gumboots in the kitchen-garden plot to soup pot

munchy crunchy broccoli salad

2012-02-13T17:31:00.000-08:00

I love the broccoli from the February garden - it's amazingly aphid-free! This salad is perfect for tender, freshly-picked raw broccoli that is still winter sweet: 2cups roughly chopped broccoli - include stems and leaves! Make a sauce of: 1/2 cup oil, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1/4 cup brown rice vinegar, 3 Tb peanut butter, 1/4 cup (or less to taste) honey or maple syrup, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, 1/4 cup chopped red onion

Latin Corn Soup with Leeks and what is hominy, anyways?

2012-02-05T13:21:00.001-08:00

There's lots of lovely leeks overwintered in the garden: Time to make soup! I really love this cookbook: Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health,http://www.moosewoodcooks.com/products-page/cookbooks/moosewood-restaurant-cooking-for-health/ and this recipe is from the soups section: Latin Corn Soup: 2 cups thinly sliced leeks 2 tsp olive oil 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 fresh chile, minced 2 tsp ground coriander 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp salt 2 cups water or veg. broth 14 cup thinly sliced radishes (yes radishes!!) 2 cups peeled and diced sweet potatoes 1 cup diced red bell pepper 15 oz white hominy, drained 14 oz coconut milk 14 oz can diced tomatoes 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels 2 Tb. lime juice 2 Tb. chopped fresh cilantro avocado cubes (optional, and optimal) In a soup pot, cook the leeks for about 3 - 4 minutes until they begin to soften. Add garlic, chile, coriander, oregano, and salt and stir for one minute. Add 1 cup of broth and the radishes, sweet potatoes, and bell pepper. Cover and simmer until the vegs are tender, about 10 minutes. While the vegs simmer, puree the hominy with the remaining broth and coconut milk. When the vegs are tender, add puree with tomatoes and corn, bring back to simmer. Add lime juice and cilantro. Top with avocado cubes. If you're not veg, add some cooked chicken and heat through. I've never cooked with hominy before, and am enchanted by its smoky flavour reminiscent of freshly made corn tortillas and it's chewiness. And what is hominy, anyways? Hominy has been used by the Native Americans for a very long time and has been traced back to 1500 - 1200 BC. It is said that the process of nixtamalization originated during that period, in some parts of Mexico and Guatemala. In Spanish, hominy is called nixtamal. Nixtamalization is the Nahuatl word for the cooking and steeping of corn in alkaline water. The steeping liquor, known as nejayote, is drained off after the process is complete and the remaining corn is washed to remove a portion of its skin and excess alkali. At this point the batch of corn is known as nixtamal. Nixtamal can be ground to produce the dough known as masa –from which we make tortillas, tamales, tlacoyos, etc; or it can be left whole and boiled again to produce the puffed up boiled corn used in posole.Nixtamalization eased the workload of women charged with performing the back-breaking labor of grinding corn. Mature corn, as opposed to green and sweet corn, is deficient in available niacin. It contains plenty of bound niacin (as glycosides associated with proteins) and alkali processing releases it. European invaders did not realize this crucial fact when they appropriated corn as a staple grain. Because western milling technology was so advanced, they didn’t see the need for nixtamalization. As a result, Pellagra, a horrific disease brought on by niacin deficiency, plagued and sometimes killed poorer Europeans and Euro-Americans who consumed primarily corn. You can make your own hominy with dried corn: http://www.greensense.com/Features/Green_cuisine/nixtamal.htm Read more: http://www.cookingissues.com/2011/03/09/mesoamerican-miracle-megapost-tortillas-and-nixtamalization/

BPA free canning lids

2012-01-22T09:16:00.000-08:00

A lot of us are canning to preserve our garden crops: I've been looking for BPA-free canning lids - if anyone knows where to find some in Canada, please let me know! http://agardenerstable.com/2012/01/20/home-canning-bpa-free/

broccoli bouquet

2012-01-08T17:54:00.000-08:00

With such a mild winter, we've had broccoli growing since September - picked a nice bunch this afternoon to make chickpea & broccoli salad. Cilantro is growing really well out there, too - so put a bunch of that in. Just fry some peppers with cumin and garlic, add the broccoli (which cooks very quickly!) add a splash of lemon, some sunflower seeds, throw in a bowl add a little olive oil, salt & pepper to taste. I had some roasted yams, so added them for colour. Looking forward to lunchtime tomorrow!

good old rhubarb chutney

2011-11-11T15:58:00.000-08:00

Used up the rhubarb that I'd frozen in the Summer by making spicy ginger rhubarb chutney - always good to have around and give as gifts at Yule. Still have lots left, as well us plums, so will most likely make some jam, too. recipe:http://www.accidental-locavore.com/2011/05/recipe-for-rhubarb-ginger-chutney-from-the-accidental-locavore/

kitchen gardeners group

2011-10-11T14:14:00.001-07:00

http://kitchengardeners.org/ just joined this group today - why don't you join me?

cute mini veggies

2011-10-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

Doing some Fall clean up out in the yard - came across these mini veggies: tomatoes, patty pans and carrots - cute!

I dig potatoes

2011-09-25T12:47:00.000-07:00

I dig potatoes! I love to dig 'em and eat 'em - I know they get a bad rap these days for making everyone fat, but those are fries or mash with tons of butter - it doesn't include freshly dug and roasted spuds with a bit of rosemary, garlic and olive oil. And I love squash and I love chard - so what better way to make a hearty Fall meal than to roast squash, new potatoes,with tofu ( which also gets a bad rap - more on that, later), dressed up with some Thai red curry miso sauce, poured over finely cut chard, sprinkled with lemon, toasted seeds and cilantro. From the garden I had cilantro, chard and of course the spuds. I can't remember where the recipe is from, but here it is: Miso Curry Squash peel and chop one winter squash 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup miso 1 Tb red Thai curry paste 8 oz. firm tofu (press for 1/2 hr first)cut into small cubes 4 (freshly dug!) new pototaes, cut into quarters 2 Tb lemon juice 1/3 cup toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds 2/3 cup cilantro put the oven at 400 degrees. Mix oil, miso, & curry paste, combine tofu, spuds & squash with 1/3 cup of sauce & toss well. Spread in one layer on baking sheet. Roast 25-30 minutes stirring a few times. Whisk lemon juice with remaining sauce and pour over chard. Add hot, roasted veggies to the chard, top with seeds and cilantro. Now, about the tofu: I appreciate what Dr. Andrew Weil has to say: "I'm aware of Internet paranoia on the subject of soy and the contention that only fermented soy is safe to consume. That is simply not true. Some of the best forms of soy - edamame, tofu and soy nuts - are unfermented and are much more likely to help you than hurt you.Claims that unfermented soy foods (such as tofu and soy milk) contain toxins that block the action of enzymes needed to digest protein, and that these toxins cause pancreatic enlargement, cancer and stunted growth in animals are misleading. While soy does contain substances (trypsin inhibitors) that may adversely affect the pancreas in animals, there's no solid evidence that they cause similar problems in humans. Furthermore, trypsin inhibitors are found in all of the vegetables of the cabbage family as well as in beans other than soy." Read more: http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400308/is-soy-milk-safe.html While I'm more apt these days to not consume as much soy, I will eat it in moderation - but none of that fake meat stuff, and only organic. and just for fun, here's an image of the garden/jungle late September: Enjoy your spuds!!!

Poblanos

2011-09-17T16:11:00.000-07:00

Poblano peppers grown from seed in the greenhouse Excellent for stuffing and baking! Recipe: http://staging.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/11452

beans, beans, the magical fruit

2011-09-01T13:44:00.000-07:00

These yellow beans are Buerre de Rocquencourt from Two Wings Farm: very prolific plants! http://twowingsfarm.com/ The purple beans are from a mixed bean package from West Coast Seeds - love the colour! I'll be blanching and freezing most of these, and possibly making pickles - off to pick more beans - bye for now!

Tibetan Goji plant

2011-08-19T08:59:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to announce the latest addition to our garden : a friend gave us a Tibetan Goji berry plant, and I am also happy to know that it's hardy in our climate. I have the perfect sunny spot with well-drained soil for it. The flower buds should open within the week! http://bc-goji-berry-nursery-plants.blogspot.com

2011-08-14T15:25:00.000-07:00

Even though it's been a less than stellar Summer, the recent heat we've had has brought on the pattypans! Last time I checked them they were the size of golf balls - so like zucchinis, they morphed overnight in size! I kept some of the smaller ones for stuffing, and my daughter loved them! Recipe is found here on Plate to Plate blog: http://www.platetoplate.com/recipes/quinoa-stuffed-pattypan-squash-with-summer-herbs/ I used lots of fresh basil, and they are good served with the garlicky tomato sauce.

roasted beets

2011-08-01T16:04:00.000-07:00

Roasted beets with lemon, garlic, cumin and olive oil

whole grain rice salad with cherries, fresh basil and spinach

2011-07-10T13:05:00.000-07:00

I was reading "Super Natural Every Day" by Heidi Swanson, ( who also has the great blog 101 Cookbooks: http://www.101cookbooks.com/ - and came across this recipe using fresh garden spinach and cherries ~ the earthy spinach, toasted walnuts, salty feta, and sweet juicy cherries go well together and make a beautifully coloured salad with the dark purple thai black rice: cook the rice to make 3 cups, and while still hot, pour over 3 cups torn spinach leaves and toss to wilt a little. Make a cherry vinaigrette in the blender: 1/2 cups of pitted cherries, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, 1/4 tsp salt. Pour about 1/2 of this over the rice and spinach mixture. Add another 1/2 cup of pitted cherries and 1/2 cup toasted walnut halves to the salad and stir in. Turn the salad out onto a platter and finish with some feta, fresh basil leaves and a few more walnuts. I've never cooked this beautiful black rice before - it is sticky, and normally used in sweet desserts such as pudding in Thailand, but it worked very well for this salad which has an element of complimentary sweetness with the cherries.

tatsoi

2011-06-26T19:37:00.000-07:00

Tatsoi with ginger and garlic makes a quick lunch! Although I love the stronger flavoured Asian greens, Tatsoi is lovely and mild - maybe a kid would even eat these greens (especially if they planted the seeds themselves, watched them grow, and helped cook them up!). Tatsoi has beautiful, dark green, spoon shaped leaves, short stalks, and can be eaten raw as well. Grows very easily and all summer long - I'm looking forward to all kinds of it in salads and stir fries.

oats and beans and barley grow

2011-06-04T16:50:00.000-07:00

Well, beans and barley, anyways! and our first mescluns salad of the year, with snipped chives - finally!

warmer weather at last!

