"the garden on steriods"

My neighbor calls it “the garden on steroids”.  That was such a huge compliment coming from a seasoned mid-west farm girl.

I don’t know why the squashes have taken over the garden more this year than in previous years. Maybe it was our early warm spell. But anything that is squash, pumpkin or cucumber related has become enormous. I’m thinking world records here. Some of the leaves are over 15 inches!!!

I picked a wheelbarrow full today including a 9 ½ pound, 24 inch yellow zucchini. That has been washed, quartered, sliced and taking up temporary residency on all 8 trays of the dehydrator this evening.

Our days are not as hot and humid as the past few weeks. It makes spending time in the garden much easier on the old soul here. I was feeling guilty about only spending a half hour a day there.

I picked lots of peppers and started more lettuce today. The lettuce will go in an area that will get covered/hooped in late September to avoid potential early frosts. Our frost days are usually the first or second week of October. Another sowing of peas is in order too. They can take the cooler weather.

I have lots of flowers on the tomatoes. But the percentage that set fruit this year is disappointing. Maybe I didn’t prune the plants enough? I’m not sure. But I’ll be checking with the county extension office to see if others are experiencing these same things.

Zucchini/Eggplant Parmesan

 

Set out another sowing of green beans. I just love the pole beans. They can up and/or freeze well. Whether I’m cooking them up with garlic or making a three bean salad, they are one of my favorite vegetables.

Years ago we shared our home with my in-laws. We also had a large garden that all of us tended to. Dolly and I would spend lots of time cooking and canning. My children have great memories of the same. I also need to be thankful to my mother-in-law. When we were moving, she asked if I wanted some of her canning jars. I took them and am so grateful. I think of her each time I fill one.

The last of both the stir fry and snap peas are coming fast and furious. Blanching and then vacuum packing for the freezer is a great way to store these so they keep their “snap”.

This will be the week for relish and some pickles.  Zucchini is coming and coming. I will have to start giving some away soon. I prefer zucchini relish over the cucumber relish. It isn’t as bitter. This is when my food processor and kitchen aid come in handy. I would be lost without them this time of year. 

We had some of turnip this week. They were still on the small side. But I love them that way. The greens were just as good. I did the greens up with bacon they way an old family friend, Mrs. Floyd, used to do them.  Joe was surprised and devoured it all. Of course, bacon goes good with everything.

The blueberries are out in full force. I picked 17 gallons of them yesterday. Froze two packages for pies this winter and made jam with the rest.  My granddaughter LOVES Nonni’s jam. So I need to keep not only our house but her supplied throughout the year. I ended up with 10 pints and 29 half-pints.

I began my parmesan frying today. For those that like eggplant parmesan, I would suggest that you also try it with zucchini. It is usually in the garden earlier and it will hone your skills so when the eggplant is ready, you are.  I’ve had several people ask me to divulge my method of “putting up the “parm”.  I will go through this process at least 6 times during the summer and fall getting all the “parm” in the freezer.

I make a homemade sauce. But you can use canned if you like. So get your sauce ready first. 

My hint – when making your sauce, remove the center green part of your garlic. That is the part that gives you garlic breath for days. By using the remaining part of the clove, you will still get the great garlic taste in your sauce. 

Then get your large bowls and pans ready. In one you want to put 3 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of black pepper. In the other you want to crack 12 to 15 large eggs; whip them up and add freshly chopped Italian parsley.  Get a large cookie sheet and triple line it with paper towels. Keep that roll handy because you will need it. 

         I fry mine outside.  It keeps the kitchen cooler and cleaner. You can use an electric frying pan or fryer.  I use my wok. The side burner on your gas grill also works well. But you will want to use a cast iron pan on the side burner to retain heat and protect your grill cover with aluminum foil. I put one of the puppy training pads down on my deck and set up my wok right there.  I heat Crisco vegetable oil and 10% olive oil to 425*F. This will give you good flavor and still get good browning.

I used two over sized zucchinis. One was around 20 inches long and the other was around 15 inches.  Wash and cut them in hefty ¼ inch slices. If you are using eggplant, you will want to also peel it.

You want to begin your ‘double dipping’. Dredge some slices in the flour bowl and then in the egg bowl. Carefully place in the hot oil using long handled metal tongs. Let brown on one side. This should take around 3 minutes. If it takes longer, your oil is not hot enough and the zucchini/eggplant will absorb more oil (which you don’t want). Using those tongs, flip them over and brown the reverse side. When done, place on the cookie sheet alternating rows of zucchini and paper towels.

