Tag Archives: gardening

The Harvest

Posted on July 1, 2013 by AnnieRie

The first veggies from my garden. Two little pickling cucumbers, taken a few days ago. At least 4 or 5 will be ready in the next couple of days.

There will be dill pickles soon, in the crock on the counter.

I also dug up my first garlic to see how it is doing.

I had to dig deep to get it out of the ground. It isn’t ready yet, still young garlic, so about another week until I go after the other 11 plants. I hope to have 9-10 heads of garlic suitable for curing.

This one will make a good addition to a stir fry, or to a pot of greens.

As for other adventures in gardening, much of my basil bit the dust, literally and figuratively.

We are pretty sure it was the baby bunnies that devastated the basil. I lost 10 plants. Six are left in the garden and four in pots waiting to replace the garlic when I finish that harvest. It could have been cut worms, but something gnawed off the potted plants sitting on the deck, and cut worms can’t get into those shallow pots.

I think it was this little menace, or one of their siblings. They run all over the yard. They also devastated my neighbor’s sunflower seedlings.

I think hasenpfeffer should be on the menu soon (just kidding, they live a fairly short life around here once the local fox figures out where they live).

Tomatoes are about a week out. The cherry tomatoes closest to turning red.

On another note, Clark’s produce stand opened today. We saw them when we arrived at Iron Bridge for dinner. Gorman Farm opened their stand last week. Freshly harvested veggies are a real treat.

hocofood@@@

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Posted in Farms, Food, Gardening, Howard County and tagged farmer's markets, farms, Food, gardening, heirloom tomatoes, Howard County, tomatoes. Bookmark the permalink.

Why I Like This CSA

Posted on June 27, 2013 by AnnieRie

Week Six. It’s the unusual veggies that make my day, when the email comes and things like this are in the list.

Fava Beans. Something you rarely see around here. I have a great recipe for grilled halloumi with fava beans and mint. It will be part of dinner tomorrow night.

The Complete List:

1 pack microradishes – Eastbrook Produce
1 bag green beans – Healthy Harvest Organics
1 bag fava beans – Bellview Organics
1 bunch chioggia beets – Plum Hill Organics
1 bunch blue hyssop – Lancaster Farmacy (swapped)
1 bag white cucumbers – Liberty Branch Organics
1 bunch carrots – Red Fox Organics
1 bunch sweet basil – Noble Herbs
1 head broccoli – Organic Willow Acres
1 slicing cucumber – Valley View Organics
1 bunch red kale – Sunny Slope Organics
1 bunch fresh red onions – Windy Hollow Organics

The total package:

I also love the white cucumbers. A treat we get once or twice a summer. And, those microradishes. And, that lovely bunch of very fragrant basil.

I am tempted to try and make pickles with the white cucumbers, but they are so good and so crunchy that they won’t make it into the pickling crock. I still have a week or two for my planted pickling cukes to produce. Lots of greenery and yellow blossoms, just a few tiny cukes out there.

Transitioning from spring veggies to summer ones, and anticipating those first tomatoes. Tomorrow I will be putting together a post about what I have been doing with the CSA veggies, and maybe have pictures of my first garlic harvest. I think the garlic is ready to be dug out of the ground.

hocofood@@@

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Posted in CSA, Food, Gardening, Locavore and tagged cooking, CSA, Food, gardening, Locavore, tomatoes. Bookmark the permalink.

Weathering the Storms

Posted on June 26, 2013 by AnnieRie

All of them. Thunderstorms. Rain. Wind. Political. Seems to be a busy week around here. And then some.

Did you know we were almost 3 inches above normal for rainfall in west county so far this year? That would be a good thing, for our wells, but a bad thing these days for my tomatoes. They are way behind when it comes to blossoming and ripening. The good thing is the fact that I don’t have to water the garden. The bad thing is the yellowing of the vines from too much water.

I know this is affecting the farmers. I see our emails from CSAs about what we can get. And, how far behind the crops are. Last year I had cucumbers. This year. Not even close. Maybe in a week or so.

I also only have a few small cherry tomatoes on my plants. Lots of blossoms. No real production. Should be interesting when the county fair rolls around, to see what survived.

