G R O W

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-26T21:44:00.003-05:00

Four and Twenty Blackbirds...

2011-12-04T19:08:00.005-05:00

...perched in a tree...

We have been inundated with migrating starlings this past week. At some point a sizable flock decided to take a break in some of our backyard trees.

Alfred Hitchcock, anyone?

Bucks and Hawks

2011-11-10T10:22:00.004-05:00

So this morning the hubs woke me up with "quick come look in the backyard!" I'm thinking, crap, did it snow? Is the groundhog out there rooting around in the garden again? Is the neighbor doing his weird calisthenics in spandex on the driveway? What?

Turns out it was much bigger than all that. Much bigger. And had antlers. Sharp pointy antlers.

He just laid in the grass for close to an hour, not seeming to be in any great hurry to run off. The sun kept rising in the sky and he still just laid there. When he finally stood up, it was clear why he wasn't running and jumping all over the place - one of his legs was dangling at a weird angle and he clearly wasn't putting a lot of weight on it. It was actually really painful to watch him try and make his way around the yard. He seemed lost, like he wasn't quite sure what to do with himself.

A few nibbles of some honeysuckle and my hostas, and I guess he felt it was finally time to try and move on.

He hobbled down our driveway and up the street and then disappeared. I can only hope that he finds a quiet safe place to rest and let that leg heal. It broke my heart a little to see such a powerful magnificent animal in such pain.

So as if that wasn't enough excitement for one morning, in the midst of our vigil watching the buck, I noticed that our huge hawk was perched in the branches of the silver maple, observing as well.

And then our cheeky mocking bird popped into the picture - I guess he didn't take too kindly to having a hulking raptor of a bird messing with his territory. He comically bounced from limb to limb, challenging the hawk to take a jab, even though he was perhaps 1/6th the size. You've got to hand it to him, he's got pluck.

Yet another reason why I love living in Pleasant Ridge - it's like living in a nature preserve in the middle of the city.

Aardvark Tofu

2011-11-06T19:41:00.005-05:00

The hubs and I are officially addicted to one of the tastiest hot sauces we've come across in our almost 30 years, and it's called Secret Aardvark. Leave it to my husband to discover this obscure cult classic - we were lazily watching some sort of "food porn" show on Cooking Channel and they were featuring a sandwich food truck based in Oregon. His curiosity piqued, hubs immediately googled the truck and was taking a peek at their menu when he noticed that they offered Secret Aardvark to accompany all of their dishes. Not only that, but they also sell bottles of it. So what's the big deal? What is this stuff and is it really that good?

Oh yes, yes it is.

Deliciously habanero hot with a flavorful roasted tomato base, this hot sauce has it all. A nice lingering burn with a background of garlic, a little smokiness, and little Caribbean flavor, it's amazing - not too watery, not too thick. And we've gone through four bottles in four weeks. So, of course, we promptly ordered a whole case this week.

*sigh*

We've been hitting paydirt lately with our CSA - lots of greens, cabbage-stuffs, squash, sweet potatoes, and broccoli - delicious fall veg. Since the fridge was getting a little crowded, I decided to throw together an impromptu Chinese-influenced stir fry tonight for dinner. I am proud to say everything in this delicious vegan dish is from our CSA except for the tofu and the cremini mushrooms. Pretty simple to whip up, too:

mince a clove or two of fresh garlic and then cut up a small white onion, a handful of cremini mushrooms, several medium-sized heads of bok choy, a bunch of scallions, and a nice fat head of broccoli
cut a block of extra firm tofu into cubes
pour about a tablespoon of dark sesame oil into a hot wok and saute the onion and mushrooms for a few minutes
add in the tofu and drizzle in a round of tamari and several splashes of Secret Aardvark and saute for a few minutes
dump in the bok choy, scallions, broccoli, garlic, about 1/4 cup of water, and a spoonful of hoisin sauce
keep tossing for a few minutes until the greens are wilted but tender

The Secret Aardvark is clutch in this dish - just be careful, once you try it you'll be hooked ;)

The Herbalist

2011-10-23T19:06:00.003-04:00

Several weeks ago, in a desire to preserve some of this year's flourishing herbs, I had carefully snipped my way through the garden and filled a large colander full of insanely aromatic sprigs.

I ended up tying three bundles with string, covering them with paper bags to keep off the dust, and hanging them in a cool, dry room upstairs.

catnip - for the kitties, of course
culinary mix - oregano, rosemary, thyme
potpourri mix - bergamot, lavender, hyssop, yarrow, eucalyptus

Today I checked in on the herbs and was pleasantly surprised to find that they had dried nicely. I de-stemmed the dried leaves, gave them a gentle crush, and bottled and bagged them up. The catnip went into a tightly-sealed baggie and has been placed OUT OF THE CATS' REACH; the culinary herbs went straight to the pantry for future dishes; and I divided the potpourri mix between two small muslin bags, perfect for throwing in a closet or room to keep things smelling herby and fresh. I wish you could have smelled the house while I was crushing those leaves...

It worked out perfectly that the herbs were ready, as I needed some dried oregano, rosemary, and thyme for a Sunday night soup I was whipping up. In a fit of CSA-inspired hunger, I created what I am affectionately going to call "Deep Woods Soup", due to the very earthy and hearty ingredients used: Field Roast Apple Sage sausages (cut into coins), leeks, cremini mushrooms, wild rice, kidney beans, garlic, and fresh tatsoi (a delightful Asian green, similar to bok choy).

The base for the soup included a pint of canned tomato juice and a pint of whole tomatoes, as well as the aforementioned herbs and dashes of smoked paprika and cayenne pepper. I must say, this was a definite winner, great for cold fall evenings. Serve it up steaming hot with a few slices of my Aunt Bonnie's oatmeal bread, and ladies and gentlemen, you're in business. Bring on the week!

Heavenly Blue

2011-10-10T12:05:00.003-04:00

It's finally here, one of the garden moments I've been waiting for all year - the morning when Clark's Heavenly Blue Morning Glory unfurls its first tender petals.

Last winter when we were knee-deep in snow and frigid dreariness, I was curled inside busy researching seeds for 2011 and came across this listing at Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. A true blue is a very rare color to find in the flower world - sure, there are plenty of purples, violets, lavenders, and eggplants, but I'm talking about BLUE. Despite all of the warnings from my mother and other gardeners about how morning glories can simply take over a garden with octopus-like writhing tentacles, I knew I had to give this beauty a chance.

Point, click, buy, sprout, transplant, and wait. I had to stop and catch my breath this morning when I looked outside and finally saw the first vivid swatch of electric blue dotted with a soft lemon yellow center.

Yes, it did sort of end up taking over a corner of the garden, but let's face it, in early fall, many plants are already starting to crisp, brown, and head downhill for the year, anyways. The lush green leaves and bright blue flower cups are a welcome infusion of life, in my opinion. I love the art nouveau-esque coiling and vining of the tendrils.

This plant would be a great choice for a trellis, fenceline, or handrailing.

Kiss the Cook

2011-10-10T11:16:00.003-04:00

Something about cold weather moving in that makes a cook want to hunker down in the kitchen and create things...delicious things...

Mocha Dark Chocolate Truffles - homely but divine

Goat Cheese and Balsamic Onion Tart - made with local Capriole goat cheese

Pumpkin Beer Bread - made with The Bruery's "Autumn Maple"

Sprouted Lentils - ok, so these created themselves - if you haven't tried sprouted lentils you need to - they have the peppery nutty bite of lentils and the sweet succulent crunch of fresh pea shoots

Mature Sprouts

2011-09-25T19:35:00.003-04:00

It's officially been a week since I started the sprout kit with radish seeds, and look at the gorgeous jar of seedlings that we now have to snack on!

Spunky Sprouts

2011-09-21T18:48:00.005-04:00

For years I've wanted to grow my own fresh sprouts - they're good for you, easy to grow, inexpensive, can be grown indoors, come in a rainbow of varieties, and you don't need a lot of room to do it. The only thing stopping me was...well, other things getting in the way, I suppose.

So this past weekend the hubs and I made a trip to Park + Vine to pick up some Upton's seitan (which is worthy of a gusher post, itself) and on our way to the counter something caught my eye - a simple little sprouting kit from Sprout Ease consisting of a wide mouth quart mason jar and three plastic screw-on sieve lids. I figured I couldn't go wrong for $6, so I sprung for it.

The concept is simple:

1) pick the seeds of your choice, whether it be pea, radish, broccoli, alfalfa, chickpea, sunflower, arugula, buckwheat, clover, lentil, and all manners of herbs...

2) place the seeds in the jar and soak in warm water overnight...

3) using the finest mesh screw-on cap, drain the seeds and invert the jar at an angle to ensure proper ventilation...

4) from there on out, all you have to do is rinse gently in warm water every morning and evening until the sprouts are as big as you like, using the different sieve tops as the sprouts grow and shed their hulls...

Easy, right? Seems like a no-brainer to me.

It goes without saying that since you're eating the whole plant, it's preferable to use organic seeds that haven't been treated with chemicals; and I'm sure it can't hurt to stick with heirloom seeds, as well. I have yet to do my research online to find a company that sells good, solid sprouting seeds, so for my first batch this past Sunday I used up some of last years radish seeds - French Breakfast, Saxa II, and White Icicle. It's now Wednesday and these little guys are growing nicely.

I'm thinking sandwiches on a nice wheat or rye with some hummus, plenty of salads, garnish for pasta, and pretty much anything else that could use a little green oomph - can't wait!

Potato-que Surprise

2011-09-13T21:15:00.003-04:00

So far this week I'm batting 2 for 2 on cooking a nice hearty dinner. It looks weird, but hang with me...

There are probably only five people in the world who will know what Potato-que Surprise is - it's sort of a family thing. Basically you take sloppy joe filling and you pile a nice layer on top of some good mashed potatoes. Sounds weird, but it's incredibly awesome and filling - think shepherd's pie meets barbeque. We had this for dinner all the time when we were kids.

I have to give another tip of my hat to Eaton Farm as they provided the potatoes as well as the pattypan squash that I used for a side dish. The mashed potatoes (skin-on, of course) were flavored with a little garlic olive oil, some milk, and Greek yogurt - notice the absence of butter - almost broke my heart to not chuck a nice hunk in the pot, but I'm really trying to cook lighter.

