Bountiful Life Magazine - April 2013

Volume I Issue V April 2013

Country Living In The Inland Northwest

Community Gardens

Soil Testing 101

Outstanding Orchards -Planting Fruit Trees In Spring

Free Range Livestock & Natural Produce -Home On The Range at Rocky Ridge Ranch

2 • April 2013 Bountiful Life

Roger A. Duval Senior Financial Planner | Financial Services Representative

Financial Planning Division An Office of MetLife

Phone: 509-842-5711 E-Mail: [email protected] Web: www.rogerduval.metlife.com

Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MLIC), New York, NY 10166. Securities products and investment advisory services offered by MetLife Securities, Inc. (MSI) (member FINRA/SIPC) and a registered investment adviser. MLIC and MSI are MetLife companies. Branch office address: 501 N. Riverpoint Blvd, Ste. 112, Spokane, WA 99202 L0213306983[exp0214][ID,WA]

Retirement Income Planning

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April 2013 • 3Country Living in the Inland Northwest

CONTENT EDITOR Chandra Logan

FOOD EDITOR Ashley Lewan

ADVERTISING SALES Jan Ryan Steve Nickeson

Helen Boyd-SchwartzPRODUCTIONPatrick McHale

GRAPHIC DESIGNKenyon Haskins Deborah Simpson

PUBLISHED BY Exchange Publishing

304 W. 3rd Avenue, SpokaneWashington 99201

CONTACT DETAILS 509-922-3456 • 1-800-326-2223

Fax: 509-455-7940

MAIL: P.O.Box 427, Spokane, WA 99210E-MAIL

BountifulLife@ExchangePublishing.comwww.BountifulLifeMagazine.com

Dear Readers,Food is something that concerns us

all. Many consumers today are not very concerned about where food comes from. Have a care. We as a society are incredibly dependent on major grocery stores to feed us. We take the massive supply of food at supermarkets for granted and often do not ponder where that food was beforehand. Most likely it was shipped from far across the country, or even across the globe. Hav-ing the large majority of our food shipped in from miles away could be dangerous if we faced a sudden break in the food sys-tem and had no more food coming in to our stores. And even beside that possibil-ity, enjoying food from just down the road rather than across the nation is better for you. As soon as a vegetable is picked it starts to lose some of its nutritional value. The fresher the vegetable, the healthier it is. Nobody understands that notion better than the Angell’s, owners of Rocky Ridge Ranch. We visited their ranch to learn about their farming practices and discov-ered a thriving local food source.

Another way to create a local food source is to join or start a commu-nity garden in your neighborhood. It can be a great op-portunity to grow your own food and teach little ones about where food comes from. Pat Munts has laid out a set of guidelines to help you get a community garden started in your area. When choos-ing a spot to break soil for that garden, consider taking in a soil sample to the Spokane Conservation District to see if it has good dirt for growing produce. Jim Armstrong explains how to take a proper soil sample in order to have a good soil test and thus know how to get the best re-sults from your garden.

Let the April showers fall so our gar-dens can grow!

Country Living In The Inland Northwest

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Table of Contents Home Grown Success Story – Rocky Ridge RanchGary Angell gave us a tour of their ranch to see their natural farming practices and abundant greenhouses ................ 6 Get Growing! Starting a Community GardenGuidelines on how to organize a community garden in your own neighborhood ........................................................ 12Get the Scoop on your SoilHow to take a proper soil sample in order to have the best results from your soil test ............................................... 16Outstanding Orchards – Planting Fruit Trees in SpringExpert advice from Pat Munts, Master Gardener, on starting fruit trees for heavy crops ..................................... 18Spring Color All Year – Maintaining Color in Your Dried FlowersNo brown petals here! Make a great May Day or Mother’s Day gift yourself ................. 20Fresh Fare – Recipes to Put a Spring in Your StepDelicious seasonal dishes to utilize what’s already coming up in the garden ............................................ 22

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Rocky Ridge RanchYour Neighbor’s Home Grown Success StoryBy Chandra Logan

Gary Angell is a man who is concerned about food. And not the kind who

speculates about what will be on his plate at six o’clock. He is concerned about food on a local, national, and global level, and where that food is coming from. It’s his business to worry about food as he owns and operates the Rocky Ridge Ranch along with his wife, So, and their grandson Bryan. They sell their products through re-gional farmers’ markets, as well as to local restaurants such as Casper Fry and Santé, and directly to their customers through the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Cus-tomers of the ranch tend to be those who are looking for sincere, real food.

