Tomatoes and Italian Sausage over Pasta

Let's head inside and see what looks good for dinner tonight.  It is one of those days that you get home from work and shed that work mode by getting your hands dirty doing some garden chores.  The weather here in the Chicagoland area has been downright sultry.  High in the 80's and humid from all of the rain moving through this area. The heck with running to the market let's work with what is in the pantry.  Take a good look in your own pantry and you will probably find the same items.  Throw them together for a quick and delicious pasta dinner.



The Italian sausage I had in my freezer. This is from C&D Family Farms in Indiana. Packed April 24th! Fresh, fresh meat.  If you have not tried pastured pork over mass produced pork, you need to give it a try.  It is so good and also good for you.



This is a very quick and easy pasta dish and everyone seems to love it.  The last thing you want to do is heat up the house with hot and humid in the forecast.  This recipe keeps everything stove top so that keeps it cool in the kitchen with Gardenmama!

This is not a simmer for hours pasta sauce or gravy as my Italian friends call it.  It is something I came up with when I had no sauce in a jar or time to simmer a sauce.  It is also much fresher than a jar of sauce because of the diced tomatoes used as the base.

I like a spicy Italian sausage.  Use what you like.  No Italian sausage?  Use ground beef or pork or lamb.  Whatever you like. Same with the type of pasta, use what you have on hand. No fancy chopping either, this is a rustic sauce.  (hint: I add whole black olives to my serving!)

TOMATOES AND ITALIAN SAUSAGE OVER PASTA

 

1 large pot of boiling water

1 medium onion, diced

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 T. EVOO

1 lb of Italian sausage, remove casings

1 t. of crushed oregano

1 t. of crushed Italian seasoning

1 T. of fennel seed, crushed

1 32 ounce can of diced tomatoes DO NOT DRAIN

1 t. of red pepper flakes

1 14 ounce can of tomato sauce

1 T. of Hot Giardiniera

1/2 C of parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

1 box of pasta

1/3 C of flat leaf parsley, chopped

4-6 sprigs of fresh oregano, chopped

 

Fill the large pot with water and set on stove to bring to a boil.

Dice the onion and chop the garlic.  Set aside.

(Hint: Use that netting the onions come in as a lint catcher for your washing machine hose.)

 

Using medium high heat, heat the EVOO in a deep pan.  After removing the sausage casing, crumble the sausage into the deep pan and stir to keep it separated and crumbled.

 

After 5 minutes if necessary drain excess oil from the meat and add the onion and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes stirring occasionally.  The onions should look translucent and softened.

 

Add 1 t. of crushed oregano, 1 t. of crushed Italian seasoning, 1 T. of crushed fennel seed.  Stir to combine.

 

Add 1 32 ounce can of diced tomatoes with the tomato juice.  Add 1 t. of red pepper flakes.  Stir to combine.  Continue cooking to soften the tomatoes about 5 minutes.

 

Add 1 14 ounce can of tomato sauce and 1 T. of hot giardiniera and 1/2 C of parmesan cheese. Stir to combine.

 

Let the sauce simmer while the pasta cooks.

Salt the pot of boiling water and add the pasta.  Boil until tender.  Drain and stir the pasta into the deep pan of rustic tomato sauce.  Stir to combine the pasta with the sauce.

 

Sprinkle the chopped fresh, flat leaf parsley and chopped, fresh oregano on top of the pasta.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Shred fresh parmesan and fresh romano on top of the pasta and serve. ENJOY :)

 

Cooking is like love.  It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.

Harriet Van Horne

 



Thar She Grows!

The plants are breaking free of the earth like a whale surfacing for air. It is amazing to watch the changes going on in the garden. Every little seed or seedling that was put in the ground just a few short weeks ago has had startling growth. The compost, either store bought or composted in my backyard must have played a role. Flowers are blooming and veggies are working very hard to grow, mature and produce the yield we all wait for! I know it is still early but planting the cool weather veggies this year has helped to feed my anticipation of "Produce by Gardenmama". 

 

TAKE A LOOK

yellow and purple coreopsis 

2 varieties beets, 3 lettuces, spinach, carrots, swiss chard, cucumbers, pepper

 

                 Rhubarb                                    Sq ft garden boxes             variegated sweet iris                                                                                                                        l.pallida Argentea Variegata

         same and herbs                                   Sq ft garden box                             Strawberry pyramid

      Hosta Garden                                      Sour Cherry Tree                 Developing Cherries

1 year old Lilac bush and close up of lilac flower
                                   
It is reported that bringing a dog or cat to visit the housebound or ill has profound effects on the patient.  I say the same for a garden.  Cultivating a garden full of color and bounty also has profound effects not only on the gardener but also those who get to enjoy the show the plants put on.  Bring an elder or someone who is unable to get around on their own to a garden and watch their eyes light up remembering plants their parents used to garden with or even when they may have gardened themselves once upon a time.  Grab a friend, spouse or neighbor and plant a garden.  Heck, just grab a shovel and dig Mother Earth!

