Grow a garden

The best foods for a celiac or gluten-free diet are fresh fruits and vegetables. And the best tasting fruits and vegetables are home grown. I've been in and out of the nursery business for the past 25 years and the unfortunate thing about working at a nursery or garden center is that you get burned out by the time you get to your own garden. I was fortunate enough to be able to start a nursery last year and sell my plants at the farmer's markets. The best thing about setting up at the market is that you have immediate access to all the fresh fruits and vegetables that the farmers grow. The veggies stay fresh much longer than supermarket produce I've found. In fact I still have some sugar pumpkins from October sitting in my back utility room! I encourage everyone - if you can't grow your own - visit a farmer at the market - you'll get the freshest and best-tasting food around.

Last year I made my first attempt at canning. I did a simple water-bath method and did tomatoes - sliced, in italian and chili sauce, salsa and a couple of tomato juices - one that is fiery hot! I am proud to say that I have yet to buy a can of tomatoes this winter! I also did a couple of different tasting jams - most notably sweet red pepper and tomato jams plus a couple of fruit jams. I also put by a couple of batches of refrigerator pickles and am due for another batch this week.

The new dehydrator and yogurt machines are getting a workout as well. I make yogurt almost once a week and keep batches for two friends. I dehydrated a lot of stuff from the markets this last year - tomatoes, peaches, grapes - yes they really do make raisins! and I've air dried some herbs to make my own salt combinations in the food processor. I'll do a quick post soon on how to do it it's easy.

If you would like to beautify your new garden and live in the metro Detroit, Michigan area - come see me at the market or make an appointment to see my nursery. I sell perennials, herbs and groundcovers. I'm starting a few vegetable plants as well. My website is Sage Advice Nursery and my blog is at Sage Advice Nursery Blog on blogspot.

As I said in my last post I no longer live on a gluten-free diet, but I do try and limit my intake of wheat products and processed food. I encourage everyone who needs a special diet to grow their own food - it's the best diet God can give.