Please spam me

[theatokos]

I would like three things:
1. Any spring time recipes you have. I am beyond bored with my usual repetoire. Fruits, veggies, salads, fish - all those lighter things are calling to me. But I'll take anything awesome at this point.

2. I was given some dried chipotle peppers today. I took one sniff of them and decided to make mole sauce. But I've never done it before. Do you know how? Please guide me.

3. I want to start to garden. I've never done it before. I think starting with a tub of herbs would be wise. Help!

Thank you. I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

Comments

[honeyrider.livejournal.com]

1. two things i've been obsessed with now that it's warmer and root veggies hold almost little appeal but not warm enough to have local spring veggies:
a. mediterranean couscous salad. whole wheat couscous, red onion [diced small], sun-dried tomatoes [chopped], oil cured olives [chopped], feta cheese [crumbled] a sprinkling of parsley, a bit of balsamic vinegar, and a glug of olive oil. mix and refrigerate for an hour.
b. http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/01/smashed-chickpea-salad/

also, avocado, heart of palm, red onion salad (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Avocado-Hearts-of-Palm-and-Red-Onion-Salad-with-Coriander-Vinaigrette-10030)

2. no help -- i never made my own mole either.

3. herbs are pretty easy to grow. i'm assuming you will start inside with transplants since a quick check of temperatures in your area shows that it's too early to have them outside.

certain herbs grow well together in a container/window box. for example, you can put basil and marjoram together because they have similar water + sun requirements, but you wouldn't want add your rosemary [less water] and mint [generally should be planted separate because it grows like a weed and will eventually take over your container] to the same container.

certain herbs you can start from seeds. if you started tomorrow, most would germinate by june-july. others, like bay [it's technically a tree], you'll need to start from a transplant. yada yada.

what would you like to grow? do you want to start from seeds or transplants? i'd love to help but i need a rough idea of what your plan is.
no matter the plan, you'll need good quality potting soil and a place that gets tons of sunlight during the day.

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

Thank you thank you!

The first salad sounds like something I make with quinoa, since I don't really like couscous. Will definitely check out the other two recipes too! Mmmmm.

Seeds v transplants.... uh.... dunno. Seriously: I a total noob. Which is better? My plan is to empty out a tub that the previous tennant left behind and start some herbs. It's a washing up tub so maybe three herbs? Basil, rosemary sound good. I'm not sure I've ever used marjoram! Sunlight and soil, I can provide.

[msmidge.livejournal.com]

Rosemary likes dryish soil. I'm not sure about basil because I've only ever had it die on me. Rosemary likes to be with lavender, though, and they both like sun. That would be a beautiful combination in a container.

I rarely have any luck getting seed-started plants to live, but I've had okay luck with transplants, since they're past the 'infancy' stage and are a little hardier.

Be sure to drill some holes in the bottom of your tub for drainage, and something underneath to catch whatever water drips out. You can put a coffee filter over the holes so the soil doesn't leak out.

[honeyrider.livejournal.com]

not so much a matter of better or worse as it is a matter of what you want. there's a certain satisfaction in growing from seed to plant, but it's a pretty persnickety endeavor, and you'll probably want to start with transplants.

make sure you drill holes on the bottom of the tub, for drainage. get quality potting soil from the nursery. basil, parsley, and thyme, maybe? basil and tomatoes! ;) i'd do rosemary in a different pot just because i've had trouble growing it in the same container as other herbs. when you get transplants at the nursery, ask questions! mom and pop nurseries are a fantastic resource for a noob.

[keypike.livejournal.com]

Will think a bit on the recipes...

Never made mole, so no help there.

http://www.yougrowgirl.com/ (http://www.yougrowgirl.com/) - I have a black thumb, but this blog makes me think even I could grow something!

[nosce.livejournal.com]

I am assuming you have a little bit of space outside? I really like peas and beans, especially with a youngster. Pea sprouts are really sturdy- about the thickness of a pencil- as opposed to something easily killed by a sprinkling of water, pesky cat, or ambitious toddler. They also germinate quickly.

