Garden Party Time ~ And a Nursery Tour

I was all set to make a puff pastry recipe from a newly acquired cookbook in anticipation of Susan's Garden Party at Savoring Time in the Kitchen. Puff, written by Martha Holmberg, is a lovely book about cooking with puff pastry that even has instructions on how to make it from scratch. Why anybody would want to do that is beyond me when excellent prepared pastry is available in a broad price range, but, if you are looking for a step by step guide you can find it in her excellent book. I chose Pepperidge Farm pastry and, as I was removing it from the box, a recipe for a Greek savory pastry swirl caught my eye. I had all the ingredients: frozen spinach, sun dried tomatoes, and feta so decided to go for this recipe instead. I'll post several of Martha's delicious recipes very soon.




I thawed a folded sheet of frozen puff pastry dough on the kitchen counter for about an hour, carefuly unfolded it on a lightly floured board and spread on a mixture of 1 package of thawed chopped spinach (squeeze out as much water as possible), 1/4 cup chopped, drained sun dried tomatoes in oil, 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Spread the mixture to within 1/2 inch of the edge of the dough and roll up from the long side into a log shape. Wrap the roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.


Slice into 1/2 inch slices, and brush tops of slices with an egg wash. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 12 - 15 minutes or until nicely browned. These are crispy and so delicious. They are a perfect appetizer and pair nicely with salads and soups. I'll be making this again soon.

For this lovely Garden Party I'm going to take you on a quick tour of Ferguson's Fragrant Plants in St. Paul, the most wonderful nursery that specializes in fragrant and exotic plants. Although I have a large yard I don't have many flowers to show off right now. Springtime is when my yard is in full color, and now during the hot summer I settle for beautiful shades of green. So I thought a little trip to Ferguson's would be fun.

The nursery specializes in hanging baskets ranging in size from little ones that fit nicely on a small patio to gigantic, glorious baskets that are suited to enormous spaces and commercial uses.

Customers take their empty basket forms into the nursery in late winter and Ferguson's plants them with selected flowers and takes care of them until Spring when they are ready to hang outside. Their greenhouses are filled with spectacular colors and every imaginable combination of plants as they await warm days when they can be hung outside without fear of a frost.

Wouldn't this be spectacular on a porch railing or a fence?

Baskets, baskets everywhere.

When you get out of your car at the Nursery the fragrance is heavenly. It's hard to resist the temptation to take some of everything home with me even though I have no place to plant it. Last spring I bought a miniature lilac "Thumbelina" that I planted in a very large pot by my patio door. When it blooms my whole house smells like lilacs.

Their garden ornaments are wonderful. and they have a large variety of heavy iron stands that can hold the huge baskets they prepare for customers.

It's a joy to wander here. Employees are very helpful and will always take the time to assist with plant selection and care. I occasionally come here for some therapy time. A quiet walk, taking in the fragrances of so many beautiful plants, and leaving the troubles of the world back in town.

I hope you will stop by Designs by Gollum for this week's celebration of Foodie Friday. You'll find many great posts. You're all invited, so join in on the fun and add your name to the list of participants.