Raising a healthy Jane (or just being a healthy grown-up Jane) comes from good food and proper nutrition. Grab your aprons, I’m on kitchen duty with food to spare and recipes to share! When time allows, here’s where you’ll find one of my how-to-convert-to-an-organic-diet recipes.
If you have a garden bursting into bloom, it probably won’t be long before you’re picking more produce than you can pawn off on your neighbors.
Zucchini, anyone?
Photo by Tony Webster via Wikimedia Commons
Stuffed Zucchini with Spinach and Bacon …
Okay, okay—enough already!
There must be something else a gardener can do with her extras.
And here it is:
This aptly named non-profit is all about creating pathways between fresh garden produce and food pantries for people in need.
“One out of six Americans needs food assistance but can’t get fresh produce from the local food pantry, while millions of American homeowners grow more food in their backyard gardens than they can possibly use,” says the organization’s website. “The AmpleHarvest.org Campaign is a national effort utilizing the Internet that enables 40-plus million Americans who grow food in home gardens to easily donate their excess harvest to registered local food pantries spread across all 50 states.”
Photo by Biswarup Ganguly via Wikimedia Commons
How?
Check out the searchable, online list of food pantries at AmpleHarvest.org/findpantry. Every single one of them is ready and able (and sometimes desperate) for fresh food donations.
Cindi says: An excellent solution for someone like me that likes to plant lots of variety but can’t possibly eat it all myself! Yes, I purposely planted three each of tomato and zucchini plants. Well??? They are impressive plants. MaryJane to the rescue again 🙂
Winnie Nielsen says: Hahaha, Cindi!! The Great Zucchini takeover in Coeur d’Alene in on!!! We already crowned our Zucchini Queen at the local festival in May. Blessedly, the vines are all dead now and we are into Okra, Okra Okra and blazing hot peppers. What else can possibly survive 97 degree heat everyday? Did I mention Okra availability??
Seriously, this link for AmpleHarvest is a super idea. I understand there are many “produce deserts” in large inner cities where people have to shop in stores where produce hardly exists, save a few hard apples. Plus food pantries rely on donations and fresh produce is rare. Another good thing that is happening here in Florida is that more and more farmer’s markets are able to accept food stamps for their produce and people can shop at the downtown market on Wednesdays. I do think every great option and idea is helpful to those families who cannot access healthy food. Thankfully around here, collards can grow in yards for many of the cooler months of the year (October -May). They are also available on the backs of parked trucks along the roadside on weekends for cheap.
Winnie Nielsen says: I am thinking those are my apples nicely coming along?This year, we need Karine to take close ups of them, including the leaves, and send them to me. I have a great little apple identification book for the US and just maybe I can figure out what they are. We also need Karine to cut one in half to show how they look as well for more clues. At least that is what John Bunker does when he does his Apple Table at local festivals in the fall. Then, depending on what the book says they are best used for, we can have Ashley do one of her magic kitchen recipes for us and you can share. I think that would be so fun. What do you think?
I just looked up National Apple Pie Day for 2015 and it was May 13. How could I miss that! Phooey. The link also said that Yale has had a 100 year old tradition of serving Apple Pie for dinner every night. I knew I loved that campus when I toured there a few years ago on some city business with Warren. Anyway, I know we celebrated National Pie for Breakfast Day last year on the Forum on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Somehow, I was thinking there was an Apple Pie day before that, but I guess not. However, that does not stop us from making up a Farmgirl tradition of having the first annual Apple Pie Sunday on the last Sunday of September as a continuation of our 2015 Jubilee Celebration. Are your apples ripe by then? What do you think?
MaryJane says: They ARE ripe by then. I’m ripe for the opportunity:) You bet, I can apple up for the first annual Apple Pie Sunday. I’ll get with Ashley. I’ll also make note of what tree that photo came from.
Winnie Nielsen says: Perfect! I’ve made a note to post challenge on the Chatroom about 5 days ahead of time. September 27 is the last Sunday. Whoop! I am already excited. I am guessing we need to try and identify your apple early enough so Ashley has the info on what the best way to cook it would be. Example: already a sweet apple so needs less sugar or vice versa.
Lisa A says: I’ve been meaning to try my own mayo and aioli, this looks great!
Winnie Nielsen says: I love the still life photo of the basic ingredients and finished product. I am sure it must be delicious!!
Colette says: Why do you use two bowls with a towel in between? Do you have ice in there or is it just for stability?
MaryJane says: It just adds stability. Our bowls like to dance around on our stainless-steel counter tops.
