kbeth, In the southern US asparagus generally produces just fine on a minimum of about 5 hours of sun. I am not sure if it would do well in, say, 4 hours of sun. Before I decided the asparagus was getting too much shade, I'd spend a few bucks and get a professional soil test of the soil taken only from the asparagus patch. I've linked the OSU webpage below that tells you about the soil test. Normally with a soil test of garden soil, you'd take soil from several places and mix it together to get a good overall picture of your soil health. However, in this case since the issue is the growth of the asparagus, I'd send soil taken from a couple of places in the asparagus bed and find out from OSU exactly what is going on with that soil. That's the only way you'll know for sure if the soil is the issue. You can get the basic test done for only $10, and that will address the most basic, minimal issues. If you want a little more in-depth analysis, you can pay another $10 for textural analysis or $6 for analysis of its organic matter content. There's also various other tests that are more for agricultural interests than for home gardeners. With the soil test, if there is a problem with the soil you then will know exactly what it is and how to fix it. Then, if the asparagus still doesn't thrive after you know the soil is good, you can troubleshoot again and try to figure out what the problem might be. Do you use city water or well water? That could be another issue. If you have the really sandy soil that is more sand than anything else that is found in some parts of Norman, it may be that your soil continues to drain too well for the asparagus and you need to add more organic matter. Don't get discouraged too easily. This issue can be figured out and fixed and then your asparagus will produce for years and years. Dawn Here is a link that might be useful: OSU Soil, Water & Forage Analytical Lab

Here's one of my favourite Spanish dishes - Although I have been making it for years the way a Spanish cook once showed me, this time I followed the preparation seen recently on a Spanish Cooking TV channel. Their ingredients included a small piece of or pork fat and a stewing chorizo (chorizo para guisar). If choosing a chorizo for this dish, be sure it is the right type which has the red pimiento colour. The small piece of tocino can be seen just to the right of the sprig of rosemary. Stewed Lentils (Lentejas Estofadas) 350 grams (1 1/2 cups) of small dark lentils - put them to soak the night before in water to cover 100 grams (3.5 oz) red stewing chorizo sausage - lightly pricked over with tines of a fork 50 grams (1.7 oz) salted tocino pork fat - cut into large diced pieces 1 TBSP flour 2 carrots diced fine 2 medium leeks, using only white stems sliced finely in rounds 1 lg clove garlic (this was optional but I wouldn't leave it out) - pass through garlic press 2 cups beef broth (I used 2 Knorr cubes) 1 bay leaf fresh rosemary - small sprig olive oil - about 1/4 cup 2 cups extra water to add after 1st hour 1. Soak lentils the NIGHT BEFORE in water to cover. * Note this if now often unnecessary with newer fast cooking lentils. 2. Next day drain and rinse lentils, put aside. 3. Heat olive oil in heavy cooking pot. When sizzling, add carrots, garlic and leeks. Lightly brown while stirring. 4. Add 1 TBSP flour and keep stirring for about a minute. 5. Add lentils, beef broth, whole chorizo, tocino, laurel and rosemary 6. Put on lid and simmer very gently for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Check after 1st hour and add up to 2 more cups water as needed. 7. Adjust seasoning and serve. ***************************************** Lentil & Potato Potaje (Potaje de Lentejas y Patatas) 3 cups of presoaked lentils 4 medium potatoes - cut into large dice 2 slices of stale bread 3 cloves garlic vinegar salt Put lentils in large pot, cover with water and begin to boil. As soon as lentils have begun to cook do the following: In a frying pan with 1/2 inch of oil brown the garlic and then add the bread and fry until brown. Remove garlic before it's too dark. Put browned bread and garlic into a mortar and grind to a paste. During the early part of cooking the lentils add the paste from the mortar to the lentils together with the oil that's left in the pan After about half an hour and before lentils are tender, add the diced or quartered potatoes, salt and finish cooking until all is tender. Check and correct salt and a dash of vinegar before serving. Source: A cook friend from Mallorca. *************************************** LENTIL & VEGETABLE SOUP Ingredients: lentils - 250 grams (slightly over 1 cup) garlic - one whole head onion - 1 large - quartered Kasseler smoked pork chop - 1 large (or 250 grams other smoked pork or bacon) ham or pork bone as for making stock 4 medium carrots - sliced into coins 2 stalks celery - diced 5 medium potatoes - peeled and cut into 8ths 6 flowerettes of cauliflower green beans - handful sliced tomato puré - small 4 oz tin olive oil - 4 TBS fresh garden herbs: 1 bay leaf, several sprigs thyme, Italian flatleaf parsley 2 or 3 sprigs chicken stock 1 liter (4 cups) or water and 3 Knorr chicken stock cubes salt & fesh ground pepper water to cook lentils vinegar - 1 teasp garlic croutons - optional garnish Method: 1) Turn on oven to 350F. Put lentils in large heavy bottomed stew pot with water to cover plus about 2 inches, bring to boil and simmer 45 minutes. Check water level and add more as needed. 2) Meanwhile put whole head of garlic into shallow baking pan together with quartered onion, Kasseler or smoked pork and ham or pork bone, drizzle with olive oil and roast in oven at medium heat about 45 minutes. 3) Remove baking tray from oven when all is nicely browned and cut meat into small dice and add to lentil pot along with onion. Squeeze garlic from skin into lentil pot, adding ham/pork bone along with oil and juices scraped from roasting pan. 4) Add rest of vegetables to lentils, chicken stock (or water and stock cubes), tomato puré, fresh herbs and bay leaf, parsley - reserving one sprig, fresh ground pepper. Bring to boil and simmer about 1 hour until vegetables are done, adding more water if needed. 5) When vegetables are tender, remove ham/pork bones and any bare thyme stems from pot, check for flavour and add salt as needed. Add vinegar and stir. 6) Serve with a bit of chopped parsley and more fresh ground pepper. Homemade garlic croutons are also nice as a garnish. Source: Recipe as I learned from a Mallorquin housewife years ago. ******************************* Lentil Purée Convert leftover stewed lentils into a delicious purée by putting them into a food processor and adding the following: 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth 2 lg cloves of garlic crushed and browned in 1/4 cup oil in small frypan 2 slices brown bread broken in small pieces and fried in the garlicky oil until brown Processed the above until smooth and then heat it gently. Dice more pieces of brown bread and toasted them in the frying pan with oil and garlic salt for the croutons. SharonCb

