that’s right! i roasted some pumpkins last week and have been trying to figure out what to do with them ever since!  i love using pumpkins for dishes other than sweets, and this one hit the spot. with caramelized onions, apples, sage, and spinach- this ‘pizza’ envelops you with the flavors of fall.

ingredients:

• - whole wheat pizza crust dough (here’s one of my favorite recipes)
• - 2 cups of roasted pumpkin puree (see recipe at step 3)
• - 1 cup of caramelized onions
• - 1 tbs butter (vegan: earth balance butter)
• - 1 crispy apple (like fuji, honey crisp, etc); chopped
• - 2 cups of fresh spinach
• - 1.5 cups of mozzarella cheese (vegan: daiya cheese)
• - 5 leaves fresh sage
• - 2 sprigs fresh oregano
• - 4 tbs olive oil
• - fresh parmesan for the topping (vegan: leave off)

*i know this looks like a lot of ingredients, but keep in mind that you can substitute or leave out anything you like! once you have your pizza dough, you can fill it with anything that floats your boat.

step 1: roll out your dough into a long oval.  mine turned out to be about 10″ by 25″.  using a knife, cut strips about 1″ wide down each side,  just make sure to leave about 5″ in the middle to stack your goodies.

step 2: caramelize the onions. heat 1 tbs of butter in a pan and add the onion.  cook on medium for about 15 minutes stirring often, until the onions have become translucent and are caramelized.

step 3: begin stacking your goodies! spread about 2 cups of pumpkin puree first, then add the caramelized onions and the apple.

how do you roast a pumpkin?

it’s easy! preheat your oven to 475 degrees. 1-3 lb pie (or sweet) pumpkins work best.  remove the stem and cut the pumpkin in half, then remove the seeds.  place on a pan cut side up and add 3-4 tbs of water to the center of each pumpkin ‘boat’.  cover with tin foil and roast until tender, about 45 minutes.  remove from the oven, let cool and scrape the pumpkin from the skin (discard skin).  use immediately or freeze in baggies to last you all winter long!

step 4: continue stacking by adding the spinach, gorgonzola and mozzarella.  sprinkle with half of the sage and oregano.

step 5: begin crossing over your dough strips to cover the filling.  you can criss cross, ‘braid’ or just lay them horizontally.

step 6: carefully pick up each end to turn them up and around to make a wreath.  pinch the open ends to seal. tip: i’m working on a lightly greased sheet of parchment paper to prevent sticking.

step 7: top your wreath with the parmesean and remaining sage and oregano.

step 8: bake at 375 degrees until golden brown on top, about 20 minutes.

enjoy! xox, bonnie

wrap up: {fall} {pizza} {pumpkin} {recipes} {seasonal} {wreath}

speaking of pumpkins, i made some last night!

so many times pumpkin is used for dessert dishes, wish sugar, cinnamon and everything sweet.  though i love me some pumpkin pie, it was nice to prepare the pumpkin in an unusual way: as-is!  roasting it brings out all the savory flavors of fall and the added sage and nutmeg are perfect for the season.

here’s your recipe- hand stitched just for you! (need it bigger? just click on it!)  xo, bonnie

wrap up: {recipes} {roasted pumpkins} {sage} {seasonal}

now that the boxes are unpacked and the kitchen is stocked, we can get back to some of ghtr’s usuals.  i feel like it’s been ages since i’ve been able to share a recipe with you!  our lovely neighbor gave us a gigantic butternut squash last week, and i’ve been using it for quite a few meals- and this one is a keeper.  it’s the best pasta i’ve ever made.  the best..? yes, yes, the best.

this meal envelops you with the season’s best.  i served it with an easy apple crisp for dessert and felt that fall had officially arrived.  it’s so rich, different and comforting- it warms you up from the inside out!

ingredients:

• - 1/2 lb whole wheat pasta
• - 1 butternut squash (about 3 cups), skinned and cubed
• - 3/4 cup of finely chopped walnuts, toasted
• - 2 cups of fresh spinach
• - 1/4 cup honey
• - 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• - 4 tbs olive oil
• - salt and pepper to taste
• - 2 cloves of garlic, minced

directions:

preheat oven to 425F. place the butternut squash in a bowl and toss with 2 tbs olive oil, honey, salt and pepper.  place on a pan and roast in the oven until tender; about 40 mins.  meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the salted water after the pasta is finished.  in a pan, saute the garlic in the remaining 2 tbs of olive oil until fragrant, about 1 minute.  add the butternut squash, walnuts, nutritional yeast and spinach and cook until the spinach has wilted.  add the 1 cup of reserved pasta water.  add the pasta and toss to cover- serve and enjoy!

wrap up: {butternut squash} {fall} {pasta} {recipes} {seasonal} {spinach} {walnuts}

happy friday lovelies!  i made a yummy seasonal soup of potatoes and kale this week that i wanted to share with you! (sorry for my poor photography skillz, i hate shooting after dark)!

