Seeds in the Closet

My first tray of seeds was started under grow lights in my closet this weekend.  I just looked back at my old seed-starting posts --  I've never managed to get any seeds in during the month of January before!  I'm still waiting for my seed orders from this year to arrive, so I started with "old" seeds that were either saved or leftover from last year.  I'm hoping that this is only the first of several trays that I'll be starting in the next few weeks. Here's what went in:

Lettuce "Salad Bowl Blend" - Botanical Interests
Parsley "Italian Gigante" - Burpee
Cleome (saved from swap with community gardener Robin)
Zinnia (saved)
Cilantro (saved)
Savoy Cabbage (Baker Creek)

I used this "Pro Mix"
It contains 75% to 85% peat moss, Perlite, Limestone and "wetting agent"(wonder what that is!)







Are you starting any seeds indoors this year? I'd love to know what you're growing.

Older posts about seeds:
Seedling Experiment
Making a Seed Starter From Recyclables

My Black Friday Helper

Living so close to the second-largest mall in New York State just makes me want to hide in the house on Black Friday.  It’s hard for me to believe that people think it is fun to wait in line for a $12 popcorn popper.  An astonishing number of people even go on Thanksgiving night!    

After we spent Thanksgiving Day with our cousins in Brooklyn, they came and stayed with us here in Nyack for a couple of nights.  My 5-year-old niece Xeta and I spent much of Black Friday outside in the garden.  She helped me feed the chickens and rake leaves.    

Then she asked what we could plant.   All my flower bulbs and garlic were already in the ground, but it was such a beautiful day and I had such an enthusiastic helper.   The sun was shining and the temperature was in the low 60s.  We didn’t even have jackets on!  It definitely seemed like weather that could still germinate some cool weather crops, so we’re trying some kale, cabbage and lettuce.  I have a row cover that I’ll put over them and hope for a head start on some spring seedlings at the very least. 

One of the other fall projects that Xeta helped me with is building up the beds,  We put compost, chicken litter (wood shavings and chicken manure) and shredded leaves and grass on top of the vegetable beds.  Throughout the winter, the mixture breaks down and in the spring the beds are fertile and ready for planting. 

I can't believe this is my 400th post on this blog.  I started it in 2008 and still have ton of tons of things to write about -- the problem is finding the time.  When I look at my first blog post...oh my lord ....it was so pathetic...  I'm grateful for all the friends I've made through this blog, around the world and locally and hope to continue to write about everything under the sun. 

Fall Update: Hurricane, Harvest and Hen Hierarchy

Now that Hurricane Sandy has passed, life is finally getting back to normal.  Our area was hit hard, but we were lucky – just a few tree limbs down and power disrupted for 5 days.  School was cancelled all last week and again Monday  – this made my kids very happy until they were reminded that they may still be attending in July to make up the extra days.  We’re still waiting in line for gas, but it seems like a small thing to endure when others in the NYC area are contending with such major losses.  There are at least 30,000 newly homeless in NYC right now and people are still having trouble getting around. We count our blessings with every news bulletin.

This was the last weekend for the community garden – everything needed to be out of the plots Nov. 4. I harvested lots of fennel, savoy cabbage, beets, Brussels sprouts, radishes, kale, lettuce, parsley and dill.  Plus a nice bunch of very fragrant sage given to me by a neighbor.     

I’m hoping some it holds out til Thanksgiving. 

An experiment – I took the fennel roots, cut the stalks, and replanted them in my perennial bed.  Since it’s one of the hardier vegetables, I’m hoping to get a head start on some for next spring.  German hardneck garlic and tulip bulbs were also planted this weekend. 

I don’t believe I’ve introduced you to my three new white chickens.   I adopted them from a man who decided he didn’t want to keep them through the winter.  Since they were originally purchased to amuse his grandchildren, I thought it only appropriate to name them after the kids: Hayden, Allison and Kaitlynn.   

Don't ask me which is which!

I was a little anxious about how they’d get along with the four current residents, especially Harley, a bantam Silver Spangled Hamburg, whose head is often plucked bare of feathers by the bigger girls.  She tried so hard to assert herself.  She was the first to confront the new hens – she fluffed up her feathers and boldly attacked.  They weren’t afraid of her though, and she’s still the little picked-on, bullied runt around here. 

