wild rice & butternut squash

I love wild rice! Especially during the autumn. The earthy aroma and chewy texture meld perfectly with so many vegetables. Today I have butternut squash, kale sprouts, leeks, cremini mushrooms, & shiitake mushrooms.

Yum.

Prep your veg: (and preheat your oven to 425)

- peel, core & chop the butternut squash (the whole thing!) - rough chop on the kale sprouts (a did a whole bag) - clean and slice 2 leeks (you just want the white & super light green parts) - pulverize 3 or 4 garlic cloves - slice 2 pounds of mushrooms (I had a mix of cremini & shiitake - stems removed from the latter)

Time to cook:

- roast your cubes of butternut squash in some olive oil (plus salt & pepper) for 30 mins, until caramelized and soft - cook your wild rice (I cooked 2 cups in 4 cups of chicken stock) according to the instructions on the package - sautee leeks, garlic & mushrooms in olive oil and a few tbsp of butter, season to taste - add the kale sprouts when the other veg have cooked down, I like the kale to have a little chew to it - once the the squash is done, add it to the other veg and when the rice is done, combine it all! Season to taste. I added a tsp of dried thyme at the end.

- Serve it alone, or with your fav meat. We paired this with a delicious chuck roast. The flavors were divine!

Looking for kale sprouts? I found them at Trader Joes earlier this month. A great substitute would be broccoli, cauliflower, or even chopped kale.

making hulky (spinach) meatballs

My CSA just wrapped for the season & we are drowning in spinach. The past few weeks we've had spinach salads, wilted spinach w/ garlic & balsamic vinegar - and now I'm putting spinach in my meatballs.

After I preheated the oven to 425, laid out 4 sheet pans - I lovingly made 80 meatballs for storage in the freezer. Use whatever you have on hand - my go to fillings* are:

- 3 garlic cloves - 2 eggs - 1 cup sourdough bread crumbs - 1/2 to 1 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese - 1/4-1/2 cup olive oil - 1 pound of spinach - 1 pound of ground turkey - 1 pound of ground pork - dried oregano & thyme - pinch of nutmeg - salt & pepper to taste

* all the veg, cheese & bread crumbs are individually pulsed through the food processor beforehand

Bake for 30 mins, I bake 2 pans at a time & switch at 15 mins. Let them cool & toss into a freezer bag. Warm them in sauce for a quick spaghetti & meatball dinner, or for meatball subs. My kids love them - and love to help make them!

What are your fav meatball ingredients? I love swapping the spinach for arugula or carrots!

bread pudding: peaches, blueberries & sourdough - oh my!

When we are swimming in produce, I find a dish to combine everything we have on hand. Today I have sourdough, peaches, blueberries & eggs - time for bread pudding!

ingredients: *4-6 tbsp salted butter *2 cups whole milk *1 cup heavy cream *1/2 cup half & half (just in case you need a bit more liquid) *2/3 cup sugar *2 tsp vanilla extract *1 tsp ground cinnamon *4 large eggs *5 large peaches, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch cubes *1 pint of super ripe blueberries *5-7 pieces of sourdough bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 7 cups)

method: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-11-inch ceramic baking dish.

2. In a medium saucepan combine the butter, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, & cinnamon, and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts and the milk is hot. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

3. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and then whisk them steadily into the milk mixture. Continue whisking until blended. Counting to 125 usually ensures well blended eggs.

4. Combine the peaches, blueberries, and bread in a large bowl and mix well. Transfer to the baking dish and pour the liquid mixture evenly over the top. Make sure all of the bread pieces are soaked with the mixture, and let sit for 5 minutes. Pressing down with a spatula helps here!

5. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until bubbly and brown. Serve warm but not hot. I cooled mine & served it for breakfast the next day.

Not only is this a super yummy breakfast, but it's divine as dessert. Add some local ice cream from Trickling Springs and you'll want a second bowl!

We are looking forward to what our CSA pick up has this week. I've had a craving for plum granita!

cooking with garlic scapes: fajitas

Right now, farmers markets are teeming with a delicious spring treat - not asparagus, not ramps, not fiddle heads - though all delicious - I'm talking about garlic scapes. These scapes come from my garden & Love Dove Farm.

