Pause Before Cutting

Now that summer is officially here, everything is growing like crazy. This includes not only flowers and vegetables, but weeds as well. Although it is easy to be tempted to get out the  weed wacker at every opportunity (particularly since I just got a new ECHO cordless trimmer), using manual tools will cause less harm to unintended targets. It is breeding season and if you aren't careful, you may inadvertently disturb a nest or destroy foliage to which certain species rely. This is what almost happened yesterday, when I went to remove a milkweed plant next to our foundation. Fortunately, I looked first and noticed a small monarch caterpillar. It was only about an inch long and would have been easy to miss. To prevent moisture buildup around the sill, we keep plants away from the foundation, but this one will be allowed to stay.

Common milkweed

Small monarch caterpillar

As the temperature heats up, salads become a perfect meal and are easy to modify based upon what is in season and what you have available in your kitchen. This recipe, adapted from Good Housekeeping, is packed with protein and was a breeze to put together.

White Bean, Tuna and Green Bean Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh green beans

1 15-oz can small white beans

1 5-oz can albacore tuna

3 hard boiled eggs

1-2 heads romaine lettuce

1 cup baby spinach   

1 Tablespoon pesto

1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Fresh basil leaves

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half

Trim and cook the green beans until barely tender (3-4 minutes.) Rinse under cold water and set aside. Drain and rinse the white beans. Trim lettuce and tear into small pieces. Toss in a large bowl with the spinach. Add the beans, tomatoes and tuna. Make dressing by combine the pesto with the vinegar and oil. If too thick, add more oil and vinegar. Toss the dressing into the salad and top with egg slices and basil leaves.