Goodbye Michigan
Since I last wrote about my experiments with spinach in a smoothie I have been keeping very busy! I’d like to update you on some of the things I’ve been up to. I’ve even got a killer recipe for you!
When I wrote about that green smoothie I was trying to use up some frozen spinach before my big move from Mount Pleasant, Michigan to Williamsburg, Virginia. In the following weeks I continued to try to use up my food supply which resulted in some interesting meals.
I also picked up a free squash and some cucumbers from the break room at work. I was pretty excited about that. But not quite as excited as I was when I picked this…
Thats right, my tomato plant produced a tomato! Actually, it produced two tomatoes. A while back I posted an update on how I had 3 small green tomatoes on the plant. Well, things weren’t going so great. I kept watering and watering that darn plant but the little green tomatoes stayed that way, very little and very green.
After about 3 weeks of this I just gave up. I figured, we were moving soon and I would just toss the plant. I didn’t want to bring it with me and couldn’t wait for the tomatoes to grow any bigger. But the boyfriend Jacob didn’t like this idea and decided the tomato plant was now his. He continued to water it everyday.
And of course, it worked. The little green tomatoes turned into little red tomatoes.
The whole time this was going on I was continuing to care for my bell pepper plants. The plant wasn’t doing that great, but I did get two smaller sized green peppers from it. This was my most successful container garden yet!
My last day of work in Mount Pleasant was August 4th, and I took advantage of the few days I had off before moving to visit some family in Kalamazoo, MI. The food we had was incredible. August is such a great time for fresh local food in Michigan! There was fresh corn on the cob, peaches, blueberries, watermelon, fresh homemade salsa and peach pie.
Husted's Market Michigan Produce (HustedFarmMarket.com)
My favorite dish was something called Cowboy Caviar. It has avocado in it. I’ll eat anything with avocado in it. (see recipe below). Unfortunately, there wasn’t any left to take home, but I did snag some corn off the cob.
Once back in Mount Pleasant, I got a little creative with the corn. I added some leftover salsa from the fridge, 1/2 a can of black beans, my chopped up homegrown green bell peppers, and my little red tomatoes. Perfection!
The next few days were spent packing and preparing for the move. Who knew I had so much stuff! We left Michigan August 11th and arrived in Virginia late Thursday August 12. It was a long, but beautiful drive.
I’ll be posting soon about what life is like in Williamsburg, including some pic’s of my sweet new kitchen! For now though, enjoy some Cowboy Caviar…
Aunt Mary’s Cowboy Caviar
1 can black beans
1 can corn (or use fresh or frozen)
4 Avocados, pitted peeled and chunked
6 large Roma Tomatoes
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
2 limes, juiced
3 tsp Tabasco
4 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper to taste (it is great without too!)
Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and gently toss. Serve with unsalted tortilla chips for a delicious snack (or if your like me, meal)!
