Gardening | Simple By Cindy

Farro Salad with Fresh Herbs and Ricotta

May. 10
2021

This is the perfect time of year to plant your garden. Ideally, you’ve already begun, but it’s not too late. We’re also little behind due to travel.

My favorite thing to do this time of year is to plan a trip to the nursery. I take a walk through my garden, pen and paper in hand, and write down all the ground I need to fill. Every year we plant perennials, but some of them invariably do not grow back. It is frustrating, as I plant perennials in hope that they will, in fact, be perennial. But that’s okay; there are few things I enjoy more than planning and planting our garden. I am thankful that the hubby enjoys it too because he does the really heavy digging in the rocky soil.

My very favorite is planting the herbs. Everyone who enjoys cooking should consider a herb garden. All you need is soil, a pot, and some herbs. Plant it, watch it grow, and use the fresh herbs in your best recipes to make them even better.

This can be overwhelming, but both of us love to watch it flourish. Every morning I take a walk and send him pictures of the progress. I have my tea on the terrace every morning and marvel at the beauty of it all.

After a day of gardening, I like to make something that is enjoyable and satisfying. This recipe is one of them. The farro is unquestionably the star. Farro is a grain similar to barley in that it fills you up but is not heavy in your stomach. Toasting the farro first makes it more fragrant and crispy. The tomato and cucumber give it a salad like feeling, while the onion offers a nice little kick. The dressing is full of flavor, with the oregano and garlic adding a bit of savory. The best part, of course, is the ricotta. It takes on the flavors of the dressing so nicely, making every bite delightful.

This recipe will serve 4 to 6 people who will enjoy this cool summer salad after a hot day in the garden.

Ingredients for Farro Salad with Herbs and Ricotta:

For the Farro:

1 cup Farro
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil  
2 tablespoons kosher salt

For the dressing:

1/3 cup red wine vinegar 
Juice and zest of half a lemon 
4 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves pulled and chopped
 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
 1/2 cup very good olive oil

For the salad:

1/2 cup English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into thin slices 
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup red onion, chopped 
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped 
10 fresh basil leaves, julienned or chopped

Make the Farro:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the farro and olive oil and spread it out on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Place in oven to toast until it’s golden brown and fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove from oven.

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil and add the kosher salt.

Add the farro and return to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 18 to 20 minutes.

Drain farro and transfer to a large bowl.

Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Make the dressing:

Combine vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, salt, pepper, and garlic, in a medium bowl.

Whisk to combine.

Slowly, while whisking, add the olive oil.

Make the Salad:

Add the tomatoes, red onion, parsley and basil in the bowl with the farro.

Drizzle 2/3 of the dressing over the salad and mix to combine.

Check salad to see if it is coated.

If you need to, add more dressing in small amounts.

You do not want to overdress and have a soggy salad.

Add dollops of the ricotta cheese and serve.

It’s that simple!

Loaded Cornbread Casserole

Apr. 1
2021

Many people do not like the springtime rain, but I love it because I know it will help my garden grow beautifully. Spring makes us think of sunshine, flowers, and vacations. Most of us, especially during this pandemic, are looking forward to being outdoors, but are often disappointed by frequent rain and random chilly days. There are planned hikes, bicycle rides, and picnics cancelled due to the sudden rain showers and generally poor weather.

While we all love spring, it is the rainiest season of the year in terms of the number of days with precipitation. Clouds are made of water droplets, and when those water droplets combine into one another, they grow. As the water droplets grow and get heavier, they fall to earth as rain.

All this rain brings nature in an explosion of brilliant colors. After the long, dark, winter months, spring is literally a breath of fresh air. And as the days get longer, the nights get shorter, and it starts to feel warmer, our gardens respond in a big way. There’s nothing quite like the excitement of seeing your first bumblebee or butterfly of the year. They’re one of the feel-good sights that give us a little taste of the summer.

Twenty years ago, my husband and I started a garden around our yard, painstakingly planting flowers and bushes that we love to see come to life during the warm months. Every year we would plant and replant the ones that did not grow back. I would not call us very adept at growing a garden, but every year we put in our due diligence and hope that the perennials will come back healthy and bigger than before.

