Winter Weather in the Spring and Flea Market Garden Finds

"The kiss of the sun for pardon, The song of the birds for mirth, One is nearer God's heart in a garden, Than anywhere else on earth".   ~Dorothy Frances Gurney, "Garden Thoughts"


Greeting Fellow Gardening Friends,

I hope your gardening endeavors are going well for you.  As you probably know, the Northeast saw a late season Nor-Easter, and for the past week our area has experienced freezing temperatures, snow, rain and high winds.  Definitely not the norm but not unexpected either for this area.  I have received calls from several acquaintances asking for advice on how to save plants from the ravages ofthe storm and how to heal damaged plants.  It has been a strange week.

To brighten up things a bit, I decided to share a favorite recipe that I found a while back (it is really good and simple) and to show you pictures of a few finds from our treasure hunting excursions for the garden.  The recipe is at the end of this post.




This large, beautiful glass vase (18" high x 14" wide) was found in a thrift store and I only paid $5.99 for it. I plan to put sunflowers or gladiolus in it later in the season.

My husband found this terra cotta Saint Francis (the Catholic patron saint of nature) statue at a resale shop.  It is almost 3-feet tall (35”) and we paid $40 for it.

We also got a 150-foot long roll of weed barrier at a thrift store for only $3.00.

Anyway...that's all for now. Happy gardening!

Angela

P.S. Farfalle with Spinach and Peas (by Kay Chun, Real Simple, MAY 2003)

 











•    12 ounces (4 cups) farfalle
•    1 tablespoon olive oil
•    2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into 1-inch pieces
•    1 shallot, thinly sliced
•    2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
•    1/3 cup frozen peas
•    1 5-ounce package fresh baby spinach
•    Black pepper
•    4 ounces Feta, crumbled
•    1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat while the pasta cooks. Add the prosciutto and cook until crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

Return the skillet to medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in the peas, spinach, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the cooked pasta, Feta, and reserved pasta water. Cook, stirring, until the spinach wilts. Remove from heat and fold in the cooked prosciutto.

Divide among individual bowls and top with the basil.

Amount per serving
•    Calories: 455      Calories from fat: 22%    Fat: 11g   Saturated fat: 5g    Cholesterol: 33mg
•    Sodium: 755mg    Carbohydrate: 68g  Fiber: 4g   Sugars: 3g   Protein: 19g


Enjoy!