5 Recipes Including Self-Harvested Food
Each season of the year has its own fruits or vegetables that thrive and taste amazing during that season. Year-round gardeners know that berries and other fruits are perfect in the summer, tomatoes and corn flourish in the fall, and winter is the best season for colorful squash. When you grow and harvest your own food, you know you’ll never go hungry during any time of the year; but what do you do when you have a surplus of fresh food? Why, you cook and bake it all! There are endless possibilities for how you can cook all of those heirloom tomatoes or what to do with all of that spinach growing in your backyard. Below are five ideas of what to start cooking with your self-harvested food.
If you’re new to self-harvesting your own food, here are a few tips for starting your own garden:
Add compost to your soil up to three weeks before you actually start planting. This gives the compost time to mix in thoroughly with the soil.
Train your plants to grow vertically instead of horizontally. If you’re growing vegetables on a vine, tie the vines on a trellis or small pole so they grow up instead of sideways.
You can naturally repel bugs and critters by growing other plants that they don’t like. Garlic and onions naturally drive away pests.
Take the time to read about the area you live in and what type of soil is in your garden. Certain plants do better than others in any location, so choose which fruits and vegetables will grow the best in your backyard.
We hope these recipes inspire you to start cooking or, even better, to start growing your own food!
Going Green With This Green Smoothie
This green smoothie recipe is very versatile and is as simple as can be! You get the option of what types of fruit and green-leaf vegetables to use (for instance, whatever you happen to be growing in your backyard). The important part is to not get carried away with the veggies, so the smoothie keeps a green color to it. Apples, oranges and pears happen to taste very good with leafy vegetables in smoothies; and don’t limit yourself to just lettuce! Other green veggies like spinach, kale, chard and dandelion greens would be great sources of nutrition in this smoothie recipe!
Fighting The Cold Weather With A Winter Squash Bowl
Do you love squash? Squash are so easy to plant and maintain, and there are so many varieties, that mixing them together in a recipe like this one is the perfect way to utilize all of your favorites! Even the bowl is made from a hollowed-out butternut squash. A combination like zucchini, yellow squash, acorn squash, eggplant and pumpkin would taste delicious! Don’t forget to use any fresh herbs you’re growing, too.
Homemade Tomato Sauce That Goes On Anything
What do you do with all of those tomatoes hanging from the vines in your backyard? If you’re tired of just slicing them for salads, try making your own tomato sauce! Tomatoes are so flavorful and juicy, and a handful of large tomatoes can make enough sauce to last for several meals. This recipe is so versatile, too, that you could always add an additional item you might be growing in your garden. Did you grow any red peppers this summer? Cook them in the sauce! Did you harvest your own garlic? Flavor your homemade tomato sauce with it! Use your new homemade tomato sauce on pasta, pizza or ladle it over freshly baked chicken.
Creamy and Flavorful Spinach and Artichoke Lasagna
This lasagna recipe is mouth-watering! There are so many delicious foods you can grow and harvest yourself for this recipe: spinach, artichokes, tomatoes, onions, garlic and basil! Something large, like this pan of lasagna, is a great idea for using big portions of the food you’ve grown and is even more perfect for sharing with friends! Peppery spinach, juicy tomatoes and tangy artichokes make such a delicious combination for this pasta masterpiece.
Classic Rhubarb Pie For Celebrating Summertime
This rhubarb pie recipe is about as classic as it gets! If you’ve never had rhubarb before, rhubarb is a leafy, red stalk that has a surprisingly sweet flavor. Rhubarb is very often used in pies, and it tastes even better when it’s combined with strawberries or other sweet berries. This recipe even explains how to make your own pie crust with a few simple ingredients! Don’t be afraid to experiment and invent your own rhubarb-combinations for this easy pie filling.
We hope these five recipes have given you enough inspiration for what to do with all of your harvested fruits and vegetables. Of course, don’t limit yourself to only these options. There are plenty of amazing recipes out there that you can use your home-grown food in.