While it’s true that tap water can help plants grow healthy, rainwater is actually much better for your garden. We have noticed that after rain falls, plants take on a greener, cleaner, and more lush appearance. This has to do with the chemical differences between rainwater and tap water. Drops of rain are rich in oxygen, which serves as a safety net in case soil is heavily saturated after heavy rain. Tap water does not have that much oxygen, and when too much of it is poured on plants, root rot occurs as a result of anaerobic soil conditions.

Whatever the reason, my husband and I are very proud of our growing garden. It took a lot of trial and error to get it right, but finally, after all these years, we have a garden that we are very proud of. We have taught our sons to garden with us and hope that when they have their own home someday, they have the tools to create a beautiful garden for themselves and their families.

On to our recipe for the day. Cornbread is one of our favorite foods. It is not just a side dish in the fall, it is one recipe that we can serve anytime of the year, sure to make us happy. This recipe calls for boxed corn muffin mix, making preparation a snap. I particularly love using boxed mixes that can be doctored up. The sour cream and cream cheese ensure a moist cake that is perfection in every bite. The garlic, paprika, and chives are the savory in this dish, and the ham, cheese, and corn add additional rich flavor and texture. This dish is crowd pleaser and one I think you will make again and again. Leftovers reheat incredibly well to boot!

This recipe is courtesy of The Cookie Rookie and will serve 6 people who will surely want seconds!

Ingredients for Loaded Cornbread Casserole:

½ white onion diced
4 oz cream cheese
1 tsp minced garlic
16 oz corn
1 cup diced ham
2 box jiffys corn muffin mix
2 eggs beaten
⅔ cup milk
¼ cup sour cream
½ tsp paprika
1 tsp pepper
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp chives garnish

Preheat oven to 350*

Dice onion and mince garlic.

Add to a sauce pan and cook to soften about 2 minutes.

Add cream cheese and stir until melted.

Then, stir in 8 oz of corn.

Remove from heat

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together.

Spread evenly into a 9×13 casserole dish.

Place into the center rack of the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until edges are golden brown, or for a more “bread-like pudding, leave it in for 60 to 65 minutes.

Garnish with chives and enjoy!

It’s that simple!

Basil Pesto Pasta with a Twist

Jul. 25
2019

There are a few things I truly cherish about the summer. One of them is spending days on the beach. My hubby and I try to go at least once a week, as well as take a longer vacation on the beach. I love the smell of the ocean air. I love to marvel at the beauty of the coastline as it recedes into the distance. Feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin is comforting and calming. Walking on the beach to collect shells and sea rocks offers a chance to find beautiful little surprises. But truly, there is nothing better than listening to the waves breaking on the shore and feeling the cool sea breeze.

For all my love of the ocean, I must admit that I do not venture into any water (except the Carribean kind). I respect the power of the water on the East coast, and let’s face it, it’s just too cold. My feet barely make it into the water here, but I do love just being on the beach and looking out over the sea.

The other part of the summer that I love so much is my herb garden. I am so excited when I plant it in the spring and I nurture it carefully as it grows. I get so much gratification and enjoyment when I use the matured herbs in my recipes. In the past years, I have had to carefully tend to the basil which, for me was always the hardest to grow.

But this year was different. To my complete delight, my basil is big, exquisite and bountiful. It is growing like crazy and I am so thrilled! So what does one do with too much basil? Well, pesto would be the easy answer. I wanted to change it up a bit, so my love of citrus kicked in and I tossed in some lime juice, and it came out great.

Is this crazy beautiful or what?

This dish really gives the pesto a new twist. The lime juice adds just a little bit of pucker and freshness. The pine nuts give it a crunchy texture and of course, the basil is the star of the show here. If you are growing your own herbs, make this recipe. If not go out and get yourself some freshly grown local basil and start cooking. This is such an easy recipe that has huge flavor and presents so elegantly.

This recipe will serve 4-6 people who will certainly want to plant their own herb gardens next year.

Ingredients for Basil Pesto Pasta:

2 ½ cups fresh basil leaves, washed and dried thoroughly
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 Tablespoons pine nuts, toasted and cooled
Juice of half a lime
½ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup very good extra virgin olive oil

Place the basil leaves, Parmesan cheese, toasted pine nuts, garlic, lime juice, salt, and pepper into a food processor.

