Monday, January 24, 2011

Enjoying the fruits of my labor

I try to make it happen more often than not: A meal grown from my own garden or gotten by means other than go-to-the-store-and-buy-it. This time it was pinto beans grown in last year's garden. I put in a little turkey ham (cheaper than pork ham and considering that I can't eat pork...), and a little ham/smoke flavoring bought at the local salvage grocery for almost nothing.

With the beans, I had cornbread with the cornmeal made partly from corn I grew year before last and partly from popcorn that didn't want to pop well. I also used buttermilk from butter I'd made a couple of weeks ago. The teaspoon of baking powder it took came from a canister I'd found marked 'way down - an unusual find.

Along with beans and cornbread, there were greens. Wild greens, gathered from my back yard last year.

I also fried a pan of Jersualem artichokes, growing like weeds from a half dozen roots I planted about three years ago. I will never run out of those.

And butter, homemade. And ice tea, homemade.

I didn't add up the cost; somehow that would have spoiled the effect. I am happy to know that so much of the meal came from the labor of my own hands and not from some grocery shelf.

12 comments:

  1. very cool! "Homemade butter" made me drool a little.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love homemade butter... too much sometimes. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Got any leftovers? I'm on my way!! ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sure, come on over, Stacie! :) It's always better warmed over anyway.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Never had home made butter but I certainly will give it a try. Drooling just thinking about how good it must taste.

    ReplyDelete
  6. You've missed something if you've never had homemade butter, Beverly, but real butter from the store is a good alternative.

    ReplyDelete
  7. This meal is So awsome! And so healthy, too!

    Bette

    ReplyDelete
  8. I wish I had even more room to garden. . .then I'd plant some dry beans as well.

    ReplyDelete
  9. My garden area is small, too, Jenn, so I feel your pain. I have a little patch here and a little patch there. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Aw, this was a really nice post. In idea I would like to put in writing like this additionally - taking time and actual effort to make a very good article… but what can I say… I procrastinate alot and by no means seem to get something done.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Life is good when some authors like post their articles!

    ReplyDelete