I used Five Star Foodies prepared sloppy joe filling - hey, I can't always make everything from scratch, and their rendition is delicious. I then spiced it up with some Sriracha sauce, Trader Joe's barbeque sauce, and some red kidney beans.

For a simple side I sliced up a nice assortment of green, white, and yellow pattypan squash and sauteed it in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Not a bad little meal, and it definitely brought me back to my childhood.

Eat Your Greens

2011-09-12T19:49:00.004-04:00

I was quite tickled with our off-the-cuff dinner tonight - so tickled that I took a purty picture.

Eaton Farm has been dishing up the goodies this summer in our CSA - I had some fresh kale, swiss chard, and young garlic that I've been waiting to cook up. Not to mention some sprouted tofu and shiitake mushrooms that needed to be used as well. So while my pathetic pudgy pale ass was sweating at the gym this afternoon, I was struck by a wave of culinary inspiration.

First I cut the tofu into slabs and marinated them in a mixture of tamari, lime juice, honey, garlic, ginger, garden jalapeno, cloves, and cinnamon (a little Asian meets Caribbean flavor combo). I then baked it for about 30 minutes until it got a nice crust but was still tender inside. The remaining marinade got reduced over heat until it was kind of chunky and jammy - tart, salty, sweet, spicy.

Next I sauteed the young garlic, shiitakes, and greens in a little olive oil, dusted with salt and pepper, and finished it off with a glug of balsamic vinegar. Cook up a small pot of brown rice and pour a tall glass of iced Rishi Blueberry Rooibos tea and you're ready to go.

In our attempts to watch calories and shed a few pounds, this meal hit the spot tonight. I love it when you just whip things together using whole ingredients and they end up making your tongue do backflips.

Harbinger of Autumn

2011-09-11T19:46:00.004-04:00

I've been wondering all summer if my one lone butterfly weed was going to attract any monarchs - yesterday I got my answer...

Sauced

2011-09-05T19:44:00.004-04:00

I keep thinking that I'm winding down for the year...canned out, frozen solid, just plain done. This time I mean it. Maybe...?

My mother once again helped feed my tomato addiction when she procured a half bushel of beautiful roma tomatoes for me that had "marinara" written all over them.

I've never cooked with romas before but I know that they are preferred for sauces because they aren't as juicy as typical tomatoes. They are fleshier, meatier, and require much less cooking time if you're aiming for a nice thick sauce. I have to say, I was enamored of they way they cooked down so easily.

Add some olive oil, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, bay leaf, basil, oregano, fresh thyme, and black pepper, take a quick trip through the food mill, and you have yourself 11 quarts of gorgeously zesty sauce.

Just Plain Corny

2011-08-25T21:03:00.010-04:00

Let's admit it, we all feel a little corny sometimes.

My moment was yesterday when, in a fit of produce passion, I took a day off work and drove 3+ hours to procure four dozen ears of the sweetest sweet corn I've tasted in years. Family members near my grandparent's old farm outside of Columbus are farmers - the real deal - the kind of deal that makes me jealous. One of their main crops this time of year is Incredible sweet corn. Yes, Incredible is the actual name and oh, what an apt name it is.

Growing up the ONLY sweet corn that was worth growing was Sweet Illini. Somewhere along the way we all started growing Incredible and haven't looked back. It's probably the sweetest corn you'll ever taste, if you're lucky enough to get your hot little hands on some. Thankfully I was so lucky.

Four dozen ears, a couple of boiling pots of water, a smattering of corn kernels on the floor, and some fabulous new reusable Ball BPA-free freezing containers later, and I have set myself up with plenty of corn for the rest of the year.

While I was visiting the farm, I also picked up several pounds of fresh green beans to freeze. It's amazing how sweet vegetables can be when they are picked and eaten within a few hours. I blanched, trimmed, cut, and froze these guys the same way as the corn - they will be perfect for stir fry, soups, or just plain with some salt and pepper.

Thank you Howard and Louise!

From Cucumber to Relish

2011-08-25T20:43:00.005-04:00

I'll say it - pickles are intimidating...

Now don't get fresh, they really are. I've heard one too many horror stories about home canners pickling up pounds of gorgeous cucs and ending up with batches of mush on their hands. For this reason I've always been gun shy of canning pickles. Until I find out the secret to making crisp crunchy pickles I am going to stick with my latest concoction - sweet n'hot relish.

I'm not a relish fanatic but every now and then it hits the spot like nothing else - pile it on a Field Roast Frankfurter with ketchup, mustard, and onion, top a Luna Burger with it, or make a killer batch of thousand island dressing for some veg reubens - the possibilities are endless.

I used quite a few pounds of small pickling cucs, green and red bell peppers, onion, a couple jalapenos from the garden, a few cloves of garlic, and of course all those yummy pickling spices - cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and mustard seed. Some people like a finer dice on their relish, but I like it when you have nice little chunky nubs. About the only trouble I ran across was my own impatience at having to let the relish brine overnight.

Sweet, vinegary, spicy goodness!

She Strikes Again

2011-08-18T21:14:00.003-04:00

Yes, you heard it here first, the Mad Canner has struck again.

And oh what a strike it was - an entire bushel worth in one day - yes, you heard me correctly, a whole bushel of tomatoes. I have my wonderful mother to thank for these beauties - hand delivered with care.

Is that a 3-gallon brew kettle that's supposed to be used for brewing beer? Yes.

Is it being used to cook three gallons of tomato juice? Yes.

Am I crazy? Am I mad? Am I neurotic and slightly obsessed?

Yes, without a doubt.

Now that the canning bug has officially bit me, I'm gearing up for a batch of roma tomato-infused marinara sauce as well as my first crack at pickle-relish. I've got my eyes on a sweet relish recipe that is just begging to be jazzed up with a little heat. Stay tuned...

Little George

2011-08-04T20:34:00.003-04:00

It's incredible how many baby Lazarus lizards we've been seeing around the yard lately. The hubs saw a dozen or so when he mowed the lawn today and I happened to have a close encounter with one while I was preparing the fall garden and doing some weeding.

About the size of my pinkie finger, squirmy, and cute as a button - George must be busy makin' babies this year!

A Love Affair with Hyssop

2011-08-03T21:27:00.003-04:00

Last year my mother and I discovered the gorgeousness of hyssop for the first time. Otherwise known as hummingbird mint, this variety of minty, anisey, licoricey, root-beery scented herb has been thriving in the drier, sunnier corners of our gardens, much to our delight.

There are many varieties of hyssop, some wild, some hybrids. Last year we both lovingly planted Sunset hyssops from Greenfield Plant Farm - it's thriving this year with almost a three-foot radius!

This year we expanded our horizons with Tutti Frutti, Mexican, Coronado, and Anise hyssops.

Hues of rusty orange, magenta, deep purple, and indigo blue paint the garden in warm, desert sunset colors. The butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and other insects go crazy for the delicate trumpet-like flowers. This is the first year I've spotted hummingbirds in the garden - both male and female - and I have hyssop to thank for that.

It's an unexpected surprise to be working in the dirt, gently brushing up against one of the feathery bushes, and immediately having a waft of deliciously aromatic potpourri perfume the space around you. If you've got the room and you've got the sun, give these hardy guys a try.

Remembrance

2011-07-30T16:23:00.004-04:00

I can still hear my grandpa singing in the berry patch...

It's coming up on four years since he passed away, and I still miss him every single day. While I was picking blueberries at Rouster's this morning I heard a woman several rows over singing, accompanied by the whirring of cicadas and clucks of hungry robins. It struck me that it's something you don't hear much anymore - someone singing in public, not caring who hears them, just expressing their contentment through song. I was immediately brought back to childhood days spent at my grandparent's farm, helping Grandpa in the strawberry patch, hearing him tremulous tenor echoing out over the fields.

Even though it's been steamy hot lately, the morning was quite pleasant, the dewy berry bushes kept me cool while I reached under and over branches to pluck handfuls of jammy blueberries. I ended up walking away with several pounds for around $10...you can't beat that.

When I got home I immediately got to work washing and packaging up my haul, preparing them for the new (wait for it) chest freezer that my parents gifted us! Yes, we are now the proud owners of a Kenmore 13 cubic feet chest freezer, and she is a thing of beauty.

We now have room to put up as much fruit, vegetables, pesto, dinners, bread, and anything else we want. Once the freezer got cool enough, I transferred my already-frozen tart cherries, black raspberries, and rhubarb, and then added the freshly picked blueberries. Only a very small dent was made in the space, so I'm confident that we're not going to be lacking for freezer room anytime soon.

Thanks Mom and Dad!

She was a saucy little tart...

2011-07-26T19:39:00.005-04:00

One could say that Lodi apples are a tradition in my family. The use of any other apple variety to make applesauce, jams, butters, or pies is tantamount to sacrilege. Lodis are medium-sized light green apples with a mouth-puckering tartness - unless you have a stomach of steel you probably wouldn't want to eat one raw. I love them because of this tartness; they aren't sugary sweet like a Gala or Golden Delicious.

At a small family get together this past Saturday there was an exchange of Lodis between my mom and aunt, courtesy of Rouster's Apple House. I was in luck - five apples found their way into my hot little hands. So what did I do? I made a rustic apple tart, of course. I like to think I've honed my traditional pie-making skills, but I had yet to make one of those whimsical raggedy-edged tarts that are all the rage right now. Turns out its pretty darn easy, even if you don't consider yourself to be a baker.

This is definitely something I'll be making again in the future - that tart appley bite, the sweet cinnamon juices, and the buttery-crunch of the crust - it will melt your heart.

Cauliflower Love

2011-07-19T19:36:00.003-04:00

Been a while since I've posted - it seems like we've been so busy lately. Family stuff, canning, cooking, working, reading, exercising like a fiend, hobbies...it's catching up to me.

Yesterday I was doing some research to find my mom a new frittata recipe for brunch this weekend. I came across several tasty looking write-ups, and it got my mouth watering for some fluffy eggy goodness...that coupled with the recent abundance of fresh eggs and veggies from our CSA.

