As the days get longer, I seem to get further behind.

At The Land Connection, we have moved from conference season to market season, and all of the things that seemed to be impossibly far off in January have us tripping over ourselves trying to keep up now. In April we were wondering what the first green things would be at the market, and now we are madly trying to keep up with the lists of gorgeous, nutritious, flavorful foods that show up in our vendor lists each week. At staff meetings we talk over each other bragging about what dishes we made with our market hauls, and what farms the ingredients came from.

And then there is my personal garden. I decided that this would be the year that I really went for it. The year that I got serious about seeing how much of our food we could grow in our little backyard. We went all out. Starting with the chicken coop–which was fine, but was also in the sunniest spot in yard. So we dismantled it, and reconstructed it around the compost bin (a design that I am loving). And we pulled out the scattering of raised beds and rebuilt them in way that maximized the space we have.

I also decided that with all of the bed space I was going to have, that this was the year I was going to start my seeds inside in March–and that I was going to keep up the momentum until I got them all outside in late April. First of all, it worked. And second of all, 10 trays of 72 plants each looks so small in March. In June, not so much.

And everyday now, one of my decisions is, what will I do with the greens…So. Many. Greens. I LOVE them, but they can be a challenge (there is so much volume!). So as as I sat and planned dinner on Sunday afternoon, I realized that I might not be the only one facing the big green challenge.I thought I’d share some of the things on my menu tonight. And yes, this is all for tonight (there will also be chicken, but even that will be smothered in fresh garden herbs!).

Kale Pesto
2 cups kale (packed)

1/4 cup pecans

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1/4 cup olive oil

2 garlic scapes (can substitute chives or clove garlic)

pinch of salt (to taste)

Combine all ingredients in food processor or blender

Serve on toast, pasta, or meat

Arugula Mint Dressing over Salad Greens–Recipe will also be available as part of the Farm Fresh Now series in a couple of weeks

2 cups arugula

1/4 cup mint

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup corn or other light vegetable oil

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup pecans

1/8 cup vinegar

Juice of 2 limes

Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor

Serve with fresh salad greens

Root Top and Other Greens Soup –this recipe is part of the Farm Fresh Now series

I also served chicken roasted in a cast iron pan on the grill, covered in fresh garden herbs, and cocktail with fresh sage from the garden.