A Bunch of...

I'm playing along again this week with Maui Shop Girl and her "Just Another Photo Challenge" series. This week the photo prompt was "A Bunch of..." I always have a bunch of something growing in the garden.

A bunch of shampoo ginger.

A bunch of broccoli flowers, which are edible as well as the leaves.

A bunch of basil. Pesto party here I come!

A bunch of papaya. My husband planted these trees from seed last year. It is amazing how fast they grow. Hoping to make some green papaya salad soon, one of my favorites.

I hope you'll join us by taking your own "A Bunch of..." photos. Cheers!

Sustainable Sunday: Foraged Greens

Foraging for food can be easy in Hawaii. There are lots of wild or abandoned fruit trees along the roadside, and if you have skills, fishing and hunting keeps the fridge full. Just the other day we happened to park near a mango tree that was dropping like crazy, and since it was in the yard of an empty vacation rental, we helped ourselves. I totally don't feel guilty, you wouldn't either, right?

So I've been really into figuring out what else can be foraged around here. Turns out there are a number of greens growing right in my yard, some on purpose and some not, that can be thrown into a salad.

Maple hibiscus

Maple hibiscus, red leaves with a lovely deep magenta bloom, can be made into tea or added to salad. 'Akulikuli, or sea purslane, has salty, edible leaves. We planted a ton of them in our yard because we loved the purple bloom. They can be found growing wild near the shore. From the garden I snipped some kale, chard, spinach, green onion, lavender, cilantro, basil, sage, verbena, arugula, thyme, rosemary, and oregano. Combined, these greens and herbs formed a flavorful and delicate salad. All it needed was a little squeeze of lemon (from the lemon tree of course).

You may not have all of these herbs or greens on hand, but chances are you have some. I'd love to hear about the garden salad you come up with or the food you've been foraging for. Please leave a comment or send me an email (gwenedwards82 at gmail.com) with your Sustainable Sunday meal ideas, I'd be happy to feature your recipe and blog. Happy hunting.

This salad is featured on Easy Natural Food's Summer Salad Sundays. Check it out!

Five Things I Love Right Now

If you listen to the Joy the Baker Podcast (and if you're not, you should) you'd know that they assigned some homework for their blogging listeners. Here's mine!

1. Breadfruit. I've cooked with it a few times in the past, but it wasn't until recently when I boiled and mashed it that I became straight up obsessed with this versatile fruit. It seriously tastes like doughy, fresh baked bread.

2. The Square Foot Gardening book by Mel Bartholomew. My parents have been using this method for a few years now and after they sent me a copy for Christmas I got super excited about replanting. Sixteen carrots in one square foot? Yes!

3. Jacaranda trees. Spring is here in the islands! The purple tufts popping up along the mountainside tell us so.

4. Immersion Blender. How did I ever make soup without this little guy? Thanks Loree!

5. When Pigs Fly Island Charcuterie. Yes, it's for real, you can get locally sourced bacon, sausages, and other great products right here in Kona. I have been putting their pancetta in everything. Pictured above are some breakfast enchiladas made with their portuguese sausage. Read more about them here: When Pigs Fly.

Wordless Wednesday: Romanesco Broccoli

Crazy, swirly, secret castle broccoli that tastes like cauliflower. Awesome farmer's market find! I roasted some up with sweet potatoes, onions, olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar.

Results are in: Sweet Potatoes

Newly harvested

Waaaaay back in June I planted some Molokai sweet potatoes that had sprouted on my kitchen counter. These sprouted kiddos were actually from potatoes I found in my garden after neglecting it for several months.

Just before planting 9 months ago

Fast forward 9 months and we had ourselves more sweet potato babies! Here's how it all started: "Grow your own Sweet Potatoes." This was a very easy process however it did take much longer than I thought and I had to transfer the plants to a proper garden bed because they needed more room to grow.

They are indeed tasty, but sadly I won't be replanting more, I just don't have enough room. This year (next week the planting begins) we'll be growing carrots, lots of greens, asparagus (as always), tomatoes, and eggplant.

What's going in your garden this year? 

How To Dry Lavender

My second wedding will be a lavender theme. Lavender bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, and tables overflowing with lavender filled arrangements adorn the outdoor setting while my guests dance in a lavender haze.

Well, there is no second wedding, but wouldn't that be beautiful? Check out this real life wedding I found on Pinterest. 

Lavender can be sipped in tea or sprinkled in a relaxing bath. It can be eaten in pizza and scones. Or rubbed on the skin. Choose your own lavender adventure, but don't let those flowers go to waste.

All you need to do is trim off the flowers while they are still blooming, making sure you get a long stem on them. Tie the bundle up with a rubber band, and hang them upside down in a dark, dry place, like a garage. Here's my garage!

What's your favorite way to use lavender? Please share!

Lemon Thyme Bulgur Risotto with Asparagus

I need to tell you something. But you have to promise to not get mad. Ok here it is: my tomatoes are looking gorgeous and going nuts. I realize it is the end of October and those of you who can feel winter coming on may read this as a bit of braggadocio, but seriously the reason I have to tell you this is because I'm so proud of my garden and my exceptional tomatoes.

