Winter garden journal: Watch and wait...and then maybe steal a nibble + WF Vegetarian Chili *Recipe*

I'm going to start with the good stuff:
A hearty vegetarian chili can be quite elusive, but I believe I found my dream pot of beans recipe at the Whole Foods website.  I made the spicy, healthy chili last night and was delightfully surprised how awesome it was, so I thought I should share the recipe with you all 3 readers because I share the health and wealth like that.

WF Spicy Vegetarian Chili (click to see recipe)

I felt I should add pictures of the process since I had no participation in the recipe creation

Tips for recipe:

• Add 1 T of chipotle in adobo.  It was pretty spicy with even just that amount.
• Add only 3 cups of water instead of 4 or it will be too soupy.
• Sprinkle generous amounts of monterey jack cheese, sour cream, cilantro and green onions on top.
• Make enough for leftovers because it is that good.

The finished product served with blue corn chips.  They are great for dipping!

Winter garden journal:

Things are getting off to a fine start on the winter garden porch.  Fennel fronds are blowing blissfully in the wind, broccoli is begging for us to eat it (and we have taken a nibble), beets are chugging along, but no root popping up yet, fava beans just ended flowering and are now producing minuscule beans and the snap peas, oh the snap peas.  They are barely hanging in there, literally they can't really hang too much from the twine anymore because I think San Diego wasn't enough of a winter for them.  They just got burned out...hehe.

 

 The snap peas also faced some discrimination these past weeks from the HOA (homeowners association) because their small little vines may cause structural damage to the condo.  Seriously?!  It really has been a challenge to have a small garden on a porch with a HOA patrol out to get you.  I have had to take down my bird feeders, several hanging plants and now the snap peas crawling up a piece of twine.  I really don't understand how they allow ugly as hell satellites on porches, but not beautifying plants and flowers.  It's an odd thing and I have a feeling this doesn't happen very often north of southern CA.  

Anyways, broccoli and a couple snap peas have been tasted and devoured...yum, yum.  We are just waiting and watching for the fennel and beets to start to grow bigger and emerge from the depths.  

Happy gardening!

Marci

P.S. One of the Tierra Rural contributors got engaged this month and asked the other contributor to be a bridesmaid.  I said yes.  Congrats Lila and Ryan! I guess I can cut her some slack for being absent.  She is busy in love.