You can't kill mint. It's practically a weed. Potatoes are also really, really easy and an exciting suprise at the end of the season.

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

Peas are climbers, yes? We do have some garden space, both in front and in back. I'm not sure I want to plant in the back because B runs around there, although that's the sunniest spot. I seem to remember that zucchinis grow well too.

[nosce.livejournal.com]

Yes, peas are climbers. But you can easily train them to anything- a tomato cage, a wall, a lattice, twine wound between two sticks.

Zucchini is pretty hardy as well, but they take a lot of room as the vines are sprawling. Cucumbers and zucchini can be trained to grow upwards, onto a lattice, which would save you a ton of space.
Zucchinis also taste horrible when they get really large and fat- more cucumber size will give you the best flavor. It's also the kind of plant that ripens all at the same time. So when you've got ripe zucchini, you've got way too much to eat.

[seaivy.livejournal.com]

I love tabouli! Also wheatberry salad. But I don't make my own. The local supermarket does a great one.
We are very big on steak sliced thin over greens and whatever veggies we want to add. My husband has taken over the kitchen. He makes a mean fish salad and chicken salad. He also marinates the steak in Bourbon and maple syrup.

I have grown herbs for years. Chives - parsley - basil - tarragon are all basic for cooking. I get all of mine as plants from the nursery rather than doing seeds.
Chives will re-seed themselves and come up year after year.
Parsley is weird. It is a bi-annual. It will seed itself but come up the second year. I now have a flourishing crop around the tub I planted it in two years ago.
Basil is an annual.
Tarragon will be a perennial under the right circumstances.
Mint is great. It comes in lots of different forms and does nned space.
Rosemary can be a pain. It will winter over under the right conditions. It is best grown in a pot although I know someone who has a huge rosemary bush.

My advice - find a local and ask what grows best in your part of Wales.

Do try nasturtiums. Bennett will love them. The seeds are BIG. They sprout in about a week. But it takes awhile for them to flower. You can use the leaves in salad. Some say you can eat the flowers too but I never have.

Happy Gardening!

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

Can you pass along your husband's fish and chicken salads recipes?

I LOVE parsley, so that would be a good one to have. I've known many an enormous rosemary bush. I think I wouldn't mind planting one since they have the most lovely scent and pretty little purple flowers.

Nasturtiums! Great idea, and they'll make the front look much nicer. Thank you!

[eelsalad.livejournal.com]

OMG HERBS! I have an herb garden in a big pot I got from Costco. It has oregano, thyme, chives, and basil (when I remember to replant it. It's an annual. You can get it to last longer by taking off any flowers before they go to seed). They grow together just fine. Oregano is a friggin' weed and REALLY easy to grow.

I'm a fan of mint, too. Easy to grow and smells great. Pro-tip: chocolate mint, minced, is fantastic over vanilla ice cream. Also, lemon balm has a really soothing scent and is (iirc) related to mint.

Recipewise: I love these two.

Turkey Waldorf
2-3 c. chopped cooked-and-chilled turkey
3-4 chopped green apples
1-1.5 c. chopped celery
1/4 c. chopped walnuts
8oz plain yogurt
1/4 c. mayonnaise (wossname works too, salad dressing? the mayo-like substance)
3 packets Equal (or any other sweetener, really)
1-2 tsp lemon juice

Mix the mayo and yogurt together, then add the lemon juice and sweetener. Chop everything up and pour the dressing over it, toss to cover, and enjoy! It's tangy and taaaaasty. Great to get rid of leftover turkey/chicken with.

Three-Onion Casserole
1 onion, chopped
3/4 c. sliced leeks (just the white part)
1/4 c. sliced scallions
3 cups cooked rice
1 cup skim milk
4 large eggs
1/4 tsp lemon pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
8oz swiss cheese, cubed

Cook onions until translucent in 1/2 tsp oil. Mix together milk, eggs, pepper, and paprika. Grease a large 2-qt casserole, layer half the rice, half the onions, and half the cheese; repeat. Pour milk/egg/spices mixture over all. Cook uncovered at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown on top.