garden Archives - The Sparrow's Home

Dehydrated Carrots: Save Time & Money

November 22, 2016 by Susan 2 Comments

The thing about fresh produce is that it grows when it grows and then it grows no more. What that means is that when you get an abundance of apples or tomatoes or carrots, you need to figure out what to do with your stash, or it will spoil. Carrots last a pretty long time, but even so, they get soft and bendy after awhile.

I made a delicious creamy chicken and rice soup this weekend. It was my first time cooking with the carrots I had dehydrated this summer. We belong to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and get boxes of freshly picked vegetables each week. When the farm has an abundance, so do we. And this summer, we got piles of carrots!

Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice

October 4, 2016 by Susan 14 Comments

I’m so old I remember when pumpkin was something you carved, not something you put in your coffee. I do like a pumpkin spice latte, though, so there will be no complaining from me! I wanted to put together a collection of pumpkin recipes for you to try this fall…er, should I say, pumpkin spice season.

I looked for recipes that I plan to try, or have already made. I’ll be sure to let you know which ones I’ve already road tested for you.

Alice’s Tomato Pie

September 20, 2016 by Susan Leave a Comment

Cheesy, fresh tomato pie is a treat you’ll want to make again and again! It’s an easy and frugal recipe that is so much more than the sum of its parts.

I know that we’re well into “Pumpkin Spice” season…but I’m still picking fresh tomatoes. Are you? I’m not hating on pumpkin spice, here. Autumn is a lovely season that I plan to enjoy to its fullest. But this feels eerily like “Back to School” sales beginning in July or Christmas decorations in stores in … well, I was going to say October, but we saw some last night!

So when my friend, Alice, shared her recipe for tomato pie with me a couple of weeks ago, I knew I had to pass it along to you. Even though it’s pumpkin spice season.

Maybe I’m feeling kind of rebellious because Red Dawn is on TV. Whatever the case… here’s to tomato pie and bucking the system. Wolverines!

Skillet Grilled Corn – Making Summer Last One Kernel at a Time

September 6, 2016 by Susan 5 Comments

Fresh summer corn–so easy! This corn makes a perfect side to serve with any grilled meat, & goes especially well with South-of-the-border dishes.

Did you ever have braces? No gum allowed. No chewy or sticky foods. No corn on the cob.

I had braces when I was younger, and for the past three years we’ve had at least one boy in them.

With corn on the cob off the table we resorted to what most braces-wearing folks do, after cooking, we stood the cobs on end and sliced the kernels off the cob.

And then I decided to introduce my fresh picked summer corn to my cast iron skillet and a hot grill.

Now they’re best friends.

You won’t believe how easy it is, too!

The Lazy Person’s Guide to Canning Tomatoes

August 30, 2016 by Susan 28 Comments

I admire people who put up summer produce by the bushel, stocking their pantry shelves with row upon row of the good stuff. I’ve tried that. My dad does pickles and relish each summer, and I’ve helped out. One time I did get a giant box of tomatoes and canned spaghetti sauce myself. It was delicious and wonderful, but it was an awful lot of work and mess for the amount I got.

I wouldn’t rule out doing a mega canning session again but it’s not really my style.

Here’s my style: I take out my canning pot mid-August and leave it in my kitchen until mid-October. I can two or three or six jars of excess produce as I have it. It’s the same with freezing. As I have extra peppers or corn or whatever, I fill Ziploc bags and stash them in the freezer.

How to Preserve Basil

August 8, 2016 by Susan 12 Comments

Freezing basil to add to recipes year round is so easy! All you need is basil, olive oil and ice cube trays. It’s my favorite way to preserve summer.

There’s nothing like walking out onto your deck and picking fresh basil to add to a recipe. But sadly, for much of the year in Minnesota, that is not an option.

I am a terrible gardener, but I’ve always been successful with basil. It grows gangbusters for me, for some reason.

Several years ago, I looked into various ways to preserve my harvest. To maintain freshness, I decided against drying. I found a number of different methods of freezing herbs. Some involved water as a base, some oil. I tried both methods and have settled into what I like best. Olive oil.

This is such an easy process, y’all.