2011-05-20T15:08:00.000-07:00

Just spent a glorious day in the garden - planted the adzuki beans, purple barley, tri-colour beans, 2 types of squash, arugula, cilantro, leeks, tatsoi, and lettuce. Here are a few photos of the garden from today: This Angelica is Queen of the garden right now - 7 feet tall, and dramatically centred in the garden - in its second year of growth, this biennial is forming its wondrous, large seed heads, which will attract and feed many beneficial insects like Braconid wasps,http://www.pacifichorticulture.org/garden-allies/69/2/ lacewings,ladybugs and hoverflies. Plants in the Umbrel family are great for attracting the good kinds of bugs gardeners love.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif Beautiful purple headed barley seeds from Salt Spring Seeds - can't wait to see them do their thing! brand new lettuces, will need a few more days before transplanting out basil, cilantro, leek babies Sunburst scallopini and a variety of summer squashes waiting patiently in the greenhouse to get out into the garden bed to spread their roots and tendrils in the sun. This is an edible passion fruit vine (Passiflora edulis) that will happily (hopefully) grow up the back porch http://www.chttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifrfg.org/pubs/ff/passionfruit.html and the flowers will be gorgeous, as all passifloras tend to be.

Bee Boxes

2011-05-01T17:19:00.000-07:00

These native Mason Bee(Osmia lignaria) boxes were built out of solid, untreated cedar wood-not the best wood, as there is resin in Cedar that repels insects, but that is what we had. The holes should be 5/16ths of an inch in size, a fingers-length apart to make the bees happy. The boxes must also be hung facing East - to warm them up in the morning. Some cool facts about these non-stinging bees: The male OMB cannot sting and the female rarely does. The OMB does not live in a nest like other bees. It lives in wooden blocks, but does not drill holes. It uses holes that are already made. The OMB pollinates at a rate of 93% to 99% efficiency. The European honey bee is only about 3% efficient. The OMB starts pollination at 55 degrees Fahrenheit. The European honeybee will not work at this low temperature. The OMB will work during light rain and wind, whereas the European honey bee will stay in the hive. It takes only 250 to 750 OMBs to fully pollinate an acre of fruit. It would take about 60,000 to 120,000 European honey bees to do the same job in the same time. Each female is a queen and will produce as many as 50 eggs during a season before she dies, if there is a habitat available. http://www.crownbees.com/ http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/apiculture/factsheets/506_osmia.htm http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/apiculture/factsheets/506_osmia.htm http://www.youtube.com /watch?v=xFf5Aj0Ai1U Mason bees prefer blooms that are most abundant in May because that is when they are collecting nectar and pollen for their nests, You could even plant some Native shrubs and trees for the bees: http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/nativebee.html#appendix1

carrot house

2011-04-22T17:37:00.000-07:00

We made a raised bed to grow carrots in this year - the carrots didn't do badly, but they did get wormy nearer the end of their season - we want a bumper crop! prepping the box: putting on the re-may cover - hope this works to keep out the rustflies! there's enough room in there for some basil, too I figure.

2011-03-26T13:06:00.000-07:00

I was amazed and happy to find a couple of huge bags of rhubarb that I'd totally forgotten about in the bottom of my freezer - it was like finding precious treasure! So into the pot they went to make spicy rhubarb chutney: http://www.food.com/recipe/spicy-rhubarb-chutney-9467 I used lots of jalapeno, with the seeds, and cayenne - and it's turned out scorchingly hot - so if you prefer less heat, use 1 jalapeno, and no cayenne. You can spoon some on top of veggie burgers, beans and rice, serve with cheese and crackers, and of course, with curry! Some more chutney recipes: http://www.creative-cooking-corner.com/chutney-recipes.html# The traditional Indian tool to make chutney is a sil-batta which is a type of mortar and pestle. The flat stone bed (sil), from 12-18 inches long and 11/2-2 inches thick rests on the work surface. The batta is a hand held stone roller, which is worked back and forth across the base. Usually made of sandstone or granite, the surface of the sil is cut with a pattern of shallow ridges or a design to create friction for the batta. I would love to try one of these next time I make chutney - especially with fresh garden herbs.

tiny, tender, tasty micro greens

2011-03-20T14:14:00.000-07:00

So far March has been very cold and wet - too wet to start digging out in the garden, so we decided to get going with our greens indoors on a windowsill - a tray of soiless mix and vermiculite worked great to germinate beets, arugula, rapini, basil, and radish seeds. Any tray at least 4 inches deep will work. These micro greens http://www.highmowingseeds.com/organic-micro-greens-growing-and-seed-saving-info.html are sort of like sprouts, but with more leaves!they are intensley flavourful, and fun for kids to grow, too. Clip them just before eating to garnish a salad or put into a sandwich. Nutritionally, micro-greens are glyconutrients that have vitamins A, B, C, E, and K, as well as the minerals calcium, chlorophyll, iron, lecithin, magnesium, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, potassium. Up to 30 percent of the greens is protein, helping to balance your diet. here is a list of seeds good for growing micro greens: http://www.liseed.org/microgreens.html

Sea Bluff Farm acorn squash tacos

2011-02-27T09:16:00.000-08:00

easiest recipe ever: Fry some cumin seeds in oil, add a can of drained, rinsed, black beans, some garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper, a teaspoon of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, mash with a squeeze of lime. Roast the cubed squash, tossed with olive oil, for 20 minutes-assemble onto a heated corn tortilla with fresh tomato salsa, cheese, lettuce etc. chow down.

Seedy Saturday

2011-02-19T15:22:00.000-08:00

I am obsessed with seeds, as most gardeners are, and greedy about accumulating them. I love sorting and admiring them like Scrooge with his gold coins. I also love to trade them, like a kid with hockey cards - I'll be posting a list, should any body like to have spares, or do some trades! I found some glorious seeds at Seedy Saturday today in Victoria- http://www.jamesbaymarket.com/seedysaturday/seedysaturday.htm the first one I've been to, amazingly - it was hard to restrain myself, but I only came home with 12 packets and one rhizome! So many beautiful, heritage and organic seeds, mostly locally produced. I have never heard of New Zealand Yams (Oxalis tuberosa) before - you grow them like Jerusalem Artichokes - in a pot at first for the first year, then transplant out the 2nd year in full sun to part shade. I love their wonderful carnelian red hue - but will have to wait a couple of years before I can eat any. Tatsoi,Harris Turnips, and Anaheim Peppers (Poblano) from Full Circle Seeds in Sooke: http://www.fullcircleseeds.com/ Dwarf Snow Peas and Buerre de Rocquencourt Yellow Bush Beans from Two Wings Farm :http://www.twowingsfarm.com/ Red Adzuki Beans from Annapolis Seeds in Nova Scotia: http://www.annapolisseeds.com/ Purple Barley and Rama Tulsi (Holy Basil) from Salt Spring Seeds: http://www.saltspringseeds.com/ Cicoria Palla Rossa Precoce from Jeff Wright's Franchi Sementi: http://www.oldcountryseeds.ca/ Green Shiso from Mountain Seed Co. in Winlaw BC: http://mountainseedco.com/ and last, but not least, someone from the Land Conservancy of BC gave me a packet of Chervil seeds to grow for the bees as part of their " pollinator Enhancement Project" - you can 'bee'come a member of the TLC: www.conservancy.bc.ca And as if all that seedy excitement wasn't enough, we trudged over to Market Square to puruse the stalls of the Winter Public Market: http://victoriapublicmarket.com/ where we got to try sprouted peanuts, grissini, and cheese made on Salt Spring Island. I purchased a lovely acorn squash grown on Sea Bluff Farm. We sat in the warmish February sunshine and chowed down on a sprouts wrap with spicy peanut sauce, it was great. Now, we just have to try to be patient, and wait for Spring to arrive - can't wait to get planting all these beautiful seeds!

New Year's Day Soup: Quinoa Corn Chowder

2011-01-01T16:06:00.000-08:00

There are a few hardy leeks suriving the cold out in the veggie patch - so I decided to gather up a few and make a chowder for New Year's Day - this is a vegan chowder, but you could use regular milk, if you like. Recipe is from the Vegetarian Times -( you can sign up for their weekly recipe which will be sent directly to your email !) http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/9694?section= I also like to add fresh rosemary to most soups I make - rosemary makes almost everything taste amazing! and it is another one of those herbs (along with sage and thyme) that make it through our relatively mild winters. I didn't use the quinoa I grew for this recipe, as it is very bitter, and needs a day to soak. I am going to sit by the fire, read seed catalogues and eat this hearty, quinoa corn chowder - may your gardening year be fruitful and fantastic!

New Year's Wish

2010-12-31T09:18:00.001-08:00

I have not been blogging very much over the last few months, mostly due to the fact that there are very few veggies in the garden patch right now! I do still have leeks, arugula, and a tough kale plant - I tried growing some Brussels sprouts, but they fell over and although the sprouts formed, they opened up. Winter gardening is not my forte. 2010 was the year I expanded the garden patch and tried growing more beans and grains with a modest level of success. My gardening goals for 2011 are growing carrots in raised beds, trying melons and producing enough food to make more preserves/ give away. Already perusing the garden catalogues, I see red celery and all sorts of interesting salad greens are going to make this year's seed list. My New Year's Wish is for everyone to have access to bountiful, abundant, organic gardens (and seeds!) and food that is full of vibrant health-giving nutrients!

Thrifty, Hearty King Tut Soup

2010-11-14T14:52:00.000-08:00

The King Tut peas from Annapolis seeds http://www.annapolisseeds.com/index.html were made into a hearty soup this afternoon - these peas are green when picked, but turn brown as they dry - they give a marvelous peppery flavour to soup but they take much longer to cook than regular split peas. They took about 2hours. This is what Annapolis says about the King Tut pea: "One of the most unique peas I’ve grown. Tall, striking plants produce pink flowers followed by short purple pods filled with large tan peas. Plants need support as they grow up to five feet. A dry pea that looks somewhat raisin-like when dry and is great used whole in soups." 2 cups of peas produced about 8 cups of soup ~ a very thrifty dinner with a few garlic croutons thrown on top. This is the recipe I used: http://www.theveggietable.com/recipes/splitpeasoup.html I did add some thyme and basil leaves, and garnished with a little olive oil and paprika.