The Rocky Ridge Ranch is located north of

Reardan and named for the three ridges that surround their place. On 400 acres they raise non certified organic beef, pork, poultry, and many different types of produce. The prop-erty is split pretty evenly between land desig-nated for animals and for produce. Their own home is surrounded by big greenhouses and

hoop houses of varying sizes. Hoop houses are greenhouses made with hoops of curved PVC pipe which are covered with a plastic or fabric to protect the vegetables growing un-derneath. By using these hoop houses they are able to extend the growing season of their produce. The ranch has been awarded a grant

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Gary worries about the area’s food supply and how dependent we are on the current system that ships food all

around the country and the world.


tor asked Gary why he refused to do the test each year Gary replied, “I’m the water test. I drink this water every day.” On that basis they call Rocky Ridge Ranch 90% organic.

They keep a herd of Angus cross cattle and will sometimes purchase orphan calves to raise, feed out and sell. When they first started purchasing the orphan calves, they had them all in a barn together where they

from the USDA to build a new hoop house, and they have big plans for it. So wants to grow exotic fruits like oranges and tanger-ines, as well as sweet potatoes and yellow and black sesame seeds. Her eyes light up when she talks about her plans.

Gary laughs as he tells us about how Rocky Ridge Ranch came to be, “So and I were look-ing for a place to retire. I spent 20 years in the Army as a paratrooper, and then worked as a manager at a ship yard in Tacoma, Washing-ton. The ship yard closed down and I decided that was enough of that life, and we went look-ing for a place out in the country. I wanted 5-20 acres to settle down, have some peace and quiet and to play cowboy. But instead we found this place at a great deal and bought the neighboring property as well, and ended up with 400 acres! What I really wanted was a small diversified farm, like the ones during the 1950’s,” he explained, “Many farming operations today are corporate and mono-culture, they only raise one product.” Gary, So, and Bryan, however, raise many different animals and have dabbled in others through-out the years, including llamas, sheep, and goats, and Gary used to train horses. They also have ducks for their eggs, and you can even order a turkey or goose in the fall for the holidays.

All the animals on Rocky Ridge Ranch are raised without any hormones or antibiotics throughout their entire lives. They are given natural, local, GMO free feeds and allowed to forage as they please. It is obvious that all the animals on the ranch are well cared for and very healthy, spoiled even. The ranch main-tains non certified organic status only be-cause they choose not to keep 7 year records of all the seeds they grow, and because they do not do a water test every single year, which are requirements of certified organic farms. They get all their seeds from other farmers they know or use heirloom seeds, and say they just don’t have the time and manpower to maintain that big of a database of seeds, since they grow so many varieties of vegeta-bles. Gary explained, “If we kept records of every seed we’ve ever grown, I would need a whole building dedicated to seed records.” The water test is something that is expensive and according to Gary unnecessary to do every single year. When the Health Inspec-

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would often have to be bottle fed until they got older. The only problem was that the scent of the milk in the barn attracted flies, which bothered everyone. The flies became such a nuisance that they decided they needed to find a natural solution to get rid of their biblical problem. So they decided to get chickens to eat the flies. Once the flies were gone, they still had around 50

chickens. They sold some as meat birds and kept some for their eggs, and you can now purchase eggs from their farm.