So tonight I made a Feta and Cauliflower Frittata and added in some fresh sweet corn and white onion - can I tell you that I have never had cauliflower taste this good before? And the bonus is that it's really quite healthy - not laden with tons of cheese and butter like many other frittatas (not that I don't love my fair share of cheese and butter).

You may wrinkle your nose at the thought of cauliflower with eggs and sharp feta, but trust me, a little gentle heat really brings out the sweet side of this much maligned veggie.

I paired it with a crisp salad starring some sweet cherry Sungold tomatoes from the garden and some ice-cold cubed local cantaloupe for dessert.

Corn, tomatoes, melon - can you get much more summer than that?

Hypercolor

2011-06-23T12:44:00.002-04:00

Pickled Pink

2011-06-21T13:58:00.005-04:00

Been a busy bee the past couple of weeks.

We picked strawberries at Stokes Berry Farm last week and I put up two batches of strawberry rhubarb jam. I'm trying to reign in the canning bug that caused me to can WAY too much jam last year. I think I may do a batch of peach later this summer, but that absolutely must be ALL that I do.

This past weekend at the Hyde Park Farmer's Market I could not believe the beautiful plump beets that Eaton Farm had at their stand - I don't know if I've ever seen beets so nice. In hot pursuit of my ever-loving beet obsession, I snatched up five bundles and canned a batch of pickled beets yesterday. Hopefully five pints will last us for a year...

The heat, rain, and humidity has made the garden go ape lately. I'm not sure how I'm going to keep these tomatoes in check - I guess that's what a gardener craves, though, right?

Compare in less than a month:

25 May

21 June

The kale is looking so purty, the pepper plants are blooming, but the peas are about finished for the year. Believe it or not, I actually gleaned a nice little amount of peas from three or four plants; if only I had more room to plant a whole row.

Last week I harvested some gorgeous lettuce mix and then planted the summer cucurbit crop - cucumber, zucchini, yellow crooknecks, and acorn squash. My vigilant watch for cucumber beetles starts NOW. I will not abide another summer of spoiled cucumbers.

And rounding out the pack are lovely whimsical herbs. I just made up a batch of ranch dressing for lunch using Greek yogurt, cider vinegar, s&p, and chopped dill, parsley, thyme, and oregano. Who needs Hidden Valley anyways?

I have plans for several play days in the near future - another trip to Stokes for black raspberries, an order in at Rousters for fresh Michigan tart cherries, and another naughty foray at Greenfield Plant Farm.

Ahh, summer!

A Weekend of Cakes

2011-06-20T09:25:00.003-04:00

We have eaten more than our fair share of cake this weekend.

As it was Father's Day, I baked dessert for my father in-law as well as my Dad. Saturday night I wanted to use up some of the wonderful rhubarb that my aunt had given me, so I took a risk and made a Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake. Never made one before, never even knew you could make such a thing, but what fruit doesn't taste good smothered in gooey crunchy brown sugar and topped on a springy cake with a little orange zest zip?

Not the most beautiful baby, but oh, she was quite tangy and tasty...

While my father in-law is a fan of fruit desserts, my Dad is a fan of the classic white cake with white frosting. When my brother and I were kids we used to love ripping open a box of Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines rainbow chip cake mix with Dad and cooking up a little treat. Still in the search for a white cake recipe that I love (white, mind you, not yellow), I stumbled upon a beaut thanks to King Arthur Flour...they have some of the best baking recipes out there (just not good for your waistline). I ended up making a layer cake out of their Tender White Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and crowning it with some ruby red raspberries.

This recipe is no joke, the cake really was tender and moist (and if you know me, you know how much I HATE using that word). Vanilla and almond extract make it quite the classic old-fashioned layer cake treat.

So now that my blood sugar is all out of whack from this tasty feasting, I'm thinking that today will be the perfect day to start eating a bunch of salads using all of our lovely CSA produce.

Detox, anyone...?

Chick'n Tacos

2011-06-06T10:06:00.003-04:00

Up until now, whenever we've been in the mood for Mexican finger food, I've always made either hard shell tacos or soft flour burritos. Recently the hubs requested soft tacos using corn tortillas, so last night I whipped up a little magic...

Take Quorn chick'n tenders, saute with zucchini and purple onion, season with cumin, coriander, chili powder, and a pinch or oregano. Then cook up a batch of fluffy rice using some home-canned tomato juice. Whiz up a batch of fresh salsa with tomatoes, onions, garlic, red bell pepper, and jalapeno, mash up an avocado or two with a splash of lemon juice, and grate some pepper jack cheese. Finally, cradle everything in a La Tortilla Factory corn and green chile tortilla.

You will thank yourself...and you won't even miss the meat.

Ladies and Gentlemen...we have peas...

2011-06-03T15:47:00.003-04:00

...and a bloomin' tomato...

...and some sassy rhubarb (take 2 please?)

Let Us Not Forget the Veggies

2011-05-25T20:31:00.007-04:00

You may be asking yourself "Nikki, what's with all these flower pictures? What about the vegetable garden?" And I would have to sheepishly respond...

Peas climbing and flowering

Thyme going to flower

Blackstem Peppermint starting to take over its pot

Italian Parsley bushing-out

Kale almost big enough to start harvesting

Rocky Top Lettuce mix looking just gorgeous

Beets adding deep crimson purple hues

And tomatoes staked and happy

So there, do you feel a small sense of relief? I have not abandoned my beloved vegetable garden, it's been getting just as much love as the rest of the yard. I guess I've just been caught up in my yearly perennial planting frenzy.

All of this rain and sun lately has really made the vegetables and herbs start to take off. Today I spent an hour or so weeding, staking tomatoes, planting peppers, and harvesting the last of the white Icicle radish and Saxa II radish. If you can't grow anything else, at least give radish a try, it's pretty hard to mess them up.

So now that I've updated you on the veggies, I feel like posting some more flowers - deal with it!

Annual butterfly weed

Foxglove Apricot Beauty

Angelina sedum

Lavender about to flower

Pink Echinacea flower bud

Pink butterfly bush

Evening Primrose

Purple Speedwell

Can you blame me for being so distracted?

"Operation Peony"

2011-05-18T12:59:00.008-04:00

I've decided that I have a penchant for rescuing abandoned or neglected plants. Last year I had a blast whisking wild tigerlilies away from an old railroad line. This year I had my eyes set on another orphan.

Every day on my way home from the gym I drive past an empty lot on Ridge Avenue where an older cape cod has recently been torn down to make way for business development. I hate seeing cute, historic, old homes being razed to the ground all in the name of rampant capitalism. Every time I pass this lot I think of all the families and generations that lived in that house, raised children, laughed, cried, and of course, tended flowers. I love the tangible connection to the past that plants can give us, especially stately plants that can live for generations.

This week while driving home from the gym and waiting at the stoplight, my eye was drawn to three deeply pink balls of color huddled alone and deserted on the edge of this empty lot. It's that time of spring where peonies are starting to bud, swell, and explode into silky petals of pink, white, and magenta. I've been on the hunt for a peony this year - I ordered a Festiva Maxima from Old House Garden Heirloom Bulbs for fall delivery - so my mind was already there. Similar to my love for rhubarb plants, I love that peonies can last for generations, even a century, all the while growing fuller and more mature.

With some squinting and rolling down of the window, I was able to tell that these three lonely plants were indeed peonies, most likely the only thing remaining of the former house and its owners. At first I just said "ohhhh, that's too bad" and kept on driving. This happened for a few days in a row until I started to develop a soft spot for these brave little guys. They no longer had a house to adorn or an owner to love and coax them, but they were still going to bloom and do what they do best, year after year. I started to think to myself "wouldn't it just be crazy if I pulled over on the side of Ridge Avenue with shovel in-hand and dug up these plants and sped off?" It started out as one of those "haha" kind of thoughts, but quickly morphed into a "I think I could really do this" kind of thing.

Well, today was the breaking point. Work was slow, the rain has finally slacked off, and I was itching to get out into the yard. I packed up the shovel, a few junky plastic pots, threw on some mud-duds, and headed out. If you know anything about Ridge Avenue around the Oakley/Pleasant Ridge area, you'll know that it's a very busy street with lots of traffic. My target area is right across from the Steak and Shake before the entrance ramp to 71. Yes, I know, I'm crazy.

I did a few drive-by passes to scope out the area, where I could pull my car in, etc. Finally I decided that I was going to go for it - I pulled my little Honda over on the side of the road, popped the trunk, took shovel and pots in hand, and dug like my life depended on it. Within three minutes or so I had unearthed all three peonies, plunked them into pots, packed everything up in the trunk, and sped off like a bat out of hell.

Flush with adventure, on the way home I stopped at the infamous railroad tigerlily patch and dug myself a couple more clumps to plant alongside the new peonies. When I got home, I unloaded my fugitives and gave them all a nice new home around our back deck, which has been an eyesore since we bought this house. Now these adopted peonies and tigerlilies will once again have someone to ooo-and-ahh over them and appreciate the beauty they bring to this world.

It's hard for me not to laugh when writing this, it sounds so ludicrous. I guess there are plenty of other unsavory ways to get my kicks in life. If rescuing a few orphan plants can ring my bell, then what the heck. Just as long as I don't get myself arrested...

And it rained all night and then all day...

2011-05-16T11:12:00.006-04:00

And it rained all night and then all day
The drops were the size of your hands and face
The worms come out to see what's up
We pull the cars up from the river
~ Thom Yorke

And the rain has continued...and continued..........and continued.....................

I can't ever remember such a soggy wet spring. Plants that are in raised beds, such as the vegetable garden and the front beds, aren't faring quite as bad as plants that live directly in the ground, which is so soaked with water that it's having trouble draining, turning the soil into compacted, hard, muddy clay. I can just imagine all of the little roots that are suffocating right now. Such is the nature of good old Mother Nature...

Despite the gloomy weather, there are pockets of gorgeousness in the yard - speedwell, coral bells, miniature roses, budding heads of yarrow, and my first apricot foxglove bells.

I raised the foxgloves from seed last year - they are a funny plant, producing only foliage their first year, blooming the second year, and then dying.