One of our fav preparations using scapes is fajitas. Omit the chicken & add beans and this is easily a fabulous vegetarian or vegan meal. Gather your favorite veggies, some cumin & chili powder and dig in!

Last night we raided the fridge for an easy tortilla filling meal. Using:

-5 garlic scapes -3 shallots -1 rotisserie chicken (substitute home roasted chicken) -2 red bell peppers -2 packs of cremini mushrooms -1/2 cup of cilantro from the garden -1 tbsp ground cumin -1 tbsp pimenton -salt & pepper to taste -1 tbsp-1/4 water or stock depending on how thick/thin you like your fajitas -2 cans of TJs cuban black beans -Your fav tortillas -Sour cream & chopped scallions to garnish

Just chop up your veg, sauté in olive oil, add the chicken & spices. Let it all meld together, now might be a good time for some of that stock or water, and taste to adjust seasonings.

Since we make this for ages 1-36, I hold out the chile peppers until I plate each serving...don't want any burnt tongues!

Here's what the fajitas look like open & then wrapped up, pardon our excessive sour cream usage...we love the stuff!

Some additional garlic scape ideas:

Grilled w/ your fav protein Enchiladas Scape and Sausage Penne How about in an omelette?

Don't wait on scapes, they'll only be around for the next few weeks. Better yet - grow your own garlic and harvest your own!

grilled garlic scapes & pork chops

Scapes are starting to emerge from my garlic plants, and we love to grill them. Just toss them in olive oil, grill for a few mins on each side, add a sprinkle of sea salt & dig in. But we cannot survive on scapes alone - enter big juicy bone-in pork chops.

I marinated the (trader joes) chops in olive oil, thyme, rosemary, and pepper for a few hours in the fridge - I seasoned with kosher salt right before they hit the grill. They grilled for 4-5 minutes per side, the kids like them a little more well done.

To go with this BBQ dinner I whipped up a butternut squash mac and cheese, same recipe as my vegetable drawer mac & cheese, but with only butternut squash. It was divine & the kids have a great leftover pasta dish for lunch!

I hope that trader joes keeps these chops in stock this summer, we loved them...even my 1 year old couldn't help but gnaw on the bone! As for the garlic scapes - their time is short but we'll scour the county farmers markets for them! You should too!

strawberries & shortcake

We were one of the hundreds that braved Gorman Farm on Saturday & left with 2 baskets of delicious strawberries. The fields were full of kids & berries and the line to pay was full of little fingers sneaking berries from unsuspecting baskets! It was worth the wait!

With our 7 pounds of strawberries & a few growing at home we were thinking strawberry shortcake! First we washed then sorted the berries into categories - shortcake, eat all week & eat this weekend. I love this time of year....soon TLV will have their delicious berries too!

To make the shortcake we kept it easy. Premade organic whipped cream + trader joes shortcakes + berries macerated in vanilla sugar for at least an hour. A twist of lemon or a sprinkle of sea salt is nice too.

Don't cut your berries too small, just hull them and slice them into 2-3 slices. Otherwise they'll be mush, you want some texture. If you're drowning in raspberries, blackberries & blueberries, toss them in. We love this seasonal treat. Next week it's strawberries & balsamic vinegar with thin sliced pound cake.

Layer how you like. We have little ones that are whipped cream fanatics, next time I'll make fresh, so we tend to have equal parts cream & berries. I'm pretty sure this sat in front of my son for no more than 3 minutes....it goes fast!

It was definitely worth the trip out to Gorman. Though I left with two sunkissed & exhausted kids, we had so much fun picking, snacking & people watching.

Are you growing strawberries? Do you have a farm near by to pick your own?

Smoothie Making 101

Santa brought me a new blender this year - so it's time to rethink smoothies and add some green too!

I started with some of our fav flavors, blueberry, pineapple & banana. For the kid smoothie I only added a touch of kale, for the adults we had almost 2 cups of torn kale leaves (don't forget to compost your kale stocks!) The adult smoothies also had greek yogurt & almond milk. My son's smoothie had juice & regular yogurt.

When making smoothies with kale leaves, you have to use a high power blender. Kale leaves are very high in fiber - which is good - but I'm not into chewing my smoothie, so make sure your blender can handle kale before adding it into your smoothie. In a pinch with a less powerful blender, I've added pre-made green smoothie to my mix to get the green benefits.

