Here’s a silly question for you: Why to do people plant gardens?
To feed themselves of course! Which means chefs and gardeners are undeniably tied together. “What’s for dinner?” is something people ask daily all over the world. Which brings me to another question: Have you noticed that really good chefs look to their local farmers or gardens when deciding what their next meal will look like? These really great chefs have a good understanding of the plants and products they work with every day. At the end of the day their goal is to serve wonderfully delicious food for the enjoyment and nourishment of those they serve, while the farmer or gardener’s joy is to provide these chefs with what they need to create such meals.
Now I’m not a trained chef, but my family role as mom and wife does give me the opportunity to cook every day. And every day when we ask this question I wonder why it’s so hard to answer when I have an entire shelf full of books ready to help me create some new and (hopefully) tasty meals to feed my family. With just a little pre-planning and a recipe in hand dinners could be just as fun to make as they are great to eat.
For example:
- Roasted Squash Lasagna
- Maple Custard in Acorn Squash
- Crispy Parsnip Chips
- Spaghetti Squash Salad
- Homemade Carrot Cake
- 3-Berry Crunch
- …And Many More!
How many of these recipes could you get at least part of the ingredients from your own yard or container? Admittedly you can probably buy most of your produce year round at the store. But how fresh will it be? How much flavor and nutrients will it give you? And probably the biggest question, what kind of price will you have to pay to get it? A small $2 cherry tomato plant can potentially supply you with buckets of vine-ripened tomatoes, and many people know that just one summer squash plant can give you more squash then you’ll know what to do with! All this just from being willing to take care of a beautiful plant in your yard.
So, if you’re just getting started with a garden or maybe have felt your enthusiasm for gardening waning a bit, try picking up a cookbook and plan a couple meals you want to have this summer. Then grab those seed catalogs and grow what you’ll need to make that delicious meal become a reality.
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