In other news, I harvested the first goodies from the garden this year - white icicle radish and plump little saxa radish. Crunchy and zippy!

A couple weeks ago I was quite disheartened when I discovered that the groundhog had eaten his way through the netting protecting the veggies. A nice palm-sized hole had been sheared away and half of my plants had been nipped to the root - kale, peas, swiss chard, and greens were all decimated. Slightly furious, I rotated the netting to hide the hole and have been praying for the best ever since.

While the furry marauder hasn't been back, the damage has been done and the garden's growth has been stunted. Couple that with all of the water we've been getting and I'm not feeling too optimistic about this year's "harvest". Just something us gardeners have to learn to accept I guess. Thank goodness we're signed up for the CSA with Eaton Farm again this year. We just got an update that our first pick up day will be May 29th - can't wait!

And lastly, I leave you with my latest culinary creation - a rhubarb custard pie with a latticed top. I've never baked a lattice top on a pie before, only because I didn't realize how easy it is. Pretty boy!

Waving the White Flag

2011-04-28T13:20:00.009-04:00

I give up already! The month of April has been the wettest month I can ever remember. It's kept me from communing with the garden...I miss my plants.

Today we got a little break from the rain and the sun is shining warmly, a steady breeze is helping to dry things out, and the garden is loving it. While our back yard is basically a swamp right now, the plants seem to be rolling with the punches fairly well.

Forget Me Not
Speckled Violet
Bleeding Heart

Little Red Birds (I absolutely LOVE this name)
Coral Bells "Bressingham Mix" (one of my favorites)

Columbine

Wood Hyacinth

Iris

I was finally able to get outside and do a little tidying up after the storms today, picking up branches, pulling weeds, and re-mulching areas that got decimated by heavy rain. I planted some of the herbs I sprouted indoors, including sage, parsley, catnip, and dill. I also planted the herbs I ordered from Companion Plants, including French tarragon and a bay laurel - hurray for no more crusty old bay leaves from the grocery store!

The rest of the vegetable garden is looking great - peas are starting to curl and wind around everything within reach, kale and swiss chard are steadily putting out new leaves, radish are going bananas, greens are a week or two away from first harvest, and beets are bringing up the rear.

Spring vegetable bed (notice the groundhog-proof netting)

Herb bed

Here's to hoping this month of crazy April showers leads to some extraordinarily beautiful May flowers.

Spring Flora

2011-04-17T16:47:00.003-04:00

After quite a bit more rain this week (ENOUGH ALREADY), we finally have another sunny day today, which means another walk through the yard. There are so many things starting to bloom, just as the daffodils, crocus, and anemone are beginning to finish up.

Iris, Epimedium, California Poppies, Candytuft, Columbine, and Creeping Phlox...

Nice Buns

2011-04-12T14:21:00.004-04:00

This week's bread experiment involved buns - hamburger buns, to be exact. I recently placed an order with King Arthur Flour and was cruising the website when I saw their recipe, followed by rave reviews. It's kind of cold out today and work has been slow, so I decided to snuggle-in and make a batch.

Just like the hoagies, these little guys were easy, with a first rise of 1-2 hours and a second rise of one hour. I love that the door was left wide open when it comes to customizing your toppings - I chose to bake a variety pack of sesame, poppy, garlic, onion, and everything...hey, we like things zesty around here.

I'm so tickled that they came out so great. Nice and soft and not too tall - I hate when you get a burger bun and they're too big to sink your teeth into. I think I'll serve these puppies for dinner with some grilled chick'n, onions, and peppers with a slice or two of swiss cheese. Maybe a little lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayo to top 'em off?

First Grill of the Season

2011-04-10T20:19:00.005-04:00

You know when you smell that smoky-woody-grilly smell during the evening in your neighborhood? You're always jealous of whoever it is that's grilling. Well, tonight WE are those people - our first grill of the season.

It was sunny and in the 80s here today, and, of course, it was Sunday, so what does this add up to? A home-cooked Sunday dinner, grilling style.

I have to attribute this recipe to my Mom - while she and my Dad aren't "tofu people", persay, she sought out this recipe for a get-together years ago. I grilled tangerine teriyaki tofu slabs and served them with chopped scallions and sesame seeds, along with sides of brown rice and East-West marinated asparagus. Talk about umami...you can't beat the combo of of soy sauce, tangerine juice, honey, garlic, and fresh ginger.

After a long day of working in the yard, this was the perfect ending - my tummy is doing happy backflips right now.

Compost and...Daffodils

2011-04-07T18:33:00.005-04:00

I'm no penny-pincher or anything, but I'm kinda proud of myself for finding my newest bargain yard acquisition - an Earth Machine composter for only $15. I was originally planning on snagging one from Hamilton County for $35 - these puppies normally retail for $100! However, why would I pay twice as much when I had already found someone on freegardenshopper.com who was offering a one-year-old used Earth Machine SUPER cheap? Yes, please!

It's not the purtiest thing I've ever seen, but I've got it situated in the back corner of the yard, as far out of sight (and smell) as possible. Now I just need to do some research on the art of composting - what to add, what not to add, how much air it needs, how much moisture, etc. I've been wanting to do the whole composting thing for a while now - as vegetarians we can really plow through some produce. Hopefully I don't create a stinky hot mess...

And on that odorous note, I leave you with a picture of my all-time favorite daffodil - a Minnow!

Climbing to New Heights

2011-04-05T19:35:00.003-04:00

I can't freaking believe this crap...

Good thing I've got that covering over my raised beds *sigh*

Peas, Beets, Radish, and Greens

2011-04-03T15:17:00.004-04:00

Today is the first nice day we've had since I was gushing about the weather a couple weeks ago. These chilly past couple of weeks have just been a minor setback, spring is still here - thank GOD.

Went for my normal stroll around the yard this afternoon and there are good things happening in the garden. Peas are up, beets are up, radish are up, and lettuces are up - warms the soul!

The indoor starts of kale and swiss chard are looking good, another set of leaves or so and they'll also be ready to go outside.

Today I sowed quite a few flower seeds indoors, including love lies bleeding, cosmos, coleus, nasturtium, morning glory, poppy, celosia, and sunflower. If I have good success with all of these starts there's a good chance I won't to buy any annuals this year.

A penny saved...

A Delicious Nightmare

2011-03-28T09:51:00.003-04:00

I used to work for Subway - you know, the sandwich chain. I worked there for way too many years in my teens and early-20s while supporting myself in college. I can't tell you how many subs I slapped together in all those years - and the thought of baking just one more tray of footlong buns? I still have nightmares about it...seriously.

So it was with mixed emotions that I took my first stab at baking hoagie buns yesterday. I was making BBQ pulled "chicken" sandwiches with coleslaw and it just didn't feel right putting that on regular old sandwich bread. I found a pretty decent hoagie recipe online and decided to give it a whirl.

The difference between the aforementioned crap-filled artificially-flavored frozen franchise bread and the pure simple ingredients of yesterday's hoagies was immediately evident.

Maybe now I can put the memories of all those countless stinky food service hours to bed?

Pita Please?

2011-03-22T20:02:00.005-04:00

In an ongoing exploration of my passion for home breadmaking, I made pita bread today. What can I say, it was a slow day at work...

Talk about a blast - if you're a foodie dork like me, that is. These little guys are a miracle - cute soft little balls of dough that mutate and puff from a flat 6-inch circle into an airy soft pocket of goodness. I used the recipe out of one of my favorite cookbooks ever - Williams and Sonoma's "Bread", except I substituted-in some whole wheat flour to give a little more nutrition, flavor, and texture.

It doesn't get much more simple that flour, yeast, salt, sugar, water, and a little olive oil. All it takes is one rise, and you're ready to roll out each pita. The trick to get the pitas to puff is baking at a very high heat - 450F to be exact. The blast of heat causes the water in the dough to rapidly expand, creating the puffing action and the characteristic pocket.

So for dinner I baked some tofu with ginger teriyaki glaze, chopped up some lettuce, tomato, onion, and carrot, and stuffed it all into the fresh pita halves. Serve it with a side of sriracha greek yogurt sauce for dipping and some curried parboiled baby potatoes and you have yourself a beautiful meal for a beautiful spring evening.

Bursting at the Seams

2011-03-21T13:47:00.004-04:00

Oh, where do I start...

There comes a point in spring where you feel so full of anticipation you could burst. I think it's one of the most tangible demonstrations of sheer potential - it just doesn't get any more exciting.

Today it is 70F and breezy - in short, gorgeous. I'm sitting on our back porch finishing up some lunch and listening to a crimson cardinal singing his little heart out. Earlier this morning I had thrown on my garden duds and did some planting outside. The early spring vegetables are now in the ground, including peas, beets, radish, and greens. I also spruced up the herb bed and turned the soil, preparing the beds for some plucky seedlings in a couple of months.

Of course then I had to make my rounds, checking for new bulbs poking their heads through the thawed ground and tired leaves. If you were to ask me what colors typified spring, I'd have to say yellow and purple.

And, excitingly enough, the cherry tree is covered in pale green nubs - it survived the winter! I wish I could have prepared the hole better, but we'll see how much grit this little guy has this year.

This is what I was looking forward to all winter - it still amazes me that nature keeps coming back in full fashion, year after year.

Japanese Soba Noodle Soup

2011-03-14T19:27:00.003-04:00

I've been *trying* to cook a little more healthy lately - specifically, with LESS CHEESE. I'm a cheese addict, I'll admit it.

Several years ago my family had given me a copy of Moosewood Restaurant's Low-Fat Favorites cookbook, but I've never really had a chance to sit down with it until recently. It's a glorious resource for lower-fat vegetarian recipes.

Tonight I decided to make their Japanese Soba Noodle Soup, starting with a roasted garlic and miso broth, fresh carrots, bok choy, shitake mushrooms, tofu, buckwheat soba noodles, and bean sprouts. Top it off with a squirt of sriracha sauce and dee-lish.

2011 Rundown

2011-03-13T18:51:00.004-04:00

This week I realized that I completely forgot to post this year's planting list - that must mean I'm becoming an old hand at this...or not.

