My Babies are Sick!

This week started out with distraught as insects and disease ate away at my plants. OK, maybe I am being melodramatic. Nonetheless, it is painful to watch. Insects tend to target vegetable and herb plants. I noticed the first signs on Monday and instantly sent an email to my Mom, an avid and fabulous gardener. She suggested a mixture of one tablespoon each of chili powder and garlic powder and 3 cups of water. The mixture is to be sprayed on leaves (not into the soil!) to deter insects. My tomato plants are exhibiting dark spots with yellow discoloration. After researching a copious amount of time on the Internet, the culprits could be fungus (deadly and highly infectious), root rot (deadly), excess watering (we had lots of rain the past few days), or insects. In order to avoid the spread of disease, I will isolate the plants into pots and track progress. I will keep you posted!

Quick Indian Shrimp Curry

The ladies of my quaint village would gawk at this recipe. In Bendamurlanka, a seaside town, curries simmer all day, releasing an aromatic scent of spices and caramelized onions into the air. With have work, I rarely have time to sit in front of a pot cooking all day. I opt for quick Indian cooking with a little cheating. I have a treasure chest of Indian quick cooking recipes that organically developed through years of cooking.

If V had a choice, he would eat Indian food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I developed this recipe on Monday and we have already had it twice. It takes less 20 minutes and tastes like it's been cooking all day.

1 onion, chopped thin
3 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
3/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp salt
1/5 cup fat free half and half
1 tablespoon oil
15-20 shrimp ( I use the frozen peeled and deviened kind, but feel free to use fresh, it just takes more time.)

1. Heat oil in pan on medium hear. Add onions and turn the heat up to high.
2. Cook until caramelized. Don't be alarmed if you need to scrape the bottom of the pan. The caramelization of the onions gives a slow cooking taste to the curry. Don't leave the stove; if the onions burn then you have to start all over again.
3. Add both types of garlic and cook for 3 minutes on medium heat.
4. Add cayenne, salt, turmeric, and garam masala. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Add shrimp and half and half. Cook for 5 minutes and serve.

Signs of Life

I am elated to report that this evening I witnessed the first signs of life in the garden. The multicolor swiss chard and mixed greens are peeking through to grasp rays of sunlight. Can you believe that it has only been five days since I planted the garden?!? Alas, if only all things in life provided such instant gratification.

Congratulations to those of you that have been inspired to start your own gardens. Please send pics and post comments on your progress. I would love for all of us to share tips, both failures and successes.

Swiss Chard: (Click on the pictures to get a better view)



Mixed Greens:



Ideas are already brewing for recipes!

The First Day of Spring - Vegetable and Herb Garden

Today is the first day of Spring. My husband and I recently moved into a new house and finally have a backyard, albeit small, but a backyard nonetheless. This morning from my bedroom window the sun was trickling in through the cracks in the blinds and birds were chirping in melody. I rushed out of bed and ran to the garden store. I immediately noticed how happy and cheery everyone was. I love Spring, it's signals hope and a new beginning to me.

My friend Kat came to visit last week and I mentioned my goals of planting a garden. Her face lit up and immediately decided to plant her own garden. I underestimated her excitement. She couldn't even wait for the weekend to plant her garden. She rushed to the store on Wednesday and planted away. So now the both of us are garden buddies. It's nice to have someone to share this experience with; it makes me motivated to tend to the plants. So these are the items that I planted and hopefully in a few weeks, you will see some recipes incorporating the fruits of my labor.

Herbs:

French Tarragon
Spicy Globe Basil
Sweet Italian Basil
Rosemary
Orange Mint
Spearmint
Ginger Mint
Dill
Thyme
Oregano
Sage

Vegetables:

Sweet Peas
Ichiban Eggplants
Cherry Tomatoes
Heirloom Tomatoes
Mesclun Lettuce
Kale
Multicolor Swiss Chard

Here are pictures of my day.

Before Garden:



All the Veggies and Herbs:



Laying it All Out:



Hard at Work:



Happy in my Garden:



The Final Product!!





After seeing this post, two more friends have decided to plant vegetable and herb gardens. Our hope is to trade vegetables and herbs.

Lentil and Cumin Spiced Fried Cabbage

Similar to French food, Indian food also has a holy trinity type base, a mixture of lentil and spices that are toasted to release the aroma of the spices. I adjust this same recipe for frozen vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, and french cut beans.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1 1/1 tsp chana dal (yellow lentils)
1/2 tsp urad dal (white lentils)
1 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 cabbage, cut into thin slices
1 tsp coconut (shredded)
1/4 tsp sambar powder

1. Add oil to pan on medium heat.
2. Add next four ingredients. Cook until toasted aroma releases, approximately 2-3 minutes.
3. Add cabbage and wilt. Cook for 10 minutes.
4. Add cayenne, salt, coconut, sambar powder and turmeric for 15 minutes.
5. Serve with rice.