Cabbage Salad

With our  beef brisket meal (click for link) last weekend, we also had a simple cabbage salad.  This recipe is quick and easy, and a good way to use fresh produce from the local farmer's market... cabbage, peppers, and carrots.  Make extra because this salad can be frozen and enjoyed again another day.

Sun Pickles

Do you have a bounty of cucumbers in your garden this year?  If you do, you should make some of these pickles.  If not, you should go to the farmer's market, but some cucumbers, and make some of these pickles.  They are easy to make, yummy to eat, and fun to customize.  I'm off to check the batch I started last week, and see if they are ready to eat yet.

Hamburger Steaks

Mushrooms are one of those things that people either love or hate, there is very little middle ground.  This dish wouldn’t be the same without them, so if you are a hater, please consider giving them another try.  If you are a lover, you’ve probably already scrolled down to the recipe, and are planning it for dinner this week.

A few more notes about mushrooms:

·    Did you know that mushrooms are the #1 cash crop in Pennsylvania?  Buy fresh mushrooms at the grocery store, and make sure you check the label for PA grown.

·    If you buy canned mushrooms, check the label the next time you buy some. The country of origin for most canned mushrooms is China or India… these places don’t have the same standards for growing food as we do.

·    Fresh mushrooms can be frozen, so you can always have some on hand for a recipe, and then you won’t have to use the canned variety.

Vegetable Garden 2011

Gardening is something that everyone can do.  Even if it’s a window box of herbs in your kitchen or a large backyard garden, we can all do our part to grow our own food.  Not only will the homegrown goodness taste better, it will save you money and will reduce the impact of long-distance food. (Click here to find out how far a carrot travels to get to your plate.)  My garden this year has started with several containers at home with herbs and greens (lettuce and spinach) and cherry tomatoes.

The $10 Solution

"Did you know that the typical carrot travels 1,838 miles to reach your plate?  How much money, time and energy does it use during its journey from seed to table, and through how many hands does it pass?  It's almost impossible to calculate the REAL COSTS of food production, processing, packaging, shipping, and storage, but there is another number that DOES make sense.