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Cool Season Vegetables vs. Warm Season Vegetables

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Welcome, I’m so glad you’re here!

Do you know when to plant your veggies? (Hint: cool and warm season veggies aren't planted at the same time!) These handy lists will tell you what's what and when to plant!

Are you itching for beautiful weather so you can get your veggies planted?  You are not alone!  Fresh vegetables are the highlight of most gardens, with fresh, healthy and delicious produce.  Just make sure to plant the right veggies at the right time to get the best results!

Vegetable garden season is upon us and many gardeners are happily planning out their shopping trips to the nursery. It’s tempting to put out every kind of vegetable that you want to grow, all at the same time.

However, it’s important to know whether the types you are planting are cool season vegetables or warm season vegetables so that you can plant them at the appropriate times and help ensure the best crop possible.

Click NEXT to see the Cool Season Veggies and when to plant them!

Western Garden Centers | Salt Lake City | Sandy | West Valley UTAH

Image by *Jay~bay* under a Flickr Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives License

Garlic-Basil Butter

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Garlic-Basil Butter 4Flavored butters are a simple way to add a touch of sophistication to your meal, especially this garlic-basil butter.  Impress your guests or add it to a weeknight meal.  It’s fancy enough for company, but easy enough for every day!  It takes only minutes to prepare, but it makes even a simple meal seem a little more fancy with delicious flavor!

If you want to take it up a notch, you can have an assortment of herbed butters by adding our chive butter to your spread.  (Spread.  Ha!  Sadly, that pun was intended.)

We love simple recipes, and this one fits the bill.  Garden-fresh herbs and veggies don’t always need a lot of dressing up.  This butter really lets the flavor of the garlic and basil shine through without overpowering your dish.  Summertime perfection!

Give this garlic-basil butter a try the next time you have fresh herbs, you will not be disappointed in the lovely flavor, and you will love how easy it is to whip up!

Garlic-Basil Butter 1

Butter freezes very well.  Place the butter on a piece of waxed or parchment paper.  Roll it into a cylindrical shape, then twist the ends of the paper to seal.  You can place it in a freezer bag for an extra layer of protection, if desired.  When you need some basil butter, unwrap the log and slice off a disc to use for toast or veggies, or in your recipe.  This is a great option if you are trying to use as much basil as you can at the end of your harvest, and it’s just as easy to make a big batch as it is a single batch.

Enjoy!

How to Freeze Basil Pesto

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tips to freeze pestoPesto is a great way to use up a lot of basil if your garden is bursting at the seams, or if you need to harvest it before a drop in temperature.  The basil pesto recipe we posted last week is a great one to try, especially if you’re looking for a less expensive pesto that still has wonderful flavor (we used pecans instead of pine nuts!).

But what if you make a big batch of pesto and you can’t finish it before it starts to go bad?  Freeze it!  Freezing pesto is simple, but we have a few tips to keep it fresh and green.  Pesto oxidizes (darkens when exposed to air), so keep reading to find out how to keep it looking bright and green!

Start out with clean ice cube trays and a cookie scoop.  My scoop is 1 tablespoon, and since two would have overfilled the tray, I placed one scoop in each pocket.  You will need just a little space at the top, so don’t fill it completely full.
freeze basil pesto 1
Once you have all of your pesto scooped into the trays, gently tap them on the counter to remove any air bubbles and to settle the pesto into an even layer.  Lightly drizzle a thin layer of olive oil over the top of each pesto cube.  This will help seal out any air that could turn your pesto brown.  Freeze Pesto 2
When you are finished drizzling the oil, cover the tray with a layer of plastic wrap and press it gently onto the pesto to remove the air.  Once the air has been pressed out, just place it in the freezer!
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I missed a spot on the plastic wrap…it probably pulled when I picked up the tray.  Check yours before you set it in the freezer just to make sure it didn’t shift like mine!  Because of the oil, it retained it’s green color as it froze, but I like to be double sure that my food will be perfect when I want to use it!
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Once your pesto is frozen (I left mine overnight), remove the plastic wrap and run the bottom of the trays under cold water for a second or two to loosen the pesto, if necessary (be careful not to get water on the pesto).
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Label a gallon size freezer bag, being sure to include the size of your pesto cubes.
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Now just remove the cubes from the trays and toss them all in the bag!
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They should be a lovely green color.  Now you are ready to pull out exactly how much you need when you’re ready to eat it!  Garden-fresh flavor any time.  Doesn’t get much better!
freeze pesto 9Be sure to squeeze out as much air as possible before you put your bag of pesto in the freezer, and you’re done!  Easy!

Basil Pesto

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If you still have tons of basil in your garden and can’t stand to see it go to waste at the end of the season, basil pesto is the perfect solution!  You can make it exactly how you like it for MUCH less than you will pay at the grocery store.  It’s delicious in all sorts of recipes…and you can even freeze it (stay tuned for simple instructions)!  There are so many reasons to make pesto, so don’t let that beautiful basil go to waste!

basil pesto 2

Pesto is very versatile…you can make it a strong flavor or make it more mild (which is especially helpful if you’re cooking for kids – or anyone else – who doesn’t like strong flavors!), and you can even add in other greens and different kinds of nuts.  This recipe changes up traditional pesto just a little bit, but it still has a wonderful, rich flavor that will make you happy you made a big batch!  You can always make a smaller batch, but if you have a lot of basil from your garden, this recipe is perfect for using it up!

