The Goodness of the Garden . . . All the Year Round #9

After all these years of gardening and cooking, I should know the difference between a zucchini and a cucumber.
So should the people who label the vegetables at the farm store.
Nonetheless, after a busy day of work on Friday, I went by my favorite farm store to see what fresh vegetables I could get for the weekend. Seeing the zucchini sign made me think of one of my favorite soups, Chunky Minestrone. I felt lucky to get the late-season squash and added it to my bag of fresh vegetables.
On Sunday, I gathered my ingredients for the soup and began to chop. Once I got the onions, carrots and garlic into the hot olive oil, the fragrance turned the kitchen into the most welcoming room in the house. I added some of our garden-canned tomatoes, broth, seasonings, rice and set the pot to simmer for 20 minutes.
Next came the zucchini. I looked at it and saw small bumps where she skin should have been fully smooth. I cut off the end then another piece taste. I could tell by the seeds that I was not about to bite into a zucchini. Indeed, it was a cucumber.
I momentarily wondered what I could add to the soup instead of the green squash. I have butternut squash so that would be an option, but I knew the sweetness would vastly alter the flavor.
Soup is one of the easiest dishes to make with substitutes. I frequently switch among chicken broth, garlic broth and vegetable broth. I vary herbs according to what I have. I’ve used quinoa or barley rather than rice. On this Sunday, my husband even urged me to use the cucumber in the soup but I feared it would be mushy, maybe even slimy, and ruin the texture.
I feel blessed to live in a place where I have easy access to the missing ingredient. So, I headed to the store to replace my misidentified ingredient. I finished the soup and enjoyed another bowl of this healthy meal that I’ve been making for years. Try it and see what you think. And share your favorite soup recipe so we can add it to our fall menu.
Chunky Minestrone Soup
2 tsp olive oil
1 ½ C chopped onion
1 medium carrot, halved lengthwise and sliced (about ¾ C)
1 clove garlic
½ C long-grain rice, uncooked
1 tsp dried Italian seasonings
1 ½ C water
1 (14 ½ oz) cans no-salt added whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 (10 ½ oz) low-sodium chicken broth
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced (about 2 C)
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 (15 ½ oz) can cannellini or red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2/3 C grated Parmesan cheese
Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add onion, carrot and garlic. Saute 3 minutes. Add rice and next 4 ingredients; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add zucchini and next 4 ingredients; cook an additional 5 minutes. Ladle into individual soup bowls, and sprinkle with cheese. 10 servings.

The Goodness of the Garden . . . All the Year Round #8

When I was a child, every playground had a merry-go-round. Some of them were divided into pie slices of various colors with a metal bar in between each section. Once every daring child jumped on, someone strong would push the merry-go-round and keep us spinning until we were all dizzy.

The Goodness of the Garden . . . All the Year Round #7

It’s that time of year when the kitchen is ripe with the sweetness of cooking jam, the boldness of simmering tomato sauce or the freshness of a just picked basil. I feel wealthy with this abundance because nature’s gifts remind me of the wonder of the earth.

The Goodness of the Garden . . . All the Year Round #6

In this part of the world, the heat, humidity and lack of rain have been a constant for the past month. If you’re experiencing the same thing, you might read “preservation season” and think about hours inside a comfortably air-conditioned house that keep your energy and health preserved and protected from the elements.

The Goodness of the Garden . . . All the Year Round #5

“Everything I launch into the world doesn’t produce immediate payoff. Some things take time.”
That’s so true for everything in the gardening life, and in life in general. I wrote that in February in regard to my new bird feeder. I wasn’t sure if the birds would ever come. For a while, they didn’t. I checked the package of the food I bought and decided I should trade it out for another that is specifically for smaller birds.
Now I have chickadee and purple finch visitors every day!

The Goodness of the Garden . . . All the Year Round #4

Spring is a season of creation at our house. The soft sun invites me outside where I cannot resist digging up weeds here, removing dead leaves there, hoeing the soil to prepare for vegetable seeds and flowering plants.

I spent most of the first two weekends in May in my yard taking care of the little patch of earth we nurture. The piles of wood chips that the tree trimmers left slowly shortened as I filled up the wheel barrow and buckets to haul the mulch to one of the gardens where I’ve weeded and planted.

The Goodness of the Garden . . . All the Year Round #3

One thing that gets me through the transition from late winter to early spring is visions of shiny, plump, red tomatoes. I get those beauties started with planting the seeds.

It’s rejuvenating to put hope into a tiny seed and watch for it to break through the surface of the damp soil to show off its little bit of green. No matter how the cold soil on my fingers, the work promises to pay off in delicious sauces, sandwiches and soups.

The Goodness of the Garden . . . All the Year Round #2

The Joy of Fresh Ricotta. I abhor waste, especially when it comes to food. One of the joys of winter is that when we have a little of this and a little of that left in the refrigerator, I can usually find a way to combine it with a few fresh ingredients to make a soup or casserole to warm us.

The Goodness of the Garden . . . All the Year Round

Some Things Take Time
I’ve been working at my desk for nearly seven hours today and I’m still waiting for my first, bird visitor outside of my window.
My husband, Jim, bought me what looks like an ingenious bird feeder that is supposed to keep the squirrels out of the food that’s not intended for them. However, it’s a cold day in January in Kentucky, not the kind of day when I typically see many birds or squirrels.
This morning, a cardinal hopped around on the ground below, picked at the few seeds that fell out of the feeder when Jim hung it yesterday. Mr. Cardinal gazed up as if anticipating the feeder, but didn’t make his move.
I haven’t seen another bird since then.
That’s okay. Everything I launch into the world doesn’t produce immediate payoff. Some things take time. That’s what I learned when I launched The Goodness of the Garden . . . All the Year Round in 2009. Today, I’m relaunching the blog on a new home and with a broader outlook.
Initially, I challenged myself to create a weekly menu that used as much local, in-season produce as possible. At that point, I was recovering from breast cancer and rebuilding my health. A nutritious diet was an important part of my plan.
To keep myself accountable, I launched a blog. I used the blog to share recipes, gardening tips and food preservation ideas. The more I practiced, the stronger my local-eating habit became. Now it’s such a regular facet of my life that I sometimes forget that my approach to meal-planning and cooking aren’t typical for all families in the United States.
As I relaunch my blog I will be writing about food and gardening. I continue to learn about both. However, I’ll also be exploring the Goodness of the Garden from other perspectives. Thus, I was hoping for an avian visitor to write about today.

At least I got some winter sunshine to brighten the feeder, which apparently doesn’t yet make it attractive enough.
What I expect at the beginning of a new year rarely shows up right away. Does the same happen for you? I invite you to share something that you’re launching this year in the comments.
I’ll practice patience and keep watching for what I can learn along the way. I hope you’ll join me for the journey.