Cleaning Up

We’ve already enjoyed a day of summer this spring. It usually happens here, where the seasons don’t play by the rules. It was a beautiful day, causing dreams of flip flops and shorts. I used it to start clearing off my flowerbeds. I try to leave the fall and winter accumulation of dead leaves and dead vegetation as an insulating blanket for my perennials as long as I can. It’s not laziness, I swear. I think if I take that stuff off too soon, the new shoots will get damaged by late frosts (and sometimes snow). Then I think, “They’re perennials. They’re designed to take those frosts and snow.” The new growth starts popping up and so that trash needs to go. I probably cause as much damage to the new growth as a frost would with my crawling through the beds, hand-raking away the trash. Those plants will reward me later with flowers and beauty.

I did pick up several packets of garden seeds in town, at the grocers. I’ll soon be planting those crops that can go in early, such as peas, lettuces, and radishes. I’ll put in onion sets as soon as I get some, as well as potatoes. Those will come back after a frost if they have to. As soon as I have to mow (the mower started right up after sitting all winter) I’ll be mulching the potatoes with the clippings. The rest of the garden seeds will wait a while. I still have to get some flower seeds.

Meanwhile, there are still meals to prepare. I’d recently lamented not being able to purchase fresh brussels sprouts here. Almost immediately I had to eat my words, as there those sprouts were, in Reynolds. I used the first ones in the Harvest Chicken recipe I’d brought back from my youngest’s in February. (That recipe was shared back the third week in February.) Last week I used more of them in this side dish to go with grilled pork chops. Roasted veggies are so good.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1 # Brussels sprouts, halved

4-6 slices bacon, chopped

Salt & pepper to taste

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbl balsamic vinegar

Heat oven to 425°. Spread sprouts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle chopped bacon over the sprouts. Roast for 15 minutes. Stir and return to oven, until bacon is crisp, about 10 minutes. Drizzle with vinegar and sprinkle with minced garlic. Roast 5-7 minutes longer.

I suggest not skimping on the bacon and line the baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup.

Today I’m grilling chicken breasts that I marinated in lemon juice, olive oil, and lemon zest. I’m grilling indoors on the George Foreman grill. My outside grill doesn’t have propane in the tank. The last time I opened it, I was thrilled to find a paper-y, dried up hornet nest inside. Thrilled because it was a dead nest as I’m allergic to bee stings and I’m sure hornets would be even more deadly. So check your grills before it gets hot enough for those pests to be active. This has been a public service announcement.

I plan to have a side salad of leaf lettuce with the chicken. I’ll add grated carrots, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped green onions, and a sprinkling of sliced almonds, perhaps some halved Kalamata olives to my bowl. I might even add some fresh chopped chives. I’m making a WLC compliant dressing for that. And I’ll fry some crimini mushrooms in butter. (Yes, Dennis loves mushrooms, and will even consume rabbit food on occasion. But he prefers Catalina or 1000 Island dressing.)

Creamy Avocado Salad Dressing

1/2 an avocado

2 Tbl EV olive oil

1-2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Opt: 1 tsp Dijon OR brown mustard OR horseradish

Mash the avocado with all the ingredients. Toss with greens. Can add Kalamata olives and/or peppercorns.