Beets
Beets are one very maligned vegetable. I've never especially liked parsnips, turnips or okra but, to me, beets are a delicacy...the sweet new varieties definitely deserve a place in any vegetable garden. There is a person in our house who absolutely despises beets, but there IS a way of getting around that fact! Beet tops are a tasty substitute for spinach and don't seem to mind being called by another name. They look like spinach and taste even better, with a dash of butter and lemon. No one is the wiser. I plant Detroit reds and Golden globes every year.
It is a bit more difficult to disguise the rich maroon root color of Detroit reds. I prepare them by wrapping in foil with rosemary and shallots and roasting them at 350 degrees until tender. They may also be prepared by steaming or boiling - then peeled and sliced. OR, you can pickle them for use in salads. For the finicky eater who absolutely refuses to eat them, here's an old recipe for pickled eggs which will captivate any reluctant beet eater!
Red Pickled Eggs: ( A colorful gift for any occasion )
1 bottle hot peppers and juice
1 cup apple cider vinegar. Cook, peel and slice aout six medium cooked beets. Hard boil and peel a dozen eggs.( leave whole ) Chop an onion. 2 whole cloves garlic. Put all ingredients into a large jar to pickle and color. Refrigerate.
Desert Gardening
Desert gardening...what a pastime. Natives anxious to attack with thorns, stickers or burrs - earth always thirsty - critters always a step ahead of you - dainty moths turn into hungry caterpillars - coyote eats up part of the irrigation system - birds sample one fruit at a time - gopher pops up unexpected . Yet the first carrot, pea or tender piece of lettuce, the first lime or lemon of the season, the first cactus bloom , the first bright green mesquite sprig, the first bud on a plant...all give such a feeling of delight and satisfaction. Not to be traded for anything else! (JGP)
Super Addiction
When I started the blog, I thought a few words now and then would suffice...WRONG!
A strange pattern is emerging. Seems that guilt has stepped up to bat. Now, if I don't post every few days I FEEL THAT I HAVEN'T HAD MY FIX! I wonder if other bloggers have noticed this same phenomenom.
The Borrego Dragon Fable
IN THE EARLY DAYS, coyote walked many paths. One day, as he was pursuing his travels, he came to a very wide valley. Others warned him as he approached the valley, " You must not enter this place...NO ONE who has entered has ever returned. It is a bad place, guarded by a giant dragon, who kills all who try to pass through. To continue your journey safely, we strongly advise you to go the long way...around this evil place." Well, coyote listened, for he was very smart and often heeded good advice. However, coyote was also lazy and was often prone to use shortcuts. He figured the valley would save him a lot of time on this particular journey. He looked carefully and saw nothing much to alarm him. He decided to enter and pass through the valley. At first, he noticed nothing amiss. However, as he traveled deeper into that still, quiet place, he thought to himself, "This IS an unusual valley, for sure...I see no movement of any type and I am getting to feel a bit strange about this place." He did notice, however, some tall straight trees which had lost all their leaves and made the place look barren, indeed. OH,NO...he also noticed, under the trees, piles of old BONES... and the more he looked, the more bones he saw. He said, " I sure see a lot of bones, but I don't see any dragon...I'll bet he no longer lives here." And, with that, he heard a thunderous voice which echoed over the valley..." HAH, COYOTE! You should have listened to the advice...You are in my mouth, which IS the entrance to the valley!" Oh,oh, caught in a trap. But coyote is smart and moves quickly...as he heard Dragon's first words, he raced to one of the dead trees and, with a mighty yank, pulled it from the earth. He wedged the tree between the Dragon's jaws and as he did this, many animals of all kinds came running forth...pumas, bears, mountain sheep and more...even the smallest animals, gnats, flies, tics, bees and more...lizards, snakes, toads, salamanders and more...all ran from the Dragon's depths to freedom. Coyote watched as Dragon's jaws closed upon the sharp tree stake. He soon died and from that time to this, many of those same animals live here, in this place...and from time to time, many of the old bones and pieces of the dead trees are found here, in this very valley!
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