Undercover Gardener

Peppers are Done

2010-11-03T06:47:00.000-07:00

I cleaned the peppers out of the high tunnel last night. The plants have all been bit by the cold and were pretty wilty.

Looks like I need to make some jalepeno pepper jelly. I think fajitas will also be on our dinner menu this week (and next).

Spring Greens

2010-11-02T07:01:00.000-07:00

This kale got planted too late in the season to be havestable yet this fall. Pretty soon the high tunnel won't get enough good light to foster growth, and the plants will go dormat over the winter. But when the spring sunlight comes back we'll have an amazing kick-start on the season.

The plan is to plant a few more salad greens yet...and then maybe we'll be eating out of the high tunnel come March.

November Tomatoes

2010-11-01T06:53:00.000-07:00

The high tunnel is still going. Going crazy with cherry tomatoes in fact. Picked these today. As in - picked in NOVEMBER!

The plants are getting a little wilty on top, so it's time to get the row covers out and give a little added protection from the cold.

Peppers on My Pizza

2010-08-29T10:29:00.001-07:00

You're looking at one frozen pizza covered in cubanelle peppers. They were fabulous!

I am not, I repeat NOT, a green-pepper-on-my-pizza kind of gal. But these were good.

I wanted to pick these peppers weeks ago when they were light green. But Bill at the Extension told me to wait. He said they were a sweet frying pepper and "really good when allowed to turn red."

And right he was. Imagine that.

Today's Harvest

2010-08-24T08:26:00.001-07:00

Well pardon the poor rotation on this photo.

This morning's harvest: lots and lots of green pepers, loads of onions (but I only picked one), and a few cherry tomatoes.

Made the sausage suate again this morning in an attempt to burn through some of those peppers.

Everything from the cold frames is pretty well done. The kale is finally starting to look unappealing and the peppers in the cold frames aren't faring nearly as well as the ones in the high tunnel.

Must go clean all that out. Ugh.

Pepper & Sausage Saute

2010-08-17T06:21:00.000-07:00

Here's an old family favorite. Mom used to make this for breakfast or dinner. Goes very well with cornbread on the side.

1 lb smoked sausage
1 large green pepper cut into strips
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 T soy sauce

Cut sausages into chunks and brown in skillet. Pour off fat. Remove sausage. Put remaining ingredients in pan and cook until peppers begin to wilt. Add sausages and cook at low temp until syrup thickens, stirring often.

*I like this with way more peppers.

Pickled Peppers

2010-08-16T06:13:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness...I can't believe I've been gone from the blog for a whole month! We had a health thing pop up in my family, so I've been spending a lot of time away at the hospital. Looks like all is well now. I am so thankful to everyone who kept my loved one in their prayers.

I've still been managing to water the garden this past month, but harvesting and cooking and preserving have been a whole other thing altogether.

Photo above is from the beginning stages of some pickled peppers. I know...far more green peppers than I would have liked...but that's what I had. That and lots of jalepenos and a few banana peppers.

I thinking the men folk in the family will enjoy them chopped up on brats and such. Me...I'm not so good with hot! My husband, on the other hand, will go to an Indian restaurant and request the highest heat (and then ask them to bump it up a little). Ugh.

It's A Sign!

2010-07-16T05:56:00.001-07:00

Put up in time for the garden walk, I presume.

In case you can't read it from the picture...

High Tunnel
High tunnels are unheated, plastic covered structures that provide an intermediate level of environmental protection and control. They can provide year-round production for some cool season crops.

Jenny's Boots

2010-07-14T08:38:00.000-07:00

This is a picture from when our grad student was visiting. I loved the way she stored her rubber boots.

Now does that say farm girl or what?

Kale Crisps

2010-07-13T06:22:00.000-07:00

Tear kale into pieces. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt. 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Crispy, salty and satisfying.

Garden Walk, Recap

2010-07-12T05:46:00.000-07:00

Everytime I go to the garden walk, I end up wishing my husband was with me....so he could see the cool projects and really get behind revamping our yard. He would get just as jazzed about some of the gardens as me, I think.

I'm dreaming of hauling in soil and putting a shade garden in our front yard. I'm also dreaming about planting up our parkway--the part that won't grow any grass anyway. I'd kinda thought that was verboten until I saw this:

A few more pics from the garden walk this past weekend...

There was so much more to see, but I wasn't thinking about the blog when I was taking pictures. Sorry!

We're On the Garden Walk!

2010-07-09T05:56:00.001-07:00

Okay so first about the picture -- I yanked the last of the lettuce this week. It lasted a really long time....and might have even gone longer if I was harvesting more regularly. (But seriously, we had a ton of lettuce). Anyway, it was all either gone to seed, or slimy underneath, or just kinda big.

So two of the paths in the high tunnel will remain bare now until August, I think, when we start the fall planting. (The other two rows have onions, tomatoes, basil and peppers.)

But now for the garden walk news--we're on it! Well the whole Extension garden complex is on it. Truth be told, I've never bothered to walk around the perennial or rose gardens before, so I'll be doing that on Sunday.

The Green Bay garden walk runs Saturday and Sunday. Info at the Green Bay Botanical Garden website.

Hearty Veggie Chili

2010-07-08T04:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, sorry folks, I can't get my picture to load decently for this one....so you get text alone.

This is a recipe for the Hearty Veggie Chili my darling husband whipped up yesterday. He cooked sans directions (cause he can fly blind like that), so this recipe is his best approximation, after the fact.

2 cloves garlic
1/2 Vidalia onion
1/4- 1/2 red pepper
15 oz tomato sauce
15 oz diced tomatoes
15 oz red kidney beans (drained)
2-3 T ground cumin
2-3 T chili powder
1 tsp corriander
2-3 T grapeseed oil (substitute your preferred oil)

Prep: chop garlin, onion, red pepper

Using a 3qt saucepan over medium heat, add grapeseed oil, onion, garlic, and red peper. Sautee 3-5 minutes. Add kidney beans, stire and continue to heat 2-3 minutes.

Add cumin, chili powder and corriander. Stir and heat 2-3 minutes.

Finish by adding diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir and allow to simmer about 15 minutes. Add more or less spices to taste.

It was fabulous! Nice and chucky, so you didn't even miss the meat!

Thanks hon!

Currant Jam

2010-07-07T04:31:00.000-07:00

Picked a nice bowlful of currants and made currant jelly over the weekend. Did you know currants are naturally high in pectin? I just read that in one of my newer jamming books (The Joy of Jams, Jellies and Other Sweet Preserves by Linda Ziedrich). That means I can skip the commercial pectin and just jell away!

Following Ziedrich's I used equal parts currant juice and sugar (3 to 3) instead of the 5 cups to juice to 7 cups sugar recipe that comes with commercial pectin. I am really working on using less sugar in my jams.

I also added a tablespoon of rosewater to the batch. Can't say that I really tasted it though--which is a bummer.

My favorite local cafe serves a rosewater lemonade that is just heavenly. Ah well, will just have to get a little more heavy handed with the next batch. It's a dangerous game playing with rosewater though--just a little bit too much and the flavor is too overpowering.

If you know of any jam recipes that call for rosewater let me know--I looking for a guide to quantity!

On Neighbors

2010-07-01T09:03:00.000-07:00

The 1 reason I would want to move: To get a large, sunny yard so I could have my own garden.
The 1 reason I won't: Our neighbors.

We KNOW our neighbors. We wave at each other, have afternoon chats, and swap keys when we leave for vacation. We borrow things, trade books, and share our garden harvest.

Which brings me to the above. That dish of black raspberries was left on our deck this morning. Our neighbor can't eat the seeds in her raspberries--yet she took the effort to pick them for us!

And do you see the note? She apologizes for not having time to wash them!

It's an amazing thing living in a real neighborhood. I hope you live in one too.

