Full story: Read about our mini-farm experiment
Behind the scenes: Read the blog
AT THE TABLE Relax and enjoy what you've grown
When creating a menu from the garden, the challenge is to vary shapes and textures so you don't end up with a parade of salads. Think about which crops would be good in soups, or appetizers, or served whole (pattypan squash, for instance).
No matter what you serve, it will probably taste delicious … because the truth is, pride has a flavor too.
Now suppose you live on the kind of neighborly street that gets together for cookouts and Halloween trick-or-treating. What if one of you grew some tomatoes and corn, and another decided to raise bees, and someone else a couple of houses down kept a few chickens? Just imagine the one-block feasts you could have …
Skillet-roasted Edamame
Smoky, salty, and addictive, these soybeans were inspired by a recipe for griddle-roasted peas in the pod in My Bombay Kitchen: Traditional and Modern Parsi Home Cooking (University of California Press, 2007) by Niloufer Ichaporia King.
Deviled Cucumber Cups
These pretty little bites showcase the bright color of pasture-raised chicken's eggs.
Green Chile Mayonnaise
A fiesty spread that's good on ham sandwiches too.
Corn Soup with Roasted Poblanos and Zucchini Blossoms
The essence of sweet, just-picked summer corn. Serve it hot or cold.
Oregano Queso Fresco (Mexican-style Fresh Oregano Cheese)
Crumbly and savory, this simple, fresh white cheese makes a good topping for soups, salads, or tacos.
Tomato and Herb Salad with Fresh Chive Cheese
This is the salad to make with tomatoes from the farmers' market or your backyard, ideally when they're still warm from the sun. The surprise is the easy homemade cheese.
Fresh Chive Cheese
Making this cheese involves kneading the curds into a satiny, moist "dough." Roll it into a log shape, chill it, and then slice it into rounds. The method is based on one for the Indian cheese called chenna, which we found in Ricki Carroll's Home Cheese Making (Storey Publishing, 2002).
Rosemary Potatoes Anna
A thin, golden brown "cake" of sliced potatoes cooked in a heavy skillet, potatoes Anna typically calls for butter. We used our own olive oil instead.
Pattypan Squash with Eggs
Harvest or buy the squash when they're little and sweet.
Watermelon, Cantaloupe, or Honeydew Sorbet
This sorbet is only as good as your melon, so use the best fruit you can find (or grow).
Peppermint Lemongrass Tisane
This aromatic tisane (herbal infusion) brings out the ripe flavors of the sorbet and makes a soothing, caffeine-free finish to the meal.
One-block Diet: Keep up with our progress »