Here it is - complete with some old faithfuls as well as some new kids - all heirlooms from either Baker Creek or Victory Seeds:

HERBS - I'm fortunate enough to have my thyme, oregano, and rosemary plants all coming back for another year.

Parsley, Giant of Italy (Italian)
Bee Balm, Lemon
Catnip
Catmint
Sage
Dill
Basil, Genovese
Hyssop, Anise
Blackstem Peppermint - ordered from Companion Plants, a SE Ohio-based greenhouse
Bay Laurel - plan to order a bay laurel bush for container growing from Companion Plants
French Tarragon - plan to order from Companion Plants

VEGETABLES

Swiss Chard, Five Color Silverbeet
Kale, Blue Curled Scotch
European Mesclun Mix
Rocky Top Lettuce Salad Mix
Pea, Lincoln
Radish, Saxa 2
Radish, White Icicle
Beet, Bull's Blood
Green Pepper, Emerald Giant (sprouts pictured)
Jalapeno, Craig's Grande
Rhubarb, Victoria (sprouts pictured)
Tomatoes - Mule Team, Sungold Select II, Aunt Ruby's German Cherry, Iris Candy Cherry, and Japanese Black Trifele
Cucumber, Delikatesse
Zucchini, Black Beauty
Crookneck Squash, Early Golden Summer
Acorn Squash, Table Queen

FLOWERS

Bird's Foot Trefoil
Redcrest Cosmos
Amaranth Love-Lies-Bleeding, both green and red
Celosia, Flamingo Feather
Kiss-Me-Over-the-Garden-Gate
Oriental Scarlet Poppy
Mexican Sunflower, Red Torch
Nasturtium, Jewel Peach Melba and Empress of India
Coleus, Rainbow Mix
Morning Glory, Clark's Heavenly Blue

So there you have it, a long list, but an exciting one. Is it spring yet?

A DAMN Fine Cup of Coffee

2011-03-13T18:31:00.003-04:00

So what do two 20-somethings without kids typically do on a Sunday night? Replicate the epicness of Twin Peaks ' coffee and cherry pie, of course.

If you haven't ever experienced the wonderfulness of David Lynch's early-90s TV series, you're truly missing out. Fans of the absurb, the hilarious, the quirky, the dark, and the twisted are sure to become as obsessed with this cult classic as we are.

Every couple of years we go through a period during autumn where we watch both seasons, along with the movie. One of the pervasive--and delicious--themes is good black coffee and fat slice of cherry pie. Even though it's not fall we were feeling nostalgic this weekend, so I decided to make a pie to go with our after-dinner coffee.

And yes, in case you were wondering, that IS an authentic Double R Diner coffee mug. You know you want one.

Rainy Day Dreaming

2011-03-04T15:28:00.002-05:00

So I'm sitting at home on a dark rainy day, listening to Leonard Cohen, and dreaming of spring. I've made a list of "chores" that need to be done in the yard once the weather cooperates. One of which involves procuring a load of mushroom compost - oh yeah, you know, the smelly stuff. In my ongoing attempt to richen-up the clay and roots that classify as soil around here I'm going to make a conscious effort each spring to spread a layer of organic matter on every bed. Compound that over 10-20 years and I'm hoping to have some dark rich soil at my fingertips.

The yard is begging, pleading, shouting for spring. Bulbs are poking their heads out all over the place - daffodils, crocus, hyacinths, iris, squill - and perennials are beginning to unfurl the year's first tentative fronds. I'm elated to see that quite a few things have self-seeded, like the bee balm from my mother's yard, and other plants that I grew from seed last year have decided to come back for another year, including the thyme, yellow yarrow, and foxglove. Spring seems to come on so fast and is gone just as quickly. Working from home this year should allow me extra time to savor this delicate season.

And to top off this dreary but hopeful Friday, the rhubarb and peppers that I planted a couple weekends ago have all sprouted! I think that's the quickest I've ever had pepper seeds sprout - I sure hope impatience is not the theme for this year.

It's Official...

2011-02-20T16:34:00.003-05:00

...spring can't be that far away if I just planted the first seeds of the season, right? Today I planted some of slower growing seeds for the year and popped them under the grow lights:

Jalapeno "Craig's Grande"
Bell Pepper "Emerald Giant"
Rhubarb "Victoria"

I felt like going a little more classic this year with the standard green jalapeno and green bell pepper from Baker Creek. When it comes down to it, there are all sorts of delicious sweet peppers out there that you can grown with great success, but you just can't beat the peppery crunch of a green bell pepper fresh off the vine. And not only that, but green bell is an integral part of making some killer canned tomato juice, which I have been plowing through this year like it's water.

And as for the rhubarb, well, I was crowing last year over my success in starting it from seed, but I must have gloated too soon because the hot drought of last summer totally fried my little darlings. Yes, I was crushed...let's just leave it at that. So this year I'm going to sprout several more plants, as well as amend the soil with some very rich compost and sand for drainage. You can bet I'm going to be vigilant with the watering hose, as well. I'm bound and determined to get a rhubarb plant started somewhere on our property.

I think I'm finally getting the knack of not over-planting seeds. In years past I've gotten a little overzealous when it comes to growing from seed - I've always ended up with too many plants and not enough room, forcing me to "discard" a few *cringe*. This year I'm forcing myself to just plant two or three of each, instead of five or six.

I'll be honest, I've hit the wall with winter for the year. It usually happens to me some time in February. I've been really good until now - upbeat, enjoying the snow, going to the gym to stay active - but it's reached THAT point. This cold, mushy, gray weather can start packing up and heading out. I'm ready to sit on the porch steps in my bare feet and let my skin soak up some of the sun's love. I'm ready to get dirt under my fingernails. I'm ready for some green!

And Now for the Soft Pretzels...

2011-02-07T11:08:00.004-05:00

The hubs has been bothering me for some time to make soft pretzels and beer cheese. Well, while I'm not a huge fan of football, I figured yesterday's Superbowl would be as good a time as any for this very manly food.

These things were so darn cute! Now I understand why other bakers get so attached to their pretzels. Manly my ass, I felt like a new mother when these puppies came out of the oven.

This is the second time I have made beer cheese - way more cheese than should be legal, but if you only have it once or twice a year, it's ok, right? Lots of sharp cheddar, onion, garlic, paprika, cayenne, and of course BEER. I used Goose Island Pere Jacques for a nice sweet Belgian bite. Zippy, gooey, tangy, beery - YUM.

Now that I've broken the ice when it comes to the whole boiled-dough method of baking, I'm fired up to make a batch of bagels. What better way to slog through the winter "blahs" than to bake up a storm?

Dreaming of North Africa

2011-01-08T15:11:00.004-05:00

One of the more exciting gifts that I received for Christmas this year was a vegetarian North African cookbook and a gorgeous Le Creuset tagine. My mom, what can I say, she knows me well.

I've never delved into this ethnicity before in the kitchen, mainly from sheer lack of knowledge. After sitting down and poring over every page in the cookbook, I felt a little more educated on the delicious cuisine of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, collectively known as the Maghreb. Influenced by the Mediterranean, the Middle East, France, Spain, and centuries of invaders from various regions, these countries' cuisine is chock full of fresh fruits, vegetables, olive oil, spices, nuts, eggs, beans, hand-baked bread, and honey. Exotic ingredients like orange blossom water, preserved lemons, and harissa (a fiery-hot garlic chili paste) are paired with more familiar ingredients like couscous, tomatoes, cilantro, cumin, ginger, and saffron.

Tagine is both a way of cooking as well as the vessel used for it. To cook something tagine-style is too cook it low and slow while covered, using the steam of the dish to gently simmer and combine flavors until tender and aromatic. A tagine itself consists of two pieces - a heavy bottom pan and a conical top. The tagine my parents gave me is a lovely deep crimson red with a cast iron base and ceramic top - it's hefty, probably weighing-in at about 10 pounds.

I took my time studying the cookbook (not just light reading, mind you) and have started planning a beginners menu in my head. I can't wait to delve in and start learning a whole new way to cook.

One of the first steps that I've taken is to make my own preserved lemons. Preserved lemons have a distinctive texture and flavor and are widely used in North African cooking, especially Morocco. To make them, I took four Meyer lemons, made cuts in each one, stuffed the pockets full of kosher salt, and then packed them firmly into a sterilized wide mouth pint jar. When packed into the jar the juices and salt mixed to create a sort of brine, which serves to "pickle" or preserve the lemon rind, which is the part that is typically used in dishes. It takes approximately 5-6 weeks before the lemons are ready to use, so I'm going to have to reign myself in while they are curing. Patience will be the key.

My next step is to make my own harissa, that fiery spiced hot sauce. In a month or two I should be ready to cook North African style!

Make a Wish...

2011-01-03T15:06:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday to my One and Only...I'm so lucky and grateful to have you in my life!

Now how about a piece of chocolate stout cake...?

A New Year

2011-01-02T11:42:00.002-05:00

Happy 2011!

We've never been big partiers for New Years - we spent Friday night at home. I made a delicious dinner of Mexican mac'n cheese, baked beans from scratch, spicy roasted broccoli, along with a bottle or two of wine.

The hubs spun some fantastic tunes on the turntable, and we rang in the new year in good spirits.

Here's to giving ourselves and each other a little extra love this year.

Montmorency Cherry Tree

2010-12-06T13:50:00.005-05:00

So I hesitate to even post anything about the dwarf Montmorency Cherry tree that I ordered from the Arbor Day Foundation and planted in our back yard last week. I hesitate because the soil I dug was shovelful after shovelful of clay. I hesitate because I needed a handsaw to clear other tree roots from the hole. I hesitate because it's December, for god's sake! I'm just going to have to trust that Arbor Day Foundation knows what they're talking about when they say you can plant trees in EITHER spring or fall (yes, that is snow on the ground).

They shipped me my tree in the mail - it was a pencil's width wide, maybe 2 feet tall, full of nubbly little branches-to-be, and a small ball of roots. Apparently when they ship trees in the fall, they are dormant and will remain so through the winter, until coming to life in the spring. I followed their instructions, digging a wide hole as deep as I could, given the clay and other tree roots. Hoping to add SOME nutrients to the soil, as well as a layer of protection from the winter, I threw on a layer of fall leaves, rich soil from the garden, and a layer of wood chips. Being a dwarf tree, it is supposed to reach a maximum height of 8 feet, which would be just right for our little backyard urban garden. In fact, it would be darn cute.

