Starting from a Not So Blank Slate

It is a very different experience working with an existing landscape rather than starting with a new landscape in a new development.  When we moved to our house in Northern Virginia, it was newly built and had only minimal plantings provided by the builder.  The house at the ranch, on the other hand, has a yard that has been around since the 1930s.  The yard includes an orchard, with trees in various stages of production, and also has areas which were previously used for growing berries, corn, beans, and peas.  I remember seeing the yard in full swing during early visits to the ranch when we were first married, and we always went back home with something delicious.

Now, the yard has been in a state of disarray for several years before we moved here.  Long gone are the berries and vegetable crops -- the only traces of them were the iron rods which acted as stakes.   There are signs that someone liked daffodils, since there are a number of naturalized bulbs throughout the yard, as well as geraniums.  Also, my husband's grandmother was very fond of amaryllis and they can be found around the edges of the yard and under the fruit trees.

Our early efforts largely amounted to keeping cattle out, and keeping grass and weeds at a manageable length.  The local fire department paid us a visit the first summer and explained the requirements that all tall grass be trimmed within 50 feet of the house.  This trimming is easy when you allow the cattle to graze anywhere they like, but requires some effort when humans are wielding the weed whacker.  Here's a picture of what the yard looked like that first spring:

Since that time, I've had daydreams that we'd enter America's Most Desperate Landscapes, or run into Yard Crashers at our local Home Depot, but so far neither of those things has happened so we are on our own.  The scale of what needs to be done to make over the front yard is rather overwhelming so we are trying to figure out some baby steps and some short term goals.  I will try to share the thought process in later posts.

So, in keeping in with the thought that it is best to figure out what you can do while making the most of what you have, I'd like to share a soup recipe that works well as a foundation for what you have on hand.  It begins with the Vegi Soup Mix from Bob's Red Mill, and some vegetables that we always have on hand.  The soup mix contains split peas, barley, lentils, and vegetable pasta.  From this beginning, it can be tweaked to suit whatever leftovers and/or seasonings that strike your fancy.  I'll provide the basic recipe and the version that we made for dinner the other night.

Basic Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 cup Bob's Red Mill Vegi Soup Mix
4 cups water, chicken broth, or beef broth
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. In a large stockpot, heat butter or olive oil over medium high heat.  
2. Add chopped onions, carrots and celery and saute till onion is translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Add vegi soup mix and stir to combine.  Add liquid, and reduce heat to simmer.  
4. Add salt, desired seasonings, and optional additions (see below).
5. Cook for approximately one hour or till all ingredients are soft.
6. Check seasoning, and serve.

Optional Additions:

You can add other vegetables (cut into roughly the same size/shape of the onions, carrots and celery), or leftover chopped meat as desired.  This soup has the tendency to take on the characteristics of whatever you add to it. 

Example: we used leftover broth from cooking corned beef as part of the cooking liquid.  We then added about 8 ounces of diced grilled steak, a teaspoon of Santa Maria Style seasoning,  a tablespoon of sugar, and a teaspoon of seasoned salt.