Basic Green Hulk Smoothie: 1 banana 2 cups kale 1/2 cup of greek yogurt (optional) 1 cup of almond milk (sweetened or unsweetened) 1/2 cup frozen blueberries 1/2 cup frozen pineapple

Method: Blitz away in your blender until desired consistency. Taste for sweetness. Store leftovers in an air tight container for breakfast tomorrow!

turkey soup w/ a thai twist

Now that its officially winter, I'm digging into my freezer for weekly soup ingredients. This week I found turkey, chili peppers, ginger & lemongrass.

A trip to Trader Joes finished up the rest of my soup needs: miso ginger stock, rice noodles, limes, sugar snap peas, shiitake mushrooms, bok choy & scallions.

You can use whichever vegetables are in your freezer/fridge. The important components are rice noodles, lime, lemongrass, soy, garlic & ginger. They turn the most humble soup into an exotic getaway. Add chili peppers, cilantro, thai basil & coconut milk and you just landed in Thailand.

I sautéed all my veg in sesame oil, added the spices & broth. As it came up to a simmer, I added shredded frozen turkey breast & let it mellow in the slow cooker on low for 3-4 hours.

Just before it's time to eat, make your rice noodles. Then taste for seasoning & add a squeeze of sriracha when you serve it for an extra kick.

1.76 pounds of paprika

To be precise, it's spanish pimenton dulce (sweet paprika.) For years, pimenton has been a staple in my spice rack, along side cumin, coriander & turmeric. We use it in homemade chili powder, as well as tex mex, indian, spanish, mexican & asian dishes.

I'm not sure if I can get through a pound & a half in a year, but I might. I was going through the 2 ounce containers like they were water - it was time to start buying in bulk.

My husband can't make roast chicken without a healthy dose of pimenton, looks like we'll be eating a lot of roast chicken this year.....I welcome any recipes, this might be quite a challenge!

Are you buying any spices in bulk?

Split Pea Soup * clean out the fridge!

Time to repurpose that Christmas ham & clean out the veg in the fridge! Somehow a carrot & turnip from my CSA are still going strong, paired with some swiss chard, misc onions (scallions & a shallot), and those split peas, I have the makings of a delicious soup!

Chop up whatever veg you have in the fridge, a clove of garlic & some rosemary tasted great in the soup. The red veg in the pic below is swiss chard stems. Remember - chard is a cousin of beets, without the beet flavor but with all the health benefits. So use the stems! Cook them up with the rest of the veg before the leaves go in.

When adding the leafy chard to your split pea soup, this goes for any chard/kale/spinach, chop it as small as possible to keep it from being stringy.

This soup packed a mega-veg punch. All the holiday treats were great, but it's time to up the veg to keep healthy during the winter.

In all, cooking time was about an hour and a half. Thirty minutes to chop, sauté the root veg & leafy greens, and to bring the 2 cups of dried split peas, ham & stock to a boil. Then it simmered for an hour or so until the split peas bloomed. As for seasonings - the ham was super spiced so I held back. Just a smidge of rosemary & a teensy bit of sea salt at the end.

How are you repurposing your xmas goodies? Any fun new kitchen gadgets?

Happy Holidays!

Furlough Minestrone

The soup theme continues as we march into the end of another furlough week. This time, swiss chard from the garden is used up, stems & all, in a delicious vegetarian soup. Paired with chickpeas, the sweetness of the chard intensifies. If you chop the chard leaves small enough, they wrap perfectly around fusilli noodles - perfect for (sometimes) finicky kindergarteners.

Gather whatever produce you have in the fridge & garden. Here's what I used:

- 8 cups of chicken or veg stock (or split that in half & use 4 cups of water & 4 cups of stock.) - canned tomatoes - 1 turnip, peeled & diced - 1 onion diced - 4 cloves of garlic, smashed & diced - 3 stalks of celery, diced - 2 carrots, sliced into rounds - 1 bunch of chard, remove stems from leaves. Chop both into bite sized pieces - 1 can of chickpeas, drained & rinsed - 2 tsp dried thyme - 1 bay leaf - olive oil to sauté veg - salt & pepper to taste - 1 box of whole wheat fusilli pasta, cooked to box directions & reserved separately. Don't forget to toss the cooked noodles in some olive oil...keeps them from sticking together - cheese to garnish: Asiago, Pecorino, or Parmigiana

In a large dutch oven, or stovetop safe slow cooker base, sauté all your raw veg in the olive oil (less the chard leaves & tomatoes.) After they soften up, season with salt & add tomatoes, chard leaves, stock, thyme, bay, & chickpeas. Bring to a boil & simmer on the stovetop for 30-60 mins, or in the slow cooker on low for an hour or so...then switch to warm until service. Ladle the soup over fusilli noodles & garnish with cheese (I add hot pepper flakes) and garlic bread.

