(Photo from Regretsy)
Good morning, and I didn't take any photos this week. Welcome to Saturday Morning Garden Blogging.
Once again this week, our weather has bobbed around all over to hell and back. On Sunday the high was 84° — my gardening was interrupted, however, as the Polish Princess and I checked out a treadle sewing machine (it's my Christmas present for her).
On Wednesday it only got to 37°, with clouds and a constant drizzle of rain/snow mix, so no gardening that day.
Today is forecast to be in the mid 60s; however I'll have little opportunity to finish digging the dahlias and glads as I'm going to a baby shower this afternoon: johne, head of the Colorado Chocolate Fountain Caucus (and Denver's Drinking Liberally chapter) and his lovely wife Julie are expecting their first baby.
(photo from Picture is Unrelated)
As noted, I haven't taken any pictures this week — frankly, there isn't much to take pictures of outside. Instead, I'm posting a few of the... odd... photos that I've posted the last few weeks in the comments: all ya'll should follow the Further Adventures of jayden and Missy's Brother as they carry on throughout the week.
Meanwhile, I haven't plugged a single bulb into the ground yet. Way it's going, they may spend the winter in the cold storage space... once I get the Mister's stuff out of the way so I can shut the door and turn it into cold storage space.
You do remember that I've discovered that one can store "fall planted" bulbs in a cool (about 45°), dark place for the winter, and plant them in late winter or very early spring? Although I prefer to get everything in the ground in the fall, I plant so many spring bulbs I rarely get them all in the ground in a timely manner. Plus, it has the advantage of allowing one to wait until bulb shoots start showing so one can fill in blank spots. Well, at least that's a good excuse, right?
The Mister did get the pot-grower approved LED plant light (Procyon 100) installed in the front window. It's really weird: the light, being a mix of red and blue spectrum, is pink. I've only had it on a couple of days, but I may be seeing tiny little buds on the brugmansia. And the ever-blooming jasmine is putting out a ton of new flowers.
(photo from Awkward Family Photos)
The Mister built triangular braces against the window frames with a sturdy wooden rail between them, to avoid punching holes in the woodwork. It's advantageous two ways: I can slide the light back and forth to reposition it over different plants, and I can hang the geranium and fuchsia — which don't need the additional light — on the rail and avoid putting hooks in the ceiling.
I think at least some of the brugmansia and geranium cuttings are putting out roots, as I'm seeing fresh leaves emerging. I know at least one of the fuchsia cuttings took, as I can see the little roots emerging where it goes into the soil. Ooooh. Ahhhhh.
I've also been doing some cooking experimentation. Last March when we went to New York, we wandered into this Italian restaurant near Union Square where I had a chicken/broccoli/parmesan pasta dish that was to die for: the flavors of the chicken and broccoli had blended nicely into an extremely rich tasting sauce. So I've been doing my damnedest to re-create it, and I think I've come close.
I started with the very simple Alfredo recipe from the Pioneer Woman Cooks, and then started tweaking.
Part of the success of the original dish was that the chicken and broccoli were in very small pieces — I think that contributed to the blending of the flavors. And it was served very, very hot.
My last attempt was, I must admit, great. So here you go.
Frankenoid's version of Piola's Fusilli Bianco Verde
First, I can't buy fresh fusilli at my grocery store; I substitute linguini.
1 stick butter (yes, butter; real butter)
1 cup heavy cream (yes, heavy cream)
1/3 cup soft goat cheese (this is what turned the trick!)
2 cups fresh grated parmesan cheese
1 9 oz. package fresh linguini
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast — or leftover cooked chicken, if you have it
1 cup broccoli florets
Salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste
Steam broccoli just until tender; separate the little trees into individual branches; set aside and keep warm.
Butterfly chicken breast, and brown well in olive oil, then dice into 1/4" pieces. Mix with the broccoli and keep warm.
Warm one large serving bowl and serving plates while preparing sauce and pasta (this is essential, as it will allow you to serve everything piping hot).
Melt a stick of butter in a sauté pan. Add goat cheese and mix until blended. Add cream and heat until almost, but not quite, simmering. Add salt.
While butter/cream mixture heats, cook pasta according to package directions. As the pasta nears the end of its cooking time (and it doesn't take very long with fresh pasta), mix the broccoli and chicken in with the cream/butter mixture.
Put one cup of the parmesan in the bottom of the serving dish. Right before draining pasta, pour the hot butter/cream/chicken/broccoli mixture over it. DON'T STIR.
Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water (just in case you need to thin the sauce). Pour hot pasta on top of the parmesan and sauce mixture in the bowl, tossing gently to mix. Add remaining parmesan and pepper, and continue tossing until it's all mixed together.
Serve on warm plates, with extra parmesan on the side
Serves 4, if none of them are teenaged boys
That's what's happening here. What's going on in your gardens?