I would be absolutely elated if this little guy took off and in 5-10 years we're getting handfuls of tart cherries for pies, cobblers, jams, you name it. I just can't help but be a little apprehensive given the state of that ground. If I had been better prepared, I would have dug the hole a while ago and amended the soil better. I guess if he lives we can call him our "miracle tree".

My grandmother who lives in Hamilton had a Montmorency Cherry tree for years when I was young. Every spring our family would drag out the step-ladders, lug gallon buckets up to the top, and pull handful after handful of tart, zingy, juicy cherries from that tree. Mom always made sure to freeze countless pints for mid-year cherry pies, one of her specialties.

Nostalgia - it's a powerful thing!

CSA: Week 30 (and the last)

2010-12-06T13:47:00.003-05:00

Well, our CSA is done for the year, and what a year it was. We're already signed- up for the next season, that's how much we loved it. Thank you to Eaton Farm for keeping our plates filled with fresh produce and eggs for almost 6.5 months this year!

Giving Thanks

2010-11-26T19:45:00.006-05:00

I have so much to be thankful for and am in a place where I'm able to gratefully appreciate it. This year has been a roller coaster, but that's what makes us able to really love the good times in life.

Yesterday we had my father-in-law over for a huge dinner - way too much food for three people. However, if there's ever a day to go overboard, that's the day, right? The menu included:

Vegetarian "Neatloaf" - Special K cereal, brown rice, tofu, ricotta cheese, herbs, etc.
Crispy Yummies - potato, cheese, and sour cream casserole
Green Bean Casserole - a delicious vegan version
Sweet Potato and Kale Bread Pudding - definitely not vegan, but equally delicious
Sally Lunn Herbed Rolls
Cranberry Horseradish Sauce
Chocolate Pecan Pie

...and a new dessert that I can't stop thinking about - Pear Upside Down Cake...

Hope you had a bountiful Thanksgiving with family and friends!

Still A Classic

2010-11-21T19:31:00.002-05:00

Tonight I had a hankering for an old classic, something that everyone knows and loves - grilled cheese and tomato soup.

As recently as a year or so ago, you could have caught me swearing that one processed food that I would never give up is Campbell's tomato soup. As healthy, natural, and organic as our diets are right now, I was willing to make this one sacrifice.

Well, I've been working on a project for my Mom's side of the family - I'm assembling a family cookbook to record all of the nostalgic and tasty recipes from this "foodie" side of the family, with grandma as the cornerstone. In doing this, I've received plenty of amazing recipes from family members across the country. You know that aunt or uncle who lives more than just a few hours away? You might see them once every five years or so? Well, a couple weeks ago that particular aunt sent me her recipe for "Tomato Bisque". This sparked the inspiration to break free from my Campbell's rut.

Apart from a lot of tomatoes, including my canned juice and whole tomatoes, I also used onion, carrot, celery, garlic, mushrooms, oregano, basil, thyme, and some cream - hey, noone said this was a low fat food. Everything simmered away for an hour or so and then hit the food processor until nice and creamy.

To go along with the soup, I made grilled cheese using "Bad Boy" bread from Blue Oven Bakery, mild cheddar cheese from Gibb's, and handmade pesto from Madison's.

Our bellies are SO happy right now...

CSA: Week 29

2010-11-21T19:26:00.002-05:00

Getting close to the end of this year's season - our basket still looks amazing, though. A couple acorn squash (which have been delicious this year), a nice bunch of mustard greens, tatsoi, arugula, sweet potatoes, some tender broccoli, radish, and eggs. I'm cooking Thanksgiving dinner for some of my husband's family this year for the first time, so plenty of these items will be finding their way into a tasty tasty meal.

CSA: Week 28

2010-11-14T12:52:00.004-05:00

We will be eating salads and sauteed greens galore this week - look at all this green! I love the fact that Eaton Farm explores different types of greens, especially Asian greens that I haven't really eaten or cooked with that much. My horizons are expanding every week and it's tasty as heck.

Tonight I'm going to be making my Peruvian Quinoa Bake and I think I'll throw in some sauteed kale for a little extra treat. Quinoa, black beans, onions, red and green bell peppers, mushrooms, milk, eggs, and smoked mozzarella cheese - warm, aromatic comfort food on a nippy November night.

CSA: Week 27

2010-11-14T12:42:00.004-05:00

The key ingredient in this week's share was STARCH - look at this bounty of potatoes and baby sweet potatoes! I'm definitely putting these parcels into storage in anticipation of Thanksgiving - these will be put to good use.

I'm also really enjoying a new Asian green that I've never had before called Tatsoi - it's the dark green baggie on the left. Very tasty on sandwiches or salads, it's got a nice texture and crunch factor.

The abundance of winter squash in our fall CSA is causing me to think outside the box a little for our meals. This past week I roasted two acorn squash with some Jamaican curry powder, salt, and olive oil. I then scooped out the sweet caramel-ey flesh and rolled it in a tortilla together with Mexican rice, simmered black beans, pepper jack cheese, and fresh salsa to make a REALLY tasty burrito.

Chipotle, kiss my rear.

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-05T10:58:00.001-04:00

CSA: Week 26

2010-11-05T10:54:00.002-04:00

This week was the first pick-up for the "fall CSA" from Eaton Farm. It will run for 4 weeks during the month of November. The highlight of the basket had to be the absolutely humongous head of what I'm assuming to be bok choy - 3 or 4 people alone stopped me at the market to ask what kind of green it was.

CSA: Week 25

2010-11-05T10:52:00.002-04:00

This week was our only week the whole season where we weren't able to pick up our share. My husband and I were in Columbus seeing one of our favorite bands, The Legendary Pink Dots, so my sister-in-law took our share for the week. The show was amazing, and it was good to be able to share the bounty of our CSA.

CSA: Week 24

2010-10-17T15:57:00.004-04:00

This morning at the market was absolutely gorgeous - the perfect fall day. Blue sky, fluffy white clouds, that crisp sweet smoky smell in the air, crunchy orange, yellow, and rust colored leaves, a cornucopia of gourds, squash, and pumpkin everywhere you look.

Surprisingly a lot of greens in the basket this week. They will go to good use in a fall salad for dinner tonight, along with some savory chili, cornbread, and some chewy ginger snap cookies for dessert.

CSA: Week 23

2010-10-10T16:52:00.004-04:00

This week's squash is a Cinderella pumpkin, an edible heirloom variety. And if you look closely you'll see some sweet potatoes and a small head of bok choy!

About a month ago, on a whim, I decided to try my hand at roasting some squash seeds. My family was never really big on that fall tradition, so I wanted to see what everyone always gushes about. I roasted the seeds of a Buttercup squash with a little olive oil, kosher salt, and a dusting of curry powder until they were nice and nutty with a good brown toast to them. WOW...I could eat them instead of potato chips any day of the week. Never again will I throw out my squash and pumpkin seeds.

CSA: Week 22

2010-10-10T16:49:00.003-04:00

I realized this week that our share has been showcasing a different type of autumn squash for the past few weeks - I've had a chance to try quite a few varieties that I've never had before. This week we had a Red Hubbard. I love the contrast of the deep orange squash next to the velvety purple of the beans.

CSA: Week 21

2010-09-30T13:45:00.002-04:00

Getting some lovely fall colors in our basket these days - rusty orange, golden yellow, crimson beet...

CSA: Week 20

2010-09-20T17:14:00.002-04:00

Week 20! Can't believe it! It's been 20 freaking weeks since we started our CSA. Time flies when you're good eatin'.

We'll celebrate with some of those beautiful wax beans. The Eaton Farm's booth this past week looked like a bean and squash explosion, a very delicious explosion.

CSA: Week 19

2010-09-20T17:09:00.003-04:00

Two weekends ago we received a buttercup squash in our share - a type of squash I've never cooked with before. Elizabeth Eaton described the taste as a little bit sweeter than a butternut. I plan on roasting it tonight with some Jamaican curry powder. We'll see how it pairs with a side of red quinoa, swiss chard, and Field Roast Italian sausage.

Imposter

2010-09-08T10:51:00.004-04:00

Looks like the blackberry lily's seeds really DO resemble a blackberry...

I'm sure a hungry starling or two is going to get tricked into "sowing" these seeds...

CSA: Week 18

2010-09-06T15:20:00.003-04:00

Things picked up this week in our share, we've had a few sub-90s days and the plants are getting a teensy break, but still no rain.

I am really starting to love swiss chard. An exciting addition this week were some purple chinese long beans - these things look funky, but apparently you just steam/cook them like you would a green bean. Excited to try these guys out this week!

Been There, Done That

2010-08-31T19:22:00.003-04:00

Looks like the birds found the birdbath...

CSA: Week 17

2010-08-29T12:14:00.003-04:00

Starting to get some fresh greens back in the basket this week, hopefully that means the weather is going to start cooling down...hopefully...

August

2010-08-28T11:35:00.008-04:00

August is the month where things start to feel tired and crispy in the yard. The vivid bright greens of spring and early summer change to an dusty army green, and then pale brown. The smell in the air starts to change from a lush, wet dirt to a dry, sweet leaf.

Not that August is without it's own palate of colors...

I haven't posted much lately about the yard because, well, there isn't a whole lot going on.

The tomatoes are tapering off, the herbs are doing a nice job of drying on the plant for me, and the squash plant has one butternut squash that it's been able to offer up - we'll see if it actually makes it to full size. The exact opposite of last summer, this year has been HOT, HOT, and HOT, with a side of DRY and NO RAIN. Guess this is the hand that mother nature has dealt us this year.

I've been doing a lot of cooking and canning with my new job working from home. I have more energy for the things I love, which is, well, great. I put away more than our fair share of whole tomatoes, tomato juice, and marinara sauce. We're stocked to the hilts with jam. We've probably both put on a few pounds with the good food I've been cooking. Something I'll need to keep my eye on...

