​

Some links in this email are affiliate links- if you click through and purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.*

Hi Reader,

Last week I harvested these from the garden:

• asparagus
• fall planted carrots, beets, and parsnips
• baby spinach
• baby kale from last year's plants gone to seed - I saved all the baby leaves as I pulled the plants and they are great!
• green onions
• chard leaves from last year's plants (still!)

None of them are huge amounts, but I've added them to vegetable roasts and soups and it's great to have even this in April!

I hope this is an encouragement to you to grow what you can, even if it's not enough to totally feed you from the garden. Every little bit is good - and producing and eating some of your own food is a great feeling!

What I planted last week

I was able to work in the garden on Wednesday morning and finished planting most of the seedlings I had grown in the milk jugs and under grow lights inside (my tomatoes and peppers are still waiting for warmer weather).

Here's what I have planted so far:

• lettuce
• spinach (I planted two successions - I'm able to harvest from the earlier half of this planting already)
• cabbage
• kale
• broccoli
• sweet onions
• peas
• pink celery (a new seed I got this year and the plants are so pretty - I'll have to snap a photo for you next week!)
• zinnias
• cosmos
• asters
• marigolds

How is your garden growing? Have you gotten your cool weather plants in the ground yet?

If you're wondering what you could be doing in the garden, be sure to review the garden tasks for April here and then peek at the May tasks here to see what you can be planting in just a week!

​

Cinco de Mayo Recipe Ideas

I know this is an American holiday mostly, but what a great excuse to eat some Mexican and Tex-Mex food? 😀

​Tex-Mex Salad with Ranch-Style Beans & Homemade Tangy Dressing​ A favorite lunch and potluck salad that goes back to my college days!

​Spicy Cumin Lime Coleslaw Recipe​ The perfect side dish to tacos and enchiladas OR gilled meat that's been coated with this Tex-Mex Spice Rub.

​30 Minute Mexican Chicken Corn Soup​ This would be an easy option if you're hosting family or friends.

​Slow Cooker Taco Dip (Instant Pot and Stove Top, Too)​ And here's what you can serve with the soup to a group!

​The Best Chunky Guacamole Recipe​ But no Cinco de Mayo would be complete without a really good guac, would it?

​

Head's Up

​

I just learned that Food Forest Nursery is having a 30% off Spring Clearance Sale! If you're interested in fruits and native plants packaged and delivered responsibly with healthy roots (and supporting a small family biz), be sure to take a look at their offering!

​GO HERE TO FOOD FOREST NURSERY'S 30% OFF SALE​

AND use my coupon code to get another 10% off (I'm not sure if it will work on the clearance plants, but you can try!): jboys10

From The Blog

​30 Minute Shrimp Orzo with Feta & Vegetables​ A perfect one-dish meal I've loaded with veggies! Not into shellfish? It's just as good with cooked chicken. ​ Get the Recipe Here! ​ ​

​Natural Insect Spray For Plants (A DIY That Really Works!!)​ Have you tried my tested garlic-mint spray for insects eating your plants? Check out the after for this poor basil - yes, it's really the same plant! Get The (Plant) Recipe Here!

A Few More Things

While planting I listened to this cute office romance set in the publishing world. It was a lighthearted (and closed door) way to pass the time, with a few chuckles thrown in.

A reader emailed me about this Scottish Breakfast tea that she discovered on a trip there (after I mentioned loving the Irish Breakfast teas). I bought some and it is good (though I'm not sure I can taste a difference...🤔). I love trying different black teas!

​

I hope you have a wonderful week!

P.S. Don't forget to save your recipe and gardening tips to easily organize them and find them in the future! (Also, this is a way to help my site - "voting" for favorites shows Google and Ad people that you like my content, like the recipe ratings and reviews do. 😀)

​

*You can read An Oregon Cottage's full disclosure policy here.

Do you love these emails? To get an email whenever I post a new recipe or article, click here.