HAPPY 'AUTUMN COMPANIONS' FEED GARDEN AND SOUL (Echinacea - Toad Lily) ~ BABY GREENS with CHICKEN, DRIED CHERRIES, PEARS & PECANS

“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.”

~ George Eliot

October Garden Abstract

(Toad Lily ~ Echinacea)

Echinacea

(faces still shining early October strong)

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BABY GREENS with CHICKEN, DRIED CHERRIES, PEARS & PECANS

~ Memorable autumn flavors blend together like perfect plants in the garden ... a taste of autumn at its best (Fine Cooking - Oct 2008)

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1 medium garlic clove

coarse salt

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 tsp. fresh thyme

freshly ground black pepper

1 peeled, cored, diced firm-ripe pear

1/3 cup dried tart cherries (Michigan dried are best)

8 oz. (8 loosely packed cups) mixed baby greens

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

(Rotisserie chicken easy and tastes great)

1/2 cup toasted pecans

Gorgonzola or Feta cheese

• Chop garlic, sprinkle with salt, and mash to paste with flat knife side of chef's knife. Put paste in large serving bowl and whisk in olive oil, vinegar, thyme, and pepper.
• Gently stir in pear and cherries. Add greens, chicken, and pecans. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with crumbled gorgonzola or Feta cheese. Serve immediately. (4-6 servings)

Tiny Toad Lily

No fall garden should be without toad lilies. These Asian curiosities bloom with orchid-like flowers that demand a close look, when the garden is winding down in fall. They do best in light shade in humus-rich soil that retains moisture, and are suitable for borders or less formal parts of the garden and among shrubs gradually becoming large clumps. Some self-seed but not aggressively.

"Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things."

~ Author Unknown