Wednesday 23 April 2014

Pea Shoots & Sausage Couscous...and a rosy beginning

The second tub of potted pea shoots is just coming up now while the first one is renewing itself for an eventual second harvest. Couscous (recipe) takes under ten minutes to make so it is often found in our grain-based quick meals.


Recently having made mozzarella, mushroom, and sausage pizza (recipe), I reserved some sauteed Toulouse sausage for other uses. Hence I was focusing on an oriental flavour involving garlic, red pepper flakes, soy sauce, pork, and pea shoots.


While the couscous is being prepared, saute in oil (I used olive) some minced garlic and red pepper flakes for a minute or two.


Toss in some rinsed, chopped pea shoots and the already cooked sausage, stirring for a few minutes. Keep warm until the couscous is ready.


Spoon a circular bottom layer of couscous and then some greens and pork in a smaller diameter. Do another of couscous in an even smaller diameter and top with the pork mixture. Splash well with soy sauce.


In the garden, though the temperatures can go as low as forty degrees Fahrenheit at night, the day temperatures are in the seventies therefore the roses are gradually waking up from their long sleep, the little beauties that they are.

A David Austin climber: fragrant, quartered, velvety Falstaff

Chicago Peace

The profusion of irises are lessening somewhat...


...though still keeping me busy with deadheading.


Though many would suggest splaying or crushing the ends of lilac stems to increase the length of time their flowers will keep perky, I found that it does not make much difference.  If I get twenty-four hours of violaceous stamina from them, I am a happy woman.

When newlyweds, we bought that vase at a California Macys about a quarter a century ago!!!

The Spiraea prunifolia gracefully drooping its precious weight of white blossoms resembles a huge bridal bouquet.

That's a shade-loving Lamium galeobdolon on the lower right

The thirty or so tomato plants sowed indoors in the incubator about seven weeks ago are in the process of being transplanted into their beds.  The last several nights were cool enough to justify covering the yet to be staked, tender plants snugly with horticultural fleece.

Monflavet, an early season tomato

À la prochaine!