After all of your frying is done, you want to assemble your “parm”. Begin with a few spoonfuls of sauce in the bottom of your dish. This will keep it from sticking. Layer your zucchini/eggplant. Lightly spoon some sauce on that layer and sprinkle with grated cheese. Okay I know this is called “parm”. But I use a combination of parmesan and pecorino romano. It gives it a kick. Do three layers finishing with a heavier coating of sauce and cheese. Pop it in the over at 350*F for 30-40 minutes. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes. This cooling is important for it to set up and not be runny.

Enjoy with a salad or on a fresh Kaiser roll.  

And you’re saying what did you do with the rest of the zucchini?  I layer it between wax paper and place it in freezer bags. It freezes great!  I was able to freeze enough for 1 large and 2 small dishes. There is nothing like fresh “parm” on a night you’re in a hurry or in the dead of winter when zucchini and eggplant prices are off the charts!

Note – when using your frozen zucchini, you will want to thaw the pieces you need first. Zucchini has a high water retention so place them on a plate lined with paper towels.

So here is an easy list of ingredients and things you will need that you can print out for yourself.

2 over sized zucchini or 4 large eggplant

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

12-15 large eggs

1/8 cup of chopped Italian leaf parsley

Crisco oil

Olive oil

Paper towels

Long handles utensils

Deep fryer or wok

Puppy training pad or a few layers of newspaper

Aluminum foil (if you are using your gas grill burner)

Gardens Do Not Take Vacations

We get so distracted with all the chores.. it is nice to stop and appreciate the beauty of the flowers around us.

The crops are growing as fast as weeds. They are!  But are weeds are at a minimum this year due to the continual success of the lasagna gardening method. (See a prior post on the how-to).

We are headed out of town for a week so I really tweaked the tidying up and harvesting. I wanted to keep my workload upon return to a minimum.  Two of our daughters will be here and can keep up with any of the minor tasks that need to be done while we’re gone.

I’m on the first repeat layer for the lasagna layers. Upon returning I will shovel some garden soil on the areas to begin the cycle all over again. The larger compost items such as watermelon rinds, etc that need more time and heat to break down have been put into the tumbler compost bin. That should be ready for emptying upon our return also. These next layer sets seem to go much quicker than the first. I think that is due to green items available this time of year to layer. We get more from pinching and trimming. Also the grass clippings add up quickly.

The days and nights have been remaining warmer. Our nights have not gone below 49F. Our days have averaged around 72F. Hot weather is in the forecast (85F to 90F) for this coming week and will certainly promote more blossoming.  I noticed new blossoms on the pickling cukes, all the squashes, and tomatoes. Best part about the days getting longer and warmer is seeing that first pepper so early!

Our watering is now set on a timer. I didn’t want to take a chance while away to loose all of my hard work. While setting up the timer, Mousse had a puppy moment. We use two sections of hose to reach the sprinkler. There is one from the sprinkler to the edge of the garden gate. Another from there to the faucet. This enables us to disconnect easily in order to mow the yard. It also gives us a hose to fill a watering can or rinse off vegetables. Joe had noticed a bubble in the later hose earlier in the day and mentioned it to me. I had totally forgot about it. When I went to use the hose to clean off some pots I just emptied, the bubble burst scaring the sleeping puppy. She did the normal jump and run like heck to get out of the way of spraying water. The funny part was that she had wrapped her lead around the leg of the folding table I use in the garden. Now the table was being dragged after her. Only she thought the table was chasing her. She would run faster and the table would chase her just as fast. It was certainly a break in the normal peacefulness of the garden. I wish I had a video of that. But my hands were full trying to get her to stop and not be afraid of that “table”. Hose is now repaired and the new dual timer is installed correctly. We’ve used it for a few days now and it works perfectly!

I love rhubarb!  We’ve had a bumper first sowing of it this year. I treated Joe to a fresh strawberry rhubarb pie. I always over fill my fruit pies because they cook down so much. So for this one I used 2 ½ c strawberries and 2 ½ c rhubarb. I also made up a batch of rhubarb syrup. This is a great concoction over ice cream or mixed to make a rhubarb-tini.

I can't wait to see some of the gardens in Oregon. I wonder if I should bring a clean pair of gloves with me...