Quinoa & Currants

2010-06-30T07:15:00.000-07:00

Quinoa & Currants. Doesn't that sound fancy? Like it should be the name of some gourmet food blog or something.

Anyway, this was my breakfast. Drizzled in raw honey from a friend, but you can't see that in the picture. Currants came from the Extension gardens. I know my folks have currants too, so between the two bushes, I should have plenty for jam and for eating.

If you're not familiar with quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) it is a high protein grain. The back of my quinoa box informs me it is "one of the best sources of protein in the vegetable kingdom." Also it is the only grain that is a "complete protein," whatever that means.

I hadn't used quinoa before, but so far so good. I actually enjoyed this way more than oatmeal. It's light and has a very subtle nutty flavor.

I know you can find quinoa in bulk food stores, including the bulk foods section at Copps. But I prefer starting out with the prewashed stuff that comes in a box, with all the nice handy cooking instructions for now.

The Beet Affect

2010-06-28T11:35:00.000-07:00

Six pints of pickled beets finished last night. Plus more just for eating right away. And some to take to a neighbor.

And that takes care of about half of one half of a cold frame.

Did you know that eating beets will make your pee pink? I had a few moments of alarm during last year's beet season, but this year I knew enough not to worry.

Kale Shortage?

2010-06-22T07:39:00.000-07:00

Is there some sort of kale shortage?? Two weeks in a row I've overhead someone at the farmer's market asking a vendor for kale. "It's coming," or "not yet," was the answer.

Not yet? I've had kale coming out of my ears for a solid month already.

Made that kale-laden Portuguese Potato Soup again today. Yummers. Ain't it purty?

Tight Quarters

2010-06-19T11:37:00.000-07:00

Okay, for educational purposes...for those of you who come out to view the high tunnel in person...let me just say the space is a little tight.

This is not the first scrape I've walked away with. Would love a few more inches between the piping sytems we use to hold row covers and the outside wall. If I'm not scraping myself on the pipes, then I'm getting scratched by bolts in the walls.

Since I also ripped a pair of jeans on a cold frame this spring--something which has nothing but wide open air around it--my husband would probably argue my injuries have a lot more to do with the person, than the structure she's working in.

I get no sympathy.

(And yes mom, I disinfected this.)

Critter

2010-06-14T06:17:00.000-07:00

Frightened this little guy as I entered the high tunnel on Sunday. He froze, in one of those misguided--if I don't move, maybe she won't see me--moments. I snapped a few pics and then quietly left to work in another area of the garden so he could get over his panic attack and leave in peace.

Saw him run out the door a few moments later. That said, there is definetely a hole in a corner of the high tunnel. Multiple exits--this guy's no dummy.

It was 98 degrees in the high tunnel yesterday and the lettuce is starting to look a little done-in. Not sure how much longer we'll get out of the greens.

Planted basil and several kinds of pepers in the high tunnel last week, so they should be happy with the heat at least.

First Jam of the Year

2010-06-09T08:48:00.001-07:00

Oh that photo is not the best. I should have taken one when the berries were all pretty and sliced and waiting to go into the pot.

And actually, I should clarify, it's not 'jam' but 'preserves.' The difference? Preserves aren't meant to fully set up like jam. They're meant to be a little runny and good for pouring over pancakes, poundcake, ice cream, or yoghurt.

I got the recipe from Saving the Season--my new uber-favorite canning blog discovered late last season. My jam books might just now be tragically obsolete. (Nah....just supplemented.)

The recipe is for Strawberry Perserves with Balsamic Vinegar and Black Pepper. Sadly, I think my palate is weak. I doubled the black pepper and used 25-year-old-imported-direct-from-Italy balsamic vinegar and I still don't taste it. It was my very last tablespoon of good balsamic or I might have been tempted to double that too.

(That gets me in trouble in the kitchen. If something is good, more is better, right? Um, yeah....not always.)

Still I have to say that the preserves ARE heavenly. Really. Way better than jam.

I spent $18 to get three quarts of organic berries at the farmer's market. (All you folks back home with large wonderful gardens will be shaking your heads in amazement, but that's only $1.50 more per quart than regular berries at our city-folk prices.) What can I say? Berries are on the dirty dozen list. Pesticides cling to these beauties like stink on a goat. It's worth the added expense.

I had enough for the jam and loads to eat fresh on the side. And I just might do it all over again this Saturday.

Arugula Pesto

2010-06-04T07:43:00.000-07:00

We have a houseguest right now. She's a grad student from Iowa State here to study the Oneida sustainabile farming methods at Tsyunhehkwa. It's been great fun not only having a student in the house, but having another veggie lover around.

Here is the argula pesto she made a few night back, and her recipe:

Arugula Pesto!
4 c packed arugula leaves (approximately 6 oz)
¼ c pine nuts or sunflower seeds, toasted*
¼ c packed freshly grated Parmesan
1-2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
¼ c olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor or blender, blend the arugula, nuts or seeds, parmesan and garlic until smooth. Scrape down the sides. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil until well blended. Scoop it all out into a bowl and add salt and pepper to taste. Its best if chilled for a few hours, but serve it at room temperature.

This recipe is great for arugula that’s “on the edge” of being too bitter—just blanch the leaves first. Add the leaves to boiling water for about 15 seconds, stirring the whole time. Remove and place in a bowl with ice water and you should be good to go. For more detailed instructions, this website is useful: Food Network arugula pesto

*These can be raw as well, whatever you prefer. Walnuts are also a good substitute.

Thanks Jenny!

Too Little, Too Late

2010-05-28T08:17:00.000-07:00

These are the turnips before thinning:

And these are the turnips after:

Clearly, I'm not expecting much of a harvest. And no...I did not eat the greens. With all the lettuce I've got coming out of my ears, I didn't see any reason to bother with random turnip greens.

Unfortunately, it looks like I probably won't be 'bothering' with any turnips either.

Roasted Radishes

2010-05-27T08:07:00.000-07:00

So I was complaining to a friend about how I didn't really even like radishes. I only grow them because it's kind of expected. It's something you can get in the ground right away in the spring when you're all anxious and energetic to get things going...even things with a strong, nasty bite like radishes.

Well, my friend started waxing poetic over how wonderful radishes are when they're roasted--warm and a wee bit carmalized.

I found this roasted radish recipe on a food blog and gave it a shot. And oh yeah. Warm and mellow. That's the way to eat radishes.

More Greens

2010-05-26T07:51:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, with all this heat the greens still look pretty good. The doors are open on the high tunnel and the sides loosened, so we can get some good ventilation.

Here's some more of what we're harvesting....

Red Summer Crisp:

Green Grand Rapids Black Simpson:

Green Grand Rapids Simpson Elite:

Green Grand Rapids Tropicana:

Red Grand Rapids Red Vulcan:

SunChips Bag Day 26

2010-05-25T07:45:00.000-07:00

On Day 26 of the SunChips compostable bag experiment. Dug this thing up and found no discernible difference. As I feared, my compost bin is probably not very hot, or active. Ah well, I buried it back down again. The bin has some fresh grass clippings and lots of new kitchen waste, so hopefully things will get moving.

Garden Chat

2010-05-21T06:59:00.000-07:00

We moved the book discussion out into the garden Wednesday night. Mostly we chatted about our memories of food.

Olivia remembered getting 'grounded from raspberries' for a week after she brought a handful inside and smeared berry juice on her bed. (Truth be told, she snuck out to the garden and ate them anyway.)

Steve remembered climbing pear trees in the backyard. He liked them hard and green and not-quite-ripe.

Jenny talked about her grandmother's Cuban soup recipe that called for fermented pig something (I forget what exactly) that an uncle ships from Miami.

I mentioned my grandmother's caramel recipe which calls for cream. Not finding anything in the grocery store labeled simply 'cream' I had asked my mother...whipping cream? heavy cream? She wasn't sure, she told me--mum just went out to barn.

