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Hi Reader,

We had main dish salads four days this last week AND we had salads at lunch, so you know we are swimming in lettuce! It's easy to switch up the flavors of main dish salads, though - one night was southwest (beans, cheddar cheese, salsa), one was Mediterranean (garbanzo, feta, yogurt sauce), one was Italian chopped salad, and another was Asian style lettuce wraps. So neither of us minded and it felt very summery to me.😀

I'm trying to plan menus with what we're harvesting already from the garden, using the monthly seasonal cooking tips - the one for June is right here.

In the seasonal cooking posts you'll find lists of produce in season AS WELL AS preserved things in our freezers and pantries that can be used - and then some recipes to get your creative juices flowing. Thinking seasonally as much as possible saves money, and using produce at it's prime (or preserved at it's prime) is healthier, tastes better, and is better for the environment.

June Seasonal Cooking

Here's what I'm making with what's coming in from the garden right now:

​Fresh Pea Salad with Feta & Walnuts​ I used to grow three types of peas to use in this salad - now I use only the snow peas I grow and add a few frozen peas just because. Lovely spring flavor!

​Sausage Pasta Primavera​ I make this all year long with any in-season veggies, but "primavera" actually means springtime! I'll be making this the classic way with spring peas, onions, and broccoli from my garden.

​Cherry Salad with Feta & Walnuts​ Who knew a salad made with cherries would be this good? (Certainly not me, ha! But I'm waiting impatiently for our cherries to ripen for this 😀) ​

​Strawberry Shortcake with Crunchy Biscuits​ I did not like the shortcake of my youth - those spongy cakes that got all soggy from the berries, ugh. But fresh berries over warm, crispy drop biscuits? YES, please. ​ ​

Corrected Link for Stainless Steel Canner

I'm sorry that the link wasn't correct last week for the stainless steel canner, especially because it's something I'm so passionate about - they are WAY better than the old enamel canners and worth the extra cost.

The two biggest reasons are the flat bottom that works on ANY stove (and also keeps it from rocking like the enamel canners would) and the glass lids that make it super easy to monitor the boiling level without removing the lid.

Here's the correct link:

​Stainless Steel Canner (21 qt. - this comes with a rack)

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What's New

​Good Things List No.85​ This month I'm sharing some recent garden projects, the affordable walking pad I'm using, 6 book reviews (one is a top book of the year!) and more. ​ READ IT HERE! ​

​Maple Candied Pecans (with or without chili spice)​ I made these again recently and was reminded why it's one of my favorites - 3-4 ingredients and 15 minutes to a delicious snack or salad topping! ​ RECIPE HERE! ​

A Few More Things

I just finished listening to Liane Moriarty's newest book, Here One Moment, and oh did I enjoy it! I didn't know much going in and wasn't sure the whole time that bad things would happen, but the ending was perfection. And the whole story was so good - I couldn't wait to go water or cook so I could listen some more. 💜

If you're one of my gardening buddies, you know I'm a big fan of soaker hoses. Recently I've had two bad experiences with them, though - the cloth kind that's easier to lay, but seems to not last as long. Anyway, I bought a brand that when you turned the water on the hose would fill up but hardly any water would seep out - like almost nothing. It was ridiculous and almost caused me to lose some peonies and azaleas last summer during a hot spell when I thought I was watering.☹️ So I'm here to say that after testing a number of brands, good old Gilmour (I use to do sponsored work for them) is the BEST CLOTH SOAKER HOSE. You can actually see the water coming out and working. Don't waste your money on other brands unless you know for sure they will work well.

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I appreciate you! (Remember, you can always hit reply with any thoughts or questions - I read every email.😀)

PS- Remember to tag me on Instagram so I can see what you're making!

Remember it's easy to save recipes on An Oregon Cottage! Just click the heart when browsing to save your personal favorites! TIP: when you click on the link, it will take you to my site - click the heart like you see here to the left - it will be on the bottom right on the site. A pop up form will come up for you to create an account (or sign in if you already have). You need to create a password for this account (no info is kept besides your email) and then you can save all recipes and articles to this account and access it anytime to remember what you want and choose what to make!

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