I have blogged often about the stormwater fees too. Nice to see that they are somewhat on hold while assessments are made. I have seen lots of stories and lots of comments.

Like the Green Central Station update.

And, hocorising had a good piece, but with an interesting comment from a reader of his blog calling us names out here in west county. So much for civility and #summerofneighbors. Now, we are bullies.

Just a little clarification, though, from my perspective. Yes, many of us out here have more impervious surfaces. But, as a percentage of land, it is minuscule compared to what we had when we lived in Columbia.

My fee for stormwater would have been $30 when I lived in the townhouse. A house on a cul-de-sac. 100% of our stormwater went into swales or drains that emptied into a stormwater management pond that when it was full, drained off into a stream that fed the Patuxent. With a $30 fee, do you think I would have been really gung-ho to spend money to mitigate the run off?

Out here, we were going to be assessed $165 for our 5500 square feet of impervious surface, none of which enters any streams, drains or ponds. A large fee, with property that does not impact the Bay. Lots of our neighbors facing even higher fees because of the length of their driveways. But, we have no curbs. No drains. No streams within a mile.

Out here, water is precious. Without it, our wells run dry in drought years. Plus, if the farmers’ ponds run dry, it affects irrigation and the health of their livestock. Not to mention the fact that those ponds out here are a large source of water if you have a fire. No hydrants for the fire trucks. Finally in the past few years they have put in underground tanks to store water for fire fighting.

If you have ever replaced a well, or dealt with problems with your well, you would understand better why we resent being taxed for something most of us don’t do. Which is encourage run off. Price the cost of drilling a new well and you will see why.

Our current well is 487 feet deep. Just this exercise, when the wire to the pump shorted out due to nicks and cuts and had to be replaced was an eye opener as to expense. I don’t want to have to drill another, deeper well to find water. We are very careful about keeping our ecosystem healthy. The trees, the meadows, the grading, all of the contributors that help us retain water.

It is lovely out here, even when it storms. And, we are not bullies. Many, many of us are stewards of the land, and we care deeply about it. I have to admit, it annoyed me to be called a “bully”.

Thanks, Greg Fox, for caring about the farmers, the long time residents and everyone else, including us, that live out here in wide open spaces, lovely spaces, even with all the rain.

hocoblogs@@@

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Posted in Commentary, Community, Farms, Gardening, Howard County, Nature, Weather, West HoCo and tagged commentary, community, farms, gardening, Howard County, tomatoes, weather, West HoCo. Bookmark the permalink.

Bless Your Pea-Pickin Heart

Posted on June 17, 2013 by AnnieRie

Credits to Tennessee Ernie Ford.

I love fresh peas. Love when we get them in the CSA box. I shelled all of them, including the ones from the Howard County Farmer’s Market. Shelling peas. One of those “lost” chores.

Butler’s Orchard in Germantown has sugar snap peas and English peas in their pick-your-own fields. I am considering picking peas this week (like I really have the time with Field Day coming), before they are gone. Peas are one of those vegetables that does incredibly well when frozen. Pick them, shell them, blanch them and vacuum seal them. They retain their sweetness when picked, shelled and frozen the same day.

Larriland had cherries last weekend, but their web site says wait a few days to allow more to ripen. The other favorite summer fruit for my husband are cherries. This week they are saying strawberries for at least another week, and the beginning of red raspberry season. For those inclined to get strawberries, this is your last chance.

I need to find a few items to make for our field day luncheons. I usually do tzatziki, but the cucumbers aren’t cooperating. Last year my cukes looked like this on the 12th of June. This year, nothing but blossoms.

Have to see what we get in the CSA box on Thursday.

I also hear blueberries are coming soon to Larriland and Butler’s. Last year on 12 June we were picking.

And, this announcement on the Larriland page. “Ripening soon will be pick your own black raspberries, blueberries, purple raspberries and beets.”

Hmmm, pickled beets anyone?

hocofood@@@

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Posted in Day Trips, Farms, Food, Gardening, Local Businesses, Locavore, Weather and tagged cooking, farms, Food, gardening, local businesses, Locavore, weather. Bookmark the permalink.