Rocky Ridge Ranch also has a herd of Berk-shire pigs that roam across one of the ridg-es. They chose Berkshires because of their ability to forage to find food, and they are instinctually very good mothers. Berkshires are quite hardy animals, but at one time the breed nearly went extinct. In one of the barns So shows us that they have a litter of 7 piglets that were born about 2-3 days before we ar-rived. They were so tiny that I could have eas-ily held one in my hands, and it makes it hard to imagine them growing up to be a great big boar or sow. Down the hill from the barn there is an ancient boar that acts more like a dog than a pig. Their boar, which they af-fectionately call Rex (short for his registered name of Resurrection), is old and arthritic now, and since he is too old to breed with the sows, he spends his days in the sun with a full belly. He comes to greet us knowing he’ll get a good scratching.

After Rex gets enough attention, we move on to take a peek in the greenhouses. All of

From left: So, Bryan and Gary Angell

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them are chock full of green. Spinach, carrots, leeks, Swiss chard, the list goes on and on. They have boxes and rows and blocks of seedlings and plants in varying degrees of growth. The greenhouses are so warm and humid (about 85°F) that I feel like I’ve suddenly stepped into Florida. So has every available inch of her greenhouses used, there are no flat surfaces that don’t have plants on them. So clearly loves to garden and grow, and has quite a talent for it. She got an early start in agriculture and was work-ing in the vegetable garden as young as 5 years old in her country of origin, Korea. She says she would always have a garden no matter where she lived or how much space they had.

Gary moved around quite a bit while growing up, but he always lived or worked on a farm, ranch or dairy. He spent the largest amount of time on a ranch in Elliston, Mon-

tana. During the summers between school years he always worked on ranches, and then joined the Army at the age of 16. Bryan came to live with them when he

was of preschool age and has been a driving force on the farm. They both credit Bryan for all his hard work that has helped make the farm a success, and So and Gary both agree that if it weren’t for Bryan, the ranch would not be what it is today. It’s appar-ent that they all love the ranch and what they do. “It’d be nice if we could feed people for free,” Bryan chuckled, “But we consider the farm successful when we can pay for the farm with the farm.” They also have a business of commercial spraying within the farming industry.

The addition of the Community Supported Agriculture program to their ranch has also had quite a bolstering effect. They initially started selling their products at farm-

“What I really wanted was a small diversified farm, like the ones

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ers’ markets in Spokane, but when the reces-sion hit in 2008 customers were less willing to pay the slightly higher prices for local non certified organic foods. That’s when they found out about the Community Supported Agriculture program. The CSA program is where the customer can buy a share in the farmer’s crop and then receive a portion of the harvest each week. Farmers then have the capital to bring in the crops and the consum-er shares in the risk that accompanies farm-ing (for instance, a crop could fail). The An-gell’s attended a seminar put on by Spokane Health, taught by Bryan Estes, about the CSA program and how to get started. They were advised to take on no more than 5 shares the first season, but they started with 25 shares! They were busy but it paid off, and the CSA program saved their farm from trouble.

Gary worries about the area’s food supply and how dependent we are on the current sys-tem that ships food all around the country and the world. Without a large and local cache of food, Spokane could be in real trouble in the event of a crisis such as a natural disaster or other event that would cause a major struc-tural collapse in the system. He recalls read-ing an article about Y2K that stated that Spo-kane’s grocery stores would be completely out of food in 5 days if there was suddenly no more food coming in. Reading that statistic made him start thinking about our local food sources, and he took action to provide an al-ternate food source within the community. Gary believes that local farmers and locally sourced food are crucial to our community’s survival and well-being. u

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Get Growing! Starting A Community GardenBy Pat Munts

So you want to start a community garden? You have some land or folks you know that need a place to grow food. Then there is always

the food bank that needs fresh produce. The problem is that there are just a few of you and you don’t know how to get started.

The first thing to re-member is that c o m m u n i t y gardens are 90 percent community and ten percent garden. This means that to create a successful and sustainable garden you must create a community of people who will actually develop and manage the garden.

