Drumroll, please… Just in time for spring garden planning, Grocery Gardening is now on the shelves at Barnes and Noble, Home Depot and Lowe’s. It’s packed with tips for planting, preparing and preserving 25 of your favorite fruit, vegetables and herbs.
Eat local. Grocery Gardening guides you from planting the first seeds to preparing delicious meals to preserving produce for winter months. For those items you can’t grow yourself, the book explains how to buy quality produce, while supporting your local farmers and communities. Nutritional facts are scattered throughout.
A community effort. You may remember the story about how Grocery Gardening happened. The four authors (above) met on Twitter, and used social media to reach thousands of readers before the book was finished. Readers contributed family recipes, personal photos and garden stories, while others provided real-time feedback from around the globe to the authors during the project.
Win a free copy. Enter to win an autographed copy of Grocery Gardening. Simply leave a comment for Seasonal Wisdom by Feb. 14 and tell us:
- Your favorite fruit, vegetable or herb, and…
- Your favorite way to eat it
That’s it. Your responses can be a few words, if you’d like, but longer responses and delicious recipes are always welcome. The best comments will be featured in future posts and tweets.
The winner will be randomly selected on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14.
It seems only fair to select the winner on this day as we’re talking about the love of produce, after all. We can’t wait to hear your thoughts, and thanks to everyone who has contributed to this book so far.
Want more? Hear Jean Ann Van Krevelen of Cool Springs Press explain how social media was a driving force behind the creation of Grocery Gardening.
{ 27 comments }
Lovely blog…retweeted on @lapinehill. My favorite fruit is the tomato and my favorite way to eat it is fresh, right off the vine!
Would love to win a copy of "Grocery Gardening"! My favorite fruit is a hybrid tomato named "Big Beef". Always have 1 or 2 plants in my summer garden. Can be grown in Zones 3-9. This tomato is a hardy, prolific producer, meaty, flavorful with an old fashioned taste. Favorite recipe to use this tomato is Bruschetta. Mix together diced tomatoes, chopped fresh garden grown basil, a bit of balsamic vinegar, a bit of extra virgin olive oil, & ground black peppercorns. Toast baguette slices and spread them with soft Feta cheese. Spoon tomato mixture on top and serve. Yummmmm…..
So hard to choose a favorite! I love cilantro..mixed up with fresh avocado and lime juice (or in practically any dish). It has such a bright, vibrant flavor!
Katherine, Thanks for your comments and for the retweet. Much obliged, and I'm following you now.
Susie: As promised, I'm letting folks know to also add minced garlic to your yummy bruschetta recipe above. Appreciate you sending it in.
Lara: You're right, it's tough to pick just one. But I love the taste of avocado, lime and cilantro too. Thanks for your comments too.
My favorite fruits are oranges. I like to eat them warm off the tree or the counter. When they are cold from the fridge, I have to let them get to room temp.
I am excited to read this book!
Holly: Oranges right off the tree are a real treat. Thanks for stopping by. Enjoyed hearing about The Dinner Garden too. Sounds like a great project. Teresa
Strawberries … topped with homemade whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top of a light + fluffy shortcake.
Avocados….stuff with shrimp, crab or chicken…or just drizzle with a bit of aged Il Balsamico!
Christy e. Yum! Love strawberries … and they're so high in vitamin C.
Anonymous: avocados are one of my favorites too. But I'll need some kind of name if you win this random drawing. 😉
Thanks to you both for the comments. Hope you come again.
I am hungry right now so I'm drooling all over keyboard as I read/write!
One of my fav herbs to grow is basil.
I grow tons each summer and make it into pesto which I freeze in ice cube trays and then transfer to freezer bags. This way we have garden goodness all winter long! I pop a couple cubes into tomato soup or stir into homemade pasta and top w/ chicken and roasted red peppers.
Now I must eat or collapse into a puddle of cravings!
(love your blog – tweeted @RootsandFlowers)
xo
Annica
Annica: Thanks for all the nice comments. I love basil pesto in the winter! It brings all the tastes of summer into the home during the coldest months of the year. Appreciate the RT too… xo Teresa
It's nigh near impossible to pick ONE favorite fruit or vegetable, as most of them are so delicious and nutritious…so…I guess I must say onions, as they are so versatile, and so essential to so many dishes, adding so much flavor, variety and nutrition. It's good in so many ways, but my favorite,perhaps is to slice it, separate the rings,and saute…eating alone or putting it with most anything but dessert
Alicia: All very good points about onions… It's always one of the first things I grab before cooking dinner too. Thanks very much for stopping by. Hope to see you again. Teresa
I like to eat a cucumber just picked from the vine while still warm. Standing with a salt shaker on the back steps. Almost heaven.
My favorite vegetable is the potato and my favorite way to eat/prepare it us to chop the potatoes, coat in olive oil and sprinkle with fresh Rosemary and then bake. Yummy!
Wilkwise: Cucumber right off the vine does sound yummy. Thanks for your comments.
Claire: I also love potatoes with rosemary. I grill them up that way too. Appreciated you stopping by.
Teresa
One of my fav things from the garden this year was a slice of grilled japanese eggplant, with a tomato on top with fresh basil & some mayo & garlic dolloped to hold it together. This was so good, I couldn't stop eating them!
Sara: Those Japanese eggplant are great on the grill, especially with all those yummy ingredients you mentioned. Thanks for stopping by. Teresa
One of my favorite things about gardening is growing unusual varieties or something that is difficult to find at the store or farmers market. We have a loquat tree grown from seed (the fruit that gave me the seed came from a friend's back yard)! That free seed gives us bushels of fruit each May, which we have turned into sublime jam, chutney and liqueur. Friends loved receiving the jam as Christmas presents this year too. On top of all that, it's a fabulous fruit to eat right off the tree (even after the birds take their share).
Hi Judy: I've never tried a loquat fruit before. But now you've made me curious. Thanks for your comments. Teresa
Fresh sweet potato + butter. Mmmmm!! I like to keep it simple.
Congrats on the book. It looks wonderful!
Hey Adrienne: Love sweet potatoes, and they're so healthy…even with a little butter. Thanks for all the nice words. Best wishes, Teresa
I don't have favorites yet. Like many Ameicans I'm finally forcing myself to eat what's good for me! So vegetable with most-improved rating: carrots. Prepared in any way that disguises them. Carol Hackney
I was just reading the "Grocery Gardening" book at my step-mom's home tonight and decided to do a search for it…My favorite fruit/vegetable varies from season to season but an herb that is a constant is Sweet Basil. I like it fresh in a green salad in high summer. I like it mixed with a tangy vinegar dressing poured over greens or mixed intyo potato salad. I love it in casseroles and soup. Sweet Basil even looks and smells great just decorating my kitchen window sill.
My favorite herb is basil, and my favorite way to eat it is by making homemade pesto :-). It's great on pasta or caprese salad
Patricia and Kate: How interesting that you both mentioned basil… such a wonderful herb.
Did you know that the aroma of basil is also said to keep away flies?
I like to add basil right before serving, as extended heat can destroy the flavor of fresh basil.
Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see you both again. All the best, Teresa
I adore mango with a touch of lime and chili powder. I think this comes from growing up in California and having access to a mango tree in the backyard.
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