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Sunday, March 6, 2011

Garden 'gnomes' and two salads






I don't plant much corn, but usually I get a beautiful photogenic crop... this year instead... just look at it!
I laughed aloud thinking that I could have told you that this was a heirloom variety of some sort of ancient Maya corn, but I will be honest: this is dreadful!

Still, I never get discouraged, and I hate wasting food. Not pretty? Never mind, it still tastes ok, and I could always match it with a good crop :-), like my broccolini!




So I made this salad: I boiled the corn, cut off the kernels that were pretty, added some steamed broccolini and dressed the lot with a miso dressing (just white miso paste thinned down with a little hot water). It was super yummy!





And now to another flop crop, but this was last year: my garlic was tiny! Some was so small that my daughter asked me if she could use it for her Sylvanian Family house! Still, it was cute, I could not trow it away, but this year I didn't plant any garlic and this is what I got left!




The last salad: plenty of tomatoes in the garden, not as big as I hoped, but they too taste good. I made a salad with just tomatoes, basil leaves, olive oil and salt, and some borage flowers for colour. It looked and tasted like a very happy salad :-). Some gnomes are good, and some do make me smile.





Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

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25 comments:

  1. MairiMarch 6, 2011 at 3:01 PM

    Your garden is doing much better than mine! Liking the idea of the miso dressing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. BarbaraMarch 6, 2011 at 8:44 PM

    Anche io detesto buttare il cibo, la scorsa settimana ho fatto una improbabile marmellata/confettura di limoni arance e pere che stavano per andare a male....e il risultato ha premiato :))
    Le tue idee sono davvero molto carine e semplici, complimenti :))
    Barbara

    ReplyDelete
  3. AlessandraMarch 6, 2011 at 9:09 PM

    Grazie Barbara, sei molto gentile :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. MartissimaMarch 6, 2011 at 10:01 PM

    in cucina credo che fra i principali ingredienti ci siano la fantasia e la fortuna di avere a disposizione prodotti genuini, mi pare che qui non manchino, buona domenica.......o forse lunedì ^_____^

    ReplyDelete
  5. kitchen flavoursMarch 7, 2011 at 1:26 AM

    Great salad from the garden! Homegrown is always yummier, no matter how much smaller they are than store-bought, every spoonful tastes delicious! Like your miso dressing!

    ReplyDelete
  6. sasasunakkuMarch 7, 2011 at 3:11 AM

    Sylvanian families garlic - I like it, you could probably charge a fortune for it and say it's some exotic Italian strain ;P

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  7. SwathiMarch 7, 2011 at 5:58 AM

    You have better crops than me. Looks awesome salads.

    ReplyDelete
  8. ManuMarch 7, 2011 at 6:34 AM

    Ma che belle verdure! Buona settimana. Ti abbraccio

    ReplyDelete
  9. TinnyMarch 7, 2011 at 9:02 AM

    Ciao Alessandra, come stai? Chi coltiva la terra, segue passo passo dal germoglio alla pianta o al frutto, difficilmente butta via qualcosa, ma si gode il tutto...giuro che la rima non era voluta, ma mi è uscita così! Un abbraccio.

    ReplyDelete
  10. AlessandraMarch 7, 2011 at 9:37 AM

    @ Sasa, I'll try next week, I get my stall at the local farmers market and I'll make a nice display with Arantxa's doll house full of miniature garlic and 'Mayan' Heirloom corn :-) Any price tags suggestions?

    ReplyDelete
  11. MammazanMarch 7, 2011 at 9:58 AM

    Dear Alessandra i wont tell you that Transator don't work!!
    Love
    Grazia

    ReplyDelete
  12. MammazanMarch 7, 2011 at 10:02 AM

    Ho ritentato ed ora sono riuscita ad avere la traduzione!!
    Fortunate te che hai dei prodotti freschi e genuini...l'utilzzo dei quali porta sempre ad avere dei piatti freschi e sempre graditi!