Speaking of going out to the barn...we talked about modern, policitical issues too, like whether the govorner would sign the raw milk bill (he didn't). Also--the complexities of getting fresh foods into the school lunches, and the societal benefits of buying locally produced food.

All in all it was a good night. Good conversation and good people. And everyone who wanted it went home with some lettuce!

Seeing Red

2010-05-17T05:54:00.001-07:00

Merville des Quatre Saisons:

Red Grand Rapids - Red Sail:

Orach:

Really Red Deer Tongue:
Red Salad Bowl:

Harvesting

2010-05-13T06:11:00.000-07:00

This:

And this:

Join Us on May 19th!

2010-05-10T07:19:00.000-07:00

Planting the Seeds of Conversation: A World Cafe Discussion of Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman
Wednesday, May 19th from 6 to 8 p.m.
Location: Brown County UW-Extension Office, 1150 Bellevue St. in Green Bay
Registration: $12 per person, due by May 17th

Okay, so I'm going to be leading a table discussion at an upcoming World Cafe event. If you've never been to a World Cafe, they're pretty cool. You get a bunch of smart, community-engaged people in a room and you talk!

You move from table to table to meet new people and address different topics at each. In the end, hopefully we all walk away with ideas and energy to either improve ourselves or our community. Or at the very least we all walk away with a good meal in our bellies and good information in our heads.

We're using this year's One Book One Community selection as our jumping off point: Seedfolks.

It's a super slim little book. Won't take you more than one sitting to read. But if you can't read it before the event, come anyway!

Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman is the story of a community garden that evolves in a vacant lot, located in a neighborhood where no one seems to care. Thirteen very different voices tell one amazing story about a garden that transforms a neighborhood.

Here's just some of what we'll talk about:
What foods at your dinner table did your grandparents eat when they were your age? Describe a family recipe. Describe the very first time you tasted something that you picked off a tree, vine, stem or pulled out of the ground. How did it taste?In your day to do life where do you interact with nature?

Join Us to discuss these questions and more over a warm meal.

Sponsored by One Book, One Community. For more information about this event, Seedfolks and the organization please visit http://www.browncountyreads.org/.

Beet Sprouts

2010-05-07T06:17:00.000-07:00

So I finally did that thinning at the garden. Came home with this big plate of beet greens. (Yes, really, my seeding technique is THAT bad.)

I had some pancetta, so I sauted that with some onions and then I threw the greens in. I did trim off most of the heavier stems and roots before I threw them in the pan. Shortly after adding the greens, I poured in a mixture of sugar and cider apple vinegar--less than a 1/4 cup.

All in all, I'd say...eh. It's definitely an earthy flavor. Maybe I would have liked it more with bacon and less vinegar.

Time to Thin

2010-04-30T12:25:00.000-07:00

Ugh. Clearly I have seeding issues. See all those CLUMPS of plants. Double ugh.

That's waaaaaay too many little beet plants coming up all in one spot.

(View inside a cold frame.)

SunChips Compostable Bag: Day 1

2010-04-29T11:41:00.000-07:00

Package says: World's First 100% Compostable Chip Package.

From the SunChips website: Every 10 1/2 ounce SunChips package is designed to fully break down in just 14 weeks when placed in a hot, active compost bin or pile.

I'm not sure my compost bin is 'hot' or 'active' enough, but the people at SunChips aren't worried. They write, If it takes a little longer, don't worry about it. Mother Nature will get to it soon enough.

So we're going to see how long it takes. That bin has good compost starting at the bottom and lots of last fall's dead leaves and this spring's kitchen waste on top. I turned it some (I'm horrible about actually turning my bins), so the chip bag is probably just above middle now.

Will try to get some grass clippings in there soon to heat things up.

If you don't want to wait for my results, watch the SunChips video.

Second Planting

2010-04-26T17:44:00.000-07:00

Visited the garden on Saturday and did a 2nd planting of greens in all the beds. As you can see, I have few things coming up. I'm about 85% sure that's the arugula in the photo. Most of the other sprouts are far less dramatic.

Also did second seedings in the beets--where my seed scattering was definitely spotty and in the cold frame that was SUPPOSED to have spinach in it. But nary a spout to be seen.

Radishes and turnips are also making an appearance.

We're on our way!

Garden Tilling Service (& way more)

2010-04-22T14:49:00.000-07:00

So I went to the panel on community gardens at the library last night. Lots of good information shared and discussion afterwards.

The most exciting (to me anyway) was the information from Tsunhehkwa. (Sounds like June-hink-kwa.) It's the Oneida agriculatural center and...it's not just for Oneidas.

We heard from Jeff Metoxen about all the amazing offerings they have. The COOLEST thing though is that they'll come till up a garden for you. Just $20 for up to a 1/4 of an acre!! (Can you even rent a tiller and do it yourself for that???) Plus, PLUS if you're 55 or older the price drops to just $10. Even if you're not Oneida.

Also, on May 8th, at 10 a.m. you can come be a part of their seed and plant distribution. For just $5 you'll recieve seeds and plants, including onion sets and potatoes. Enough to grow a 40x40 garden. Yes, even if you're not Oneida.

They also have a store where you can get organic certified grass-fed beef, free range chicken, turkeys and eggs and other organic food.

Plus they have a community cannery where you can take classes or even have your own produce canned for you.

We actually went in with my brother's family on part of a cow from Tsunhehkwa last year. It's good!

They also do lots of other cool stuff like run some community gardens and host a farmers' market on Thursday nights. (Near the Oneida One Stop, he said, but you might want to call for better directions.)

And again, everyone is welcome!

Nipped in the Bud

2010-04-16T10:35:00.000-07:00

I hates rabbits. I hates them, I tell you! I mean seriously! What could be more fiendish than a creature that snips the buds off tulips? What?

Argh! I had the hot pepper wax sitting out on the cupboard because I knew the tulips were overdue for a coating of 'ick.' I knew I was taking a chance when I went to bed last night without spraying them. I knew it, but I skipped the job anyway. So sorry little guys.

Here's the rest of the group, reaching....reaching for the sun:

Community Gardens panel

2010-04-14T13:01:00.000-07:00

A panel discussion on "Community Gardens in Brown County: Past, Present, and Future Generations" will be held on Wednesday, April 21, 2010 from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Brown County Central Library Auditorium, 515 Pine Street, downtown Green Bay.

The panelists include Karen Early from UW Brown County Extension; Jeff Metoxen from Tsyunhehkwa and the Oneida Community Integrated Food System; Yia Thao from Northeast Wisconsin Technical College; and Kay Huxford, a teacher at West High School.

They will talk about why they got involved in community gardens, how gardens connect people across the generations, and what young people are learning from school projects on community gardens.

This event is in support of the One Book One Community reading selection of Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman, a young adult novel about the creation of a community garden on a vacant lot in a low-income neighborhood in Cleveland.

Coooooold

2010-04-09T06:17:00.000-07:00

Okay people. I gardened in the snow last night. The snow!

Well actually most of my gardening was inside the high tunnel, but it was surrounded by snow. And I had to trudge through the snow to water my poor cold frames. (Which I shut by the way.)

So the big high tunnel focus is gonna be greens this year. Greens I tell ya. I planted 20 different varieties last night -- mostly lettuce, but also some kale and argula and such.

It's amazing the things that come to you first thing in the morning, when one of my first waking thoughts of clarity was....'No spinach?!'

Yeah, so that's a problem we're going to have to rectify. Some of the space I left for second seedings will have to go to spinach. Because, I mean, lettuce is great and all, but it doesn't really saute.

Oooo...and speaking of sauted greens....guess what I just had for breakfast. Chorizo and kale. (See my recipe here.) I pulled all the winter greens out before planting last night. Had a nice good bunch of kale.

(The argula had all gone to seed and the lettuce was a bit big too. Also harvested: salad onions, mustard greens and some carrots.)