Enjoy & fingers crossed for an end to the shut down!!

Furlough Pho

A few hundred thousand of my contemporaries & I are furloughed. After the initial shock of the federal shutdown wore off - we are into day 14 now - I started digging deep into my freezer & garden to cook for my family. One of the recent family favs was my Furlough Pho.

This was made of leftovers and with veg from the garden. - 4 cups of chicken stock (pantry) - 1 cup of shredded carrots (leftover from fish tacos) - 1 bunch of beet greens with stems, chopped (usually compost material, not this week) - 1 cup of mushrooms, sliced (CSA) - 4 cloves of garlic (from the garden) - 5 spring onions sliced (leftover from fish tacos) - 1/2 inch of ginger, grated (a freezer staple) - 1 tsp soy sauce (a pantry staple) - 4 stalks of lemongrass - 1 leftover roasted chicken breast on the bone (leftover) - 1 bunch of cilantro (garden) - juice of one lime & wedges for anyone that wants more - Thai basil leaves (garden) - 1 box of rice noodles

Sauté all the veg in sesame or olive oil until they are soft, add soy sauce and chicken stock. Add the chicken breast & lime juice, and allow everything to warm through. Shred the chicken into the soup, taste for salt & pepper. The beet greens and mushrooms really deepen the color of the stock, as does the bone from the chicken breast.

Serve over your fav rice noodles and garnish with cilantro, thai basil and sriracha.

This week I harvested chard from the front garden, so I'm making a minestrone...trying to keep cooking organically & deliciously on the cheap!

Garden Goodies 2013

Autumn is here & the garden is slowing down. This year I added lots of flowers to grow in place of many heirloom vegetables that I normally grow. The dahlias were front & center this year, along with French marigolds & zinnias. I did grow 3 varieties of tomatoes, a bunch of hot peppers, Mexican sour gherkins, greens & herbs - but only the tough survived. Here's a photo review of the garden goodies from my garden - I'm hoping the new addition to the family will be ready to get her hands dirty in the garden next spring!

Dahlias: Attracted butterflies, hummingbirds & bees

Queen Sophia Marigolds: Attracted pollinators & discouraged aphids

Hot Peppers: new to the group are the lemon drops, they will pack a punch in my chili powder

Tomatoes: Italian, Hawaiian Pineapple & Abraham Lincoln Heirloom varieties were delicious, but not enough for canning this year

Mexican Sour Gherkins: look like tiny watermelons, but taste like pickled cucs right off the vine. The little flowers attracted tons of pollinators as well as teeny parasitic wasps which took care of the tomato horn worms!

Herbs: Most of my herbs over-wintered and bounced back in early spring. Including: sage, oregano & rosemary

Next it's time to cleanup the remaining peppers, dry the fruits & plant some garlic. Hope you're enjoying the cooler autumn temps!

CSA Enchiladas

My first CSA pickup was full of greens galore. And after my fridge being on the fritz I remembered just how much I froze from the garden & CSA last year. So I made CSA enchiladas! Using chard, scallions, cilantro, garlic scapes, frozen corn, frozen tomatoes, dried hot peppers & a couple of store bought items we had a delicious enchilada meal that lasted 2 dinners and 1 frozen meal for when the baby finally arrives!

