Kohlrabi Lotus

Kohlrabi is an interesting veggie to watch grow: first it starts off as a small, brown ,star-shaped seed, tentatively sending forth tiny, arrow shaped leaves. As it matures, the stalks turn purple, then pale green leaves form to protect its heart, where a small orb is taking shape. This orb fattens and swells above the root, storing sugar. The Kohlrabi has a beautiful lavender-purple tinge with lime green notches. Held from above it looks like a mini lotus flower. It's a great plant for edible landscaping, as it will grow anywhere. I usually like to eat them raw, sometimes like an apple, but I also like to dip them in egg and crumbs with cornmeal (like a fried green tomato) and then sliced on a salad or in a sandwich.The leaves are edible when used young, but tend to be a bit tough once the root bulb forms. Ideally, a Kohlrabi bulb should be smaller than an apple. Kohlrabi is an excellent source of vitamin C and potassium. It contains vitamin B6, folic acid, magnesium and copper. Kohlrabi leaves are rich in vitamin A. Members of the mustard family such as cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and Kohlrabi were all developed through the same plant through seed selection: http://gardenline.usask.ca/veg/cabbage.html Not the most common veggie in the market, but grow your own in some pots, you will love them up. You can even cut them into shapes, like this.

lavender in the kitchen

Yet another one of my favourite places on Earth is Happy Valley Herb farm in Metchosin: http://www.happyvalleylavender.com/ The farm is open for the annual Lavender Daze Friday June 26th for 3 weekends of Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays plus the holiday Wednesday.The farm's annual lavender harvest will run from Friday June 26th to the actual harvesting date of Sunday July 12th. When visiting the farm, you get to chat with Lynda Dowling, the "lavender lady" extraordinaire. Making lavender lemonade is amazing and fun: adding the lemon juice causes the purplish-tinted lavender water to turn a bright shade of pink! Just be sure to use the Hidcote Blue variety for best results. try it for yourself: kitchen alchemy at its best: http://www.happyvalleylavender.com/lavender_recipes.html#ade. If you have had a chance to look at my other blog, you will notice that I have contracted "lavenderitis" and have named my little herb 'business' Lavender Moon. I am making Lavender Balm this year with my own Hidcote English Lavender - along with St. John's Wort, Comfrey Leaf and tea tree oil. It will be a great all around skin-healing salve. Nothing brings a more peaceful sleep than the scent of lavender - lavender oil an a small cotton cloth tucked in your pillow will bring deep, sweet dreams. Lavender's amethyst purple colour is another way it brings us calm restfulness and eases anxiety and stress. In the kitchen, lavender is an ingredient in Herbes de Provence, and is used in many sweet recipes such as lavender shortbread. Here are a few recipes using lavender: http://www.happyvalleylavender.com/lavender_recipes.html http://www.lavenderlovers.com/recipes/recipes.html and this lavender blog: http://lavendergardening.blogspot.com/2008/04/lavender-blogs.html

The garden in June: In the Bower of Bliss

A June garden is one of the most beautiful, life-affirming places to be-if you sit still long enough, you can almost see (and hear!) the growth. Vines and tendrils reaching towards the light, fruits beginning to form. Roses scent the air, swallows swoop and dive, light rains may still fall. The raspberry bushes are loaded and ripening, the beets have been thinned and are beginning to swell, lavender is blossoming and bees are everywhere. The June garden is endlessly fascinating and very romantic.

Farmgirl Susan's Arugula Pesto

When you have a bumper crop of Arugula, there's nothing better than making it all into pesto! I just use my blender, but if you have a food processor, lucky you! I found this recipe here: http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/ > Here's the basic recipe ( I added lots of garlic and a few walnuts) 1/3 cup olive oil 3 - 6 cloves garlic 3 cups dry arugula 1 cup grated parmesan or pecornio romano cheese 1 cup chick peas drained and rinsed Combine everything, except the oil, pulse until pureed, then add the oil in a slow trickle. taste for salt/ add more oil for desired thickness. You can find a few more recipes here: http://www.seasonalchef.com/recipe0106c.htm I've also got this recipe lined up for later when watermelon is available: 1 cup olive oil 2 Tbs lime juice 2 Tbs champagne vinegar 2 tsp chopped thyme 1 small shallot minced 1 serrano chile sliced into small half rounds 1 small seedless watermelon 1/3 lb. wedge feta sliced 1/8" thick 1 bunch arugula Shake dressing ingredients together (ie everything except melon and feta) season with salt to taste cut watermelon into 3" squares, alternate with layers of feta, drizzle on dressing serve with lime wedges. I grew arugula by direct sowing in the Spring, thinning as needed, and pinching off the flowering tops that inevitably appear as soon as it gets hot. These are all great to add to salad. As soon as as the leaves get very large, I pull out the entire plant to process and resow. You can put dollops into ice cube trays to freeze. Here's a pic of arugula pesto mixed with cream cheese on crackers. Peppery goodness!

easy peasy

If you get a bumper crop of sugar snap or snow peas, you can make a tasty, quick salad by flash frying the peas in a bit of sesame oil, and adding sesame seeds and a splash of tamari right at the end. Simple, quick, and wonderfully delish. Great as a side salad cold, too. Add some marinated tofu cubes for a quick lunch.

popeye lives here

Spinach! grew overnight into a wild, green jungle that we have to eat a trail through ~ we've had spinach and rice soup, spinach pie, spinach salad, spinach quiche, even put spinach in smoothies! cooking mountains of glorious spinach to freeze. One can never have, or eat, too much spinach - Popeye would be proud. Press your tofu and squeeze moisture out of the spinach before making your pie, you can add some feta and fresh dill if you have any.

first cuke

With our recent heat wave, the garden is growing like mad! We can't possibly eat all the Asian stir fry greens, and I'm giving them away to friends and neighbours. The spinach is trying to bolt, so I'm pinching off the flowering tops, same with the arugula - which is destined to be made into pesto soon! Here's the first of our cucumbers from the hot house:

magic beans

These Scarlett Runner beans were given to me by my neighbour. They were her Grandfather's beans in England, and she's been growing them successively for almost 50 years - that's viable seed! This year we're growing them up the back porch - with their glorious red blossoms that attract fat bumble bees and hummingbirds ~ they should rival any clematis in town. The beans can be eaten in their pods while small and not too hairy, fresh out of the pod, or dried and cooked. They're worth growing just to hold the beautiful shelled beans in your hand like crimson and black jewels.

greens galore

The greens have grown huge overnight!These Stir fry Blend seeds came from West Coast Seeds companyhttp://www.westcoastseeds.com/ and include komatsuna, pac choi, choy sum, bau sin, red kale, giant red mustard, shungiku, and tah tsai.I planted them closer together than the packet said, and am using the thinnings first. I whisked together some soy sauce, ginger, garlic, a pinch of brown sugar, red pepper flakes and oil to marinate tofu-fry the tofu first, remove it from the pan, then throw in the chopped greens until they're almost wilted, then add the rest of the marinade from the tofu. I pressed the tofu first to give it a firmer texture. eat it up with some brown rice and sesame seeds~ so good! happy green growing!