my mister just isn’t very fond of soup. he has issues with the how mushy they are, i think. does that mean i don’t make them? nope, it just gives me a challenge!  this soup made servings for 8, i ate one serving (ok, maybe 2) and the rest of it disappeared.  where could it have gone? needless to say, someone enjoyed it, which means it’s gotta be pretty darn delish.

ingredients:

• 2 tbl olive oil
• 8 shallots; peeled and chopped
• 3 garlic cloves; minced
• 1 tbl of minced ginger root
• 1 tbl all purpose flour
• 4 cups of vegetable stock
• 1 cup of milk
• 2 tbl heave cream or half and half
• 4 tbl soy sauce
• 4 medium potatoes; quartered and chopped
• 4 cups of kale
• salt and pepper to taste

directions:

heat oil in a medium sauce pan and sauteed the shallots, garlic and ginger for about 5 minutes. add the all purpose flour and stir to coat. add the vegetable stock, milk, cream, soy sauce and potatoes. bring to a slight boil then reduce heat to a simmer for about 15 minutes. add the kale and return to a simmer for another 15 minutes. you can either leave your soup chunky as-is, or puree it in a blender (or with a hand blender) as i did.  serve in a bowl and drizzle soy sauce over the top for a little added flare. ;)

want to learn more about eating seasonally?  check out the eating local page for seasonal veggies, recipes and tips on eating in season!

wrap up: {eating} {kale} {local} {potato} {recipe} {seasonal} {soup}

Blink, blink…where did summer go??!!  It’s been sweater weather here in CT for the past few days…cold, wet and generally lousy.  I know the sun will come out and the temperatures will rise again, but the summer drought and heat wave have passed and I’m thinking of  Autumn, which is a HUGE planting season for us.  We plant perennials, trees, shrubs and bulbs.  We prepare gardens for winter and create garden beds for next year’s  gardens.  September and October are incredibly busy gardening months – so if you think we are almost done here…think again my friends!

I just finished placing huge bulb orders…looking at the thousands of bulbs we will be planting this Fall makes my heart sing, but my knees ache! Bulb planting is done here in October – but for the best selection we order well before that.

My first priority is ordering garlic bulbs.  I absolutely love fresh garlic and I think several beds devoted to growing garlic is ideal.  Of course I’m not alone in this love of garlic – so order fast…many varieties are already sold out!

Here are our sources for organic garlic seeds:

• Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
• Fedco Seeds
• Seed Savers Exchange
• Johnny’s Selected Seeds
• 2 Sisters Organic Garlic
• Filaree Farm

If you are new to growing garlic, try a variety pack and taste test the garlic next year.  Alternately, 2 Sister’s has a great page called “How to Choose Your Favorite Garlic Variety”

Seed Saver’s has a great garlic growing guide.  In a nutshell – garlic likes nutrient rich soil (add lots of organic matter to the garden bed now so it will be ready for planting in about 6 weeks), softneck varieties are better in milder climates and hardneck varieties do better in colder climates, each individual bulb of the clove is planted and it’s pretty darn easy.

I will create a bulb planting tutorial post closer to the time of planting – so don’t worry too much about how to plant garlic.  Just order yourself some bulbs and we will all have garlic breath together next summer!!!

Of course Spring flower bulbs are also on my mind!

Daffodil ‘Replete’ Daffodil ‘Erlicheer’

Double Daffodil ‘White Lion’ Daffodil ‘Acropolis’

Double Flowering Tulip ‘Ice Wonder’ Double Flowering Tulip ‘Abigail’

Tulip ‘Rai’ Double Flowering Tulip ‘Eternal Flame’

Be sure to buy a good mixture of early, mid and late blooming bulbs.  Check the description and note when the bulb is going to bloom and buy accordingly.   Breck’s has some good instructions and tips to choosing which bulbs to plant.

Remember to also notice the height of the flower – you want to buy flowers of differing heights, different bloom times and that complement each other color wise.

Bulbs look best when planted in drifts of several hundred – for maximum impact buy a long flowering collection of daffodils and naturalize areas of your garden. You’ll be so glad you did come Spring!

I use tulips in the front of the garden bed where I can enjoy their fleeting beauty.  I try not spend too much on tulip bulbs, since they rarely come back each year.  Of course I am seduced by the tulips each and every year and swoon each Spring when these beauties bloom.

This year I am planting bulbs in my cut flower beds – I loathe cutting from the garden, but I always want some indoors as well…this is my compromise.

Here are some of our bulb suppliers – take a look and order your bulbs soon…I promise they will be sold out before you know it.  Bulbs ship at the correct planting time for your zone – so don’t hesitate!

Van Bourgondien – reputable and reliable sellers with a great inventory and some sweet specials.

Breck’s - classic and established bulb company.  Has some beautiful bulb collections.

