Author Archives: Virtual Farmgirl

Here’s what I learned today from the Irving Schoolyard Garden: Squash plants are prickly and sharp as knives. Or at least their leaves can be as sharp as razor thin paper. I know this because my fingers are have little slits all over them. I didn’t even know it was happening until I felt theContinue reading “Anyone Want Some Garden-Fresh Produce?”

Photo credit: FDA Release There’s no doubt this massive egg recall (last I saw the number of suspect eggs reached half a billion) is going to cause some folks who were on the fence to jump at the chance to raise their own backyard chickens. What better way to know the source of your eggs?Continue reading “Egg Recall Has Me Hunting for a Local Egg Supplier”

Ice cream and strawberries. A few years ago for my son’s birthday, we came across this entertaining and tasty kid-friendly activity: Homemade ice cream in a bag. I’m not sure we’ve tried it again, until Saturday. We gathered all the fixins to do this at our block party over the weekend. There are very fewContinue reading “Shake It, Make It Ice Cream in a Bag”

A few weeks ago at the Meat & Music party we went to, I sampled this delicious summer salad featuring watermelon, mint and crispy prosciutto. I would never have thought to pair these three. But the sweet watermelon, refreshing mint and salty prosciutto turned out to be taste-bud pleasing combo. I got a Real SimpleContinue reading “Watermelon Salad with Feta, Crispy Prosciutto & Italian Parsley”

Good news from the Folly Beach sea turtle watch team. Loggerhead turtle leaving her nest on Folly Beach. Photo by the iFarmer The loggerhead sea turtle Sim and my niece saw while we were on vacation in South Carolina on June 23 is now a proud momma of some 116 babies. She’d laid 134 eggsContinue reading “Sea Turtle Update: 87% of Eggs Hatched”

Several people asked me recently for my mother’s Thai Green Curry recipe.  We love making this, especially when the weather gets cooler. But I got a craving for it the other day, so we cooked up a big pot.  We polished off the entire thing within three days. I think Sim even had it forContinue reading “Nana's Thai Green Curry”

It’s our off week for Sandhill, but here’s what our CSA partner family is getting this week: Kennebec (Baking) Potatoes Beefsteak Tomatoes Heirloom Tomatoes Red Onions White Onions Lacinato or Red Kale Leeks Sweet Peppers of Various Colors Poblano (Hot) Peppers Green Beans Eggplant Garlic Chives with Flower Buds Cucumbers  Basil …And Maybe Some ZucchiniContinue reading “Heirlooms, Peppers & Something Called Lacinato”

I’d been doing pretty good with using up our latest CSA share. At least that’s what I thought until I realized we still had a whole bag of what I have learned are Romano beans, aka Italian green beans, which resemble green beans except they are longer, wider and flat like sugar snap peas. PhotoContinue reading “Braised Romano Beans Have Me Dreaming of Italy”

Purple-hulled green beans from the Irving Garden. I got my first glimpse of purple-hulled green beans at tonight’s Irving Garden gathering. Wow those are beautiful. Although, from what I’ve read, they turn green when cooked. I can tell you, from experience tonight, that they are plenty delicious raw. I know this because several of usContinue reading “Purple Green Beans? One of Many Unexpected Delights from the Irving Garden”

My apprentice filling mini cupcake pan. I thanked my daughter for being my baking assistant this afternoon and she corrected me: “No momma. I’m your apprentice.” My apprentice indeed. She was all business with me while we whipped up a batch of zucchini muffins (cupcakes to the kids).  The recipe, complete with zesty orange, creamContinue reading “Meet My Apprentice”