It’s especially sad that she seems to be exiled from the coop.  It's like she has cooties.  The six others will typically squeeze into one coop, leaving Harley alone in the other one – even though 4 is supposed to be the maximum in one coop.  Poor Harley.  (She’s named after Harley Quinn, of “Batman” fame.  Guess who named her!?)  I’m trying to think of ways to give her more status and some roommates.    

I was so happy about the election results!  But would love to know why Prop 37 was defeated in California!  I find it very surprising because I thought they would be more progressive.  I heard there were ads.  If anyone knows where I can see one of these opinion-swaying ads, please leave me a link.  To learn more about the campaign for GMO labeling, visit www.justlabelit.org.

Visit to The Pfeiffer Center

For years now I’ve wanted to visit The Pfeiffer Center, a biodynamic farm in Chestnut Ridge, NY, not far from here.  I finally had my chance last Sunday, during the Rockland Farm Alliance “Farm to You” Festival and Tour.    It was just one of the places visited that day, along with Cropsey Community Farm in New City, Bluefield Farm in Blauvelt and Hook Mountain Growers in Upper Nyack.

Apart from their attention to the lunar calendar, I wasn’t too familiar with biodynamic growing.  Biodynamic ideas originated with Rudolf Steiner in the 1920's, when he realized that conventional fertilizers weren’t maintaining soil quality.  Biodynamics takes organic farming a step further.  

From the Pfeiffer Center website:

“Steiner described an approach to plant and land care that combined novel techniques of building up healthy soil with a renewed awareness of all the forces at work in the farm organism: among and between the soil, plants, animals, and humans, as well as the cosmos itself.  Rudolf Steiner set forth the principles of a modern, organic agriculture that works with life-regulating processes and subtle catalysts such as trace elements and enzymes. He emphasized that each farm is an organism in its own right, with an organism's powers of self-healing.”

On Sunday, I was able to watch and take part in a biodynamic practice that has the potential to affect growth on their farm for years to come.  We made a composted manure “tea” solution, known as “Preparation 500” that will be sprayed on the crops and gardens.  The diluted preparation introduces beneficial microbes that both feed and protect the plants, stimulate growth and fecundity, and enrich the soil. 

We started with a pail full of hollow cowhorns.  We used spoons to fill them with fresh cow manure.  The cow horns are usually planted in the soil during the fall, around the time of the equinox, when the earth starts to withdraw into itself.   In the spring, they’re recovered, and the composted manure is used to make the solution. 

For this workshop, the staff had some already-composted manure ready to go, and the participants all had a part in stirring the compost into the water using paddles as well as bare hands. 

I also got a peek at their beautiful vegetable garden.   The site pictured here is only part of their farm.  They have a total of 70 beds, two horses, an orchard and berries, a greenhouse, compost piles, wood-fired oven, an apiary, and dye garden for a fiber craft studio.  They also have a seasonal farm stand that is self supporting and open on Monday and Thursday mornings. 

The Pfeiffer Center runs regular workshops that are open to the public. So much to learn here -  hope this visit was the first of many!

The Summer's Biggest Hits



"Big Rainbow"

This year I want to make a better effort to save the seeds for the successful varieties I want to grow again next year.  It’s also the time of year that the summer failures transform into lessons learned and next year’s compost. 

Two of the heirloom tomatoes that I grew this year are on my list for seed saving: The “Riesentraube” and “Big Rainbow.”

The Reisentraube, which came from Hook Mountain Growers,  is a large red cherry, with a tiny point at the bottom.    Hard to explain exactly why, but it doesn’t taste like a cherry tomato at all  - more like a beefsteak.   It was super prolific and is still producing!

I love the surprise of cutting into these gorgeous “Big Rainbow” tomatoes. 

It can be hard to tell when they’re ripe, because they’re often green on top and throughout.  When the bottoms are red, they’re usually ripe, and you can also tell by touch.   They’re sometimes called “tie dye” tomatoes.

This was my favorite summer squash this year -  Costata Romanesco, a seedling given to me by a generous soul in our community plot.  It was mild and milky inside and looked beautiful when sliced.

I grew “Rattail” radishes for the first time this year. 

This is a variety that was grown mainly for it’s pods, which have a radishy flavor and bite, and are fun to add to salads - I pickled some of them! The flowers were sweet - a beautiful color and attracted attention of bees and other admirers.

The “Bright Lights” swiss chard did really well until August when it got buggy.  I blanched and froze a couple of pounds of it for winter.

The nice thing about "Purple Ruffles" basil is that it didn’t bolt and flower like the Genovese- at least not yet! 

