Fresh Tomato Salsa

This is a great way to use all those fresh tomatoes from your garden. Serve with tortilla chips. INGREDIENTS: 3 cups chopped tomatoes 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper 1 cup onion, diced 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 4 teaspoons chopped fresh jalapeno pepper (including seeds) 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper DIRECTIONS: Stir the tomatoes, green bell pepper, onion, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno pepper, cumin, salt, and …

Harvesting and Preserving Herbs

Extending the Flavors of Herbs from Your Garden It is hard to beat the savory tastes and bold scents of fresh herbs. Michigan winters make it difficult to have fresh herbs. However, preserving them is a great way to enjoy your favorite herbs until next spring. We have a good selection of the most popular herbs now available at the store. The majority of herbs should be harvested in early morning when the oil responsible for their flavor and aroma …

Join Team Green with Kale, Swiss Chard and Spinach

Eating these three amazing green nutritional superstars, kale, swiss chard and spinach, will help you enhance your palate and your body as well. These greens can be added to almost any dish and will enhance the look of your main course while accentuating it’s flavor.  When eaten regularly, these three leafy green vegetables can help you to live a healthier life. When it comes to greens, the darker the better. Leafy greens contain vitamins and fiber which are said to help prevent lung …

What is frost, and what does it mean for your garden?

Ice crystals form at temperatures below 32°F, when water vapor condenses out of the air and settles on a cool surface, such as your garden beds or garden plants. Frost is just a frozen form of dew, and it damages plants by freezing the water inside the plant cells, which then burst and die. A light frost can occur at 30-32°F. There’s a touch of white on the ground, but it’s short-lived; as soon as the sun hits it, it’s …

Fried Green Tomatoes

Even though the 1991 chick flick with the same name leads us to believe that Fried Green Tomatoes originated in the south, the history of this “either love ’em or hate ’em”  side dish is forever one of my favorites.  Matter of fact, it would be something I would request as part of my last meal. It seems this delicious dish did not originate in the south! According to food historian and writer, Robert Moss, it appears that fried green …

Creating Winter Interest in the Garden

As gardeners, we have a tendency to concentrate our efforts on spring and summer while often neglecting the fall and winter. When choosing plants, keep in mind things like branching habits, color, unusual bark, persisting seeds and berries, or swaying seed heads of ornamental grasses. These features will keep your landscapes alive and interesting throughout the winter months. There is still time to add some plants to the garden that can reward you with a beautiful garden every day of …

Pumpkin Pancakes

Ginger, cinnamon and allspice give this pumpkin pancake recipe just a hint of sweetness, making it the perfect fall breakfast. Gonna make it for the family this weekend! Yummy! INGREDIENTS: 1 1/2 cups milk 1 cup pumpkin puree 1 egg 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons vinegar 2 cups all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground allspice 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon salt DIRECTIONS: 1. …

Winterizing your Roses

A message from Larry “The Rose Guy” about winterizing your roses. It’s getting colder and the days are getting shorter, so it’s time to think about preparing your roses for winter. Don’t stop watering. This is very important as the die back you see on your roses in the spring is caused by cold winter winds which take out the moisture from the canes. Do not prune now because the die back will start from the point you made your …

Paradise Pumpkin Pie

This pumpkin pie is one of my favorites at Thanksgiving every year. Even my husband, who doesn’t really like pumpkin pie loves this one. There are two layers of paradise in this pumpkin pie. One of sweetened cream cheese and another of sugar, spices and pumpkin. Together, they’re heavenly. Ingredients: 9 inch pasty crust Cream Cheese layer: 8oz cream cheese (softened) 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla 1 egg Pumpkin layer: 1-1/4 cup pumpkin 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp cinnamon …

Put Your Fall Leaves To Work

The leaves of fall are one of nature’s most gorgeous gifts but I find that I appreciate them even more after they have fallen off the trees. Yes, I said after. While I don’t look forward to the work of cleaning up the leaves any more than you do, I have a very deep appreciation for what they will mean to my lawn and garden a few months from now.  Where most people see fallen leaves as hours of raking, …