Vegetables and fruits shoule make up two-thirds of your daily diet but you still need to keep in mind that moderation in all things is the best guide line for your healthy diet. Keep this in mind as you add salt, butter, and cheese to your vegetable dishes. Try to keep salt to no more than 1 teaspoon for each person a day and no more than 16 ounces of dairy products, this includes your milk, cream, sour cream and yogot per day per person. We have been married over 60 years and have been working toward living longer, better and off the land. In these recipes I will give you tips on growing, preserving and eating fruits and vegetable. We do not raise our own meats but will give you guide lines there also.
ASPARAGUS
Asparagus is a member of the lily-of-the-valley family. It is thought to be native to the eastern Mediterranean lands and Asia Minor. It spread to europe as early as 200 BC. Asparagus is a good source of vitamin A, fair for vitamin B and C and iron. 3 1/2 ounces of raw asparagus has 26 calories, 3 1/2 ounces of cooked, canned or frozen has 21 calories.
We have started an asparagus bed at every farm we have owned but have always moved just as they were starting to produce well. to grow asparagus seems to be an art. Some people we have met have great gardens with very little effort but could not tell us how they did it. Others tell us not to bother, it can’t be done. Either way we always got a bed producing for the new owners of our farms to enjoy.
We have now a small garden but so far have not gotten a full meal from it. The first your you can’t cut any, you must let the roots form. The second year you can take a limited cutting but need to stop when the stocks are the size of your little finger. Ours didn’t get big enough so we didn’t get any to eat in 2011 but we still enlargeed the bed and added 6 more roots and put on lots of aged horse manure, which we are told asparagus loves – so we had great hopes for the 2012 season. This year we got enough asparagus to add to our salad four or five times, then we let it go to seed and grown strong. We enlarged the bed again and put in 12 roots this time but have seen only one spear come from those. Maybe next year, the hope of every farmer!
ASPARAGUS AND BAKED EGGS
This is an excellent lunchen dish.
12 spears of asparagus
4 eggs
Lay the spears of asparagus in a covered fry pan with enough water to just barel cover them – cover the pan and slowly boil them for about 8-10 minutes or until just tender. drain and lay the spears in a well oiled small covered baking dish. Put 4 eggs on the top of the asparagus spears, springkle with dried mustar greens or dried parsley and a little fresh chopped basil. Bake at 350 degress for 20-30 minutes or until the eggs are set. Serves 2
CHEESE SAUCE AND ASPARAGUS
Cook the asparagus until just tender. Put the cooked asparagus into a baking dish, put cheese sauce ( 2 tbs olive oil, 2tbs flour, 1 cup milk, salt and pepper) on top of asparagus and sprinkle with small cut crutons. serves 2
ASPARAGUS/CHICKEN WRAPS for 2
1 large chicken breast
3 thin slices ham
3 thin slices cheese
Diuon mustard
9 spears asparagus
1 large boneless chicken breast, make 3 thin slices out of this one breast. Put between two sheets of plastic wrap and carefully pound to a uniform thickness.
Lay each piece of chicken, smooth side down, on a work surface. On each piece spread 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 thin slice of ham, 1 thion slice of cheese of your choice, 3 spears aspargus. Carefully roll up each bundle and place seam side down on a baking sheet. Drizzle each with olive oil, sprinkle lightly with pepper and parsley. Broil until golden brown 8 to 10 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through.
ROASTED ASPARAGUS
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