1/2 pound garden fresh asparagus, chopped in 1" pieces
1/2 cup diced, cooked ham
1 unbaked pie shell
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place asparagus in a steamer and cook 2 to 6 minutes, or until tender but still firm. Drain and cool.
Spread asparagus and ham in the bottom of the pie shell.
Beat together eggs, cream, salt pepper and Parmesan. Pour over asparagus and ham.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until firm.
Serves 6.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Asparagus Time
Late April is the time to plant asparagus. Crowns should be purchased, in a dormant state, from a reputable greenhouse or nursery.
Pick a sunny location in your garden and dig in a generous amount of organic material, preferably compost, into your soil and then test for PH. A home test kit can be used for this purpose. You are aiming for a neutral reading of 6.5 to 7.0 Soil can then be amended accordingly using sulfur to acidify and lime to neutralize.
Dig trenches 6" to 8" deep and 4' to 6' apart. Spread roots of crowns and place in the bottom of the trenches 12' to 18' apart. Cover crowns with soil being careful not to compact as this will hinder fern growth. Gradually fill in the trenches as the asparagus grows, never completely covering the emerging plant tip.
Asparagus should be left to go through its normal growth cycle for the first 2 years. Spears may be cut in the third year.
Asparagus is drought tolerant, but if rainfall is absent for long periods, a sufficient watering will prevent stress and impeded growth. Asparagus plants will grow for over 20 years if they are properly taken care of and the climate is right. Try adding a few crowns to your vegetable garden and reap the rewards for many years to come.
Pick a sunny location in your garden and dig in a generous amount of organic material, preferably compost, into your soil and then test for PH. A home test kit can be used for this purpose. You are aiming for a neutral reading of 6.5 to 7.0 Soil can then be amended accordingly using sulfur to acidify and lime to neutralize.
Dig trenches 6" to 8" deep and 4' to 6' apart. Spread roots of crowns and place in the bottom of the trenches 12' to 18' apart. Cover crowns with soil being careful not to compact as this will hinder fern growth. Gradually fill in the trenches as the asparagus grows, never completely covering the emerging plant tip.
Asparagus should be left to go through its normal growth cycle for the first 2 years. Spears may be cut in the third year.
Asparagus is drought tolerant, but if rainfall is absent for long periods, a sufficient watering will prevent stress and impeded growth. Asparagus plants will grow for over 20 years if they are properly taken care of and the climate is right. Try adding a few crowns to your vegetable garden and reap the rewards for many years to come.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
HAPPY EARTH DAY!
More than 6 million Canadians join 500 million people in over 180 countries in staging events and projects to address local environmental issues. Nearly every school child in Canada takes part in an Earth Day activity.
Earth Day, celebrated on April 22nd, is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment. It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in in 1970 and is celebrated in many countries every year. This date is Spring in the Northern Hemisphere and Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere.
Plant some seedlings for an organic kitchen garden, or simply start planning your garden on paper.
Earth Day, celebrated on April 22nd, is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment. It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in in 1970 and is celebrated in many countries every year. This date is Spring in the Northern Hemisphere and Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere.
Plant some seedlings for an organic kitchen garden, or simply start planning your garden on paper.
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