Ingredients: - roasted chicken, either a rotisserie chicken or roast your own, skin removed & shredded - 4 garlic scapes, chopped - 1 bunch of scallions, chopped - 1 bunch of chard, washed well, chop leaves only, compost ribs (mine was red and I didn't want it changing the color of the dish - 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped - 1 cup of frozen corn - 20 oz of frozen tomatoes (or a large can of diced tomatoes) - 2 dried peppers or a few tsps of chili powder will do. I was going for smokey with a little heat. - Pack of corn tortillas - Jar of homemade salsa (or store bought) - 1 cream cheese brick, soft - 4 cups of shredded cheddar cheese - 1 tsp dried oregano - 1 tbsp ground cumin - 1 tbsp ground coriander - 1 tbsp smoked paprika - salt & pepper - garnish with sour cream, olives, hot sauce, etc...

Method: - after you've roasted & cooled your chicken (or start shredding your rotisserie chicken) shred the chicken into pieces. Check for bones. Toss with cumin, coriander, paprika, salt & pepper. Reserve. - preheat oven to 375 - in a mixer, with the paddle attachment, add cream cheese, 2 cups of cheddar, scallions, scape, chard, & cilantro. Mix until just coming together, add the seasoned chicken & mix again. - in a pot, warm up salsa, tomatoes, dried peppers & oregano. Add corn. - in a large oven safe dish, add 1/3 of your tomato mixture (fish out those hot peppers!), then layer corn tortillas, 1/3 of the chicken mixture & repeat 2-3 more times. Top with shredded cheese. - cover the dish with foil & bake for 25-30 mins until bubbly - remove the foil and bake for another 5-10 mins - pull from the oven and allow it to sit for 5 mins, cut & serve!

It was a hit. My 5 year old couldn't eat it fast enough and we all had a second helping. Originally I wanted to roll the tortillas in a more traditional enchilada style, but that would have involved steaming the tortillas to make them more pliable, and I was more hungry than patient. I think the layering (lasagna) technique made it easier to serve and I didn't have to fret about how much to roll into each tortilla. This was the perfect way to get through a bunch of greens from the CSA and to clear out some room in the freezer!

What's your favorite way to make/eat enchiladas?

Scape & Sausage Penne

Fridge is out of service - and on the same day as our first CSA pick up of the season! Thankfully, the farmers market was open too. So we're shopping for one meal at a time until the fridge is in working order, hopefully there is also a new fridge on my horizon! My husband came home from the CSA with greens, onions, zucchini & mushrooms. I came home from the farmers market with sausage, garlic scapes, berries and cake. Dinner & dessert are served!

Ingredients: - 5 Italian sweet sausages, casing removed & sliced - 1 small onion, diced - 2-3 garlic scapes, diced - 12 mushrooms - 1 zucchini - Olive oil - Your fav grating cheese (we are into manchego these days) - Salt & pepper - 1 tsp dry thyme - 1 tsp red pepper flakes - Box of pasta, we used penne

Method: - get your pasta water going & don't forget your colander! Then cook noodles according to package instructions - in a large skillet sauté the veg in olive oil - after 5-10 mins reserve veg in a large bowl & cook sausage in olive oil - after 5-8 mins, add veg back in with sausage, add thyme & pepper flakes for kick. Taste for seasoning - when noodles are done, drain & toss in skillet - add some olive oil & shredded cheese. Finish with butter for something over the top.

It was quick, delish & everything came from local farms, my garden & a bit from the pantry. Not bad for not having a working fridge! Thankfully the freezer is working, so leftovers went in there. Fingers crossed that I'll having a working icebox this afternoon!

What do you do when the fridge is on the fritz?

Rigatoni Primavera

Using that yummy arugula pesto, I combined Italian pasta, Spanish manchego cheese & veggies from my farmers market to create a delicious spring dinner. The inspiration came from what's growing in my neighborhood right now! The arugula from my garden, asparagus from TLV Tree Farm & patty pan squash from a Virginia farm.

Make this with whatever's in your CSA box or at your local farm stand!

Don't forget about the sweet stuff too - strawberries are inundating all of my farmers markets! When we aren't eating them out of the box, we slice, macerate in vanilla sugar, and toss over a buttermilk cake from Stonehouse Bakery.

Arugula Pesto

Arugula is growing like gangbusters & I can't keep up! Instead of tossing it in salads, I blitzed it up in the food processor & made pesto.