Planted last night:

Asian Greens
Endive
Escarole
Arugula
Kale - Winterbor
Kale - Tuscan Lacinato
Salad Greens - Orach Mixture
Salad Greens - Mache VerteLettuce - romaine
Lettuce - 'Merveille Des Quatre Saisons'
Lettuce - Really Red Deer-Tongue
Lettuce - Red Salad Bowl Looseleaf
Lettuce - Lolla Rossa Looseleaf
Lettuce - Butterhead
Lettuce - Red Summer Crisp
Lettuce - Green Grand Rapids Black Seeded Simpson
Lettuce - Green Grand Rapids Simpson Elite
Lettuce - Green Grand Rapids Tropicana Pelleted
Lettuce - Red Grand Rapids Vulcan
Lettuce - Red Grand Rapids Red Sails

Back At It

2010-04-01T07:09:00.000-07:00

I finally got my butt back over the the gardens yesterday. Here's the thing. I don't like the cold. So the idea of driving across town in December to water carrots...not so much.

So the Extension staff took over for the winter. All in all the yield was not great, I'm told. The row covers blew off one day (wind came in through an open door when someone was leaving the high tunnel) and much of the kale and carrots froze. Anyway, now we're using clamps to keep the row covers secure. It's all a learning experience.

Bill did go ahead and seed some greens, like that big clump of argula that's already starting to bolt. And some of the carrots are still alive, so all was not lost.

The plan for the high tunnel this year, I believe, it to focus more on salad greens. We'll see where that goes. Temperature was mighty warm in their yesterday, so I opened the window and the doors to cool things down a bit while I planted some of these:
Yeah, I know a 70+ degree day at the tail end of March is a little late to be planting the cold frames. Did I mention I don't like the cold?

So anyway, I'm leaving the covers open for now, while the weather is nice--especially since I planted cold weather crops like spinach and kale and beets. I know! It's going to get too warm in there and they won't germinate properly. Almost makes me wish for some snow, so I don't look so silly. (shudder)

Giving Thanks

2009-11-27T07:17:00.000-08:00

For this totally awesome patch of lettuce, growing happily undercover in the high tunnel in late November.

(And thanks for the beets, carrots, onions, and arugula too.)

While I Was Gone

2009-11-17T05:58:00.000-08:00

Things grew!

We have beets and carrots and onions making a strong appearance. Even some lettuce. Cabbage failed to appear despite two plantings. Spinach showed up and then mysteriously bit the dust.

So yeah, about my month long absence.... I guess "while I was gone" isn't quite accurate. More like "How I took a tiny break from the garden and that snowballed into a solid month of avoidance during which time Bill from the Extension diligently watered and even planted more greens and I'm a rotten leaker."

Yeah, guilt. I'm good at that. Dropping the ball? Yup, sadly sometimes I do that too.

Extra Cover

2009-10-08T10:22:00.000-07:00

Wow, this picture looks kinda spooky. No these aren't garden specters. You're looking at floating row covers on our remaining tomatoes and the new beds of greens and root veggies.

Cold temperatures at night mean a little extra insulation is in order.

Voles!

2009-10-07T14:57:00.000-07:00

There are a few tomato plants left in the high tunnel. And those poor plants have been feeding the voles. Oooo, those are beastly creatures.

Beastly vegetarian creatures no less. And clearly, their mothers never taught them to finish their plates. It's just a little snack from here, and another from over there.....

The problem we are up against is that these rotten animals may decide to winter in the high tunnel. And that will pose big, big problems for our fledgling greens this fall and next spring.

Feeling a bit like Mr. McGregor, only my pests aren't dressed in cute little blue jackets. Beatrix Potter anyone?

Green Tomatoes

2009-10-06T14:50:00.000-07:00

Most of the tomato plants have been pulled and are ripening inside the Extension offices. I hate tomatoes that ripen indoors. Oh, wait, it's not good to hate. I really, really, really don't prefer tomatoes that ripen indoors. Sooo not the same.

Bill says they beat the rubber tomatoes available in the supermarket come February, but honestly, truly, I beg to differ. The don't stay firm. It's like they go from green straight to mushy.

Maybe it's all in my head. Who wants to set up a blind taste test for me to see if I can spot the vine ripened fruit? And by vine ripened, I mean that vine should still be attached to roots, in the ground. Sigh.

Tomato season is just too dang short!

Sides Down

2009-10-05T14:46:00.000-07:00

As you can see the sides are back down on the high tunnel. Kinda shivery and gray outside, but warm and toasty on the inside.

Thinking about getting me a little bistro patio for the inside. Would be a stellar place to enjoy a coffee and a paper this fall.

Banana Bread

2009-10-01T04:52:00.000-07:00

To my husband, who didn't eat a single slice of that AWESOME banana bread I made with whole wheat flour, local raw honey, and dried organic cherries:

Sometimes I just don't get you.

Lord Grey's Peaches

2009-09-27T14:42:00.000-07:00

Three quarts of peaches in an earl grey syrup. Sooooo amazing. From a new blog I found that might make all my canning books obsolete. It's called Saving the Season. Love his flavor combinations and clear instructions.

(And you thought I only did jam.)

SAFE Salsa Recipe

2009-09-24T07:32:00.000-07:00

Okay folks. I led you astray with my salsa recipe. Apparently, there is not enough acid in my recipe to prevent botulism. Thanks to reader joe-il for alerting me to my mistake. Read his comment under my original post.

Note: The original post has already been modified somewhat, altering readers to its unsuitability for canning.

I checked with the Extension folks, and they sent over a new recipe (below). Also, I've been informed that salsa should only be canned in pint jars.

Tomato/Tomato Paste Salsa l

3 quarts sliced tomatoes, peeled, cored and chopped
3 cups onions, chopped (3 medium whole)
6 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
4 long green chilies, peeled, seeded, and chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 12-ounce cans tomato paste
2 cups bottled lemon or lime juice
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon ground cumin (optional)
2 tablespoons oregano leaves (optional)
1 teaspoon black pepper

Yield: 7 to 9 pints

Jalapeno peppers do not need to be peeled. Peel and prepare chili peppers.* To peel tomatoes, dip in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds or until skins split, then dip in cold water to remove skins. Core and chop tomatoes. Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and heat, stirring frequently, until mixture boils. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle hot salsa into clean, hot pint jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe jar rims and cap with properly pre-treated lids. Process in a boiling water bath canner. Process time in a boiling water bath canner for hot pack pint jars at the following elevations:

0-1,000 feet 15 minutes

1,001 – 6,000 feet 20 minutes

My sincere apologies. (Sigh.) Not a fun post to write.

On a lighter note, the red pepper above weighs a whopping 14oz.

Simple Salad III

2009-09-21T13:29:00.000-07:00

Really more of a mid summer salad than late, as I imagine most people's cucumbers are done for the year. This one came delivered from a very kind neighbor.

Not my personal favorite, but it is another fresh, simple dish. The recipe comes from my husband's family and, inexplicably, the recipe card says 'NOT' to change ingredients. Huh. Well you can guess how I feel about that. The original only called for cucumbers, but it works just fine with tomatoes too.

1 cup mayo (or a lot less!)
1 tbl. vinegar
2 tbl. milk
1 tsp. sugar
salt & pepper

I'm thinking a nice dose of dill would be good in here too. What else?

Local Compost Seminar

2009-09-21T13:09:00.000-07:00

SEEDs for De Pere, a part of Main Street De Pere, Inc., a program of the De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce, will host a composting workshop at 10 a.m. on Sat., Sept. 26. Participants should meet at Vanevenhoven De Pere Hardware, 1045 N. Broadway, De Pere.

The workshop will be led by Dave Haupt, a well known area home gardener, and will include a visit to an area composting site. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Rosalie Shier, 336-5870, email rshier2@yahoo.com.

