What from your garden will be part of Christmas dinner?

[DeborahL]

I thought this would be a fun topic ! Who's first?

[GardenRN]

I have white and sweet potatoes left that will be part of it. Maybe the salad lettuce too if there is any left in a month.

[rainbowgardener]

Wow.... I started a thread awhile back on what are you still eating from your garden--for northerners. This thread will be for southerners, and maybe a few mid-range folks that have greenhouses.

I thought I was doing pretty good to have salad from my garden for Thanksgiving, I think Christmas is pretty unreachable. If I don't cut it back, the swiss chard will still be out there, but by that point it has toughened up pretty much and isn't much good any more. I'm going to try covering my broccoli today, but I'm doubting it will make it, even with plastic over it.

Today it gets to 65. Tomorrow it only gets up to 51. By Weds the HIGH will be 38 with snow showers. All the nights from then on in the 10 day forecast are below freezing. My garden is about done. But I'm now about six weeks away from starting the first seeds indoors and busy working on all my home made Christmas presents. I have 40 little canisters filled with 10 different herbal tea blends and now I'm working on soap making with my homemade essential oils from my herbs.

I'm working on building a mold and deckle to try recycling all the catalogs that come, into homemade paper [as someone here suggested, thanks! ], but it's looking like that may not be in time for this year's wrapping paper. They aren't built yet. And I shredded up a catalog (we have a little paper shredder). I looked at all those colors and thought if I just pulp all that up, it will just be some kind of sludgy grey-brown. So I've been hand sorting paper shreds by color... that could keep me occupied all my tv time for a long time

Anyway, the point of all that was I'm not likely to have anything homegrown for christmas dinner except the herbs that are growing indoors.

[gumbo2176]

Fresh Broccoli, made into a casserole or steamed with a little home made dressing on it. I'll have greens cooked down to go with the ham we'll be having. I currently have collards, kale, chard and spinach that can be cooked down for a nice side dish.

I'll surely use green onions, shallots, parsley, basil and some rosemary when cooking the meal. I'm still picking rattlesnake beans, but they have been going into the freezer after being blanched for later use. If we don't have a hard freeze for a couple days, I will have nice ripe tomatoes starting in a couple weeks. If it does freeze and kills the vines, fried green tomatoes and salsa verde will be how they're used.

[Francis Barnswallow]

Tomatoes, peppers, and lettuce. Lemons and oranges for the cocktails.

[rainbowgardener]

oh yeah, I do have some stuff from my garden I froze... does that count?

[GardenRN]

RG wow! Only 6 weeks out from starting seeds? If you're jealous of those of us with greens still in the garden and eating fresh things, I'm sure most are as envious as I about you being able to start seeds so soon. I have at least two months, really more like 3 before I should be starting anything other than really slow growing things like onions and lavender.

I'm anxiously awaiting the first of my 2012 seed catalogs. IDK which one will be first. But any will do at this point!

[digitS']

Wow.... This thread will be for southerners, and maybe a few mid-range folks that have greenhouses.

. . . I'm working on soap making with my homemade essential oils from my herbs. . .

Veggies from storage have to count, don't they?

You know, if Deborah had titled this, "What from your garden will be part of your Christmas day?" I think those herbal soaps would fit in nicely. I will begin taking baths with Aveeno soon and should probably put something in there that smells nice . . . How about lemon verbena? I've noticed that some folks use Aveeno for their dogs and there is an Aveeno for babies. No reason not to allow it for old men.

Storage veggies? Oh No! more of that greenbean/cream of mushroom soup casserole!!

Lots of potatoes this year and it is still uncertain if I can get them past January, which is about the best I can do usually with basement conditions. Potatoes seem to require quite a bit cooler conditions than dahlia roots - which I haven't tried at the dinner table yet .

Lots of celeriac to go with the potatoes. Those last and last in the fridge and I'm trying some using in-ground storage with the carrots this year. DD didn't follow my recipe of using some cream cheese with the mashed potatoes/celery root for T-day. So, I'll have to do some more convincing for her to see the wisdom of doing that. It is especially good if you use those mashed potatoes for shepherd's pie .