One thing you must know is that it is notoriously difficult to grow tomatoes in Hawaii. My theory is that it doesn't get quite hot or dry enough most times, leaving the plant susceptible to bugs and mildewy type funguses.

There are no mildewy type funguses on my tomatoes and the fruit itself is about the size of my fist, by far the biggest maters I've grown in my little plot.

I've also been scoring lately with big bunches of asparagus from the garden, plants I've babied and coddled for going on four years. They are finally repaying their mommy. So I said to myself, self, let's cook some risotto, shall we?

Lemon Thyme Bulgur Risotto with Asparagus
serves 4

1 TBL olive oil
1 TBL butter
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups bulgur
4-6 cups water or veggie stock
salt & pepper
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 lb asparagus, cut into bite-sized pieces
juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 TBL fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dry
parmesan cheese

In a heavy pan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook about 5 minutes.

Over a separate burner, warm the water or stock over medium-low heat.

Add the bulgar to the pan with the onion and toast for 2-3 minutes. Add some salt and pepper and the garlic, too. Begin slowly adding the the water/stock one soup ladle at a time, stirring occasionally. You will know to add more liquid when the bulgar has absorbed what you added before. You don't have to constantly stir, but you can't walk away from the stove either. The whole process takes 20-30 minutes and you may or may not use all the liquid.

You will know when the bulgur is done by it's creamy texture. Taste it, it will still have a very slight crunch, similar to oatmeal. What I'm trying to say is that it won't be completely soft, like rice. When the bulgur is done, add your asparagus and cook maybe 2 minutes, or until bright green. Now add your lemon juice, zest, and thyme and more salt & pepper to taste.

Top with fresh grated parmesan to serve. Enjoy!

Cool Your Jets with Hot Tea

I'm dating someone. He's handsome and manly and we've been married almost five years.

We've been in a bit of a relationship rut, you know the kind: I make dinner, we eat it, we watch some TV, lights out. Inspired by the Joy the Baker podcast on this very topic, I decided it would be a great idea for us to go on a proper date. Arrangements were made and I was stoked.

And then he stood me up. For real. Like totally forgot about our date until it was too late to go out and I finally broke my secret mad silence. He of course promised to make it up to me, blah, blah, blah.

So I waited until 4pm today, by the phone, hoping and wishing that he would ask me on a date. Which he finally did. After which I made myself some damn lavender tea to relax after being thrown back into dating anxiety land.

Moral of this story #1: dating is rough, I forgot how hard it is and I appreciate all you single ladies who are still fighting the good fight. I mean that.

Moral of this story #2: if you are in dating land some herbal tea will really help you cool your jets. Seriously. Lavender is a known stress reducer.

Add a few fresh sprigs or a tablespoon of dried lavender to a tea pot or French press and allow to steep in hot water for a couple minutes. I also added lemon verbena to my tea, but do what you want. If you can get ahold of fresh herbs, this is definitely the way to go. There is a distinct sweetness and specialness to fresh herbal tea.

Chill out! Drink some tea. Have a date with yourself because you matter.

Rosemary Cocktails

Stick some rosemary (there's lavender in there, too) in a big bottle of vodka.

 Let it settle for a few days.

Serve with lemonade. 

I also attempted to make a garnish with sugar coated rosemary sprigs. The sugar melted. Whatever.

Infusion board on Pinterest

Here are some other fun vodka infusions to try. I'm really liking that lemon thyme action. 

Oh and hey, if you feel like helping a sister out, vote for my recipe in the Flavors Take Flight contest by clicking HERE. 

Cheers! 

Herb Specimens

From my garden. 

Oregano. 

Spearmint. 

Lavender. 

Lemon verbena. 

Lemon grass. 

Green onion. 

Rosemary. 

Basil. 

Thyme. 

I'm frustrated with how these photos turned out but posting anyway. Photography can be so stinkin' hard! Having a garden with fresh herbs cheers me up though. 

I would be ecstatic if you voted for my Hawaiian Style Fish Chowder in the Flavors Take Flight contest by clicking the link and giving it a "thumbs up."

Mahalo! Hope everyone out there had a great start to the week. 

Garden Glory

I planned ahead and arranged a little time-lapse tour for you of the lovely garden. Apparently I'm not that great at taking the pictures from the same spot every time.

First box: lettuce and arugula. Second box: watercress and Swiss chard. Third box: tomatoes and eggplant. Last box: asparagus.

The fencing is to keep the cat from pooping in my lovely planter boxes. My husband built these handy boxes, what a guy! But only because he has an organizational obsession. Ok and probably partly to be nice.

Here's where I admit to not being a master gardener. First of all, I live in Hawaii where we do not fear the frost and the growing season never ends. Second, we have a sprinkler system so I almost never have to water. It makes it kinda easy that way.

Nice surprise for me after coming home from my Northwest trip. I was only gone two weeks, amazing.

After taking about a year's hiatus from gardening, I'd nearly forgotten how satisfying and easy it is to grow your own vegetables. Boy do I feel healthy.