^{At The Tasteful Garden we love to cook, it is our primary reason for gardening!  We love the fragrances of harvesting vegetables and herbs for a meal, preparing foods using the freshest ingredients, and sharing our bounty from the garden with our friends and family.  Other cultures have done this for centuries and our American heritage has always done the same in the past.  Unfortunately, the modern family shops at the supermarket and has very little sense of where their food comes from.  So much of our produce comes from other countries which allows us to have a huge selection, but also requires longer storage times and different harvesting techniques which decrease the quality and nutritional value of our food.} 

^{We want to bring back the family vegetable garden, encourage children and parents to garden together and learn about heritage gardening so that it can be passed along to future generations.  The Heirloom varieties of vegetables are still available for us to grow which have better flavors and more nutrition than the vegetables in supermarkets.  Spending family time in the garden, in the kitchen, and at the table is good for all of us and should be encouraged in our children.}

^{This page is dedicated to the kitchen and has many wonderful, mostly quick and easy, recipes for using fresh herbs, garden vegetables, quality ingredients such as cheeses, meats, pastas, and breads.  Just scroll down to view our selection of recipes.}

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Summertime Catch-All Recipe!

Summer squashes 1-2 mixed colors, diced
1/2 large sweet onion, diced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
1 sweet bell pepper, diced
3-4 tomatoes, diced (peeled and seeded if preferred) heirlooms with mixed colors are best!
2-3 tbsp. good Olive oil
about 3-4 tbsp. of fresh herbs minced such as Sweet Basil, Chives, Italian Parsley, Oregano, and Marjoram (any mixture will do)
1/4 tsp. hot red pepper flakes (optional)

Additional items to add:
2 fresh chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces.
or 2 cups large shrimp, peeled

Couscous, cooked with chicken broth
or cooked penne or spaghetti Pasta (regular or whole wheat).

Begin by sautéing the onion and peppers in the olive oil, add garlic when onion is translucent. Add chicken or shrimp, herbs, tomatoes, and squash and cook over med high heat for about 5-10 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked through and vegetables are just tender. Toss in a large bowl with Couscous or Pasta and serve immediately.

This really is a catch all recipe, just about any vegetable can be added and any type of meat or substitute garbanzo or other beans to add protein. Leave out the pasta or couscous for a low carb version. Fill tortillas for a tasty hot sandwich or serve it cold at a picnic or cookout.

Cook bacon slowly until crisp but still chewy.  Remove bacon drain and break into bite sized pieces.  Add vinegar to drippings in the pan on low heat.  Add sugar and salt and pepper stirring until sugar is dissolved.  Add onion slices and cook for about 2-3 minutes.  Toss in chives and spinach leaves and turn over gently to coat the leaves with dressing.  Remove from heat and serve immediately with bacon sprinkled on top.  Add hard boiled egg slices if desired. 

This recipe can use literally every type of vegetable you can get your hands on. Make enough to freeze some for later!

1 1/2 lbs. good beef sirloin or chuck, well trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
light olive oil as needed
1 onion, chopped
2-3 celery stalks (with leaves), chopped
4-5 carrots, chopped into bite sized pieces
2-3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 - 28 oz can of diced or pureed tomatoes
1 can of tomato paste
1 quart of water or beef stock (chicken or vegetable can also be used)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Fresh herbs such as thyme, oregano, parsley, basil, marjoram and 1 small sprig of rosemary. Herbs should be chopped fine or tied into a bundle with kitchen string which can be removed after 1 hour of cooking time.

Suggestions for vegetables: (these should cook according to length of time needed, frozen or canned vegetables will take less time and can be added for the last 15 min.)

2-4 potatoes (depending upon size), diced
canned or frozen corn
1-2 zucchini or squash, cut to bite size
green beans, canned, frozen or fresh
okra
cabbage
or even broccoli!

Add about 2 tbsp. oil to a large skillet or Dutch oven and heat on high. Season meat with salt & pepper and add to the skillet in one layer and brown it over medium heat in separate batches adding oil as necessary. Remove cooked meat to a stockpot.

In the same skillet, over medium heat, add about the same amount of oil and sauté onions and celery until just translucent. Add chopped herbs, or herb bundle, cooking for just a few minutes then turn off the heat and add garlic, stirring to heat but don't let it brown. Add to the meat in the stockpot along with the tomatoes, paste and water or broth. Simmer soup for at least an hour then remove herb bundle, if used, and add vegetables in stages beginning with the potatoes, which take about 30-40 min. to cook, and ending with corn and squash which take only about 15 min. to cook. Taste and season as needed with salt & pepper.

Serve with Cornbread, Biscuits, or French Bread. Note, fresh herbs make a huge difference in flavor in this soup and you should use them where possible but dried herbs are delicious too.

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