Fall Garden Soup

2010-10-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

Picked the last of the Kuri Squash and made a roasted veg and bean soup - the beans are dried Stevenson's Blue-eyed beans from Annapolis seeds - threw in some leeks, garden tomatoes, fresh herbs, and chopped kale. http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/kale_and_roasted_vegetable_soup/

avoid GMO Monsanto seeds:

2010-10-13T07:58:00.000-07:00

http://www.garden-of-eatin.com/how-to-avoid-monsanto/

the Mother Grain (actually a seed)

2010-10-09T14:59:00.000-07:00

I 'winnowed' the quinoa seeds today - they had been drying in the basement for about a month now. I stripped the seedheads off the stalks, rubbed them on a fine sieve over a larger holed sieve, and then rubbed the seedheads in my hands to remove the last of the seeds. 4 plants yielded 2 cups of golden coloured seeds. this is the sushi recipe I used: you must rinse the quinoa seeds very, very well before cooking to remove the bitter saponin coating http://veganeatsblog.com/2010/05/09/asparagus-quinoa-sushi-with-a-lemon-ginger-dipping-sauce/ Here is a basic recipe I use for cooking the grain: In a dry pan over medium-high heat, lightly toast grain until it is lightly brown (about 5 minutes). Then rinse the grain in a fine strainer until the water runs clear (a sieve or permanent coffee filter (not paper filter) work well for straining). In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add the water and bring it to a boil. Then add the toasted grain, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 12 minutes or until water is absorbed. Fluff with fork and let stand 2 - 3 minutes. The Incas had such reverence for this crop that the Emperor would sow the first seeds of the season using golden implements. I might have to try to find some gold-plated garden tools! I will definitely grow this beautiful plant again - it is stunning with feathery plumes of golden red, is very productive, (although prone to black aphid infestations), and you can eat the leaves like spinach when the plant is young. I plan to make quinoa sushi with the precious harvest, and maybe some recipes from this site: http://www.quinoa.net/

Fall kitchen garden

2010-09-26T16:51:00.000-07:00

edamame Black Krim tomatoes coriander seeds and flowers Kale Tree Red Orach seeds Red Kuri Squash ~ grown from seed

The Green man

2010-09-16T07:54:00.000-07:00

great blog I found - http://communities.canada.com/VANCOUVERSUN/blogs/greenman/default.aspx

Rainy Day Crackers

2010-09-12T13:40:00.000-07:00

A rainy day here on the Island - is a good time to make crackers! I am using the poppy seeds I grew and harvested late August. I like this recipe, as it will withstand a bit of handling without becoming tough and dry. Recipe:makes 32 crackers 3 cups of flour ( I used half unbleached white and half stone ground wheat) 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1/2 cup butter cut into small pieces 1 cup plain yogurt 3/4 cup sesame seeds - I used some flax as well 1/3 cup poppy seeds 1 large egg 1 tsp sugar Rub the butter into the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the yogurt and 1/2 cup sesame seeds and the poppy seeds.Stir just until the ingredients are incorporated. Divide the dough in quarters, wrap in wax paper, and chill for 10 minutes. Lightly coat a baking sheet with veg. oil and set aside. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs and sugar together until the sugar dissolves and set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out, brush with egg wash and sprinkle evenly with the remaining sesame seeds. Cut into 2 X 5 rectangles or desired shapes. Bake @ 350 degrees for about 18 - 20 minutes - watch carefully - as soon as the edges are browned, remove from the oven. Cool completely before storing. these are really good with cheese Poppy Seeds Nutrition Facts for one tablespoon of poppy seeds Nutrient Nutritional Value Calories 45.9 Calcium 126 mg Protein 1.6 mg Potassium 62.9 mg Magnesium 30.4 mg Phosphorous 76.1 mg Sodium 2.3 mg Carbohydrates 2.5 g Poppy seeds are seen in the cooking of many cultures where they are used to flavor breads, cakes, rolls, and cookies in European and Middle Eastern cooking. In Turkey, they are often ground and used in desserts http://www.gourmetcakes4u.com/gourmet-cakes/gourmet-turkish-desserts-poppy-seed-baklava-recipe/ In India, the seeds are ground and used to thicken sauces.Poppy seeds are commonly used in both North and South Indian Cusine. They are called "gasagasa" in Tamil, "khuskhus" in Hindi, "gasagasalu" in Telugu, "gasagasa" in Kannada, and "posto dana" in Bengali. Poppy seeds can be dry roasted and ground to be used in wet curry (curry paste) or dry curry. They have a creamy and nut like flavor, and when used with ground coconut, the seeds provide a unique and flavour-rich curry base. The seeds are also used in noodle, fish, and vegetable dishes in Jewish, German, and Slavic cooking. In ancient days, athletes would consume a blend of poppy seeds with honey entwined to ensure strength and good health. I am definitely going to plant as much Papaver somniferum as my garden will allow next year - the flowers are gorgeous with each pod holding about a 1/4 cup of seeds.

purple power pizza

2010-09-06T18:44:00.001-07:00

I had a bunch of purple opal basil - which I made into pesto - then put on a pizza. First I made some beet juice to put in the dough to make it good and purple. Piled on red onions, plums (just a few), some blue cheese, and some chopped fresh purple basil. It has a very strong flavour, and is quite rich, so a little bit went a long way - which is good, so I can take some to friends for lunch tomorrow!

ripening

2010-08-22T15:40:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year when the sun is ripening the fruits and veggies bringing an abundance of wonderful, good things to eat! The 6 Quinoa plants are over 5' tall and producing golden clusters of very small, waxy seeds - I have read the quinoa grains will be ready to harvest once the leaves have yellowed and are dropping from the stalks - I'm thankful for all the sun we've had over the last month helping to ripen these warm weather plants. The coriander is blooming heartily! The Early Girls are starting to get some colour~! Poppy seeds - about 6 seed heads gives about 1/4 cup of seeds! very easy to grow - next year I'll plant more along the side garden where there's lots of sun - can't wait to make a sweet poppyseed bread. The King Tut peas have ripened on their vines - we spent a pleasant hour shelling them - and now they're drying a bit more out in the sun and wind. I am looking forward to making pea soup this Winter!

it's what's for lunch

2010-08-02T18:44:00.000-07:00

what's for lunch? freshly picked spinach stirred into quinoa & sweet potatoes and tropical lime tofu! RECIPES: press the tofu! it browns easier if very firm - then heat some oil in a skillet, add 1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds and lots of chopped garlic; cook one minute, then add the tofu - cook until it is nice and brown - meanwhile juice one lime, add 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 2 Tb. tamari, black pepper, a pinch of cayenne and pour over the browned tofu - allow all liquid to cook off, stirring - then make your quinoa with sweet potatoes: cut up an onion and saute until translucent; add a bit of salt; add 2 peeled and diced yams (or sweet potatoes - I prefer the orange yams); add 3/4 cup rinsed quinoa and 1 2/3 cups water or veg broth. Bring to a rapid simmer, cover and simmer about 20 minutes or until liquid has been absorbed and yam is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste - just before the quinoa is cooked, add 2 cups finely shredded spinach, 1 Tb. green onions minced, 1 Tb. lemon juice, salt and pepper, 2 Tb. toasted pinenuts, and a few currants - I like to sprinkle a bit of feta on top, too- make lots, it is good for leftovers. Recipes are from my new current favourite cookbook: "Moosewood Cooks for Health"

the productive day

2010-07-31T12:21:00.000-07:00

Spent the morning picking the biggest rhubarb I've ever seen! this variety produces massive stalks - I must find out what kind it is! Then I squished all the black aphids I could see infiltrating the quinoa plants, which are just producing seed heads - I had planted some calendula at their base to hopefully attract the aphids, but they obviously prefer the quinoa - it was surprisingly satisfying rubbing the aphids off the leaves. I then weeded the carrots and tomatoes, picked the last of the spinach before it goes bolting, planted out some brussel sprouts plants, then came back into the kitchen to make a big crisp with the rhubarb. It has been a productive day - And, to top it all off, 2 books came in for me from the library: "Small Plot, High-Yield Gardening" by Sal Gilbertie & Larry Sheehan, and "My Empire of Dirt" (A Cautionary Tale)" by Manny Howard. So you know what I'll be doing later on - eating rhubarb crisp and spinach salad and reading gardening books - blissful. Here are some pictures of the productive day: poppy seed heads and purple pods of King Tut peas fattening in the sunshine bees love the newly opened squash blossoms Yellow zucchinis long pods on the Brugmansia waiting for a hot day to unfurl These are photos of Craspedia globosa aka billy buttons native to Australia and New Zealand - my cat likes to play with the ball at the end of the long stalk This little cactus is from Saturna Island- (a native variety) very slowww growing - but it has 3 new pads forming! lemon cucumbers Abutilon in bloom I really like this mesclun mix from West Coast Seeds: Oriental Salad beautiful rhubarb and the crisp just out of the oven: smells divine!

it's a lemon

2010-07-24T08:29:00.000-07:00

I can't get over how lemon-like these cucumbers are ~ you could fool your guests and place a plate of them on the table and then snarf them up. "yum, I love lemons!" These plants are prolific, too, producing numerous lemon yellow spheres.

Farm City

2010-07-09T08:22:00.000-07:00

Novella Carpenter is my hero. Fearless Urban Farmer, she unhesitatingly enters empty lots and begins to transform them into urban oases. Her writing is educational, humourous, and touching. Armed with just a few books to guide her, and her partner Bill for encouragement, her forays into heritage watermelon growing, meat-bird raising and apiary inspire me to experiment with my own yard space. She doesn't even own hers!That is what makes her dedication to her craft all the more inspiring - she never knows when it will all be taken out by a backhoe, but she does it all the same because it's her passion. http://farmcity.wordpress.com/

crop failure

2010-07-01T15:35:00.000-07:00

It is tragic - our garlic crop is dead - it seemed to be doing very well up until late Spring, when the stem just coming out of the bulb started rotting. I am assuming the soil was too wet. In any case, only one bulb formed to any size, all of the others were stunted. We have had a bad infestation of slugs, too - and they really enjoy bean shoots. I've had to put out some safer's bug bait. We also put in some barrier plants such as mint, chives, red lettuce, red cabbage, sage, sunflower, fennel, foxglove, chicory & endive. Plant them around the perimeter of your garden to keep slugs from infiltrating. I have also had trouble with the daikon radishes - not only did the roots get devoured by cutworms, but the sudden heat brought them to bolt early - But, happily, the snow peas, brassicas, basil, peas and beets are all doing great! Can't win them all

Basil Dressing

2010-06-21T19:55:00.000-07:00

It's time to pinch back the basil so it grows nice and bushy - here is a recipe from the Rebar Modern Food cookbook for Basil vinaigrette - wonderfully pungent and tastes like early Summer:2 cloves garlic minced; 1 1/2 T Dijon mustard; 2 Tb. honey; 1/4 cup red wine vinegar; 1 Tb. balsamic vinegar; several sprigs of fresh basil; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 1/2 tsp black pepper; blend, then add in a slow stream 1 cup olive oil.

books in between

2010-05-29T09:08:00.000-07:00

In between weeding, watering, and planting, check out these books - they're waiting by the tea-cup and garden bench or hammock, for when you need to rest your tired back from all that digging! *ZERO MILE DIET by Carolyn Herriot *THE WAY OF THE GARDENER by Des Kennedy Both of these authors will be at a book release, signing at Bolen Books June 1st, 7 pm *FOODMATTERS- which is not a book, but a DVDhttp://www.foodmatters.tv/_webapp/Buy_The_Food_Matters_DVD?gclid=CIr3pP_e96ECFR49gwod6kxIEQ *TRAUMA FARM- by Brian Brett *NORTH WEST VEGETARIAN COOKBOOK, by Debra Daniel *FARM TO FORK, by Emeril Lagasse *EAT YOUR YARD, by Nan K. Chase *SMALL PLOT HIGH YIELD GARDENING, by Sal Gilbertie *THE VEGETARIAN OPTION, by Simon Hopkinson *RIPE FROM AROUND HERE, by jae steele and here is her blog: http://domesticaffair.blogspot.com/

garden in May

2010-05-24T10:05:00.000-07:00

my tomato experiment - saved seeds from Early Girl just one zucchini is enough Welsh poppies Bacopa my feline assistant Tiger Black Crim - a heritage variety mandevilla growing up the porch lettuces waiting their turn King Tut peas doing their thing mini romaines growing alonside the garlic natalino- already showing its fantastic spiral shape a perky quinoa baby endives grow happily beneath the brassicas a broccoli baby a kholrabi forming row of dill mild mescluns cukes and peppers basil Thai dragon peppers Marketmore cucumbers Lemon cucumber

lunch this week featuring fresh dill and fresh thyme

2010-05-16T16:00:00.000-07:00

Fresh dill is one of my favourite flavourings for veggie pies. This recipe is from Moosewood Cooks For Health, and has a crust made with brown rice, walnuts, and olives - to make the crust: put 2 cups brown rice, 1/2 cup walnuts, 1/4 cup olives in a blender or kitchen aid and grind them up - press into a glass 9" pie plate. Saute some leeks and asparagus, add red bell peppers, place neufchatelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neufch%C3%A2tel_%28cheese%29 on top of the vegetables, cover, turn off the heat, and let sit for several minutes to soften. Add 3/4 cup feta and 2 eggs, freshly chopped dill, and black pepper. Place into the piecrust and bake @ 350 for 35 minutes. The other lunch item is pasta with French lentils and Kale: cook 1 cup lentils in 3 cups water - simmer for 20 minutes. Cook up some wholegrain pasta, meanwhile, saute onions, garlic, diced carrots, until the onion is translucent. Add red pepper flakes, fresh thyme, and 1/2 cup of reserved pasta cooking water. Toss all together, add freshly grated parmesan.

