Recipes from The Optimistic Farmer
Utilizing the fruits and vegetables you grow is one of the greatest things about the gardening lifestyle! When you add ingredients to your favorite recipes that were harvested from your garden, you know you are adding healthy food to your diet. Yes, it may be easier to go to the store and buy what you need, gardening is definitely a way of life....so if you don't have a green thumb, make a friend that does or support your local farmers to add a certain taste to your recipes that you just cannot get from the store!
High Quality H2O
Water is so delicious and important for your health not only on hot summer days, but also during the other months as well. For holidays or other special occasions, it can be exciting to add some of your harvest or store produce for a FUN pop of color and flavor to this all-important drink!! For those really hot days you can ice it up or for the cold days drink it warm! Puree or cut some of your favorite fruits, along with various herbs, you can freeze and then add to your favorite cocktail or mocktail. You can also dd to a large pitcher and let the flavors infuse!!
Cabbage Soup
Going to be honest when making cabbage soup, rarely is the recipe the same, sometimes you may have a little of this or a little of that to add to the soup, but below is a good start:
​
-
3 Tbsp. olive oil
-
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
-
2 medium carrots, sliced
-
2 potatoes, diced
-
1 tsp. salt
-
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
-
1 small (2-lb.) head green cabbage, chopped
-
4 garlic cloves, chopped
-
4 c. chicken or vegetable broth
-
2 bay leaves
-
Chopped parsley, for serving
​
Sauté the onions and garlic in the oil until soft, add all the other ingredients, except the cabbage and softly boil until carrots and potatoes are almost soft, approximately 15-20 minutes. Then add the cabbage and simmer for another 15-20 minutes, you may need to add more salt and pepper according to your taste. If you add the cabbage at the beginning with all the other ingredients it is not the end of the world. Play around with the recipe until you find the combo of flavors you like best! Bon Appetit!
