Garilc Scape Pesto

Last week at the Farmers Market the surly Slavic woman had garlic scapes. Being that my own garlic doesn't have them yet this year I inquired to the price as they were off to the side.

I guess hardly anyone was buying them because when I asked she said she would give me a bunch for $1. Well for $1 I could hardly refuse. I didn't know what a bunch meant.

Boy Howdy!!! She FILLED a plastic grocery bag with these. I seem to have an unending supply of these babies! I've given some away but mostly I made pesto. I used The scapes, olive oil, Parmesan, and walnuts (because that is what I had.) Yummy! I froze a lot of it for the winter. You can also saute them as you do garlic and they are a little milder. Kind of how a green onion is to an onion. I also took the pesto and spread it on bread with some mozzarella for an appetizer and smeared it on chicken and grilled it. Next my husband suggested making a dip out of it.

I have a lot of the scapes left so I think I may make a bunch more pesto tomorrow. They scapes also last a long time in the fridge so I will keep some for grilling with veggies.

Putting Up Strawberries

Right now strawberries are in full swing in my neck of the woods.

This past week, my mother-in-law and I took my girl strawberry picking! We picked 10 quarts of berries which ended up being $2 per quart. It was a beautiful day and the plants were full of berries which made picking not such a chore.

I ended up cleaning and freezing a lot of berries for the depths of winter. Along with that I made 2 batches of strawberry jam which came out to be 16 1/2 jars of jam. It's so very good! I used the low sugar recipe but it's still sweet!

This year I planted Rhubarb. It's nowhere near ready to be picked, perhaps next year I can make a strawberry/rhubarb jam.

I have about 1 1/2 quarts left and we've been eating those. I wanted to try drying some for oatmeal or granola but the ones I have are past their prime. If I feel ambitious next week I may go and pick 5 more quarts.

Growing Malaria Right In My Own Backyard

This past spring I planted some lettuce in a large container. It never did well. It didn't drain well, I seemed to have a problem with squirrels in it and the lettuce didn't do squat really. The lettuce I direct sowed into the garden did much better.

I've been meaning to dump the whole thing in the compost pile but last week and this weekend were so rainy and it filled up with water and I didn't want to be bothered until things were drier. I've also just been peering out the window at my garden over the last few days rather than walk out to it in the rain.

This morning dawned and it was finally nice and sunny. Upon peering into my lettuce planter I noticed it was just teeming with new life-LOTS OF NEW LIFE. In the form of about 10,000 mosquito larvae swimming around in it. They were small but large enough for me to see they were nibbling around the lettuce.

EEEWWWWWW......................

I dispensed my husband to take care of it as it was completely grossing me out! (Yes, I realize I made him do this on Father's Day!)

Anyway, this is a pretty gross story but it's really a cautionary tale. Anything can be a breeding ground for these things as long as there is some standing water. This planter has only a few inches of water above the soil. (upon emptying the container I noticed I never took the stoppers out of the bottom so of course there was no drainage.) I was always good with the birdbath last year because it was a really obvious place for "standing water" This planter, no so much.

In our old house I had a small garden fountain. It was mostly on, but sometimes off. Our dog would drink out of it when we were not looking. She swallowed water infested with larvae and was sick the likes of which you NEVER want to see or have your pet experience. I thought she was going to die and I imagine she thought so as well. Please don't yell at me over this, I felt bad enough. I'm just sharing to scare you enough that this never happens to you.

I also cannot imagine my yard with 10,000 mosquitoes flying around and what this would mean for my daughter playing outside!

Lesson Learned! (For some reason as I write this I feel so darn itchy all over, I'm probably going to have bug nightmares)

My Brother's Radishes!!!

This past winter I convinced my brother he should grow a garden. He's a landscaper and great with plants and last year grew two enormous tomato plants. Why not, I urged, try and grow more of your own food.

We've chatted on and on about what he should grown, when he should sow seeds, etc.... A lot of this he was unfamiliar with. I planted my own radishes & spinach and then gave him some seeds for himself and told him what to do.

