Dirty Vegetables

While most people headed for the lake and BBQ's this weekend, we headed to the country for a weekend of sun and dirt. Paul and I have become increasingly interested in growing our own food. After hours of pouring over seed magazines, reading books on growing organic vegetables, Paul's volunteer hours at a CSA and part time job at an organic farm, we have what I consider a pretty impressive garden for amateurs. We finally successfully started tomatoes and peppers from seeds. Our garden is home to 50 tomato plants, 34 pepper plants, 168 potato plants, 3 1/2 rows of onions, and several other plants!

The garden is absolutely my favorite place to be. The fresh air, the time spent with family, and the satisfaction of a freshly weeded garden is priceless. The calluses from weeding, the dirty fingernails, and the uneven farmer's tan is a small price to pay for the bounty that is to come!

We did get to enjoy some of the fruits of our labor. We are getting strawberries off of the strawberry bed we put in last year. We made a strawberry salad, strawberry ice cream, and enjoyed them over yogurt! We also found a fabulous recipe for peach bread and used peaches from the freezer we had put up last summer. We also are enjoying fresh lettuce from the farm Paul is working on. It is fresh from the ground and comes with lots of dirt but is a small price to pay for fresh from the garden produce. More garden pictures and recipes to come throughout the summer!

Peach Bread

2 cups peeled, pitted, and sliced homegrown peaches (about 3 medium)

6 Tablespoons sugar

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups sugar

½ cup butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Coarsely chop peaches mixed with 6 tablespoons sugar. 

In medium bow, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside.

In large mixer bowl, beat the 1 ½ cups sugar and butter at medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, peach mixture, and vanilla; beat at low speed until well combined.  Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until combined. 

Divide batter among four mini loaf pans that have been lightly coated with no-stick cooking spray and dusted with flour.  Bake in 350 degree oven until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes.  Cool in pans 10 minutes; invert onto wire racks to cool completely.