Roswell Adventures

Here is an update of our pre-garden yard for Spring 2016...   This picture is of the side of a small hill built up as Chuck excavated for our patio. We decided to put two bales on top and try some gardening.  This is one of the reasons I LOVE straw bale gardening. I know it is kinda tough to see, however, if you look closely you will note that the soil in the center of the photo is a bit darker. This was directly under one of the bales. So, as the bale decomposed, it added nutrients and organic matter to the soil. I know it is not a dark, rich brown like what comes out of a compost bed, but this improvement is significant in that over the course of the decades the house has been here, the soil has been severely depleted. Just one season of bale gardening had this effect...and it wasn't even a prolific bale! Bales that keep producing continue to break down and enrich the soil. We won't try gardening in this spot again, as it is west-facing, and between the brick and

Chard is chock full of vitamins and minerals - and it is darn tasty! When I picked up my Bountiful Basket this past week, I was thrilled to see the chard! But not so thrilled to see the radishes and cucs. But thrilled to see I could trade radishes and cucs for extra chard! Yup - life is good! I tried to remember my favorite chard recipe...nothing came to mind. But then I stumbled over a few in my Pinterest, and I started scheming. Of course, I cannot leave well enough alone, so I tweaked a bit until I came up with my recipe for Skillet Chard with Onions, Garlic, Cranberries and Pecans. The inspiration for this dish can be found at http://myellowumbrella.com/2012/09/29/garlic-onion-sauteed-chard/ .  It starts with sauteing your onions and chard stalks. When that is cooked slightly soft, add in the garlic and cook briefly. Then add your greens and stir them in. Stir carefully!   Add in your dried cranberries and cook until the greens are wilted to the poi