Tuesday 24 May 2011

Wet Dreams...

It's a sunny morning, I'm up early so I  can get my work out in, go for a jog on the beach and get the girls off to school.The goal is to spend the rest of the day in my veggie garden. I spent an afternoon with my friend Marlene choosing unique varieties of hierloom tomatoes and I'm itcing to get them planted. Who could resist varieties as exotic sounding as Black Prince, Mortgage Lifter (my favorite LOL) and Green Grapes. I've lovingly cared for them indoors for a few days, protected from our bizaare spring weather. Surely now I'll be able to plant them outside...it's almost the end of May after all.

I'm in the middle of breakfast...with coffee of course (sorry 100 mile can't hold a candle to caffeine cravings) and what do I hear? A pounding unrelenting rainfall !#*%!  I decide to wait the rain out by doing a few things around the house...no such luck! My dreams of planting a garden overflowing with tomato varieties with the likes no one has seen in decades are dashed. Wet dreams! I guess this is a fraction of the stress a BC farmer has to go through with our relentless rainy periods. I guess I'll have to give it a try tomorrow. It's a good day to make soup I suppose.

Mac ‘n ‘cheese Minestrone

I can’t stand it when there’s only a tiny bit of Mac ‘n’ cheese left over, no one likes it re warmed and I can’t bear to waste food ( I should have lived during the depression) So I came up with this and it’s surprisingly delicious. I sometimes find my self making Mac ‘n’ cheese just so I can make this; it adds a real depth and richness. It’s ridiculous how easy this is and it’s so much cheaper than buying the canned stuff. It’s ridiculous how fast and easy this is.


500mls           chicken stock
1                     jar of diced tomatoes
2                     garlic cloves (finely minced)
1c                   local beans (any kind will do!)
1c                   left over Mac ’n’ cheese (see recipe pg._)
1/2c                chopped spinach
1c                   frozen mixed veggies (fresh if in season)
                       salt and crushed dried red chilies to taste

Toss everything into a pot and simmer for at least 15 minutes. I like to add the frozen veggies in 5 minutes before I’m ready to serve it. That way they stay crisp and fresh.



2 comments:

  1. hey there (susan said to say she sent me haha)
    with the non spring you can still plant the tomatoes !!!
    take the cone tomatoe stand and place upside down circle on the earth , and place clear plastic bag over ...leave alittle open at the bottom .works like a mini green house and its a start on the late growing season arrgg whens spring going to get here ??!
    i grow tomatoes just so i can have fried green tomatoes mmmmm
    lorraine

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  2. Thanks for the tip Lorraine. I used that method last year and it worked great! I'm trying something new this year and growing them at a slight angle on a teepee like trellis...so that won't work this time. I just need sun LOL!!!!

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