pickled nettles

2010-05-14T18:13:00.000-07:00

http://sallygardens.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/03/31/nettles.jpg Found this nettle recipe from Mountain Rose Herbs newsletter! if you are lucky enough to have a neetle patch nearby: http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/newsletter/10/may/nettles.phpPickled Nettles Pack into glass mason jars with the fresh tender tops of nettle plants, and completely cover with vinegar. Add Peppercorns, peeled Garlic cloves, hot peppers, fresh herbs, or any other flavors that you desire. Cap tightly, and refrigerate for 8-12 weeks. Enjoy pickled nettles sprinkled over salads, with crackers and cheese, or as a fun garnish for hors d'oeuvres. The remaining vinegar will be calcium and mineral rich, so be sure to incorporate it into salad dressings, marinades, stir fries, and sauteed vegetables. You can even apply it as a hair rinse to cleanse and nourish the hair and scalp

yum's the word

2010-05-08T18:15:00.002-07:00

freshly gathered curly endive, not too big, so just a little bitter, with blue cheese and walnuts,radishes from the garden - a mother's day treat! Happy Mother's Day to all my gardening friends

yum

2010-05-08T18:15:00.001-07:00

a great blog

2010-05-07T18:29:00.000-07:00

check out this great blog! http://subsistencepatternfoodgarden.blogspot.com/

pot stickers aka Jiaozi 饺子

2010-05-02T09:59:00.000-07:00

this recipe uses finely chopped bok choy with other vegs. and tofu in a gyoza dumpling wrapper. I put a little cornstarch in the water for sealing the wrappers, too, and added extra ginger, and used some garlic leaves instead of chives.You can also store them in the freezer for 2 to 3 months before cooking. http://chinesefood.about.com/od/vegetarianrecipes/r/vegpotstickers.htm Serve with a couple of dipping sauces: * 4 tablespoons soy sauce * 1 teaspoon sesame oil * 1 tablespoon Chinese red rice vinegar (note: not red wine vinegar) * 2 teaspoons ginger, minced * 2 teaspoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped, or chopped green onion You can add some hot pepper flakes too, if you like. Plum Sauce: 4 Tbs. plum jelly; 4 large red fresno chilies, chopped; 2 Tbs. soy sauce; 4 Tbs veg. stock; 2 Tbs. rice vinegar; 2 tsp cornstarch: Combine all ingredients, whisk over medium heat until the sauce boils, reduce heat and cook for 1 minute. As the Chinese saying goes, "There is nothing more delicious than Jiaozi!"Plump half-moon shaped dumplings evoke "yuanbao," a 50 ounce silver ingot. Eating them is supposed to bring good luck and wealth. http://www.beijingtrip.com/feature/dumpling.htm And here is a guide to wrapping the dumplings - which is a fine art - mine were merely pinched shut, with no fancy frilly edges.http://appetiteforchina.com/recipes/guide-wrapping-and-pan-frying-dumplings

May Day radishes

2010-05-01T15:37:00.000-07:00

First radishes are such a great treat - to celebrate May Day, I'm slicing them thinly and eating them on good bread with a little sweet butter - oh my, they're good! Around in the garden today: planted purple dragon carrots, (covered them with vermiculite to keep moist and prevent crusting over), weeded the garlic, cut seed heads off the Kale, planted purple orach, re-seeded some snap peas (slugs got quite a few of them), and thinned spinaches. Waiting a couple more weeks to plant the mulit-coloured beans, soy beans,and blue-eyed beans as they don't like soil that's too wet and cold.The King Tut peas are up! from Annapolis seeds. Can't wait to watch them take off up the trellis! here are some great recipes for radishes from dancinggecko.wordpress.com: http://dancinggecko.wordpress.com/2009/03/21/10-tasty-radish-recipes/

Asian Greens ~thinking outside the wok

2010-04-25T18:37:00.000-07:00

Image from Vegetablematter.blogspot http://vegetablematter.blogspot.com/2009/09/asian-vegetables-in-houston.html Bok Choy,Pak Choy, Mizuna, Tatsoi, Gai Lan, Mache, not just for stir fries- but also in soups, dumplings, raw in salads, noodle salads, steamed with miso sauce, here are a few recipes to try (vegetarian)... Potstickers: http://chinesefood.about.com/od/vegetarianrecipes/r/vegpotstickers.htm Green dumplings: http://chinesefood.about.com/od/dimsumdumplings/r/greendumpling.htm Fennel Hash, and Minty Noodles with Bok Choy: http://www.vegalicious.org/category/ingredients/leaf-vegetables/bok-choy/ http://thaifood.about.com/od/vegetarianthairecipes/r/veggilemongsoup.htm Mixed Greens and Bean Salad with Creamy Lemon Dressing:http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/09/30/bok-choy-outside-the-wok/#more-954 Lebanese pies with Asian greens and feta: http://vegetablematter.blogspot.com/2009/11/lebanese-pies-with-asian-greens-and.html Good thing I've planted about 20 plants, my first mission: dumplings!

mesclun wildfire

2010-04-25T10:05:00.000-07:00

Mild Mix Mescluns from West Coast Seeds - these grow like wildfire - and you can clip them several times before reseeding. Growing them in a box makes watering easier and keeps away weeds. (although one time I was clipping the greens and came up with a strange item: a baby walnut tree, which came from a squirrel's hidden treasure). I collect salad dressing recipes, here's a great one I found yesterday in the latest book by Alice Waters: "In the Green Kitchen" (where it seems all the rage now is to get yourself a big, old mortar and pestle to use instead of your kitchen aid) http://alicewatersgreenkitchen.com/ http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/04/weekday-vegetarian-book-review-alice-waters.php Great for when your herb garden gets going: 1 garlic clove, 1 shallot, 3 Tb.white wine vinegar, 3 Tb. lemon juice, 1/2 ripe avocado, 3/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup whipping cream, 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley, 3 Tb. fresh tarragon, 2 Tb. cilantro, 1 Tb. basil, salt and pepper, chives Finely dice the shallot and garlic, macerate with white wine vinegar and lemon juice. ( you can add 2 anchovies, if you like them, I don't).Add avocado and whisk with a fork. Whisking with the fork, gradually add olive oil and cream. Stir in herbs, salt and pepper.Pour dressing over salad, sprinkle with chives.

white vegetable

2010-04-24T14:42:00.000-07:00

In Chinese, Bok Choy means "white vegetable" I am picking the first Asian greens to braise for supper tonight! Braised Baby Bok Choy Ingredients * 1 Tbsp. olive oil * 1 Tbsp. sesame oil * 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger * 3/4 pound to 1 pound bok choy or baby bok choy, washed and trimmed * 1/4 cup vegetable broth * 2 Tbsp. minced garlic * 1 Tbsp. soy sauce * 1 Tbsp. brown sugar Directions 1. Heat the oil and sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add grated ginger and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until ginger perfumes the oil. 2. Add bok choy (if you are using regular bok choy, you can cut it into chunks if you like) to the skillet. Stir fry until the bok choy becomes bright green, about 2 minutes. 3. Remove bok choy to a serving plate. 4. Add broth, garlic, soy sauce and brown sugar to the pan. Cook another 2 minutes or so to allow flavors to meld. 5. Pour over bok choy. Serve immediately.

sowing quinoa

2010-04-17T12:22:00.000-07:00

image source: http://www.allos.de/english/product-range.html This year, as I've enlarged the garden space, I'm planting some crops that grow relatively large: 5 foot tall King Tut pea;, Quinoa, which can grow between 3 - 10 feet; and Stevenson's Blue -Eyed beans. Interspersed amongst the peas and beans will be soybeans, squashes (which take up a lot of room as they spread),a corner for burdock root, and a few poppies which I'm growing for seeds. In the older garden space, with its finer soil, go the lettuces, tomatoes, beets, carrots, spinach, chard, turnips, radishes, brassicas, etc. this is the first time I've grown Quinoa( Chenopodium) As a chenopod, quinoa is closely related to species such as beets, spinach and tumbleweeds.Quinoa originated in the Andean region of South America, where it has been an important food for 6,000 years. Its name is the Spanish spelling of the Quechua name. Last year I tried growing a row of Amaranth - which produced gorgeous crimson tassels, but acted mainly as an aphid magnet - which is fine, the rest of the garden got a break! But the grains produced were minimal. I'd grow it again just for the colour, and for their edible green leaves. I'm starting the quinoa in seed flats, will transfer to larger pots, harden off, then they'll go out into the garden later in May/June when it's warmer - they love lots of heat. The new garden has heavy soil, but I'll amend it with compost first.Optimum soil is a well-drained loam but quinoa will do well in all but poorly aerated clay soils. they don't like to be too wet: given good soil moisture, they don't need water until the plants reach the two- or three-leaf stage. This blogger's account of their quinoa growing experience is interesting, especially the harvesting technique: quinoa has a saponin coating on its seeds (to protect it from birds and insects, which must be removed before eating. I has to be soaked for 3 days prior to cooking. http://www.homesteadgarden.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5054 image source: http://snailbusters.wordpress.com/tag/pomacea/

eat your greens: nettle noodles

2010-04-08T19:36:00.001-07:00

here is a recipe for nettle noodles (or any kind of spring greens or herbs you have) found on the goodnaturedearthling blog: Nettle Noodles 1 1/4 cup flour of your choice 2 eggs 1/2 t. salt a small handful of minced nettles Put the flour in a bowl, make a well in the middle and crack the 2 eggs in it. Add salt and minced nettles. With clean hands, work all ingredients together. When mixed, drop the noodle ball onto a floured surface and knead a few times until it becomes pliable. Roll out thinly and cut into strips. Drop into soup or boiling water and cook for 7-10 minutes depending on thickness. Very, very good and goes so perfectly with nettle pesto! You can substitute any fresh wild green such as dandelion greens for the nettles. If using culinary herbs such as sage, oregano, parsley and rosemary, cut down the amount to about 1 teaspoon.

happy gumboots!

