california succulents




The soil in my yard is 100% sand.  We live a block away from the bay.  There are some beautiful native plants that grow in this soil and climate, including the fennel forest growing on its own accord in our backyard.  My succulents do well too.  They don't need much attention from me, which is a must, because I often forget to tend to my outdoor plants.


A few weeks ago, though, I did a lot of tending to my succulent garden just outside my front door.  Many of my succulents had had babies!  When these babies are big enough, I break them off and start them on their own, often right next to their mama's.  Sometimes the mama plants get leggy, when their stems get super long, so i took them out, broke off their long stems, and stuck them back in close to the soil.


I am now watering my little guys often, 
because some day I'm hoping my front garden will grow into this:

Succulent garden ideas

or this:

in the garden


We got two beautiful dark orange pumpkins this year in the garden. Too beautiful to make pumpkin pie out of, but i do have my eyes on some yummy pie recipes. (thanks Martha).




I just love the little green tendrils. Such a contrast to the large bold squash.


And then there's these guys. They just grow wherever they feel like it. And they smell so yummy, too.

salsa from the garden

We grew tomatillos this summer.
I just love the little green papery lanterns.








After I harvested these guys, I made up a huge batch of salsa verde, bagged it up, and put it in the freezer.

It was a simple recipe:
tomatillos
onions
jalapenos
cilantro

I froze it raw, and will eventually simmer it with my chicken, to make some yummy enchiladas!

a recipe from the garden


Here is a recipe I wanted to share with you.
A way to use all those lovely green beans that are so plentiful right now.
My sister in law, Arti, is a fabulous cook.
She shared this recipe with us years ago.
It's a winner.

Haricots Verts with Herb Vinaigrette

Dressing:

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp white wine or seasoned rice vinegar
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp sweet hot mustard
1 small clove garlic, finely minced
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp finely chopped basil
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp finely chopped parsley

1/2 lb. French or regular green beans
zest of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 or more of toasted, slivered almonds

In a medium bowl, whisk together ingredients for the dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Put the beans into boiling water for 3 minutes, then plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking.

Drain the beans and toss with the vinaigrette. Mix in the lemon zest and almonds.


p.s. you can find the cute leather cuff that Toni is wearing here.



eating, harvesting, and planting (in that order)

we are thoroughly enjoying our front yard garden.
we've just recently planted our second round of seedlings,
and are daily harvesting from our first round of planting.

i am quickly getting spoiled by the ease of grabbing veges, fresh, from the front yard.

this morning i made some super yummy muffins
from our abundance of yellow summer squash.


i just added about 1 cup of grated summer squash to my favorite blueberry muffin recipe,
including the yummy sugar crumb topping.

**i'm excited to say that i'll be the featured artist at bambu batu
in downtown san luis obispo
this friday from 6 to 9pm
as a part of slo's "art after dark" summer program .**

salads from the garden



one of the things we love about our new house is the large, sunny front yard.
the perfect spot for a vegetable garden!
mark is a natural born farmer, and we all profit from his green thumb.

we planted mid-spring, and have already begun harvesting:
basil, parsley, onions, radishes, swiss chard, lettuce, yellow squash, sweet peas, cucumbers, beans, oregano, and mint.

we've been having salads from the garden most everyday, and often as the main course.
i figure if i can come up with enough different ways to eat salad,
i'll never get tired of it.

the works:: greens, carrots, onions, any other veges you have, boiled eggs, avocado, sunflower seeds, bacon crumbs, and homemade croutons.

taco salad:: greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, grated cheese, taco seasoned ground beef, pinto beans, chips, salsa.

tuna salad:: greens, onions, kalamata olives, tomatoes, canned tuna, lemon, olive oil.

chinese chicken:: greens, onions, carrots, cucumbers, peanuts, shredded chicken, raw ramen noodles, peanut dressing.