I've been looking at my garden lately, for some reason the spinach just didn't want to grow. They got to about 3 inches tall and literally stopped growing. Tomorrow I'm harvesting them all into one little green smoothie. The radishes are growing and the other day I picked a little one. Alas, it had already been chewed on by some critter or another. The other ones are slowly developing.

I got a call the other day from my brother wondering when he can pick his spinach. Because his, he says ARE 12 INCHES TALL......A FREAKING FOOT TALL!!!....... Oh and do I want some radishes because he has a bunch. Today when my husband was over there he sent me 3 beautiful LARGE radishes for my salad. I think he was showing off.

I guess you can teach a man to fish!

Some Thoughts On Starting Seeds

I'm a gardener of average skill and knowledge. I have grown many things successfully from seed that I have directly sown into the ground. (peas, radish, turnips, sunflowers, beans, morning glory, lettuce, spinach).

Most years I just buy plants at the nursery when it's time for Tomatos, peppers, etc.... This year I decided to try and grow some veggies from seed by starting seeds inside. I choose broccoli, 2 kinds of tomato and onions. I read up a little on seed starting, ordered my seeds and then I was in business. I also ordered seeds that I sowed directly into the ground (Arugula, Spinach, Peas)

I have mixed feelings about this whole thing. Not only did this become a daily chore for me to have to remember but I only grew 2 kinds of tomato. (I'm giving a bunch away but they look nothing like the robust transplants at the nursery this time of year.) This year, many of the nurseries that I frequent got in on the heirloom vegetable resurgence and have offered so many different varities. You can buy one of each for about $1.69 and I ended up purchasing a bunch of tomatos as well. (purple, striped, dwarf, yellow) of course a seed grown tomato costs a lot less than $1.69 but a plant produces enough fruit that I can be satisfied with that return on investment. Also, I'm only growing 9 tomato plants. If I was growing 30, then starting seeds might be a better option for me.

The onions were so scrawny that they didnt transplant well at all. I finally put 2 clumps in and figure the clumps will be big enough in the fall for me to transplant for next year.

The broccoli. Well Im excited because Im growing a kind I can't find in transplants. However, something in my garden has snapped the stem of a few already so I filled the spaces with brussles sprouts from a nursery. It's much less frustrating replanting something you just bought rather than something you've been growing since February!

The heirloom spinach had a VERY low germination rate and I imagine that is why people stopped planting it. I had to supplement with a local brand of seeds-The cost was less and seeds acclimated to my area.

The jury is still out on the peas. I saw flowers today so peas are in my future.

First Harvest!

Today, May 22nd, I harvested the first thing from this year's garden.

Broccoli Rabe (Rappi) that, with the July-like temps of the last few days, flowered yesterday, way earlier than I expected. The stalks really didn't have enough time to get very big around and they were a little tough at the bottom. Certainly not the best veggie that I've ever harvested from my yard, but as the first this year, it was still pretty darn great.

I sauteed these up with some olive and sesame oils and then added some of the Chineese Green Onion Sauce that my husband whipped up for the Chineese wings he grilled tonight.

My Girl Gets In On The Act

After making some mixed flower planters for Mother's Day gifts, my girl asked me if she could have the leftover flowers for her tree house not in a tree (that's what she calls the tent platform on her swing set.) She proceeded to get out some pots and planted them herself. She then put on her finishing touches (as she called them) by putting all the plastic plant markers she could find in the 2 pots. Then she placed them in her "tree house" and watered them. Along with that she has marigolds and peas that she started in preschool. I'm thinking of a way I can make a small trellis in the platform so we can grow them in pots for her as they are actually pretty healthy plants!

The Homestaed Kitchen!

Yesterday my husband took my daughter to the zoo for a daddy/daughter date and I worked around the homestead.

I started a batch of Artisan Bread from Mother Earth News. I made the whole wheat last week but made the white batch this week as I'm having all the moms in my family over Friday for a belated mother's day lunch and I wanted something a little less dense for them. The awesome thing about this recipe is that it makes 3 loaves and there is NO KNEADING involved. I like kneading well enough but I haven't really mastered it-How long, when is it too much, etc... This is a simple simple process and I have made 4 loaves without incident. It's better if you let it sit in the fridge overnight so I baked it today.

