No garden should be without kale and collards. These easy-to-grow green leafy vegetables are both  from the Brassica family (which includes cabbage, kohlrabi, Brussel sprouts and broccoli.) What makes these so great? Well, first of, they are packed with nutrition. Studies show that they may prevent several kinds of cancer. And they taste good! These are…

Nettles are one of the first plants to emerge in the spring. They are super-high in Vitamin C and minerals. They also have diuretic properties, so they are considered a good tonic or cleansing green. In other words, this is a super-health food that comes just when we most crave something fresh after a winter…

You know all those zucchini that you miss and don’t find until they are the size of a three-month old baby? Well, here is the perfect use for them. Zucchini is the tofu of the vegetable world. They take on the flavor of anything they are cooked with. Trust me, these gummies are amazingly yummy.…

How many times have you complained about having too much zucchini? If you want to curb your zucchini production a bit, why don’t you eat the flowers? The flowers are tender and very tasty. The most common dish for them is fried, although there are lots of recipes for soups, pastas and quesadillas made with…

Man has used salt to brine or fermenting vegetables for millennia. It is one of the easiest ways to preserve the goodness of vegetables all year long. Sauerkraut is one of the easiest foods you can preserve. There are two ways to make sauerkraut: in a big batch that you later process in a water…

There is nothing food-storagey at all about this soup, but I have to share this recipe from my friend Laura Dallman, because it is such a good, hearty soup. It is commonly served during the holidays here in the Dakotas and Minnesota. Laura brings it each year for our Thanksgiving dinner and we LOVE it.…

No garden should be without kale and collards. These easy-to-grow green leafy vegetables are both from the Brassica family (which includes cabbage, kohlrabi, Brussel sprouts and broccoli.) What makes these so great? Well, first of, they are packed with nutrition. Studies show that they may prevent several kinds of cancer. And they taste good! These…

Radishes are a great first crop for children to start learning to garden. They grow quickly and are fool proof. I plant radishes with my carrots. They are quick growing, so they help define my carrot rows long before the tiny carrot seedlings emerge. But then I’m left with a hug radish crop. What to…

This is another low-carb veggie dish that has become a family favorite. I recently made it for my husband’s uncle who has very particular tastes. He called me the next day and wanted the recipe, saying it’s the best zucchini dish he’s ever had. Ingredients 2 medium zucchini, quartered and chopped (about 4 cups) 2…

This is our family’s favorite way to eat zucchini. It always gets rave reviews whenever I take it to potlucks. Serve it with sliced tomatoes from the garden and you have a complete and filling meal. Ingredients: 4 C sliced zucchini 1 C slice onions 1 C sliced carrots 1 can cream of chicken soup…

This is a wonderful way to use all the tomatoes and cucumbers coming out of your garden. Fresh, light and colorful, it is a good companion to sea food and chicken. For added color, I like to use a variety of different colored tomatoes. Ingredients: 2-3 large tomatoes, about 3 C diced 1-2 large cucumbers,…

This is a great way to serve vegetables during the late summer months, when the vegetables are coming in by the bushel-full. Make a platter-full of Vegetable Tempura, served with some sliced tomatoes and a beet salad and you have a filling meal. Ingredients: Vegetables, cut into strips, slices or cubes ½ C corn starch…

Every year I plant way too much Swiss chard. In my defense, it’s such an easy vegetable to grows and I forget how much just a couple rows will produce. Then I work all fall chopping, blanching and freezing dozens of bags of Swiss chard, only to have the family complain about it. Then I…

This easy-to-prepare salad is the perfect way to use kohlrabi. It plays well to kohlrabi’s crunchy-sweet goodness. It will keep well in the refrigerator for several days. Ingredients: 4 C shredded kohlrabi ½ C shredded carrot ½ C finely diced onion Dressing 1/3 C apple cider vinegar 1/3 C olive oil 1½ Tbsp Dijon mustard…

The joke is “Leave your car windows rolled up in the summertime or someone will deposit a bunch of zucchini in your car.” But the truth is, there is no such thing as “too much zucchini.” Honestly, there are so many amazing ways to use zucchini, why would you ever want to give away this…

My kids aren’t big cole slaw eaters. That is, until they ate this version. It’s a great combination of spicy and sweet. My youngest likes it so much, he asked for it for his birthday dinner. If you use horseradish straight from the garden, like I did, grate it finely and prepare the salad dressing…