FALL IS COMING BUT STILL A FEW MORE MEALS AVAILABLE JUST OUTSIDE THE BACK DOOR.

fresh green beans with herbed cheese sauce, composed salad from garden cuttings

            The first day of October, and while the garden is waning, it is not defunct. After trimming back over-grown zinnias, cutting oregano and drying it, picking yet more tomatoes, and moving pots away from the end of the garden where the septic construction is going on, and then taking a nap (still fighting the bronchitis), it was time to make Roy dinner.

       So since he was going to have leftover pasta and sauce (yes the sauce was homemade a couple days ago, but leftover no less), I decided to make sure the rest of the meal was fresh. It is so satisfying to be able to go out the back door, and within a couple minutes have two beautiful fresh side dishes to serve your family.

       I cut a handful or two of baby arugula, some basil leaves, and fresh parsley--also a couple handfuls of cherry tomatoes (which are still going crazy), and a big handful of green beans.  After blanching the green beans, I put a dollop of dip/sauce made from cream cheese, goat cheese, mayo, sour cream, dill, onion, garlic and cucumber on top of the hot beans and stirred it into them.  Washed up the greens and tore them into small pieces, and topped with grated carrot, tomato halves, some raspberry vinaigrette and a bit of cottage cheese with a sprinkle of lavender pepper. Roy approved of all whole-heartedly and that is my best and most critical reviewer. 

       Even though the fall is coming on and the garden is waning, there will be a couple more weeks where harvesting fresh items and turning them into wholesome, organic, GMO free side dishes still comes just a few steps out my back door and without having to spend a dime at the grocery store.  Makes me smile.