Garden Delights

My husband is a farmer at heart!  And, he has the green thumb to go with it!

I did not get the 'farmer's wife' gene, and having Lyme makes gardening near impossible for me. 

Finding adaptive ways (easy ways) to deal with the garden harvest is a must.  Thankfully, there are a few people on whom I may call as harvesting comes for various garden delights-  we trade out help for produce, and have the bonus of fellowship.   

This past week I found a new plant in the garden-  my husband tunes in when I mention veggies that are good for me to use in juicing, and he had planted chard this year.  Not only did he plant chard, but 'rainbow chard'! 

It is a beautiful plant! 

Now- I am not naturally a 'veggie-fanatic'!  But due to Lyme, I have become all the more aware of the importance of organic/natural foods in cooking and in juicing.  So- if there can be a plant I can actually eat (bc of so many allergies/intolerances), one that is nutritious and versatile, and  it is such a beautiful plant on top of being able to eat it- all the better! 

Another bonus- it is not as fibrous as kale! 

All I have to do is rinse it off and chop it up!   I plan to freeze much of it; a friend told me it can be dried as well!  The other evening, we put some in with our summer squash dish- nummy! 

Yep- must be good if I like it! 

For the summer squash recipe-  here is the idea of it, the measurements are exact:
-Cut up, summer squash and zucchini into lengths (younger ones, you don't have to remove seedy parts)
-Cut up rainbow chard
-Cut up, slice, yellow onion into lengths
-Cut up, dice, roma tomatoes

Heat up olive oil in large sauce pan
add onion, saute til transparent
add the summer squash and zucchini
Once the squash begin to just cook through- add the chard, cook a couple minutes, then lightly add in the tomatoes-  cook/heat thoroughly    (Squash should be tender, not crunchy, not mushy)
Also toss with an Italian herb mix
(if you want/can- before serving, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, serve when cheese is melted- Or substitute with another cheese of choice)

Also- I tried a recipe for broccoli that I saw on fb the other night- preheat oven to 375 degrees 
take a head of broccoli, cut up
toss with:
2 TBSP of olive oil
2-3 cloves of minced garlic
salt/pepper to taste

place broccoli mix, single layer, on baking sheet
Place on top rack of oven,
bake 20-30 minutes til broccoli is 'crunchy' 

These are fairly easy recipes, and quick to make- and good ways to get those veggies in. 

The best garden we have from which to eat, is the garden of Scripture-  always plentiful in produce, ripe and ready to be picked, whenever we need sustenance!

This has been a trying week on so many levels here.  Yesterday Psalm 130 caught my attention.  I think I shall be supping on it for some days~  especially verses 1-6
Psalm 130 Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord.² Lord, hear my voice!
Let Your ears be attentive
To the voice of my supplications.
³ If You, ^[a]Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
⁴ But there is forgiveness with You,
That You may be feared.

⁵ I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait,
And ^[b]in His word do I hope.
⁶ My soul waits for the Lord
More than the watchmen for the morning;
Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning.

 

Many of us have had nights awake and understand the earnestness of a watchman waiting for those first rays of light to show after a very long night.  

 

As the Psalmist- let us wait for the Lord, and put our Hope in Him~

 

Blessings-