Potager Recipes?

soggy6_2006

18 years ago

OK, maybe I'm a little early with this request. I am a 3rd year veggie grower, 1st year herb grower and I have never learned to cook! Well, not anything worthwhile, anyway. I'm 38, have 4 kids and pretty much give them the standard tacos, meat loaf, chicken, casserole; sauteed mushrooms, squash or zucchini (I saute with soy sauce), and your basic salad. No extras, no seasonings or spices or herbs.

So what do you all cook with the "fruits" of your labor?

Maybe some of you great cooks out there will even learn a new recipe!

Thanks!

Janna

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (11)

georich5
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Janna--
My kids love the fresh salsa and bruchetta we make every year.
And sometimes if tomatoes come in faster than I can make chili or spaget. I blanche the skins off and throw them in a plastic bag and freeze them till later. I hate wasting a good 'mato.

Everything but lettuce and radishes (I think) can be frozen. Herbs can be chopped and frozen in ice cube trays. Then bag'em for winter soups.

Repeat....I HAVE NO TIME,THE FREEZER IS MY FRIEND!!!!

Don't forget like I did to label the chili/spaget. It all looks the same frozen.

This is making me drool for fresh goodies.
georgeanne
girlgroupgirl
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Janna, this may sound strange but i think the kids will like it. Butter some toast and slice very young radish on them. Radish especially English Breakfast or any french variety are sweet when young. This is a delicious treat. YUM!

GGG
Related Discussions
Medieval Garden
Q
Comments (19)
You could put those wattle fences to good use as trellises for anything. I tried the milk thistle fence, but the rains killed off any seedlings, not one that I planted made it. I did buy another pack so next year, I will start them off growing on top of a paper towel or toilet paper. When I shop for seeds, I look at the year some of them were created. I have one oldy but goody in the garden, white scalloped or patty pan, it's a nice producer so far, and I'm about to harvest my first maybe even tomorrow. It's bright white. My garden looks like a cyclone hit it, I thought it would be so picturesque. The rains hit it, then overtime at work left it, now I'm battling squash vine borers digging into the stems of the pumpkins and squashes, even my resistant ones had a larvae in the stem, it must have just now this week started because I checked them last week, they were fine. I doubt the normal family in medieval days grew yellow straight neck or crooked neck unless they grew them under cloth, or in another country less troubled by the insect. I guess the borer is worse in the south because they can overwinter, our winters aren't cold enough in Tennessee. I have 3 marigolds that seemed to be heirloom quality, Cracker Jack, just ordered the Mexican Marigold, and then there is one created more recently, Pinwheel Marigold, but it's a seed saver organic type as far as I know. In my medieval garden I don't see pumpkins growing being in a community garden area, they would infest every garden with squash vine borers and squash bugs, unless there are resistant types. My garden would be in Europe though, although I'm part American Indian. I believe also the gardens were more picturesque because of the herbs and flowers being so much easier to grow, plus the folklore of chasing bugs away with them, potions or mojo bags to protect them from the evil eye. My guess is they drank lots of good herbal tea, ate lots of salads with flower buds in them the whole growing season even for every meal. I was lucky to find the old fashioned briars in an area of my garden, the rose bush with such a small petaled rose, not hips that I could find. They will be looking at a different home in the fall. I would hate to disturb them in this heat, and I would also think they would take better to be transplanted in the fall. It's a dreamy idea to have a medieval garden, the seed man is against us. Most of what we have was created in the last 50 years.
...See More
What's Up? In your potager
Q
Comments (26)