Above is a photo of my own compost bins. I picked up the black bin on the left off a neighbor's curb. Best garbage score ever! This is a stacking style bin with hinged lid that sold for ~$75 when it was on the market. I love it. My husband made me the bins on the right, and after more than 10 years of use (and one move across town), it is starting to fall apart.

Plus, here's my own personal compost problem. Maybe someone can help me solve it:

I left the bottoms open on my homemade compost bin and I think roots from the nearby trees crept their way up into my bins. All I know is that I have two compartments so choked solid that I have to fight like mad to get my shovel in and get anything out. I laid weed barrier under my third bin (the new black one). Meanwhile I'm trying to put off the day when I have to tip the other over, fight it all down, and start over. Think it's really roots? Or maybe seed matter in my compost material?

And by the way, we are a composting neighborhood. Here's a shot of the bin next door:

Someday I'll post of picture of my parents' bins. Now THOSE are something to see. Compost maniacs, I'm telling ya. Whenever Mom and I do the area garden walks together, she wants to know where their 'messy area' is hiding. In other words, where are the compost bins? Unimaginable that any gardener could be without.

'Cause People Like to Say 'Salsa'

2009-09-20T14:32:00.000-07:00

Salsa: 19 pints, 1 quart, plus more in the fridge.
Times I've left the house since making these: About 3.
Times I've remembered to pick up tortilla chips: 0.

With the exception of the bell peppers and some of the onions, all of these ingredients were purchased at the farmer's market. Got a large flat of tomatoes on Wednesday night for just $8. Score. Made all of this and still have some left over. (Tomatoes in the high tunnel are starting to ripen, but not enough for mass salsa production.)

NOTE ADDED SEPT. 24: This recipe is not deemed safe for canning. And salsa should only be canned in pints. Please see this safe salsa recipe. Use this recipe for fresh salsa only.

This is my brother's fresh salsa recipe:

4 tomatoes
5 jalepenos
2 medium onions
1 sweet bell
1 small can tomato sauce
1 tsp garlic
1 tbl. salt
1.5 tbl. white wine vinegar
2 tbl. fresh cilantro

(And that's a Seinfeld reference in the title, for those of you scratchin' your heads.)

Simple Salad II

2009-09-20T14:23:00.000-07:00

Another simple, late summer salad. Tomatoes, a little basil chiffonade, and fresh mozzarella. Sprinkle with a coarse salt and balsamic vinegar.

And do splurge on the good mozzarella--the kind that comes in the round balls.

(That's another thing I need to learn to make: fresh cheese!)

Simple Salad

2009-09-18T05:24:00.000-07:00

Meet one of my all time favorite veggie concoctions: avocado, red pepper and tomato.

Chop it all up, sprinkle with coarse salt, and splash on some lime juice. Key lime, if you're feeling foxy.

(Also good with chopped cucumbers.)

Fruit Fly Season

2009-09-17T05:08:00.000-07:00

It's fruit fly season!

That's the time of year when, no matter how hard you try, you can't keep up with all the produce on your kitchen counter.

Despite two batches of jam, I couldn't get through all the pears generously donated by an aunt and uncle. So after watching swarms of little winged buggers hovering over this bowl, I decided to move it outside.

I'll step out the door if I want a piece of fruit. (Provided the critters don't find a way onto my patio table, that is.)

What doesn't get eaten will go to the compost bin, and that's okay. The best thing about a compost bin is that I don't have to feel guilty about wasting produce.

'Bye, bye soggy smelly greens. See yah, slimy pepper. Later...whatever you were molding in the back of my fruit drawer. Have fun with the coffee grounds. We'll meet again in year or so.'

Jamming It All In

2009-09-14T06:37:00.000-07:00

Does harvest time ever exhaust you? There's just so very much to do! At this point, I've stopped putting the canning equipment away. I have a small mountain of jars, pectin, and recipe books stacked on my kitchen floor, so that I can get some quick prep work done whenever I have both a free moment and the energy together. Even pre-measuring the sugar for a recipe one afternoon helps keep the task from feeling too daunting the next.

This weekend's total output was rather low, but that's only because I switched to some low sugar recipes -- hence all the opaque jars you see above. Only the last was made with regular commercial pectin. See how the light shines through? That jar is alllll sugar.

From left to right:

Crabapple Jelly. Made traditionally, this would have been a beautiful, pink, jewel-toned jar. I had the sugar all measured and ready to tip in the pan, but at the last moment I couldn't do it. Nine cups it wanted, for seven cups juice! So I made this with Pomona's Pectin instead. One cup of sugar to four cups of juice. The flavor is true to the juice, but it's really a bit too mild for my taste. Next time, I'm thinking a little jalepeno cooked in the juice and then sieved out at the last minute would really add some flavor interest.

Ginger Pear. No pectin at all. 3# pears to one cup sugar. Cook the ginger slices in the fruit and then fish out before jarring. I wish the ginger flavor was stronger. I have a different book that calls for preserved ginger that stays in the jam, but I haven't been able to figure out exactly what that is or where I can buy it. I don't believe it is simply candied ginger, but I'm not sure. I cooked this batch down quite far and only got 2.5 jelly jars for my effort.

Blackberry Crabapple Cardamom. LOVE IT!! This was really going to be a 'throwaway' batch of sorts, to use up my leftover blackberry pulp and crabapple juice, but then I saw a recipe that called for the same combination, only it used apples instead of crabapples. So I figured I was good to go.

I think I overdid it on the cardamom -- used one tablespoon of lightly crushed caradmom seeds. But I like the strong flavor. This is another one where the seeds get cooked in the juice (in a tea bag or cheesecloth) and then fished out before jarring.

I got this idea (although not the exact recipe) from one of my least favorite jam books--one in which the author provides all sorts of not-so-helpful directions like "use the seeds from three cardamom pods." Yeah, and if I just have the seeds....????

This was also made with Pomona's Pectin and a 4:1 juice to sugar ratio.

Pear & Frangelico. Recipe from Well Preserved, one of my favorite jam books. The flavors go so well together, and the Frangelico really stands out. Six and 3/4 jars from this, thanks to all the sugar.

Now...do I have the energy for grapes and elderberries yet? Or perhaps a better question, do I have enough people on my gift list?

Fall Planting, Part Deux

2009-09-11T05:56:00.000-07:00

More seeds in the ground last night. This was our second fall planting (the first was cabbage and winter onions more than a week ago). My instructions from Bill were to plant "twice as many as I wanted" so we had produce to experiment with. One of the big questions, I believe, is how long we can leave the root vegetables in the ground before they go all soft and squidgy.

Remember, we have lots of insulation around the base of the high tunnel. That and the air protection above ground should help us stretch our harvest season quite far. Harvesting in January or February perhaps?

Blackberry Cab Jam

2009-09-10T07:01:00.000-07:00

Last night, not one, but TWO people brought me fresh, wild blackberries. I felt like Maria from the Sound of Music, surprised to find such karmic goodness in her life....for somewhere in my youth, or childhood, I must have done something good.

I had way more than enough for a batch of jam. Happily, I found a Blackberry Cabernet Sauvignon jam recipe in that 175 Best Jams book I told you about earlier. Also happily, I only needed a cup for the recipe, so some of my sainted berry-bearers stuck around to help me drink the rest of the bottle.

That's two favors they did for me in one night. How lucky am I?

Pesto

2009-09-09T13:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this is another one of those not-so-pretty pics. But I mean, it's green blobs. What could you expect me to do?

What you're looking at is a healthy batch of pesto from my own home garden. I have very little sun space for growing edibles, but I do make sure to have some basil plants every year.

These "blobs" have been frozen and are waiting to be bagged and tossed back in the freezer for some quick grab-n-heat pesto pasta dinners.

What do you like to do with pesto?

