How to Grow Artichokes as an Annual
How to grow artichokes as an annual, from seeds to plants, in one season.
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Photo of the Day
After trying for 3 years, I’m finally – successfully! – growing artichokes. I’ll be posting my entire journey through this at a later date, but here’s my photo of the first harvested one: Gardening is a beautiful thing.
Energy Power Balls
If you’re on Facebook or Pinterest (and really, who isn’t on at least one of them at this point), then I’m pretty sure you’ve seen a recipe for no-bake energy balls or energy bites. I’ve played around with a few of them and come up with my own version, which I like to call Power Balls. Catchy, right? I know, I’m a genius.
I already make a killer chewy breakfast bar, but these little babies are quicker, so there’s a bonus right there. And, like most recipes, this one is easy to customize to whatever your tastes are. Of course, if eggs for breakfast are more your style, I also make one heck of a veggie and egg casserole. Just sayin’.
No Bake Energy Bites with Oats and Seeds Recipe
(aka Power Balls)
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup hemp seed
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds (raw or toasted – I’ve used both…it’s your call)
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
- 1/2 cup good-quality dark chocolate, chopped into bits
- 1 generous cup nut butter
Combine all ingredients well in a large bowl. Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Roll into ball size of your choice and refrigerate. (feel free to roll it into one big ball, if you like. I’ve not tried this yet but it could be fun)
When mixing, I use the back of a large silicon spoon to smash everything together; toss and then repeat…it’s easier than stirring because the mix is quite thick. Once they’re well chilled, I like to roll mine into small, one-bite chunks, so this recipe makes a good 40 or so balls.
Benefits? Oats are well known for their benefits, including dietary fiber and helping to lower cholesterol levels. Hemp seeds are a good source of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, which are good for your heart. They are also a good source of protein and fiber. Chia seeds are also high in protein, omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, plus they’re a good source of calcium. See why I call these Power Balls?
I always encourage you to play with your food and this recipe is no exception. Switch out the sunflower seeds with the nut of your choice (chopped almonds, cashews or hazelnuts are great, too). Or, lose the nuts and use dried berries, instead.
As far as nut butters, so far I’ve made these with almond butter, sunflower seed butter, and peanut butter and they’re all tasty in their own way. You really just have to go with what you (or your family) prefer.
Enjoy!
Vegetable Spring Rolls with Spicy Apricot Dipping Sauce
Fresh spring rolls, sometimes called summer rolls, are beautiful, aren’t they? No matter what you decide to fill them with, they become these gorgeous stained glass works of edible art. I’ve made spring rolls a number of times because I love their crunchy freshness as …
Egg and Veggie Casserole
Have I mentioned how much I love eggs? Probably. And, rest assured, my cholesterol levels are spectacular. Mix them with some gorgeous vegetables, especially from your garden, a bit of cream and a touch of cheese and hello easy meal. Not only is this a …
Playing the Fiddleheads
Warning: weird vegetable alert. In case you didn’t know it, you can eat the unfurled fronds of an ostrich fern. Yes, you heard that right. You can not only eat them but, if you’re like me, you can enjoy them immensely.
Fiddleheads are, at least to most of us, a delicacy that is only to be had in the late spring months of May and June. Mostly found on the east coast and in Canada, fiddleheads are harvested once a year and, like ramps and morel mushrooms, savored for their taste as much as their scarcity.
We have tried growing ostrich ferns here in our zone 5 area of Northern Illinois but, thus far, have not had much luck. (read: any) We have a relative in a neighboring town who grows them by the truckloads and who we’ve hotly debated pillaging them from but, alas, have not.
All a matter of time, in my book.
But, for now, I order them fresh from a grower out east. As much as I’d love to tell you who, I fear their supply will diminish from my post and, therefore, leave me fiddlehead-less, which is not acceptable. What I will tell you is that to order and ship them isn’t cheap – figure around $50 total price for 2 pounds – but, at least in my book, worth it.
Behold….the fiddlehead:
That, my friends, is a thing of beauty.
I lived in Connecticut for quite a stretch of time and these little beauties can be easily found there while they’re in season. That’s how I stumbled upon them and, to this day, relish in their deliciousness. It is why I pay a pretty penny to still be able to enjoy them.
Rule number one with fiddleheads – if you’re not buying them from a reputable establishment, be sure you’re purchasing them from a reputable seller.
Rule number two: don’t eat fiddleheads raw. They can cause stomach upset if eaten raw and then you won’t be thanking me for turning you on to them.
Rule number three: aside from NOT eating them raw, you can prepare them almost any way you prefer to prepare your other veggies…steamed, roasted, grilled, etc.
I prefer mine roasted or grilled, with a drizzle of olive oil, some roughly-chopped garlic, and some coarse salt. Simple, yes, but divine. 15 minutes or so is all it takes; like most veggies, you don’t want them crunchy but, for the love of all that’s holy, don’t turn them into mush.
What do fiddleheads taste like, you ask? Asparagus, mostly, at least to me. They’re a bit grassy…earthy…green.
They do not, however, taste like chicken. Just sayin’.
My Adventures in Gardening…Continued
Finally, the warmth is overtaking the cool temperatures and our gardens are starting to burst, bloom and flourish. I always like to give an update or two each summer on how my gardens are doing and what I’m growing. This year, I decided to try …