I have decided to close each post with an inspiring quote.

I cultivate my garden, and my garden cultivates me. ~Robert Brault

Memorial Day May 27, 2013

Memorial Day weekend brings what most of us like to call the beginning of summer.  Everyone talks about the nice weather and plans for the long weekend.  Except if you are a hospital employee, I worked Saturday, oh well.  Let's get back to the nice weather and all.
Nice weather?  Mother Nature is playing all kinds of games with what seems like the entire country!
Last week I had the AC on because we were in the high 80's and then the temps plummeted on Friday to the 50's during the day with low 40's at night.  My city girl daughter's little cucumber sprouts in the garden box in my yard froze their little buds off!  It was terminal frostbite.
Of course I have to mention the active tornado season the south is experiencing and keep them in my thoughts.  Tornado alley is a real thing and it reaches all the way to the suburbs of Chicago! I am looking at dark skies now and temps are creeping back up to the high 80's over today and tomorrow.  Sometimes it is scary, especially if the sirens go off.  Mother Nature, it's almost June, how about you get with the program, you know like Willie Nelson would sing "blue skies smiling at me, nothing but blue skies do I see."
Memorial Day is also a remembrance day of our Red, White and Blue.  We don't forget our service men and women who bravely protect our country and our freedom.  God protect those who serve and bless those who have died.
Memorial Day is also a personal remembrance day for family and friends who have left this green earth.
For me, Memorial Day is also a great time to get into the kitchen and out on the grill.  I had 10 family members gather for my kick off to summer!  Let's get to it!

The fact that I was having the fam over for the holiday put me into overdrive.
I had so many ideas for a fun family visit and good food.  Of course it was going to be a traditional backyard bar-b-que.  I got the smoker going early and after brining a small pork shoulder from my "local" hog farmer from Indiana, C&D Family Farms I rubbed it with cumin, paprika, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper and put it on the smoker until it shred easily from the bone.

Of course burgers were on the menu with brats and kraut.  I thought I would offer a chicken choice and skewered chicken chunks alternating with bacon and red onion.  TASTY!

                                               10 CHICKEN KABOBS 

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into about 1 inch chunks

10 strips of bacon (The bacon will be put on the skewer kind of in a ribbon fashion.)

1 red onion quartered and then separate the layers

2 Tablespoons Sriracha Sauce, or to taste

1/2 Cup Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch Salad Dressing

10 wooden skewers-soak in water for 1 hour.

Mix Sriracha Sauce and Ranch dressing together. 

Put chicken into mixture and marinate for an hour.

Drain skewers. 

Start kabob with a red onion, bacon, chicken.  Red onion again.  The bacon is hanging waiting to be skewered next. Then chicken and so on. Top off skewer with red onion to hold everything in place. Salt and pepper each kabob.

Fire up the grill and lay a narrow piece of foil across the grill where the ends of the skewers will be.  This will keep them from burning and make it easier for you to turn them.

Lay the skewers on and grill about 4 minutes each side, turning them 4 times.

 

 

My brother and sister in law were bringing strawberry shortcake so I thought I would grab a white cake mix and make a quick flag cake for the holiday.  Well...

 

They also decided to celebrate the holiday with a special cake.  Theirs was a bit more special than mine and had a custard/banana/strawberry filling between layers.  Both were a treat!

 

With the weather changing and summer on the way, let's get outside in the garden!

 

 

 

 

 

Rain, rain go away. Only kidding!

Ahhh.  The sound of rain on the window sills, a flash of lightning and rolling distant thunder makes glad the heart of a gardener.

I took advantage of a pause in Wednesday's forecast of showers periodically throughout the day and dropped my cucumber seeds in their place in the garden.  Two varieties, one for pickling and one for delicious cucumber salads.  Within a short week or so their tiny green heads will be breaking the soil to feel the warmth of the sun.

I also emptied 2 packets of giant zinnias into spots in the yard that could use a burst of color this summer. If you have ever bought seed packets you know your $1.99 bought a very short row to plant!
I remembered I had a can of dried zinnia heads from deadheading last summers flowers.  I will definitely do that again this summer because one dried head gives you at least 2 seed packets worth of seed if not more!  It is worth the effort to collect them.

