This year since we were trying spinach and lettuce we felt that we would need a new and special place for our basil.  Honey happened to have a couple of garden barrels sitting unused in the garage.  I dragged them out and put a couple coats of deck stain and protector on them then filled them with a combination of peat moss and miracle grow garden and potting soil.  I started the seeds indoors about 6 weeks earlier. 

Basil has a square stem like Coleus and English Ivy which makes them branch out and get bushy when you pinch off the stem of new leaves above a set of older leaves.  The plants end up getting about 2 feet tall.  I've cut them back twice now and shared the bulk of basil with another couple.  I'll eventually cut it and make it into pesto and freeze it in small containers for use through the winter.

The makings of a vegetable lasagna

1. Zucchini, locally grown

2.  Honey's prize tomato

3.  Spinach from the lettuce patch

4.  Onions origin unknown

5.  Green peppers from the garden

6.  Basil from the barrel

7.  Parsley from the garden

8.  Tomatillas from the garden

9.  Garlic from the garden

10.  Hot peppers from the garden

11.  Oregano from the garden

 Slice up all the veggies. 

Layer the sliced veggies, uncooked lasagna noodles, shredded cheese, spinach & ricotta cheese. (NOTE--cheese did not come from the garden.  Yard is not big enough for cows.)  Bake at 400 one hour covered.  Bake an additional hour at 350.  Remove cover the last half hour.

Cut it up and eat it!  YUM!

Or how about a nice cool pasta salad.   Toss pesto (made from the barrel of basil) with a pound of cooked and cooled pasta (we used mufalda) then add veggies.  We used cooked shrimp, par boiled broccoli, olives, onion, pepper.  I like chick peas in this also, but Honey doesn't do chick peas.

 This was our big failure for the year.   The cat grass.  We always have to include the kitties in everything we do.  I bought it since they like to eat the grass outside.  They wouldn't touch the grass inside, though they will chew and shred houseplants.  I guess the whole appeal is the outside part.

Honey's a bit upset that he now has grass to cut outside as well as inside.

Well after the cutting it turned yellow and I threw it out.  No guilt if it goes bad.

tags: garden  food  lasagna  vegetables  cat grass  pasta  pesto  

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