In the Garden

Tasty, Tart, and Pretty Plum Jelly is perfect for your breakfast table. Whether enjoyed on a lazy Sunday morning or as an accompaniment to a sophisticated afternoon tea, this plum jelly is a true culinary delight. Growing up, we had a beautiful red plum tree.  And Plum Jelly is my absolute favorite jelly. Experience the… Read more

 Who can resist a pretty flower? Some of them, you can eat!  Spring and Summer offer many edible flowers; fall has fewer, but they are beauties – and easy to grow. A fun thing to do with edible flowers is to freeze them in ice cube trays for drinks and punch. You can use these… Click to see how to make Edible Flower Ice Cubes – it’s EASY

I heard about this new gardening idea – it is called the Rain Gutter Grow System (RGGS). Being a real southern farm girl, I love farming and gardening. Once I read about this innovative growing system, I couldn’t wait to start. Basically the Rain Gutter Grow System is a self-watering container gardening system “on steroids.” … To see Chloe’s Rain Gutter Garden click here:

Every summer I grow Basil and it thrives here in eastern North Carolina.What can you do with all this basil? Well, I make Pesto and freeze it to enjoy all year. Pesto will keep a long time in the freezer. It can be frozen in ice cube trays — handy if you only need a… Click to get Chloe’s Pesto Genovese Recipe

Did you know that some flowers can be lunch? I grabbed my Edible Flower book and wandered around the yard, tasting. I eat whatever is in the yard that I KNOW is edible, including  pecans, blackberries, mulberries, blueberries, tomatoes, wild cherries, figs and cucumbers. Now I have added Edible Flowers to my “Okay to eat”… Click to see what edible flowers grow all around you.

I love growing okra – it reminds me of late summer on the farm With all the great summer produce, sometimes we just want to make something that takes us back to the farm and to Grandmother’s cooking. In coastal North Carolina, this recipe is an expected summer treat. Okra, Corn and Tomatoes – A… Click to read more about this Southern Recipe …

Figs are so special – they are a real delicacy.  Fig Jam with Less Sugar • 2 ¼ pounds ripe figs* (4 cups prepared figs)• 5 1/2 cups sugar• 2 lemons• Zest from one the lemons• 2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice• ½ teaspoon butter• ½ pouch liquid pectin (1 ½ ounces use Certo NOT… Click to get the Recipe for my Fig Jam with Less Sugar and some great photos too …

Blueberries are a gift – they speak “Summer” If you can pick your own blueberries that is the best. I have blueberries growing right outside my kitchen window and I try to use them any way I can. Local farmers’ markets also have good berries. I love cooking with fresh blueberries and this is the… Click to get Chloe’s Blueberry Cinnamon Jam Recipe

I grow blueberries and blackberries here on the farm and I love to use them any way I can. Homemade Blueberry Bread Recipe with Blackberry Cream Cheese Spread • 1 large egg• ¼ cup corn or vegetable oil• ¾ cup sugar• ½ cup fresh (mashed blueberries (about 4 ounces whole blueberries))• 1½ Tablespoons blueberry or… Read more about Chloe’s Blueberry bread