Last but not least I moved an emerging hydrangea away from the vegetable garden and transplanted it to a new location and planted a nice sized rhubarb starter plant in its place.  Happy dance!!  I have always wanted my own rhubarb and finally made good on that wish.  All sorts of rhubarb recipes dance in my head including marrying my new strawberries with the rhubarb in a pie!  Oh!  I smacked my lips on that last thought!

All of my plantings got a big, healthy dose of our compost energized planting mix and could use some more rain.  That's right!  Rain, rain come again!  There's nothing like a drink of Mother Nature's "milk" for your garden plants!

Work and no play...I don't think so.

Summer like weather came our way after Mother's Day and busy bees we were!  Work, work work!  Anyone who loves being outside and fiddling around in the yard knows the work is pure enjoyment.  Right now it is all about getting your plantings in so there will be something to celebrate when it comes time to harvest.  Get the seedlings in that were started months ago and get to the nursery to pick up starter plants that there was no time or preparation to grow from seed. Phew!
It isn't really work though when you love working in the garden. There is so much beauty sprouting up in a spring garden when you stop for a moment to take it all in.

The tall, bearded, purple iris is in bloom putting on a colorful show.  I must have gotten these some 15-20 years ago when a friend was thinning her garden and shared them with me.  I am guessing that they might be the Grape Parfait variety.  How about a summer treat called a Grape Parfait to enjoy while lounging on the patio?

  

The cool weather plants are growing by leaps and bounds.  My lettuce garden varieties are coming in and the loose leaf is ready to use in a salad.

 

 

The broccoli and brussels sprout  are pretty to look at while we wait for our first bite.

The onions, scallions and shallots are like green spires coming from the ground.

On Sunday I got my side kick husband to build a strawberry pyramid for me.  The strawberry starters I planted in the early spring never came up.  Either I planted the crown too deep or all of them were too old.  Job done!  He's such a cutie handyman.  We filled it with Everbearing Strawberries.  Keep your fingers crossed!

After work on Monday I ran over to Saunoris Garden Center in Frankfort, Il. picked up and planted some starter plants I needed.  http://www.saunorisgardencenter.com/ 

Now I have to plant my cucumber seeds.  I have the 
day off from work on Tuesday and if the weather cooperates that is where I will be, playing in the 
garden.  See you there!     

GRAPE PARFAIT

4 servings

Ingredients 

3 cups of plain yogurt

3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
1-½ tablespoons grape jelly
1-½ cups granola
2 cups of your favorite grapes

---

Directions

Wash the grapes. Using a sharp paring knife, peel them, slice them in half and remove the seeds if they are not seedless variety. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine the yogurt, condensed milk and grape jelly.

I usually serve granola parfaits in clear glasses so you can still see each layer. The size of the glass depends on the appetite of the eater!

Be organized. Line up the glasses. Spoon a few grapes into each glass. Create an even layer. Cover with yogurt. Top with granola. Create another layer with yogurt. Fill with the remaining grapes. Smooth the surface. Repeat the same layers until you reach the top of the glass. Top with a few grapes and a teaspoon of granola.

Serve immediately.

---

Tips

I added Concord grape jelly for added flavor to the yogurt. You could omit this ingredient if you'd like the parfait to be less sweet.   I added condensed milk so the yogurt would become thicker. If you add other sweeteners, the consistency will become runny and the granola will turn soggy.

Published By: Jacqueline Pham on October 8, 2010.

Mother's Day 2013

2013

Yes, another Mother's Day came and went! I hope everyone's day was a good one, whether spent with your mother or longing to spend it with her.  I am lucky to have my mother still mothering me at 94 years as of 5/15/13!  She should have been born on the 4th of July because she is a real firecracker!  Here she is with some flowers one of my siblings sent her for Mother's Day.

What a neat idea for a flower arrangement.  I think my brother sent the arrangement to her with the idea to keep me busy in my garden later.  The basket was filled with 4 separate pots of azalea, miniature rose, shasta daisy, and a yellow, daisy looking flower.  I need to figure out that one.  I have never had luck with azalea but will try, try again.   This will give the two of us something to do with the quick arrival of summer weather yesterday and today.  Jeez, Mother's Day was a bit nippy, 54 degrees!  Someone must have called 911-HEAT because it was 91 degrees here on Monday!  How's that for a HOT FLASH!

My email address here outsideNinside@gmail.com gives a hint of my 2 personalities...maybe they're traits or just a split personality.  Either way with the chilly temps on Mother's Day there was no outside garden work done so inside it was.  I love to search out recipes, create and conjure up recipes also go back to some good, old family recipes to whip up inside the kitchen!  I had some company for Mother's Day and cooked for 6 of us.