Pulse it about 10 times, until they are well blended.

While the food processor is running, drizzle in the olive oil and continue to combine.

You may need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times.

Keep running the processor until the pesto is pureed.

Taste it, make sure it is well seasoned and serve immediately or store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it.

It’s that simple!

Marinated Mozzarella with Tomatoes

Jul. 12
2018

Now that my herbs are beautiful and bountiful, I get great pleasure in using them in all my recipes. I never got around to planting my full vegetable garden this year. Not happy about that. On the bright side, I planted more herbs than usual this year. For some reason, much to my excitement, they are bigger and lusher than they have ever been!

My vegetables and herbs are planted the same way every year, but turn out different each time. Some years they flourish superbly, and some years they do not. If any of you can tell me why I would so appreciate it. I just don’t get why. Nevertheless, this year I am a happy gal. I would love to pass on any good suggestions, but I am at a loss.

I have posted similar recipes to this one in the past. Reading over several recipes for making a tomato mozzarella salad, there were many that caught my eye, especially the ones that marinated the cheese before serving. Many of you probably have been doing this for years. This was my first try, and the result was so outstanding I knew I had to share.

What makes this so special is the way mozzarella really soaks up the essence of the seasoning. The fresh basil leaves make a huge difference in how the marinade will taste. So do not skimp on the basil leaves! It may sound like a lot, but trust me, just go for it. The lemon zest and juice add a nice fresh flavor and the balsamic vinegar adds a perfect zing to it all. There is nothing better than marrying fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and balsamic vinegar.

This recipe will serve 6-8 people who will bask in the deliciousness of a new way of making this classic recipe.

Ingredients for Marinated Mozzarella and Tomatoes.

1 1/2 pounds bocconcini or pearl mozzarella cheese
1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped, plus 6-8 whole leaves for garnish
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
3/4 cup of good olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper.

In a medium bowl, combine olive oil, chopped basil, lemon juice and zest, balsamic vinegar salt, and pepper.

Add mozzarella balls to the mixture and pour into a 9x 13-inch pan.

Place saran wrap around the pan and place in refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 hour or more.

Remove from refrigerator and return mixture to a bowl.

Add the tomatoes; toss to coat.

Transfer to a serving dish and top with whole basil leaves.

It’s that simple!

My herb garden

Baked Cream Corn

Jul. 5
2018

Fresh produce is always the best choice when cooking. Using ingredients that you know have not come in contact with pesticides or other artificial substances is an excellent way of improving your health. You should also always try to avoid packaged foods, as they contain a lot of food dye, sugar or artificial sweeteners. Did you know that if “natural flavors” is listed under ingredients it is actually full of GMOs? A GMO is a plant, animal or organism whose makeup is modified in a laboratory using genetic engineering.

A general rule of thumb when looking at an ingredient list: anything you can’t pronounce is going to be bad for you. Some examples are erythrosine (food coloring), glyphosate (a chemical used to kill weeds) potassium benzoate (a preservative used to prevent mold from growing), and butylated hydroxyanisole (potentially cancer-causing preservative, and who can pronounce that?). You could be consuming these chemicals without even knowing! Is your stomach turning yet?

Oftentimes, processed foods and canned foods have many additives that are unacceptable and unhealthy for you. Although it will take a little more time, reading labels at the grocery store can help you make better choices. Not only do fresh ingredients provide more nutrients compared to processed foods, they also deliver truer flavor.

The purpose of food is to nourish you, so you should always buy fresh when you can. If you can’t buy fresh, buy frozen.

This dish offers natural and valuable nutrients, not to mention is it delicious! The sweet corn and cheddar cheese combination provide a sharp contrast that will tease and excite your taste buds. The eggs make it light and fluffy, and the jalapeno gives it the perfect amount of heat. Everything is favorable about this splendid, satisfying dish. This is one I am going to make again and again. By the way, it does not have cream in it!

This recipe is courtesy of Delish.com and will serve 6 people who will go corn-crazy!

Ingredients for Baked Creamed Corn

Cooking Spray

8 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
3 cups corn kernels, (fresh, or frozen and thawed)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1 jalapeno, minced
1 tbsp. sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup milk
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper