NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER 2012 GARDEN LOG

Thursday, November 15
Back from 3 week trip to NYC and Florida
clean up: remove covers from beds, scuffle hoe paths, harvest and sauce tomatoes, harvest and roast peppers, thin arugula in experimental bed, set 3 gopher traps, rearrange deck for frost, harvest broccoli for dinner, prepare for garlic planting, cut back Love Lies Bleeding, pull out cosmos and shiso

Wednesday, November, November 21
plant garlic, first quarter moon in the spirit of Thanksgiving, extreme left Gabe bed and pots

Thursday, December 6
thin out arugula in Experimental Bed
thin out brassica micro mix near Dutch door

Friday, December 7
clean up from a week of stormy weather
prep beds for planting 6 packs of cold weather greens on deck
take out broccoli, plant out mache, Edge, level 2,

Saturday, December 8
Plant out orach and spinach, Wall, Level 1
Plant out home seed frisee, escarole and radicchio, Long Bed
Plant out small red mizuna across from Long Bed

Sunday, December 9
work in Gabe beds, take down tomato cages, still tomatoes!
plant out red chard, japanese spinach and watercress on right (wet area)
plant out rest of spinach, baby bok choy in middle
plant out mizuna between established chard (see if it helps with leaf miners)
scuffle hoe paths, thin broadcast arugula

Monday, December 10
harvest arugula for Niki and Boris, nice stand outside kitchen
plant out lettuces on top, oak leaf, reds, little gems, mix sluggo with dirt and spread
lettuce starts feel very hardy

Tuesday, December 11
continue harvest of autumn salad for Niki, thin and clean as I go, asian greens, red mizuna, chard
thinnings go to compost which needs green stuff right now
thin winter lettuces in Bed 5, plant out on top
Darryl harvests alot of potatoes!
try out dinner tonight

SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER 2012 GARDEN LOG

Wednesday, Sept. 9
Been potting up broccoli, cauliflower, orach and red chard
Plant out broccoli in Edge 1 and 2
Take down beans in Edge 1
Plant out red chard in Long Bed
Start lettuce mixes, shaker method, Long Bed, cover
Replace 3 irrigation lines, Long Bed
Trim back lavender, iris, mint

Friday, Sept.28
amend and plant Sam Bed, 3 lettuce mixes including escarole, no shaker, dense planting for starts
replace irrigation in Sam Bed
take down most of the sunflowers and amaranth

Saturday, Sept. 29
cleaning to make room for planting
harvest for Jon, take out aphidee russian kale
pull first rotation of bean plants, cucumbers
harvest carrot bed on top
take down 2 beds on top
cut back grasses, trees, oleander on top
get out seeds to start, lettuces, red mizuna, asian greens

Monday, October 1
harvest for Niki
continue to harvest and process tomatoes, confit and sauce
continue to clean out beds for winter planting
harvest delecata squash

Tuesday, October 2
having a heat wave
take down amaranth, edge 2
take out bean cages, line up to dry
organize seed room
fill six packs for planting
start lettuces, experimental packs with home seed
cut down medicine, groom and hang to dry

Wednesday, October 3
take out pumpkins, Gabe Bed Right
amend bed and plant out orach, Edge 2
harvest scallions, amend bed and plant out red chard, Edge 1
prep Cherry Bed for planting
seed start in 6 packs:
Home seed - lettuces, frisee, escarole, parsley, watercress, spinach, kales, orach (experimental)
Commercial seed - mizuna, red mizuna, kales, baby bok choy, frisee, red chard, mache, microgreens

Thursday, October 4
seed plant home asian greens in Cherry Bed, cover
seed plant home red mizuna greens in upper Cherry Bed, cover
dig out Bed 3, hard, amend and plant out broccoli
start digging Bed 4 and 5
rearrange pots on deck, clean out iris bed
take out ivy on upper bed landscape, let slate show
cut back sorrel
set a bunch of gopher traps, getting fennel on top
finish digging and amend Bed 5, row out
dig and amend 2 beds on top
 
Friday, October 5
rise and dig bed 4, plant out purple cauliflower and a questionable melange of brassicas
harvest tomatoes
dig out 2 Gabe beds, take out pumpkins and 2 tomatoes
amend and direct seed microgreen mix in bed under deck,(needs name), cover
direct seed 1/2 home asian greens,1/2 home red mizuna, top
prep another top bed for planting
direct seed lettuces Bed 5, cover

Saturday, October 6
Happy Birthday to me
Focus on irrigation, totally replace lines in Beds 3 and 4
Replace dead lines in Long Bed
Create new water link to Experimental Bed

Sunday, October 7
regroup irrigation on top
plant out rest of Orach in long bed
clear out Scott Bed for planting
plant out sedums on front porch
take down more tomatoes and turn Gabe bed
harvest romanesco zukes, second planting, slow
plant out rest of red chard and row of brassicas in Gabe Bed Left
make manure tea

Monday, October 8
harvest for Niki, take out most of eggplant
take out lettuces in Bed 2 and wall 1
cut down basil to make moosh
take down 2 more cherry tomatoes, Gabe Bed Left, turn bed
plant out brassicas in Bed 2
plant out Tuscan Kale seconds, home seed, end of Scott Bed

Tuesday, October 9
plant out rest of brassicas in Gabe Bed Left, done!
still harvesting cherry tomatoes
re-working irrigation, Gabe Bed Left, Bed 2, Edge Level 1
make basil moosh
preparing beds to remain fallow until end of month (return from NYC)

