A Week of Good Eats

or, on the seventh day we had pizza

Mom BJ was discharged last Sunday to Under The Oaks Rehab center.  We supervise her PT, grumble at her stubborn streak; remind her 'DOWN' with the bad, keep her iced, entertained, and ......

Well Fed!

We've had Caldo Verde, Charcoal Grilled Steak with corn and stir fry greens, Corned Beef and Cabbage, heapin salads, Baked Fish with roasted veggies and stir fry kale.  Greens, greens and more greens.  Between our garden and our CSA share, we are holding up extremely well.

And soon, we will be having our vine ripened tomatoes with our salad greens!

She goes out every morning for the paper and tours the garden; keeping close looks on the roses and tomatoes.

The important things in life!  Food for the soul and food for the belly.

Today, we are having Southern Field Peas and Greens.  This one is for you Ms Poodies!  And it is really easy.

Field Peas & Greens
Ingredients
1 package 2 lbs frozen field peas and snaps
1/2 cup onion
1/2 cup celery
1 TBSP Goya Recaito
1 package spicy link sausage
Liquid stock to cover peas (32 oz vegetable stock or left over stew stock)
salt & pepper to taste

Process
Brown onion & celery
Add stock and Recaito and bring to a boil
Add (defrosted) field peas and return to a boil
Reduce heat to simmer and continue cooking for about 20 minutes
Thin slice sausage and fry in wok or deep fry pan until crispy.  Remove sausage and sit aside.  Leave sausage drippings in pan.
At 20 minutes, add the cooked sausage to the peas and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

Prepare greens by slicing into broad strips.  You can also add sliced onion to your greens.  Toss greens with some olive oil and sea salt.  You can do this in advance and let them sit until the sausage is done.

Using the sausage pan with it's drippings; add a bit more olive oil and heat to medium.  Add greens in tong full portions tossing continuously.  As the greens wilt, add more and continue tossing.  Remove from heat when all the greens have wilted slightly.

When your patient is misbehaving by not following discharge orders and/or not listening to the on duty patient supervisor, threaten with immediate removal from the exclusive Under the Oaks Rehab with the fabulous meals.  And remind her of the nursing home food.

This week I wish I had a kitchen scale.  We have harvested a lot.  Compared to where we were a year ago?  A whole bunch.  Compared to where we should be with our growing conditions?  I don't know so much.  But measuring is important - it lets you better determine what works well and what needs improving.  I have fed us greens every day as well as have put up two batches of frozen greens.  Considering the double sized household this week and near record high temps - I'm OK with where we are.  Improvement next season?  For sure.

Mom!  You dang well better follow safety orders and get back on your feet to resume your garage selling gallivanting so you can find us a kitchen scale!  I need my weekly fix of Harvest Monday and it is kind of nice to hang with the other gardeners.