I often feel that I am working in a rush against deadlines. There's the tax deadline, birthdays, holidays, guests' arrival, and now I'm trying to get the garden planted, rose bushes trimmed, trees and shrubs cut back and weeds pulled. While I feel pressured to get this all done, I also enjoy the excuse to be working in the fresh air.
The gardening deadline that gets priority with me is planting the produce garden. If I can get it done as early as the weather allows, we can enjoy fresh produce sooner, and have more of it.
As a help, I use row covers to give me an extra few weeks in spring. I can start seeds under these,
or, plant out seedlings.
The overnight lows can still be as low as 33 or 34 degrees F, this month, here. But with a cover, my plants survive, and seeds germinate sooner.
This week I started radish, beets, green onions, spinach and carrots, and transplanted broccoli and lettuce seedlings, all under these covers. I am trying to get at least one item planted per day. I should have all of my cool season veggies in the ground sometime next week.
Around the third week of April, I'll move these covers to bare spots for my heat-loving vegetables, like tomatoes, green peppers, summer squash, and eggplant. They'll act as mini-greenhouses to allow me to transplant seedlings into the ground two weeks before the usual recommended date, and keep the air right around these plants toasty.
This is what it takes in our climate, and my backyard, in particular, as it's surrounded by enormous firs, hemlocks and cedars -- great when we hit those all-time highs in the summer, we stay cool, but not ideal for growing many vegetables.
Sort of related to planting my garden, is the cranberry harvest from my yard, and one of my favorite recipes for using frozen cranberries. In the comments from Saturday's post, I had a request for my recipe for Cranberry-Orange Bread. This is the recipe I use. It's from Jane Brody's Good Food Book. Jane Brody was a columnist for the New York Times for many, many years. Her food suggestions and recipes focus on healthier eating.
I like this recipe because it's low in fat and sugar (compared to other cranberry breads), and calls for part whole wheat flour. I do make a substitution or two here and there. The recipe calls for orange juice as the liquid. If I don't have any orange juice, I substitute homemade lemonade, using bottle lemon juice, sugar and water. But the nutritional benefits are greater if you use the orange juice. I also omit the nuts most of the time, as they're a no-no for my daughters' braces, and I'm often out of nuts, anyway. But again, nuts would add essential fats and protein, as well as a tasty crunch.
If you find that you overstocked fresh cranberries in the fall, and are looking for a delicious way to use some of them up, this is a recipe that my family really enjoys.
Cranberry-Orange Quick Bread
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 to 2/3 cup granulated sugar, to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt, optional
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 teaspoons grated orange peel
3/4 cup orange juice
1 egg
1 1/3 cups fresh (or frozen) cranberries, coarsely chopped (I do mine in the food processor)
1/2 cup nuts (pecans, walnuts), optional
In a large bowl, thoroughly mix together the dry ingredients. Stir in the cranberries, orange zest and nuts.
In medium bowl beat together the egg, oil and orange juice. Stir the liquids into the dry ingredients, just until combined.
Spoon into a buttered loaf pan (approx. 9-inch by 5-inch). Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven, for 50 minutes to 1 hour (top will be firm, and toothpick inserted should come out clean).
Set the pan on a rack for 10 minutes to cool, then turn the bread out of the pan, and continue cooling.
The author recommends wrapping the cooled loaf in plastic and waiting a day before slicing. I say, if you're hungry, you'll enjoy this even more that same day! Although it's true, quick breads do slice better after a day of resting. But I can never wait that long!
I often bake a double batch and make two loaves, one to eat right away, and the other to freeze. This loaf freezes very well. My kids love this sliced and spread with cream cheese. (I would probably love that too, but sadly, can't have dairy.)
Hope you enjoy!