Van Egelen – we buy most of our bulbs through this company, which is Connecticut based.  We have never had a problem and their shipping and customer service is excellent.  Their bulbs are large and healthy and produce great flowers.  They offer “wholesale” pricing for large quantity of bulbs…and although it is not as cheap as true wholesale, I am happy to pay more for their high quality.

White Flower Farm – another Connecticut based company I am happy to order from.  Again, their prices can be higher than others, but their quality is superb and their pre-designed bulb collections are classics.  I am trying their Darwin Hybrid Tulips – they say they bloom for 5 years…that would be lovely and save my poor knees from annual tulip planting!

Hope you have fun browsing and buying bulbs for next year!

Caroline Finnegan owns Ladybug Landscaping, a full service organic landscaping company. based in CT. She is a NOFA accredited landcare professional and when not designing gardens can be found rearranging her furniture or out at a flea market finding new goodies. She almost always has dirt under her nails.

wrap up: {eco friendly} {garden} {organic gardening} {seasonal}

this week’s seasonal recipe comes from one of my favorite food blogs, the kitchenist! a gal after my own heart, ele is an ecotarian foodie who cooks with a conscious. sharing recipes that are vegetarian, local, seasonal, organic or otherwise sustainable- her blog is full of endless inspiration sure to bring you one yummy idea after the next to keep you eating responsibly (and deliciously!).

this quiche is full of summer goodness with beans and peas galore.  better hurry up and make this one, as beans will be out of season soon and you’ll have to wait a whole year before you can make it again!  grab the green summertime quiche recipe here as well as view all of ele’s recipes to get recipes for the every season.

wrap up: {beans} {local} {peas} {quiche} {recipe} {seasonal} {sustainable}

hi lovelies! did you have a good weekend?  i spent most of mine prepping and canning green beans with my grandma!  oh if only i could download all of her knowledge into my wee brain… i think she knows everything there is to know about everything- it’s so fun to spend time with her!

today i want to introduce to you a very special guest poster, amanda joy! she sent me the most delectable looking garden salsa recipe and i was so eager to share it with you.  with seasonal veggies this catch-all salsa recipe is the perfect addition to our summer recipe collection. make sure to stop by amanda’s blog joy ever after for inspiration, handmade goodies and diy projects!

Hello! My name is Amanda and I’m super excited to share my recipe with you. Bonnie has been so informative and such an inspiration to eating more local and seasonal foods. My personal strategy involves small, subtle baby steps towards a more sustainable lifestyle, as the lifestyle does not come naturally for me. This recipe is one of my favorites and is perfect for summer produce.

With gardening you suddenly have twenty tomatoes, right? Or in my case, my lovely neighbor has plenty of peppers, onions, and tomatoes so she gladly gives me a bag full. (Lucky, I know!) The great thing about this salsa is I like to think of it as a “catch all” recipe. Basically you can add more or less of any ingredient and it still comes out great. And every time I make it, I think of another meal that it can be used for. Below is the basic recipe, but remember, you can be creative!

ingredients:

4 large tomatoes, chopped
2 medium peppers, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp vinegar
2 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
dash of hot sauce

I hope you make an opportunity to taste this versatile deliciousness! And I would love to hear what ingredients you added or meals you used it in. My most recent was an amazing taco pizza. Thanks to GHTR for letting me share with you!

wrap up: {avocado} {eat local} {pepper} {recipes} {salsa} {seasonal} {summer} {tomato}

hello lovelies!  today i have two of my favorite veggie recipes to share with you! between the abundance of veggies at the local market and my small veggie garden, it’s been pretty easy to eat local around here.  how has it been for you?

the first recipe is for roasted veggies with fresh garden herbs.  this is such a hearty dish that it could be used as a main course! served with pepper fried eggs over top would  make this a meal of it’s own.

ingredients:

• - 2 medium potatoes
• - 1 beet
• - 1 medium zucchini
• - fresh herbs (i used sage, dill, rosemary and basil)
• - 2 tbs olive oil
• - salt and pepper

directions:

cube your veggies and toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper.  place on a lightly greased baking pan in a single layer and add your herbs on top.  roast at 450 for 45 minutes or until lightly browned.

i bought these heirloom purple green beans at our local market, aren’t they pretty?  this recipe is for my favorite way to prepare green beans- the flavors go so well together and they look beautiful as a side dish (any green bean will work, these turn green as you cook them)!

ingredients:

• - fresh, local green beans
• - 1/2 cup of almonds (whole or sliced)
• - 1 tbs of olive oil
• - 1 tsp of lemon juice
• - salt and pepper

directions:

thoroughly wash, cut and remove the ends (or string) your green beans.  boil in a pot of salted water until bright green, about 15 minutes.  meanwhile, head the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  add the almonds and stir until lightly browned (about 4 minutes).  add the green beans, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  toss until coated and serve!

want to learn more about eating locally?  check out the eating local page for seasonal veggies, recipes and tips on eating in season!

wrap up: {almods} {eat} {green beans} {local} {potatos} {recipes} {roasted} {seasonal} {veggies}