Modified recipe with edibles from the garden

Winter harvest includes*: (clockwise starting at the knife)
3 small cabbage leaves, 5 meadow garlic plants, 3 bunches of
garlic chives, parsley, rosemary, 3 come-again broccoli crowns,
1 sprig of dill, and 1 sprig of oregano.

Cream of crab soup--modified!

I've modified the standard cream of crab soup in several ways. First I've included the winter greens from the garden and I've also taken some other shortcuts from scratch cooking.
Ingredients:
3 bunches of garlic chives, coarsely chopped
5 meadow garlic plants with roots removed, chopped
2 small cabbage leaves, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 or 4 heads of come-again broccoli
2 tbs of rosemary leaves
2 tbs of oregano leaves
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tbs of minced garlic
3 large onions, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
5 cups of water
1/2 cup potato flakes (or buds)
1 package frozen fake crab, thawed and chopped
1 jar mushroom Alfredo sauce
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
black pepper to taste
fresh dill, chopped for garnish
grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Brown the onions, garlic, celery, garlic chives, cabbage, broccoli, pepper, and meadow garlic in olive oil in the bottom of soup pot until onions begin to caramelize. Stir in the parsley and oregano, add 2 cups of water, bring to a boil, and cook for 5 minutes. Blend the whole mass in a food processor until you can no longer discern any of the original ingredients. Pour back into the pot and turn on the heat to medium. Add the crab, the Alfredo sauce, potato flakes, and the rest of the water. Stir until everything is well heated. Remove from heat and stir in the yogurt. Garnish with fresh dill, grated Parmesan, an extra dollop of yogurt, and freshly ground pepper. Serves 6 or so.

My modified crab soup is a greener than traditional recipes, but it is yummy!

While this concoction doesn't measure up to the real cream of crab soups served up at Carrol's Creek Cafe and Buddy's Crab & Ribs in Annapolis, it's still an entirely satisfactory soup for a chilly day!

Has your harvest-of-the-day changed the way you cook?

When we finished with a store-bought cabbage,
I planted the base in the garden. It's produced
several sprouts. I've been harvest leaves from all
but two of the sprouts, which I'll allow to grow.

*Winter harvest details:

- 3 small cabbage leaves came from the regrowth of a cabbage stub. I've been harvesting these leaves because I expect to harvest heads from only two of the five sprouts.
- 5 meadow garlic plants. This is a native garlic (Allium canedense) that I found in a ditch on our property. I've grown this perennial in my herb garden for years. We love its flat leaves that withstand cooking unlike chives with its wimpy hollow leaves. The one negative trait for this crop is that it dies back in the summer. Read my native garlic post.
- 3 bunches of garlic chives. I love this evergreen crop.
- parsley, rosemary,
- 3 come-again broccoli crowns. These are the small broccoli crowns that grow after the main head is harvested.
- 1 sprig of dill for is enough for two bowls, and 1 sprig of oregano.

A phoebe in the afternoon sun.

Small birds in the winter

Our non-poisoned yard has been atwitter with hundreds of small birds including vireos, warblers, phoebes, wrens, titmice, chickadees, and more. There are plenty of larger birds too including, wood thrushes, cardinals, catbirds, and mockingbirds. And of course, the even larger birds such as the hawks, herons, crows and vultures. I haven't seen any eagles in our yard recently, but I see them soaring over the lake. As for the little birds, there is plenty of cover, seeds and berries for them to use.

It's been chilly this winter with night-time temperatures dipping in the 20s on a few occasions. It's raining now and will get colder again tonight, but probably no snow or ice although it's predicted for Florida's panhandle. I trust the little birds will find shelter in the brush piles and among the uncleared meadow plants.

Last week the sunrise was spectacular.

I hope you are enjoying nature this winter, too.

Green Gardening Matters,
Ginny Stibolt