All Scapes Aren’t Created Equal

Posted on June 7, 2013 by AnnieRie

So I learned today. The thinner tender scapes from my garden are nowhere near as intense as the ones we got in the CSA box. Now I understand why people who aren’t huge garlic lovers don’t care for scape pesto. It can almost knock you over with the intensity.

I did figure out how to tone it down a bit, after my first batch. I made sure I labeled them differently so when I pull the first batch out of the freezer I can add orange juice and a little lemon olive oil to tone it down.

My scapes:

Thinner, shorter not as thick a green stem.

The CSA scapes:

Some of these quite thick and two distinct shades of green. The first batch in the processor made from CSA scapes was peppery, intense, in your face garlic flavored.

I could have doctored it up after I started tasting it, but decided to freeze the first batch and deal with it later. The second batch I added a bit of juice and used some of my St. Helena lemon olive oil. A little more cheese, and more pine nuts.

Lots of little containers to go in the fridge and freezer. This year I decided to do small batches. Just enough to put in the crock pot or to add to pasta for one meal.

The recipe:
1 cup scapes
1/4 cup pine nuts or slivered almonds, toasted lightly
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/3-1/2 cup good Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and white pepper, to taste
Squeeze of fresh lemon or orange juice (orange will sweeten it a bit)

Put the first three ingredients in a food processor. While running, add olive oil to get consistency desired. Stop processor. Taste. Add salt, pepper and squeeze of juice and pulse a few times.

I fill small containers. Add a thin film of oil on top. Close, label and freeze. Whatever I put directly into the fridge gets the layer of oil to keep it from oxidizing and turning dark.

I made two double batches from all the scapes I got in the CSA box and from Breezy Willow. My little scapes are going to be grilled, to be served with grilled asparagus (whenever it stops raining).

hocofood@@@

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Posted in CSA, Food, Gardening, Real Food and tagged cooking, CSA, Food, foodie, gardening, grilling, Locavore, real food. Bookmark the permalink.

Week Three in the Greens Fest

Posted on June 6, 2013 by AnnieRie

CSA Week Three. Greens dominant again, as this cool wet spring has been perfect weather for salad greens and cooking greens. This is what we got.

This is what this morning’s email said we were getting.

FULL VEGETABLE SHARE
1 bunch asparagus – Lancaster Farmacy
1 red leaf lettuce – Chiques Roc Organics
1 bunch dinosaur kale – Peaceful Valley Organics
1 head red butterhead lettuce – Millwood Springs Organics
1 bunch cilantro – Noble Herbs
1 bunch garlic scapes – Outback Farm
1 bunch garlic scapes – Friends Road Organics
1 head frisee – Meadow Valley Organics
1 bunch red scallions – Windy Hollow Organics
1 fennel bulb – Autumn Blend Organics
1 pack portobello caps – Mother Earth Organics

60% VEGETABLE SHARE
1 bunch green kale – Eagle View Organics
1 bunch red pearl onions – Liberty Branch Organics
1 head red butterhead lettuce – Millwood Springs Organics
1 bunch cilantro – Noble Herbs
1 bunch rainbow chard – Meadow Valley Organics
1 pack portobello caps – Mother Earth Organics
1 bunch garlic scapes – Sweetaire Farm

I included what the 60% share got this week so people can see the difference in the shares. The 60% share is a very good value if you like a bit of veggies, or are single or a couple who eats out often.

There was a bonus in our full share. A bunch of young red onions. I swapped the cilantro, putiing it in the swap box and having another member give me her scapes. Later I realized she gave me both bunches, so I owe the site hosts some goodie from my kitchen to reconcile the swap box.

They get to keep the contents of the swap box, and get a free share for being the host site. A bit of work, a few headaches from messed up shares by people taking the wrong things, but being a host is a good deal. If you like that swap box full of veggies noone else wants.

The scapes!

I ended up with 27 of them in the four bunches. Cut up and ready to become pesto, along with the ones from Breezy Willow farm store.

