Below: me, on the grill, cooking up a Garden of Eatin’ “LoveBurger” (recipe further down)
Summertime, summertime!!!!
I think that photo above was the whole goal in a nutshell…that being, picking fresh veggies from the garden, and using them as part of some creations on the grill (along with my everyday salads)
Below: Red Deer Tounge Lettuce (and one Specked Trout Lettuce, I distinctly remember accidentally dropping
that one Specked Trout seed in that pot, gives me ideas for future multi-colored pots!!)
Anyhooz, WOW!! I’m actually doing it!!! Although I could have planned a little better, no way could I have planned for the hottest June in Seattle history. So, many of my mostly cool weather plants started to bolt on me.
For some reason, I really didn’t mind, because I’m getting good harvest, learning more than a bit, getting ready for the prime-time, cool weather, dreary Seattle fall and winter. And besides, bolting plants make crazy colorful decorative bushes. My bolting cilantro became stalks about 6 feet tall!!!
Below are some garden recipes using various garden plants, for my online cookbook……….
Lettuce
the garden of eatin’ “loveBurger”
pastured turkey or grass fed beef, (though I’m kinda into this pastured bison lately)
Pink Himalayan Salt (AVOID COMMON TABLE SALT)
organic coarse ground black pepper
a little diced organic apple mixed into the meat (the secret weapon!!!)
quick Honey-Dijon mix of Manuka Honey and Dijon Mustard (sweeten to taste)
garden herbs finely chopped, in olive oil to brush on burgers while grilling
grass fed cheese (when I’m in the mood)
quick garden lettuce slaw from lettuce and a little homemade mayo
(I’m “technically” grain free, still working on the ultimate GF bread, I’ve been eating burgers on grilled portobello mushrooms lately)
[photo source]
Below: in case you where wondering where I got that word “LoveBurger”,
from one of my all time favorite stupid movies, “Can’t Hardly Wait”
Carrots
roasted carrots with fennel and goat cheese
(though I’m kinda feelin’ this Feta Cheese lately)
(click photo below for recipe)
Scallions and Basil
organic pineapple, apple and zucchini slaw with mustard dressing
(with garden basil, garden carrots, and garden scallions)
….I use healthy Coconut Palm Sugar and homemade healthy mayo
(click photo below for recipe)
Speckled Trout Romaine
avocado and romaine salad
(click photo below for recipe)
Garden Herbs
I don’t like to “over think” how I’m using the herbs. Mainly because I use them mostly for impromptu quick barbecue when I grab some pre-made Kabobs, burgers, or wings from Whole Foods.
I’m not a big believer in that there are some universal esoteric divine laws as to what herbs to use when, I just like to try different combos and see how they work, any combo works well on the grill for me……………..
I don’t want a grand production, especially on a work-day, so I just……..
1) snip some garden herbs, rinse
2) dice them up
3) add them to olive oil with some coarse ground black pepper
4) brush the concoction over whatever I have on the grill……..
above: lemons keep kebabs and fish from sticking to the grill, forgot where I learned that, but quite ingenious
CILANTRO
pineapple, cucumber, cilantro, and lime salad
(click photo below for recipe)
Rosemary
pomegranate rosemary spritzers
(I use healthy Coconut Palm Sugar in this recipe)
(click photo below for recipe)
below, hmmmmm one of those dwarf lemon trees with a cool “macho” planter would be perfect
smack dab in the middle of my terrace ……………… yep 🙂
“Growing your own food is like printing your own money” 
……you might also like
Ron Finley: The “Gangster Gardner”
He plants food and gardens in Vacant lots in South Central L.A.
click here or photo for all my articles in
“Sustainable Eating, Living, and Gardening” 
2 Responses
Hi Doug,
Your garden is stylin', my man. It's amazing what thriving growth can be created in a few well designed pots with a few well designed seeds. Isn't Nature's bounty a joy, both to behold and to eat? I wish I could over for dinner. LoveBurgers cooked with love is hard to beat. What a setup. Simplicity and abundance at its finest. Rock on!
Bobbi
PS – I discovered mixing grass-fed bison and grass-fed beef around 50/50 and then adding in a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce (in place of the Himalayan salt) and a tsp. of mesquite powder makes burgers to remember. Bison tends to be on the dry side so the fat from the beef helps offset that, plus the flavor profile in unique. Trust me!
Hi Bobbi,
You’re right about that Bison, tends to dry out a little. I have been putting some diced apples in mine to sweeten it up.
But yeah, it’s been a fun project though I can’t wait til fall so my cool weather spinach and greens can thrive all winter……………
Doug W