I also made a batch of mozzarella cheese. I halved it and made one ball of mozzarella and one log that was filled with prosciutto. My family really like this so we probably eat it faster than we would normal cheese. In addition, I started a new batch of Keifer but that won't be done until tomorrow. (and it's not really that photogenic!)

New Header

Like my new header? Stuff is growing around here! You can see my lovely chives mixed in with geraniums and those little seedlings behind the chives-Turnips!

My Own Planting Progress

I really need to post some new pictures, the garden ALREADY looks different!

So far I have planted the following:
Potatoes
Leeks
Turnips
Onions
Shallots
Broccoli
Broccoli Rabe (Rappi)
Arugula
Lettuce (various kinds)
Spinach
Shelling Peas
Snow Peas
Golden Beets (I'm not sure on the progress of these. They seem to be taking a long time and I've never grown them before.
Rhubarb
Garlic (I planted this last fall)
Horseradish (again, planted last fall)
Dill-I actually didn't plant it, it's sprouting from some seed from last year, I'm just letting it grow!)
Radishes
Brussels Sprouts
Oregano (had already)
Sage (Ditto)
Winter Savory (Ditto)
Chives (Ditto)
Thyme (Ditto)
Tarragon (Ditto)

Wow-On paper that looks like more than it does to me out in the garden. Perhaps it's because the garden is bigger than it ever was or perhaps it's because some of that stuff is still small and no where near ready to eat.

Mother's Day Garden Update

Well we took the raised bed over to my parents today and I have to say-My mom was surprised and a bit perplexed. Like why would we expect her to GROW FOOD??? By the end of construction though, I could feel her warming up to the idea. I could tell she was having fun as we sat down and designed what kind of food she was going to have in it. She even called me tonight to thank me again and say she thinks it will be really neat when things start to grow.

I'm setting things out in a Square Foot Gardening configuration and her 4' x 8' garden will contain:

-1 Tomato, I am also making a homemade earthbox for an additional tomato
-2 Broccoli
-2 Pepper
-2 Eggplant
-1 Zucchini
-2 Bush cucumbers
-Green onions that she can cut early and use for, well, green onions.
-9 Onions that will grow into full size onions
-Parsley
-Basil-The funny thing about this is she asked if she could dry it. So hmm...she went from being perplexed by the whole thing to wondering about drying herbs in the space of like 2 hours. I think my plan is working......
-Marigolds in the corners
-1 separate planter of lettuce


I'll post some pictures when all the more tender veggies are planted.

If you think you don't have room to grow veggies!

When I worked at Citibank and became a manager I was upgraded to a great cubicle (Is it even legal to use those words in the same sentence???) It had 6ft tall sunny window that ran the length of the cube with a huge window sill. It looked over a large expansive lawn with gorgeous trees that turned a fiery orange in fall. It was the best seat I ever sat in during my corporate world work days. I had some plants but nothing edible.

I also worked with some IT geeks at Paychex who were growing pea vines in their office window. Urban gardeners before it was even cool!!! Sadly, at Paychex, I had a dreary cube in the middle of a building that had tinted windows. While the job was great, the surroundings were suffocating.

If I worked in the corporate world today THIS is what I would be tending at my desk!

Earthbound Farms Clamshell Lettuce Garden

I am going to try this next winter. I think I'll do lettuce and arugula. Arugula is my very favorite green and is always in short supply in the winter. This past winter I bought 2 small bunches for $5 at the Long Season Market because I missed it so much. This winter I will raise my own!!

Buy Local!

I am a strong proponent of buying locally grown, fresh food. Please head on over to my other blog to see my latest on NOT buying Mexican tomatoes (it has nothing to do with Swine Flu!). I didn't post it here because it's not about MY crops but I do think it's worthwhile to consider!

Making Food Production a Family Affair!

My brother and I have come up with an AWESOME (I think) Mother's Day Gift for our mom!

He is building her a 4' x 8' raised bed with some scrap wood of and we are going to fill it with a small veggie garden for her. I have also already started a large rectangle planter of salad greens that is growing quite well.

My mom has never been a gardener but she does love her potted plants on the patio. She's good about caring for them and I imagine will be good about a veggie garden (especially one from her kids!) Ohhh....Great idea-I just had the thought to have my daughter make her a sign for it! She'll love it even more!

