A New Kind of Candy

I have been wrestling with a wicked head cold all week long.  Thankfully I am feeling 100% from the neck down, but from the neck up I am miserable and pathetic, you all know that look....watery eyes, chapped nose and upper lip, and the nasally voice that no one can understand.  Nothing like a good cold to put the brakes on one's indoor seed sowing and canning intentions.  I would scatter seeds and dusty soil-less mix with every sneeze.  Gathering supplies out in the cold shed is not so appealing.  Trying to make a final decision on what tomato varieties to sow is not so appealing.  Juggling hot jars and boiling liquids is not so appealing.  Hmph.

This lack of gardening happenings is however, a good opportunity to do something else I have been meaning to do, which is to show you all a fun gift I received over Christmas:

Those are not candy coated confections, but instead are clay and compost coated seeds.  My sister thoughtfully chose the 'Herbal Tea Selection', and I just think this garden candy is fabulous!

Lemon Balm, Stinging Nettle, Borage, and Chamomile bon bons.  These garden truffles have even been dusted with things like coffee, pepper, and cinnamon- the creators organic method of trying to keep pests  from enjoying your garden confections.

Love it!

Hammering out the details.....

Has anyone else out there had some heirloom tomato varieties go awry?

I have two varieties I grew out last year, one received in an on-line trade ("Pink Brandywine"), the other purchased from a small professional heirloom seed saver ("Amazon Chocolate"), that should have been potato leafed, but were not.  I know various genetic traits can be expressed in unstable varieties, and also, mis-labeling on seed the packet and on my end can certainly occur.  The problem is that this leaves me wondering what I actually grew.  And asking questions, like will the seeds I saved produce the same strain or will something new be expressed?  Will the original seed packet produce the same crop as the first?

None of these worries are large, but when a gardener is only growing 2 slicing tomato varieties, that gardener does not have room for experimentation.  (At least I don't!)  So, I am just wondering as I get set up to start seeds today, and am finalizing the varieties to be sown, does anyone else have this problem often, or is it a rare occurrence?

And if you experience this, is it only with 'saved seed', or do commercial heirloom seeds sometimes become unstable genetically as well?

Bread Trials

If only you all could smell my house right now.  This bread baking is not good for the diet.  My stomach is rumbling, and my mouth is watering over the aroma of baking bread.  I was inspired to get off my heiny and bake a loaf after reading the latest bread post by Thomas over at A Growing Tradition on his whole wheat baguettes.  They look a-m-a-z-i-n-g.

I bought the Tassajara Bread Book book quite some time ago, with the intention of baking from scratch more often.  But I just hadn't gotten around to actually trying a recipe.  My yeast in the freezer is at least 2 years old, and my supply of flours is nothing to brag about, but no matter, I started off with a simple white whole wheat loaf.  (http://www.amazon.com/Tassajara-Bread-Book-Edward-Brown/dp/157062089X)

After careful mixing, kneading, rising, punching, rising, more kneading, and lastly, more rising, the dough was plopped into my favorite pan ever (an Emile Henry dutch oven) and put in the oven.

(Before being set in a cozy place to rise.)

(Before going in the oven.)

After 30 minutes I checked on the loaf and much to my surprise it had risen up to the lid as it baked, luckily it didn't stick-  what a waste of a morning that would have been!  So I hindered the full rising of this bread by putting it the dutch oven (who's purpose is to lend a nice, crunchy crust), and the recipe isn't intended to be an artisan loaf in the first place, so I think that was just a poor decision on my part overall.

(See all those 'dots' on the loaf?  They are the impression of underside of the lid.  Whoopsy!)

Ahh, the joyous lessons of bread baking, lets just hope she tastes half as good as she smells!!

Peachy-Keen

I finally dug the in-season-frozen peaches out of the freezer today and put them to good use.  The stars aligned and I had clean jars, all necessary ingredients, time, and motivation at hand.  Back when it was peach season I was in no mood to can.  Now in the cold months of winter I get exited about boiling water and simmering down jams and relishes for 40 minutes over the stove.   Very excited.  Today I made "Sun Relish" (peaches and peppers) and "Peach Lavender Jam", both from this cookbook:

Amazon.com: The Complete Book of Year-Round Small-Batch Preserving: Over 300 Delicious Recipes (9781552094891): Ellie Topp, Margaret Howard: Books

Still have blueberries and strawberries waiting in the freezer, but that will have to wait for another day.

Sun Relish reducing:

The finished product ready for a taste test.  The book suggests serving with things like 

cheddar or cream cheese.  I am also thinking it would compliment some Mahi Mahi burgers.

The empty jam pot.  The steeping lavender smelled amazing, 

and the resulting jam is both unusual and delicious.  I am dying to try it on a warm biscuit or pop-over.

Yummy.

Sun Relish- Makes 4 cups; recipe courtesy of The Complete Book of Small Batch Preserving.

6 peaches (peeled, pitted and chopped)

6 sweet yellow, and 1 hot yellow pepper (seeded & chopped)

1 lemon, halved

1/2 C white wine vinegar

2 1/2 C granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp pickling salt

Place peaches,  peppers, lemon and vinegar in saucepan.  Bring to a boil over med-high heat, reduce heat and boil gently, uncovered for 30 minutes, or until softened.  Remove and discard lemon, addsugar and salt; return to a boil.  Cook, uncovered, for about 20 minutes until mixture thickens stirring frequently.  (Note: I had to reduce for much longer, probably because I started with frozen peaches.)

Ladle into jars leaving 1/2 inch head space; process 10 minutes for half-pint, or 15 minutes for pint jars.

HAPPY CANNING!

