Fresh Vegetable from the garden Gluten Free Lasagna

Gluten Free Rice Pasta Lasagne with Homegrown Garden Fresh Veggies

9 Gluten Free Lasagne Noodles (boiled and drained) Tinkyada Brown Rice Noodles

2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 Cup diced onion

8 - 12 oz or more of Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1 container Ricotta Cheese

1/2 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese (probably way more than 1/2 cup)

2 Cups Eggplant peeled and diced. I used 3 small Listada de Gandia Eggplant

1/2 Chopped carrot

1 jar marinara sauce

2 red or yellow sweet peppers. I used a lovely Doux de Espagne and an Orange sweet bell

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (more or less, usually more)

1 small peeled and diced zucchini

1/2 tsp oregano leaves

1/2 tsp basil leaves

2 eggs well beaten

Basic Instruction:

Cook the pasta and drain.

Heat Olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Saute Garlic, Eggplant, Carrot, Zucchini and Onions until tender - about 5 minutes. Add Sweet Peppers, Oregano, Basil leaves and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix ricotta and 2 beaten eggs until smooth.

In an ungreased baking dish (I use a 9 x 13 glass pyrex), pour 1/3 marinara onto the bottom of the pan. Place 3 lasagne sheets on top of sauce. Top with 1/2 veggie mixture, half the ricotta mixture, half the mozzarella and then half the Parmesan over the top. (truth be told, I don't measure the mozzarella or the parm, I eyeball it.)

Repeat the next layer... 1/3 sauce, 3 lasagne sheets, 1/2 veggie mixture, remaining ricotta mixture and mozzarella cheese and some parmesan. Now, Top with remaining 3 lasagne sheets, marinara sauce, and top with parmesan cheese. ( I may sprinkle some mozzarella too).

Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees. (I never cover mine and it never over-browns.)

Enjoy with some crusty Italian bread and Red Wine. :)

You're welcome..

The garden is really growing now ...

It's been all summer since I gave a garden update. I have gone out every morning (or evening) except for very rainy days and watered the boxes and beds. So far, it has been a year of not so much success. The broccoli originally gave one meal and then died in the very early extreme heat we had. The brussel sprouts in earthboxes grew very tiny sprouts and then died in the heat, even after I kept smashing the caterpillars daily. The brussels I had under row covers never fruited. I think no bugs but no bees either. The patty pan squash under row covers succumbed to powdery mildew and then the vicious root maggot. I got one meal of corn from the 3 sisters garden and 1 good meal of provider beans from 3 sisters garden. The squashes all but 2 plants got the root maggot and died, with no fruit. The 2 plants are still in that bed and I might end up with Butternut squash from them yet. I replanted turnips where the corn and beans etc were in 3 sisters, we will see.

This is how the garden looks today...

Cayenne Pepper harvest.
I basically ignored this plant, other than watering. It fruited lovely. I am setting these out daily in the sunshine, and will string them soon. It is humid here, so I want the peppers to dry out a bit before I string them. (They began to dry on the plant, so I picked them all)

This is Black Brandywine. She gave me 2 or 3 tiny tomatoes so far and now has taken off in fresh growth and blossoms. If the deer stay off the tomatoes, I should have some lovely brandywines at the end of September!

This is Black Seeded Simpson
in tiny self watering containers. It is the second planting.

These are the tiny little butternut squash that grew in the compost pile.
(we ate the 4th in butternut risotto, but that is another post)
The vines died early and I had to bring in the immature fruit to ripen inside.

Dwarf Orange Tree and Pineapple Plant

2nd crop of corn. 1st earthbox planting this year.

Bloesser tomato (this is the Joggerst tomato plant) Sage in long pot
and in 2nd raised bed is Blondkopchen tomato, cayenne, 2 silvery fur tomato,
2 pepper plants, bi color cherry tomato. All headed toward new fruit. Crazy weather.

This is the other side of 2nd raised bed. You can see a red Doux deEspagne pepper.
and you can see the top of one sweet potato plant in front of the bed.

This is a crazy upside down planter I got for free. I had to try it.
I don't like it. Tomato plants are growing and blossoming,
(2 Mr. Stripey and 1 Rugers)
but it holds water in the bottom that is breeding mosquitos.
I suppose you could put sand in it, but that wasn't free.

A lovely view of my blueberry bushes. All protected from the wicked deer.

On the right side is Doux de Espagne, finally blossoming.
On the left is the yukky snack peppers. Very bitter.

This is the second attempt at Yellow Summer squash.
This crazy weather... it is setting blossoms right now.

Sideways view of my Edmonson Cukes. Love them

Bed with Cukes in it. Just planted Kohlrabi for fall. Will row cover soon.

A view of the eggplants. Need some mulch on that plastic.

Current state of the strawberry bed. Growing well.

This is the new turnip planting where the 3 sisters planting was.
See the 2 remaining Waltham Butternut plants at the end. Praying for some fruit there.

These are Eggplants, different self watering containers.
Might be setting some blossoms now.

This is just a stand kinda close to the fence
(but not too close, the poison ivy is directly behind me)
and take a pic of the garden.


and now the view that inspired this overdue garden post....


The Melon Patch...

These are the honeydew melons.
1 earthbox
3 plants.
3 baby melons
and more tiny ones starting to develop (finally!)

This is a side view of how far out of the box they grew.
and I keep moving the vines so they won't run straight,
instead I tangle them together for space considerations.

This is the biggest watermelon. It is as tall as the earthbox (almost)

This is the watermelon Earthbox.
4 plants. Growing vine like crazy.
Blossoms galore and now 4 tiny melons growing.
I have to water the box 2-3 times a day to keep it happy and not wilting.
(like it accidentaly did today when I only watered am and pm.)

And this is the pattypan squash.
2nd planting. (1st time in earthbox)

and that concludes the longest garden photo post ever.

Whew.

You're welcome.

Be encouraged. My plants are finally doing what they should... we have had a wild weather growing season.

and that old black walnut tree, No Fruit this year.
Better for the garden and easier on me.

Cucumber Soup and Zucchini Fritatta

I made Cucumber soup and Zucchini Fritatta

The soup was surprisingly a little sweet, with no sugar added, just from the lovely cucumbers.

The Fritatta was perfect.
(very easy, a little olive oil in a pan, soften the onion and zucchini and add eggs, medium heat, no stirring until done, then a quick 30 seconds under the broiler to make sure the top is solid)


and these:

are Edmonson Cucumbers.

Beautiful color!! Great Mild Taste.

Airport Picture ... and the rest of the story.

5 weeks ago we began a journey with 2 fantastic children

Sunday

we ended with this:

Chris, S, L and Paige


Two beautiful girls we are blessed to have been able
to pour into their lives for 5 weeks and beyond.
We love you girls!