Memorial Day Weekend 2012

I always have my personal help in the garden. Mousse is lounging under a beach umbrella waiting for play time.

Memorial Day weekend is the usual calendar signal for northern gardeners to begin their plantings. But with a little bit of effort and time, we can lengthen our growing season.

This year we installed inexpensive and movable hoop tunnels for a few rows to get a jump on our growing season. They will also be used to extend our harvests in to the winter.  This week the heavier covers came off and the lighter covers went on. They will remain on for a few more weeks until all dangers of those surprise late spring frosts have passed.

The corn started indoors from seed was transplanted two weeks ago. It is thriving and taking off like crazy. Starting it indoors also reduced the opportunity for the bugs and insects to attack those early seedlings, which routinely happens around here.  Another upside to this is that we will have a corn harvest 3 to 4 weeks earlier than normal!  The sweet pie seeds that I inter-planted in those rows are sprouting and will provide coverage to keep the weeds to a minimum.

I am an upcycler at heart and like to reuse anything and everything I can. When cleaning out the rafters of the garage, I found this wonderful contraption. I decided to use it to support my pickling cukes. This will also provide some shade for some lettuce so it will not bolt so early.

Watering is a breeze this year. The garden is quite large and the chore of moving a sprinkler around each section was always cumbersome. I secured a heavy piece of pipe in the center of the garden.  Approximately 4 feet is above the ground. It is the perfect place to secure my sprinkler now. This enables one sprinkler to satisfy the entire garden at one time. Was this a huge time saver!

Plant timing

Several of you have asked me when to start your seeds, when to transplant, and when to direct sow.  I found this great web page and wanted to share it with you.  All you do is put in your zip code and it gives you a list. And it's free!

http://sproutrobot.com

Snow? and Companion Plantings

Yup! We are dealing with one of those late spring cold snaps. The weather today brought snow showers and the forecast is for nights in the 20's with winds making it feel like single digits. All of my plants are either covered or indoors for the next few days.


This colder weather has brought my outdoor work to somewhat of a halt. 

Laying out your garden plan is like planning a community. Certain plants do well with others. Certain plants support each other while others don’t get along. They are very much like people and compete for resources. They may bully each other and take more than their share of water, sun and nutrients.

So as the mayor of your garden, it is you that can bring harmony and prosperity to your town.

You don’t want to plant in long rows or large patches. This is like a flashing neon sign to bugs and pests you don’t want or need. Interplant your garden with flowers and herbs. This change in color and scent has been proven to confuse the critters. Plus certain flowers and herbs can bring the “good” insects to your garden. For instance, bees are needed for pollination.

An age-old method is “three sister planting”.  Groupings such as corn, beans and squash work great together. The corn acts as a support for the beans as they both grow. Beans put nitrogen in to the soil, which corn needs. The squash grows quickly and provides shade and provide a natural week block.

I found these great combinations (below) written by Todd Weinmann of the North Dakota State University Agriculture Extension. This list has helped me a lot and I hope it also helps you in deciding where to plant.

ASPARAGUS - Companions: Basil, parsley, tomato. Ally: Pot marigold deters beetles.

BEANS - Companions: Beet (to bush beans only), cabbage family, carrot, celery, chard, corn, cucumber, eggplant, pea, potatoes, radish, strawberry. Enemies: Garlic, onion and shallot stunt the growth of beans. Allies: Marigold deters Mexican bean beetles. Nasturtium and rosemary deter bean beetles. Summer savory deters bean beetles, improves growth and flavor.

BEETS - Companions: Bush beans, cabbage family, lettuce, onion. Ally: Garlic improves growth and flavor. Enemies: Pole beans and beets stunt each other's growth.

CABBAGE FAMILY (Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, kale and kohlrabi) - Companions: Beet, celery, chard, cucumber, lettuce, onion, potato, and spinach. Allies: Chamomile and garlic improve growth and flavor.

Catnip, hyssop, rosemary and sage deter cabbage moth. Dill improves growth and health. Mint deters cabbage moth and ants, improves health and flavor. Nasturtium deters bugs, beetles, and aphids. Southernwood deters cabbage moth, improves growth and flavor. Tansy deters cabbageworm and cutworm. Thyme deters cabbageworm.

Enemies: Kohlrabi and tomato stunt each other's growth.

CARROTS - Companions: Bean, lettuce, onion, pea, pepper, radish, tomato. Allies: Chives improve growth and flavor. Rosemary and sage deter carrot fly. Enemy: Dill retards growth.

