Grow, baby, grow...
…and parmesan farrotto with kale
Friends, this year’s garden is planted! Now we wait to see how she does. If you’ve been here a while, you know my success in the garden (or lack thereof) has been…eh…well, nothing to write home about. But still, we press on! Learning and growing each year.
Last year’s biggest successes were cherry tomatoes and okra. Gosh we had okra coming out of our ears, but it was a super fun plant! In the middle-of-the-road category, the eggplant did better last year than the year before, but they were a little bitter. I think I left them on the plant too long in hopes they would get bigger. And the disappointments abounded in the green bean bushes that got gnawed to the ground by rabbits and the squash vine borers that took out all my squash and zucchini. So, we’re learning - reading up on squash worms and putting extra fencing around certain plants.
This year, I started a few more things from seed, and it’s been fun to go out and check to see what’s sprouted. I head out every day and thoroughly examine each container, and then run back in to proudly announce something like, “Hey, guys! We’ve got radishes!” (Boy, what an exciting life I lead.) I fret over whether it’s rained enough or too much, or if it’s getting too hot too fast. And if I’m not careful, I could see myself turning into a crazy plant lady who takes her ruler outside to measure the seedlings and record their progress in an adorable little journal. (I do have extra journals laying around…)
So, without further ado, I present this year’s garden!
Starting from the top row - 1) The fun okra plants! If you plant them, heads up, they get tall! 2) Tomatoes and peppers and garlic all together. 3) The tiniest of swiss chard sprouts. Come on guys! 4) A fennel! I’ve never planted a fennel before, but I can’t wait to see if it grows a big bulb under there! 5) Cucumbers, a garden staple. Usually they do okay. Have to remember to catch them before they get too big. 6) Eggplant. I got purple and white and then forgot to label which was which. Oops. 7) Baby radishes. Crossing my fingers that I didn’t wait too long, because if it gets too hot, they’ll be all greens and no radish. And 8) Mr. Owl who watches over the garden yet again this year, but I don’t think the bunnies care. I need to automate him or something.
And in the courtyard, close at hand for snipping, the herbs! (And kale because it does better here away from the bugs.)
I’ve already been adding fresh herbs to everything I can, and I am eagerly awaiting a bountiful harvest of veggies so I can make this marinated tomato caprese, easy refrigerator pickles, and my favorite roasted ratatouille. Grow, garden, grow!
Until then, I’m grabbing in-season produce at the store (our farmer’s market doesn’t start for another couple of weeks) to continue making those early spring transitional dishes, such as the Parmesan Farrotto with Kale I have for you this week.
Farrotto is just a fancy way of saying “like risotto, but I used farro”. It’s hearty, and nutty, and has a wonderful chewy texture. Plus, you get all the health benefits of farro over regular arborio rice.
This recipe (below) starts with a sliced shallot, stirs in a big bunch of chopped kale for greens in every bite, and finishes with parmesan cheese and a splash of lemon juice to make it rich and satisfying, but add a hint of brightness.
It’s the perfect lunch for spring days that start chilly or days that are full of April showers - those days where I still need a little coziness or comfort. (Super as a meal-prep lunch all week!) But, it would also make a lovely vegetarian dinner or a side dish to go with a grilled meat.
I’ll try to remember to do a garden update later this summer, and show off my baskets of produce (yeah, right).
Until then, tell me all about what you grow in your gardens, and what you have the best success with! I want to hear all about it!
MONDAY - Vodka Pasta, Italian Sausages, Cucumber Salad
One pan pasta with oven roasted sausages sliced on the side and a cool, creamy cucumber salad. Homemade bread if I get around to it!
TUESDAY - Carnitas Tacos, Chips and Salsa/Cheese Dip
Taco Tuesday using the shredded pork carnitas I stashed in the freezer. Both flour and corn tortillas and all the toppings.
WEDNESDAY - Mini Meatloaves, Potatoes, Brussels
I saw a sheet pan idea (I think on New York Times Cooking…) with mini meatloaves surrounded by diced potatoes and veggies, and it looked so good! I’ll do half of my normal meatloaf recipe, potatoes, and brussels sprouts. And of course a little sweet ketchup glaze.
THURSDAY - Picnic Sandwiches, Pasta Salad, Fruit
Weeknight soccer game this week, so we need something fast or something that we can pack along! A big sandwich stuffed full and pressed flat can be cut into individual portions, pasta salad can be done ahead and served into little containers, and mandarin oranges were made for being on-the-go!
FRIDAY - Friday Night Pick-Up!
SATURDAY - Dinner at Yaya’s (the in-laws)!
Okay, we’re a little obsessed with her new Blackstone griddle. The Philly cheesesteaks last week were amazing, so this time we’re going to try fried rice and dumplings.
SUNDAY - Dinner at Dad’s!
If the weather is nice - chicken thighs and vegetables on the grill with herbed garlic couscous on the side. If the weather is gross, keep the couscous, turn the chicken thighs into butter chicken in the slow cooker.
LUNCHES for this week -
I made a big, mixed greens salad with strawberries, blueberries, feta, and toasted nuts for Easter, and I left the poppyseed dressing on the side, so any leftovers would keep better. I’ll add some grains and chicken to what I have left, and then change over to making little pork quesadillas with the leftovers from Tuesday night.
EXTRAS for this week
This week I get to help some more Girl Scouts with their New Cuisines badge! We’re planning on Mango Lassi (something from another country), Chicago Deep Dish Pizza (something from another US region), Pineapple Upside Down Cake (something from another time period), and meal kits made from completely shelf-stable ingredients (something that makes a statement). Always a fun experience!
Parmesan Farrotto with Kale
Makes 4-6 servings
· 3 tablespoons Butter, divided
· 1 large Shallot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
· 1 ½ cups Farro
· 4 cups Vegetable or Chick Broth
· ¾ teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)
· ¼ teaspoon ground Black Pepper
· 6 (packed) cups chopped Kale
· 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese, plus extra for serving
· 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
In a large skillet (one that has a lid), heat 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium high heat, until melted. Add the sliced shallot, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for about 4 minutes, until shallot is soft. Add the farro, stir to coat in the melted butter and cook for 2 minutes so it toasts a little.
Stir in 3 cups of the broth, the salt, and the pepper. Bring to a simmer and continue cooking, stirring often for 10 minutes. Stir in all of the kale and the remaining 1 cup of broth. Cover and cook for 10 more minutes.
Uncover, stir in the parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until most of the liquid is absorbed, but mixture is still loose.
Serve into wide bowls and top with a sprinkle of extra parmesan, if desired.
NOTES: If desired, you can add a splash of cream at the end to add a little extra richness. Also, different brands of farro may have different cook times, check your packaging to see if the 20 minutes of cooking listed above is right for your farro.
That’s all for now, thanks for reading! See you back here next week!
(Don’t forget you can see all of the past newsletters and recipes at the archive link below!)
All recipes categorized by type can be found in the index!