New Garden Goodies

I ordered some supplies from Lee Valley, and I can't wait to put them to use!  First, I ordered a bulb sprayer/duster.  This I plan on using with my kaolin clay as a non-harmful pesticide on the apple trees and cole crops.  From what I understand the clay basically tricks the pests into not liking their chosen crop, the layer of clay on the leaves or fruit fools them a bit.  I also ordered some three and four-arm cane connectors for constructing cages to hold bird netting over the strawberries, blueberries, etc....

(Yes, my coffee table is clean though it looks filthy.  The finish is just beyond 'used and abused'.)

 (photos taken from Lee Valley on-line catalog)

The kids have taken to the rubber cane connectors within minutes of the package being opened, turns out they double as building blocks on the off season.  :)

New Beginings

I had started working on a photographic walk through of last year's garden days ago, but I just lost motivation half-way through.

Yesterday evening I couldn't help but peruse the web for cooking/canning/gardening books that I had yet to discover I could not live without.  I of course found a few.  Christmas cash is always a good excuse to update my library!  I ordered a couple of things and one book is on reserve for pick-up at the book store.  I was taken aback by all the new books on preserving and cooking with fresh garden ingredients, I guess the publishers are finally catching up with the times.  Here is what I decided on:

Amazon.com: Saving the Seasons: How to Can, Freeze, or Dry Almost Anything (9780836195125): Mary Clemens Meyer, Susanna Meyer: Books

Amazon.com: Canning for a New Generation: Bold, Fresh Flavors for the Modern Pantry (9781584798644): Liana Krissoff, Rinne Allen: Books

Amazon.com: Fast, Fresh & Green (9780811865661): Susie Middleton: Books

Amazon.com: A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table (9781616877323): Molly Wizenberg: Books

The first book linked is from the Simply In Season and More with Less people, and I can not express how excited I am to see it since I love that series of books.     The recipes in the Fast, Fresh, and Green seem to be just what I am after....simple recipes using ingredients I have out in the garden at any given moment.  I am sure many of these new recipes will be posted here over the next gardening season.

And lastly, I went to bed and dreamed of chard and mixed greens last night.  Rows of bright, beautiful Rainbow Chard.  Tossing together bowls of mixed greens and simple vinaigrettes.....yummm.  My garden fantasies have officially begun!

Winter Wonderland

This was taken in the first few hours of blizzard before the wind picked up.....

it was just gorgeous out there!  An unusual sight to have lost the visual depth of the woods to snow.  A few lone juncos were the only birds out and about.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas gardening friends! I hope your day is filled with plentiful food, good drink, and LOVE.

A New Favorite Salad

I went to a potluck dinner this week, and someone brought a most delicious salad.  It was so delicious that I just had to go and make it immediately, and I think it will be a part of the Christmas Day menu.  I thought I would share it with you all.  Pecans were substituted for walnuts, and next time around I will be sure to keep the squash pieces nice and small, maybe more like 1/2-3/4 inch dice.  My photo is not very impressive, the salad was tossed and served in my salad spinner with dinner this evening.....and this is all that was left when I thought to take a picture:

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

 with Warm Cider Vinaigrette Recipe

In other news, my daughter had her first haircut (at three-and-a-half), and we have been forced to do some window replacement on our 15 year old house (GGRRR!) due to rotten sills, (due to the worst windows ever manufactured)- so it has been an exciting week.  I won't even tell you how many more windows we have left to replace.  If the previous owners are ever within arms reach I will slap them.  Hard.

Luckily the wee one was very happy with her 'trim', and wanted to show everyone her lock of lopped off hair.

"The Super" is pictured above assessing the situation. 

 We have some paint samples up on the wall, cause ya know....might as well paint the damn room since we are already making a mess of things.  I am thinking the bright blue, second from the bottom.

The men are getting ready to rip out the old and are assessing the extent of the rot, things were still looking bright at this point:

And then, not so much.

Two of the three windows had leaked for long enough that there was rot to be fixed in the siding.  Luckily the sides of the house are shakes, things won't be this easy if there is rot on the front of the house as well.  (I didn't take a picture of the 'before', I am not looking to remember the sight of my naked house, plumbing and framing exposed to all.)

And now for the big reveal........

3 NEW WEATHER-TIGHT WINDOWS!!! (YAY!)

Phew, thank-goodness for good help.  Three down, too many &*#*ing more to go.

Some Garden Sketches

I have been trying to lay out the coming year's garden.  Now that the new beds are in things can be tweaked and finalized.  This first sketch was done in attempt to squeeze in lots of tomatoes.  I think the plants would be too closely spaced the way I have it laid out.  This first sketch contains the following:

Garlic- 2 beds

Berries- 2 beds

Greens- 3 small plots

Peas- 2 beds

The remainder of the space is filled by rhubarb, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and a couple of green bean and pepper plants.  The potatoes will be in grow bags and another small raised bed that resides outside the fence.  

Of coarse, the new garden looks a bit different then this initial sketch.  We did add a new long bed in front, but in a different spot/different dimensions, and we will be adding another bed which will function as a permanent grow house/cold frame come Spring.  

Okay, on to the second round of sketches, the ones I will likely tweak and plant by (these are for my 3 available 3'5" x 6' beds).  Oh, and please ignore my directional notations, they are not correct for what I currently have in place.  The beds I have available run East/West; I have not drawn up the new bed however, which does in fact run North/South....so I have some slight revisions to do.

Bed 1: tomato, pepper, basil, and greens.

Bed 2: tomato, eggplant, basil, and more greens.

Bed 3: peas.  

Back to the drawing boards for me, it would be grand to get proper sketches done asap so I can get on with my non-gardening life for a few short weeks before it is time for January/February seed starting.  I need to run outside and measure the new beds.  Brrrrr.

How is your garden planning going?