2010-03-28T10:54:00.001-07:00

I'm in my element today transplanting the hardened off brassicas: khol rabi, natalino, and broccoli as well as some endives and Asian greens in between the rows. Planted some calendula to surround them to attract aphids (hopefully). The radishes and snow peas are up! and the garlic is looking good. Building some new mesclun boxes this year: do you know of any non toxic product i can paint them with? I've heard of some that are soy based, but not having any luck finding it. The bed I started last fall has been dug, but will need much more attention before planting time. It is very lumpy and wet, with lots of roots growing up through it. A work in progress. I'm hoping to put the King Tut peas, black soy beans,blue eyed beans and quinoa in there. Saving the 'good' garden, and it's perfect soil, for the finer stuff like salad, carrots, spinach and the like. Pictures, from top to bottom: the new mesclun box; overwintered arugula blooming; grape hyacinth patch; the babies x 3; radish babies; garlic and brassicas; the new bed; garlic in the sun; babies getting ready to head out into the big world of rain, wind and sun; endive roots; freshly transplanted; happy gumboots!!; and last but not least, beautiful first rhubarb of the season!

nifty idea

2010-03-21T08:58:00.000-07:00

Here is a nifty idea to use loo rolls for seedling pots. This idea was found via Miss M's dirt happy blog,http://dirthappy.blogspot.com/ via folia http://myfolia.com/journals/51674-toilet-paper-roll-pots I love it! Thanks, Miss M :-)

Spring Has Sprung!

2010-03-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Vernal Equinox everyone! today I'm involved with making brown rice salad with parsley from the garden, sowing more seeds ( natalino, spinach, Oriental mix, broccoli, endives) and hardening off others. Oh, and the radishes are up! all these new babies fill me with joy~!

digging and planting

2010-03-07T13:56:00.000-08:00

Planted Snow Peas, 2 types of radish,(Rudi, and Black Spanish Round - heirloom variety) and Sugar Snap peas (Sugar Anne)today - all from West Coast Seeds. Also pulled out the last of the over-wintered beets, which aren't very big, but still good - they are destined to be roasted beet salad.

A natural insect repellant recipe:

2010-03-01T07:21:00.000-08:00

Here is a natural insect repellant recipe found online. I have never used this, but plant to whip up a batch to get rid of black aphids, which is the worst garden pest I get. (aside from cut worms, maybe it would work on them, too). Has anyone else used this, or have any other recipes to share? I'm looking at this as a pre-emptive strike- will use it before I actually get the pests in droves. I'm also going to use a metal spray bottle for the repellant. http://www.ehow.com/how_5666556_make-repellent-home-vegetable-garden.html

First Sproutlings of the season!

2010-02-27T09:05:00.000-08:00

seedy Saturday

2010-02-20T13:49:00.000-08:00

Seed Starting Method: use Fisson's Sunshine Mix #5, covered with medium grade vermiculite, watered in with a fine spray, placed in a heated greenhouse. Seeded Feb. 20:white sage x 36; horehound x 6; burdock x 6; Angelica x 4; Echinacea Purpurea by 4; Bergamot x 6; Broccoli x 8; Pak Choi x 8; Khol Rabi x 6; endive x 8; Natalino. Tomatoes, basil,lettuces cucumbers, peppers, etc. will be started end of March, hardened off, then planted out in May.

dandelion greens, mint, and broccoli

2010-02-14T14:35:00.000-08:00

It officially feels like Spring today in balmy Victoria - 11.9 degrees! daffodils blooming underneath the porch and rhubarb sprouting leaves-lots of herbs coming on gang busters so I decided to pick a bunch, along with some dandelion greens to add to couscous and lentil salad. Made some Jamaican veg. patties to go with some green tomato salsa I'd made last summer. Recipes: Jamaican Veg. Patties: 2 - 3 T. veg. oil, divided 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion 3 T. jerk seasoning 3 cloves of garlic minced 1/2 tsp. salt 4 cups grated carrots ( I mixed half yam) 2 cups frozen peas, thawed (I added some frozen corn, too) 1 1/2 cups soft breadcrumbs 3 large eggs 1/2 cups milk Saute the onion in 1 T. oil until soft, add seasoning, garlic & salt and cook stirring 1 min. Add carrots, cover, reduce heat and cook until carrots are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in peas, cook 1 more minute, fold in breadcrumbs. Whisk eggs and milk together and stir into carrot mixture - form into patties (they will be wet, like potato pancakes) Heat oil and fry patties about 5 mins. per side - keep your eye on them as they darken quickly. Couscous and Lentil Salad recipe:cook 1 cup lentils in boiling water with one bay leaf until tender, drain and stir in 1 T. vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Allow to cool. Pour 1 1/4 cups boiling water over 1 cup couscous, cover and let sit 5 mins, fluff with a fork and add 1/4 tsp salt. and 2 tsp olive oil. Whisk together 1 clove garlic paste (I used my ginger grater), 3 T. olive oil, 2 Tbs. vinegar, and mint. Stir into lentils and couscous, crumble feta over top. I put in some dandelion leaves and broccoli from the garden, but you can use whatever greens you happen to have such as arugula and parsley. Serve with black olives and homemade green tomato salsa.

Seed Saving Zine

2010-02-07T14:22:00.000-08:00

Here's a nifty little seed saving hand out produced by the people at Adaptive Seeds.com You may want to print it out, as the print is very small on the screen. Happy Seed Saving! http://www.adaptiveseeds.com/node/12 http://www.seedambassadors.org/pdfs/Seed%20Saving%20Zine%203%20hand%20out.pdf

Spring Update

2010-02-07T09:26:00.000-08:00

We have had the 2nd warmest January on record here in Victoria! the daffodils are being picked, the ornamental cherries and plums are budding, the Indian Plums in the forests are blooming and my husband has a banana tree in the nursery where he works that has produced fruit! I am heading out to clean up the raspberry canes - pulling out all the old, dead stalks, and will fork out the biggest weeds, old chard, and wilted veg from the plot. I am happy to report that I'm still getting broccoli sprouts and kale, water cress, and the garlic is up - grown about 4-5 inches high. Soon, I'll be digging under the sheet mulching area, and getting it prepped to grow all sorts of cool beans.

Annapolis Heritage Seeds

2010-02-06T09:03:00.000-08:00

black soybeans ready to harvest from Annapolis seeds.com I received 3 beautiful seeds packets in the mail today from Annapolis Seeds: King Tut Peas, Black Jet Soybeans, and Stevenson's Blue-eyed Beans. I also got a nice, hand-written note :-)http://www.annapolisseeds.com/ and they have a blog, too! http://annapolisseeds.blogspot.com/

miner's lettuce and dandelion salad today

2010-01-28T08:58:00.001-08:00

Out walking yesterday I spotted Miner's lettuce coming up gang busters all over the place. Picked, along with chickweed and new dandelion leaves, it makes a splendid salad with some olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Nothing else like it!

walnut hat

2010-01-25T19:20:00.000-08:00

I had to post this cute picture of a walnut shell I found perched on top of sprouting daffodil leaves. I'm assuming a squirrel had planted it there :-)

Early Spring rolls featuring mint sprigs and parsley

2010-01-25T19:14:00.001-08:00

We are having an early Spring here on the Island. I noticed some spearmint sprigs sprouting, so decided to feature them in Early Spring rolls, with spicy peanut dipping sauce. The recipe is from Vegetarian Times Fast and Easy. Cut up whichever vegs. you have on hand like carrot curls,red pepper strips, cucumber, avacado, green mango, add some marinated Thai tofu strips, cilantro and mint sprigs, and sprinkles of chopped peanuts. Soak your rice paper rounds, dry carefully on a tea towel, place your ingredients on top and roll them up. They look nice if you put the herbs on the outside of the pile to show through the translucent rice paper. To make the dipping sauce: blend together 1/2 cup soft tofu, 1/4 cup peanut or almond butter, 3 Tbs. sweet white miso, 1 and 1/2 Tbs. tamari, 1 Tbs. grated fresh ginger, 1 clove garlic, chopped, then stir in 1 Tbs. lime juice and 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes. Serve with lime, cilantro and mint sprigs.

Harira

2010-01-18T10:21:00.001-08:00

This is a vegetarian version of Harira, a lentil and chickpea Moroccan soup usually made to break the fast at Ramadan. I made this soup in order to use up some stewed, frozen tomatoes I'd made at the end of the Summer. The recipe is from "Bountiful Vegan: Soups and Stews for Every Time of the Year" by Nava Atlas: 2 T. olive oil 1 large onion, finely chopped 3 celery stalks, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 3/4 cup dried brown lentils 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp freshly grated ginger 1/2 tsp cinnamon 6 cups of water or veg broth 2 cups tomatoes one 16 oz. can chickpeas rinsed and drained juice of 1/2 lemon(slice remainder for garnish) 1/4 cup chopped parsley or more to taste salt and pepper heat the oil and sautee the onions 5 minutes, then add celery and garlic to saute until the onions are golden. Add lentils, spices and water. Bring to a rapid simmer, then lower the heat to simmer gently until the lentils are just tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and chickpeas. Adjust the consistency with more water if needed, and adjust the spices to taste. Simmer for 15 mins longer over very low heat. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley, season with salt and pepper. garnish with lemon slices. So put on your Berber dress and enjoy your soup!

Book Review: The Winter Harvest Handbook, Eliot Coleman

2010-01-16T12:19:00.000-08:00

This is a wonderful book, full of great tips for growing vegetables year round in Northern places. I appreciate the fact that he uses minimally heated, movable greenhouses as well as larger, heated glass houses. Greenhouse construction, crop management, planting schedules, even marketing methods are covered in his comprehensive and down to earth book. There are chapters on insects and diseases, soil preparation, weed control, and deep organic farming methods for small farms. Highly recommended if you would like to try growing food year round. http://www.amazon.com/Winter-Harvest-Handbook-Production-Greenhouses/dp/1603580816 http://www.fourseasonfarm.com/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaDEBFq5HWI

certified organic seed sources for Canada

2010-01-14T09:51:00.000-08:00

http://www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca/rcbtoa/services/seeds-sources.html

dreaming the garden

2010-01-03T18:35:00.001-08:00

Here's my seed order so far - can't wait to get digging!! from West Coast Seeds: Beets Red Ace Organic - Broccoli Natalino- Brussels Sprouts United- Carrots Dragon Organic- Carrots Scarlet Nantes Organic- Cucumber Marketmore- Leeks Tadorna- Lettuces: Brunia- Coastal Star- Parsnips Gladiator- Arugula- Mild Mesclun mix- Snow Pea Snow Green- Bush Bean Tricolour- Hot Pepper Thai Dragons- Radishes Rudi Organic- Radish Black Winter Spanish Round- Spinach Olympia- Tomato Black Crim- From Franchi: Broccoli Raab Quarantina- Endive Riccia Cuor d’Oro- Lettuce Mix Misticanza - 14 varieties!- White Turnip Bianca Lodigiana- From Annapolis Seeds: King Tut drying peas these grow to 5 feet- Stevenson’s Blue –eye Beans- Soybeans Black Jet- From Richter's Herbs: White Sage - Burdock - Gobo Dianthus - for edible flowers Echinacea - Horehound - Angelica - Bergamot - Poppy - for blue seeds- I also have calendula, basil, cilantro, Scarlet Runner beans and Early Girl tomato seeds. (which I saved this Summer as an experiment) I usually buy a zucchini or two as well. And sunflowers, of course! It should be an interesting planting year, now that I will have room for drying beans, peas, and quinoa. Deciding not to try growing wheat, squash, oats, or barley - maybe if I can do some more sheet mulching.