Start by talking to your friends, neighbors, church members, com-munity organizations and leaders. Tell them about your idea and ask them to join you. Let them spread the word through the community and add to your vision.

When you have gathered a group of six to ten people together, you can really begin to look at the skills and resources each person brings to the project. Some people may be good at organizing volunteers, seeking out resources or have construction, fundraising or gardening knowledge. If your group is lacking a skill, go back into the commu-nity and find a person with that skill.

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Hold a public meeting for the entire community that may want to be involved in the garden or live in the neighborhood. Get their ideas about what they want a garden to look like, where it should go and then ask them to join the project. Be ready to answer questions from neighbors concerned about vandalism, weeds, traffic and noise.

Begin looking for level, sunny sites with easy access to water. Have your community suggest sites and then check with the owner on their willingness to host a garden. Sign any agreements needed and secure insurance. Start a fundraising program to gather the materials, money and tools that will build the garden.

With a garden site acquired and the materials needed to build it secured, begin designing your garden. Remember you don’t have to build it all at once; it can be built in stages as money and people allow. Remember to add beds that are accessible to those with dis-abilities. Raised boxes are easier to keep weeded, warm up quickly in the spring and make the garden look neat. Use a good commercial soil to fill the boxes.

Have your community help establish a formal registration process and a set of rules that are fair to everyone. Appoint a garden manager who will be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the garden and communicate with the gardeners on a regular basis.

Make building the garden a community event. Organize volun-teers into teams who are responsible for a manageable task. Have a little friendly competition between teams. Provide food and drinks through the day.

When everything is done and the garden is growing, celebrate! Have a party for the whole neighborhood. Celebrate that one person’s idea became the idea of many. u

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NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE www.nifa.usda.gov

NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, USDA www.nrcs.usda.gov 509-924-7350

NRCS, USDA WA STATE OFFICE www.wa.nrcs.usda.gov 509-323-2900

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WA STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION www.wsdot.wa.gov/environment/default.htm [email protected] 360-705-7372

ADAMS CONSERVATION DISTRICT www.adamscd.org [email protected] 509-659-1553

T he Spokane Conservation District has compiled a list of agencies and organizations

in the region that can provide information and technical assistance on a wide variety of environmental and natural resource issues, especially as they relate to living in the country. This directory is just a partial list of resources that could be available to you. There are virtually unlimited information resources that can be found on websites around the world. The ones listed here however, are local governmental entities that can provide not only information on

Inland Northwest Conservation Resource Guidenatural resource and environmental issues, but some can also provide on-site technical assistance. From production agriculture to nuisance wildlife and everything in between, this resource guide will help you find the information or assistance you need. There will be multiple listings for a particular issue and probably multiple issues addressed by several entities. Most of the listed agencies are sources of information and are in some way regulatory. All conservation districts are non-regulatory and provide on-site technical assistance as well as information. Extension

offices are also non-regulatory. This month, the guide will focus on government agencies, and Extension offices. Subsequent issues will feature NGO’s (non-governmental organizations) and private industry. The phone numbers, email addresses and websites have all been checked and are valid. If, while looking through the directory, you don’t find any listing for a particular issue you have on your property, please contact the Spokane Conservation District. If we don’t know the answer or can’t provide that particular service, we promise to put you in touch with someone who can.

FERRY COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT [email protected] 509-775-3473

LINCOLN COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT www.lincolncd.com/ [email protected] 509-725-4181, ext 3

PEND OREILLE COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT www.pocd.org/wordpress/ [email protected] 509-447-5370

SPOKANE COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT www.sccd.org [email protected] 509-535-7274

STEVENS COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT www.co.stevens.wa.us/cons_district/default.htm [email protected] 509-685-0937, ext 3


WATER RESOURCES Stream bank & riparian restoration Water quality Livestock and land Off site watering Riparian fencing Wetlands Manure spreader rental Permitting assistanceCost-share programs

