April 20

It kept snowing all day Saturday, for a total of 14 inches. By Sunday evening, the garden looked like this.

Two feet of snow already melted, and the only casualty was a couple of toppled pea-brush twigs

This is peas and spinach-mustard, but even the tiny mesclun transplants popped right back up.

Today's lunch:

The baby bok choi at the grocery store was so beautiful that I got some seeds. They took awhile to germinate, but they are finally growing under the lights. We'll see how they do. I took some of the whole grain wonton wrappers I made for egg rolls, and made taco cups with them. Cut them square, press them into mini-muffin cups sprayed with oil, and bake. Keep in a ziploc in the freezer.

Vitamin A Muffins
makes 10 - 12 full size muffins, more mini-muffins
This is adapted from several pumpkin bread recipes. I started with the recipe in Meredith McCarty's book Sweet and Natural.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1.5 tsp. ground cinnamon plus 1/4 tsp. cloves and 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
or, 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. ground flaxseed
1/4 c. wheat germ
1.5 c. pureed pumpkin
1.5 c. grated carrots
1/4 c. canola oil
1/2 c. maple syrup, agave nectar or brown rice syrup
add-ins to taste: raisins, pecans, dried cranberries, walnuts, chocolate chips, or coconut

1.Preheat oven to 350F. Line the muffin tin(s).
2. In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk wet ingredients together, then stir into dry until well moistened. Fold in any add-ins.
3. Transfer the thick batter to tin and bake until tops are brown and muffins test done with a skewer.

Healthy Refried Beans
I'm not going to post a recipe for the taco filling, because I don't know the measurements. But this is a fast and nutritious thing to have in the freezer. Use it as a dip or spread, inside burritos, or on its own next to rice.

Toast spices in the skillet (cumin, freshly ground if possible, powdered red chile, dried oregano). Sautee onions and garlic until translucent, add grated or diced carrots, zucchini, any other vegetable you like. Cook until tender, then add chopped and blanched spinach or other greens. Scallions, a squeeze of lime and some cilantro are good in this too. Add any kind or combination of beans--I used red kidney beans, black beans, and pintos. Cook until heated through, then puree in the food processor. As chunky or smooth as you like. Heat a little olive oil in a non-stick skillet, spread the puree in it, and cook until it turns slightly darker in color and smells fragrant.