I absolutely love this book by Rockwell. I printed it a few months ago!

I live in zone 3 and grow most vegetables as long as there are varieties for short seasons. We have as many frost free days as you do. Take corn The variety we grow has a 60 days to maturity date. Some corn takes as much as 80 days. I have a greenhouse and I start my tomatoes there from seed, but before that we bought our plants. I bought them from a greenhouse where they started them from seed and could tell me the maturity days for them. Our tomatoes seldom ripen on the vine. My husband picks the big ones off when they are green in order to let the smaller ones get bigger. We put them in 4 quart baskets, in our basement, on a temporary table built from sawhorses and plywood. Every day I check them over and remove the ripe or getting ripe ones into extra baskets and also check that there are none that have rotted--this seldom happens but better to remove the rotten one before it spoils the whole basket. As they ripen we eat them--they are every bit as good as if they had ripened on the vine. When we get too many I start canning. Back to other veggies-- Peas, lettuce, onions and radish can go into the ground 2 or 3 weeks before your last frost date. These are cool season veggies and frost won't harm them. They sprout better when the soil is around 60 degrees. Most of the rest of the seeds, and the potatoes, go in the week before the last frost date--the soil should be warm by then and it will take at least a week for them to come up. The tomatoes, peppers and cukes are the last to go in. No matter what you do there will be the occasional unexpected frost. Being horse people you will probably be up early. Get out and spray the garden with the hose. It is not so much the frost that kills but the sun hitting frozen vegetables. The water thaws the plants and they are as good as they ever were

This one holds well in the heat and is always a hit. Asian Noodle and Vegetable Salad 2 pkg. Ramen Noodles chicken flavor or rice noodles 1 small zucchini cut in half lengthwise then sliced ¼" thick on diagonal 1 cup of broccoli flowerettes 1 cup julienned carrots 1 cup sliced mushrooms ¼ cup each dice red and yellow sweet peppers 1 cup pea pods 1 cup whole cashews ¼ cup slice scallions, green part only ¼ cup finely minced fresh cilantro Break Ramen noodles into 4 pieces and cook according to directions. (For rice noodles: Add 1 tbs. vegetable oil and 1 chicken bouillon cube to boiling water, break rice noodles into 2-3" pieces and add to water. Cook 2-3 minutes.) Drain noodles, rinse with cold water until cool and drain on paper towels. Place noodles in shallow serving bowl. Blanch zucchini, pea pods, broccoli, carrots and mushrooms with boiling water about 1 minute. Rinse vegetables in cold water and drain on paper towels. Top noodles with vegetables. Sprinkle salad with cilantro, then peppers, scallions and top with cashews. Dressing: Juice of one large lime ¼ cup vegetable 1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil 1 tbs. pickled ginger, minced fine 1 tsp. Garlic, minced fine 1 tsp. Lite soy sauce 1 tsp. Balsamic vinegar 2 Packets of Splenda or 2 tsp. sugar Mix all ingredients together. Shake well. Pour dressing over salad toss and serve. Or omit cashews and refrigerate 24 hours for flavors to meld. Add the cashews just prior to serving.

