Cucumber Fennel and Orange Salad

We're still experimenting with ways to use our fennel here in the City Girl household and since I'm going to have an abundance of cucumbers from my garden I decided to give this idea of mine a try. It's a very fresh, light tasting salad. The dressing is very light and mild, so if you like something with a stronger dressing you may want to change it up a bit to your liking. I'm not a huge dressing fan, so this was perfect for me.

Cucumber Fennel and Orange Salad

















Salad:
1 large or two small cucumbers
1 fennel
1 orange

Dressing:
1/4 c orange juice
1 T honey
1 T grapeseed oil
zest from 1 orange

To prepare the salad, peel the cucumber(s) and cut into matchstick sized pieces. Cut the fennel bulb and stalks, horizontally, into thin pieces as well. Zest the orange and set aside zest for the dressing. Peel and cut the orange into bit sized pieces. Toss cucumber, fennel, and oranges together. Mix the dressing ingredients and pour over salad. Add a few of the frennel fronds as a garnish.

This salad is best if left to marinate for 24 hours before eating. This allows the cucumber to soak up some of the orange dressing. Enjoy!

Growing Cauliflower

Now, I've tried plenty of the usual veggies in my garden before. Tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, herbs... But this year is my first year trying cauliflower. And I am forever indebted to Harmony Valley Farm because on our visit there a few weeks ago, I heard them mention the fact that you must TIE your cauliflower leaves to cover the new baby head of cauliflower in order to keep if white. If you don't it will turn brown! I had no idea! So I finally tied my cauliflower the other day. Well, rubber-banded it that is. I found an excellent illustration here.

What about you? Are there any last minute surprising garden tips you got wind of just in time? Or any that you didn't but wish you had?

Oh, and here's our first harvest from one of the square foot gardens, a beautiful little cucumber:

Growing Vertically

So I started this square foot garden thing this year and I am NOT a green thumb. I have relatively little experience gardening and loads less in building things. So when trying to envision what I could put in my garden to help my tomatoes and cucumbers grow vertically in my square foot garden I get easily overwhelmed! And since they are growing by leaps and bounds each day lately, this city girl realized she better get her rear in gear! I spent a lot of time searching online for vertical growing methods and found lots and lots of ways to build trellises and such but like I said, I'm not a builder! So I was THRILLED to find these ideas for staking my tomatoes and cucumbers to help them grow vertically in their little square foot of space. Think it'll work? I'm a tad bit worried about whether these will hold up under the weight of the fruit. What simple methods have you tried for vertical gardening? Got anything super easy? I'd love to hear it!