Memorial Day Part 1

I know I said I'd post our Memorial Day planting but first I want to post some Memorial Day recipes using garden goodies. Today I transplanted kitchen herbs to one area of the perennial flower/herb garden. They were previously spread around and I decided last year that I want one area devoted to kitchen herbs. One of the herbs that I moved was oregano. It smelled so good and was big enough to harvest that I thought I'd make a favorite recipe.

For the following recipe harvest the tops of oregano. Be sure it's Greek oregano, Origanum vulgare, that's the best cooking oregano. Here's a picture of my oregano and what it looks like in spring time.


White Beans and Oregano with Rice
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small onion chopped (@ 1 Cup)
3 Cloves garlic (@ 1 TBSP)
2 TBSP fresh oregano minced or 1 TBSP dried oregano
2 - 15 oz cans Cannellini Beans, rinsed and drained
1 Cup of water or Vegetable Broth
Rice - Cook rice according to package. I usually cook Jasmine rice in Vegetable broth with a dash of olive oil and some minced oregano for this recipe

Heat 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Add 1 small chopped onion and saute 5-7 minutes or until onion begins to brown. Stir in minced garlic and oregano, cook 30 seconds or until fragrant
Add beans and the broth or water and season with pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer @ 15 minutes or until half of the liquid has evaporated but beans are still a little soupy.

Serve beans over rice and with a side garden salad. YUMMY!!!

Harvested Rhubarb today; here's our rhubarb patch!

When you harvest rhubarb you pull the rhubarb stem so it separates right at the soil level. Do not cut the rhubarb!! But do cut the tops off and put the leaves into the compost pile. DO NOT EAT THE LEAVES!!! They are very toxic.
When I use rhubarb I take the pinkest parts of the stems and cook with that part, they are the sweetest part, as sweet as rhubarb can be. The top green parts are the tartest. Some people like the green tart parts but we like the sweet pink parts.

We love rhubarb.. So here's a favorite Rhubarb Bread recipe.

Rhubarb Bread
1 1/2 Cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 1/2 Cups flour - Can use half white and half whole wheat pastry flour
2/3 Cup Canola or Vegetable oil - I use canola
1 Cup sour milk - don't have sour milk make some! (1 Cup sour milk = 1 Cup milk - 1 TBSP and add 1 TBSP vinegar)
1/2 Cup chopped nuts - walnuts or pecans
1 1/2 Cups chopped rhubarb - I like to use the red and pink sections of the rhubarb

Beat sugar, oil, eggs
Mix baking soda and milk. Add flour, vanilla, rhubarb, and nuts.

Pour into 2 greased and floured bread pans
Sprinkle with 2 TBSP sugar and dot with butter
Bake 325 degrees for 1 hour