Collard Greens Gratin. With Bacon. And Cornbread.

Collard greens gratin

We're getting to that time of year where the collard greens I over-planted decide they want to produce more than we can possibly and reasonably eat (apparently four plants is too much for two people and the kids aren't interested). So, what is one to do? Turn those giant leaves into a meal, that's what.

I occasionally pick up this magazine called Southern Cast Iron (where I got this recipe from) which, I hate to admit, I really love. It pairs cast iron with a lot of garden-centric meals that tend to be not so much on the lighter end of the spectrum. But, then again, pork fat is good for you, right?!

Anyway, this recipe is a great combination of lots of collard greens, onions, garlic, milk, cheese and a little bacon. Oh, and some cornbread. Which really seals the deal for me. You cook it on the stove top in a cast iron skillet, but it gets baked in the oven for a really amazing, golden, crunchy finish. It's a nice alternative to the standard sauteed greens and it's a meal in itself.

If you're looking for an inexpensive cast iron skillet, we love our 12 inch Lodge pre-seasoned skillet that we use not only for making things like this, but for making cornbread as well.

Ingredients

1. 11⁄2 pounds chopped collard greens, stems removed
2. 6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 2-inch pieces
3. 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
4. 3 cloves garlic, minced
5. 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6. 2 cups whole milk
7. 1 cup shredded sharp white Cheddar cheese, divided
8. 1 teaspoon kosher salt
9. 1⁄2 teaspoon ground mustard
10. 1⁄8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
11. 1⁄2 cup crumbled cornbread

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add collard greens; cook for 4 minutes. Immediately drain, and rinse with cold water. Drain again; squeeze dry.
3. In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon; let drain on paper towels, reserving drippings in skillet.
4. Add onion and garlic to skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Stir in flour; cook for 1 minute. Gradually stir in milk; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add 3⁄4 cup cheese, salt, mustard, and red pepper. Add collard greens, stirring until combined. Top with bacon, cornbread, and remaining 1⁄4 cup cheese.
5. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

What's your favorite way to cook greens?

*Warning - this post contains a link to an affiliate program that might make me money, wherein I use said $ for giveaways and suchlike.

Raspberry Plants for Small Spaces

Some of our fall raspberries earlier this week, right before I stuffed them all in my mouth...

This year our thornless Raspberry Shortcake plants produced like crazy. They are producing a small fall crop as well. I was really tempted to plant a third plant earlier this year, but the two I have now were producing so much I didn't want to overdo it!

If you have a small yard, these are great raspberries plants to give a try. Not only are they not poky, but they are self-fertile, only grow 2 - 3 feet tall and are hardy down to USDA zone 5. They will work well in containers on a patio or even on an apartment deck. Just make sure they get enough water.

I know this sounds like a freaking sales spiel, but of all the random trees, plants, vines, etc. that I've attempted to grow (and cursed, killed or ripped out) over the years, this is one of the few ones I've been really pleased with.

Do you grow any berries in your garden? What's your favorite? Blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, huckleberries, snozzberries...?

*Warning - this post contains a link to an affiliate program that might make me money, wherein I use said $ for giveaways and suchlike.

Top 8 Ways to Preserve the Fall Harvest

Every year we go through the same routine - what to do with all those pumpkins, apples, green tomatoes and corn!

So, to keep a handy reference all in one spot, here are my favorite 8 ways to use up the fall harvest!

1. Processing sugar pie pumpkins - How to roast, process and freeze all those lovely pumpkins that you either grew or are buying from the farmers market, farm stand or grocery store.

2. Corn preservation methods compared: I compare different corn preservation methods and let you know how they all turn out.

3. What to do with all those apples: From canning, drying, freezing to making drinks, they're covered in this post.

4. How to ripen green tomatoes: From storing them wrapped in newspaper in a box to putting them in a paper bag, what's your favorite method of ripening green tomatoes?

5. Saucy apples: My favorite apple sauce recipe.

6. Hard apple cider: A link to how to make hard apple cider.

7. Preserving food for the winter: This post has my favorite method for drying apples.

8. Grilled pumpkin with rosemary and sea salt: This recipe is up over on my mostly neglected food blog (and at Mother Earth News). It's one of my favorite things to do with pumpkin.

What's your favorite fall harvest recipe or activity?

Fall Garden Roundup 2016

Our fall garden is plugging along quite nicely. If anything, I'm getting a little tired of growing food and am itching for the garden to go to bed for the year. I'm looking forward to a winter's rest and where I can ignore the weeding and maintenance for a while.

But, I still have a lot of vegetables coming our way. We're still getting a lot of green beans, lettuce, green onions, collards and the occasional tomato and cucumber. I've got a handful of raspberries and a lot of blackberries still on the plants.

I've just finished my last plantings of the year - I put in the garlic and fava beans last week. I am, however, debating throwing some shallots in as well but that will depend on whether I get around to it.

