Thursday, March 31, 2011

Tip - Strawberries

Varieties that can stand the heat will grow well here.  Strawberries are perennials, meaning they will survive year after year (given you treat them right) and they will get bigger and produce more over time. 



 Certain varieties produce a little fruit for most of the year, while others produce a lot of fruit all at once.  When selecting plants, remember to consider:  heat and drought tolerant varieties, and what type of fruiting cycle they're on.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Barb's White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

1 large onion chopped
1 ½ tsp. Tabasco or other chili sauce
3 to 5 cloves garlic 1 tsp. cumin
1 cube butter
1 ½ tsp chili powder if desired
¼ c flour ½ tsp salt (I omitted)
2 Tbsp Red New Mexico
½ tsp white pepper
Chili Powder
2 3oz cans diced green chilies
1 small can evaporated milk
3 chopped green onions
1-2 cans low sodium chicken
broth (lesser amount for thicker chili)
2 cans Great Northern Beans Grated Jack cheese
5 cooked chicken breast chopped
Sour cream
or a half rotisserie chicken skinned and chopped Tortilla Chips
NOTES: Use more then 5 cloves of garlic if they are small. The Red New Mexico Chili powder is sometimes under the Tampico brand. It is found in the Mexican food isle in a plastic bag, hanging on hooks. Start with 1 can of broth, add more later if you want it more soup like. You can add more chicken and beans to your liking. For a double batch, use 1 large can evaporated milk and double everything else. A double
batch fills the crock pot.

Directions:

Cook onion and garlic in 2 Tbsp butter in skillet. In a 6-8 qt pot, melt remaining butter and whisk in flour and New Mexico chili powder. Cook roux for 3 minutes, stir in onion and garlic. Gradually add milk and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until thick (about 5 minutes, stirring constantly).

Stir in Tabasco, cumin, chili powder, and salt and pepper. Add beans, green chili, green onions, and chicken. Stir occasionally on low heat for 15-20 minutes.

Add garnish of grated cheese, sour cream, chips on top of each individual serving, just before serving.

Tip - Coffee grounds

Vicki Normandin, soil scientist, recommends lightly digging in coffee grounds around the base of each plant to promote nitrogen.  This should be done weekly. 


Start saving coffee grounds or go to the coffee shops around our area and ask them to save coffee grounds for you.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Tip- planting tomatos

Remove the bottom few leaves and plant the earth ball deeper into the ground past those points where leaves were removed.  .


 This will promote better root growth.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Sprouting a garden


South Tempe has sprouted a community garden with the help of volunteering residents and a group of gardeners.










Each plot is about 4 by 16 feet. There is also a designated Children’s Garden plot, as well as additional plots to be used for local food banks.