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FERRY COUNTY NOXIOUS WEED BOARD www.ferry-county.com/Other_Depts/Weed.asp [email protected] 509-775-5225, ext 1111

PEND OREILLE COUNTY NOXIOUS WEED BOARD www.pendoreilleco.org/county/weed.asp [email protected] 509-447-2402

SPOKANE COUNTY NOXIOUS WEED BOARD www.spokanecounty.org/WeedBoard/ content.aspx?c=1443 [email protected] 509-477-5777

STEVENS COUNTY NOXIOUS WEED BOARD www.co.stevens.wa.us/weedboard/ [email protected] 509-684-7590

WSU ADAMS COUNTY EXTENSION www.lincoln-adams.wsu.edu/ [email protected] 509-659-3209

WSU FERRY COUNTY EXTENSION www.county.wsu.edu/ferry [email protected] 509-775-5225, ext 1116

WSU LINCOLN COUNTY EXTENSION www.lincoln-adams.wsu.edu/ [email protected] 509-725-4171

WSU PEND OREILLE COUNTY EXTENSION www.pendoreille.wsu.edu/ [email protected] 509-447-2401

WSU SPOKANE COUNTY EXTENSION www.spokane-county.wsu.edu/ 509-477-2048

WSU STEVENS COUNTY EXTENSION www.county.wsu.edu [email protected] 509-684-2588

FORESTRYAnnual tree and shrub sale Urban and rural forestry Fire prevention assessments Avista shade tree program Technical assistance Wildlife habitat

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATIONK-12 in classroom presentations

of Wheat WeekWater on Wheels Trout in the ClassroomLots of resources for teachers

PRODUCTION AGRICULTUREDirect Seed Loan ProgramSoil erosion preventionTechnical assistanceCross Slot no-till drill rentalFarm toursNo-till mentor programsCost-share

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Soil Erosion

Spokane Conservation District 210 N Havana, Spokane, WA 509 535 7274

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The Spokane Conservation District’s soil testing lab is in its third year of operation. We are gearing service toward yards and gar-

dens as well as small acreage farms. Our soil scientist, Eric Choker, is able to perform a basic soil test for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), percentage of organic matter and soil pH. There are “do it yourself” kits available on-line and from some area retailers but they are not nearly as accurate and may not give the results you really need. You should have your soil tested in the spring, approximately 2 weeks before you plan to apply fertilizers or amendments of any kind. Once tested, your soils probably won’t need to be tested for another 2 years. Why test your soil?

If you know what type and quantity of nutrients are in the soil, you will be able to apply fertilizers and amendments at the appropriate rates. Studies have shown that homeowners in the city often apply fertilizers at rates far higher than needed. Fertilizers are expensive and applying them at rates higher than the plants need can be detri-mental to the environment. Leaching of excess nitrates and phospho-rus is very harmful to water quality. There is one caveat however; the key to getting accurate results from the soil test is to collect the soil sample(s) correctly.

In order to determine the rates for fertilizer or mineral applications, you will need to collect soil samples from the entire area. An exam-

Get The Scoop On Your SoilBy Jim Armstrong

Soil samples must be dry before being processed. Saturated soils will delay the results

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ple would be a 40’x40’ vegetable garden we will call garden zone 1. At least 10 samples should be taken from within the entire zone, either randomly or in a measured grid pattern. (measured grid patterns would be preferred for accuracy) These samples will then be mixed together to form a composite sample that represents the area average. If the area is much larger, you may consider dividing it into a few different zones, especially if there are noticeable changes or differences in the surface soil, slope or vegetation type. Each zone would be sampled as above and submit-ted for testing as separate samples. Follow these links to a couple of excellent short vid-eos on how to properly collect soil samples.http://youtu.be/3YuA20kZ1EA or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niCaJ5a0Ho0