recipes with herbs and cress

2010-01-02T14:06:00.000-08:00

I have finally got my computer up and running again having had a nasty virus (the computer, not me, thank goodness) - so here are a couple of recipes I tried using some fresh herbs from the garden. The weather has been very mild this Winter (so far, knock on wood) - temperatures around 9 during the day! we are still gathering lettuces, beets, kale and chard, all of which have sweetened up nicely from a frost. rye bread with purple kale cream cheese and cress from the garden. Here's the bread recipe I used: http://www.essortment.com/all/germanryebread_rtye.htm the bread went well with the candied salmon a friend had given us, and a good, cold German beer. stuffed mushrooms with parsley from the garden ~ these are your basic garlic butter baked mushrooms, with a little herbed cream cheese and parmesan on top. I really just wanted to make fresh bread crumbs with my new food processor! Happy New Year! may your 2010 be filled with many wonderful garden adventures!

pics to come soon

2009-12-29T12:32:00.000-08:00

Hi ~ just letting you know I'm using an old laptop right now - my computer got a bad virus and is on the mend... will be posting lots of pictures as soon as it gets better :-) I made stuffed mushrooms with herbs from the garden, and am making a dark rye bread with caraway seeds to have with a herbed cream cheese with cress and purple kale from the garden. Check back later in the week for the recipes and such. Until then, wishing you all a lovely week!

Winter Solstice garden pictures

2009-12-20T12:49:00.001-08:00

Here are some photos of a few green and growing plants still doing their thing in the yard in spite of a few hard frosts, torrential downpours and harsh winds. I wish you all a wonderful, festive holiday season! A hopeful bulb garlic shoots parsley patch pretty dark purple kale Romaine lettuce still going strong after a frost a hardy broccoli cress growing under the porch snowberry bush on the front yard flat leaf parsley doing well protected against the wall A fennel baby-they grow like weeds around here

Roasted Winter Vegetable Turnovers

2009-12-16T12:56:00.000-08:00

I used parsnips, carrots, and squash for the veg in these turnovers. You can use any veggies you happen to have growing locally, or in your garden. I also used herbs from my garden : rosemary, flat leaf Italian parsley, sage,fennel seeds and thyme. You could also add some Swiss chard if you happened to have any. I also like to serve the turnovers with home made chutney. This chutney is made with apples from my friend's tree. Here's the recipe: 1 small squash, cut into 1" chunks 2 carrots, diced 2 parsnips, diced 1 onion, chopped 1 tsp. red pepper flakes 1/4 tsp. black pepper 2 tsp. fennel seeds 1 1/2 tsp. oregano 2 tsp fresh rosemary 5 Tb. parsley salt, 2 Tb. olive oil toss veg, herbs, salt and oil together and roast at 400 degrees for about 25 - 30 mins. spread the veggies in one layer, sparsely, on trays so they caramelize, and not steam. Pastry: 2 1/3 cups flour 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 1/2 tsp. salt 1 1/2 cups butter 1 large egg 2 T. milk. sift the dry ing. together, mix the wet, make a well in the centre of the dry ing. and mix in the wet to form a dough. Roll out and cut into circles or triangles for the pastries. Add the roasted veg to 1/2 cup cooked brown rice, 1 1/2 cups cheese, grated, 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts, and 1 lightly beaten egg. Place onto rolled out dough, wet the edges and fold over, pressing with a fork to seal. Bake @ 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then @ 375 degrees for 13-20 minutes.

Broccoli for One

2009-12-07T13:16:00.001-08:00

My 6 little broccoli plants produced enough sprouts just for me for dinner today :-) I made soba noodles, and used the broccoli instead of snow peas. The sauce is easy to make, just add it to the noodles. The broccoli can be added to the noodles while they're cooking, just at the end. This recipe is from Eat, Drink, and be Vegan, by Dreena Burton. Sesame Lime Soba Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms & Snow Peas ( or Broccoli, as in my recipe) Sauce ingredients: 1 Tb. Hoisin sauce 3 1/2 Tb. tamari 1 and 1/2 Tb. fresh ginger chopped 2 garlic cloves 3 Tb. fresh lime juice 2 Tb. apple cidre vinegar 2 1/2 Tb. toasted sesame oil 3 Tb. agave nectar (or honey) pour this over the noodles and add sauteed mushrooms, 1 cup sliced green onions, slivers of red pepper, 2 Tb. toasted sesame seeds, and 1/2 cup cilantro. Top with a bit more sesame oil. This recipe is good for lunch the next day, too.

Dandy Dandelion Chai

2009-11-30T19:41:00.000-08:00

*** If you like the bitter taste of dandelion roots, you can chop then roast them, and add them to spices to make Chai - to roast the roots, chop them finely, but not too finely, and place them on trays to toast in your oven. I put the oven at 250,which seemed too hot, so reduced it to 200 degrees, and left the oven door ajar to allow steam to escape. It took 1 and 1/2 hours to dry and toast the roots, and they needed to be stirred frequently. To 1 cup of dried dandelion roots, add: 6 Tbsp Fennel or Anise seed 36 green Cardamom pods 72 Cloves 6 Cinnamon sticks 1½ tsp black peppercorns 12 Bay leaves To make the chai, put 2 tsp. of the mixture into a small pot with 1 cup of water, add some fresh ginger slices at this point, if you like. Simmer for 5 minutes, steep for 10, then strain out the spices. Reheat in the pot with 1 Tb. honey or brown sugar, and 1 - 2 Tb. milk or cream The bags of Chai can make sweet Yule gifts, too.

Cool Cuisine: Book Review

2009-11-28T16:51:00.001-08:00

Cool Cuisine: Taking The Bite Out Of Global Warming, by Laura Stec shows us that what we eat and how it is grown has an impact on our planet. http://www.globalwarmingdiet.org/ The author interviews farmers, doctors and scientists, and the book offers great, seasonal recipes using local, organically grown ingredients. Of course, if you are growing the ingredients yourself, even better! I am going to try these recipes: 1. Rice Miso Bread: makes 1 loaf 3 cups cooked brown rice 2 Tb miso 1 1/2 cups water 2 cups whole wheat flour 1 cup barley flour let the cooked rice stand at room temperature for 24 hours. Combine the miso and water, add the flours, and knead 50 - 100 times Dough will be sticky.Place dough in an oiled bread pan, cover and let it rise ina warm place for 6 - 8 hours. Preheat over to 350 degrees and bake bread for 1/2 hour. reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake an additional 1 - 1 1/2 hours. 2.Tahini Carrot Daikon Canape with Black Olives: 1 daikon radish 1/4 cup tahini 1 Tb. brown rice miso 1/2 carrot grated 1/2 tsp. brown rice vinegar 1/2 tsp. brown rice syrup 3/4 tsp hot chili pepper sauce 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds cilantro 15 good quality black olives quartered Peel the daikon and slice into 1/8 inch rounds. In a small bowl, combine the next 7 ing. Mound 1/2 tsp of the mixture onto each dakon slice top witha cilantro leaf and an olive sliver. There is a good resources guide at the back of the book. Looking for a source for Emmer? try www.bluebirdgrainfarms.com , or want to learn more about carbon farming? check out www.carbonfarmersofemerica.com

A little string of peppers

2009-11-24T13:53:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of the Thai Dragons I have strung to hang to dry. They add a bright touch to the kitchen! This variety is prolific and easy to grow. And they are very hot! A little goes a long way.

Big Bean Give-Away

2009-11-22T14:53:00.000-08:00

I have quite a few extra Scarlet Runner beans saved this year - If you are interested in these very easy to grow, beautiful beans, let me know, and I will send you some. These beans have been grown for many years by my neighbour, who brought them over from England about 50 years ago. They were grown by her father for many years before that, so you can be certain of their viability and heritage seed status. We grew ours up the back porch, and they produced many gorgeous, scarlet flowers which attracted hummingbirds. There were so many beans we were able to give lots away, as well. Send me your mailing address by email to sandybeach5@shaw.ca and I'll mail you these magic beans! Here's what they will look like:

Ten Thousand Joys

2009-11-21T10:15:00.000-08:00

I love to grow herbs for tea - I finally got around to mixing all the herbs I had dried and kept stored in jars over the Summer. In this tea we have nettles, raspberry leaves, calendula flowers, rosemary, fennel seeds and leaves, and spearmint. I would have also added lemon balm,but have used it all up! It is nice with a little honey and lemon, or chilled with fresh spearmint, if you have some. Another nice addition would be rose hips and/or rose petals, lavender or borage flowers to add colour and flavour. Making herb tea is so enjoyable, as the mix is never the same. I am reminded of sunny August days in the garden with every sip ~ and the tea is very good for you, too.A nourishing tonic for body, mind, and soul. I named this tea "Ten Thousand Joys" for the bliss and joy that come from a Summertime garden.

last of the jalapenos

2009-11-18T16:48:00.001-08:00

I made some vegan black bean and tempeh chili today with the last of the jalapenos from the greenhouse - and cornbread using the recipe from New Recipes from Moosewood cookbook. I also added some tomatoes that I'd stewed and frozen, and some fresh oregano. Just sautee some onions and garlic with the tempeh, add chili powder, cayenne, oregano, and a spoonful of chipotle puree (kept in the freezer and chipped off as needed). Throw in some beans, corn, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and the peppers and simmer for about an hour.

Rainy day comfort food

2009-11-17T13:26:00.001-08:00

It's a gray, rainy day - perfect for making soup! I have a couple of tomatoes, Thai Dragon peppers, fresh thyme and oregano and some coriander seeds from the garden, plus the last 2, precious bulbs of Sooke grown garlic to use - I'm making a roasted garlic and squash soup with tomato and pepper salsa. Here's the recipe: Roasted garlic and squash soup with roasted tomato and chili salsa: 2 garlic bulbs, outer papery bits removed 5 Tb. olive oil lots of fresh thyme if you have any, otherwise 1 tsp dried 1 large butternut squash, halved and seeded... Read more 2 onions chopped 1 tsp ground coriander seeds 5 cups veg. stock 3 T. fresh oregano and marjoram, or 2 tsp dried salt and pepper for the salsa: 4 large tomatoes halved and seeded 1 red bell pepper "" "" 1 large fresh red chili "" "" 3 T. olive oil 1 Tb. balsamic vinegar preheat oven to 425, place garlic bulbs on foil, pour over 1/2 oil add thyme and wrap in the foil , brush squash with 1 T. oil and place on a baking sheet with the tomato, pepper, and chili. Roast 25 mins then remove the tomato, pepper and chili, continue roasting squash and garlic 25 mins longer until the squash is tender. In a soup pot, heat remaining oil and saute onion and coriander. Skin the pepper and chili and process in a blender with tomatoes, add 2 T. oil, blend, stir in vinegar and s & p to taste. Squeeze garlic into the cooked onions. Scoop squash out and add to the pan. Add stock, salt and pepper, bring to a boil, simmer 10 minutes. Stir in 1/2 fresh oregano, then cool the soup, blend it, reheat (don't boil) top with salsa and fresh oregano. yummmy ♥ freezes well, too :-)

Winter Veg Potluck

2009-11-15T08:29:00.000-08:00

I went up Island today to attend the Slow Food Victoria and Gulf Islands event in Cobble Hill. http://slowisland.ca/item_view.php?item_id=1oDLwQ0jEp1lGgtBeq6cdGLAEYdwFjtFY7b We had a Winter Vegetable potluck, so I was up very early this morning kneading dough for roasted beet bread and making fresh apple, carrot, beet juice. My friend made pakoras with Swiss Chard from my garden. Here is the recipe I used for the bread:http://www.cookingbread.com/recipes/savory_bread/roasted_beet_bread_recipe.html This wonderful recipe was discovered here:http://www.thekneadforbread.com/ There are some fantastic food places in the Cowichan Bay area that use local ingredients : Merridale cidery:http://www.merridalecider.com/ True Grain Bakery:http://www.truegrain.ca/ and Hillary's Artisan Cheese shop: http://www.hilarycheese.com/

Food Inc.