I just feel so strongly that people should learn to produce some of their own food. As soon as you have the garden, the rest is relatively easy-Water, weed & consume!

I've also been encouraging my brother, who is a landscaper, to grow some of his own food as well this year. So far he is off and running with peas, snow peas, radishes, lettuce, 2 brussles sprouts, broccoli and potatoes!

A Different Take On Eating Locally

Today at preschool I noticed a small child in camo pants with a toy shotgun. (We don't have play guns at school so I knew it was from home, he turned out to be the little brother of a student) At first I thought maybe his parents were part of a separatist group I was unaware of in my suburban neighborhood. I commented to his mom (not about the separatist thing.) She said that tomorrow is the start of Turkey season (I always thought that would be November!) and that her son was excited because his dad was a hunter.

It piqued my interest. So I asked her about that. How many turkeys can you get? Do they eat anything wild besides turkey. (They do) How do her kids like it? (Apparently her daughter will not eat any meat daddy doesn't hunt) and why (Dad likes hunting and Mom likes lean meat with no hormones and without having to worry about how they were raised & of course, price is a factor for them.) It was all so Pa Ingalls. I imagine that there are costs involved with a permit, ammo, and of course, method of hunting. But I also imagine the cost of hunted game is VERY LOW per pound of meat. Another take on providing for yourself in an unconventional way (Though, hunting, has been, the conventional way of providing fresh meat since about the beginning of mankind!)

We don't hunt at our house. We're not morally opposed to it, we just don't have the interest, skill, inclination, and if the truth were known, stomach,to kill our own food. (although my husband DID skin a squirrel last October.) If you ARE morally opposed to it and you still eat meat you may want to consider the conditions your own food is grown/slaughtered under before you make a value judgment about hunting. I do know if I lived near the ocean I would go clamming and gladly eat fish from the sea. (The Lake? I don't know about the type of quality or fish in there.)

All in all, a really interesting conversation about eating locally & a (Now) non-traditional way of feeding your family that doesn't involve supermarkets & tons of fossil fuel)

Romanesco Broccoli

Have you ever seen such pretty broccoli????

Romanesco Broccoli!

Yesterday I planted 14 plants! I have started many more seedlings than that and am having trouble deciding how many more to plant. I'll give the ones that I don't use to my brother and some gardening friends but first I need to decide how much is enough for me.

On one hand, this is supposed to be amazing tasting broccoli. On the other, since they were started and planted all at the same time, they will probably all mature at the same time. That's a lot of broccoli for 3 people. I don't know how this is frozen but I will try and freeze a few heads. Sure, I could give some to my parents and friends, but the garden exists mostly to grown food for us. Of course most people I know probably have not eaten this so it would be a real novelty to give away. Lastly, space. I think I have a lot of space this year, but I'm nervous because I don't want to fill it up with cool season vegetables to the point that I have little room leftover for summer stuff. (I've already decided only ONE zucchini!)

The Herb Garden Shapes Up

Well the herb/onion garden is shaping up quite nicely!

Since I have had no issues with deer and herbs, I moved all of the perennial herbs (Chives, Winter Savory, Thyme, Oregano, Tarragon, Lemon Balm, & Lavender) out of the compound and into the garage garden. (except for the Lavender which I put by the front steps.) There is already a TON of Bee Balm (Bergamot) In there and I'm always pulling that out or giving it away. Love it, but not too much of it!

I actually really like how the garden looks in spring with all kinds of new growth and greenery. They always look so healthy and full of promise.

On top of that I planted 87 onions and 12 Shallots. There were only 12 in the package, I should have bought 2.

Compare the pic above with the one I took 12 days ago on the 16th and it's already grown A LOT!

My Husband Helps The Homestead!

It's getting warm here (finally!) and we have been spending a lot more time outside. As much as I like the fact that my girl likes to dig in the dirt, I just about lost it this past week when she insisted on laying (yes laying RIGHT IN IT) over and over and over!!! Time to fill the sand table!

Today my husband went to Home Depot to get some play sand. 1 bag is usually too little and 2 fills it to the top. I never know how much to get and usually skimp and get one. While he was out I called him to get me a bag of potting soil as well.