All my fish recipes use halibut, but you can sub cod for them all. Parmesan-Crusted Halibut ======================== Shared by Lori (Hoopysmom) Gardenweb Source:Recipe from Ray�s Boathouse: 1/2 cup flour 2 large eggs 2 tablespoons water 2 cups Panko bread crumbs ( I never use panko. I prefer fresh made bread crumbs) 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese Zest of 1 lemon, chopped 4 6-oz halibut fillets, skin removed 3 tablespoons olive oil Preheat oven to 450�F. Place flour in one bowl, beat eggs and water place in 2nd bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan and lemon zest in 3rd bowl. Lightly salt and pepper the halibut fillets. Dredge the fillets in flour, next dip in egg and then coat with bread crumb mixture. Heat olive oil in ovenproof pan. Saute the fillets on medium-high until golden-brown crust forms. Turn fillets over and place pan in preheated oven. Roast until centers are pearly white and opaque. Grilled Halibut with a Green Olive Relish Basic outline of salsa - Chop green pimento filled olives, add chopped seeded tomatoes, minced garlic and parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper. relish/salsa to serve with the fish. Pan Roasted Halibut with a Lemon- Chive Beurre Blanc Sauce. The sauce is very simple. Heat over medium high the juice of a whole lemon, reduce by half. Lower heat to very low and start whisking in pieces of cold butter, a little at a time. You do not want the butter to melt and separate. You want the sauce to emulsify. If the butter does start to separate, remove from heat and quickly whisk in more butter off the heat. Add chives and serve over fish

Yeah, I took tumeric in pretty high levels trying to alleviate an inflammatory skin condition. It didn't work. I decided that just using it as a seasoning was probably good enough and a whole lot less money . . . Hubs always says that nothing works on me, but most herbal supplements don't. Which is kind of a shame because I love plants and I love using plant products, but so far, herbalism has been mostly a bust for me. At least for anything major. Ginger good for tummy and chamomile and mint relaxing, etc. but nothing has worked for the more chronic and serious conditions. But I don't consider herbal medicines totally benign or devoid of dosage concerns. That goes for vitamins too, they can cause a lot of toxicity if you aren't taking dosage into consideration. Vitamin A is one of the best known culprits. You can also pee away a lot of money that way too . . .