2009-11-08T13:42:00.000-08:00

'The time has come to reclaim the stolen harvest, and celebrate the growing and giving of food as the highest gift and most revolutionary act' – Vandana Shiva~~ I watched Food Inc. last night - although I knew about the content, having read some books on the subject, seeing it again makes me more thankful for the privilege and blessing of having a garden than ever. It's through our gardens, small urban farms and organic local markets that we are able to reconnect to our food source and to the land. It's this reconnection with the land, to the Earth, that is so desperately needed-for once we realize the (sacred)interconnection between land and self, we will hopefully not be in such deep denial about the atrocities that are being committed against the environment and our fellow creatures. image from Kitchengardeners.org Kids can start growing food gardens at schools, more rooftop and city gardens, easier access to organic food for everyone. Monoculture, seed patents, and factory farms are making way for a new way of producing food that is more humane, doesn't depend on exploiting the poorest of the poor to do the dirty work, is less harsh on the environment, uses less water, and is healthier for people. This is less about "man's dominion over Nature" and more of a joyous, give and take with the creative force of life. http://www.cog.ca/ We need to support these farms and farmers, ensuring the seed that is used may be shared by all, not regulated by a chemical giant, like Monsanto, not GMO, not 'round-up ready' - allowing for diversity and alternatives to give ownership and power back to the grower, not the seed supplier. supplier.http://www.monsantowatch.org/http://truefoodnow.org/ It can not only be done, it is already happening, and this gives me hope.http://www.seeds.ca/ I wish all of us could have a garden to grow our food, even a small one - to learn the value of the miracle of seeds, growth, life cycles, compost, sun-ripened fruits,and just the sheer beauty of every single plant we cultivate and nurture. http://www.dinnergarden.org/index.html From the website, here are 10 simple things you can do to change our food system: http://www.foodincmovie.com/get-involved.php Of course, we can't always afford to buy organic, or expect to grow enough food for ourselves to never go to a supermarket, but we can at least do some of these things, some of the time. We can't always have healthy vegetarian home-cooked meals. This way of thinking and being is not just for elitist foodie snobs - we can all make a difference. http://slowfood.ca/ Okay, I'll stop ranting now, and go out to pick some lettuce and soak some lima beans for dinner. If you've seen the movie, let me know your views! And remember, GARDENERS HAVE THE POWER! http://www.kitchengardeners.org/ image from Sprig.co.ca

fig and fennel bread and roasted beet salad

2009-11-07T11:28:00.001-08:00

It's a dark, rainy day - time to bake bread to eat later on by the fire for tea. Some tips for a great fig and fennel bread: Try to find some good, organic, stone ground flour for this recipe, it really makes for a better flavour and texture. The Red Fife, Island grown wheat would be wonderful, but I find it hard to get.http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0010468 The Seed of Life on Government street sells organic black mission figs, which is what I'm using. They're exceedingly sweet and good. Grind your fennel seeds by hand in a mortar and pestle to add a nice texture - they become too powdery in a coffee/seed grinder. You can't knead this dough too much-build up your arm muscles and knead for a good 15-20 minutes - it's a stiff dough and will give you a good upper body workout! I prefer to hand knead dough - it's one of life's simple pleasures. The recipe: 2 Tbs yeast 2 cups warm water 2 Tbs melted butter, cooled 1 Tbs molasses 2 1/2 cups stone ground whole wheat flour 2 cups unbleached white flour 1 Tbs ground fennel or anise seeds or combination 1 tsp salt 1 cup black figs proof the yeast in warm water and molasses, add the rest of the ingredients, and knead for at least 20 minutes. let rise in a warm spot until doubled, shape into loaves, let rise 1/2 hour bake @ 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Make toast and tea and sit by the fire. A nice way for the dough to rise is to bake something in the oven in the meantime - you can put your dough to rise on top of the stove. I decided to roast some beets for salad - this will keep the stove top nice and warm for an hour and the dough will rise happily as a result. http://www.oprah.com/recipe/food/recipessalads/food_20020726_beetsalad I like to add toasted walnuts and feta to the salad, and use whichever greens are available in the garden, even dandelion leaves.

seed catalogues for Island growing

2009-11-05T18:48:00.000-08:00

If you are like me , you are already planning and plotting your next veggie, herb and flower gardens. I like to purchase seeds that are grown organically, and from local companies here on the Island. These are my favourite local seed companies(plus one from the Sunshine Coast, which is close enough~!): http://www.twowingsfarm.com/seeds.cfm#Broad%20Beans http://www.westcoastseeds.com/ http://www.saltspringseeds.com/ http://www.ghorganics.com/heirloom_tomatoes.htm http://earthfuture.com/gardenpath/Seeds_Catalogue.htm http://www.fullcircleseeds.com/ http://stellarseeds.com/ http://www.ediblelandscapes.ca/plantlist.html

A decent, if somewhat bitter, November salad

2009-11-05T18:08:00.000-08:00

Enjoying the warm, very rainy day here on the Island. Picked some greens and the last orange pepper for a salad tonight - pretty decent for November! chard leaves, endives, parsley, jalapeno pepper, nasturtium flowers and leaves,purple kale,(I LOVE the colour of this kale!), lettuce,cress, beet greens - fortunately I happen to love bitter greens, as these Winter leaves tend to be. I could have added some grated beets, too - and will soon have some sprouting broccoli ready to pick. My neighbour has sprouting cauliflower, which is amazing - I've never seen it grow multiple sprouts like that - I will have to get a photo of it to show you.

Slim pickin's

2009-11-03T18:14:00.000-08:00

I'm still finding food out in the yard in November: good, old Swiss Chard, Nasturtium flowers and leaves, water cress grown in a planter box under the porch, beets, endive, kale (both green and purple), jalapeno and Thai dragons in the little green house (a lean-to awning), lots of herbs such as sage, thyme,oregano, rosemary, arugula, and parsley, some hardier types of lettuce such as Romaine, and one, last big orange pepper, that was probably supposed to be red, but ran out of sunshine. I savour each and every morsel from the garden that I'm lucky and blessed to still have the pleasure of eating, for soon the killing frosts will come and the Earth will sleep. Then I'll only be able to enjoy sun-warmed, vine-ripened tomatoes, crisp snap peas, or gloriously sweet raspberries in dreamland, and how sweet those dreams will be!

fabulous fennel seeds

2009-11-03T12:09:00.001-08:00

(image from downtoearthliving.com) I am blessed with an abundance of fennel seeds that grow in my yard, in my neighbourhood, and naturalized in woods in the area. Related to caraway, they are lovely in tea, breads, curries, soups,http://rouxbe.com/recipes/2284-roasted-carrot-and-fennel-soup-with-fennel-seed-oil/text salad dressings, http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2006/12/frisee-salad stir fries, sauces, and cookies http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1910,153185-248193,00.html My favourite is a bread recipe from an Italian bakery I worked at once that has fennel (or anise) seeds and black figs: 2 Tbl. yeast 2 cups warm water 2 Tbl. butter 1 Tbl. molasses 2 1/2 cups whole grain flour 2 cups unbleached white flour 1 Tbl. ground fennel or anise seeds 1 tsp. sea salt 1 cup chopped black mission figs. proof the yeast in the warm water, add the salt, butter and molasses, knead in the flours, add the figs. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, then punch down and shape into free-form loaves. If you have a proofing basket for shaping the loaves, lucky you! http://www.sfbi.com/baking_supplies.html Let rise for an hour or so, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and bake for about 30 minutes, or until tapping on the bottom of the loaf produces a hollow sound. This bread makes the most wonderful toast, slathered with butter. I am currently tweaking a herbal tea mixture with herbs from my garden - it contains rosemary, spearmint, raspberry leaves, nettles, rose petals, calendula flowers, and fennel seeds. I love to make herbal mix-and-match teas - every pot has a unique blend. For the health benefits of fennel seed tea, read here:http://www.grandmas-wisdom.com/fennel-tea.html Fennel is a standard ingredient in some curries and Garam Masala spice blends: Garam Masala: Ingredients * 2 tablespoons coriander seeds * 1 tablespoon cumin seeds * 1 tablespoon cardamom seeds * 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns * 1 teaspoon fennel seed * 1 teaspoon mustard seed * 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves * 2 dried red chile peppers, seeds discarded * 2 tablespoons ground turmeric Directions 1. Combine the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cardamom seeds, peppercorns, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, cloves, and red chile peppers in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Toast until fragrant, about 2 minutes. 2. Grind the toasted spices in a clean coffee grinder or spice mill to a fine powder. Spoon in the turmeric, and process to combine. Use immediately, or store in a sealed jar for up to 1 month. You can add them to olives for gifts: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/olives-with-fennel-seeds-and-orange Here is a veggie pepperoni that has fennel seeds as an ingredient that I am planning to make soon! It is from allrecipes.com. Veggeroni Recipe Ingredients * 2 cups wheat gluten * 1/2 cup isolated protein powder * 1 tablespoon agar-agar powder * 1 1/2 tablespoons paprika * 1 teaspoon ground black pepper * 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes * 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper * 1 tablespoon fennel seed * 2 teaspoons garlic powder * 1 envelope dry onion soup mix * 1 envelope dry tomato soup mix * 1 1/2 cups water * 1 tablespoon vegetable oil * 1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring Directions 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). 2. Place gluten, protein powder, agar-agar, paprika, black pepper, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, fennel seed, garlic powder, onion soup mix, and tomato soup mix into a blender. Grind for 2 to 3 minutes into a powder, then pour into a large mixing bowl. 3. Stir water, oil, and liquid smoke flavoring into the powdered mixture until moistened, then knead the dough for 3 to 5 minutes. Shape the dough into a 2 to 3 inch log, and wrap tightly with aluminum foil, and place onto a baking sheet. 4. Bake vegeroni in preheated oven for 1 hour. Cool completely before slicing. and these scones look very good!: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Walnut-Golden-Raisin-and-Fennel-Seed-Scones-109368 As fennel self-seeds vigourously, I look forward to giving plants away in the Spring, and collecting lots of seeds for Winter use.

