Dinner in a Box - Celebrating Swiss Chard

When was the last time you thought about gardening and growing your own food and live a sustainable lifestyle in the city?

What if you could only eat what you grow - or at least primarily - how efficient and or creative would you become to thrive with Lunch in a Box or Dinner in a Box?

I began this concept recently, because I decided that I needed an attitude overall toward gardening. If I thought of each garden box (raised beds) as lunch or dinner, then I would (hopefully) be sure to not waste anything, be more frugal and be more self-sufficient.

The thought of Lunch in a Box and Dinner in a Box has made me work our family meals and find recipes around what's in the Box.

So, here's our Dinner in a Box from Tuesday night. It's a great recipe for Dinner in a Box using Swiss Chard (compliments of Cookiemag.com)

Start your Dinner in a Box with 1 bunch of Swiss Chard - washed and drained.

Trim the leaves from the stems and roughly chop the leaves and pat them dry. Then, in a large skillet saute 2 cloves of minced garlic in olive oil. I use a liberal amount of olive oil, but use what you'd like. Boil water for linguine (or spaghetti) and cook a good amount al dente - then set it aside.

Next, sprinkle red-pepper flakes into the oil and garlic and saute for about 1 minute.

This Swiss Chard's been in our garden wine barrel for 3 seasons. It's prolific!

Add the chard and saute until it's wilted - then remove it from the heat. Now, add the pasta. Toss with salt and pepper and then - the fun part - toss a handful of grated Parmesan.

Serve and watch the eyes begin to smile. If you like you could serve some baked chicken pieces with this - I generally don't. Just a big plate of this along with my home made whole wheat bread.

Related Posts
1. Lunch in a Box
2. Eating Flowers - Lunch in a Box
3. Visit Amy's Kitchen for More Celebrations
4. More Inspirations Visit Melissa's Inspired Room

Dinner in a Box - Celebrating Swiss Chard

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2009/04/dinner-in-box-celebrating-swiss-chard.html

Yellow Inspirations

I'm a blue and yellow woman. I simply love those colors. They make me happy on the inside. They make me smile on the outside. What do you think of these yellow rooms - all compliments of BHG. Which one is your favorite?










For more yellow inspiration visit Melissa at Inspired Rooms.

Yellow Inspirations

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2009/04/yellow-inspirations.html

Eating Flowers - Tuesday's Lunch in a Box

Three seasons ago, my husband built these boxes - these raised beds - so that we could begin a journey in experiencing gardening here in the desert.

And, now, in our third gardening season, I must say that Michael and I are thoroughly enjoying this journey.

He builds boxes and designs the flow of our garden space. He created this special pathway that since has been called by little princesses a Princess Pathway.

As we partner together, my part is to figure out what to plant in the season at hand, and how/when to harvest what we're growing and to find new and creative ways to prepare the food that comes from our garden.

One of the creative ways I've come up with is to think of each box as LUNCH or DINNER. Having the mindset about Lunch or Dinner in a Box stretches me to find recipes and ways to serve what we're growing like this Tuscan Kale Salad or this Comfort Food (using lots of rosemary).

Today, Lunch in a Box included a big fresh clipping of Arugula.

I not only snipped away at the Arugula, but felt that our lunch needed some additional color . . . so, I selected a few of these lovely Nasturtium - knowing that those joining me for lunch (darling oldest daughter and husband) might not think it as wonderful as I do - to eat flowers for lunch.

This Arugula/Nasturtium salad demanded the addition of a bit of feta cheese, a few pine nuts and some spots of dried cranberries.

Now, tell me, wouldn't you eat these flowers for lunch?

Lunch in a box came from this box.

Related Posts
1. Where Our Garden Started
2. Gardening Girl Married to Garden Guy
3. Garden Guys Little Helper
4. The Beginnings of our Garden
5. Lovely Spring Day
6. Dinner in a Box

Eating Flowers - Tuesday's Lunch in a Box

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2009/04/eating-flowers-tuesdays-lunch-in-box.html

Lovey Spring Day

There's nothing like spring and lovely days. Here's one for you in our garden. I snapped these this morning in the midst of doing a ton of re-organizing (with daughters help).

I love having little color spots throughout my garden.
These pansies are in Box # 1

I love birds, but NOT when they proceed to think that I'm the supplier of their daily ration of lettuce. Trying to be resourceful, I used a picnic food cover to keep the birds out. It's working.

Sweet snap peas. One little granddaughter loves to find them and eat them right then and there. I'm delighted she loves them.

I'm watching my heirloom tomatoes grow bigger by the day. The only challenge is - to get to them before the birds do.

I planted spinach seeds a little bit later than planned, but was absolutely delighted when those little heads cropped up. Up until a day or so ago, my spinach was flourishing. Some dad burn bird (again) thought it was lunch.

The little picnic food covers worked so well for my spinach, I took my little ol' self to Ross and found a fresh supply. These sure add some extra fun color touches to the garden.

Again, Okra - and birds nibbling some lunch.

Related Posts

Lovely Spring Day
Spring is in the Air

Lovey Spring Day

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2009/04/lovey-spring-day.html

Lunch in a Box

Lately, I've been saying "Lunch in a Box" meaning that out in one of our garden "boxes" there is food to be harvested for lunch or dinner. I like thinking of it that way - and today, I harvested probably the last of my kale. Guess what I'm making for lunch? This - Tuscan Kale Salad and home made whole wheat bread.

I think it's all a state of mind what we call something, don't you?

Related Posts
1. Lunch in a Box - Eating Flowers
2. Dinner in a Box

Lunch in a Box

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2009/04/lunch-in-box.html