Starting a Garden

Ready to start that garden you've always dreamed about, or improving the one you have?  Learn how at a free lecture I am giving at the Seekonk Public Library.  I will be covering garden design, plant choices, soil testing, compost, and companion planting.  Tuesday, March 27th, 6:30-7:30.

Project BudBurst

Got leftovers?  Make frittata!

I still maintain we'll have a late spring for the native trees due to a lack of chill time, but non-native, mostly Asian plants, are in full swing.  This is the first time I've seen forsythia blooming ahead of witch hazel.  It's been a very warm March.  In neighboring yards, I see the typical Asian landscape plants in pink and purple flower.  The lilac was first to bud, and my pear tree is ready to explode.  The flowering almond and weeping cherry are just peeking out.  Of course, there are daffodils and crocus.  Oregano is making a come back, but even the very tender marjoram and curry plants survived the winter.  The feverfew, lavender, and chives are growing strong.  The pea plants just sprouted and we put in our broccoli last night.  The kale is slow to sprout, but I think I need more organic matter in the bed to hold water.

Meanwhile, Master Gardeners have some exciting projects underway.  Volunteers will be keeping track of bloom times at the Roger Williams Botanical Center, which will help plant fans plan their visit based on what they want to see in bloom.  This is called phenology and the information can also track global warming.  Citizen Scientists (like you) can join in by going to the Project BudBurst website and reporting the first buds in your neighborhood, even tracking weeds!

Today, I'll be going to the farmer's market, hopefully finding molasses when I get my eggs, honey, apples, kale, etc.  I'm looking forward to shopping the front yard soon and foraging in the back.  I have been spending less on food since reducing my trips to the big supermarkets.  The food tastes better too.  I suffered through the last hard, tart green apple from the plastic bag my spouse picked up.  No more!

Later, I'll be digging out the rest of the bed for a new "forest garden".  I want to create layers of native plants and some edibles, like ostrich fern, that will suit the less sunny location.  Perhaps a chestnut tree... I will be joining forces with MG at the Community Garden to build one there.  They have a great plan and I hope I learn a lot.  Here is the plan: Edible Forest Garden

Finally, how would you like to have dinner on the table in 10 minutes?  Marinate a pound of meat cut into bite-sized chunks overnight the previous evening.  On dinner night, set oven to broil.  Cook meat 4 minutes per side, turning once.  Check that poultry is cooked through.  Meanwhile, pierce washed organic fingerling or baby potatoes all over with a fork and microwave about 3 minutes, turn over, then microwave 3-4 minutes more.  While potatoes and meat are cooking, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan.  Sauté chopped Swiss chard or kale 6-8 minutes, or until tender but not mushy.  Serve.

Marinade:

2 tbs. olive oil

2 tbs. lemon juice

1 tsp. curry

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

salt and pepper to taste

Hooray for Spring!!!

Today is the Vernal Equinox, when you're supposed to be able to balance an egg upright.  More important, I think, is trying to balance our lives between our work, family, chores, and dreams.  It's a habit of mine to spend too much time working and thinking I'm also addressing my family and dreams.  Working harder doesn't make me any more money, but some work can be priceless.  I'm not talking about another job to buy the latest I-Pad, but the making of a garden with children, of planting snap peas in the cold and seeing them turn into bean stalks.  Atop those, giant fingers will pull off the edible pods, bite down, and smile.  Children become masters of a tiny world.  Last year, a few aphids set up shop, only to be quickly devoured by red and black-spotted soldiers - the lady bugs.  

Last weekend our play-date was swings and slides, rolling down hills, and looking under logs at all the creatures that have magic(k)ally returned.  We saved a wizard by spelling his name.  The five year olds raced the tricycle on the deck.  We pic-nicked on juice and apple sauce.  I made the perfect bread.

So plant something, grow something, and be ready for magic.  All it takes is some dirt, seeds, water, and love.

