You’ve had a tea party, sent an army of Red Coats packing, and signed your John Hancock to the crib sheet of modern day democracy. What’s left for a patriot to do? Why, eat some fennel — of course!

Fourth of July is not only a celebration of our independence from The Crown, but a summer celebration of our gardening successes. No grilled meat/meat-alternatives would be complete with out a treat from the garden.

This year, I’m serving up my greens, parsley, fennel and maybe a few strawberries (keep your fingers crossed) in super-food super-salad. I’ve earmarked some scapes for a little saute. There’s also three kinds of mint for mojitos (I’m skipping the Brandy Alexanders this year… they go down a little too fast and smooth).

However you choose to celebrate this three day weekend, take a moment to admire all your hard work. Your digging, planting and mulching has made something amazing. And, tomato time is right around the corner!

Happy Fourth of July!

Do I really need pot of pineapple mint? Today I did.

Before the clouds rolled in, my coworker Amy and I took a stroll downtown. The farmers market wasn’t in full swing, but there were plenty of booths open to keep the the lunch rush happy. There wasn’t any local produce, but there were plenty of cold hardy herbs, flowers, honey and those fresh roasted almonds - Yum!

I also bought some flat leaf parsley and spearmint (I didn’t want my pineapple mint to get lonely on my desk. My absentmindedness has lead to some unfortunate — and very preventable — seedling deaths in my cubicle).

The parsley is for a patio pot. The two types of mint are for my “mojito patch” in the back yard. If only we could grow limes… Sigh.

Anyone else make it to the market?

So, what did you learn in your garden this year? Here’s my list:

1. Red plastic mulch is alright, but it’s a pain to put down. Entertain the neighbors and decide to do it on a windy day.

2. Green plastic tomato supports were great in May, but burly ‘maters popped off their arms and made them look like weaklings by August.

3. If you plant several kinds of sauce tomatoes and they all grow, you’ll be standing in the kitchen at midnight making tomato sauce several nights a week in September.

4. Potato beetles suck.

5. If you want cucumbers, you actually have to get around to planting them, not just buying seeds and saying “I should get the cukes planted today” until fall.

6. Oregano is wonderful on homemade pizza. I need to grow much more of it.

7. You can grow peaches in Minnesota. At least this year.

8. Planting beans and peas is a nice way to feed the local wildlife.

9. Pollinators like honeybees need all they help they can get.

10. One of the most satisfying things I can think of is sitting down to dinner and counting up the ingredients that came from your garden.

Do you like mustard? I think it’s oogy. I won’t squirt it out of a yellow squeezy bottle (that makes funny farting noises) onto my burger. And I’ll never hand a bottle of it to anyone in a car and talk in a funny French accent.

Still, I grew mustard in my garden, and now I’m totally excited about harvesting it — again. The first time was early in the summer when I collected greens that gave my salads a spicy kick. Now, I get to harvest the seeds. You gotta love anything that rewards you both for attention (the greens) and inattention (the greens gone to seed).

I’ve already used some the other day when I made mixed pickles. And I’ll crush some and use it to season chicken, too. And in salad dressing with the honey I’m going to harvest over Labor Day weekend. So, even though I don’t want any on my hot dog, I can find plenty of uses for my mustard seeds. And I love the idea that I can grow stuff that is more a seasoning than vegetable (although of course, it’s both).

Do you grow anything for its seasoning effect? (I know you dill lovers are out there). Do you know of more good things to do with mustard seeds? I’m collecting ideas, so please share. Oh, and if you know how I can best get paprika ground out of my peppers, please tell me that too!

The Coca-Cola Co. is partnering with Wayzata-based agribusiness Cargill Inc. to develop a new calorie-free sweetener for its products in the United States. The natural sweetener, which is being called rebiana, is actually derived from the stevia plant. Like the mint family, stevia comes in over 100 varieties. Most are native to Central and South America. It’s said to be 10 to 300 times sweeter than actual sugar.

Whoa! Hold on to your Pixie Stix!

Stevia is nothing new in the plant world. It’s is actually used as a sugar substitute around the world. However, in 1991, the FDA said Stevia was not suitable as a food additive. (Some suggest stevia’s stigma was actually a clever conspiracy created by the sugar industry.) It *can* be sold as an herb in the United States and is a favorite herbal sweetner among many naturopaths. You can even grow it in your own back yard.

As a child of the 80’s, I totally remember New Coke and the switch to corn syrup. The hype totally backfired. Americans may love their sugar, but the national palette is rather fickle.

What do you think? Could a low calorie herb help us kick the corn syrup or is this just the beginning of another dietary fad like the low-carb craze?

(Note: I can’t find a photo of stevia on the AP, so click here to see what it looks like.)