Last Year’s Tarry

I know that I post about all the jobs, tasks, plans and general busy-ness that I do throughout the year but there are also a lot of things that go unheeded, ignored and downright forgotten. There are things that just fall off the mental radar of my brain only to re-emerge with greater urgency months (or years) later when I’m trying to get something accomplished.

I had a couple of tasks like that recently and they all seemed to pertain to the garden. Last fall as the tomatoes died back, my plan had been to get the tires that protected each plant picked up and stacked out of the garden area before winter set in. I also had tires as protection for every hill of potatoes, but instead of moving the tires one at a time as I dug the hills, they were just clumped in a row alongside where I harvested. The row of kale, that produced loads and loads of leafy greens until the heavy frosts, never did get pulled out and fed to the waiting show cows. The garden did not get bedded down for winter like most years, it was easily forgotten even though we drive right past at each time we go out the driveway.

I happened to notice that the kale had started to emerge from dormancy as the middle stem began to stretch up and the very beginnings of seed heads were starting. I walked out to the row and began snapping off the tips to discourage the seeds from forming. Like I am apt to do whenever I am in the garden, I popped a snapped top into my mouth to see if it was bitter from the winter and was quite surprised at the mellow taste.

I quickly grabbed a large container from the house and gathered enough for a cookie sheet of baked kale chips, some for addition into the garden salad for dinner and a big bunched chopped into bits to add into a quinoa salad.

My tarry from last year was a welcome addition to the daily meals this week.

Kale Chips

Washed and dried kale leaves with stems removed

In large bowl mix  a Tablespoon or two of olive oil, a Tablespoon of ginger, a teaspoon of garlic granules and a teaspoon of onion powder

Toss leaves with the mix until thoroughly coated and spread out on a parchment lined cookie sheet (try not to stack leaves, leaving room for them to crisp)

Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Watch baking carefully to not burn edges. They are best when served warm

Quinoa Salad

Cooked quinoa, chilled

1/2 cup of chopped onions

1/2 cup of chopped nuts (I prefer walnuts)

a couple cups of chopped kale with stems removed

Tablespoon of minced garlic

raw veggies can be added like chopped celery, carrots, chives, tomatoes

cooked veggies can be added like peas, green beans

2 Tablespoons of olive oil (optional)

2 Tablespoons of liquid aminos (or soy sauce or teriyaki sauce)

1 Tablespoon of apple cider vinegar

Mix all in a large bowl. Leftovers are delicious.

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I am so pleased to announce that MaryJane Nordgren has made her new book available to the public! Click here for your copy of Nandria’s War.