Food-Gardening Lessons From A Wartime Victory Garden

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Recipe: Chicken Fajitas with Garden-Fresh Vegetables

FajitasFajitas may seem like they have lots of ingredients, but they are so easy to make. It’s especially convenient (and more delicious) when half of the ingredients are from your garden. Making your own fajita marinade from scratch makes the recipe that much better. Most of the time is spent with the prep and fresh marinade. Cooking time is quick!

Marinade Ingredients

3 limes, juiced
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves roughly chopped
3 chipotle chiles in Adobo sauce
3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon fresh cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Other Ingredients

2 large, butterflied chicken breasts
1 green pepper, seeded and sliced
1 yellow pepper, seeded and sliced
1 red pepper, seeded and sliced
1 large Spanish onion, sliced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 warm flour tortillas
1 fresh avocado, sliced
sour cream
salsa

Purée the marinade ingredients together, then pour them in a resealable plastic bag, and add the butterflied chicken. Seal the meat in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours before cooking.

Place a large skillet on the stove and set to medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add your sliced veggies to the skillet and cook them for 4-5 minutes, until almost al dente. Remove veggies from the skillet, and place them aside on a plate.

Add the second tablespoon of vegetable oil to the skillet and add the marinaded chicken. Cook the butterflied chicken for at least 5-6 minutes per side. (Cut the chicken in the center to make sure it is fully cooked before removing from the pan.) Cover the chicken breasts with foil and allow them to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Return the vegetables to the hot pan and flash cook them for another 3 to 4 minutes. Slice the chicken breasts and place them on a plate with the hot veggies. (If you have a cast-iron fajita plate to serve them on, even better!)

Roll the fajitas into a warm flour tortilla dressed with sliced avocado, salsa, and sour cream, and enjoy!

Recipe: Easy Harvest Apple Bread

zucchini_bread-300x199Home baking is a great way to combat chilly October days. Seasonal fall produce makes makes every recipe taste better, which is why we like to make this moist, easy apple apple bread.  It is great for the family, and makes a healthy dessert to add to kid’s lunch boxes. Try it with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of hot caramel topping!

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.

 

Dry Ingredients

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 2/3 cups light brown sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Wet Ingredients

1 cup vegetable oil
4 beaten eggs
1/3 cup apple cider
2 cups grated apple
1 teaspoon lemon juice

 

Directions

In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients, and whisk them together until well combined. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients, and mix them with a hand mixer on medium speed for 1 minute. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients until just combined, then fold in the chopped walnuts or pecans.

Spray two standard loaf pans with non-stick spray. Distribute the batter evenly in each pan. Once the oven is to temperature, bake the loaves for 50 minutes to hour. Check to see if they are done by inserting a toothpick into the center of each. Clean toothpicks mean your loaves are fully baked.

Northeast Greenhouse Conference & Expo, Fall 2016

NE

Twice a year the Northeast Greenhouse Conference & Expo supports regional members of the green industry with a tradeshow, seminars, classes, and the opportunity to network with peers. It will be held at the Holiday Inn in Boxborough, Massachusetts from November 9-10, 2016. The event is co-sponsored by New England Floriculture, Inc. and further supported by New England cooperative extension and university staff and faculty working in greenhouse and crop management. Sun Gro Horticulture, maker of Black Gold, is an Allied Trade Purchased Session Sponsor committed to making the event outstanding for all attendees.

San Diego Farm & Nursery Expo 2016

San Diego Farm ExpoBlack Gold and Sun Gro Horticulture will be at the San Diego Farm & Nursery Expo 2016 held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, Thursday, November 3, 2016 from 9:00 am – 4:30 pm. Presented by the San Diego County Farm Bureau, this annual event supports farmers statewide, and features seminars, vendors, and other resources. Seminar topics will support many types of farming enterprises and cover timely topics, such as pests, water, stressful weather.

Recipe: Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies (with Kale!)

chocolatechipcookies-300x225Whipping up desserts is inevitable when you have kids, so why not add unexpected healthy ingredients to their sweet treats?This recipe offers a surprising twist on the classic chocolate chip cookie with the addition of kale!  Chopped vitamin-rich kale leaves are added to the cookie dough, and believe it or not, the kids will never know!

Kale is most in season in fall, when the kids have returned to school. So, this is the best time to make these green-infused chocolate chip cookies.

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks of unsalted butter
  • 1 cup of light brown sugar (or you can opt for Turbinado, or unprocessed cane sugar)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1.5 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup chopped, fresh kale (Other leafy greens, such as spinach and collards, can also be substituted.)
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until well combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet until just combined. Hand chop the leafy greens until fine and pack them into the cup. Add the leafy greens to the mixer along with the chocolate chips, and mix until all of the coarse ingredients are evenly distributed. Chill the dough for an hour before baking.