Enjoy your pesto tossed with pasta, on baked potatoes or spread on bread!  And stay tuned for some upcoming recipes that use this delicious pesto!

Pine nuts are traditionally used in pesto, and walnuts are often used as a substitution.  We used pecans in our recipe and loved the results!

For a stronger flavor, add in one additional cup of basil leaves and omit the spinach.

Fat-Free Sweet Potato Fries

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fat-free sweet potato fries 3

If you are looking for a delicious, healthy side dish or snack, fat-free sweet potato fries are a perfect choice!  They are simple to put together, loaded with good nutrition, and they’re always a crowd pleaser!  They’re fantastic with our homemade garlic-cilantro aioli.  We love this simple aioli because it goes together in 30 seconds in your blender!  We love recipes that are quick, simple, healthy and that taste great…and both of these recipes fit the bill!  Give these sweet potatoes a try and let us know what you think!

fat-free sweet potato fries 4

*If you don’t mind some oil on your fries, try tossing your uncooked sweet potato wedges with 2-3 tablespoons of avocado oil before seasoning them.

*Root vegetables can take a lot of salt.  Don’t be afraid to give them a good sprinkling.  {Don’t go overboard, but don’t skimp unless that’s how you like them}

*If you’re worried about your sweet potato wedges sticking to your foil, try crinkling the foil before you place it on the baking sheet.  This way the potatoes will be touching less of the foil’s surface, which means you will have less sticking when they come out of the oven.

fat-free sweet potato fries 1

Garlic-Cilantro Aioli

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Aioli.  You’ve heard of it.  Maybe even seen it.  But what in the world is it?  Well, you’ve come to the right place for answers!  Aioli is a garlic-flavored mayonnaise typically served with fish, seafood and vegetables.  It’s a French word with Latin roots:  ai–>garlic (allium) and oli–>oil (oleum).  Garlic Oil.  Yup.  We’re making garlic oil today!  With a little cilantro thrown in for good measure.

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You’ll be so happy you tried today’s recipe.  This aioli is so easy to make…it all goes in the blender, and you’re done in 30 seconds!  There’s nothing I love more than an easy, quick, delicious recipe!

So far we have enjoyed our garlic-cilantro aioli  with Roasted Artichoke, Fat-Free Sweet Potato Fries (we will share that recipe with you next week!) and we even used it as a sandwich spread.  You just can’t go wrong with this aioli!  Comment below and let us know how you like to eat your aioli!

Garlic-Cilantro Aioli 3

Roasted Artichoke

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Roasted ArtichokeIf you want to impress your dinner guests, serve them this fabulous roasted artichoke!  It may take a long time in the oven, but with only a couple of minutes of prep, it can be roasting while you prepare your meal, weed the garden or take a nap!  And the flavor it develops from roasting is well worth the wait.  As you may have noticed by now, roasting is one of our favorite ways to prepare veggies!  If you like it steamed or boiled, try it roasted and you may never go back!  We served this with a delicious garlic-cilantro-lime aioli that was made in the blender in about 30 seconds!  Click here for this yummy recipe, you will love it!

 

To eat your artichoke, pull the leaves off, dip the part of the leaf that was attached to the artichoke in your sauce, put it in your mouth, close your teeth on the leaf, and pull outward.  The soft, delicious part of the leaf will come off the more fibrous, woody part.  Discard the leaf when you have eaten the soft part.  Enjoy!

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Baked Zucchini Fries

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Baked Zucchini Fries 2Baked zucchini fries are not only fast and easy to make, but it’s a great way to use all that zucchini in your garden when your plants are giving you more than you can use (and give away!).  This makes a great summer side, and it’s a great alternative for zucchini when you’re tired of zucchini bread, brownies & cake!

These baked zucchini fries can be prepped in less than 5 minutes, then just toss them in the oven while you worry about the rest of your meal.  They are crispy and delicious and they go great with just about any main dish!  Whether you’re grilling burgers or broiling chicken, these will be a great addition to your meal.

Baked Zucchini Fries 1

Berry Green Smoothie

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Berry Green Smoothie 2 If you are looking for a little variety in your green smoothie repertoire , try this Berry Green Smoothie!  It’s loaded with greens, but still has enough fruit to make it sweet for my picky kids.  Green smoothies are the best when it comes to great nutrition that I can actually get IN my kids!

Smoothies are great for getting fruits and veggies in kids and adults alike.  If you have a hard time getting your kids to eat a variety of veggies, try juicing small amounts of your vegetable choice and putting it in a smoothie.  It will give them added nutrition while helping them acquire a taste for those veggies they think they don’t like!  Sometimes all it takes is a little exposure for kids to realized they actually do like it!…

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