Summer Garden Dinner

It's the greatest time of year in the kitchen garden, with an abundance of sweet corn, green beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, summer squashes.... we even had some watermelon this year! In the past I've enjoyed my homegrown vegetables alongside sandwiches, steak, chicken, potatoes, rice, etc. But it suddenly occurred to me that with such abundance in the garden, supplementation with grains and meat was completely unnecessary. After eating this meal, which took 10 minutes to prepare, I felt completely satisfied and energized. The 2 corns on the cob (what exactly is the plural form of "corn on the cob", anyway?), 1 cup of green beans, 2 Roma tomatoes, 1 pear tomato, and one lemon cucumber provided a 10 grams of protein, over 70% of the RDA for vitamin A, and over 100% of the RDA for vitamin C! Sound like a balanced meal?

Cloudy Spring Day Roasted Taters and Veggies

Radishes grow quickly, so they're the perfect way to get food coming out of a new garden quickly. So, getting a late start planting in the garden at my new home, I planted them, despite the fact that no one in my house really likes them. Now that they are ready to eat, what do I actually do with them?
I'd never thought of cooking radishes, but it turns out to be a great way to rid the radish of that radishy flavor that I don't like!

So here's my recipe, a quick and easy dinner or hearty lunch for a cloudy day.
4-6 Russet potatoes
10-12 radishes (or more, but that's all I had)
broccoli florets and stems (I only had a few, more would have been better, use your judgment)
olive oil
salt, pepper, seasonings of your choice


Cut everything into bite size-pieces. Place in baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Salt and season to taste. Bake at 375F for 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

GMOs

Genetically modified organisms haven't made the mainstream news lately, but they've been on my mind since I saw the bags of herbicide ready corn in the back of my dad's truck, destined to be planted and then doused with glyphosate in my dad's field uphill from the creek. I'd heard of GMO's -organisms altered with DNA from other organisms (usually bacteria)- but didn't realize how prevalent they are until a few weeks ago when I saw those seed bags. The label on the bag claimed it contained "Miracles of Science." An oxymoron since modern science denies the possibility of miracles. By the miracle of science, these agriscience companies have made a seed which you must purchase from them every year so that you can spray on it a chemical that we will also sell you, which will wipe out all plants but the ones they sell. Stripping the farmer of independence, placing another barrier between the farmer and the ecosystem.
I have since learned that nearly all corn and soybeans grown in the US are from GM seeds.
How can individuals maintain freedom if the food is controlled by a few powerful corporations? The only way to maintain freedom is to support local, sustainable growers and grow your own.