Lemon Herb Gremolata

Well all-righty then....it's time to get the grill out!  

Here is a great little condiment for roast chicken, fish or grilled veggies 

The ingredients could not be simpler and the prep time is about 10 minutes

here's what you need:

2 lemons

a small bunch of fresh parsley (about 1 cup)

a small handful of fresh basil (about 1/4 cup)

your favorite olive oil

5 cloves of garlic

kosher salt

 a quick note on olive oil:

I have tested and tasted many 

and have finally found a grocery store product I love

California Olive Ranch

The regular Olive Oil is really great and I use regularly for cooking

but for a slightly more peppery rich flavor  or for dipping 

try the 

Millers blend

(first cold press, extra virgin)

Nice price and even nicer taste!

I use the small baby leaves of my basil plants for this...I top the plants when they start to bud and cut off just enough to use in salad or for a condiment like this

 for the parsley...I pull off the nice smaller leaves and discard anything that feels hard or stem like

 you will need a couple of nice big lemons.... a quick note on lemons:

I wash mine in really hot water

The hot water gets them super clean but also opens up the cells of the rind and 

then releases the oils in the lemon skin

 here is my herb pile

(pile:  a unique culinary term known only to me)

finely chop with a sharp knife and add to a small mixing bowl

 use a small grater and zest 

or finely grate the lemons over top

 squeeze in the juice of one lemon

 lightly blend...now on to the garlic

 the garlic needs to be smooshed 

(another gem in my kitchen vocabulary) 

in a mortar 

or really finely minced with a knife

 if you're using a mortar and pestle you will get a much smoother (smooshed) garlic paste...

I add a pinch of salt to help with the blending 

 work the garlic into a smooth paste...you will have about 1 tbl 

 add the garlic to your herbs

 this recipe makes about 1/2 cup of gremolata...

but a little goes a really long way

cover and refrigerate for about 4 hours 

this is a knock off of a really great Italian version and 

this is wonderful with grilled shrimp or even bruschetta and some goat cheese

have a lovely weekend!

xo

kelley

Pots in the Garden

These huge garden pots were added along our long gravel driveway last summer...and honestly 

after I planted them I was not sure if I really liked them....

did I say HUGE...

they are 3 feet wide and about 3 feet tall

The idea was to add some color along the drive and the front of the house 

and allow the plantings to cascade over the edges

and over time 

completely cover the terra cotta pottery.

Each pot also has a dwarf Meyer lemon in the center

The plant combinations are pretty simple: 

colors of pink, blue and orange 

and a bit of yellow

Meyer lemons do very well in pots so 

if you have the urge to plant one 

try a pot!

My experience has been that Meyers are a little finicky

...they like water 

and they like fertilizer and minerals. 

Here you can see the leaves are turning yellow 

so I usually feed them a little Ironite 

which is just a mineral supplement to help them green up again.

Meyers are wonderful tasting...try my vinegarette

 Back to the pots....I used lantana, geranium, 

gazania and Phlox

there are some succulents tucked in 

and some petunia and thyme

but really it's just your basic Nursery annuals and a few perennials  

in a mixture of the same colors

and all of the pots are a little bit different...which I like

Getting the soil for right for large pots has been a challenge actually... and over the years I've tried every type of potting mix on the market

I have  never found anything that worked that well...

(if you have a favorite please tell me!!! )

The soil either dries out took quickly or the the plants never root completely...the list goes on

So for this project and for all of my pots and containers 

I now use my new favorite soil recipe

Here it is:

1 part bagged potting mix...the kind that contains nice sterile soil, perlite etc

1 part bagged compost...the kind that contains mycorrhizae, guano (poop) and other good stinky stuff

1 part bagged sterile sand...the kind you would use for a sand box

mix together in a wheel barrel or if you don't have one 

use a large plastic yard bag and mix it on top of the bag with a shovel 

add water...get it good and soaked before it goes into your pot of choice

This is work 

so be prepared to get dirty...

but you get to wear your "girly girl" gardening gloves, 

get a sun burn 

and look like a gardening babe...at least that's my story

Fill your containers, 

then sit down and enjoy the view.

I really love container gardening and I'm sure you all do too

Good things come in pots!

PS...

because your are

Old Fashion Romantic Roses

The roses are blooming 

What is it about a rose that just shouts romance?

Is it the smell of sweet tea or the loose petticoat like petals?

Or just the fact that when someone give you a bouquet of roses 

you 

know they love you!

I don't really have a favorite rose, but I'm partial to the soft peachy colors and light pinks

When they start to droop a little after a few days... 

I really think they look even more beautiful

I like to gather them up in large bunches 

and squeeze them 

in to the vase

How romantic!

A pretty bouquet just for you

Have a happy weekend

Herb Garden

 My vegetable garden is a large area of raised beds, 

fruit trees, grape vines and of course lots of vegetables and herbs

 I have six raised beds made from stacked stones all found here on our property.  

Each bed is about 8 x 10 feet and supplies us with an endless assortment of vegetables 

through out the year.

I usually mix herbs in with the other veggies and still do that 

but I decided is was high time to give the herbs a lovely little spot all to themselves

 I like the idea of adding height to a bed by using pots and barrels.  In fact, I like pots scattered about the yard in interesting ways to keep the garden playful and to add color into the mix.

For those that have read this blog for a while you may remember when I planted the lavender garden. Part of the design was to incorporate these inexpensive wine barrels and fill them with flowers

The barrels are filled with geranium now and bloom almost continually throughout the year 

 The lavender is just about ready for it's first bloom of the year

 Here the geranium filled barrels are peeking above the lavender

OK.....now back to the herb garden

The urn shaped pot in the center is filled with creeping oregano.  It can be planted as an ornamental but you can snip it off and use it in your sauces etc.

Another small decorative idea I used are these 2x2 stakes place in a grid pattern 

and topped with tiny vintage green house pots

The pots actually tend to keep 

the squirrels and raccoons out of the beds

The raccoons have played with the pots on a couple of occasions and I have found them broken in the morning but they have yet to actually climb into the bed and dig around.

I saw this idea on an English gardening website 

and though it was pretty ingenious

The herbs are all placed symmetrically and include 

sage, oregano, lavender, society garlic, rosemary and 3 or 4 varieties of thyme.

Society garlic (tulbaghia) is a perennial with pretty lacy purple flowers.  

The leaves have a really onion-ey smell and can be cut and used in cooking.  

They make a pretty cut flower for arrangements too

The oregano is great in sauces or just tossed into a salad mix

The thyme varieties were planted all along the edge of the bed 

and then criss crossed diagonally

I'm not sure if I will let the thyme spill over the edges 

or try to keep it neat and tidy...what do you think?

Either way...it smells heavenly and it is one of my most favorite cooking herbs.

I have used thyme in my large pots of color along our driveway too 

and it flowers with delicate lavender blossoms that cascades over the edges of the pots.

I really like this herb garden!

You could try this in a very small yard too

or 

how cute would this look along a walk way at your front entry?

Have a great week

&

Happy Gardening