The sampling procedures are not difficult and even in lawns can be fairly simple and non-destructive. Put the shovel in the ground at least to the depth of the root structure and remove that soil, setting it aside to put back in the hole. (In lawns, remove the turf from an area about the size of the shovel first and set it aside) Again using the shovel, take a thin slice of soil from the side of the hole about 1 inch thick from the top to the bottom of the hole. Remove that slice, trim it in the center to about an inch wide and then place it in a bucket or large bag. Repeat that process until you have obtained a good representative sample from the entire zone. Replace the ex-cess soil back into the holes and replace the turf if necessary. Thoroughly mix all of the same zone samples together and place 1-2

pounds of the soil into a paper bag and label the zone and depth of the sample, i.e. garden zone 1, 0 - 6” and the date it was collected. If you are going to be more than a day or so before you deliver the sample to the lab, place it in the refrig-erator. Try to take the samples when the soil is not saturated with wa-ter. Not only could that skew the test results, but the samples will have to be dried before analysis can begin. The wetter

the soils, the longer it will take to get your results back.

Having your soil tested is an easy process, just stop by the District office at 210 N. Havana and pick up a soil test kit. The kit includes instructions on how to take a soil sample, a soil sample bag, a soil test request form and a general soil test interpretation guide. Our basic test will measure Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), along with pH and organic matter. If you feel you need a more comprehensive test done, we will send it to another lab that will be able to test the soil for micro-nutrients and trace minerals. The price for the basic test is $30 and the more comprehensive test is $44 plus $8 shipping. The $30 you spend will more than pay for itself with savings of fertilizers or additives and it will maximize the yield poten-tial of your garden. Eric is here to help you with the interpretations of the results and to make recommendations for solving some of the problems you may be having. u

For any questions about the sampling or test-ing procedures or general soil health, contact Eric Choker, Spokane Conservation District Soil Scientist at 509-535-7274 x18 or email to: [email protected]

Soil scientist Eric Choker analyzing a soil sample in the SCD lab

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By Pat Munts

Does the idea of walking out in your backyard and picking a tree-ripened peach, apple or cherry sound appealing? Spring is the

best time to plant fruit trees. Here are a few things to consider when putting trees in.

Plant them in open areas where they get full sun and a steady sup-ply of moisture. They will also need space to spread out; how much

depends on whether you go for dwarf, semi-dwarf or full-sized trees. Dwarf trees take as little as a five foot wide space with some able to grow in containers. Semi-dwarf trees can take a 15-foot wide space while full-size trees will need 25 feet or more. Because some varieties require a pollinator, you may need to plan for two trees to get a crop. Most fruit trees can take three to five years before they begin bearing and another five to produce a heavy crop.

Secondly, ask yourself if you are willing to apply the organic or conventional pesticides to keep the insects and diseases at bay. Pre-venting wormy apples and cherries takes applying the right control measures at the right time. Unkempt back yard trees can have a seri-ous impact on our local fruit industry by spreading problems that the growers must then treat for.

Trees are usually sold as three to five year old plants as bare root stock, in pots or in plastic packages. Bare root trees will have no soil around the roots and will need to be planted immediately on purchase so the roots don’t dry out. Potted trees can be set aside and watered for a few days before planting. Packaged trees tend to be smaller with a smaller root system wrapped in moist wood chips and packaged in

plastic. Be wary of packaged trees sitting out in hot sunny places in the nursery where their roots can cook.

Select trees that have straight trunks with a single leader or main branch if possible. Look for branches that join the trunk at greater

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Bare root trees need to be planted immediately so the roots don’t dry out

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than a 45-degree. These branch crotches will make strong limbs as they grow. Don’t buy trees that have broken branches or large scrapes in their bark.

Plant the trees in a wide, dish-shaped hole so that the soil will come to the point where the trunk flares out into the roots. Trim any broken roots before planting. Back fill the hole with the native soil without amend-ments. Build a moat around the tree and wa-ter it well. Stake the tree only if you live in a windy area. Do not fertilize the first year.