CELERY - Companions: Bean, cabbage family and tomato. Allies: Chives and garlic deter aphids. Nasturtium deters bugs and aphids.

CHARD - Companions: Bean, cabbage family and onion

CORN - Companions: Bean, cucumber, melon, parsley, pea, potato, pumpkin, squash. Enemies: Tomatoes and corn are attacked by the same worm. Allies: Odorless marigold and white geranium deter Japanese beetles. Pigweed raises nutrients from the subsoil to where the corn can reach them.

CUCUMBER -Companions: Bean, cabbage family, corn, pea, radish, tomato Enemy: Sage is generally injurious to cucumber. Allies: Marigold deters beetles.

Nasturtium deters aphids, beetles and bugs, improves growth and flavor.

Oregano deters pests in general. Tansy deters ants, beetles, bugs, flying insects.

EGGPLANT -Companions: Bean, pepper. Allies: Marigold deters nematodes.

LETTUCE -Companions: Beet, cabbage family, carrot, onion, radish, strawberry. Allies: Chives and garlic deter aphids.

MELONS -Companions: Corn, pumpkin, radish, squash. Allies: Marigold deters beetles. Nasturtium deters bugs and beetles. Oregano provides general pest protection

ONlONS - Companions: Beet, cabbage family, carrot, chard, lettuce, pepper, strawberry, tomato. Enemies: Onions stunt bean, pea. Allies: Chamomile and summer savory improve growth and flavor. Pigweed raises nutrients from subsoil and makes them available to the onions. Sow thistle improves growth and health.

PARSLEY - Companions: Asparagus, corn, tomato

PEAS -Companions: Bean, carrot, corn, cucumber, radish, and turnip. Allies: Chives deter aphids. Mint improves health and flavor. Enemies: Garlic and onion stunt the growth of peas.

PEPPERS -Companions: Carrot, eggplant, onion and tomato

POTATOES - Companions: Beans, cabbage family, corn, eggplant, pea. Enemies: Tomatoes and potatoes are attacked by the same blight. Allies: Horseradish, planted at the corners of the potato patch, provides general protection. Marigold deters beetles.

PUMPKINS - Companions: Corn, melon, squash. Allies: Marigold deters beetles. Nasturtium deters bugs, beetles. Oregano provides general pest protection.

RADISHES -Companions: Bean, carrot, cucumber, lettuce, melon, and pea. Allies: Chervil and nasturtium improve growth and flavor. Enemy: Hyssop

SPINACH -Companions: Cabbage family, strawberry

SQUASH- Companions: Corn, melon, and pumpkin. Allies: Borage deters worms, improves growth and flavor. Marigold deters beetles. Nasturtium deters squash bugs and beetles. Oregano provides general pest protection.

STRAWBERRY- Companions: Bean, lettuce, onion, spinach, thyme. Enemy: Cabbage. Allies: Borage strengthens resistance to insects and disease. Thyme, as a border, deters worms.

TOMATOES - Companions: Asparagus, carrot, celery, cucumber, onion, parsley, pepper. Enemies: Corn and tomato are attacked by the same worm. Mature dill retards tomato growth. Kohlrabi stunts tomato growth. Potatoes and tomatoes are attacked by the same blight. Allies: Basil repels flies and mosquitoes, improves growth and flavor. Bee balm, chives and mint improve health and flavor.

Borage deters tomato worm, improves growth and flavor. Dill, until mature, improves growth and health. Once mature, it stunts tomato growth. Marigold deters nematodes. Pot marigold deters tomato worm and general garden pests,

TURNIPS - Companion: Pea

Happy Earth Day - A Little History

The idea came to Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, after witnessing the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. Inspired by the student anti-war movement, he realized that if he could infuse that energy with an emerging public consciousness about air and water pollution, it would force environmental protection onto the national political agenda. Senator Nelson announced the idea for a “national teach-in on the environment” to the national media; persuaded Pete McCloskey, a conservation-minded Republican Congressman, to serve as his co-chair; and recruited Denis Hayes as national coordinator. Hayes built a national staff of 85 to promote events across the land.

As a result, on the 22nd of April, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values.

Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, city slickers and farmers, tycoons and labor leaders. The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. "It was a gamble," Gaylord recalled, "but it worked."

I hope that you take this day not only as a reflection of where we came from 42 years ago but as a call to move forward to continually make our world a better place to live and work in.