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Happy Thanksgiving

by | Nov 22, 2007 | Uncategorized


(photo and recipe Bon Appétit | December 2000, via Epicurious.com)

I’ve got five pounds of green beans taunting me because the family Thanksgiving “dinner” is at 2:oopm and I’ve only managed to eat breakfast and take a shower. Hey, at least I’m clean. Still need to hit myself with a pretty stick, though.

But! I couldn’t help getting on here and wishing all my garden blog buddies a Happy Thanksgiving. We may not be neighbors, but we found each other thanks to the internet (thanks, Al Gore), our love of gardening, and our compulsion to chat about gardening with kindred spirits.

Happy Thanksgiving.

I hope you are spending today doing something pleasant and relaxing. Or crazy and exciting. If you’re with your family, it’s probably a hodgepodge of pleasant and relaxing and crazy and exciting. Perhaps there’s even a dash of boring or strange thrown in to keep things real.

Here’s what I’m bringing to the family feast:

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces

8 bacon slices, thinly sliced crosswise
3 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup finely chopped shallots (about 4 large)

Preparation

Cook beans in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain. Rinse under cold water. Drain well. Pat dry with paper towels. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Wrap in paper towels; enclose in resealable plastic bag and refrigerate.)

Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towels and drain. Discard all but 3 tablespoons bacon fat in skillet. Add butter to skillet and melt over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until tender and golden, about 4 minutes. Add beans and sauté until heated through, about 6 minutes. Add bacon to skillet and toss to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.

Note: I made a double recipe last year and it was a huge hit so I’m making it again. Prepare as directed, but cut the butter and bacon grease way down (see comments on Epicurious), sprinkle some toasted slivered almonds on top, and you’ll suddenly be everybody’s new best friend.

by | Nov 20, 2007 | Uncategorized

Whether you live in northern California’s mountain, Valley, inland or coastal region, there’s always something to engage a gardener’s interest in November. You can either plop into a comfy chair with your laptop and do a little cybergardening, or start marking pages in all those seed and plant catalogs that have been piling up.

If you’re feeling proactive, you can get out there and insulate your pipes and empty out those garden hoses. If you’re feeling guilty about

I plan to do a lot of cybergardening and a little cool-season gardening.

we have the option of ambitiously installing cool-season flowers and veggies

For me, late November is a quieter time in the garden. It’s my first chance to sit back and enjoy the fruits… and veggies… and flowers of my labor. Instead of frantically dead-heading or mowing or watering, I’m making mental notes for next season.

I’ve got most of my cool-season vegetables and color planted, and am toying around with planting garlic. Being a mood- and weather-based gardener, a rainy day might confine me to armchair garden book shopping at Sunset Books, Mrs. Dalloways or Builder’s Booksource.

A sunny day urges me into the garden to fuss over my lettuce, chard, herbs, pansies and citrus.

Suddenly, I’m in love with Salvias for their toughness, their

, my thoughts have turned

Builder’s Booksource
Annie’s Annuals

reinvent your garden