Wild Coast edibles

2009-10-31T18:19:00.001-07:00

Once the frosts come and the veggie patch lies dormant, I start foraging for edibles in our local forests and beaches. We are lucky here on the Island to have a (relatively) mild climate through the Winter months. I don't do much cultivating over the Winter to give the soil ( and me) a bit of a rest - just a bit of Kale, and mulching the root crops. An obvious choice for a readily accessible edible is dandelion roots - they can be chopped as finely as possible and roasted for a warming drink, or dried to use for a health -giving tonic tea. Here is a recipe for Dandelion Chai: http://www.prodigalgardens.info/dandelion%20coffee.htm I always make dandelion root vinegar which not only tastes good, but is a great healing remedy: "> http://crowsdaughtersherbs.blogspot.com/2008/01/dandelion-has-been-potent-ally-of-mine.html Up the coast, on some of the wilder, cleaner beaches, you can collect kelp - it's good dried and powdered to use on popcorn- here are some recipes: http://www.bckelp.com/SeaweedKelpRecipes.html After a frost is a great time to collect rose hips as well - I like to collect the wild rose hips (Rosa nutkana) that grow near the sea.Rose hips are very high in Vit. C, as well as Vits. D and E, essential fatty acids, and possess antioxidant properties.Rose hip tea is a traditional remedy to prevent and treat colds and the flu. Larger hips can be split in half to remove the fine hairs and seeds before drying - these must be removed, as they can become lodged in your throat and can be quite uncomfortable! Smaller hips can be dried whole, but must be put through a fine sieve or cloth after brewing. To make the tea, simmer 2 Tbs of dried hips in 2 -3 cups of water for about 10 minutes. You can add some dried spearmint and/or some honey to sweeten it, if you like, as it can be tart. (Which is how I like it). Rose hips are good for your heart, and will help to alleviate the stiffness and joint pain of arthritis. Eat Your Roses - rose recipes: http://www.springvalleyroses.com/inthegarden/roserecipes.html Here is a recipe for rose hip fruit leather: http://homecooking.about.com/od/jellyrecipes/r/blfruit15.htm And, you can make Rose Hip wine, which is good for your circulation: Rose hip wine stimulates the appetite and increases blood flow. Steep 3 ½ ounces of dried rose hips in 1 quart of strong, dry red wine for 2 weeks. Filter the wine. Drink 2 small glasses per day. Medicinal herb mixture for cold relief tea: * 1 ½ ounces rose hips * 3/4 ounce marsh-mallow root * 3/4 ounce mullein flowers and leaves This tea stimulates the immune system. When you have a cold or flu, the tea loosens bronchial mucus and makes coughs more productive. For a cup of tea, use 1 cup of water and 2 teaspoons of the tea blend. Of course, mushrooms are a perennial favourite this time of year.I am not an expert mycologist, but am seriously considering buying a mushroom kit to try as an experiment.http://www.gourmetmushrooms.ca/ Chickweed grows pretty much year round in sheltered spots, and there are many more edible weeds - this book is a great resource: http://www.amazon.ca/Handbook-Edible-Weeds-Reference-Library/dp/0849329469/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257041317&sr=1-1

almost as good as Grandma's coleslaw

2009-10-28T08:14:00.000-07:00

One half head of precious red cabbage awaiting inspiration: Almost As Good As Grandma's Coleslaw, is the result: grated red cabbage grated carrot finely chopped red pepper 1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped red onion *** dressing: 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 Tb. sunflower oil, 1 tsp. honey, salt and pepper it's bright and colourful and crunchy - you can add some grated beet too, if you have one.

Planthropology

2009-10-25T09:31:00.000-07:00

This book is on my to read list: Planthropology, by Ken Druse http://www.kendruse.typepad.com//planthropology looks like a good book to keep me company by the fire, while dreaming about Spring time. A book review is forthcoming, wishing you all a warm fire and good garden reading! and if you like reading horticultural blogs, this one is great:http://hsny.blogspot.com/ image from marrsheating.com

Trendy Veg

2009-10-22T18:03:00.000-07:00

These are some trendy new veggies showing up in stores and in restaurants: 1. Black garlic: with the texture of a dried apricot,and twice the antioxidant content of raw garlic.I tried to find a way to make your own, but can't seem to find anything. All I could find out was that it is fermented at high heat. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_garlic_%28food%29 http://blackgarlic.com/ Image is from the Feedbag.com 2.Lavender - no surprise here! I love herbes de Provence, and make a jar full every year. 3.Fig Leaves: for wrapping food and infusing with flavour before roasting. (to be removed before eating). My neighbour grows lovely figs, and I'm hoping I'll be able to 'borrow' some leaves! 4. Purple Carrots: just like purple potatoes, but these keep their colour when cooked. West Coast Seed Co. carries the seeds: http://www.westcoastseeds.com/productdetail/Vegetable-Seeds/Carrots/Purple-Haze/ 5.Chia Seeds , yes, the kind used to grow green pets. The seeds are high in omega-3's and can be added to granola, smoothies, and baking (like hemp seeds). From ehow.com : "Chias are what are know as "fire following plants." Ancient cultivators found that if they burned the plant after harvest, next year's crop was more plentiful. Sprinkle some burned remnants of the shrub over newly planted seed to quicken germination." They are native to Western North America, are drought tolerant, and will easily self-sow in a dry, sunny spot with porous soil in your garden.http://www.natural-healthy-eating.com/chia-seeds.html image from naturalhealthyeating.com 6.Dandelion Greens - my favourite and not too expensive or hard to find! who ever thought the humble dandelion would make it onto the 'it' list. 7. bite-sized Brussels Sprouts - I could only find seeds for these from the UK: http://www.thompson-morgan.com/seeds1/group/brussels+sprout.html Thompson and Morgan Seeds. I think I'll try growing Chia seeds,and if anyone finds a method for making black garlic, please send it along!

love-in-a-mist seeds

2009-10-17T12:41:00.000-07:00

image is from Gardenforks.com http://greenforks.com/2009/10/blooming-friday-october-week-1-shorter-days-and-cooler-evenings/ Love-in-a-mist, or nigella sativa, an annual of the Ranunculaceae family, has been growing and happily self-sowing in my side garden for many years. It's only recently that I've discovered that the seeds are edible. They are commonly used in Indian and Middle Eastern cooking, and are known as 'black onion' seed or black cumin(not onion family, however). When they are dry roasted, they taste a bit like black pepper or mustard seed but with a more herby flavour, and a bit of sweetness. Here is a recipe for Naan bread that uses the seeds: http://www.grouprecipes.com/70193/naan-bread-with-balck-onion-seeds.html And, if you're like me and don't weigh your flour, one pound of flour = approximately 3 1/2 cups sifted. Nigella's history is amazing ~ the seeds were found in Tutankhamun's tomb to assist him in the afterlife. Medicinally, the seeds are a power house and were used to cure everything, 'except death." Its many uses have earned nigella the Arabic approbation 'Habbatul barakah', meaning the seed of blessing. There's lots more info here: http://www.whitelotusaromatics.com/newsletters/nigella.html from the Fragrant Harvest newsletter.

A Gift of Red Orach seeds

2009-10-16T14:48:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to receive the Red Orach (Atriplex hortensis) seeds sent to me in the mail from blogger pal Telsing in Ottawa. (Thank You!)Made my day. I haven't grown Orach before - it will get a primo spot in the veggie patch in the Spring. So far I have learned that this beautiful plant will produce spinach-like leaves, and is an 'enthusiastic self-sower". This is from The Produce Hunter: Native to Europe and Siberia, RED ORACH is considered to be one of the world's oldest cultivated plants. It has been used as a pot herb since the 1500s, and was listed in a well-known seed catalog in 1815. Also known as Mountain Spinach, RED ORACH's beautiful leaves make wonderful salad greens and can be used like spinach or chard or stuffed like little cabbage leaves. The flavor is similar to chard, but it is much prettier!http://www.theproducehunter.com/index.htm Orach is often used in edible landscaping as it is such a beauty - it grows 3 - 5 feet tall and colours range from deep purple to magenta http://www.flickr.com/photos/10348212@N07/2229163898/ Already looking forward to next Spring!

garlic planting

2009-10-10T15:13:00.001-07:00

The garlic is in! I prepared a very nice bed for the cloves by double digging, making sure there weren't any sticks and stones in the soil, and added a great, big bucket of compost. I planted 2 varieties, one is Creston, a purple, soft-neck and the other a regular, white hard neck. I watered them in well, and once I've raked up some leaves for mulch off the grass, will be tucking them in for protection on frosty nights.

October salad

2009-10-08T19:04:00.000-07:00

We are making salad every chance we get, knowing the day is coming when salad greens will seem like a dream. On the plate we have chard leaves, beet greens, Little Gem and Brunia lettuces, curly endive, water cress,parsley, oregano, one of the few remaining zucchinis, spinach, nasturtium flowers, and the third-to-last tomato. A nice dressing, which I usually put on roasted yams, is this maple-chipotle vinaigrette from the Rebar Cookbook: 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 Tb. balsamic vinegar 1 Tb. maple syrup 3/4 tsp Dijon mustard 2 tsp. chipotle puree ( you can buy it in a small can, just blend it and keep in the freezer) 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1/2 cup olive oil whisk all except oil together, slowly drip in the oil until thickened. If you don't have a copy of the Rebar Cookbook, it is great! Some of the recipes have some exotic, not your usual in-stock ingredients, but are well-worth the effort to track down:http://www.rebarmodernfood.com/cookbook.html

last of the ripe tomatoes

2009-10-07T15:20:00.000-07:00

There are only 6 vine-ripened,tomatoes left~ so I've decided to make Orzo Pesto pasta salad with them - with some Swiss Chard thrown in for good measure. (I'm throwing Swiss Chard into everything these days - even smoothies). This salad is inspired by Sooke Harbour House's salad that was brought to a recent Slow Food event. Their salad was topped with gorgeous heirloom variety tomatoes of all shapes and colours, fresh sprigs of oregano, thyme and basil - and it was amazing. This is when those frozen cubes of basil pesto come in handy - I take them out about an hour or so before I need them, and stir them into the pasta while it is still hot. This combo of pasta with pesto, tomatoes and chard is wonderful - especially with a few shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano for the top. Here is another recipe to use chard that I found today on the Moss Street Market site (in the recipes section! who knew?)http://www.mossstreetmarket.com/recipes.htm TUNISIAN STYLE CHARD 2 lbs swiss chard, chopped roughly 5 large cloves garlic, pressed 1 tbsp. tomato paste 1 tsp. ground coriander ½ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. dried red chili flakes 2 tbsp. olive oil 1 cup minced onion 2-14 oz. cans garbanzo beans, with liquid lemon wedges (optional) Steam chard until tender. In bowl, combine garlic, tomato paste, coriander, salt, and chili flakes. Heat oil in a saucepan, and sauté onion. Add the tomato paste mixture. Add chard and garbanzo beans, with liquid. Stir and cook until heated through, about 10 minutes. Makes 8 servings. I am going to make this tomorrow with my own fresh coriander seeds and Thai Dragon chilies.