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Sunday, November 13, 2011

Organization

Under our deck we were able to put pavers down and make a storage are to keep tha garden tools.  This really help clear out our garage.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Baby Donkey

There is a farm behind our house and there is a baby donkey that is very playful and we really like watching him play with the calves.

Preparing the garden for the winter

The most important work in preparing a garden is done in the fall, not in the spring.  We have emptied the compost bins and put yard waste in large piles on the garden.  This will complete the decay of the compost and it will be ready to mix into the garden and pots in the spring. 
As you can see here we still have peas and green peppers producing as we still await the first frost.

Flowers of 2011

It's been a great year in the garden and as we await our first frost I thought I would share these with you.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Saving the seeds from the annuals

As the annuals have gone to seed we have chopped them and we will plant them into pots in March.  This is a great way to let you favorite flowers live forever.

Monday, September 5, 2011

Hurricane Lee drops 8 inches and tons of wind on Knoxville

It has been a crazy 24 hours - it started yesterday afternoon and it is still raining.  We have been inside all day and cooking comfort food - mexican cheesy potatoes with porkchops!  I made a ginger glaze to go over the chops very easy.  If you'd like the recipes just let me know. 

Jon weathered the rain and went out and picked 6 purple peppers that we wanted to keep on the plant until next weekend - the plant broke so he brought in the peppers.  Will make stuffed peppers later in the week.

Time to go to work tomorrow - ugh in the rain - it's not expected to stop until Thursday!  Stay Dry!

Peppers, Tomatoes and Herbs still producing in September!

This summer has been very hot but the garden results have been fantastic!  We still have purple and green peppers to harvest plus new flowers are on the plants.  The basil has been prolific and the tomatoes are still producing a few fruit.  We probably have another couple of weeks for the tomatoes.

For fall we have planted, peas, beans, carrots, onions, spinach, lettuce and radishes.  Next week we will show you how they are coming up.

Today is all about Hurricane Lee.  We have had six inches of rain so far since yesterday - crazy!!  It's raining to hard to take a pic - you can imagine.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Summer Flowers...... Enjoy!!

August Planting

One of the advantages of living in the south is that you can plant a second garden if you carefully look at the time from planting to harvest.  We planted peas, beans, onions and lettuce because the planting to havest time is less than 70 days for all of them.  We don't usually see our first frost until December here in Knoxville. 

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Harvest Time Is Here!

We have a full garden of veggies and flowers.  We found a set of gates that someone was throwing away and we used them to stake up tomatoes as you can see here.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Garden Coming Along Nicely!!

The use of all natural fertilizers has really been working this year.  We have cucumbers and squash already.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Crazy June Weather

This month has been the craziest June I have seen in the past 4 years!!  Hail, high winds, tons of rain hae reaked havoc on the garden.  Luckily, most of the plants have survived.  I did loose one of my favorite ceramic pots.  I bought it in Phoenix when I was visiting Erin a few years ago.  It fell over and broke.

On the positive side, the zinnia seeds are growing great - will post a pic once they are in full bloom.  they do need alot of water and they like some shade when it gets over 90 degrees. Overall, very easy to grow from seed.  The cucmbers are starting to come in and so are the peppers.

Will keep posting - have a great day!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Adding the Annuals

I always like to add annuals to the mix.  They fill in really nicely as the season progresses and gives intant color to the pots.  Whats nice about them is that you can add the plants to your garden in the fall and next year you will have them to add to your pots or garden.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Seedlings are attacked by HAIL!!

As a result of the Alabama tornado, two hail storms hit Knoxville in the same night.  Golf ball size hail, wind and rain hammered the seedlings.  Several pots were smashed and the garden was washed away.  Jon and I took the ravaged seedlings and planted them right into the garden which we reconstructed with new soil.  We kept the pots that survived and moved alot of them to the back deck and yard.  The sun is now coming around to the back of our house where the garden is.

In the garden we planted herbs, radishes, tomatoes, squash, eggplant, peppers and sweet corn.  We are excited to see how everything does.  We will keep you posted on our progress.  Let us know if you have any suggestions or success stories!!

Below are some pictures that show how the seedlings are doing.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Mary's Garden is coming up!

This year Jon and I decided to start with seeds - this is a very inexpensive way to start your garden and it is a great way to get a jump start on your garden when your soil might not be ready.  That is our situation because our garden faces the north and west - it is not ready for us to plant.  But we are working the soil and breaking down the clay that likes to be part of our garden 

The pots of seeds are growing and we have already harvested pee greens - these are the seedlings that need to be pulled cuz there are too many for the pees to mature - all you need to do is satue the greens in olive, garlic and pepper for a few minutes- just like spinach - tastes awesome!!