8 3/4 Inch Fingerling

2009-09-03T06:25:00.000-07:00

Do you SEE that potato. That, my friends, is a "fingerling." I don't know about you, but my fingers are no where near that long. Heck, my entire hand isn't than big.

We kind of thought we might be in for a big harvest back in late July when I couldn't resist seeing how the potatoes were doing. That's about when we had "fingerlings."

Anyway, we harvested 30 pounds 2 ounces out of the high tunnel last night -- planted in a 9 ft space. That's on top of the 40 pounds harvested out of a 12-ft outdoor bed, and about 8-ish pounds from another outdoor location.

Comparing high tunnel to outside -- you'd have to declare it a tie. I was disappointed (I REALLY wanted to win) 'cause our potato plants were so prodigiously big and gorgeous. I was positive we'd have the higher yield.

Ah well, it's still all and good on the potato front. Bill says we were expected to get 20 lbs of potatoes for every 1 lb of seed potatoes planted. Well....that was 1 lb of seed potatoes total, across three locations, and very nearly an 80 lb yield.

Not bad. Even if I didn't win.

Absolutely BEST Way to Eat Green Beans

2009-08-26T13:22:00.000-07:00

It's green bean time in the Extension gardens. And they just keep coming and coming.

As far as I'm concerned there is ONE, unequivocal best way to eat green beans -- lightly steamed and tossed with a dijon dressing with feta and tomatoes. Ummmmm.....I can't help but gorging every time I make it.

I use an old Martha Stewart Food recipe with slight variation. The original called for scallions (which I skip) and halved cherry tomatoes (which I generally replace with chunked romas.)

For the dressing - 1/3 cup white wine vinegar with 1 teaspoon (or more) dijon mustard. I like the fancy Grey Poupon stuff.

As for the beans, tomatoes and feta, I dunno. Eyeball that. I think this was about 3 oz feta in last night's dish, maybe four tomatoes, and my steamer kettle full to the brim with beans.

Best warm, but plenty fine served cold too. Love it!!!

Broadfork

2009-08-26T08:49:00.000-07:00

That's me working the soil in the high tunnel with a broadfork--a human-powered rotatiller.

The fork is about 20" wide and has five tines, I think, to lift and aerate the soil. It worked quite well in the high tunnel, where space is tight. Really, a powered rotatiller would have been totally unnecessary. Because we haven't been trampling the soil all summer, it was still nice and light. I'd say it spent all of 15 minutes, maybe, loosening the soil in two rows.

It was HOT in the high tunnel though, even with the sides up, and I was fresh from standing outside working a golf outing all day. So I must admit that when Bill asked me if I didn't prefer that to a machine, I hestitated.

Now, in retrospect, in the cool breeze of morning, I can say that yes, the broadfork was WAY better than pushing some heavy machine into the tunnel and standing behind a hot, loud motor. It's just at 80+ degrees in a heavy weight polo and pants, just about any kind of labor seemed offensive.

That's okay. Took a super fast shower after the garden and then headed out to hear some jazz at Heritage Hill. They have a very nice 'carry-ins welcome' policy for their Monday night concerts, so I carried in some local red wine. Yes [sip]....I earned this.

Four Pound Onion

2009-08-25T08:41:00.000-07:00

We pulled the last of the onions from the high tunnel on Monday to make way for fall planting. This was the biggest, weighing in at more than four pounds. The next biggest was a mear 3.5.

Flash in the Pan

2009-08-24T05:49:00.000-07:00

Seems as though the pickling cucumbers were only with us for a few days. The bed was overrun just over a week ago, and now the plants are done. So done they've been yanked and sent to the compost bin.

That's okay, I guess, 'cause we're doing some FALL PLANTING tonight.

Speaking of fall planting, Bill put a new row of peas in an outside bed, and they're already popping up nicely.

We Be Jammin'

2009-08-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

Well Preserved by Joan Hassol
175 Best Jams, Jellies, Marmalades & Other Soft Spreads by Linda J. Amendt

These are my two favorite jamming books. Both available from the Brown County Library. (In fact, if you look closely you can see the one of the left IS a library book.) I own two others, but these are the best.

Why do I like them? Well, they both rely on commercial pectin and I appreciate the low-work, no-fail results you get with products like Certo and Sure-Jell.

Second, both books push the 'Strawberry-Rhubarb' envelope with fun new combinations that incorporate ingredients like preserved ginger, citrus, vanilla bean, spices and liqueurs.

Using these books last year, I made pear & Frangelico, cranberry jalepeno, peach brandy, raspberry rum, and blueberry lemon in addition to more traditional flavors, currant and elderberry. (Wow, that was kind of a lot!)

Would love to learn to make more artisan-style jams without commercial pectin, but I want a personal teacher for that. Every time I try, it's a failure and I hate to waste all that fruit. Sure, it makes good pancake topping, but there's something about failed jam that just doesn't say 'Merry Christmas' to me. (You didn't think I was eating all that jam by myself, did you?)

I've also done some experimenting with Pomona's Pectin, 'cause you can cut the sugar way way down, but that too can lead to failure if you don't have the right recipe. I started keeping a jam log last year so I can start to learn and experiment rather than just following a recipe all the time.

Anyone know of an artisan jam class in Wisconsin?

Apricot Lime

2009-08-20T12:08:00.000-07:00

Bill shared some of the Extension's organic apricot harvest with me, so of course I had to make jam. You're looking at a jar of 'apricot lime.'

Last year my batch of 'blueberry lemon' was the runaway favorite. While I don't exactly taste the citrus, I think it really brightens the flavor.

Five Little Peppers

2009-08-12T04:58:00.000-07:00

Did you read any of the Five Little Peppers books when you were little? No? Well me neither. But I know they were some of my mother's childhood favorites. Maybe it's time to visit them.

These are five dark purple peppers harvested from the garden yesterday. Most of the plants from our "rainbow" mix appear to be purple. And they're going gangbusters right now.

So far I'm only seeing two other colors -- one yellow plant and a few green. Those green better be turning some shades of orange and red, or I'm going to have words with the seed folk. Colorful words.

Missing Path

2009-08-11T13:44:00.000-07:00

These are the cucumbers crawling out of their bed, migrating across the path, and encroaching on the onions. Bill estimates we've picked 169 lbs of cucumbers from the inside and outside beds so far this summer. Add on the....I don't know...10 pounds I picked today and we're nearing 200. Still lots of blossoms and lots of pickin' time to go.

2009-08-10T08:06:00.000-07:00

(Above) These are the tomatoes inside the high tunnel, taken with the camera up at EYE LEVEL.

(Below) And these are the tomatoes outside, taken with the camera at HIP LEVEL.

It's been a cool, cool summer and our heat-lovin' plants are not exactly thriving. My cousin said they've just started to harvest the early "Fourth of July" tomatoes in her garden plot.

All I can say is that they better get going, or we're all going to have to go southern and start eating a lot of fried green tomatoes this fall.

Zinnias

2009-08-08T06:58:00.000-07:00

Harvested a bouquet of zinnias from the garden last week. I put them out on the porch to photograph them, but the pup thought I was offering him a snack. As far as my dog is concerned, if it's green, it's good.

Does this bode well for my someday-kids? Will they be eager veggie eaters too? (Just so long as they don't roll in dead fish and sniff other kids butts.)

Anyway, the variety you see here is Benary's Giant. Their description is.....high yield of long sturdy stems with fully double, dahlia-like blooms.

Kaolin Clay

2009-08-03T08:27:00.000-07:00

To everyone who saw me in the grocery store on Wednesday night... no those were not deodorant stains all over my black shirt. It was kaolin clay, and I was covered with it after picking cherries.

Totally non-toxic, the clay reduces the insects and birds who bother the fruit, and is considered an organic solution.

Cherry Bomb

2009-08-01T08:13:00.000-07:00

Here's two of five luscious jewel-toned jars of cherry syrup I made from the recent harvest.

