Archive for the ‘Garden’ Category

2 Aug

There’s No Place Like Home

Posted by Lynn in Garden, Local Food, Narrative. Tagged: , .

Recipe:Black Pepper Potatoes

Comfort food has been in high demand around here recently.  Prompted by our landlord unexpectedly putting this house on the market – July turned into a month of big decisions– stay or
go – and a lot of stress. For the first time ever, K.M. and I both completely forgot our wedding anniversary.

Right on cue, the garden started to produce potatoes: All Blue, Red Lakota, Yukon Gold and Red Lakotas. Mashed, fried, baked, and of course in the form of a fry –potatoes are reliable, easy to cook and acompliment to everything else on your plate.  Native to South America, the potato’s domestication dates back at least 7000 years.

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23 Jun

Moving Plants to Center Stage

Posted by Lynn in Books, Garden, Local Food, Narrative, Recipes. Tagged: , , .

Recipe: Cold Carrot Soup with Chilies and Avocados

The first time I tried vegetarian cooking, it was a trial by fire. My mother-in-law was coming to visit from India, and at that time was a full-fledged vegetarian.  This was in 1996, in East Central Illinois; a place where a grocery clerk once asked K.M. why he was buying fresh spinach, when you could “get that in a can.”

I had no idea what I was doing. We muddled through, eating a lot of pasta.  Eating out, in that time and place was nearly impossible.  People actually would say things like, “Well, it’s nearly vegetarian. You can pick the bacon out.”

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19 May

Garden Class Harvest: Arugula and Radishes

Posted by Lynn in Garden, Local Food. Tagged: , , .

Last night on the farm we picked arugula and radishes.

This morning, they made an outstanding breakfast with home-cured bacon, an egg and a touch of balsamic vinegar.

10 May

First Harvest: Rhubarb and Chives

Posted by Lynn in Garden, Local Food, Narrative, Nostalgia, Recipes. Tagged: , , .

Recipe: Rhubarb Chutney

I brought my first harvest home from garden class last week.  Chives and rhubarb – both planted by previous year’s classes – may not sound like much. But to me, it is a bounty and a harbinger of all that is to come. Expect to hear a lot more about the garden’s yield, between now and our last class in November.

Last spring, in Seattle, I joined a CSA and became a loyal farmer’s market shopper. I put a few raised beds in my front yard to grow salad greens, strawberries, peppers, tomatillos, and tomatoes. But I knew I wanted to do more.

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17 Jan

And Down Went My Uncle Sol*

Posted by Lynn in Books, Garden, Narrative. Tagged: , , , .

I added a new species to our menagerie last week. In retrospect, it’s very clear that  I just took another step towards micro-farming.  My new dependants aren’t cute or cuddly,  and unlike the chickens I hope to bring home one day, I have no plans to try clicker training with them.  But I’m totally smitten.

Run out of guesses? I’m talking about a half pound of Red Wiggler worms.  Their job is to eat as much of our food waste as they can; hopefully everything but meat and citrus fruit. Worm composting is an efficient way to keep your houseplants thriving and your food waste out of the landfill.

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