Rain, rain, rain, rain, rain!  "Does it always rain in Oregon?"  Well, actually, no, but sometimes it seems like it. This is one of those times.  It's our typical spring weather - sunshine, partial sun, chance of showers, showers likely, rain. . . . and, that's just one day.  Sometimes the rain is a soft gentle mist, others it is a downpour.  We've had enough to fill buckets lately.  Everyone is complaining.  We've been having discussions about attitude, but it doesn't seem to help. This kind of weather is hard on us all.

In between showers we have continued to work in the garden.  Some things are thriving with all this moisture, the potatoes, onions, and greens are all doing very well. Reyn's tomatoes, however, are another story. We removed the cover from the cold-frame a couple of weeks ago and has transplanted some of the tomatoes directly into the garden.  They look pretty sad.  We're thinking that next year we'll arrange to have more and larger cold-frames that can stay up longer.  For now, we're considering setting ours back up and covering it with a row-cover, like remay, to protect some of the tomatoes.  But, really, how long can this go on?  Whenever the rain stops and the clouds part, the sun is strong and warm.  Maybe tomorrow it will all change.

Yesterday I decided to change my attitude and just go with the flow.  Need I say that it rained all day?  Well, that didn't bother me because I was busy in my little kitchen chopping and stirring and making one of my favorite jams, Orange Rhubarb Marmalade.  It's a long process which begins with peeled, juiced, and chopped lemons and oranges.  After they cook for a while, the rhubarb is added and cooked to a pulp, followed by sugar and a long boil.  The result is a lovely sweet, slightly tart marmalade that is sure to perk up a winter breakfast.  That, and it helped me get through a very bleak spring day.  Hooray for Rhubarb!  I'll gladly share the recipe if anyone wants to try it.

What's up - I managed to snap some photos of the garden between rain showers today.  I also did a little weeding and transplanted some of my zinnia starts, but that's another story.  Today's post is simply a visual reminder of how the garden is progressing by mid-May.  It really looks like a garden now and we are beginning to enjoy the fruits of Reyn's earlier labor.  Tonight we feasted on freshly picked lettuce, onions, and radishes.  We've now harvested two ripe strawberries, the raspberries are setting berries, and it won't be long until the peas are producing. 
                                                                            

                         
Onions                                                                          Peas

Potatoes bordered by red lettuce                                           Beets           

            

                                       

     

It's all about lettuce - we're definitely in the green now. Reyn first planted lettuce seeds on February 11th, then followed with a second planting three weeks later.  When it was time to transplant the seedlings, the first batch went directly into the garden, while the second planting went in the ground - but, within the cold-frame.  At the time we were experiencing unusually mild weather.  Well, that didn't last long and we have now been blessed with a typical long, wet, cool Oregon spring.  The seedling which were planted in the garden spent weeks hunkered down in survival mode, while the plants under the protection of the cold-frame basked in the warmth and put all their energy into large, lush, delicate leaves.  We ate our first salad on May 5th and have been enjoying an abundance of greens since then. We have been surprised and delighted by the size and tenderness of the leaves.  While they taste like baby lettuce leaves, they are huge.

We are happy to begin settling in to our preferred mode of meal preparation, which begins with a trip to the garden.  It is truly a gift to finish our meal with a salad of greens so fresh that they were in the ground only an hour before.  Tonight we enjoyed a Salad Nicoise on a giant bed of fresh greens.

The salad consisted of a combination of steamed red potatoes, lightly steamed green beans (from the freezer), cubed tomatoes, a few calamata olives, a can of wild, line-caught Oregon Albacore tuna, 2 hard boiled eggs (eggs purchased from a woman at the swimming pool each Monday morning), a garden fresh sliced scallion, a few capers, and a good measure of chopped parsley.  Toss all with a lemon vinaigrette and pile atop a mountain of greens.  Yummm . . . .

A quick note to my vast audience of readers to let you know that I am currently doing battle with my computer.  It is not allowing me internet access. While you can rest assured that this does not slow down the cooking or gardening part of this deal, it definitely slows down the blogging part.

I'll be up and running as soon as we can work things out.  For now, I'm tired of trying.  I'm hoping to move away from the desk and into the yard today.  I hope this doesn't take too long.  Ah, life in the age of technology. . . . . . . .