My husband and I made a batch of this syrup several years ago and were disappointed with the cherry flavor at first. Seemed like the jars were much better after a few years of maturity. We gave the last one away this spring, so I was bracing myself for a few years without.

But I was pleasantly surprised with the strong cherry flavor in this batch. We're ready to go right from day one. The difference, I think, may be because I pitted all these cherry and chopped some up, instead of boiling them whole. (I was prepping to make jam. The syrup was a last minute adjustment.)

At any rate, I'm decidedly pleased. Maybe even a little smug. (It's just soooo pretty.)

Purple Pepper

2009-07-31T08:37:00.000-07:00

This little guy is making himself known in one of the outdoor beds. So excited for my rainbow peppers to start making an appearance. Here's hoping I get some orange and yellow and red ones too! But no green. Blech! (Sorry Kermit.)

Feeling Rather Pickled Myself

2009-07-30T07:40:00.000-07:00

The cucumbers in and out of the high tunnel are ready. Bill picked nine pounds on Monday and by Wednesday they were begging to be picked again. I got about 10 pounds, although some were too big for pickling anymore. That's okay, my husband is plenty fine with cucumber snacks.

It's been a few years since I pickeled, and I had forgotten how FRUSTRATING it is. You see, the little package of Ball pickling mix tells me to cut up 7 pounds and prep 8 pint jar. Well seriously. No way.

I was able to get HALF that quantity into seven jars. And it took all the hot pickling syrup I had. So I guess I'm a really bad pickle packer. (Hmm...I think there's a Seuss book there.)

What am I supposed to do--carefully place these chunks in the jar one by one like puzzle pieces?? When I woke up this morning I saw that all my pickles have floated to the top of the jar, leaving like an inch of juice below. Arrgh!

Anyway, I quit at 7 jars because I was packing them about 11:30 p.m. last night when I remembered my boiling water canner only holds six jars at a time. And noooooo way was I saying up to boil two batches. The extra jar went straight to the fridge.

But seriously, I'm assuming most canners hold the same quantity as mine. So why wouldn't the Ball recipe be designed to produce batches in increments of 6?? Would seem a bit of a waste to run that canner for 15 minutes with only two jars.

And another thing, local grocery store which shall remain nameless.....why, oh why, wasn't the pickling mix with the rest of the canning supplies in aisle 1? Or maybe the pickle aisle? Or the spice aisle? Or even the produce department? What mysterious logic says, "Pickle mix. Yeah. That goes with the Jello."

Sunny Days

2009-07-30T07:31:00.000-07:00

'Cause who can resist a good sunflower picture?

Apple Bagging

2009-07-29T07:20:00.000-07:00

Also not from the high tunnel, obviously. These apples are bagged to protect them from pests.

DJP over at the Vegetable Garden gives an extensive explanation of the apple bagging process, so I'll refer you to him. He's a former extension staffer and was an early pioneer of this bagging technique.

The UW Extension also has an apple bagging video on its site.

They Might Be Giants

2009-07-27T06:26:00.000-07:00

Onions in the high tunnel are H.U.G.E. huge.

Cheery-O

2009-07-25T07:13:00.000-07:00

These bright red beauties did not come from the high tunnel, but they did come from the extension's organic gardens. I picked a good bunch and hardly made a dent. Soooo pretty.

Cucumbers

2009-07-24T07:10:00.000-07:00

The cucumbers look healthy, but there's not much worth picking yet. These are pickling cukes, destined for vinegar.

First Fingerling

2009-07-23T06:41:00.000-07:00

Okay the potato plants are still totally flowering, but I just had to sneak a peak at what was hiding underneath. Pulled this nice large fingerling out this morning. I'd say he's ready! (But I'll let his brothers and sisters be for a while.)

Was a little fearful when I reached in to get him 'cause the bees were sure plentiful this morning....

Rolling up the sides lets all those helpful critters in.

A Tale of Two Tomatoes

2009-07-21T06:29:00.000-07:00

Our high tunnel tomatoes aren't really any further along than anyone else's this summer. It'll be a while before these three paste toms are ready to eat. All the plants are big and healthy thought.

The real test will be to see how late we can get tomatoes this fall. These plants fall in the tiny and might-not-make-it category. Can you even see that poor naked little stem about an inch in front of the stake??? We have a whole row of little cherry tomatoe buggers like that. If they make it, we might be harvesting in October. How cool would that be?

Live, little plants, live.

Radio Broadcast

2009-07-15T14:19:00.000-07:00

Tune in this Thursday, July 16 at noon (central time) for an internet radio program on hoop houses.

This week’s spotlight will show small-scale farmers how hoop houses can extend the growing season. The program will cover the uses and benefits of hoop houses; different structure types; how to manage crops, fertility, pests and weeds; and the economics and marketing of hoop house crops.

Host Jeff Birkby, outreach director for NCAT’s ATTRA – National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service project, will be joined by NCAT horticulture specialists Tammy Hinman and Andy Pressman.

Hinman holds a Bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University in horticulture food crops and entomology and a Master's degree in food system studies from Antioch University. Pressman has a Master’s in sustainable systems from Slippery Rock University. He is a certified permaculture designer. Hinman and Pressman both have market farming experience as well as experience building and growing in hoop houses.

Featured on the Green Talk Network, this is part of a weekly series on sustainable agriculture, running through early October. Archived files of each show will also be available on the ATTRA Web site.

Potato Blossoms

2009-07-11T14:56:00.000-07:00

The potatoes have been blooming for a little over two weeks now, so we should only be two or three more away from harvest. The potato plants outside the high tunnel are also blooming, but they aren't nearly as tall and bushy.

Maine's Potato Blossom Festival starts today.

Lady Beetle Eggs

2009-07-08T15:17:00.000-07:00

Organic gardeners should be able to recognize these eggs. These elongated, yellow eggs on the underside of a leaf are lady beetle eggs. They are good and we want them in our garden.

This will be especially important in the winter and spring because we want lady beetles to eat the aphids that will try to attack our salad greens.

High Water

2009-07-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

Alright! We're one step closer to a drip irrigation system. The high tunnel has its own water!

The Extension folks installed a "backflow protected automatic draining freezeless sanitary yard hydrant." How's that for a mouthful?

The water line to the hydrant is buried four feet deep. Come winter the hydrant must be operated at full flow, through the diverter, for a minimum of 30 seconds before and after each use to drain the hydrant and prevent freezing.

Here's the spec sheet with lots of details on our yard hydrant.

Insulating the Foundation

2009-07-02T07:21:00.000-07:00

The folks at the extension did some real heavy labor this summer and insulated the perimeter of the foundation. This insulation prevents heat loss inside the structure via the soil. It will also keep the ground warmer longer, further extending our growing season.

From this view you can see some of the insulation . The vertical sheets go down to a depth of 16 inches. Under that are some horizontal sheets 24 inches wide, extending out from the high tunnel.

The l-shape with the insulation is something that Michigan State tried. They went out four feet but we didn’t have room for that on a couple sides.

I've read about growers installing a solid wall about three feet around the perimeter to prevent heat loss and add to the thermal mass that can absorb solar heat. But as Bill explained to me, we're not set up for that as we don't have the rocks or concrete to store thermal heat.

I also read about someone else who insulated down four feet and loved the results. Bill agrees that deeper would have been better, but the Extension doesn't have access to a backhoe to make that reasonable.

Still he says, "When it comes to insulation I guess you could always do more."

Hip High Before 4th of July

2009-06-30T14:47:00.000-07:00

The onions in the high tunnel are still doing quite well as you can see. Bulbs are popping up out of the ground and the shoots are hip high.

All Hail Kale

2009-06-27T09:16:00.000-07:00

We still have kale coming out of our ears here at the high tunnel. But that's cool, 'cause it's soo yummy and good for you.

