BUT the good news is that summer is here!!! Thank goodness!! Spring was too wet and long for me. Now we're back in the time of picking berries, fresh fruit and veggies. I'm already starting to ponder my canning activities for the end of my summer, and what other treats I could cook up.
I started my own garden in a corner of my yard, that now is full of little green tomatoes..cherry, roma, and champions. Little bell peppers and jalapenos are growing from tiny blooms, and lots of carrots, lettuce and cilantro are peaking up at me. I'm so excited to not only be able to grow my own food, but to can it and share it with others. After paying $1.49 for a pound of roma tomatoes last week, I'm more than ready to have my crops ready. Its cost me about $15 total to get my plants and start my garden. $15..that's less than I spend for a week of veggies. Plus there is no running to the store to grab a tomato or cilantro (we eat alot of cilantro in this house).
We have been living in this house for 4 years now. I think about how that first summer my mom would come down with plants, or we'd go pick them out and spend the afternoon planting them. I was so excited, and despite a few casualties to lack of knowledge of where to place them, or puppy Khloe's teeth. Its amazing to me to see my black thumb turn green. That I was able to plant a garden and actually reap the rewards! Now the excitement has turned to my daughter. She has seen my plants grow and blossom and decided she needed a garden too. Not only did she decide to not put in a sandbox under her tree house/fort, but to plant a garden of goodies for the family and the cats (she had to plant them catnip). I guess the tradition continues and more generations of women in my family continue down the path of gardens of green and pink, and overflowing with the freshest of fruits and vegetables.
So now I want to share a recipe that comes to you thanks to my mother in law, and her work potlocks. Its truly the freshest tasting salad, low fat, and super yummy! It alot like a pico-de-gallo salad..with the tastes of jalapeno (which you could omit if you don't want spice, or replace with thai chilis if you want to pump up the spice), and cilantro, and lime. Its one of those salad that's perfect for hot days where you don't want to heat up the house or even ate anything warm. I don't have pictures to post since I wasn't thinking of my blog when I made this last week, but its gorgeous with all the colors of vegetables.
Lanchi Salad
1 bell pepper (I used green) seeded and finely diced
1 pkg. angel hair shredded cabbage
1 pkg. shredded carrots
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 medium red onion, finely diced
3 limes
1 t. pepper
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
optional: thai chilis or chopped tomato
Mix diced onion and bell pepper and juice of the 3 limes in a bowl and let sit in bowl in the fridge for 30 minutes. (while that sat I made my chicken and shredded it). Then add all the other ingredients ending with the chicken last. Mix and serve.
You can eat this as it is and its wonderful. You can top tostada shells with it, or mix in rice noodles, or put it in tortillas. However you want, its very versatile.
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