Pineapple Mint went a bit crazy in the community garden plot.  I cut it back many times.   The flavor is perfect in iced tea and lemonade.  Love the look of it in bouquets too.

In my backyard I got my first concord grape harvest – maybe a little over a pound of them from this 5-year old vine that has endured many abuses and relocations.  I do hope that it’s finally found a home. 

My little fig tree on the deck gave me about 30 figs.  I have another one growing on the side of the house with lots of foliage but very few figs – they’re still ripening. 

My new favorite weed is Wild Quinine.  It’s blooming everywhere now and I’ve decided to cultivate it in my flower patch because it's one of the few wildflowers that hasn't been chomped on.  The flowers are delicate with little spikes and it smells wonderful.  Lots of medicinal uses.

A sunny third plot graciously provided by a friend with extra space enabled me to grow some cantaloupe, watermelons and squash – things I would never have had space for in the community garden. (They surely wouldn’t have produced in my shady backyard.)  I also planted zucchini, yellow squash and cucumbers there.  The “Sugar Baby” watermelon was most successful.

The vines seemed to be resistant to the squash bugs, too.   Butternut squash also did very well there.  One of our traditional Thanksgiving dishes is a Butternut Squash Risotto.  It's curing now and I’ll be prepping and freezing it for the November feast.

What plants did best in your garden this year?

Cooking from the Garden

This time of year can be a little overwhelming for vegetable gardeners as the harvest rolls in.  There is only so much room in the refrigerator drawer, and I find myself scrambling to use the fresh stuff before it grows mold. Here are a few ways I'm managing. 

Zucchini Pizza Crust

Jackie in plot #38 in our community garden told me this recipe (thanks, Jackie!), and I tweaked it a bit with the baking powder.  Sneak some green veg into the always popular pizza!  The end result has a somewhat chewy texture similar to foccacia.

Ingredients:

2 t. baking powder

3 c. flour

3 c. grated zucchini

3 eggs, lightly beaten

zucchini pizza dough

Sift baking powder and flour together.   Combine eggs and zucchini.  Slowly add flour mixture to wet ingredients, stirring to combine until a soft dough is formed.  Add more flour if the dough seems too loose.

Ready for toppings

Spread dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake until golden brown.   Remove from oven and add toppings, then bake until toppings reach desired doneness. Cold toppings like spreads and fresh tomatoes can also be added.

Swiss Chard Chips 

Both kale and swiss chard can be quickly dehydrated in the oven and made into crispy chips.   I’ve read recipes with longer cooking times at 200 degrees, but I see no reason to have my oven on for an hour in the summer if I can get away with baking for 10 minutes with the same results.   I’m harvesting lots of chard right now, and the kids need to eat something other than cereal and ice pops.  These greens both have a gently bitter taste and are loaded with calcium and other nutrients.  They're a good way to introduce kids to these flavors, since they'll try anything called a "chip."

Ingredients:

I bunch of fresh kale or swiss chard (at least a dozen leaves)

1 T. olive oil

1 t. salt or seasoning blend

Preheat oven to 350.  Wash and dry the swiss chard leaves.  Tear the leaves away from the rib, into pieces about the size of the palm of your hand.  Toss the leaves with olive oil until shiny.   Spread the leaves on a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake for 7 – 10 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning.    (It may look like the chips are sticking to the cookie sheet – they’re not! They’ll come up easily once they’re crisped)  Chips will be a dark greenish-brown.  

Remove from cookie sheet and sprinkle with seasoning.  They can be stored in an airtight container, but the sooner they’re eaten, the crispier they’ll be.





disregard random child

Grandma Lucy’s Tomato Sandwich          

Grandma Lucy taught me how to make this simple but incomparable sandwich.  She’d often have it for breakfast or lunch  when we visited her in Ohio in the summertime. There is nothing like Ohio sweet corn and tomatoes at the height of summer!  Some things about this sandwich are negotiable.  For example, you could use Miracle Whip (ew!) in place of mayo – Grandma Lucy did.   You can use any spice blend you like, such as Old Bay, Tony Chachere’s or Goya Adobo (I like the lemon/pepper with the yellow cap), though Lawry’s Seasoned Salt is the original mix.   But you MUST use juicy ripe tomatoes at their peak and wheat toast, though if you want to use bread that doesn’t come out of a plastic bag, that’s certainly understandable.