Wow! Tonight's dinner was a show stopper.  I've got to post it before I forget. Another of those spur of the moment, what do we have that needs to be cooked kind of meals. But one that was a huge success.  The starting point was leftover baguettes thrown in the freezer after my birthday party, and spinach from the garden that Reyn had picked a couple of days ago.  From there it morphed into Grilled Portobello Mushrooms and Sweet Onions in a balsamic vinaigrette marinade, with wilted spinach over toasted french bread.  The combination of flavors was out of this world. The toast was difficult to cut, but essential.  The perfect counterpoint to the mushroom, onion, and spinach.  I added quickly sauteed shredded beets and a garden fresh salad.  Dessert was fresh strawberries and vanilla yogurt.  Oh, so good.

Portobellos are a true gift to non-meat eaters. These large mushrooms are like the best beef filet mignon, without the beef.  I've prepared portobellos in many different ways, but this is by far the most delicious. One large mushroom with accompaniments easily serves each diner  To prepare the mushrooms for grilling, I used a soft brush to clean them, removed the stems, scraped off the gills, and then brushed them with a balsamic vinaigrette and allowed them to marinate for about 40 minutes.  Below is my recipe. 

Grilled Portobellos and Sweet Onions with Wilted Spinach on Toasts

2 large Portobello Mushrooms (1 for each person)
1 clove garlic, minced
3 - 4 Tbsp balsamic vinaigrette dressing
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1 large sweet onion
1 bunch fresh spinach leaves, sliced in 1/2" strips
french bread, sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Clean mushrooms by brushing with a soft brush, remove stem, and scrape out the gills.  Combine balsamic vinaigrette with minced garlic, olive oil, and soy sauce.  Brush top of mushroom with marinade, place in a dish, top down, and pour remaining marinade into the mushroom cap.  Allow to marinate at room temperature for 40 min. to 1 hour.

Meanwhile slice sweet onion into 1/2" slices.  Brush lightly with olive oil.  Microwave on high for about 1 1/2 minutes to precook slightly. Season with salt and pepper.

If using a grill basket, lightly spray or oil basket.  Place mushrooms and onion slices in the basket.  Grill over charcoal or gas grill on high heat for approximately 5 minutes per side.

Just before the mushrooms are done, briefly saute the sliced spinach in 1 Tbsp olive oil until just wilted.  Toast the sliced baguettes.  To serve, arrange toasts on a plate, top with spinach, grilled onion slices, followed by mushrooms.  You may also want to sprinkle with crumbled feta or goats cheese.

My side dish was a simple saute of shredded beets.  Nothing but shredded beets with salt and pepper, sauted for about 4 minutes in a small amount of olive oil.  I finished the beets with a drizzle of very nice balsamic vinegar.

I still have portobellos in my refrigerator and can't wait to do this again. . . . . . .   Maybe tomorrow.

Last summer's tomatoes star in tonight's dinner. As this year's garden begins to come alive I become more aware of what is left in the freezer from last summer.  The goal is always to put away just enough to get us through to the next garden. The trick is to know what quantity to save and to determine what types of produce we will actually use over the winter.  I always freeze as many green beans as we have available, as well as tomatoes.  The tomatoes I freeze simply peeled and quartered, made into sauce, or oven roasted. We always use almost every container before the next crop ripens. Our freezer is now beginning to look a little bare - at this point, that's a good thing.

For tonight's dinner I made a traditional fish stew or bouillabaisse using one container of oven roasted tomatoes with basil and garlic, as well as a container (16oz) of quartered tomatoes, dated 9/08 - (they were fine). You can always use chopped fresh or canned tomatoes, but I think that the concentrated flavor of the oven roasted tomatoes added a deep richness to the broth that would not be obtained with fresh or canned tomatoes. I didn't have fish stock available, so substituted chicken stock.  The bouillabaisse was quick and easy to prepare and was delicious!

Bouillabaisse
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, slivered
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp fennel seeds
10 - 12 saffron threads
2 Tbsp boiling water
16 oz , or more chopped tomatoes, canned, frozen, or fresh
4 cups fish or chicken stock
3/4 lb. of white fish, cubed (I used halibut)
3/4 lb. shrimp
1/2 lb of butter clams
2 Tbsp italian parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, garlic, red pepper, and fennel seeds.  Saute until onion is soft and golden - about 6 - 8 minutes.  Meanwhile, place the saffron threads in a small bowl, pour boiling water over and let steep.

When onion is cooked, add the tomatoes, saffron/water, and stock to the pan.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the clams and cook for about 2 minutes, then add the fish and shrimp. Simmer for about 2 - 4 minutes more.  I found that the clams took longer to cook than the fish.  Clams are done when their shells open, the shrimp should be an opaque pink color and the fish flakey.

Adjust seasonings, stir in the chopped parsley and serve.

Add a fresh green salad and crusty bread for a lovely spring dinner.