We aren't likely to have shepherd's pie for Christmas dinner altho' that is a good way to use the carrots & onions. Roast beef is usually what's on the menu . . . maybe a "chicken shepherd's pie" would work . . . Is there such a thing as a chicken shepherd?

Dessert forever has been squash pie and that's about as long as I can keep the Buttercup squash, anyway. Not having them later in the winter is disappointing but the best place I can keep squash seems to be on the floor of the kitchen. DW doesn't like them there but basement shelves may be just too damp of an environment. There aren't that many to use up over the month & most will be baked.

Steve

[DeborahL]

Anything goes, Steve ! And everybody, sure, canned and frozen ! I should've added that and gifts too.
Great teamwork for elaborating on my topic !

[gixxerific]

I have sweet potatoes, lettuce, spinach, Brussels sprouts, onions, garlic and swiss chard to choose from. Hoping on the lettuce. spinach etc to keep going. Some of it will be her no matter what.

We are having a birthday party for my daughter we are having fresh salad with dinner.

P.S. How could I forget the dwarf tomatoes I have going.

[jal_ut]

There will be nothing fresh from the garden, however there are some possibilities for garden produce from storage. Squash, carrots, potatoes, onions, apples and garlic. There are also veggies in the freezer and bottled on the shelf that are possibilities. I won't make a list. It is a rare day that we do not use something from the garden. How would it be to pick a fresh garden salad on Christmas? Never happen in this country.

[DeborahL]

The fresh things for salad are all I can do ! Count your "real garden" blessings, everyone ! There will be a few strawberries and lemons too.
I can't imagine the harvests you all have !
It's off topic, but I as a third generation Californian, have never even smelled a lilac.

[Duh_Vinci]

oh yeah, I do have some stuff from my garden I froze... does that count?

You betcha!!!

This time a year (though we are in unseasonably warm 65F today and tomorrow) I wish we were somewhere in CA or FL...

So looks like from the fresh - lettuce, radishes, arugula and garlic will be used in some dishes. Otherwise, "fresh" frozen tomatoes, sweet and mild peppers, and indeed - pickles!!!

Regards,
D

[PunkRotten]

I have still growing some tomatoes, parsley, cilantro, green onions, beets, carrots, radishes, red and green bell peppers, serrano peppers, red and green romaine lettuce, swiss chard, kale, nasturtiums, gypsy peppers, basil, sage, rosemary, and a some goji berries (just a few).


So I will be making salads and salsas and maybe some stuffed peppers. I like using kale and chard for green smoothies.

[rainbowgardener]

Interesting about the chard smoothies... what do you blend up with the chard? I'm not sure it sounds appealing to me, but since I always have lots of chard in the garden, I'm willing to be convinced!

[PunkRotten]

I put about 2 cups of greens; kale, chard, collards, spinach etc. Then I put about 2 cups of water. I blend all that up. Then I toss in a banana or 2, then an apple or pear, an orange, mango etc. You can mix and match whatever you want. Then finally I put about 2 handfuls of berries. I mostly use raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries.


I also add a squirt of flax oil and sometimes I add sweetener like stevia. Or sometimes I may add a few dates. The smoothie will look green, or brown, or reddish depending on what fruits you use. But the taste is sweet and fruity and you don't usually taste any greens. And the whole thing is extremely healthy for you. You usually get your daily fruit and veggie requirements just in this smoothie. And the good thing about it being a smoothie is your body digests/absorbs is much easier than eating it.

[rainbowgardener]

yeah, I asked because I frequently have a banana smoothie for breakfast - banana, berries, soy milk, protein powder- but I never thought about putting greens in it. I will try it. Your recipe sounds like enough smoothie for a week. I do one banana, one handful of berries, one cup of soy milk and the protein powder and that's plenty for breakfast.