I will keep you informed on the growth of the seeds and let you know how everything is doing.  This will help you upnorth - we are ahead of our friends upnorth.  Let me know how you are doing - share your pics.

Starting with pots on the south side of our house this year.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Easy last minute happy hour party!!

Last week, Jon and I decided to have some friends over with very short notice.  I had approximately 3 hours to shop and get the food ready for our guests.  I texted 8 couples and 6 couples came - we had a great time and the happy hour turned into a party!!

Here is the menu - recipes and pictures follow

Antipasto Platter, Asian Chicken Bites, London Broil, Chips and Salsa, Shrimp Cocktail, Brie with Black Rasberries in Puff Pastry plus an assortment of cocktails and beer.

First, I went to the liquor store and bought vodka, bourbon, white and red wine, (beer was already in the frig), then to Kroger's and bought everything for the Antipasto from the Olive and Salad Bars, then I bought 3 boneless chicken breasts, a 3 lb london broil, chips, fresh salsa, cooked and deveined shrimp, cocktail sauce ingredients, brie, black rasberries from the freezer, horseradish and sour cream for dipping the london broil.
At home, I cleaned and cut the chicken into 2 inch pieces, put in a 350 degree oven, and marinated the london broil in 1 cup merlot, 1/2 cup olive oil and lots of pepper and garlic.  Then, I assembled the antipasto platter, shrimp cocktail and the chips and salsa.
When the guests started to arrive, everyone congregated in kitchen so I was able to socialize while Jon made the drinks.  All I had left to do was finish the chicken, cook the london broil and bake the brie.  I was done about an hour into the party and everything turned out great!  I encourage you to give it a try - great food, simple recipes and great friends - ENJOY!!



Antipasto Platter - an assortment of olives, meats, vegetables and cheeses.  Depending upon the size of your party is how much you want to buy.  I had 1 lb of assorted pitted olives, 1/2 lb of artichokes, 1/3 of sliced hard salami, one cucumber peeled and sliced and focaccia bread sliced thin served in a basket.
Shrimp Cocktail Sauce - 1 small can of tomato paste, 1 small can of tomato sauce, and 2 tbl of tomato puree which had spices and red pepper.
Chicken Bites - three boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 2 inch cubes.  For the glaze - 1/2 cup of jelly of your choice.  I used a hot pepper jelly, 2 tbl of whole grain mustard, 2 tbl of soy sauce, 1 tbl butter.  In a saucepan, combine the ingredients, stirring occasionally until warm.  While that is warming, spray a baking dish with nonstick spray and add chicken in a single layer, cook for 20 minutes, turning once half way throught.  Drain excess liquid and coat with the glaze, broil for about 15 minutes, turning occasionaly until the glaze is browned, serve immediately.
London Broil - 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 cup merlot or other red wine and lots of garlic and pepper.  Turn once to make sure that both sides are marinated which was for about an hour.  Broil on high heat until desired tempeture.  We like our meat rare and have found that this is the best way to serve london broil.  I broiled for about 7 minutes on each side.  Then you want to take it out of the oven and cover it with foil, let it sit for 10-15 minutes and thinly slice.  We like a sour cream horseradish sauce which is simple to make. 1 cup of all natural sour cream (kroger), 1 tbl of horseradish, lots of peper and a little garlic and salt.  Mix together and serve with the london broil.  While this is sitting, I made the brie.
Brie in Puff Pastry with Black Rasberries - 1 sheet of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry, 1/2 cup of Black Rasberries, 1 wheel of brie, 1 egg.  Roll out the pastry until 1/8" thick - approximately 6 rolls of the rolling pin.  Take the brie and cut the covering so that most of it is off - some people don't do this but I like it better this way - it's up to you.  Place the brie in the middle of the pastry, add the black rasberries to the top of the brie.  Take the pastry and wrap it over the brie like you would a christmas present and if you have some extra - you can cut it into strips and put it on the top like you would a pie crust.  Seel it pretty tightly and brush it with the egg wash -make the wash by taking the egg and scramble it.  The egg gives it a nice golden color.  Bake in 400 degrees for about 20 minutes - check on it - it might be a little bit longer.  You want the pastry to be crisp.  Let cool for 10 minutes and slice like a pie serving it with crackers.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Lasagna with Spinach




Spinach Lasgne

This recipe was created with ingredients from Lotsa Pasta in Louisville, KY.  It is an italian specialty store and caterer that I have used for my pharma lunches in Louisville.  I decided to go into the store and shop last week.  It was unbelievable - they had so many home made italian pasta, sauces, sausages and deli ingredients that I plan to continue my italian cooking today!!  I will post my pizzas!!
You could shop at your local market for the ingredients - I highly encourage you to find fresh ricotta and pasta for this recipe - it made a huge difference!!  Definitely worth the time - easier to make with fresh pasta because you do not have to boil the lasagne noodles ahead!!  Let me know what you think!!