I have made all of these in the past and they have always been VERY weel received! Oh and I love sauerkraut balls that Linda mentioned, but mine have corned beef/ham bits in them so they really aren't veggie. Alexa **************************************************** Eggplant caviar From Kyra’s Secrets of Russian Cooking 1 large eggplant 1 large onion, chopped very fine 1 small can tomato paste 1 green pepper chopped very fine 1 tsp vinegar (or slightly more) 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tsp powdered sugar salt & pepper to taste Bake the eggplant until tender. When cool, skin it and chop very fine. Saute onion and pepper in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add tomato paste and simmer 4-5 minutes, add in the remaining oil. Add vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and chopped eggplant. Cook very slowly over low heat for 20 minutes, adding more oil if needed. Remove from heat and put in a container in the refrigerator. Serve very cold with thin sliced black pumpernickel and unsalted butter. ******************************************************** Roasted Pepper and Artichoke Puffs (about 4 dozen) 2 Tbsp unsalted butter 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and minced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 can (13 ¼ oz) artichoke bottoms, drained and cut into ¼ inch dice 3 oz thinly sliced prosciutto , minced 3 Tbsp finely shredded fresh basil 2 oz Parmesan, grated (about ½ cup) 2 oz Jarlsberg or Gruyere cheese grated (about ½ cup) 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice ½ cup Hellman’s mayonnaise 3 erd bell peppers 3 yellow bell peppers ¼ cup olive oil 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar Fresh ground pepper & salt to taste 1. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium high heat. Add the scallions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until just softened about 2 ��" 3 min. Transfer to a med mixing bowl. 2. Add the artichoke bottoms, proscuitto, basil, parmesan and Jarlsberg to the scallions and toss to combine. Sprinkle with lemon juice and pepper. Bind the mixture with mayo and refrigerate at least 1 hour. 3. Prepare the peppers: Preheat the oven to 400F. Stem & seed each pepper, then cut into chunks about 2 x 1 ½ inches. Place the peppers in a single layer in a large shallow baking dish. Drizzle peppers with olive oil and vinegar and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the peppers 15 minutes, stirring once halfway through the cooking time. Remove from the oven and let cool. When ready to serve the hors d’oeuvres, preheat the broiler. Mound about 2 tsp of the artichoke mixture onto each pepper wedge. Arrange in rows on a baking sheet and broil 3 ��" 4 inches from the heat until puffed and bubbly about 2 minutes. Let cool a few minutes then transfer to a tray and pass with plenty of napkins. From Cold-Weather Cooking by Sarah Leah Chase ********************************************************** Tapas Sherry Mushrooms Few tapas taste more Spanish than champiñones al ajillo (ajillo mushrooms), dripping with olive oil, garlic and dry Spanish Sherry. To make this tapa even more authentic, be sure to serve the mushrooms with plenty of fresh, crusty bread to mop up the delicious juices. Serves 4 10 minutes preparation + 12 minutes cooking Difficulty: Medium Ingredients 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz) olive oil 4 cups (8 oz) mushrooms, wiped clean and quartered 6 cloves garlic, minced 3 tablespoons dry sherry 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon dried red chile, seeded and crumbled 1/4 teaspoon Spanish paprika Salt and pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons chopped parsley Preparation Heat the oil in a skillet and sauté the mushrooms over high heat for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Lower the heat to medium and add the garlic, sherry, lemon juice, dried chile, paprika, and salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the garlic and mushrooms have softened. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve on small earthenware platters. *********************************************************** Spanikopita 16 oz Phyllo Dough,thawed in the fridge for 24 hours 10 oz Frozen Spinach,thawed and drained of all liquid 3/4 lb Feta Cheese,375 Grams 1/2 lb Cottage Cheese,pressed and drained about 1 Cup 1/4 lb Cream Cheese,Softened 3 Eggs 1/4 cup Fresh Dill,Chopped Fine Salt Pepper Nutmeg 3/4 cup Butter,melted In large bowl combine all ingredients except phylo and butter.Working with one sheet of phylo at a time, brush with melted butter and cut in 5 strips lengthwise. Place 1 spoonful of mixture at the bottom of each strip about 1 inch from the bottom, fold the bottom piece up over the filling and then fold up into triangles. Fold like you fold a flag, to the left, up , to the right ,up etc. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until golden. Serve warm Artichoke and Herb Tarts Ingredients 1 package (17.3 ounces) Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (2 sheets) 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 ounces) 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1 can (14 ounces) artichoke heart, drained and chopped 1/2 cup diced roasted sweet red pepper 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley Directions Thaw the pastry sheets at room temperature for 40 minutes or until they're easy to handle. Heat the oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with vegetable cooking spray. Stir the cream cheese, mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese until the ingredients are mixed. Stir in the artichokes, red pepper and parsley. Season to taste. Unfold 1 pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the sheet into a 12-inch square. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the edges of the pastry with water. Fold over the edges 1/2 inch on all sides, pressing firmly with a fork to form a rim. Prick the pastry thoroughly with a fork. Repeat with the remaining pastry. Divide the cheese mixture between the pastry crusts and spread to within 1/2 inch of the edge. Sprinkle each with the remaining cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Let cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack. Serve warm. Time-Saving Tip: Use 1/2 cup of shelf-stable grated Parmesan cheese for the fresh cheese. Make Ahead Tip: Prepare the cheese filling up to 5 days in advance. *********************************************************** Artichoke Heart and Red Pepper Bites These simple appetizers are something that we always have on hand for surprise guests. They freeze extremely well, are very easy to make, and are always popular. They go together very well with the rest of this festive Easter menu and require no preparation time at all on a very busy day. Simply defrost and eat! 6 ounces marinated artichoke hearts in oil 6 ounces roasted bell peppers 1 small chopped onion 2 minced cloves garlic 4 eggs 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley Dash hot pepper sauce Freshly ground black pepper Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8 inch baking dish. Drain the artichoke hearts, reserving 2 tablespoons of the oil. Drain the roasted peppers and discard the liquid. Finely chop the artichoke hearts and peppers and set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the reserved oil, onion, and garlic. Cook for five minutes, or until soft and translucent. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Beat the eggs in a large bowl until thick and lemon colored. Beat in the remaining ingredients along with the artichoke hearts, peppers, and onion mixture. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Cool for 15 minutes, then cut into one inch squares. Tightly wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to a month. Serve cold, at room temperature, or gently reheated in a 300 degree oven for 5-10 minutes. Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 35 minutes Cooling Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 1 hour *******************************************************