In honor of spring (and a sunny weekend) we began the process of "deweeding" our garden. This year we are proud to report we started waging our war on weeds before they became a formidable foe. Now with our garden bed weed-free we are "thinking" about putting a soaker water system and a timer in place. I say "thinking" because we have had the soaker hoses for about 4 years and have yet to use them. We all agree it is still too cold to plant any seeds, but that does not stop us from drooling over the seed catalogs that began arriving shortly after Valentine's Day. Should be try growing Marina Di Chioggia (a bumpy looking squash that averages 10 lbs each) or Red Burgandy Okra? We will moon and dream, but reality will eventually set in. What do we consume a lot of that grows really, really well and is super good for us? Greens! Greens grow fast and can be planted in a small plot. Spinach, Kale, Collards, Mustard Greens, Turnip Greens, Beet Greens, Swiss Chard, Lettuce Greens, Arugula, etc. Sweet peas, green beans, squash, tomatoes, tomatillos, green onions, cilantro and parsley finish out the mix.I always relish this time of year. The freezer is starting to look slightly bare of staples, the empty canning jars are crowding the cupboards. It is a nice reminder that our mission to control and reduce our food budget has been effective. With that said we are going to stick with the plan we laid out last year for reducing our food budget and eating well. Our plan is as follows:
1) Grow as many vegetables as we can, eating fresh during the summer and then freezing for the rest of the year. (We are lucky, unless there is a hard freeze collard and kale will survive through the winter.)
2) Buy seasonal fruits and freeze/can
3) Utilize WellMeals4U (http://www.wellmeals4u.com/)
4) Eat meat free at least two times a week.
5) Fish for salmon during the season to assure we get our Omega3 for the year.
