Cutting Celery

today, I'm fixing Swiss Steak. the tomato juice helps break down slightly tougher meat.the mushrooms and shallots were leftovers I found in the veggie drawer;I had some beef stock as well. Smells great!

my in-house herbs-oregano, sage and cutting celery, seemed a whole lot closer than going out to the greenhouse for rosemary.(up all night-Starbuck had five puppies and everyone is doing well) Sage is smoky; oregano is peppy and celery is-well, deep and aromatic.

but my family hates celery-as in stalks. can;t make peanut butter stalks or ants on a log-I get the EWWW GROSS faces. So I started growing cutting celery last year.

All the flavor, easy to grow, and no stalks! I always preferred the leaves in cooking, anyway.

I am hoping my clump will either grow like mad this year, moved back outside, or go to seed. seed gives me plants like, forever.I intend to cut often this winter-and dry or freeze. haven;t made up my mind.

not a very gardeny blog but; there are solutions which will work, for your meals.(which is where the garden is supposed to end up after all. on your plate.not just in pretty rows out "there.") try a few new things out. Herbs are wonderful mixed into veggie beds-they help repel pests, smell great, and add so much in cooking.

I always have rosemary-lavender, oregano ( real Greek or Italian is the only thing worth buying) sage and mint(s)and love tarragon but have to replace each year. this is the first year-with grow lights indoors and the little green house for tougher but still not freeze proof things, that I have been able to keep all the stuff growing. lost the basil though-keep meaning to pick up a live plant at Martin's, the only place I have seen them.( Basil was a tough go last summer- like squash and other heat lovers. peppers and tomatoes were fine. hm)

we sow dill and cilantro willy nilly; love the look and smell, love how helpful they are.and did I forget parsley? oh my! worth the wait. sow it in cool soil and expect to not see it pop up for 3 weeks.I eat the stuff as a snack.My grandma always made me eat my parsley-so I still do!

We love basil and pesto so I am committed to a large area for basil this year.Cross fingers!