I did have one exciting new addition to the garden this past week. During these hot months, every time I would water the plants a small group of sparrows would hop around the perifery of the water, springing in every now and then to sneak a drink and a splish-splash. It got to the point where it seemed less FUN for them and more DESPERATE, like they were having a hard time finding drinkable water around here. So, this led me to investigate bird baths, and I ended up purchasing a small cast-stone one, very ye-olde-english-garden-ish. It's only about 14 inches high, so it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb in the front flower bed. Now I just need to let it sit and acclimate, and let the birds start investigating.

CSA: Week 16

2010-08-28T11:22:00.002-04:00

And here was last week's share.

CSA: Week 15

2010-08-28T11:19:00.002-04:00

Running way behind on my updates lately. I have no excuse other than I've been on the computer too much.

Observe the eggplant!

CSA: Week 14

2010-08-08T11:05:00.002-04:00

Today we decided to sign up for Eaton Farm's Fall CSA - running for 5 weeks through October and November. I'm looking forward to some delicious squash this fall!

Bragging Rights

2010-08-05T14:47:00.003-04:00

Not to sound too conceited, but I have to brag a little bit about the flourless chocolate mocha cake I made this past weekend for family. I'd say if dark chocolate cake and dark chocolate mousse got together and had a baby in a pool of espresso, this would be their sinful lovechild:

Snauce

2010-08-05T14:36:00.004-04:00

Last weekend when the family came over for dinner, my mother brought me a present - more fresh tomatoes - four flats of them, to be exact. I was a busy girl Sunday; all day was spent canning, doing both whole tomatoes as well as a batch of marinara sauce.

A couple years ago my mom and I made a batch of my grandma's pizza sauce, but I had yet to make actual marinara sauce. I used the basic Tomato, Garlic, and Basic Sauce recipe from the Ball Blue Book and jazzed it up a bit with some dried oregano and red pepper flakes. I was really pleased with the taste, and ended up doing 10 pints. My goal is to perfect this recipe to the point where I never have to buy jars of marinara from the store again.

CSA: Week 13

2010-08-05T14:17:00.002-04:00

I'm a shamefully late posting this week - lots of family/friend entertaining went on last weekend and this week. I love being able to incorporate CSA produce as well as produce from our garden when cooking for company - thankfully when you're using such yummy in-season ingredients, your cooking skills don't have to be anything fancy. Nature speaks for itself!

Quarts!

2010-07-26T20:50:00.003-04:00

I broke in my new quart canner yesterday - I put away 11 quarts of whole tomatoes from my parent's garden. Lovely, juicy, sweet, tangy tomatoes, oh how I love them!

I'm planning on doing lots of whole tomatoes, tomato juice, as well as some marinara sauce this summer. The quart canner will really come in handy, as I can now process bigger batches in bigger jars. Bring 'em on!

Cherry Pie

2010-07-26T20:39:00.003-04:00

I come from a pie making family - both sides, grandmas, aunts, mother - they all are masters at the art of the pie. I have always been mystified by pies, specifically the crust. To be honest, it's intimidated me; I have always thought it to be some magical act when everything came together in a perfect combination of flaky, crunchy, and tender. For this reason I've shied away from making pies. I tried once in college without huge success and have been reticent ever since.

Well, this past week I came to the conclusion that I cannot call myself a part of my family unless I master this tradition. I decided to use some of the tart cherries that I froze several weeks ago and make a cherry pie, a classic for my family.

I followed my mother's detailed recipe with only slight difficulty getting the dough rolled out big enough to cover the bottom and top crusts. My crimping technique on the outside crust is going to need some honing, but at least I get some extra points for attempting a cherry design on the top, right?

As for the final product, well, do I really need to say anything...?

Tradition

2010-07-26T20:30:00.005-04:00

This past weekend I finally got to do something I've been wanting to do for a while - make jam with three generations of my family - my grandma, my mother and her sisters, and myself.

We went to a delightful brunch at the Tea Cozy Cottage and then went back to my parent's house to make a batch of fresh peach jam together. I bought quite a few pounds of mouth-watering Carolina peaches from Pipkins Market. My aunts and I pitted, peeled, and sliced while Grandma served in a supervisory role and also helped crush the peaches. Mom made sure all of the canning equipment was at-the-ready, and we all took turns stirring the unctuous jam until it was ready to jar. I ladled, my aunts assembled the lids and rings, and we all sat around in anticipation until every last lid had clicked.

I learned quite a few tricks and techniques that will help me to be a better canner, while saving me time to boot. It was such a special day - I'm so glad to have such beautiful wise women in my life.

CSA: Week 12

2010-07-26T20:29:00.001-04:00

Sadly there was no CSA pickup this week - Jerry and Elizabeth had a flat tire on their truck and weren't able to make it in time for the market. Just glad they're safe - flat tires are not fun.

"Sweet Jesus..."

2010-07-20T19:09:00.005-04:00

...those are the words that came out of my mouth right after I bit into a slice of this bad boy...

I know one of my recent posts claimed the "biggest tomato I've ever grown" title, but I have to say, THIS is the biggest tomato I've ever grown - Aunt Ruby's German Green. It was big as my hand and weighed at least a couple of pounds.

I can also quite honestly say it's the BEST tomato I've ever tasted - now that's really saying something - this girl has had a lot of tomatoes in her 28 years. The flavor was just fantastic - citrus, tartness, just the right amount of sweet, and a subtle little something "else" that I can't put my finger on. Some people describe it as "spice" but I wouldn't say it's spice in the traditional sense. God, I'm drooling just remembering it...

I will DEFINITELY be growing this variety again.

Bring on the Mule Team

2010-07-18T12:38:00.005-04:00

The fourth variety of tomato that I planted this year finally had its first ripe fruit - Mule Team. It was initially the first plant to develop green tomatoes, but due to some squirrel interference, it's been the fourth plant to ripen. It was about the size of a tennis ball and would be perfect for salads or sandwiches - a nice personal sized tomato.

The only variety I'm waiting on yet is Aunt Ruby's German Green - there are some HUGE fruits on the vine that are almost ready for picking. Just a few more days...

The tomato bed is in high gear right now - about every day I'm able to go out and pick a nice slicer and a handful of cherries. I'm so glad that the changes I've made to the growing area have been for the better - using the raised beds as well as using the green plastic netting to keep the critters away. I will definitely be using these techniques in the years to come.

Also exciting - the first eggplant finally set this week. He's about the size of a golf ball.

The mint and oregano have gone to flower. I usually try to keep herb flowers pinched so their taste is sweeter, but they are so pretty and whimsical in the garden, I had to just let them bloom.

On a disappointing note, I had to pull the zucchini, yellow squash, and cucumber plants due to massive bug damage - cucumber beetle and squash vine borer. This is the second year in a row that I've had to do this - I'm starting to wonder if I need to investigate alternative methods to organic gardening for these types of plants? I hate to say it, but I'm tired of not being able to grow these garden staples. *sigh*

Oddly enough the butternut squash plants have been left relatively unharmed. They have full run of the bed all to themselves, so I'm expecting good things!

CSA: Week 11

2010-07-18T12:33:00.002-04:00

I really feel like I made out like a bandit this week - I could barely carry the basket back to my car it was so heavy! I guess we picked a good year to introduce ourselves to CSAs - the years with ideal growing seasons are naturally going to produce fuller baskets.

I think I'm going to make a pasta salad tonight using a lot of the fresh veggies here - good eats for the rest of the week.

Cherry Jam and the BIGGEST TOMATO I'VE EVER GROWN

2010-07-13T20:29:00.004-04:00

This past weekend I picked up my 10-lb tub of tart Michigan cherries from Rouster's Apple House. They had been grown and picked in Traverse City, then pitted and packed fresh in their own juice.

Yet another memory from my childhood is of my grandma's tart cherry tree in her side yard. She lives on a century-old farm in Hamilton, Ohio. Every year around this time my family would grab a step-ladder or two, several buckets, and would pick pounds and pounds of the lip-puckering flame red fruit. My mom would freeze countless containers each year for cherry pies, cherry cobbler, and other delicious old-timey desserts. Needless to say, I have a deep rooted fondness for tart cherries.

In my ongoing effort to explore different kinds of jams that stray from the beaten path, I made a batch of tart cherry jam on Saturday. The recipe called for liquid pectin rather than powdered - something I've never used before. The jam didn't set up quite as well as it could have, but the taste is wonderful. Maybe next time I'll try it with powdered pectin instead. The pantry is starting to reach full capacity for jam and it's only July!

In other news, today I picked the BIGGEST TOMATO I'VE EVER GROWN! It's a Carbon variety and is just slightly bigger than a baseball. I picked it a day or two green because all of the rain we had today had made it split - I didn't want it to rot on the vine. A couple days on the counter to ripen up and it will be good eats!

Also pictured are more Sungold Select cherry tomatoes, as well as my first two Riesentraube tomatoes (top right). The Riesentraubes were really tasty - a very classic tomato taste, but not as high of a sugar content as the Sungolds.

A week or so ago I had swathed the tomato raised bed with several layers of pliable green plastic netting to keep the squirrels and birds out. It may not be the prettiest way to keep the critters away, but it has been working perfectly. No more half-eaten green tomatoes laying in the yard; the only ones who will be enjoying this garden will be myself and my husband, dammit!

CSA: Week 10

2010-07-13T20:24:00.003-04:00

This week we had the option to substitute extra veggies for the eggs - I opted for the white pattypan squash and a pint of cherry tomatoes, both of which are long gone two days later!

Zucchini Debut

2010-07-05T12:06:00.002-04:00

Despite the onslaught of cucumber beatles this year, the zucchini plants are finally starting to fruit! There is one larger zucchini as well as a smaller one. Grow babies, grow!

I also picked the first couple of ripe tomatoes this morning! The Sungold Select won the race. The first homegrown tomato of each year is always a special occasion, and this did not disappoint. Warm, sweet, tart, a pop of flavor bursting in your mouth.

Summer is officially here...

CSA: Week 9

2010-07-05T12:02:00.002-04:00

This weekend the Hyde Park Farmer's Market was held in Hyde Park Square for July 4th. The Eaton Farm's booth was right in front of Graeter's - how tempting is that?

