An update on the progress of Operation Grow Shit

At the moment I am attempting to grow

mesclun greens
eggplants
cantaloupe
yellow bell peppers
basil
oregano
crinkled water cress
lettuce, green and red
carrots
jalapenos
patty pan squash

with plans to put more seeds in the ground today.

I was on a roll until a cold spell came through last week and made all my seedlings look sad. I brought them into the house for some TLC and am hoping for the best.

The mesclun greens are already tasty enough to pick out of the ground and eat. I can't wait to have huge, virtually free salads this summer. Even shopping at Trader Joe's I feel like all my money goes to food, and that's without buying fancy cheese and avocados.

I like to cook colorful meals, a habit well reflected in my compost bucket >

Most of the goodness in this bucket came from a tasty shep pie recipe that Kaz introduced me to this past winter:

Sausage and Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

* 1 1/2 pounds tan-skinned sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 5 cups)
* 1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
* 1 medium russet potato, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
* 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
* 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup


* 1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
* 2 cups chopped onions
* 1 tablespoon minced garlic
* 3/4cup frozen peas
* 3/4cup frozen corn kernels
* 1/3 cup whipping cream
* 1 large egg, lightly beaten
* 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
* 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
* 6 drops hot pepper sauce

Preparation

Cook sweet potatoes, squash and russet potato in large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain. Return all potatoes and squash to same saucepan and mash. Stir over medium heat until excess moisture evaporates, about 5 minutes. Add butter and syrup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mash mixture until smooth.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 8 x 8 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Cook sausage in large skillet over medium-high heat until sausage is brown and cooked through, breaking up with back of spoon, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to large bowl; reserve 1 tablespoon of drippings in skillet. Add onions and garlic to skillet and sauté over medium-high heat until onions are tender and golden, about 7 minutes. Add onion mixture to sausage. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool. Mix in peas, corn, cream, egg, curry powder, coriander and hot sauce.

Transfer sausage mixture to prepared baking dish. Spoon mashed potato mixture over; smooth top. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Bake until heated through and potatoes begin to brown around edges, about 45 minutes (or about 1 hour for casserole that has been refrigerated). Let stand 5 minutes before serving.