Thanks to Bon Appetit June 1999 for the delicious Roast Pork Loin with Garlic and Rosemary via Epicurious.
If you live in the Chicagoland area and have been considering the idea of supporting local farmers and choosing to eat pastured meat, do try C&D Family Farms.  They are in a co-op with farming neighbors that share their philosophy about raising farm animals.  Their website cdfamilyfarms.com tells their story and lists the farmers markets they visit, making it easier for us, their customer base, to purchase their natural meat products.

The early asparagus is so tender and delicious.  I started my own patch last year but it needs at least one more year to develop.  Even though asparagus is on the "Clean 15" list of vegetables and fruits I still purchased organic asparagus and got a great price at my local grocer.  I oiled it lightly with EVOO, seasoned it with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, heated up my indoor grill pan and topped it with a chive vinaigrette.  My chive patch is heavy with the beautiful thin shoots and just starting to bud and flower.  The parsley is very full also.
                                                     CHIVE VINAIGRETTE
1/2 cup of chives, rough chop
1/4 cup of parsley, rough chop
4 T red wine vinegar
2 T dijon mustard
2 T water
4 tsp honey
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
2 T + 2 tsp EVOO
1/2 fresh lemon
Put first 7 ingredients into a Cuisinart food processor and pulse until finely chopped.  Add the EVOO while processor is running until the mixture is smooth.
Plate the asparagus, top with the juice of 1/2 a fresh lemon and pour the vinaigrette over.

  We enjoyed roasted, herb potatoes (on the Dirty Dozen list), green beans (Dirty Dozen list) with white onions (Clean 15 list) and cream, sauerkraut (cabbage is on the Clean 15 list) and applesauce (apples are on the Dirty Dozen list).

My grocer also had beautiful, organic strawberries and rhubarb!  I made a rustic strawberry rhubarb pie with whipped heavy cream!  YUM, YUM!

1 recipe Martha Stewart Pate Brisee Dough
2 pints fresh strawberries, cut in 1/2
2 cups rhubarb, chopped 1/2 inch pieces
3/4 C sugar
1/4 C instant tapioca
1/2 fresh lemon, squeezed
pinch of cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
Coarse sugar
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Follow Martha's recipe.  Do not divide the dough.  Roll out the dough to a large, rough circle.  Transfer to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper..
Put the strawberries and the following 5 ingredients in a bowl and mix with a spoon to combine.
Put the fruit mixture in the center of the dough, fold over the edges leaving the center of the pie open.
Brush the crust with the beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, reduce the heat to 350 and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the dough is golden brown.

If you try any of the recipes, have fun and I hope you like them.  There is nothing like preparing great food for family and friends that come over to gather around your table for a visit.  Today I will be OUTSIDE enjoying the beautiful sprummer (spring/summer) day with my mom on her birthday doing some garden work and taking her out to lunch for her birthday and who knows maybe we will head to the "boat" for a few pulls on the slot machine...birthday luck!!!

Here's the Dirty Dozen, Clean 15 List.

2012 Dirty Dozen List: Foods to Buy Organic

1. apples
2. celery
3. sweet bell peppers
4. peaches
5. strawberries
6. nectarines (imported)
7. grapes
8. spinach
9. lettuce
10. cucumbers
11. blueberries (domestic)
12. potatoes
This year the EWG also mentioned green beans and leafy greens (such as kale) as additional foods that contain enough pesticide residue to warrant concern. The organization also added a note saying that shoppers who are concerned about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) should buy organic sweet corn, as GMO sweet corn is not labeled as such in U.S. stores.

2012 Clean 15 List: Foods Okay to Buy Non-Organic

1. onions
2. sweet corn
3. pineapples
4. avocado
5. cabbage
6. sweet peas
7. asparagus
8. mangoes
9. eggplant
10. kiwi
11. cantaloupe (domestic)
12. sweet potatoes
13. grapefruit
14. watermelon
15. mushrooms
For more information on pesticides and produce, check out the “EWG’s 2012 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce.”


Read more: http://www.motherearthliving.com/natural-health/2012-dirty-dozen-clean-15-lists.aspx#ixzz2TLarr6Vh

my hyperlinks took in the draft but not on the save.  I wonder why?
http://www.gardenersnet.com/tree/azalea.htm
http://www.wikihow.com/Grow-Miniature-Roses
http://www.burpee.com/perennials/shasta-daisies/shasta-daisy-article10292.html
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roast-Pork-Loin-with-Garlic-and-Rosemary-101684
http://cdfamilyfarms.com/
http://www.marthastewart.com/343815/pate-brisee
http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php