very slightly browned, and to your desired degree of tenderness.

Potatoes

These homemade hash browns are delicious! Cube unpeeled potatoes and fry in butter. I fry till slightly browned, then lower the temp and cook for awhile covered until tender. I also add salt and pepper to taste, and also some of the same seasoning that I use for the green beans. After the potatoes are tender, remove the lid, increase the temp, and fry till well-browned. We didn't plant a lot of potatoes, but just enough to enjoy the taste of fresh new potatoes. 

What are your favorite ways to prepare fresh produce?

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