Today is the last of our winter themes: what are some seasonal recipes you’re eating in March?
After today, it’s just a free-for-all about all the cool things happening in our gardens as spring arrives- oh yeah, I’m SO ready for it…how about you?
But back to the recipes: March begins our “use up the freezer/canned goods” part of the year which lasts until June, usually.
This is invariably what happens at our house: we use our tomatoes, fruit, and vegetables sparingly through the winter because I “don’t want to run out.” Then March hits and I realize in a month I’ll have fresh asparagus and spinach, two months for peas and lettuce and three months before strawberries start the fruit season and I think, “I’d better get the freezer and pantry cleaned out!” Which results in meals like soups, stews, tarts, frittatas and baked pasta dishes that use our frozen produce.
It also means I feel more at freedom to have lots of smoothies and fruit crisps (I’m going to be posting my favorite later this week, just in case you need to use up some fruit as well…).
Yeah, we love spring around here. *smile*
And on the seed-starting front, I’ve already gotten a verdict on my “pot experiment:”
Don’t bother taking twenty minutes to create 34 little pots out of toilet paper tubes.
Isn’t this gross? In about two weeks all of the paper tubes were covered with mold. Some onions and spinach (not pictured) struggled on, so right after I snapped this picture for you all, I liberated these little babies and placed them in the recycled black plastic pots I’ve always used. I guess I’ll never know if there’d be less transplant shock using these.
This white mold was only on the paper pots- I’ve never had it when I’ve used the plastic. The seed tray was in our house the whole time (lowest temperature is 60 degrees at night sometimes), and under the lights.
I’ve heard of so many people using these or newspaper pots- how do you combat this mold problem? What methods of seed-starting do you use?
What are you eating in March? What are you doing in your gardens?
I believe a cottage can be anywhere or anything (condo, ranch, farmhouse) as long as you have a "cottage mentality" which puts people above things, celebrates imperfections, embraces simplicity, and finds joy in everyday life. Thanks for joining me!
Oh no, It is beginning – I feel the twinges of garden envy. spring is the hardest time. Everybody else is flaunting their flowers and I am doing a happy dance becaue my bulbs have just broken through the ground.
I linked up a post on how to grow rhubarb, because now is the perfect time to plant it.
I’m sooo ready for spring!! I can’t wait to get out and “play in the dirt”!!! Thank you for hosting!
Happy (almost) spring!
I am so sorry about the mold! I’ve had that happen with those kind of starter pots that you can put right in the ground, and we live in a dry climate!
You have really inspired me to try preserving more food this year! I do freezer jams, and freeze berries, peas, and beans, but hope to expand that this year if possible. We only garden on a single city lot, so are somewhat limited in the amount of food we can produce ourselves, but we do go to u-pick farms and take advantage of good prices when foods are in season here.
I have had the same experience with mold with store-bought peat pots that can be planted along with the seedlings. I think material that can break down just stays too wet and so grows mold.
It must be wonderful to have a freezer full of food! This is my first year growing that much produce, but I am so excited!
Good to know I’m not alone in the mold issue!
Athena- Oh I’m so glad I’ve inspired you! It really is a great feeling to care for our families by putting food by- it seems like you’ve already got a good start.
we woke up to 3 more inches of snow today!!! HELLO!!! MOTHER NATURE? IT’S MARCH….TIME TO MELT!!!