Here's everything that's currently growing/producing:

• Blackberries
• Raspberries
• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Basil
• Swiss chard
• Pac choi
• Green onions
• Carrots
• Radishes
• Rattlesnake pole beans
• French green beans
• Collards
• Parsley
• Russian kale
• Broccoli
• Romaine
• Red lettuce
• Beets
• Chives
• Oregano
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Fava beans
• Garlic

I planted a few new fun fruit trees this year, but that will have to wait for another post!

Are you done gardening for the year or do you still have fruits and vegetables growing in your garden?

August Garden Porn - Raised Bed Edition

The other day I created a list of all the stuff I've currently got growing in the garden (as of August 2014) and I claimed that I'd post some pictures. I took a bunch of photos yesterday afternoon, but photo editing them is taking freaking forever, so I've decided to post them in chunks. Therefore, today's post includes the 8 (eight) 4' x 4' raised beds in the backyard (minus the strawberries, cause there's not much to look at there).

I apologize for the floating row covers. The birds have been eating down my seedlings and I'm also trying to keep the cabbage moths off of some things. You'll have to trust me that there's stuff growing under there. I love you people, but not enough to fiddle around with unpinning and repinning this crap. Also, I tend to plant things in quadrants so it should be easy to follow. There are a couple things in the surrounding borders listed as well.

So, without further ado... starting from East to West in my yard (sunniest to shadiest):

Clockwise from top left: rutabaga, beets, cucumbers, beets

Clockwise from top left: carrots, kale, parsnips, lettuce, carrots

Clockwise from top left: cabbage, Italian parsley, pac choi, green onions

Clockwise from top left: green beans, parsnips, shelling peas, more peas

Clockwise from top left: onions, leeks, green beans, more beans

Clockwise from top left: cilantro, radishes, lettuce, green onions (tucked in)

Clockwise from top left: broccoli, brussels sprouts, more sprouts, more broccoli

Next time I'll post the experimental garden spot, chicken coop, long raised beds and greenhouse pictures. And, then! I'll do a satellite shot showing where all this is in relation to my yard. Because you just can't get enough garden porn, I always say!

Life in the Garden - August 2014

Since I post a little here and there about what I've got growing on our urban farmstead, I thought it would be helpful to give you a run down of everything I've got growing, foodwise, on our less than 1/10th of an acre in Seattle.

Fruits:
Blackberries
Raspberries
Blueberries
Strawberries
Apples
Pears (haven't yet produced anything)
Cherries
Plums
Grapes
Figs (don't really produce anything)
Lime (indoor)

Vegetables:
Asparagus
Rhubarb
Artichoke
Leeks
Green Onions
Brussels Sprouts
Green Beans
Shelling Peas
Onions
Radishes
Lettuce
Pac Choi
Parsnips
Carrots
Beets
Rutabaga
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Swiss Chard
Slicing Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Pumpkins
Bell peppers
Hot peppers

Herbs/Flowers:
Basil
Rosemary
Lavender
Sage
Chocolate Mint
Oregano
Italian Flat Leaf Parsley
Cilantro
Thyme
Black Oil Sunflowers
Calendula
Lemon Verbena
Echinacea
Tea

Eggs:
3 Chickens

I think that's it! I'm sure I'm forgetting something. When I get around to it I'll either take some more pictures or make a video tour, showing what's what.

Fall Vegetable Gardening: What to Plant in August

What to plant now for eating in the Fall

Around the Pacific Northwest, planting for a fall vegetable garden really needs to be done by mid to late July, however there are still some edibles you can plant now for some tasty fall eating.

I've had a couple conversations with friends and neighbors in the last week about what to plant now to keep their garden growing so I figured I'd make a post on what to plant in August for a fall garden.

I know it's the middle of summer and even thinking about planting for fall food crops in the middle of all the beans, cucumbers and tomatoes sounds insane but, if you're like me, and you wait until the end of August or early September to get around to it, you'll be too late. So, consider this a friendly reminder!

This is kind of it, for the most part. The only other things I'll be putting in the ground over the next few months will be more lettuce. And garlic and fava beans for next year.

Before you get too far along, now's also a good time to add some organic fertilizer to your already established edibles to keep them going.

And remember, since it's so warm and dry in August (even in rainy Seattle), you'll want to make sure you keep any transplants or seeds well watered.

Plant from starts (still available in some nurseries):

• broccoli
• cabbage
• cauliflower
• brussels sprouts
• kale
• green onions

Plant from seed:

• lettuce
• spinach
• radishes
• arugula
• pac choi/bok choy

It's probably too late at this point, but I'm still sowing:

• parnsips
• turnips
• beets
• rutabaga

What are you planting now for a fall garden in your neck of the woods? I love hearing about who's growing what in other areas of the country. One of my Facebook readers from California is playing around with papaya starts!