    ReplyDelete
  13. UnknownMarch 7, 2011 at 2:47 PM

    I do not even attempy having a garden, so bravo for you!

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  14. AlessandraMarch 7, 2011 at 7:58 PM

    Go on Jenny, gibe it a try, you have the space :-)

    ReplyDelete
  15. MassenzioMarch 7, 2011 at 10:13 PM

    Ciao Alessandra. Ti scrivo in italiano perchè il mio inglese farebbe molto "Totò Peppino e la malafemmina"....
    Intanto, ricambio la visita al mio fiume su Splinder, anche se qui ho dovuto collegarmi con un'altra identità; poi devo dire che leggerti qui mi regala sensazioni positive: mi fa ridere, anche, il fatto che tu ironizzi sull'aspetto della tua produzione agricola. Ti assicuro che quando vado, qui da me, a comperare frutta o verdura nel negozio dei Biodinamici l'aspetto è persino peggiore..... :)
    Ma il sapore non ha prezzo: in compenso, i prezzi praticati sono tali da costringerti poi alla dieta nei giorni successivi....
    A presto, e grazie per le tue considerazioni.

    m.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Edible ArtMarch 8, 2011 at 1:02 AM

    hahha!
    a very funny entry!
    i enjoyed reading this.(:

    Esp. your "ancient mayan corn" LOL

    ReplyDelete
  17. SarettaMarch 8, 2011 at 2:56 AM

    Alessandra and her wonders!E complimentissimi per la ise en place delle tue insalate gustosissime!bacioni

    ReplyDelete
  18. EleonoraMarch 8, 2011 at 3:51 AM

    ma che belle insalate piene di colori!
    sei creativissima.
    bacioni

    ReplyDelete
  19. UnknownMarch 8, 2011 at 4:43 AM

    Love all the pictures and your salads - Molte bene :)
    Love both the places you've lived in - SO want to go back to NZ someday soon :)
    priyasnowserving.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  20. Mary BergfeldMarch 8, 2011 at 5:03 AM

    You made great use of produce that might otherwise end up in the compost heap. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

    ReplyDelete
  21. Jose Ramon Santana VazquezMarch 8, 2011 at 5:49 AM

    ...traigo
    sangre
    de
    la
    tarde
    herida
    en
    la
    mano
    y
    una
    vela
    de
    mi
    corazón
    para
    invitarte
    y
    darte
    este
    alma
    que
    viene
    para
    compartir
    contigo
    tu
    bello
    blog
    con
    un
    ramillete
    de
    oro
    y
    claveles
    dentro...


    desde mis
    HORAS ROTAS
    Y AULA DE PAZ


    COMPARTIENDO ILUSION
    ALESSANDRA

    CON saludos de la luna al
    reflejarse en el mar de la
    poesía...




    ESPERO SEAN DE VUESTRO AGRADO EL POST POETIZADO DE CHAPLIN MONOCULO NOMBRE DE LA ROSA, ALBATROS GLADIATOR, ACEBO CUMBRES BORRASCOSAS, ENEMIGO A LAS PUERTAS, CACHORRO, FANTASMA DE LA OPERA, BLADE RUUNER ,CHOCOLATE Y CREPUSCULO 1 Y2.

    José
    Ramón...

    ReplyDelete
  22. SwathiMarch 8, 2011 at 7:28 AM

    Alessandra,

    you can try thandai with almond milk and other spices and let me know how it turns out.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Zampette in pastaMarch 8, 2011 at 11:09 AM

    Ciao Alessandra tutto ok???
    Nonostante le dimensioni mi complimento coi frutti del tuo orto che senz'altro ti daranno dei sapori e odori invidiabili!!!
    Alla prossima

    ReplyDelete
  24. VidhyaMarch 8, 2011 at 12:19 PM

    Great looking salads totally loved the dressing too.

    ReplyDelete
  25. yariMarch 12, 2011 at 10:33 PM

    Yes, they look terrible, but they must taste great!

    ReplyDelete

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