After an hour, the dough should be cold, which helps keep the cookies from flattening out too much during baking. Line one or two cookie sheets with parchment (depending on the size of your oven), and roll out ping-pong-ball-sized cookies in the palm of your hands. Space them evenly on the cookie sheet(s), leaving about two inches between cookies. Bake for about 10-15 minutes. A shorter baking time will yield softer cookies and longer time crunchier cookies.

Recipe: Grilled Spring Asparagus

grilled-asparagusAsparagus is one of those foods that when barbecued needs little flavor enhancement because the natural flavors are so incredible on their own. It tastes even better then freshly picked from the garden in spring.

For an easy and healthy vegetarian/vegan side dish for your barbecue, try this easy recipe for grilled spring asparagus.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound fresh asparagus
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • The zest and juice from 1 lemon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • grated Parmesan cheese to taste

Preparation:

  1. Toss together all ingredients, making sure asparagus is well coated with garlic, salt, olive oil, lemon juice, and pepper.
  2. Place on the grill and allow to cook for at least 5- 7 minutes, turning occasionally. The asparagus should be bright green and still have some bite.

Once off of the grill, sprinkle the grilled asparagus with lemon zest and Parmesan cheese. This flavorful vegetable also tastes great over pasta with chopped fresh tomatoes a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

Asparagus officinalis 'Jersey Knight'
This recipe tastes best with spring asparagus harvested straight from the garden or purchased at spring market.

Recipe: Kid’s Garden Fresh Pizza Creation Station

kids-300x199Making pizza is a fun activity that kids enjoy.  They love to create their own pizza masterpieces, and if you provide lots of interesting garden-fresh veggies to the fixings, they tend to dig into the healthy stuff and get creative.

Ingredients for 4 to 6 personal pizzas:

1 pound whole wheat or white pizza dough, cut into four to six even balls

1 medium zucchini and/or yellow summer squash, thinly sliced

1 medium sweet pepper, finely chopped

1 small package sliced, fresh mushrooms

2 green onions, thinly sliced (1/4 cup)

3 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 8 ounce can pizza sauce

1/2 cup basil pesto

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pitted black olives

1 bag shredded mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)

Fresh basil leaves

Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.

 

Set up a “buffet-style” line of ingredients that your kids can pile onto their personal pizzas. Each child should get one or two balls of prepared pizza dough to knead and roll. Prepare a clean, flat surface dusted with flour. Be sure to provide plenty of working space, and help your littlest pizza makers with sauce application, if needed.

Start by placing the pizza dough balls on a lightly floured surface, and let the kids roll them into rounds. Encourage them to build the edges up slightly to keep in sauce and toppings. Place the pizza dough rounds on floured paper plates for the kids to decorate with ingredients. Give the kids a choice of basil pesto or red sauce.

Once all of the ingredients have been added—sauce and toppings—transfer the rounds onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake the pizzas between 12 to 15 minutes or until the crust has browned and the cheese appears bubbly and slightly brown. Your little chefs will be eager to eat their pizzas right away, but allow the pies to cool first. Buon appetito!

TRUE VALUE FALL REUNION 2016

True_Value-e1382030619725Black Gold and Sun Gro Horticulture will be at the True Value Fall Reunion 2016 held in Denver, Colorado at the Denver Convention Center from September 16th to the 18th. Visit us in the Exhibits Hall at booth #3356. We look forward to showing everyone our 2017 product line!

NURSERY LANDSCAPE EXPO 16 (TNLA) IN HOUSTON, TX

mobile-app-3We’ll be heading down to Texas for the Texas Nursery Landscape Expo 2016 held from August 18 – 20, 2016 at the George R. Brown Convention Center. The yearly event is a big deal down in the Lone Star State. It offers a huge trade show, educational and networking opportunities, and awards show, and more! As advertised, the Expo offers opportunities to: “Strengthen your business, increase your product line, build your industry network and expand your knowledge base while gaining CEUs. Get inspired at the Nursery/Landscape EXPO while exploring over half a million square feet of the convention center with more than 1,000 vendor booths, industry meetings, education breakout sessions, keynote presentations and more.”

It’s a great deal, too. “Tradeshow Admission includes FREE Access to the following: Two Keynote Speaker Presentations, EXPO’s Sizzle Sessions, Newcomers Shindig for First Time Attendees and Exhibitors, TNLA Women’s Wine and Tapas Get Together (Ladies Only) and the Welcome to Houston Party (includes Drink Ticket plus Live Music) ALL FREE!”

We hope to see you there. Sun Gro Horticulture will be at booth 2512!