The passing of a friend, the end of an era. My loyal old dog and trusty companion of 14 years, Ollie, faded away about 2 weeks ago.  He chose to leave us unexpectedly in the middle of a busy weekend of joyous celebration with family and friends - out of town guests, a half-marathon, and a big birthday.  We were sad to lose him, but had known that his days were numbered.

Today was a beautiful day. The guests have departed, the laundry has been done and things seem to be back to normal. It was a day to work in the garden.  In fact, it was my first day outside since late April.  I made a quick tour of the beds and chose to continue my spring clean up and do a little weeding of my herb garden and perennial beds.  I was pleased to finally work my way around to the north side of the house to the spot that always gets put off until last.  This area is adjacent to my herb garden and contains mostly azaleas and some very large old rhododendrons. It is a spot that Ollie particularly liked.  While he usually stayed fairly close to me while I worked, on occasion I would notice him missing, and begin a search for him, sure that he was off chasing one of the neighborhood cats.  It was then that I often found him nosing around or stretched out napping in the cool shade of the rhodys. You'll find a photo of Ollie gardening in my post of March 14th (Another beautiful Sunday).

Today I worked alone.  I pulled weeds and raked up under the rhodys, collecting a couple wheel barrows full of decomposing leaves.  In one corner next to the house, while raking up some leaves, I discovered one of Ollie's favorite stuffed toys.  A toy that had really never been played with, but rather saved and guarded; very carefully buried first years ago, and then moved and thoughtfully tended as the years passed.  I now remember that I saw him nosing around in that spot a few weeks ago, checking on his treasure.  I've been thinking that I would like to have some sort of memorial to Ollie somewhere in the garden - but felt rather silly about the idea.  However, a buried treasure seems just right.  Need I say that I left it just where he had placed it?  I look forward to finding it again and am pretty sure that there are other treasures awaiting discovery -- one in particular being a very large bone ripening somewhere in the front yard.

Mediterranean comes to mind when I think of a healthy diet and lifestyle. Fresh ingredients, often fish, with olive oil, aromatic herbs, and the zing provided by olives, capers, lemons and the like. Oh, and don't forget the red wine.

We've been really busy here for the last couple of weeks with family and friends helping to celebrate my 60th birthday, and participating in the Eugene Marathon all at the same time.  We had a house full of guests, a great party, a good run; then, were out of town for Mother's Day weekend.  I had hoped to enjoy some time today planning meals and shopping, but the laundry was loudly calling my name. 

Luckily Reyn picked up a nice halibut fillet for dinner.  A quick look through the fridge and pantry and a trip to the lettuce patch led to this Mediterranean style repast.  I made a side dish of bulgar with sundried tomatoes, capers, and fresh herbs seasoned with lemon juice and lemon infused olive oil.  I  then applied the same theme to the halibut, topping the fillets with slices of onion, sundried tomatoes, lemon, capers, and olives, then sprinkling them with garden fresh herbs.  A salad of Reyn's freshly picked baby greens completed this easy, light and satisfying meal.

Lemon Bulgar Salad with Fresh Herbs
An assortment of fresh herbs such as thyme, marjoram, sage, and rosemary
1 cup bulgar or cracked wheat
3 cups of boiling water

zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 Tbsp olive oil - I used lemon infused oil
2 tsp capers
2 Tbsp sun dried tomatoes, sliced
2 Tbsp sliced olives, I used green -but would have preferred kalamatas
1 scallion, sliced

In a bowl, pour boiling water over bulgar and let sit until absorbed.  Let cool, then drain excess water.  Chop the herbs and saute with the lemon zest in 1-2 tsp olive oil over medium-high heat until crisp. Set a few of the crisp herbs aside to garnish the finished  dish. Combine bulgar, herbs, capers, tomatoes, scallions, and olives.  Add lemon juice and olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Mediterranean style Baked Halibut
Halibut fillets
olive oil
lemon slices
juice of 1/2 lemon
thinly sliced onion
1/2 tsp capers
fresh herbs
                                                       salt and pepper to taste

Lightly rub fish with olive oil, season with salt and pepper.  Place fish in lightly oiled baking pan. Lay thinly sliced pieces of onion and lemon on top of fillets. Top with capers and fresh herbs.  Drizzle with lemon juice. Cover with foil and bake at 425F for approximately 10 minutes - depending on the thickness of the fish. I removed the foil for the final 2 minutes.  Serve with lemon wedges.

Add a fresh green salad, a glass of wine, and enjoy!

