Garlic Scapes are one of my absolute favorite foods, yet available so fleetingly. They are the flower stalk from hardneck garlic, and must be harvested to allow the garlic heads to size up. But their delicious garlic x leek flavor is an absolute delight. The biggest scape regret is that their season lasts but about two weeks a year.
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Blueberry Basil Muffins
July in Indiana brings two of my all-time favorite flavors: Blueberries and Basil. And they’re wonderful together. Things have been really crazy lately, with hot, long days working in the field. My body was crying out for a rest, with a long, hot, four days of Culver Lakefest on the horizon. I didn’t really have the time, but I opted to listen to my body and spend some time in the kitchen this morning. Haven’t spent any quality time in there since Hole in the Woodstock, anyway. So, I came up with these Blueberry Basil Muffins to celebrate. Continue reading
I love tromboncini (or the singular, “tromboncino,” or botanical, “Rampicante”) squash. It fills an odd niche, later than most summer squash, yet earlier than most winter squash. It’s storage life is halfway between, too. It’s flavor is somewhere between a zucchini and a butternut. So, I call it an autumn squash.
Tromboncini squash have a long, seedless neck, and dangle from their trellis like a trombone hanging on the wall. Supposedly they can get to the size of a trombone as well, and thus they receive their name. So, 76 tromboncini lead the big parade, and, on a pound of food per square foot measure, they’re one of the most efficient foods we can grow.
Alas, they’re unfamiliar to most people. So we’re still working on getting people to try them (though most everyone who tries one comes back for more). In the meantime, there are lots for us to use. So, I needed to get creative. Here are a few tromboncini uses: Continue reading
Chad’s Brandy Glazed Zucchini Bread
“What can I do with all of my zucchini?” “Google Zucchini Recipes.” “Here, take a zucchini. I insist.” These are common queries among gardeners this time of year. If you live in a small town like Culver, you may not lock your car doors, except for his time of year – when you fear someone might leave a pile of zucchini in it!
Zucchini is extremely seasonal, and generally quite productive. Thus, people tend to look for unique zucchini ideas, recipes that use a lot of zucchini, or that will use them in new ways, Continue reading