On Thursday Night April 11, 2013 we had a wonderful Night RS Meeting.
We learned all about planting and using vegetable and herb gardens. Then we were able to sample many different recipes that were made with garden bounties. Click Here to see those recipes.
Sarah Smith taught us how to prepare our soil for planting a garden and shared some of her tips for successful gardens. I did not know that Sarah had studied horticulture in college and she had an amazing amount of knowledge to share with us. Click Here to see her hand out that outlines our soil needs.
Beverly Bristow told us about her amazing garden and the bounty of vegetables she harvests. Some of the things she does to use those vegetables is to make South African curry with many garden vegetables and then freeze it in serving sizes perfect for her family. Then is the dead of winter she can pull it out of the freezer and enjoy the freshness of her garden. She also showed us some of the things she cans, such as pickled beets (her favorite) and salsa. One tip she had about your end of the year vegetables was to salvage the tomatoes that freeze on the vine before ripening. That last crop always breaks your heart because those beautiful tomatoes just didn't quite make it. Beverly gathers those green tomatoes and makes a sweet chutney with them that she cans to use all year.
Cynthia Conk talked about the many uses of squash. We didn't know that Cynthia was a Master Gardener in Wyoming and worked in a green house for many years. Gardening here is very different and she only began with a garden last year. One thing she grew in abundance was zucchini! One tip she gave us was that the zucchini itself grows very fast. if it looks like it is close to picking and you forget it for a couple of days, when you come back it will be huge. And it is best harvested when it is smallish and tender. Cynthia told us about making zucchini salsa and zucchini pineapple, both of which we got to sample. Zucchini pineapple is zucchini chunks cooked in pineapple juice until it tastes and has the texture similar to canned pineapple. You must taste it to believe it. She also told us about making fruit snacks out of zucchini with kool-aid. Remarkable!
Terese Muse talked about herbs. Herbs can be grown in very little space and many can be brought in for the winter to continue growing all year round. During the winter months you can take your herb plants and put them in a basement window well that has been covered by plexi glass. Then open up that window all winter to harvest and use your herbs. Cooking with herbs can be great fun. Adding a different herb to a recipe can change the whole nature of the dish. Herbs are very easy to grow--just don't over water them and give them plenty of sun.
Click Here to see a list of websites and resources about growing plants here in our unique Utah climate.
Finally, many people loved all the garden saying that our wonderful committee hung in the halls to get us excited about our event. A copy of those can be found by clicking Here.
We want to thank everyone who came and participated. A great time was had by all.