Ingredients: - 4-6 cups of arugula - 1/2 - 3/4 cup of grated Parmigiano Reggiano - 1-2 garlic cloves - 1/2 cup of walnuts or pinenuts - 1 bunch of chives - juice of 1/2 a lemon - 1/4-1/2 cup of olive oil

Method - individually blitz the cheese, walnuts & garlic. - combine the first 6 ingredients into the food processor & blitz while slowly incorporating the olive oil. - salt & pepper to taste - serve over pasta or roasted veggies

Although arugula has a peppery punch, the pesto can be a little flat. That's why I added the chives & lemon. I have a feeling that most of our pestos will be basil-based this year, but I love making them with cilantro & chives too.

Our dinner was fantastic with the arugula pesto. What are you doing with the greens in your garden?

Inspiration: Arugula Sprouts

This weekend was beautiful & full of digging in the garden. When I don't have much time for lunch, I tend to look around for something fresh & quick. The first thing I spotted - arugula sprouts! Paired with a loaf of super seedy bread from the Roots Bakery, hydroponic tomatoes from Hummingbird Farms (find them at Roots & Harris Teeter), a sprinkle of sea salt, a crack of pepper, and some fruity olive oil - lunch was served.

What do you reach for on warm spring days? I spotted some mustard greens too - I might have to do some pickling this weekend.

Jay - My Cooking & Gardening Companion

This was a devastating week. On Thursday my adorable Scottish Terrier, Jay, passed away. It was sudden, we are shocked & I'm at a loss. Jay was the very definition of spunky & he was so until the end. We had no idea that a tumor was growing inside him. His vigor, appetite & desire for walks never waned. And an appetite he had...

Since adopting him in 2006 from a local breeder, Jay was the king of veggie treats & our own live vacuum. Not a grate of cheese was missed by his nose. Teaching a three year old show dog how to be a house dog was quite a challenge for us. Jay taught us about endless patience & that his bladder knew no bounds. From the first time we met him he would pee where he liked, and that first time it was on Josh. Thankfully, we taught him that the outside was his bathroom. I'm still not sure if it was some compromise....you give me as many baby carrots as I want and I promise to pee outside.

We bonded on endless neighborhood walks & Sunday soup cooking. His fav veggies were broccoli, carrots & celery. Though when we visited my family, he was treated to ham, eggs, chicken, beef & lamb. Spoiled he was.

Jay turned our house into a home, a young couple into a family & adored being a big brother to our son Jack. We learned so much about ourselves, and in my heart I thought we had more time. I knew he was slowing down, but that was ok. He still knew when it was 3pm and the best sniffing spots in the back yard. I had plans of a long maternity leave full of walks to the pond, around Centennial Lake & wherever else he wanted to go. Having him for my first maternity leave was a miracle. When I felt frazzled, exhausted & anxious, he'd snuggle right up to me and insist on a scratch. He melted away my worry and insecurity. He made me a good mama.

Now I have a fridge full of celery, empty water dishes & comfy puppa beds. I'm not sure when I'll be ready to put them away. But I do know that I'll feel a little better after doing some gardening this weekend. I'm on the hunt for a tough, spunky perennial to add to the garden in Jay's honor.

I love you Jay. You will never be forgotten. I'll always listen for your bark, paws & snoof.

Garlic Chive Pesto

My garlic chives need a haircut. Before the chop, I thought long and hard about what to make with so many. Why not Pesto? Using the traditional basil pesto ingredients (sans garlic, I wanted to really taste the garlic chives) I made a bright punchy pesto that will be divine over pasta w/ tomatoes (local & hydroponic of course - too early for any from my garden.)

Ingredients: - 2 bunches of garlic chives, cut in thirds - 1 cup of walnuts, pulverized in the food processor - 1 cup of parm, pulverized in the food processor - olive oil to desired consistency - salt to taste

Method: - process your cheese & walnuts, then reserve in a bowl - cut chives into food processor, pulse the processor a few times - add in cheese, walnuts & a healthy pinch of salt - pulse & add olive oil until desired consistency - save in a container - top the pesto off with olive oil first - for a week or so in the fridge. Or freeze cubes for later use. Mine will be devoured tonight.

I've yet to see garlic chives at my farmers' markets or trader joes. Thankfully they are easy to grow & winter perfectly in the mid-Atlantic region. I grew mine from seed last autumn & transplanted them to my front porch a few weeks ago. Fingers crossed that we get some garlic chive blossoms too.

Have you started harvesting any spring herbs?