Ingredients:

One ripe medium-sized tomato, sliced

Two slices of wheat sandwich bread

¼ t. Lawry’s Seasoned Salt

1 t. mayonnaise



Toast the bread to it’s desired darkness.  Spread one side of the toasted bread with mayonnaise.  Add two tiers of tomato slices on top of the mayonnaise, then sprinkle with seasoning.  Top with remaining slice of bread.

What are you making with your garden harvests?



Garden Pie (follow link to left for recipe)

More Summer Garden Recipes

Garden Pie

Salade Tomate

Eggplant Meatballs

Pea Season: Edibles in Progress

"Super Sugar Snap" Pea flower

Several 3-4 day bouts of rain this past month have made the ground soggy. The plants, for the most part, are loving it, though.  Especially the weeds!  This is always a tough time of year because signs of bounty are visible but not yet harvestable.  What can you do? Wait, pace, ponder and pinch the bugs off.



Asian Pear (3-in-one)

In March I planted 4 fruit trees in the backyard plot:  Lapin Cherry, Sunhaven Peach, Stanley Plum and a 3-in-1 grafted Asian Pear, an “orchard starter” pack from Miller Nurseries.   All seem to be leafing out just fine, but a couple of them aren’t getting as much sun as I’d like.  Time to think about clearing some trees, I'm afraid.

I’m so excited to finally be getting some grapes on my 4 year old concord grape vine!  It was not happy in a container on the deck but seems to be thriving planted up against my chainlink fence on the side of the house. 

They're flowering now and I see a lot of grape leaf moth larvae(?) on them.  I tried to spray them off with the hose, but they're destroying the leaves.   And I may have to deal with birds at some point.  

These are wild “wineberry” raspberries that grow like crazy in every untamed area near here. 

Whenever I find one in my yard, I plant it along the side fence.  They’re doing much better than the “Carolina” raspberries that I got at the plant sale last year. 

In my backyard raised beds I have “Super Sugar Snap” and “Blauschokker Blue” purple-podded peas, spinach, garlic and arugula. 


Sweet peas for the sweet

In the wine bottle bed, chives, lemon balm, mint, and oregano.   

I've started harvesting strawberries, too. 

"Blauschokker Blue" pea flower

On the deck I planted an old BBQ grill with lettuce and kale.  I pick a few leaves from here daily for sandwiches.  I have mostly flowers up here, but horseradish and Anise Hyssop and two kinds of thyme are growing in containers here, too. 

I planted "Bluecrop" and "Misty" blueberries in the barrell planter on the deck.  It's a small but nice-looking crop this year.

Almost forgot the figs.  Both “Brown Turkeys” are leafing out and I see a few baby figs on the way – not as many as I’d hoped for, though.

In the community plot I also have some very peppery “rocket” arugula, “Bright Lights” swiss chard, “North Pole” lettuce, mesclun mix, “Purple Dragon” and “Scarlet Nantes” carrots, “French Breakfast” and “Rattail” radishes, Lilac, Orange, Red and Green peppers.  My pepper plants looked like they were going to succumb to a fungus last week, but I pruned them pretty ruthlessly and sprayed them with an organic fungicide and they seem to have recovered.

Some of my tomato varieties this year are “Ramapo” “Rutgers” "Big Beef" “Beefsteak” “Early Girl” and “Best Boy” .  

I have zucchini, “Bush Delicata” , “Buttercup” squash, “Minnesota Midget” cantaloupe, “Banana Melon” and “Miniature Watermelon” started.   The “Banana Melon” seeds are not germinating well at all, and both the melon and cantaloupe seeds have been eaten by slugs(?) I'm guessing.  If anyone has any tips for getting these up and running, please pass them on!

“Japanese Long” and “American Slicing” and “Lemon” cucumbers are ready to climb up an old baby gate. 

Herbs in the community plot so far this year are cilantro, “Pineapple” mint and lemon thyme.  More blue peas and some “Scarlet Runner” beans climbing up the little teepee.  

Leah, sunbathing

The weeds were completely out of control so I put a weed block down on the paths and am slowly adding more mulch from the chicken coops.  Unfortunately, the girls can only produce it so fast...and then it has to compost.  So I'm supplementing with bag mulch too.

It's always exciting to see all the plots come together in the community garden.  Fun to see (and envy!) all the different designs and techniques.  Visit my neighbor Dr. Duncan Bell's blog, and check out his cool auto-gardens, too!