Garden Wisdom Blog — Appetizers

These savoury morsels are made in a mini muffin tin, so the scale is easy to imagine. They make use of fresh garden broccoli — when it’s ready to pick you have to use it all quick! Broccoli and Cheese Bites will be a hit at summer parties, but they’re also nice in the cold of winter. Ingredients: 480mL (2 cups) broccoli, cooked and chopped 240mL (1 cup) grated cheddar cheese (or substitute any sharp cheese) 60mL (¼ cup) bread crumbs 1 egg Instructions: Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Spray a mini muffin tin with non-stick baking spray. Cook broccoli...

When our kohlrabi is ready for harvest, it’s got to come out of the garden before it gets woody on the bottom. So we’re always keen for a variety of ways to use it. These Kohlrabi and Potato Cakes make a great appetizer, or a nice finger food for summer parties. Ingredients: 3 medium kohlrabi (approx. 1 ½ lbs), leaves included 6 potatoes, peeled and boiled 250ml (1 cup) ricotta cheese 250ml (1 cup) vegetable stock 210ml (7.5 oz) butter 180ml (¾ cup) flour plus more for dredging 3 large eggs 1.2mL (¼ tsp) nutmeg Salt and pepper to taste...

Happy Chinese New Year! If you’re looking for a simple side dish for your Chinese New Year gathering, this is your ticket. This dish needs only a few ingredients, yet packs a ton of flavour. If you planted pac choi in your winter garden, grab a few from outside, sauté, and serve along rice and your favourite protein. Didn’t grow pac choi this past winter? Pac choi can be started outdoors in some regions as early as February. Learn when to grow pac choi with our regional planning charts, then make this savoury dish later in the season. Serves: 4...

Everything tastes better with bacon – especially home grown asparagus picked fresh from the garden. This Bacon Wrapped Asparagus recipe is quick to prepare, easy to produce, and can be prepared ahead of time for a BBQ party or in an oven. Ingredients:  1 1/2 pounds asparagus spears, trimmed Olive oil for tossing Pepper to taste 4 slices of bacon Directions:  Preheat BBQ or oven (broiler), to 400˚ F. Lightly toss asparagus spears in olive oil and black pepper. Divide the spears into 4 bundles and wrap a bacon slice around each bundle. If grilling on the BBQ, place the bundles on the hot...

Wondering what to do with a mountain of zucchini? Dig into the pile and create a healthy treat to snack on. 125 mL (1/2 cup) white vinegar 125 mL (1/2 cup) water One medium zucchini 7.5 mL (1/2 Tbsp) sea salt 30 mL (2 Tbsp) olive oil Large bowl Dehydrator Slice one small zucchini into slices less than 1/2 a centimeter thick. Place the zucchini slices into a bowl and cover them with a mixture of 250 mL vinegar and 250 mL water. Marinate them overnight. Make sure that the slices are covered. If they are not, make more of...