As it comes each year, spring brings a whole heart full of memories to my pondering mind and heart. Sometimes it seems as if we put our lives on hold as the cold winds of winter whoosh through our quiescent time waiting dormant until spring eases into the season of renewal.
We were outside this past weekend, during the rain’s pause, to start pulling weeds and debris from our flower beds, cut the wild onions away from the rose bushes and trim the clover from the steps into our house. We have completed this task for all the years that I can remember. We always find some new weed or flower that has rooted itself to the mixed flower bed and this year we even found a small skull of perhaps a racoon that had not survived the frozen soil that catches the cold drips from our red tin roof.
My husband, I believe, always has diverse feelings as we encroach into the growing season. He’s aware of the labor that comes with this season. The grass must be cut weekly, and we have several acres of yard around our log home that has to be trimmed and weeds cut every week.
Then, there’s the chore that I dislike most of all, hay season! We have “umpteen” black cows that love this fodder in the brown and barren fields of the cold months, so he leaves in the early morning and returns at sundown tired from the cutting and baling hay. However, this year he may see some relief from the work and my complaining as one of our grandsons has “hired on” as a cowboy.
We have planted our garden with cabbages and sweet onions, and they look good — that is, the ones not washed away by the drenching rains last week. We will fill the little fertile plot with the remainder of our harvest as the weather allows.
One of the most annoying things about planting a garden with your favorite vegetables is the fact that the greenhouses and plant stands that sell the little immature plants sometimes let the customers mix up the tender vegetation. I am certainly not an expert on young plants other than assuming the growers have them listed correctly in their little grow pots. Last year, we planted some yellow squash and had the most unusual punkish purple bulbous fruit burst forth from the yellow flowers. We cut it open and ran a smell test but decided not to ingest as we were not completely sure what the fruit was. We found out later, through searching the internet, it was a butternut squash that had been set down into the plantings of the straight neck squash. So, I am Googling this year to really be able to recognize the greenery of our transplants.
Butternut Squash Casserole
1 large butternut squash cut into cubes
1 ½ t. olive oil
1 ½ t. maple syrup,
Salt and pepper
¾ t. ground cinnamon
1 T. fresh chopped rosemary
Place cubes in a large bowl and sprinkle with all ingredients except the rosemary.
Pour out onto a cookie sheet and roast at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, turn the squash over and roast another 15 minutes and remove from oven and sprinkle with the fresh rosemary.