Water the tree a couple of times a week by filling up the moat and allowing it to drain a couple tof times for the first two years especially in hot weather. Consider put-ting the tree on a drip system separate from other lawn and garden systems to meet the need. u

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By Ashley Lewan

Spring buds have started to pop up all over the place and the fragrant perfume from delicate blooms is beginning to envelop the Inland

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B. Push some of the drying powder in be-tween the petals of the flower.

C. Slowly pour the rest of the powder over the flower.


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already begun readying my flower presses and mixing up my homemade drying powder. The most difficult part about drying flowers at home is making sure to keep the colors as vibrant as possible. There’s nothing worse than brown, crusty blooms hanging out in vases. I’ve provided a step-by-step procedure illustrating how to dry a single bloom. Drying flowers separately allows them to dry quicker and you don’t have to worry about imperfec-tions caused by plants pressing against each other. The blooms can be a beautiful focal point in a dried bouquet to mount on your wall or in a rustic vase.

DirectionsPick flowers mid morning. There will be 1. less dew clinging to the plants and the sun won’t have wilted the blooms yet.Carefully dry off any water still present 2. on the stem and petals.Fill the bottom inch of your shoe box with 3. the drying powder.Set your flower in the powder. Carefully 4. position it the way you would like it to re-main. (Picture A)Push some of the drying powder in 5. between the petals of the flower. (Picture B)Slowly pour the rest of the powder over 6. the flower. Keep slow, steady and careful when pouring the powder so you don’t crush the flower. Make sure that the flow-er is completely covered and there are no little bits poking out. (Picture C)Close the shoe box and set aside in a dry 7. location where it can remain for 2 weeks.Remove the flower carefully from the box 8. after at least two weeks.The color should still be intact, especially 9. if you began with a vibrant shade.


Asparagus Pasta SaladBy Ashley Lewan

It’s time for asparagus, once again! This delectable, green vegetable is so versatile that it fits in everywhere. Try this easy pasta salad for a fresh way to enjoy a beloved spring crop.

Ingredients:

1 oz of bow tie pasta, cooked and drained• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil• 8 stalks fresh asparagus• Red pepper flakes to taste• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced•

1/4 cup roasted red bell peppers, • chopped1 clove garlic, minced• 1/4 cup feta cheese (optional)•

Directions:Heat olive oil over medium high 1. heat and add asparagus and pepper flakes. Saute for 5 minutes until asparagus 2. slightly browns. Reduce heat to low and add tomatoes, bell peppers and garlic. Cook until garlic browns and then remove from heat. Pour mixture over pasta and top with 3. feta cheese.

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Strawberry Rhubarb BuckleBy Ashley Lewan

Buckles are an unsung hero among cakes and pastries. Typically, a buckle consists of a cake-like bottom, then a layer of fruit and then

either a crumb top, or more cake. The end result is a moist, but filling treat perfect for the beginning of spring!

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 10” springform pan with 1. nonstick spray or butter. You can use a regular cake pan, but it will be harder to dig it out.

Combine sugar, salt and flour.2.

Cut in butter until you reach a crumbly consistency. It’s important 3. that the butter is very cold. Set aside 1 cup of mixture for later.

Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon.4.

Add baking powder to flour mixture. Stir in milk, egg and vanilla until 5. moist.

Spread half of the flour batter into the pan. Then, cover with your 6. fruit. Drop spoonfuls of batter on top and then evenly spread the crumble topping all over.

Bake for 60 minutes, or until gold brown. Let cool or serve warm.7.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour• 1-1/4 cup sugar• 1 tsp salt• 1-1/2 sticks of unsalted • butter, cold and cubed1/3 cup brown sugar• 1 tsp cinnamon• 2 tsp baking powder•

1/2 cup milk• 1 large egg• 1 tsp vanilla• 3 cups strawberries, • sliced2 cups fresh rhubarb, • chopped

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Documents

Bountiful Life Magazine - April 2013