Garden Stroll and Feral Swine

No we did not encounter feral swine on the garden stroll.  We encountered them at the grocery store.  Sprouts Market has been having a few different meats available - venison, a better quality bison, kangaroo and feral swine.  I made a dish with the boar that will follow the "garden stroll."   

We should start with a pretty flower, to keep our hopes up.....This year has been a gardening challenge!

I arrived back to the states on the 1st of May to a huge snow storm.  That is too late a start for doing my own seedlings too.  The next day with almost 2 feet of snow on the ground and jet lag, I went to the nursery to buy some plants, it felt strange.  So, challenge one is a late start.  At least two different hail storms will be called challenge two. Challenge three comes in the form of cute little bunnies....The little blighters!   They are everywhere this year.  It was pointed out to me that there haven't been many, if any fox sightings this year.  Those are most likely related events.   Our dog Misty did her best in cause, she chases them and actually had one.....For breakfast that is!  Challenge four is combo of extreme heat and being too busy, I don't even want to talk about the great Shiso disaster. 

Sauteed snow peas are great. The fate of the plumped up ones, are to be squeezed until they split down the middle and eaten raw, right after the photo shoot.  

I'm growing okra this year, so far so good with the larger plants.  I have two plantings, the smaller plants aren being nipped at by bunnies.

Ok, here is bunny evidence!  I have two kinds of morning glories, volunteer in a variety of colours and special blue ones.  Guess which kind the bunny likes best....

I found out the hard way that bunnies like bean plants.  Usually at this time of year I have bean plants that fill the the bed with lush, bushy leaves pouring over the sides, not to mention copious amounts of beans.  Not this year, I even replanted once, put up a fence, used Sevin dust, sprayed with a hot pepper/soap water mist.  

Aubergines are starting to perform - YUM!

We shall call this a ying yang of peppers, anything else would be naughty.

Sean's Thai garden - With only a peek of his choice of allium - shallots:

Look at that lovely.  Wonder how long until I have too many cukes.

Leeks, Kale and Chard (pepper spray for the kale the bugs are liking them too much.)

The chard is a good transition into the recipe (well, not exact measures):

Wild Boar Stroganoff

Blanche a small mess of chard leaves.

This recipe also has courgettes cut the long way, seeds scooped out, then they are sliced into little moon shapes.  Blanche and saute.  The courgettes come from the garden, as well.

Reduce beef stock, mushroom stock, red wine with Bouquet Garni, lovage, carrot and onion.

Soak some dried morels.  Drain cut in half and saute.   Add the water they were soaked in into the reducing liquids.

Slice and Saute a small pkg. of  Baby Bella mushrooms.

                                      

Make meatballs out of the ground wild boar.  Mix the meat with chopped onions, mustard, salt and pepper, egg, small amount of cream, and panko.  Form into balls and brown in a skillet, when mostly done bang them in the oven at 325 deg. until the sauce is done.  Cover with foil, if need be to keep them from drying out.

When the stock is done reducing into a strong flavoured batch.  Strain and thicken with corn flour.   Add lightly heated sour cream and heavy cream until you have the consistency you require.  Do a final seasoning and drizzle over hot egg noodles.   Stud with meatballs and apply courgettes, chard and mushrooms.  Drizzle with more sauce and garnish with thyme.  Enjoy with a good red!

I hope to continue garden strolls in the near future with a few more surprises.

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