When You Don't Know What to Do with What You Grew
It happens.
Generally, I grow things I already know I like to eat fresh or preserve in some way. And that’s what I recommend, too: If you don’t like tomatoes, there’s no reason to grow them just because everyone else is.
That being said, I don’t always follow my own advice.
Sometimes the pictures in the catalog are just so pretty.
Or I have an empty space that needs to be filled.
Or the lemongrass leaves had pretty pink streaks on them!
Sometimes I do in fact find myself growing something that’s thriving and I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do with it.
The aforementioned lemongrass was one of those times. I bought it because it was pretty and edible—even though I’d never cooked with it before. Cue much Googling. What to do with lemongrass?
I ended up learning to make dried lemongrass wreaths, and it was my saving grace this spring when the pollen was so bad. A big batch of lemongrass tea with local honey was particularly soothing. (And my friend Molly (@greenvillesupperclub) has suggested all kinds of wonderful other ideas that we have yet to actually try.)
Kale is another example.
I never really ate kale. But I had empty spaces in my raised beds going into the cooler months one year, and Baker Creek sent me one of those free bonus seed packets with my order, so I gave it a shot.
Kale is. so. easy.
Back to the point I wanted to make when I started this meandering post…
You will sometimes be growing things you’ve never really cooked with, and what I recommend in that instance is to get inspiration when you’re eating out. Recreate something someone else has cooked for you.
That’s what I did here with this breakfast kale, sausage and eggs that is seriously divine.
My friend Trista and I brunched at a now-forgotten-but-lovely restaurant in Nashville on a girls weekend. I had baked eggs with sausage and kale in some kind of garlicky cream sauce, and it was magic.
One point scored for kale.
My friend Emily has also cooked a knock-off of the zuppe toscana from Olive Garden for me several times, which includes copious amounts of kale and sausage and parmesan.
Two points scored for kale.
I’m probably never going to make the “kale chips” beloved by farmer’s market shoppers. And I don’t make a lot of kale smoothies. We don’t even eat many kale salads.
What do I like? Kale with sausage, cream, cheese and red pepper flakes.
That’s worth growing kale for me.
Where to wrap this up? I guess my premise is…
a) You don’t need to grow things just because they are easy if you know you don’t like them. (Grow more of the things you like instead.)
b) You don’t have to make the things with your harvest that other people make.
c) Finding even just one way you DO like something could be reason enough to grow it instead of buy it.
And while you should definitely give most of your growing real estate to things you know you like, whimsy has its place :)