He came home with a smug look and told me to go look in the car. When I did I noticed that he must have performed his old "broken bag of mulch" routine which he read about somewhere when we first got married. Now my husband has never really been a big spender so I can't claim to be totally responsible for this next thing but this is a guy who HATES picking up side-of-the-road finds. I'm a little surprised but for as long as I can remember, when he's at home improvement stores/garden centers (and looking for mulch and the like) he asks about broken bags -If they have some and would they sell them for a discount.

Anyway, the trunk was FULL. 2 BAGS OF POTTING SOIL (full but with holes) 2 BAGS OF PLAY SAND (same as the soil) 1 HUGE bag of Peat Moss-Which I can always use! (This had only a slash across the plastic) and 1/2 bag of some kind of gravel. (I think this is unuseable) Apparently you had to buy it all or get none at all. The WHOLE thing cost him $4.08. That comes to $0.68 a bag and is quite possibly one of the best deals we have ever gotten!

So, the sand table is filled, I've started containers of lettuce and arugula for gifts and planted some of my potatoes with a soil/peat mixture today!

I can't say for certain how many times this has worked-Obviously they store needs to have some broken bags. Sometimes they don't. However, whenever they do, they have always been willing to sell them.

I'm A Lazy Composter

I'm a lazy composter.

Before I made my own compost I was pretty intimidated by it all. You can find actual books, (ones with more than 100 pages!!) on JUST compost. There is a lot of technical stuff about your green matter and brown matter. There are things you can build and buy to make it happen faster and contain it. You can worry about the pile temperature. You can add stuff to help with the breaking down of matter.

I don't do any of that.

I start with some dirt. I add some kitchen scraps. I add more dirt. I add more scraps. I turn the pile once in a while. (my pitchfork is the only tool I use to make compost) It becomes compost. It all breaks down. Oh sure, I'm sure there are people making compost faster than I am, but I'm not in a compost contest or anything.

I do however, LOVE adding stuff to it. This evening we had Japanese food with my in-laws. These bento box dinners come with this weird Iceberg lettuce salad with ginger dressing. My husband likes the dressing but no one really eats the salad. I brought home 4 take out boxes of salad and while my husband will probably eat 2 of them, I secretly imagine the other 2 in my compost pile. I know it's a sin to waste food. Is it a sin to want to compost it?????

I pretty much add any of the things to my pile you can see in the graphic above. Except for fish-Yeah, I DO remember that story about the Indians showing the pilgrims how to grow better corn by putting a fish in the hole with the seed. But fish in my compost would attract even more animals to the yard than I already have.

Oh, and I noticed a chocolate chip cookie in that graphic as well. Who, pray tell, actually has a chocolate chip cookie scrap they can't eat laying around????

***Small note-If you plan on composting you probably should get out a book or do some research into the kind of things you can and should not compost. You should not, for instance, compost anything with oil or animal fat in it, while tea bags and egg shells are just fine!

Seedlings

For the past month or so I have been babying these little guys in my basement under a grown light.

Even though I've successfully grown vegetables before, I have never done any from seed! This year I waded into what, for me, is new territory.

What you see are are Romanesco Broccoli, and 3 heirloom tomato varieties ' (Brandywine, Raad Red, and genovese) Raad Red might not be an heirloom as much as it is a production variety good for canning. Problem is I lost the labels so I can't figure out who is who. I'm hoping Google Images might be able to help me as they get bigger as they do have really different leaves.

My next step is hardening these babies off to be able to survive outside. What needs to happen is that I need to put them outside a little at a time to get use to it out there other wise they won't acclimate and shrivel up and die. (or some similar fate!) The broccoli I will start with this weekend. The tomatoes (which I just re-potted into single pots) will need to wait a few more weeks!

There are also tiny onions in the upper right corner. My MIL's cat that I am watching actually ATE the first bunch of onions I planted (who knew cats eat onions?) so I only have a few from seed. I got worried and ended up buying some onion sets, which I planted this past weekend. 89 onions!!! That may sound like a lot but I'm hoping to store some as well as use some as green onions over the course of the summer.

You Say Potato...