Such a bounty of produce for the coming week!

Summer Berries

2010-07-05T11:48:00.003-04:00

This past Friday my mom and I went to Stokes Berry Farm to pick raspberries together. It was an absolutely gorgeous morning, not too hot, a nice breeze blowing. We picked black raspberries, red raspberries, and blackberries - a new crop for Stokes this year. Ambrosia!

Since we were so close, we decided to hop over to Iron's Fruit Farm to get some fresh blueberries and apples. I've had my mind set on making a batch of Blueberry Lime Jam this summer, and I figured this would be the perfect opportunity. When we arrived, they had just received quite a few pints of freshly picked blueberries from their fields out back. It doesn't get much more "field to plate" than that.

When I got home later that day, I did up a batch of the jam, and it's absolutely delicious - tart, tangy, and sweet, it would be great for toast, pancakes, and even ice cream.

It was great to be able to share a day with my mom picking berries - it brought back a lot of memories from when we were kids and she would take us on day trips. More parents should do these sorts of things with their kids, it's something that they will carry with them forever. Thanks Mom!

Blackberry Lily

2010-07-01T21:08:00.003-04:00

This was one of my wild card plants I bought this spring - a blackberry lily. Apparently the seed pods look like blackberries when they are mature.

The first bloom opened yesterday and I can't believe how exotic it looks, almost like an orchid - pretty boy!

Peaceful Morning

2010-06-30T09:23:00.002-04:00

Today is the first day of my week-long vacation...at home. Who says you have to travel somewhere to get a little R&R?

I slept in a little, woke up to sunshine and birds singing, slipped on my flippers and snuck outside to say good morning to the yard. Since most normal people are at work this week, the neighborhood was very quiet and peaceful. I watered the beds that needed it, dead-headed a few old blooms, and snapped a few pictures.

My "Empress of India" nasturtiums have been blooming solidly the past week or so - stunning colors.

Very excited to see the first baby female butternut squash on the vine - hopefully when this little lady finally blooms she will take fruit and start plumping up.

And of course, who wouldn't swoon to wake up to this sight?

I have a feeling these days off will do me good!

CSA: Week 8

2010-06-27T15:25:00.006-04:00

It's been roughly two months that we've been picking up our CSA shares from Eaton Farm, and this week they really seem to be coming into the "summer crops". We had a bell pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, cucumber, potatoes, onion, garlic, swiss chard, carrots, beets, and eggs.

The basket was much heavier than usual - quite a haul!

The Ethics of Digging Wildflowers

2010-06-26T15:13:00.004-04:00

I've always admired the wild orange daylilies that grow rampant in southwest Ohio during the summer months. Their brilliant orange old-fashioned blooms and slender lime green foliage can be seen cascading out of roadside ditches all across the tri-state area this time of year.

I've been to several plant nurseries the past few years and have never actually seen these specific flowers for sale. Once I get fixated on something it's hard for me to let it go, so the past couple of weeks I had hatched a plan to covertly pack a shovel and some containers into the car and go on a little "adventure" of sorts.

Well, I was on the way home from our local Lowe's this afternoon and slowed down the car to go over some railroad tracks. As I rolled through, I looked to my left and happened to notice a patch of orange daylilies growing rampant right next to the tracks. There was no house immediately nearby, and it was obvious that noone laid claim to this land or these flowers. This spot was only 30 seconds from our house, and I knew that if I were ever going to act, now would be the time.

Zipping home, I packed up my tools and quietly drove back to the spot. I scoped out the sidestreet to make sure there were no people outside to give me a hard time. Once I found a spot to park, I started working fast. Within minutes I had dug three nice clumps of lilies and was back in my car headed home.

I'm not the type of person to routinely do risky or adventurous things, so it was comical to feel my heart thumping. It would have been nice if the theme to "Indiana Jones" was playing in the background.

So my question is, is it ethical to "share the wealth" of wildflowers when it is clear that they aren't on someone's property or in a protected park area? After all, I am giving them a good home - probably a better one than the rocky oily patch by the railroad tracks.

Either way, I planted them in the front sunny bed and am hoping they will establish themselves and be carefree and happy for years to come. One more locally-sourced addition to the yard!

Eye Candy

2010-06-22T20:17:00.007-04:00

In celebration of the beginning of summer, I thought I'd share some of the beautiful blooms that I've been admiring lately in the yard...

Echinacea "Firebird"
Nasturtium "Empress of India"

Blanket Flower "Gallo Peach"

Evening Primrose

Daylily
Iceplant

Yarrow

Hyssop "Sunset"

Lavender "Provence"

Daylily "Siloam Double Classic"

Hosta "Blue Mouse Ears"

Eating Crow

2010-06-22T20:11:00.004-04:00

They said it couldn't be done...they said I was doing things the hard way...they said it was crazy to grow rhubarb from seed...well feast your eyes on this...

...and this is only one of five plants that are thriving. I think it's safe to predict that beginning next year I'll never have to pay for rhubarb again.

CSA: Week 7

2010-06-20T13:50:00.003-04:00

This week we have some freshly dug potatoes, a nice medium-sized zucchini, and a cute personal-sized head of cabbage.

So far this year, I have been blown away by the quality and quantity of produce that we receive each week. Eaton Farm is bringing the goods!

A-Movin' and a-Shakin'

2010-06-16T19:57:00.005-04:00

Things continue to snap-crackle-pop with the garden. Every single square inch of those raised beds is jam-packed with foliage, blooms, and goodies.

The lemon bee balm started blooming yesterday - such a unique tiered flower. It brings a nice touch of lavender color to the herb bed, not to mention a sweet peppery aroma.

I pulled my carrots this past weekend - both the Red Core Chantenay and the the St. Valery. I couldn't believe how long the St. Valery were - I'm used to growing the short and stubby Chantenay. I've found that the best way to wash/peel tender garden carrots is to just scrub them with a scouring pad. It takes off the outer layer of peel without wasting too much carrot. I made a pasta salad yesterday using my carrots, as well as the CSA broccoli, cauliflower, and green onions, among other things.

The squash, zucchini, cucumbers, and melon are all out and doing well. The zucchini has gone bananas this past week, despite the cucumber beetles that are chewing lacy holes through the leaves. I'm hoping the plants can just tough-it-out until the beetle hoard subsides. I don't want to have to resort to using anything to kill them.

The tomatoes are truly outrageous this year. I can honestly say I have NEVER had tomatoes this tall, bushy, green, and downright happy. I'm sure this is mainly a function of being planted in the ground as opposed to a container, but I have to think that the good dirt and hot weather have contributed as well. Heck, the Sungold Select has already grown taller than his bamboo stake - not sure how I'm going to support him beyond that! I've been using the soft rubber ties left and right to keep the plants from blocking the walkway. There are blooms on all plants, and this week I have seen small tomatoes on all plants as well. I can finally see the green tomatoes clearly from the kitchen window - a sure sign that summer is here.

Some "baby photos"...

Riesentraube

Sungold Select II

Mule Team

Carbon

Aunt Ruby's German Green

I'm beginning to take after my mom - every evening after I get home from work I throw on some junky shoes and do a cruise of the yard, saying hi to all the plants, checking on who's happy, who's a little droopy, who's blooming today, and who's getting ready to unveil. I ruminate over the day and meditate on how much I love having a yard of my own. Future plans are hatched as I imagine what would look nice here, what might be happy there, and what an area could look like in five or ten years.

It's been an exciting couple of weeks as I've recently accepted a new job working from home. The timing seems perfect, as it's getting to be the time of year where I hate having to leave the house and the garden. Part of my baseline anxiety comes from having to make the daily trek into the artificial world of the corporate office - stale air, clinical fluorescent lights, droning overhead music, and uninspired dense co-workers.

Pretty soon, whenever I'm feeling writer's block or having trouble concentrating on my work, I will be able to just grab the laptop and spread out on the back deck with the peaceful shade bed or take a few deep breathes on the front porch, sitting among the flowers as they soak up the midday sun.

I've been feeling really good lately and am hoping that this is the beginning of a new phase in life where I realize that I don't need to drag my ball-and-chain of worry everywhere. The worry serves nothing and only feeds on itself until I'm unable to concentrate on the things that I love. I don't ask for much - I just want to be content, mindful of all the truly wonderful people and things that I'm lucky enough to have in my life.

CSA: Week 6

2010-06-16T19:54:00.003-04:00

A little late posting this week's CSA share - we had a busy weekend. Check out the cute baby zucchini and yellow squash!

Inaugural Jam

2010-06-06T19:37:00.002-04:00

Yesterday my husband and I made the trek up to Stokes Berry Farm to pick some strawberries for jam and fresh eating. We ended up picking about 20 lbs of Earlyglow...

...yes, 20 lbs. I tend to get carried away when picking is so good.

When I got home I made two batches of strawberry rhubarb jam and two batches of plain strawberry jam. A total of 20 half pints and 12 pints - it is SO good, it almost makes you want to shed a tear.

Heating Up the Garden

2010-06-06T19:31:00.004-04:00

Thought I'd share a few pictures of peppers hanging coyly on the vine...

...the first Jimmy Nardello sweet...

...and a cluster of Purple Jalapeno - they were not kidding when they said PURPLE...

Also, as a bonus, the first tomato of the season - Mule Team is leading the pack!

CSA: Week 5

2010-06-06T19:30:00.003-04:00

This week the emphasis was less on greens and more on BEETS, BROCCOLI and CAULIFLOWER :-)

Blooms and Baby Cucs

2010-05-30T14:09:00.004-04:00

The garden continues to grow by leaps and bounds with this weather. Today I was making my daily rounds and noticed quite a few blooms - tomatoes and peppers are just loaded.

Sungold Select Tomato

My first Jimmy Nardello Pepper!

I also pulled the last of the beets today - overnight something went ahead and ate all of the leaves, so I figured I might as well pull them. With the new soil that this freed up, I planted the cucumber and yellow crookneck squash starts that I have been growing indoors.

That means that all of my cucurbits are out now with the exception of the Minnesota Midget Melon. They are still a little small to be planted out, and I need to harvest the carrots before I have room for them.