Local Fall Veggies Do Exist!

Today I'm sharing a wonderful fall time recipe. Red Lentil Dal with Butternut Squash and Crispy Cabbage. What's so wonderful about this dish is that both the squash and cabbage are in season and can be found locally at your farmers market (if it's still running) or natural foods store. But don't fret, if you don't have either you can still find these veggies, along with all of the other ingredients, at your nearest supermarket.  

There are really two parts of this recipe, the dal and the cabbage. Both can be done at the same time so long as you prep your ingredients first.


Red Lentil Dal with Butternut Squash

1 15oz can coconut milk
1/2 C. water 
1 C. red lentils
1 small butternut squash peeled and diced into 1/4-1/2 inch cubes

Bring your coconut milk and water to a boil then add in lentils and squash. Bring back to boil then cover and simmer for 20-40min or until squash is soft.

Crispy Cabbage

1 small head of red cabbage sliced
1/2 C. all purpose flour
1/2 C. whole wheat flour
3-4 Tbls. canola oil

Preheat oven to 475.

Slice cabbage into 1/8 inch strips.

Mix flours in medium bowl. Then mix in cabbage coating well.

On stove top, preheat oil in a large skillet. Once oil is hot, place flour coated cabbage in oil and fry until it starts to brown.

 

 Don't be tempted to fry it too long. We'll finish the cabbage off in the oven and we don't want it to burn. 

Then place fried cabbage on a sheet pan an into preheated oven.

Cook cabbage in oven for about 5-10 minutes or until crispy. Being careful not to let it burn.

 

It should look about like this. 

Once cabbage is cooked and dal is done simply spoon the dal into a bowl and place some cabbage on top. This is a perfect meal for the chilly fall nights.

If you have some cabbage left over it can be made into a great sandwich. Just add some greens, an avacado, and a little mayo or deli mustard and you've got a great lunch the next day. 

Or heck, just sprinkle on some salt or seasoning of your choice and eat it like you would chips or fries. 

But, as always, no matter what...enjoy!

DIY Cold Frame

My most recent post got me to thinking about the home gardener and just how 'high tunnels' can be applied to the small garden. It's great that there are options for the gardeners who's livelihood depend on their crops. But, what about those of us who just want to grow some lettuce in the late fall and early winter? To that issue I say, cold frame.

Now, those of you familiar enough with Ray's Garden may notice that this particular plot looks a little alien. That's because this is not Ray's Garden. It is, in fact, The Mountainside Garden. Today's post is going to be a first. I'll be talking about the experiences of another fellow gardener. One who is much more seasoned than I am and has chosen to take on the task of building a cold frame. A task, which I have learned, is not too difficult. Even for a beginner gardener such as myself.

Let's talk cold weather gardening

So, winter has started to peep it frosty head out of hiding. The days have begun to shrink as the light begins to fail earlier. Gardeners wake up to a sharp white frost layering the ground and covering their crops. And with that frost comes the end of the season. For some at least...

Some professional gardeners are turning to government subsidized options and building 'high tunnels'. This is revolutionizing the availability of local produce. Click on the picture to take a look...

'high tunnels' extend growing season for local farmers

Fried Green Tomatoes (not the movie)

As a good ole' southern boy there are a few treats that I grew up knowing well. Pecan pie, deep fried catfish (and of course the hush puppies to accomp'ny it), and beans 'n cornbread are just a few of the delicious dishes I know and love. So, natur'lly, when my tomato plants decided frost be damned they was gonna bear fruit anyway, I knew what I had to do...

Time to Plant!

Wait...what? Time to plant? What could possibly need planting this late in the season?

Garlic!