Peas, potatoes and pests

I'm happy to report some of my garden is flourishing, but unfortunately it is also under attack by the so-called cucumber beetle.

First the good news. I'm attempting to grow potatoes for the first time this year and they are doing great! As you can see in the picture, they are already over a foot tall and growing more every day. As with all root vegetables, I always have a hard time figuring out when exactly I should pull them out of the ground.

Also doing well are the Asian snap peas, which I'm also attempting for the first time. I'm quite proud of the trellis I built for them to grow up on. For all you who need instant gratification, peas are a good vegetable. They germinated in just a few days and have quickly grown to about two feet tall.

I came out to do some weeding over the weekend and that's when I spotted my cucumber seedlings, totally eaten away. That's when I threw the idea of my organic garden right out of the window. This is war! The cucumber beetle can flourish in compost, which is exactly where I found the little mother bleepers.

But the cucumber beetle doesn't just like cucumber, oh no, he also loves similar seedlings like melon (check), eggplant (check) and squash (check). They also seem to have a penchant for my radishes, which as you can see are also all chewed up.

So bring on the pesticides! I've been eating them for so long anyway, what's the difference?

Sun-dried tomato and arugula pasta

Peppery arugula is a wonderful green to add to your salad, but also is perfect in a pasta dish like this. In addition to the arugula, I also used some basil from my garden for this recipe. Remember: Fresh herbs should be added at the end of the dish, dried in the beginning. I've also become a big fan of fresh-grated cheese, particularly pecorino-romano, but feel free to substitute a handful of your Kraft parmesan from the jar. I also used whole wheat pasta, but again, your regular pasta would be just as good. And don't forget the wine! You should always cook with a wine that you would drink, not too expensive, but still tasty.

• 1 box whole wheat pasta, cooked al dente. (Reserve about a cup of pasta water)
• Olive oil, enough to thoroughly coat the bottom of your saute pan 
• One small onion, chopped
• 5-6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• One small jar of sun dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 c. hot cherry peppers, coarsely chopped (more or less, depending how spicy you want to go!)
• 1 can white beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp salt
• a few basil leaves, chopped
• 2 c. arugula, coarsely chopped
• 1 c. white wine
• 1 c. pasta water
• handful of freshly grated Pecorino-Romano cheese
• 3 tbsp butter

While pasta cooks, heat large saute pan with olive oil. Saute onion and garlic for a couple of minutes. Add sun-dried tomatoes, cherry peppers, and beans. Let cook for a couple of more minutes and then add white wine, Italian seasoning and salt.

Before you drain the pasta, take about a cup of the pasta water and add to saute pan. Return the pasta back to its pot and toss with the butter and cheese. While the butter melts, stir in the arugula to the sun-dried tomato mixture. Combine the pasta mixture and sun-dried tomato mixture and toss well to coat. Plate your dishes and sprinkle the basil and a little more cheese on top.

Strawberry crunch muffins

Strawberry season is just a couple of weeks away and I can not wait to get over to Lyman Orchards in Middlefield, which is near my house and offers pick-your-own for all types of fruit, including strawberries. Pick-your-own is a wonderful way to get fresh fruits on the cheap, plus it's a nice way to spend a little time outdoors.

Topping:
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c flour
1/2 c chopped pecans
1/4 c oatmeal
3 tbsp butter, melted

Muffins:
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 stick butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c milk
1 c sliced strawberries

Combine all the ingredients for the topping and set aside.

In a separate bowl combine the ingredients for the muffins. Fold in the strawberries. Scoop mixture into muffin tins. Sprinkle the topping over the batter. Bake 20-25 minutes 350 degrees until a toothpick inserted in center muffin comes out clean.

All about herbs

Aaaaahhhh, herbs. I love their smell, their taste, their beauty. There's nothing better than pinching off a bunch of thyme (left) and inhaling its sweet, lemony fragrance. That's the joy of gardening -- taking time out to reconnect with nature and with your senses: feeling the warm earth between your fingers, listening to the chirping birds, breathing in the wonderful aromas, and then savoring the taste of fresh food.

Herbs are a wonderful addition to your garden, for many reasons. First, they are perennials, which means once you plant that basil, it will continue to come back, year after year, with essentially no work. Two, herbs are a natural insecticide. Their fragrant leaves repel pesks that can eat away at your tomatoes. For that reason, I have several bushes scattered throughout my garden. An oregano here, a rosemary there.

Do you have a small backyard and limited space in your garden? Herbs do wonderful in containers. Even though I have the space, I still love putting a couple of herb planters on my back porch as decoration. I even love to clip a large sprig of herbs and put them in water in a vase in the house. (right) It's decorative, it's fragrant, and it's great to have your herbs on hand when you're cooking.

Which brings me to the best reason for growing herbs in your garden: the wonderful flavor they bring to your food. Parsley and oregano in homemade salsa -- delicious! Basil for your bruschetta -- mouthwatering! Rosemary chicken -- yum! The new motto in my house lately has been 'halt the salt'. Fresh herbs are a wonderful way to help cut your salt intake and add a flavorful punch to any dish.

Cute garden accessories!

While browsing the craft fair at the Meriden Daffodil Festival this weekend, my husband spotted these adorable garden markers. He knew it was something I would totally want, and he was right! Now I just need to wait for warmer weather so that I can actually plant the squash, eggplant and melons. Contact nancydesjardins91@comcast.net to get your own!