Garden Variety

Garden

Fall and Winter Veggies

BY JOHN BOWMAN

N.C. Cooperative Extension Service

Master Gardener Volunteer

As a lifelong gardener, one of the more pleasant surprises of my move to this area from “up north” was learning that I would be able to have an outdoor vegetable garden year-round. Our climate supports three growing seasons and, with a few exceptions, most of what was planted this past spring and early summer is now gone.

Although we may be still experiencing harsh summer heat, much of the summer gardening season has come to an end, and it is now time to start planning our fall and winter garden.

If you are planning to plant fall vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages, kohlrabi, arugula, lettuce, spinach, kale, collards, mustard greens and Swiss chard, seeds will need to be planted in late summer.

You may get a head start by buying many of these vegetables as plants at area nurseries and garden centers; however, root vegetables like turnips, beets, radishes, onions, parsnips and kohlrabi are best planted by seed.

Early in the fall, cabbage “worms” (caterpillars) can often be found eating many of the brassicas or cruciferous vegetables.

Our first frost date occurs here by the end of October. Most of the plants that have been listed above can easily survive these early frosts, while some of these plants, like kale, collards, onions and garlic, will survive the winter cold into spring.

• If you plant seeds, it is a good idea to place light mulch over the seeds and bury them 1 1/2 to 2 times deeper than the spring planting of the same crop. • The “biological” insecticide DiPel is a safe and effective way to eliminate garden pests such as the cabbage worm. • Cold frames and frost covers may also prove to be useful for extending the fall garden season into the next spring.

SP

/NCMGMooreCnty

At the Table

Peanut Butter

By ROBERT NASON

In 1895, John Harvey Kellogg filed a patent for a “food compound” that involved boiling nuts and grinding them into a digestible paste for his patients at the Battle Creek Sanitarium in Michigan. Kellogg experimented with almonds before settling on peanuts, which were a cheaper nut to obtain. It didn’t take long for this nut butter to take off in popularity.

“A Seventh-Day Adventist, Kellogg endorsed a plant-based diet and promoted peanut butter as a healthy alternative to meat, which he saw as a digestive irritant and, worse, a sinful sexual stimulant,” writes Kate Wheeling in an article for Smithsonian Magazine. “His efforts and his elite clientele, which included Amelia Earhart, Sojourner Truth and Henry Ford, helped establish peanut butter as a delicacy.”

While Kellogg can’t claim the original invention of nut butter (the Incas were making nut butter several centuries before), within just a few years peanut butter became an American staple. During World War I, the U.S. was forced to ration meat and “Meatless Mondays” introduced this nut butter to a national palate. Crunchy peanut butter was introduced in the 1930s by Joseph Rosefield and his company Skippy, adding the smooth or crunchy conundrum to other great debates of our time, like democracy or communism. (A recent survey has 49 percent of Americans preferring smooth and 29 percent preferring crunchy, leaving 22 percent having no preference. Indecision should not have been an option.) Today, nearly 90 percent of American households have peanut butter in the pantry.

Since this is our education issue, we thought it would be appropriate to offer some peanut butter recipes for the coming school year. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Pancakes

acoupleofcooks.com / Yield: 8 medium pancakes

Ingredients

½ cup all-purpose flour ½ cup whole wheat flour ¼ teaspoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon baking powder 2 tablespoons light brown sugar (or granulated sugar) ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 large egg (for vegan, replace with ¼ cup dairy free milk) ¼ cup creamy peanut butter 1 cup milk of choice

Directions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, baking powder, sugar, and kosher salt.

In another bowl, whisk together the egg, peanut butter and milk. Add it to the dry ingredients.

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until a smooth, thick batter forms.

Lightly grease a skillet with butter and wipe off extra grease with a paper towel. Heat the skillet over low heat. Pour the batter into small circles (a little less than ¼ cup each). Cook the pancakes until the bubbles pop on the top and the bottoms are golden: low and slow is the key! Then flip them and cook until done.

Add a tiny splash of milk to the batter so that it is pourable. Repeat with the remaining batter, adjusting the heat as necessary (the skillet can get very hot on the second batch). Place the cooked pancakes under an inverted bowl to keep them warm. Serve immediately with maple syrup and if desired, a slather of peanut butter.

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

sallysbakingaddiction.com / Yield: 20-24 bars

Ingredients

½ cup salted butter, melted 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 8 full sheets graham crackers) 2 cups confectioners’ sugar 1 cup + 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter, divided 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Line an 8×8 or 9×9 inch square baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Set aside.

Mix the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, and confectioners’ sugar together in a medium bowl. Stir in 1 cup of peanut butter, then press evenly into prepared baking pan.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons of peanut butter with the chocolate chips in the microwave or on the stove. Stir until smooth. Spread over peanut butter layer.

Chill in the refrigerator until completely firm, at least 2 hours. Allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve chilled. Setting them out for a few hours at room temperature for serving is OK. Cover leftover bars tightly and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Freezing Instructions: Cover bars tightly, as a whole or cut into individual squares, and freeze for up to 3 months. I simply line the squares in a freezer-friendly container between sheets of parchment paper. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Peanut Butter: For best texture, I strongly suggest a processed creamy peanut butter such as Jif or Skippy. I do not recommend oily or natural style peanut butter for this recipe.

5 Minute Peanut Butter

pinchofyum.com / Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

2 cups dry roasted peanuts 1–2 tablespoons honey or sugar Salt to taste

Directions

Place peanuts in a food processor. Run for 4-5 minutes. During this time, you’ll see the peanuts go in stages from crumbs to a dry ball to a smooth and creamy “liquid” peanut butter. Stir in the honey and any additional salt. Store in the fridge or at room temperature, if you think you’ll go through it fast enough.

PB&J Parfait

delish.com / Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup old-fashioned oats ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes ½ cup peanuts, coarsely chopped 1 tablespoon EVOO ½ teaspoon cinnamon Kosher salt FOR THE BERRY JAM ¼ cup blackberries ¼ cup blueberries ¼ cup raspberries ¼ cup strawberries, hulled and halved 1 tablespoon orange juice 1 tablespoon honey kosher salt ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract FOR THE PARFAIT 4 mixed berry Greek lowfat yogurt containers ½ cup unsweetened peanut butter Mixed berries, for serving

Directions

Make granola: Preheat oven to 325 F. On a small rimmed baking sheet, toss oats with coconut, peanuts, oil, cinnamon, and a large pinch of salt. Bake, stirring halfway through until golden and crisp, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make berry jam: In a small pot over medium heat, combine berries, orange juice, and honey with a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and continue to boil until strawberries are broken down and liquid thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. There should be ½ cup of berry mixture. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Let cool.

Assemble parfaits: Set aside about ½ cup of yogurt for topping parfait. Divide half of the remaining yogurt among the bottom of four 1-cup glasses or mason jars. Top with half of the peanut butter followed by half of the mixed berry jam. Sprinkle half of the granola on top. Repeat with remaining yogurt, peanut butter, jam, and granola. Dollop reserved yogurt on top and top with a few berries, if desired.