A month ago I used it in a potato soup. After that, I sauteed it down with some garlic and chicken stock a la Emeril. (Thanks to 13-year-old nephew Alek for cluing me in to the recipe.) And this past weekend, I wilted it with some chorizo and eggs for a family breakfast with my folks and sibs.

So here's what ya do: Saute chorizo in pan, then toss in kale, torn into medium size pieces. Let that cook down for a few minutes then season with some salt and a tablespoon or two of lemon juice. The push kale and chorizo to the side of the pan and crack 4 to 6 eggs (one at a time) in the center of the pan.

It was perfect. I was able to cut this in wedges and serve each person an egg with kale and chorizo on the side. Got rave reviews.

For more kale recipes (and other good veggies) visit I Heart Kale.

Will Bark for Peas

2009-06-25T12:37:00.000-07:00

Peas were ready to pick yesterday. These were planted outside the high tunnel after we scalded the first row. during a particularly warm weekend in early April. Remember, we were using an interior plastic row cover and we overheated.

Shared a bit of my harvest with our pup, who adores peas, green beans and carrots. He's also a big, big fan of watermelon. But, 'Is that an apple (sniff, sniff, sniff)? No, thank you."

Sun 'Sposure

2009-06-24T14:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a better image of the tool we use to roll up and prop the sides. Again, it's just basic pipe.

This is also a good shot showing the high tunnel orientation. The doors are on the north and south end, to maximize sun exposure as it travels over from east to west.

This picture was taken about seven a.m. this morning.

Roll Up Sides

2009-06-23T07:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a close up view of the rolled up sides, looking in on the potatoes and tomatoes. Bill says the sides will pretty much stay up through August, now that the weather is consistently warm. Obviously, this set up prevents the high tunnel from overheating. It also provides access for naturally beneficial insects.

Our roll up system is pretty simple. The plastic is just wrapped around one long pole. The pole has a t-joint at one end with another pole inside. That side pole is resting on the ground, so we can pick it up, use it to rotate the roller-pole, and then stick it back in the ground to hold the roller up.

The sides are up pretty high right now, but we could further regulate the temperature by raising or lowering the sides throughout the season (over even the day).

Check out these roll up photos from Rutgers

High Tunnel Resources

2009-06-19T14:05:00.000-07:00

Find out everything you need to know about high tunnels by talking with your local extension office. Come on out and visit our display garden or check out this high tunnel resource, compiled from national extension offices. Includes just about everything you need to get started--construction, materials, costs, and a basic intro.

Chair Dancing

2009-06-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

OMG! Here are my Harvard beets. This is one of those dishes that literally makes me dance. It’s like pickled beets, only hot and creamy. (Have I mentioned that I love pickled beets?) So incredibly good I’m bouncing in my chair.

You can see me do the same little chair dance at Taste of India where I ALWAYS order the vegetarian thali and then eat until my tummy hurts. It’s a good kind of pain.

And while not all out chair-dance-inducing, the root soup at St. Brendan’s is definitely good for some happy pre-meal applause.

What foodie treat gets you moving?

(Note: Recipe below has been updated to read 1/3 cup reserved cooking liquid. Also, I saved a whole lotta energy and nuked my beats instead of roasting them in my 80s era oven. Joy of Cooking said I could.)

Beetiful!

2009-06-04T07:38:00.000-07:00

Check these beauties out! I mean seriously, are these not gorgeous or what?? Literally popping out of the ground in the high tunnel today.

These gals are getting roasted in the oven and then turned into some Harvard Beets. Combine 1/3 cooking liquid, 2T sugar, 1 T cornstarch, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 cup vinegar, and 2 T butter. Cook until thick and bubbly. Add beets and bliss out.

Reusable Produce Bags

2009-06-03T19:14:00.000-07:00

Hit the Broadway district's farmer's market tonight and picked up these hydroponic tomatoes. (I ate a couple of the cherries on the way home. Absolutely perfect.)

This was the first time I've used my reusable produce bags, and not surprisingly, they drew some interest. One of the vendors even plucked one out of my hand and put it on the scale to see what it weighed -- nothing registered.

Of course, these bags aren't really meant for the farmer's market where I could just as easily reuse any plastic bag for my purchase. Really, the bags are designed for the grocery store. The mesh is clear enough that a checker would still be able to read the code off a sticker. And as we already know, they're just as light as filmy plastic.

Best thing about these bags--they're the brainchild of a new local company called EarthSAKS. Love to support the local economy.

Green Goodness

2009-05-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

Obviously I could use some food photo styling instruction. I photographed this creamed spinach about five different ways and I still couldn't make it look good. Ask my father, and he'd say given the subject matter that's not a surprise.

No bones about it, Dad doesn't like cooked spinach. I guess Mom must not be a huge fan either, because I don't think she ever served it when I was growing up. Not sure if I ever had creamed spinach before tonight, but all in all I have to say....it's goood.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that I used half & half, butter, and a good portion of really nice parmesan to make the sauce. Like a rich dessert, this is one dish to be eaten in moderation.

Dirt Therapy

2009-05-26T19:08:00.001-07:00

Today was a day. You know what I mean?

Back to back client meetings, deadlines looming, email inbox growing... Inhaled lunch (and then some) and before I knew it, it was 4:00 with barely enough time to return this morning's phone calls. Left for the garden tired and cranky with my stress showing clearly between my eyes.

And then I got down on my knees and dug in the dirt. Yeah.

Had NPR streaming through my earbuds, mud on my jeans, and fresh air in my lungs. Suddenly I felt sorta relaxed. Not totally carefree mind you, but appreciably lighter.

Planted 18 pepper plants in raised beds outside the high tunnel tonight. The extension beds are full of luxurious, soft black dirt. Rich with tons of wonderful compost, I'm sure. Didn't even need a trowel. Just dug my hands in and pushed the dirt aside. Awesome.

Kind of makes me think about kids and sandboxes. Think that's good for stress too?

Kale Me for Dinner

2009-05-22T12:54:00.001-07:00

A bunch of this lovely kale is going in a sausage potato soup tonight. Here's the recipe I got at a soup class I took through NWTC years ago:

Portuguese Potato Soup

6 oz. turkey keilbasa, sliced
2 T. olive oil
1.5 cups chopped onions
2 garlic cloves crushed
8 cups milk
2 lbs cubed potatoes
salt & pepper
3/4 lb kale, sliced

Saute kielbasa. Remove from pan. Heat oil and saute onion and garlic for 5 minutes. Next add milk, potatoes, salt and pepper and simmer for 30. Remove some of the mixture and blend in blender until smooth. Return to pan. Stir in kielbasa and kale and cook for another 10.

Onion Race

2009-05-22T12:48:00.000-07:00

The onions on the left were planted outside, on the same day the onions on the right were planted inside the high tunnel. Guess which ones we'll be eating first?

Spinach Saute

2009-05-20T12:31:00.000-07:00

We're harvesting spinach out of the high tunnel now. Filled a bread bag with about 3/4 # of leaves last time I picked.

This is one of my favorite ways to each spinach--sauteed with corn and tomatoes. You can use canned tomatoes and corn, before the fresh stuff is ready. But of course fresh is better!

Just heat the corn and tomatoes in some olive oil first and then throw in a ton of spinach (sliced in a chiffonade works best) until it wilts. Season with coarse salt. Yum!

Confession

2009-05-14T07:04:00.000-07:00

I don't. know what. I'm doing.

There I said it. The whole broccoli raab and radish section is a mess. The raab somehow drifted across the end of the row and I can't tell what's raab, what's radish, and what's weed. Everything is too close. It's not good.

Plus, to top it off....I've never grown or cooked broccoli raab before. I've eaten it in a restaurant, maybe once. So here's what I harvested today. Some of it is flowering already. And even I know that won't likely make for the best eatin'.

Plus, (blushing) you know that super spicy, super young "radish" I ate a few weeks back....well, I'm pretty sure it was a broccoli raab root. Sigh.