Well, I got off to a really late start this year due to SOOOOO much rain late! (No CA zone 8-9) I'm just getting some blooms on the tomatoes and peppers, the beans are starting to climb, I've got basil both in the garden, under the bean teepee and under tomatoes for a little shade so they won't bolt too early. I found a new bush basil that likes hot weather that I might try in the greenhouse (new, so I'm not sure what to plant in it during the summer.I'll be starting my winter veges in Aug I think.) We were supposed to get some physical labor when SIL's friend was visiting for the week, but the chain saw wasn't working to cut up the railroad ties to make more beds. I think we'll have to hire someone! We will, however, be bringing in gravel for paths. I'm gonna get this small area DONE if it kills me! We have 1 1/4 acre and it's so overwhelming, we just tend to not do anything. Now we are just taking care of a small area at a time. Happy Gardening!
...See More
wow - finally started with the new potager....
Q
Comments (18)
The bed I'm calling the perimeter is the 2' raised bed that is going to work to "enclose" the potager. While I will have some herbs and flowers, it will have a lot of veggies too! Then there are those odd yard bits not in the potager. These are going to be decorative, and maybe productive. Where the flowers are planted at the curving sidewalk which is directly outside the potager, I have a few herbs in there, sweet cicely and lemon balm, and some garlic chives that are struggling, that will come back (although may also transplant those eventually, I want to give that area an English country garden look eventually, a mix of herbs and flowers, perennials mainly. I want an archway across the main sidewalk with climbing roses that will demarcate entering the potager. It all sounds good typing it out, It looks incredible in my minds eye - but the time it take to get it done is pretty dampening. Another weekend where I could conceivably work on the potager - but heatwave/thunderstorms all weekend. it is moderate with gentle rain right now, so I just did a bit out there, weeding etc but the humidity is 90% and we come in all muddy. me and garden pup that is. I guess I really want to be retired by now, lol and devote daily hours to this and other gardening, but I likely have a minimum of 15 and maybe 20 years in the workforce. So, bit by bit! Going to try for another picture, as I at least planted that bit of the perimeter bed in the photo.
...See More
pics, recipes, garden secrets.......
Q
Comments (7)
Gurley, your gardens look so lush! What variety of zucc/squash do you grow? Wondering if there is a variety that doesn't get large, for my small potager? Wish we had a Squash Fairy here. It is such a pleasure having a potager cottage garden with aromatic edibles at ones fingertips, isn't it!. A feast for the senses as well as the stomach! Wish I had started potager gardening years ago... As far as recipes go, well, I've been collecting them since I was a little girl. My late father started me on this hobby. He enjoyed fine foods; we clipped gourmet recipes from Life Magazine (if I remember the title of the publication correctly). But he would rather take the family out for a gourmet dinner than cook one, lol. He was a wonderful baker (and so was my German grandmother---Mom was a pretty good cook, but little baking for her). I was often underfoot in the kitchen and learned alot especially of the 'old ways'. Potager type recipes in my collection include Zucchini Crescent Pie, Zucchini Gremolata, & Chocolate Zucchini Cake. There are also recipes for Lavender Lemonade, Rose Geranium Bread, Strawberry Bread, etc. The list goes on and on. Hope you take a gander at my collection. Here is the link (I've posted this link once before, so hope you don't mind me posting it again): Here is a link that might be useful: Becky's recipes ('Recipezaar' link)
...See More
crazymo
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
We love creamed cucumbers and creamed lettuce from the garden. Very simple to make, just take half and half add just a pinch of sugar and add a little vineager to taste. Little salt and pepper too. We put that on lettuce or cucumbers and its my favorite summer treat. We also love batter fried zucchini. I simply by a batter mix from the grocery store and add a little garlic salt and pan fry. Yum!! Bruchetta is great with fresh garden tomatos. Take a slice of french bread and slightly toast it. Rub it with a little garlic and top it with a mixture of chopped up tomatos, basil and a little garlic. Wow I'm getting hungry now!!
BecR
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
My 'other' passion is cooking--nothing too fussy though. I make Marinated Tomato Slices, Seared Marinated Chicken Breasts w Tomatoes & Basil, Beer-Batter Fried Green Tomatoes, Tatooed Potatoes w Rosemary, Dilled Egg Salad, Cilantro Rice, Lavender Lemonade, Chocolate Zucchini Cake, and Rose Geranium Coolers as well as Rose Geranium Bread and RG Cookies. You can see these recipes and more at:

http://www.recipezaar.com/r/chef=177443/ls=d

Becky
Annie
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
If you have not served your family, especially your children a lot of fresh veggies on a regular basis, I would not expect them to like them right away just because Mom grew them. You may have to 'wean' them on to eating them.
Try:
1. Carrot cake - a moist, spice cake that tastes like pumpkin pie.
2. Zuchinni Bread or Soft Cookies ditto carrot cake. Both a great source of Vit. A.
3. Veggie Pizza - Take you favorite frozen pizza and add: thinly sliced zuchinni and/or with yellow summer squash on top of pizza; add sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle on your garden chopped basil, and top with lots of fresh grated cheese (to hide the squash and tomato)
4. Broccoli Dip with Doritos - cook broccoli in salted water just until it turns dark green. Drain. Chopped. Melt velvetta cheese with a can of mushroom soup, a tsp, garlic powder (or to taste), salt and pepper (to taste). Add the chopped broccoli and serve warm with their favorite Doritos or other tortilla chips.
5. Spring Vegetable Medley (A Homemade Skillet Casserole, fast, easy and yummy) - little kid-sized beef meatballs with new (baby) peas, green (baby) onions, baby carrots, etc. (I can post this recipe if anyone is interested).
6. Corn-on-the-cob (cut ears in half for kid size ears)
7. Veggies and dip - sliced cucumbers, bell pepper, broccoli pieces, cauliflower pieces, carrot & celery sticks, lettuce wedges served with Ranch Style Dressing.
8. Ants-on-a-log - peanut butter on celery, sprinkled with raisins
9. Tuna Burgers (toasted open-faced sandwiches that kids and grumps both like)- Turn on oven, Set on broil. Take burger buns, open, and lay halves on a cookie sheet. Spread each half with some Mayo or Miracle Whip, top with some drained tuna, sprinkled with a little fresh tarragon or basil from your potager; top with a thin slice of your garden-fresh tomato, then dill pickle slices, and top w/grated cheese, or American cheese slices. Broil in oven just until the cheese melts and is bubbly and the bun toasts a little. Serve with chips and etc as you would a hambuger.
(one of my kids's favorites besides the broccoli cheese dip)
10. Bruchetta (fresh tomatoes on halved, toasted French or Italian bread)- spread bread with a thin layer of melted butter, sprinkled with garlic powder or rub w/fresh garlic- toast lightly; then top with tomato slices, sprinkled with basil, some parmesan cheese if you like, and toast again in the broiler. (you can add slice zuchinni and extra grated cheese. Great with Spaghetti or just with a salad.
11. Chicken-Broccoli Alfredo w/Noodles Make Pesto with your BASIL. (cooked chicken added to noodles in a pesto sauce) - Use the pesto ('pounded' or processed fresh basil mixed in a food processor with olive oil, toasted walnuts, and Parmesan cheese). Cook noodles in salted water until 'al dente' (just tender). Drain. Mixed together it becomes Chicken Broccoli Alfredo
12, Ortega Apple-Jalapeno-Walnut salad Take 4-6 sweet juicy apples, coarsely chopped. (I use my Galas). Add to that a 1/2 cup chopped fresh garden jalapeno peppers, (or mix with some green cayennes or chilis for more heat). Set aside. Lightly toast 1 cup of broken walnut pieces or chopped Pinon nuts on a cookie sheet. Coarsely chop cooled nuts. Add nuts to apple and pepper mixture. Toss. To this add a 1/4 cp (dollup) of Mayo and combine. Serve right away. Absolutely DELICIOUS! Great with chicken, Bar-B-Ques or just about anything, even hot dogs. Family favorite. (Ortega family recipe).

Keep your 'Potager' dishes simple at first. As they get used to the strong taste of vegetables, you can expand your recipes to include other things. I can probably come up with more if you want.

~ SweetAnnie4u
Annie
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Great recipes, Becky!
I will be going back to your site again.
Thanks!

~ SweetAnnie4u
BecR
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
You are certainly welcome, SweetAnnie4u. Yours look good, too!

Great thread idea, Soggy!

Becky
soggy6_2006
Original Author
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Great ideas! I can't wait to try some of them!

Annie, fortuneately, my kids have always like fruits and veggies, I just have never been creative about the way I serve them! So now, hopefully they will enjoy them even more!

Keep 'em coming!

Janna
angelcub
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Janna, here's my zuc pizza recipe. I've posted it before on the cottage forum so I hope no one minds seeing it again. It is really good and you can add the kids' favorite toppings, just like regular pizza. But I'm giving you a "gas" warning you - it's high in fiber. lol

Zucchini Crust Pizza

4 cups grated zucchini

2 cups grated mozzarella cheese (or cheese of choice)

2 eggs, slightly beaten*

Pizza sauce of choice 14 oz.

Spices, herbs, toppings of choice

Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions: Preheat oven to 400.

Grate zucchini; drain and squeeze out as much moisture as possible.

Mix 1 cup of cheese with eggs; add zucchini and mix well.

Spray / oil pizza pan or baking sheet; press mixture into pan. Bake 10 min.

Sprinkle spices on top; spoon on sauce to cover top; add remaining cheese.

Add toppings of choice and sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top.

Bake another 30 min. Enjoy : )

Becky, I am definitely going to try some of those recipes. Thanks!

Di
* A friend uses egg substitute and says it works fine.
alicate
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I have this every day in the summer. All things are from my garden except the onions.

Saute one potatoe, chopped with one chopped onion. When close to done, add a handful or two of grape tomatoes. When cooked down, add fresh sweet basil, a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinigette.

Sometimes I add zuchhinni to this as well. I loooovvveeee it!
Annie
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Ah, alicate,
I make that too. I also add some fresh green onions & 'shrooms if I have them. Yum. You can brown some ground beef and add to that too.

Potager Recipes?

Comments (11)

georich5

girlgroupgirl

Related Discussions

crazymo

BecR

Annie

Annie

BecR

soggy6_2006
Original Author

angelcub

alicate

Annie

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Potager Recipes?

Comments (11)

Related Discussions

soggy6_2006Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

soggy6_2006
Original Author