Tea For Your Sipping Pleasure

Tea is a popular drink across the globe - hot tea in the winter and a cold, refreshing iced tea in the summer. Did you know that many of the plants that make a delicious tea can be grown in your Minnesota garden? Sumac, nettle, ginger and mint are just a few local plants from which delicious tea can be made. In this month’s Garden to Kitchen section, we feature a tea from the lovely roselle hibiscus flower. Although, it is commonly grown in warmer temperature zones, it can be grown as an annual in Minnesota.

The Great Green Herb Salad

For salad lovers, summertime is a celebration. Finally, we can eat fresh greens from our own gardens or, perhaps, picked up from a local farmers’ market. This article provides some ideas for making delicious salads using a variety of greens and herbs in creative ways. As you read this article, you can almost smell the scents of freshly cut greens and herbs.

The Power of Edamame

Edamame is a recently popular vegetable that deserves a place in your garden and kitchen. Rich in protein, antioxidants and fiber, it has many health benefits. Edamame can be eaten in many different ways. Read more about this powerful vegetable in this article.

Tomatoes: What to do Now for Luscious Tomatoes This Summer

Tomatoes are one of the most home-grown crop; probably because there is nothing like that big bite or slice of that juicy, delicious red ball. But many enthusiastic home gardeners find themselves frustrated or disappointed in their tomato crop. This article explains gardening practices that you can adopt to increase the chances of producing happy, healthy tomato plants in your yard.

Top 3 Flowering and Edible Weeds

Most of us view weeds as mere pests in the garden to be eradicated from our gardens. But some weeds have the redeeming virtue of being edible. In this article, Master Gardener Kristina Valle describes how three common weeds can be consumed and appreciated.

Trifecta of Small Fruits

Ride along with Margie Blare as she provides winning advice about how to grow “small fruits” - strawberries, raspberries and blueberries - in an entertaining, tongue-in-cheek style.

Vegetables Indigenous to North America

Interest in native or indigenous plants, including fruits and vegetables, is on the rise as people begin to understand how these plants promote both a healthy environment and a healthy diet. This article will explore some of the vegetables that are indigenous to North America, including Minnesota and provide some useful references for those interested in exploring this topic more thoroughly.

Vegetables of Asian Origin That Thrive in Minnesota

Community gardeners are increasingly interested in expanding their growing practices to include crops that originated in cultures other than their own. As Minnesotans, we have some options for growing vegetables that can be used in global cuisines and also promote sustainability. This article highlights three vegetables that originated in Asia, but with the right conditions and care, can also be grown in Minnesota.

What the HECK is a CARDOON???

Had any cardoons as your vegetable lately? What’s a cardoon you say? You won’t be alone if you have never heard of this vegetable. It is more commonly grown and eaten in Mediterranean countries. However, this vegetable can be grown in Minnesota and is available in some grocery stores at this time of year. Read this article if you are interested in a vegetable that offers something different.  

Wild Rice (Manoonmin): Minnesota’s Official State Grain

Did you know that wild rice is not actually rice but a grain from aquatic grass? It is also the only cereal grain native to North America and is endemic to the Great Lakes area (Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Central-South Canada). If you are interested in learning about the history and harvesting of wild rice, please click here.

Wild Rice - Our State Grain

What looks like rice, cooks like rice, and is named like rice, but isn’t actually rice? It’s our Minnesota state grain: wild rice. Click here to find out more about this culturally important Minnesota symbol.