What to plant now for a Southern food bounty later (with recipes to inspire you)

I am tired.

Every fall I say I’m not going to plant another garden; then spring rolls around again and I cannot resist the plant sales and end up right where I am today... resting up after planting 12 containers of herbs and vegetables.

I know that it isn’t a lot, in the scheme of things. My sister, for instance, has 10 three-foot-by-eight-foot raised beds. And a brand new greenhouse.

I have to keep my simple because (1) I have a smallish yard and, (2) if I planted in-ground rather than in containers my dog and my dad’s beagles would dig up/roll over anything as soon as it got watered in the earth.

So. Twelve pots of hope.

Containers of cucumbers, hot and yellow bell peppers, tomatoes (one heirloom variety and a couple of grape), rutabagas (mainly because I like to say the name... and they’re great roasted or pureed), basil, parsley, garlic chives, fennel, celery (because I’ve never grown it before now) and some nasturtiums and yarrow (the last one for which I still need to find a home).

I do have some French lavender and rosemary planted in one of the flower beds in the front yard, away from the rambunctious dogs, to round out my herb selection.

Now, all I have to do is water, weed and... wait.

And dream of the recipes that I will make with ingredients fresh from my garden (plus, maybe, some of my sister’s bounty).

The nasturtiums are different, for me. I’ve had nasturtium flowers sprinkled in salads at restaurants, so I’m eager to see the plants grow and bloom.

Celery was an impulse buy at a farmers market. I know it sounds silly, but I’ve only seen celery up close in the produce section of the supermarket. The plant itself has much thinner, tender stalks and leaves and, although still young, it is quite tasty.

The cukes, peppers and tomatoes are nothing new to my garden. I plant them every year. When my dad swings by on Saturday or Sunday mornings, he likes to pluck a ripe tomato or two straight off the vine. And both of us have enjoyed biting into crispy cucumbers, salt shaker in hand, while watching the dogs run around the yard.

For now, though, all of that is about a month away. In the meantime, we can sit and watch the peaches get larger and I can try and figure out where those beans that my sister and I bought ended up. Hmmm... probably in one of those raised beds...

Toss shallot, vinegar, tarragon and ¼ teaspoon salt together in a mixing bowl. Let sit uncovered for at least 30 minutes.

Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Snap off the stem ends of the beans. If they are small, leave the beans whole; if large, cut them on a diagonal into 2-inch pieces. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside. Drop the beans into the boiling water and boil until beans are cooked through but still crunchy and brightly colored (about 2 minutes for tiny haricots verts, up to 4 minutes for larger beans). Drain the beans and plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking process. When beans are cooled, drain them again and lay them out on a tray lined with paper towels to dry (this will prevent water from diluting the salad dressing).

Stir the olive oil into the tarragon mixture. Add beans and toss well. Taste and season with pepper and salt. Gently toss in nasturtium flowers. Serve.

The Herbfarm Cookbook, Jerry Traunfeld (Scribner)

In a large bowl, pour cold water over bread to cover and let it soak for 5 minutes. Drain the bread in a colander and lightly press out any excess water.

Put the bread in a blender or food processor. Roughly chop 1 cucumber and half of the green pepper and add to the blender along with the garlic, salt, Tabasco, vinegar, oil, spearmint, parsley and cilantro. Puree until mixture is very smooth and uniformly green. Blend in the ice water. Pour soup into a medium bowl or plastic container.

Finely chop the remaining cucumber and green pepper and stir them into the soup. Taste and season with salt and black pepper. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Serve soup in small bowls garnished with chopped herb mixture.

The Herbfarm Cookbook, Jerry Traunfeld (Scribner)

Make a simple syrup: Bring the sugar and 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the rosemary sprigs, cover and remove from the heat. Let the syrup steep for at least 30 minutes.

Strain the syrup into a pitcher. Stir in ½ cup lemon juice and the remaining 4 cups of water. Taste and add more lemon juice, if needed. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Variations: In place of the rosemary, use 2 tablespoons fresh lavender buds or 8 scented geranium leaves, ½ cup fresh mint sprigs or ½ cup fresh basil leaves.

The Herbfarm Cookbook, Jerry Traunfeld (Scribner)

This story was originally published May 12, 2015 at 5:39 PM with the headline "What to plant now for a Southern food bounty later (with recipes to inspire you)."