My journey of cooking, gardening, preserving and more
Well, it’s Labor Day weekend and I hope everyone who celebrates it is enjoying it! Here in Northern Illinois, it’s a bit hazy but warm and we’re expecting some possible storms this afternoon. (I’m not going to lie – we could use some more rain!) …
An obsession with Dahlias began last year. We tried digging them up and over-wintering them but didn’t have any luck. If you have any awesome tips on doing so, please let me know. This dahlia here is my favorite, so far; the bloom is around …
An amazing sight in my garden this weekend: I was harvesting fresh dill for pickles and found not just one but two of these beautiful caterpillars on my dill plants. After a bit of research, I discovered they’re destined to be black swallowtail butterflies, of which we’ve seen a number of this year. Turns out these caterpillars like dill (and parsley and fennel)…I had no idea!
Luckily, they were both quite cooperative; it seems that if you bump or disturb one, they send out a horrible odor as a deterrent.
It looks like I’ll be leaving some dill up strictly for our newest garden members.
My lavender is so beautiful and fragrant right now…definitely picture worthy. Have a great weekend!
Yes, I’ve been very busy in my gardens. Flowers and veggies and mulch, oh my. But I’ve also tried to relax a bit and enjoy the early summer. A screened-in patio with a ceiling fan and hammock really help with the whole “letting go” process. I’m thinking once we get our new hot tub up and running, I’ll be the queen of letting go. Honestly, you may never hear from me again.
Along with summer comes fresh veggies sometimes prepared in the simplest of ways. Warm, lazy evenings call for low-fuss and high-flavor. Freshly picked Swiss Chard begs for just a touch of heat and a bit of oil and acidity to make it glow.
I like to pick my Swiss chard while it’s still somewhat small but honestly, I love it no matter what size the stalks. Like a number of my recipes, this isn’t overly exact or complicated.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a hot pan. Drop in a couple of healthy handfuls of clean Swiss chard. Sprinkle on about a teaspoon of kosher or sea salt. With a pair of tongs, toss the chard around just until wilted. Sprinkle on a few drops of rice or balsamic vinegar. (Fresh lemon juice is nice, too!) Serve.
I warned you it was simple.
