Friday FavoriteMay 7, 2010: Mississippi State University Extension Service

OK I know I am biased, but the MSU Extension Service is a great resource for gardeners and I have to say I have learned quite a bit from them. You can call them, email them, or look on their website to find answers to many common gardening questions and concerns, they cover a wide variety of topics on their website, and have many articles and tutorials and tips on everything from flower and vegetable gardening to farming crops.

You can see when the best time to plant in this area is, and what plants do the best. If you are in Mississippi or the southeastern U.S., the MSU Extension service can help you out. Many other universities have these types of services so chances are there is one near you that you can utilize if you are not in this area of the U.S./world (Yes, I can proudly say this blog has gone international). They have a great Gardening Tabloid with excellent information on vegetable gardening.

Friday Favorite April 30, 2010: Grace Notes from the Garden Blog

I don't have much to say about this week's Friday Favorite except this is a great blog my husband discovered and I have really been enjoying it. Check it out!

Grace Notes from the Garden

In full bloom!

I had some gorgeous iris bloom that have not bloomed in a couple of years. My roses have bloomed. The basil in my herb garden bloomed. There are Asiatic lilies and gladiolus coming up all over the flower garden, and the kitty memorial garden has really filled out and is blooming beautifully.



My broccoli, brussel sprouts, cucumbers, okra, squash, and zucchini are all getting big. The strawberries are doing well and I think I only lost a couple of plants but I am not pulling them up yet, because they may just be slower to put out foliage than the others.

My corn is about 4 inches high so I am finally planting it this weekend weather permitting (it is supposed to rain so we'll see what happens). The eggplant is still too small to put in the ground, I am afraid if I did it now it would not make it because they are so delicate at this point, so I am going to give them another week or two to grow.

My pink girl tomato plant has several blooms. I am so excited, I can't wait for tomatoes to start coming in! Also my blueberry bushes have lost all of their blooms and replaced them with actual blueberries!





My kids planted butter beans at school and so I need to make room in the garden to plant them as well. Don't know how much we'll get from the 2-3 plants, but I think it is sweet that the kids want their bean plants in the garden!
My yard is also in full bloom, mostly clover...because of work and weather it's been almost 2 weeks since it has been cut, but my husband will be getting to that tonight or this weekend if the rain holds off. I like the clover flowers though, they are pretty. Reminds me of the days in my childhood sitting amongst the clover making clover chains and crowns and jewelry from the flowers, and every so often running into a lucky four leaf clover.

Recipes From the Garden: Sauteed Talapia with Garden Fresh Herbs

My hubby dubbed this dish "Delicious Fishes".
I used Talapia but this marinade would be good on any light fish such as Bream, Cod, or Bass.
Great alternative to the traditional Southern fried fish dinner.

Ingredients:
Talapia Filets (1 per serving)
4 Tbsps Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic-minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
Salt and pepper (to taste)
1 Tbsp Fresh Rosemary chopped
1 Tbsp Fresh Oregano chopped
1 Tbsp Fresh Basil chopped

Directions:
1. Mix two Tbsp olive oil, garlic, wine, and herbs in a large bowl
2. Marinate the Fish in the herb mixture for at least 30 minutes
3. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil to a pan and heat.
4. Add the fish to the hot pan and sear both sides adding salt and pepper to taste
5. Pour remaining marinade onto seared fish and continue cooking until wine has evaporated and fish is cooked through
6. Serve Immediately.

Friday Favorite April 23, 2010: Yew Dell Gardens

Yew Dell Gardens is a botanical garden in Crestview, Kentucky. I stumbled upon it accidentally as I was trying to find some gardening information, and instantly became fascinated with this gorgeous botanical gardens. I hope to visit it one day. The gardens are filled with gorgeous blooms, some very recognizable and others that are more unusual or rare. It has several unique and lovely buildings including a "castle" and would be a perfect location for a garden wedding. They offer classes and workshops, a concert series, and many different events throughout the year. If you are nearby it would be worth your while to check it out. The photos are stunning and I am sure the gardens in person would be just as beautiful as they appear in the photos.

"The site now occupied by Yew Dell Gardens served as the home, gardens, arboretum and commercial nursery of the late commercial nurseryman Theodore Klein who was for more than 50 years, one of the leaders of the regional nursery and landscape industry. Opened to the public in 2005, Yew Dell is now one of only 13 American gardens designated as Partnership Gardens by the Garden Conservancy, a national group dedicated to preserving America's exceptional gardens. Yew Dell Gardens serves the community as a significant educational resource, a distinctive horticultural treasure, and a priceless cultural asset."

Recipe: Asian Wok Seared Lamb with Cilantro salad and Stir Fried Zucchini

OK, so I bought the zucchini this time, but hopefully there will be zucchini in the garden this summer (I have 8 plants in the ground) and I will be making this with my own and not store bought. The cilantro in this recipe was from my herb garden.
I came up with this recipe after eating at a chain restaurant that we do not have locally. My kids love this and it is a great meal for any occasion and can be made with beef as well as lamb.

I also usually make Asparagus Stir Fry to go with it but as luck would have it, it was on sale at the store and they were all out. So I decided to try it with zucchini and it was a winner!
Cilantro Salad

Ingredients:

1 head of romaine lettuce chopped finely
1/4 cup of cilantro chopped finely
Directions:

1. Mix romaine and cilantro in a large bowl until well blended.2. Remove from bowl onto serving tray. Set aside.


Asian Wok Seared LambIngredients:

1 pound of lamb cut into bite size pieces (can cut from leg of lamb, or chops)
1 Tbsp sesame oil
3/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp Cilantro chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:
1. Mix the soy sauce, and sesame oil in a large bowl
2. Marinate the lamb in the soy sauce mixture for 15-30 minutes turning to coat well (can be left in fridge over night to marinate if desired.)
3. Place marinated lamb into preheated hot wok and sear until browned, draining off any excess liquid to allow for searing.
4. Add garlic and cilantro cook for two minute stirring occasionally.
5. Place fully cooked lamb on top of cilantro salad, and serve immediately.

Zucchini Stir Fry

Ingredients:

3 Cups Zucchini julienned or chopped
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp ginger1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tsp soy sauce (more or less to taste)
2 cloves of garlic minced

Directions:

1. Preheat wok and add sesame oil.
2. Add zucchini, and cook for a couple of minutes until zucchini begins to get slightly limp.3. Add remaining ingredients, and cook for additional 1-2 minutes stirring continually, be sure you do not over cook or the zucchini will become mushy.
4. Serve immediately

Garden is In the Ground....Almost

This was a big weekend, arts festival and football scrimmage Saturday, and Sunday we spent all afternoon finishing the garden. Daniel edged it to prevent any other mishaps with the phone line, and we incorporated top soil, peat, and compost. We got almost everything planted that was big enough. The corn and eggplant are still too small, I am afraid if I plant them now they won't make it, but hopefully in a couple of weeks they will be big enough.

I still have to set out the squash and zucchini, but the bed is ready for them, it is just a matter of when I can find the time.