Strawberries and Asparagus

I don't really have any recipes to go with the title of this post. Perhaps I should dig some up but I do want to let you all know that Strawberries & Asparagus are joining my great outdoor fresh market - you know, the one the bunnies and I share outside my patio door?

The asparagus went in March 30th and has yet to make an appearance....maybe I'll go check again, hold on.....WAIT...they are up and I'm "doing the happy dance." Use your imagination as to what that may look like. I won't be able to harvest this year.... sad, I know. But next year I should be able to pick sparingly. Roasted asparagus is my favorite way to eat this gem of a vegetable. Simply take fresh asparagus spears whose bottom ends have been trimmed (or cut off), toss with extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt & pepper. Place them on a baking sheet in one even layer and roast at 425 degrees F for 10-20 minutes - it all depends on the thickness. Yum!

Now for the strawberries. I bought them today because I really can't stop thinking about strawberries and how good backyard ones are to the mammoth sized ones in the grocery store. Now, I really don't know where I'm going to plant these. I know where I want to plant them but Mike informs me the kids will smoosh them there. Anyway, I bought June bearing ones as opposed to the ever bearing. That way, I'll get all my crop at once instead of it being spread out over the course of the summer.

Oh, and mint also went into the herb section of my perennial bed. I planted it inside a sunken pot to hopefully stop it from dominating the world. We'll see. But with all the Greek & Thai recipes I've been cranking out lately, mint is definitely going to be used.

This week's menu:

Monday: Spatchcocked Roasted Chicken with Fresh Sage & Cobb Salad
Tuesday: Pork Milanese, Green Beans, & Brown Rice
Wednesday: Chicken Enchiladas, Black Beans, Chips & Salsa
Thursday: ??????
Friday: Thai Beef Salad

Menu Plan Monday 1/19/08

Well, the stomach bug hit last week. Ick. I think it is still hiding here in the house waiting to sneak up and snatch us caught unawares...Tricky little devil. Anyway, the menu from last week had to be changed around to include lots of "easy" tummy meals - think chicken & rice. So some of this is a repeat from last week.

Monday: Tacos, Black Beans (pressure cooker), Chips & Homemade Salsa
Tuesday: Swiss Chicken Casserole (crockpot meal!) & California Medley Veggies
Wednesday: Creamy Chicken Enchiladas (I'm posting my creamy enchilada sauce recipe as another post), Refried Beans & Salad
Thursday: Barbecue Molten Hamburgers & Oven Fries
Friday: Caribbean Jerk Tilapia, Couscous & Green Beans

Here's how I've been preparing my green beans lately.

1 lb frozen green beans
1 Tbl butter
1/4 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup toasted almonds
salt & pepper to taste

Simmer the green beans in some water until they are done to your likeness. I have to admit, I like mine pretty well done. Drain. Toss in the rest of the ingredients. Yummy!