This past weekend I received my potato order from Seed Savers Exchange, a company that specializes in heirloom vegetables.

I've never grown potatoes before. I ordered the smallest amount which was a 2 1/2 lb bag. They assure me that this can plant a 50 ft row!!! I am going to try some in the driveway bed but I am also going to construct some potato towers to see how those work as well.


The variety I ordered is called La Ratte and is a french fingerling potato

Since potatoes are so cheap you may wonder why I'm even bothering.

From Mother Earth News regarding La Ratte:

‘La Ratte’ came into being through many years of selection by farmers in the Ardêche region of France. It became a culinary favorite upon its introduction to Paris markets in the late 1800s.

The flavor of ‘La Ratte’ is unique — not quite earthy, a little on the mushroom side. Its skin is the color of parchment, but the flesh is yellowish-white. The yellow deepens in storage, and over time, the potato sweetens. The tubers are 6 to 8 inches in length, a little bumpy and slightly bent like a horn. In fact, because of their shape, fingerlings are sometimes referred to as “horns” or “pinecones.”

‘La Ratte’ is quite versatile in the kitchen, with a wonderful buttery texture. Like most fingerlings, it is perfect in salads. But it’s also frequently paired with smoked foods, and some cooks like to smoke the tubers themselves.

That sounds like a pretty good endorsement!

In The Beginning

Well these spring pictures don't do much for me actually, but they are the start of my official homesteading project!

I will change the header as the garden grows or as I produce something a little more interesting than a deer fence! But oh, what a deer fence it is! NO STINKING WHITE TAIL DEER IS GOING TO MAKE IT'S WAY INTO MY FOOD THIS YEAR. Ok, now that that's off my chest, I actually DO have a few things growing in this backyard already.
Last year's leeks and some tarragon beginning to grow. Those leeks actually need to move soon to make way for some broccoli . Tiny Tiny Broccli Rabe

Oregano
Garlic!! I'm good at growing garlic. Ok, don't let me fool you, it's the easiest thing ever to grow!
The first pea shoots! I have been waiting so long for theses. I planted a little too early and didn't think they were ever coming up.
Flower garden that is becoming an Herb/Onion garden this summer. It's outside of the fence and deer won't eat herbs or alliums. Please notice my broken birdbath that, was knocked over by, what else, a deer.

Beginning of driveway bed. It was originally an old hedge row where I intended to plant grass. Right after the hedge was taken up someone gave me 6 zucchini plants. It was a great garden and retains heat from the driveway. Now I'm making it bigger. That big dent is where I drove through it this past winter. Obviously I'm not planting anything permanent here. I originally thought about a blueberry hedge but am rethinking that logic. I think turnips/beets/radish. Deer seem to leave those alone.

Welcome To My Little Homestead in The Suburbs

I live in a beautiful house in the suburbs. I'm a SAHM to a beautiful 4 year old and I'm on the pre-school board. My husband is a conservative teacher. I'm in a dinner club and a garden club. I like strappy sandals and leopard print. I sell things on eBay. I like coffee out. I read a lot.

But..

Part of me longs to be Laura Ingalls. What I really want is a beautiful homestead with chickens, bees, fruit trees, homegrown produce and more self sufficiency than I currently have. I daydream about spinning my own yarn and would like a pressure canner.

I actually already DO a lot of the things that I would if I lived on my dream homestead.

I compost.
I grow things.
I can make my own cheese.
I knit.

I've recently been inspired by the myriad of Urban Homesteaders out there who, despite WHERE they live, have taken better charge of HOW they live. (I've got a whole post about these interesting people line up soon!) I feel a shift in focus. I've had flower gardens for years and have grown vegetables. Lately my interest in food production has blossomed even more and I feel a real need to provide for myself and my family.

I've long had the idea to blog about my garden, if only to act as my own personal record about it. Maybe no one wants to read about my peas??? But I actually DO want to write about them.

I don't want a farm. (farmette? maybe? )I don't want to grow vegetables as a job or for money. I want A place to become more self sufficient and to make better use of my resources. I want to buy local. I want to eat in season. I want to knit something warm. I want to put up food for the winter.

Why wait for 40 acres and a mule.

My homestead journey starts now! Please join me along the way!