I will measure them out by the cupful and make pesto with them. Using slivered almonds, Parmesan, olive oil, salt and pepper. Most will get frozen for the winter. A few small containers in the fridge to use on flatbreads and pastas.

I harvested mine today also. I got ten scapes. They will be grilled soon.

As for dinner tonight, I used up some of my older stuff. Made a huge salad to finish the salad greens. Larriland strawberries, cheese and Great Harvest croutons.

Flatbreads. Two of them to slice. We will eat part of them and save the rest for lunch.

The top one. Pesto and mozzarella. Fresh mozzarella bought at Breezy Willow Saturday. The lower one, herb roasted onions, Campari tomatoes, olives and scallion tops. Drizzled with olive oil. Baked at 400 degrees and finished under the broiler.

CSAs are wonderful sources of the freshest veggies around. Now, I just need to find room for the new lettuces.

hocofood@@@

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It’s All Love Dove’s Fault …

Posted on June 5, 2013 by AnnieRie

… or maybe TLVs, or Breezy Willow. Who knows? I just know I find something interesting at a market and then I get it from the CSA. Tomorrow the “anticipated” list on the Sandy Spring web site includes new potatoes, cilantro and garlic scapes (all of which I purchased in the past week).

I need to rearrange my schedule to hit the markets after I get my Thursday delivery.

TLV had a facebook notice about having new potatoes. There are no potatoes in our house at the moment and my husband expressed a wish for the little ones, steamed, then sprinkled with Parm, salt, pepper and butter.

Baby reds. At the TLV stand at Miller library. I was there only to get potatoes, bread, curry and cheese. I already was lured into scapes at Breezy Willow last Saturday, as you can never have too many scapes.

I really like this curry from Thai spices. Figured I would do chicken over the weekend, with curry sauce and whatever boatload of green things come tomorrow in the CSA box. This curry has the following in it:

coconut milk, potato, onion, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, bay leaves, turmeric, coriander, cumin, white pepper, cardamom, line juice and palm sugar.

Not things I normally keep on hand to make my own curry, and I like supporting the new business at the markets.

So, of course, cilantro at Love Dove is my downfall. It made me think — guacamole! Why, again, who knows? I buy cilantro, and then head off to Harris Teeter to get the few items I forgot last weekend, like limes, parchment paper, toilet paper.

I buy a few avocados to make the guacamole, and the limes to go with it.

Big, ripe avocados. Perfect. Then, I spy another weakness.

Meyer lemons. At the Turf Valley Harris Teeter. With all the lovely basil growing in my garden, it is certainly time for Meyer Lemon Basil Fizz (and this is all Michael Symon’s fault). It does have to be blamed on others. It’s not my fault I love to cook and entertain. Right?

There will be Meyer Lemon Basil Fizz’s on the menu if it clears up and we have that cookout Saturday night. Simple to make. I don’t make mine as strong as his. One can San Pellegrino Aranciata and 4 oz. vodka for each two drinks. Juice of one large Meyer lemon muddled with half a dozen basil leaves and left to soak for at least 30 minutes to infuse. Mix it all with crushed ice. Two drinks. If you want it as strong as the original recipe, you have to double the vodka.

I picked up Aranciata at Costco to have around for just such discoveries.

But, it all comes back to that cilantro at the market. At least I resisted the scapes there today, because besides the Breezy Willow ones, I have twelve in the garden ready to harvest and tomorrow it looks like we are getting more.

There will be garlic scape pesto flatbread on the menu Saturday night too.

Love, love, love springtime! And, of course, the Howard County markets, farms and CSAs.

Planning any good cooking, grilling or cocktails with the local goodies?

hocofood@@@

The Garden Report

Posted on June 3, 2013 by AnnieRie

Yesterday I spoke about finally getting garlic scapes out behind the deck, where I planted organic heirloom garlic last October. I haven’t had the chance to talk about the rest of the plantings, and what I am seeing out there daily.

Like the cucumbers.

There are blossoms on the marketmore slicing cucumbers. The pickling cukes are larger, but have no blossoms yet. This slow start to spring has set most of us back with seeing production in our gardens, but we are slowly getting there.

