when are you sowing your garden this year?

Attachment 70473
Here is my organic lunch. I will probably fry some sweet potato to go with it.

Attachment 70474
This is also part of my garden.
I tried to download a picture of what my actual garden looks like but it's not downloading. The important thing is there's yummy stuff in there.

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Originally Posted by Irving

We went to the a place that was only yard materials and they said they ran out early this morning and are trying to arrange a shipment for tomorrow. They're gong to call me when it arrives. I need about 350 sq/ft.

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Colorado Turf at 132nd/Sable are good people. They are the farm, so no old stuff.

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Originally Posted by Jonsey

Will you share your recipe for rhubarb cordial?

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Sure. We've made many fruit cordials or liqueurs over the years but last year was the first I've used rhubarb--from stalks a neighbor gave us. I made one with vodka, another with Buffalo Trace bourbon, and one vodka batch I blended with a peach liqueur that I'd made. I don't think I've done any batch the same, it's more what I have on hand or what seems like it would taste good. I like rhubarb but I didn't expect the liqueur to be very drinkable, but it was surprisingly good!

Liqueurs can be made from most any fruit by filling a wide mouth jar with fruit and topping up with liquor, then letting it steep in a refrigerator for a few months. Some people use Ever-clear but I find it too harsh, and it takes longer to mellow. Vodka, rum, bourbon work well, even gin and tequila. Also use or add triple sec, or Grand Marnier, etc. for richer flavor. Add sugar, the amount depending on the batch size and sweetness of the fruit. Tart fruit like rhubarb, chokecherry and wild raspberries will take more sugar. Lots of recipes on the web like this one which uses vodka, Grand Marnier and sugar: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/rhubarb-liqueur

Don't be afraid to get creative, it's almost impossible to screw up good booze, good fruit and sugar. But aging the liqueur a few months to a year will help integrate and mellow the flavors.

Steep the liquor in the fruit for 1-3 months or so, then drain, strain and filter if possible. We usually bottle and cork in 375 ml wine bottles, but sometimes use clear beer bottles with a capper.

The rhubarb I planted last week won't be harvested until next year. (It wasn't helped when a bear dug up two of the plants the next night!) On Saturday, a friend brought us 21 lbs. of rhubarb from her garden in Oregon so we went to work making rhubarb sauce, apricot-rhubarb pie, and rhubarb cordial. From the sauce we made and served rhubarb margaritas. Yea. We don't have our large mouth jars here now so we started a batch of liqueur in a bottle of tequila we had on hand. I'll make more soon when I can acquire more wide mouth jars.



http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g2...psicftnaid.jpg

Love the bunny! We have a wild mountain cottontail that comes every morning by the dining window for sliced apple and cracked corn.

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Originally Posted by Jonsey

Attachment 70474
This is also part of my garden.
I tried to download a picture of what my actual garden looks like but it's not downloading. The important thing is there's yummy stuff in there.

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Originally Posted by Jonsey

Attachment 70473
Here is my organic lunch. I will probably fry some sweet potato to go with it.

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My wife would love it if I could grow all that.

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Originally Posted by William

My wife would love it if I could grow all that.

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William, you can! Most of that is Red Russian Kale, which never seems to get bugs on it and grows in winter and summer. If it bolts, i just pick off the flowers and eat them too. I never pick the plants. Just the leaves. They justkeep producing and get huge! Also there is spinach in there whis is also pretty easy to grow and cilantro which came up on it's own since mine went to seed last summer.

http://www.rareseeds.com/search/?F_K...Russian%20kale

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Originally Posted by Hummer

Sure. We've made many fruit cordials or liqueurs over the years but last year was the first I've used rhubarb--from stalks a neighbor gave us. I made one with vodka, another with Buffalo Trace bourbon, and one vodka batch I blended with a peach liqueur that I'd made. I don't think I've done any batch the same, it's more what I have on hand or what seems like it would taste good. I like rhubarb but I didn't expect the liqueur to be very drinkable, but it was surprisingly good!

Liqueurs can be made from most any fruit by filling a wide mouth jar with fruit and topping up with liquor, then letting it steep in a refrigerator for a few months. Some people use Ever-clear but I find it too harsh, and it takes longer to mellow. Vodka, rum, bourbon work well, even gin and tequila. Also use or add triple sec, or Grand Marnier, etc. for richer flavor. Add sugar, the amount depending on the batch size and sweetness of the fruit. Tart fruit like rhubarb, chokecherry and wild raspberries will take more sugar. Lots of recipes on the web like this one which uses vodka, Grand Marnier and sugar: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/rhubarb-liqueur

Don't be afraid to get creative, it's almost impossible to screw up good booze, good fruit and sugar. But aging the liqueur a few months to a year will help integrate and mellow the flavors.

Steep the liquor in the fruit for 1-3 months or so, then drain, strain and filter if possible. We usually bottle and cork in 375 ml wine bottles, but sometimes use clear beer bottles with a capper.

The rhubarb I planted last week won't be harvested until next year. (It wasn't helped when a bear dug up two of the plants the next night!) On Saturday, a friend brought us 21 lbs. of rhubarb from her garden in Oregon so we went to work making rhubarb sauce, apricot-rhubarb pie, and rhubarb cordial. From the sauce we made and served rhubarb margaritas. Yea. We don't have our large mouth jars here now so we started a batch of liqueur in a bottle of tequila we had on hand. I'll make more soon when I can acquire more wide mouth jars.



http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g2...psicftnaid.jpg

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Thank you very much Hummer. I will try this when I get my rhubarb going again as I am moving and only taking a small one with me for propagation.

One year I made rhubarb butter by cooking it down into a sauce with sugar and then cooking it even more on low heat to get rid of most of the water. Then I canned it in a hot water bath. It was very nice. I would say to eat it on pancakes but I think most of it got eaten straight, with a spoon.
I think your forest is very pretty. Good luck with the mooses and bears!

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Originally Posted by Jonsey

William, you can! Most of that is Red Russian Kale, which never seems to get bugs on it and grows in winter and summer. If it bolts, i just pick off the flowers and eat them too. I never pick the plants. Just the leaves. They justkeep producing and get huge! Also there is spinach in there whis is also pretty easy to grow and cilantro which came up on it's own since mine went to seed last summer.

http://www.rareseeds.com/search/?F_K...Russian%20kale

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Will give those a try, thank you! I should have better luck once my fence is finished and I can keep the deer out.

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Originally Posted by William

Will give those a try, thank you! I should have better luck once my fence is finished and I can keep the deer out.

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I would imagine it is pretty hard to grow things with deer around. : )