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Winnie Nielsen says: I am loving the unmatched pieces of red transfer ware for tea!
Karlyne says: Me, too, Winnie! I’d love to use them for tea or coffee!
terry steinmetz says: Can I come for tea and a good old sisterly chat? Love the place setting!
Cindi says: Yep. That’s about the stage they are all in 🙂 So excited about the new crop of berries about to burst forth that I won’t even look at the berries they have in the grocery stores. Not long now before we are berried in berries 🙂
Winnie Nielsen says: Mmmm, strawberries!! Our season here in Florida is already over but we now have blueberries in abundance. Strawberries and blueberries are two of my favorite warm weather ingredients. There are so many ways to use them and they are just plain delicious!
terry steinmetz says: Strawberries! Our wild ones are in full blossom right now. If we don’t get frost, we’ll get quite a few in July.
bonnie ellis says: Ours in Minnesota are in about the blossom stage above. Can’t wait to make jam.
Winnie Nielsen says: Another beautiful moment compliments of Mother Nature!
bonnie ellis says: I can taste them already. Yum!
Winnie Nielsen says: Ashley, these look so delicious! I wish I could have coordinated my visit to match with your weekly recipe photo shoot. I sure do love your bunkhouse kitchen! It is a Chef’s dream space with an incredible view of the rolling hills right outside your window. Do you ever cook on the stove on the porch?
MaryJane says: Good morning Winnie! I sent your comment to Ashley, and here is her response:
Winnie,
It was so great to meet you, and it would have been fantastic to have you watch while Karina and I worked on a weekly recipe shoot. I do so enjoy reading your comments and compliments each week! I love cooking in the bunkhouse kitchen. It is so nice to have the big windows all around to look out while I am working. When I work early, I get to listen to the birds wake up and watch the sunrise while I am sipping coffee and whipping up a new invention. In the summer, I set up a little barbecue and work on grilling recipes from the porch. It really is a great space!
Liz Bowling says: I always look forward to your recipes and this looks like a great one. Sometimes please explain how to keep these wonderful crackers fresh. Saw in picture to roll in wax paper. Is this the best way? I’ve made crackers from your cookbook but they didn’t stay crisp very long. Maybe not cooking them long enough? Loved them and look forward to making these.
MaryJane says: Here’s what my DIL Ashley, MaryJanesFarm food guru, had to say:
Hi Liz,
These crackers can be stored in wax paper or an airtight container. They stayed crisp for as long as they lasted (which wasn’t long—each batch disappeared within 3 days). If they soften after baking, then they should be baked for longer. If they do soften, just pop them in the oven at 375°F for a couple minutes, and they’ll crisp up again.
Bonnie ellis says: Those are gorgeous. We have one with an apricot center. Daffodils are the epitome of spring.
Meet the most recent addition to my herd of bovine beauties, Ester Lily, born on Easter Sunday. I’m bottle-feeding this gal and loving every minute of it. When she was smaller, she’d curl up in my lap and we’d take naps together. Last Sunday, we found a sunny spot in the grass to lay down and she reached her head over onto my neck and fell sound asleep. She gives the sweetest kisses and is endlessly agreeable and adorable. Can you tell I’m smitten!? 
terry steinmetz says: I’d be smitten too. Unconditional love! We can’t get enough of it.
Amy Cloud Chambers says: Oh those soulful eyes!!!
Bonnie ellis says: I am so jealous! What a sweetheart! Give her a hug for me. Happy birthday kid. I’ll be 73 on July 8 , so I can oficially call you kid. Lol
MaryJane says: I can only hope I’m still going as strong as you are when I’m 73. (And quilting up a storm.)
ursula hartunian says: She’s a lovely lady. I envy the kisses and naps with her.
Buy props used in MaryJane’s books and magazine!
5% of profits will benefit www.firstbook.org, a non-profit that provides new books to children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Here’s how:
MaryJane will post a photo and a description of a prop and its cost along with a few details as to its condition here: https://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/MaryJanesCurations. It’s a playful way to be the new owner of a little bit of farm herstory.
So perfect and so tempting to snatch and eat!
I tried to grow some rare wild type Ukrainian Strawberries from seed but didn’t realize how long it takes to start them that way.They were ‘sposed to be the sweetest ever. So my itsy bitsy plants won’t produce this season I think. ah well, such is Mother Nature. guess I will get them from my local Old Order Mennonite ( horse and buggy) farm stand nearby
You could just reach through the screen and pop it in your mouth. Yum….