Ingredients
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups of half n half with skim which at room temperature or warmed in the microwave for 1 minute

Pinch of nutmeg

Salt and white pepper

1 cup of nice dry white wine

Salt and pepper

1 pound ricotta cheese

1 pound lasagna sheets fresh or dried cooked al dente

1 lb of fresh spinach, stems trimmed, chopped, steemed in 1/2 cup dry white wine and drained (save wine for sauce)

1 small jar of marinated artichokes, chopped and drained (save the liquid for another dish)
3 cups shredded italian cheese blend

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bechamel sauce:

In a 2-quart pot, melt 8 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When butter has completely melted, add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the wine whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Continue to simmer and add the milk, whisk over medium heat until the sauce is thick, smooth and creamy, about 10 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add the nutmeg and ground pepper to taste. Stir until well combined and check for seasoning. Set aside and allow to cool.

In a medium sized bowl, thoroughly mix the ricotta, chopped spinach and artichokes, salt and pepper to taste.

Spray a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and lay a layer of spinach lasagne noodles, spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, then the sauce, sprinkle 1/3 of the italian blend cheese. Do this for three layers and then the final layer, add the remaining sauce and top with Parmesan cheeses.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue to bake for about 15 minutes.

Let sit for 15 minutes, cut and serve with a nice salad of greens, almonds, crutons and cranberries with a balsamic and oil dressing!!  Enjoy!!

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

2011 Additions

Hi Everyone.  2011 promises to be a great year for this blog.  I plan an expanded role for this medium and I am taking Mary's Kitchen and Garden to this space as well as on Knoxivi.  Please feel free to be a part of it and share your ideas.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Busy with the show

I have been so busy this month with the show, that I have gotten behind on the blog.  If you would like one of the recipes on the show - please email me at maryskitchengarden@gmail.com

Enjoy the show!!

Mary

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Show #10 College Football means Tailgating

Tailgating is a major part of college football.  Several fall shows will be devoted to recipes for tailgating.

This show features a new area of the UT Gardens along with a cooking segment featuring two different recipes for chili.

The first is from my great friend Lisa - it is a chicken white bean chili - taste awesome!!!

The second is a traditional red chili that I have made several times for my family - everyone loves it!!

Let me know what you think - feel free to send me your recipes and your ideas for shows!!

Lisa's White Bean Chili

3 cans Great Northern beans or similar white bean
2 lbs cubed or shredded chicken
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Cloves garlic, minced
2 medium onions, chopped
2 Tsp ground cumin
1/8 Tsp ground cloves
1/4 Tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tsp oregano
2 cans (4 oz) mild green chiles, chopped
4 Cups chicken stock
Monterey Jack or similar cheese, shredded

Heat oil in large sauce pan.  Add garlic and onions and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat.  Stir in chilies, cumin, cayenne pepper, oregano and cloves.  Saute.
Add chicken, broth, beans and heat through

Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream - SOOO GOOD!!

Classic "Red" Chili

2 Tbs olive oil
2 Cups chopped onion
1 Cup diced red pepper
1 Cup diced green bell pepper
2 jalapeno peppers seeded and minced
1 1/2 Tbs minced garlic
2 lbs ground chuck
2 1/2 Tbs chili powder
1 Tbs season salt
2 Tsp ground cumin
3/4 Tsp oregano
1/4 Tsp crushed red pepper
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
1 small can of tomato paste
3 Cups chicken stock
1 Can drained and rinsed kidney beans
1 Can drained and rinsed black beans

Heat the oil in a large stock pan (preferrably nonstick).  Add onions, red pepper, green pepper.  Cook until vegetables are soft and lightly caramelized, about 6 minutes.  Add the jalapenos and garlic, cook for 1-2 minutes, spoon into a bowl and set aside.  Brown the ground chuck and rinse off fat.  Add vegies to beef plus chili powder, season salt, cumin, oregano, crushed red pepper and coat the beef and veggies.  Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and chicken stock - bring to a boi.  Reduce heat and add beans.  Cook until flavors come together and the chili has thickened - about 30 minutes.  Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Show #9 featuring UT Gardens and roasted chicken

http://www.knoxivi.com/maryskitchenandgarden/    This week's show features the desert garden and UT Gardens - you will be amazed at how many plants can grow in this environment.

Free Range chicken from Shady Grove Farms wins the tastiest chicken ever!!

http://www.shadygrovefarms.net/index.html

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Show #8 featuring UT Gardens, chicken, okra

Check out the show - it is so beautiful - the rose garden is in full bloom.

the grilled chicken is easy and tastes awesome - the okra goes great with it.

Looking for tailgating recipes - please email to maryskitchengarden@gmail.com

Let me know what you think!!!