Winter garden dreams

I have winter garden dreams every January.  I sit with my seed catalogs and dream about all the things I can do this next year.  I have so much energy to get it all done.  I never get tired and my body never aches.  

It is always a good idea to make your lists, fill out your order (in pencil), and take out your box of seeds and notes from last year (if you are one to write things down) and then let it ferment.  I like to let all my plans sit on a stack for at least a week before I commit to the purchase of next year's plants and seeds.

While I am waiting for my plans to ferment, I find ways to use of some of my fruits and vegetables in my crisper drawer that are awaiting new life as a side dish to the beef ribs I have in the oven.  Today I cut up the pears that we picked up late last fall, mostly Asian varieties, and added some chopped walnuts and blue cheese.  I have tossed it with a few dried herbs and fresh ground nutmeg.   I will toss in some balsamic vinegar just before serving.

Another item which I have in large quantity is daikon radishes.  I did a bit of searching to get some fresh ideas and came across several recipes for a fresh pickle.  One that caught my eye was posted by a Japanese blogger.  It had less liquid in it than all the rest which fit the sparing amount of rice wine vinegar I had left in my pantry.  It is just a blend of sugar, vinegar, salt, chili pepper and sliced daikon.  Everything is mixed in a Ziploc baggie and sealed with as little air as possible.  It is recommended to let it sit for a couple days and can be used for up to a month just kept in the refrigerator.  I am eager to see how this will come out in a few days.  

I also came across quite a few varieties of carrots that got lost under the lettuce and kale.  Crisper drawers should be shallow with four rather than two that are deeper.  I think these are going to join the slow roast process as long as the oven is hot.  I will venture up to the cold storage in the attic and grab a couple of parsnips to toss together with the carrots.  Roast vegetables always turn out so sweet.

Enjoy those winter dreams.  Until you place the order, those dreams are free.  Until the spring comes, there is very little effort involved.