The garlic I put in containers didn’t do so well. Between the small critters constantly digging at it in the pots, and the temperature fluctuations, most of it died. I did get two stems of spring garlic, out of the twelve cloves planted. The twelve plants in the ground will give me scapes this week, and garlic in about three-four weeks. I will be curing garlic in the back room in the cellar. Cool, dark and dry. What garlic needs to dry out.

You will notice in the background, the spirea is blooming finally. So are the kousas, and hurray! the bees are back.

I hold my breath every spring, hoping I don’t lose my pollinators. I need those little “busy bees” to get veggies and fruit. Let’s just say Sunday was a good day as I saw dozens of little bees enjoying the flowers behind the house.

As for the herb garden, the thyme has come back thick as a carpet. So have the rosemary bushes. And, of course, the mint varieties.

Thyme is such a great herb, so easy to grow. Snip some off and add to whatever you are making for dinner. It seems to go well with almost everything.

Ruby chard. The second planting. In the planters by the back door. Interesting that the bunnies aren’t coming up here. They must have more than enough to eat down in the yard and meadow, so they don’t bother my herbs, greens and flowers.

Finally, all 48 tomato plants are surviving and thriving. Crossing my fingers. I haven’t lost any of them, even those that were puny and looked susceptible after the cold spell. I may truly be putting out a roadside stand to sell them if they all stay healthy.

I leave the wildflower border to attract bees. The morning glories are just starting to come up, but the wild violets are getting thicker. It looks like this cool wet spring is good for my garden.

Let’s hope we keep up the good growing conditions. I am so ready for homemade tzatziki, fresh tomatoes and all those other treats of summer.

hocofood@@@

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Posted in Food, Gardening, Nature, Weather, West HoCo and tagged Food, gardening, heirloom tomatoes, hobbies, nature, spring flowers, tomatoes, weather, West HoCo. Bookmark the permalink.

And, We Have Scapes!

Posted on June 2, 2013 by AnnieRie

Finally!

I knew if I bought some at Breezy Willow yesterday, I would come home and find mine finally forming. If you have never made garlic scape pesto, you have to try it. It is so simple, and so much a food that screams SPRINGTIME!!!

Here’s some from last year. My recipe? For every ten scapes, you need: 1/2 cup slivered almonds or pine nuts, 3/4 cup good EVOO, 1/2 cup grated parmesan, salt and pepper to taste. The batch pictured above was made with 20 scapes, so double the recipe. Put all but the EVOO into the processor, cutting the scapes first into inch long pieces. Don’t use the flower. Use only the stems. Slowly pour the olive oil in while running the processor to get the consistency you want.

The extra went into this.

I froze the cubes and had pesto all winter.

I have a dozen plants out back, and just bought 20 scapes from Breezy Willow. I will be making a triple batch, using some of the pesto with fresh asparagus and peas to make primavera pasta, and freezing the rest.

It also is absolutely awesome spread on naan and grilled.

hocofood@@@

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Posted in Food, Gardening, Real Food and tagged cooking, Food, foodie, gardening, Locavore. Bookmark the permalink.

Gardening As …

Posted on May 21, 2013 by AnnieRie

… circuit weight training and more.

It took me seven hours total yesterday and today to plant the 40+ tomato plants in the garden. I say 40+ because some of the plugs had more than one stem. All told, there were four dozen plants, but some of them were so intertwined they went into the same planting hole. Between digging the holes, adding the organic fertilizer and soil amendment, planting the plants, shoveling in the topsoil and then finishing off the entire garden in mulch, I am wiped out.

If you want something better to do than walking a treadmill at a gym, plant a garden. Add to all my other tasks, horsing around a 200 foot hose to water it all.

Two months from now I will be blessed with lovely yellow, orange and red tomatoes that will grace our table.

Cherry tomatoes are easy to grow, even in a container. Add a container of basil and instant salad. Plant a few flowers in your yard. Weed by hand, instead of by pesticide. Just that little activity to water and weed and fertilize is one amazingly easy way to keep your metabolism elevated. I know it works for me.

Now, I just need the patience to wait two months to get tomatoes. And, keep watering, weeding and caring for my plants. Sounds like much more fun than circuit weight training.