The Crafty Gardener. Becca Anderson

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      Green fingers are the extensions of a verdant heart.

      —Russell Page

      Stir-Fried Asparagus

      Once you’ve grown them and had your fill of them steamed, give this a try. It is delicious!

      •2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

      •1 tablespoon dry sherry

      •1 tablespoon water or chicken broth

      •1 ½ pounds asparagus, ends snapped, and cut into small pieces

      •1 tablespoon sesame oil

      •2 teaspoons minced garlic

      •2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

      •½ minced fresh basil

      •½ teaspoon sugar

      Combine the soy sauce, sherry, and water or broth and set aside. Place a large (at least twelve-inch) skillet over high heat for 4 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons of the oil and heat for 1 minute or until the oil just starts to smoke. Add the asparagus and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until barely tender. Clear the center of the pan, add the garlic, ginger, and 1 teaspoon of oil, and sauté for 10 seconds. Remove pan from heat and stir the ingredients to combine.

      Place pan back on heat, stir in the soy sauce mixture, and cook for 30 seconds. Add basil and sugar and cook for another 30 seconds. Serves four.

      A Humble Root

      In his book, Tomato Blessings and Radish Teachings, Zen cleric and teacher Edward Espe Brown ruminates on the lessons food has to offer. Here he is attending a dinner party and describes the appetizer. “Radishes! Seated at a low table, we come face to face with platters of radishes, brilliantly red and curvaceous, some elongated and white-tipped, rootlets intact with topknots of green leaves sprouting from the opposite end. It was love at first sight. Gazing at the plentitude of radishes, red and round with narrow roots and spreading stems, I felt a swirling joy… These radishes kept growing on me, as if they exuded happiness… To be able to see the virtue, to appreciate the goodness of simple, unadorned ingredients—this is probably the primary task of the cook.”

      Sow the living part of yourselves in the furrow of life.

      —Miguel de Unamino

      When in Provence: Fabulous Fresh Herb Salad

      This is a salad from Provence that uses an unusual variety of late-spring greens and herbs.

      •One garlic clove, halved

      •2 teaspoons lemon juice

      •¼ teaspoons salt

      •4 teaspoons olive oil

      •1 teaspoon hot water

      •4 cups arugula

      •1–2 cups watercress, large stems removed

      •1 ½ cups escarole

      •¼ cup parsley, stems removed

      •½ cup curly endive

      •¼ cups small basil leaves

      •20 small tarragon leaves

      •10 small sage leaves

      •5 chives, minced

      •Pepper

      Rub the garlic clove halves all over a large wooden salad bowl. Whisk in the lemon, salt, all of the oil, and the water. Add greens and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Serves four.

      Unexpected Friends: Volunteer Veggies

      My city-born husband was at my Southern mother’s house with me one year when she remarked that she felt like cooking a pot of “volunteers.” After enjoying his confused expression for a few seconds, I explained that this is what she calls this small patch of turnip greens that come up every year without any coaching or invitation. So we headed out to pick a mess of them, and I schooled him on how to pick the small tender leaves, and to pick quickly so as to avoid the scratchy texture of the plants. He didn’t care much for the greens, but I do think he enjoyed the picking.

      Anywhere you live you can find room for a garden somewhere.

      —Jamie Jobb

      Superfood Garden Greens

      Besides turnip greens, there are many other vegetables that seem to be overlooked in the typical American diet. Recent research comparing French and American diets found that the French eat three times the variety of vegetables that we do, and the variety alone may have healthful benefits. So why not consider the following for your garden this summer?

      •Chard: red or green, can be eaten raw when the leaves are tender, or used like cabbage to make chard rolls. Also good for a winter pasta sauce.

      •Kale: member of cabbage family, popular among Romans and Greeks, loaded with vitamins and never bitter. Superb steamed.

      •Kohlrabi: turnip-like root with edible stems. Can be eaten raw like an apple, shredded like a cabbage, or cooked like a turnip.

      •Amaranth: also known as Chinese spinach. Rich in iron, calcium, vitamin A. Cooks like spinach or chard.

      •Good King Henry: also known as poor man’s asparagus. Leaves can be cooked like spinach.

      •Purslane: can be used in salads or cooked like spinach. Sharp-tasting, but high in vitamin C and omega-3 fatty acids that help prevent heart problems.

      Tea in the Garden: How to Make Compost Tea

      Compost tea is a marvelous way to feed your plants and give them extra nutrients in a wholly natural way that is free of chemicals. You want to feed your friends and family only the cleanest and pesticide-free produce, so start out organic and you will have a garden that produces healthy food. You will need a big bucket and the following to make compost tea:

      •2 cups homemade, fresh compost dirt

      •1 gallon of clean, filtered water

      Add the water and the soil to a gallon bucket and keep in a place out of direct heat or cold; I use my outdoor shed, but a garage will also do nicely, Let your compost tea “brew” for a week and give it a stir every other day. Watering cans are the perfect teapot for your garden. Strain out the dirt and pour the liquid into your watering can, where it is ready to serve up some serious nutrients to your garden.

      Popping Fresh

      You can grow your own popping corn. One of the most exotic varieties СКАЧАТЬ