At last, greens -  picked just before dinner and oh, so young and tender. Suddenly we have a cold-frame full of lettuce.  The leaves are big, delicate and succulent; they are tender and sweet, and perfect.  My dream has finally come true, we're eating from our garden.

So, what does one do with these beautiful young leaves?  It was clear that some sort of salad was in order. First, I perused the pantry and vegetable drawer of my refiegerator, then decided on a variation of one of my favorites - a lentil salad with grated carrots and beets, on a bed of lettuce, of course.

I started with beautiful teeny, tiny black lentils, then added chopped broccoli, sliced scallions, grated raw carrots, and lightly sauteed grated beets.  A tasty vinaigrette pulls it all together, making a beautifully colorful and satisfying one dish meal.  You may want to round out the meal with a dish of hummus served with crackers or a good loaf of bread.  Here are specifics on how I made the salad:


Lentil Salad with Broccoli, Beets, and Carrots

Lettuce leaves, torn into large pieces
1 cup small black lentils
3 cups water
1 clove garlic, sliced
1/2 tsp salt
Rinse lentils then combine with water, garlic, and salt in a small pan.  Bring to a boil and simmer until lentils are cooked, but not mushy, about 20 minutes. Add more water if needed. Drain and allow to cool.

1/2 cup chopped broccoli florets
2 scallions, thinly sliced
3 carrots, grated

1 - 2 beets, grated

1 Tbsp chopped almonds
1/2 tsp white sesame seeds
1/2 tsp black sesame seeds

Vinaigrette:  Whisk together
Juice of one lemon
1/2 tsp sugar
14 tsp salt
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil

Prepare vinaigrette. In a bowl, combine lentils, broccoli, scallions and about 1/3 of dressing. Allow to sit at room temperature.  Place grated carrots in a bowl and toss with a touch of dressing.  Lightly saute grated beets in 1 Tbsp olive oil until slightly limp, about 2 minutes.  Drizzle with a little dressing.

To serve, line plates with a generous amount of lettuce leaves, top with beets, carrots, and lentils.  Drizzle a little dressing over each plate.  Sprinkle chopped almonds atop the lentils, black sesame seeds over the carrots, and white sesame seeds atop the beets.  That's it!  Simple, fresh and very good.  Enjoy!

A day for gardening- after what seems like weeks of cold and rainy weather, we have again been blessed with sunshine.  It turns out that this has been a strange, but, I'm sorry to report, typical Oregon spring.  We started out with several weeks of unseasonably warm weather, which got everyone out tilling the soil, then our usual cool, wet days returned. Cool, wet, stormy days and nights.  Soggy, wind blown, dreary days.  Not the kind that inspire weeding and planting, or encourage little plants to thrive.  But, today it was nice.  Nice enough for a tour of the garden and a day of digging around in the dirt.

If you remember, Reyn got an early start on planting seeds for salad greens.  He always starts his seeds in pots, then transplants them into the garden while they are quite small.  This year he planted what seemed like a zillion little lettuce, spinach, and chard plants.  Some in the garden and some in the cold-frame.  Most of the starts have survived the weather, and seem to be taking hold, while a few have been munched on by our resident snails.  Some of the greens were transplanted directly into the soil within the cold-frame.  They have done extremely well, better than those exposed to the elements, in fact we have begun to harvest them for salads.  The lingering question is could/should we have delayed the initial seed planting until the weather stabilized?  It seems to have taken quite a while for the transplanted seedlings to show much growth, however, they are now taking off.   I'm now wondering if we had a mild winter, might we be able to maintain a lettuce crop simply by growing it under the cold-frame. I'm having visions of cold-frames covering our garden.  Hmmmm. . . . .

We now have spinach, several kinds of lettuce, swiss chard, potatoes, and peas doing quite well.  We have have begun to harvest the lettuce, spinach, and some of our rhubarb.  We have chosen to let our asparagus patch go unpicked until next spring.  The spears have grown quite tall, about 3 feet, and are beginning to take on their feathery foliage.  It adds a sculptural effect to the garden. Tiny salad greens are growing in decorative rows between the larger plants, with the hope that the greens will be harvested before the potatoes, garlic, or whatever, needs the space.  As they get larger, they will form a lovely border around the garden beds.

In addition the the vegetables, I have started three trays of zinnia seeds.  I planted them in my little pots made from rolled newspaper so they will be easier to transplant.  I kept them inside the house until they germinated and gained some leaves, then moved them out into the light.  Colder temperatures are predicted for tonight, so the I've moved the flowers into the cold-frame for protection.  I;m hoping that it doesn't  get too cold.  We always have warmer nights when it's cloudy and wet, but I'll take a clear sky any day.