Vegetarian/Vegan Option

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Honey Grain Bread

Taste of Earth 

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Prep: 25 minutes  Rise: 3-5 hours  Bake 40-45 minutes

Cool: 1 hour  Makes one loaf

1 1/2 cups bread flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

4 tsp. vital wheat gluten

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup multigrain cereal (such as Bob’s Red Mill)

1 tsp. salt

1 1/4 cup warm water (100ºF-115ºF), divided

3 tsp. active dry yeast
1/4 tsp. sugar

2 tbs. olive oil

1/4 cup local honey

In a large bowl, whisk together first six ingredients.  Dissolve yeast with sugar into 1/4 cup of warm water in a separate bowl.  Let sit about ten minutes, until foamy.  Incorporate remaining water, oil, and honey, then make a well in the flour mixture and stir wet into dry.  Flour hands and counter and knead bread about 10 minutes, until elastic.  Place rounded 6” X 4” dough back in bowl and cover with hot wet towel.  (I use my turned-off oven as a proofer.)    Let rise 2-3 hours, or until dough has doubled.  Grease bread pan and punch dough down.  Transfer dough to bread pan, reshaping if needed.  Let rise 1-2 more hours.  Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Bake bread 40-45 minutes, until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped.  Cool one hour.

Mercury Retrograde Spring

Ah, spring, that confusing, wet New England misnomer.  And mercury retrograde: communication tie-ups, techno snafus, details missed, delays and weird dreams.  Or maybe we should blame the time change.  Friends are moving, dealing with trauma, having babies, getting divorced, re-examining their lives.  It is the flux time.  While the winter stocks are depleting (we're down to four apple sauce jars), few new foods are growing.  It's a back-and-forth of frozen meats, root vegetables, and winter squash with kale, other greens, and sprouts.  We've been eating a lot of simple salads of mixed greens and sprouts dotted with herbed cheese.  I made radish parathas, radish raita, and sautéed radish greens.  We used up the last of the frozen hen of the woods mushrooms between the stuffed acorn squash and tonight, the smoked paprika stroganoff.  I know we've gotten used to eating lean when a half cup of sour cream split six ways makes a delicious meal feel like three or four a few minutes later.  We've stopped buying "light" foods because of the added corn and chemicals, but stroganoff is heavy by definition.

Meanwhile, the kale planted in the hoop garden at school is thriving.  We planted snap peas at school and at the home front (literally, in the front yard).  I look forward to biting into the crisp, sweet pods.  It's also a good time to plant kale and swiss chard.  After all that garden clean up last weekend and turning of the compost heap, I need more than salad to keep me going, so here is the meaty recipe.  For vegetarians, you could skip the meat or use textured vegetable protein.  I used ground pork, lower in fat than ground beef.  I think ground turkey would work as well, for a lighter option, although it might taste a bit dry.  Tomorrow, I drop off student artwork for the Spring Show at the Winter's Farmer's Market and see if anything new has popped up for the menu this week.

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Smoked Paprika Stroganov

Taste of 19th Century Russia

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Prep: 10 minutes  Cook: 30-40 minutes  Makes six servings 

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 diced yellow onion

1 tbs. butter

1 tbs. olive oil

1 tbs. or more of smoked paprika

1 tsp. salt

1 cup chicken or beef broth

1/2 cup red wine

2 tbs. flour

1/2 cup sour cream

1 lb. ground beef, pork, or lamb

Melt butter in Dutch oven or large sauté pan over medium heat.  Add mushroom and cook gently, stirring to coat with butter, about five minutes.  Add onions, stirring, and cook until they begin to caramelize, 10-15 minutes.  Stir flour into mushroom mix until well-combined, then add broth.  Meanwhile, heat oil in separate skillet and brown meat in small batches, sprinkling with paprika and salt.  Set meat aside.  After meat is cooked, deglaze pan with wine.  Add drippings to mushroom mix, then stir in meat and sour cream, adding more paprika if desired.  Serve with egg noodles, other pasta, or oven fries, and peas.