Winter Garden 2020 (...OR IS IT SPRING???) - BONUS: Using your onions while they grow -

Jane Austen Davis
Garden Helper...

...OR  Garden TERRORIST ???

The Handsome Bret Sr. gave that girl a carrot once as a
treat and she quickly became addicted.
THEN started digging them OUT of the garden bed
on her own when she was sent outside
to take care of her business.

So the Handsome Bret Sr. decided to build a fence.

With a lovely garden gate!

We really should not have been surprised at her garden terrorizing...
We've had to wrap the lemon tree with an old dog
fence when she started chewing on the trunk and biting off the leaves.
(...her breath smelled like lemon!)

AND  she chewed up all the blackberry stalks that were  thorn-less.

Which have been replaced with THORNY blackberries.

AND protecting them while they grow anyways!!!

Unfortunately she discovered the unprotected strawberry bed recently.
All the ripe strawberries are sniffed out by Jane Austen like a little hog...

THE   FENCE  IS  BEAUTIFUL!!!

AND  WORKING  PERFECTLY!!!

Tropic Snow Peach Tree  -  2020

Such a warm winter!
The Peach Tree decided to flower early...

Not quite ready for SPRING when it showed up!

Sugar Snap Pea Starts

Broccoli from seed

Garlic around the front end of the kale bed.
Started from a bundle purchased at Kroger!
:0)

ONION  BED  2020

ALL  OF  IT...
This is the first year that the Handsome Bret Sr.
did an entire bed of onions and did not plant
around the perimeter of all the beds.
It's been quite a spectacular sight!  

 "URBAN"  FARM-TO-TABLE

- USING  YOUR  FOOD  FROM  THE  GARDEN -

MODIFIED FROM THE: 

CHEF PAUL PHUDHOMME'S LOUISIANA KITCHEN COOKBOOK

Shrimp  Diane  BY  Mama Jo

Start by making your rice as follows:

Bring the following ingredients to a boil, stirring consistently; then simmer for 1 minute. 

COVER and cook on low for 30 minutes.

8 cups cold water

4 cups white jasmine rice

2 TABLESPOONS  sugar

2 teaspoons Kosher salt

While the rice is cooking prep the following ingredients:

4 pounds medium to large shrimp - shelled, deveined, and rinsed thoroughly 

1 cup green onions, chopped

2 pounds mushrooms, cut into 1/4 inch slices

1 and 1/2 cups of butter (3 sticks) - sweet cream or salted

8 ounces clam juice (in a bottle)

2 bundles of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper

1 teaspoon dried basil 

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon oregano

6 TABLESPOONS dry parsley flakes

Shell, devein, and rinse all the shrimp thoroughly.  Set aside.

Rinse and chop green onions.  Set aside. 

Rinse and slice mushrooms.  Set aside. 

Mince garlic.  Set aside.

Gather all spices into one prep bowl and set aside.

In a large pot melt 1 and 1/2 sticks of butter over high heat.  

When melted add all the green onions and spices; stir to combine.

ADD all of the shrimp and stir until pink for 2-3 minutes.

ADD remaining butter, sliced mushrooms and the 8 ounces of clam juice.

Stir until all the contents are well combined and fragrant. 

Serve immediately over hot rice.

OPTIONAL:  the butter sauce is pairs perfectly with a slice of Natural Yeast Bread!

LINK for bread:   Baking with Natural Yeast - Basic Loaf

For the green onions - use your kitchen scissors to snip
off one or two  of the most inner onion stalks.

Interpretation is always needed if I've had my hands on a recipe...
It is what it is!