Wednesday, October 10
first rain!
further organize irrigation
uncover most of flats
take out rest of cherry tomatoes in Gabe Bed Far Left, turn and manure, ready for garlic
seed plant arugula, Gabe Bed Far Right, cover
seed plant arugula, Experimental Bed, cover

Friday, October 12
still raining
harvest last of romanesco squash
picking through last of tomatoes and peppers
seed plant, sans shaker, valentine lettuces on top
prep round bed on top for planting

Saturday, October 13
reorganize tools scene at door to avoid leakage
divide round bed on top in half, seed plant arugula in half, cover rest with manure
cover Gabe Bed Right with manure ( to soak in, come home from NYC to prepped beds ready for transplants
open up drip lines in Bed 5 with green drippers
random scatter arugula in Beds 3-5 and Wall 2 (Eden Arugula Seed)

AUGUST 2012 GARDEN LOG

Wednesday, August 8
Harvest and store seeds: orach, spinach, lettuces, parsley
Clean up top, cut back chicory, phlox, fennel
Prep Scott and Sam beds for planting

Thursday, August 9
add irrigation to back of top bed, near new entrance
replace irrigation emitter hoses in Scott and Sam Beds
plant out beans and kale in Scott and Sam Beds
plant out zinnias in round bed

Friday, August 10
plant out kale in Long Bed
pot up broccoli seedlings
plant out zinnias in big pots
harvesting beans like crazy
replant melons from end of Gabe Bed

Saturday, August 11
thin out tomatoes (5 hours!)
brew worm casting tea and feed tomatoes 1/2 gallon each

Sunday, August 12
start in 6 packs, orach(home seed), romanesco broccoli and cauliflower, purple and white cauliflower, swiss chard, parsley

Monday, August 13
harvest for chef, thin out "ugly arugula" in Cherry beds and sluggo
thin out all Russian Red kale
prune last 2 tomatoes, worm tea, bed 4
mark red sunflowers with red yarn, terra cotta sunflowers with brown and beige yarn

Wednesday, August 15
harvest beans, cukes, zukes and tomatoes

Thursday, August 16
clean arugula seed for wedding and beyond
clean up last years pickles to get ready for new

Catch Me If You Can

Catch of the Day

 

 

Some Autumnal Haiku
 

 Change brings new planting

Gleaning, cleaning, putting by

Winter pro visions

Still Being Here Now

Catch of the Day

No apologies for no posting.

Been busy with gardening and throwing a hooplah to celebrate our wedding.

Let the revelry continue....

What I Know and Don't Know About Beans

Its string bean cray in the garden right now. Urban dictionary defines "cray" as well no one knows what it means, provocative, short for crazy. The 9 foot cages that support the vines look like monstrous bean towers with tendrils reaching for the stars. There are days I must harvest every few hours. Cool beans one might say. But do they really grow that fast or are they really that illusive?
You think you've gleaned every last pod only to come back and discover a cluster of the ones that got away. Shaking the cage reveals more first picking escapees and you sharpen your eyes to detect their subtle verticle movements hidden within the wild tangle of leaves. You walk off, only to glance over your shoulder and spy another handful. There's always a few you miss. The biggest pod can be dangling right in front of your face but you're so busy looking at the big picture you don't see it. Your harvest basket is brimming with bean bounty and as you step away out pop a few more from the corner of your eye. And if you miss them, tough beans kid, they'll be too big to eat tomorrow. Things slow down eventually, the vines dry up and the leaves turn yellow. Assuming they're finished you pull the plants and toss them on the compost pile. Yet they keep producing, small pods emerge from the heap, pumping out their final hurrahs for the season.

There I was, balancing on a small ladder, feeling a little like Jack climbing the beanstalk, a Jolly Green Giant chanting "Fee fi fo fum" in my head and pulling out every yoga trick I could muster to stretch and snatch that one last hanging haricot vert- that's the fancy variety. While trying my best not to inhale a white fly or two I began to question, am I completely full of beans?

In such moments my monkey mind grasps for meaning, searches for priceless pearls of wisdom to bring a little meat into the mundane, something I can sink my teeth into besides vegetables. I chewed on this conundrum and out spilled a few beans of armchair psychology.

Over the years I've learned that there are times in life when you need to step away from certain situations to gain perspective. Some are choices or crossroads, others are part of the creative process. To see more clearly, change the point of view, reframe, look outside the box or inside if need be. Sleep on it. When making a decision, looking at it from different angles may unveil the perfect direction to take.(Even writing a blog requires a process of getting it down, letting it digest, and revisiting it with a fresh state of mind.) The answer to a problem may be obvious but you are too thick in the weeds to see it. Take a time out. Breath. Timing is everything and in time, things become clear. The right thing to do may be dangling in front of you, like that bean that got overlooked the first time around. Go for a walk about, come back and have another look. Practice this mental process and the road of life will be a little less bumpy.
And of course, like beans, you learn to pick your battles.

So my tidbits of experience may not be worth a hill of beans but I do know how to cook them.
Fresh: Minimize. Lightly steam, salt, pepper, and a little dab of butter will do ya.
Pickled: Lots of recipes on the web. After working several summers in an organic cannery and loving it, for me its either go big or go home. These days I prefer to make refrigerator pickles in my own kitchen. It doesn't take a lot of special equipment, lids or jars. The key to the crunch of a refrigerator pickle is pouring piping hot brine over your packed jars, then flash cooling them immediately, in ice water if possible. Blanch and cool the beans first, pack with fresh herbs. Dill is the all time favorite but play. I use a little calcium citrate to insure crispness. Hell, I'm taking calcium anyway. You can find it in the pickling section of most grocery stores. Pickled beans will stay snappy in your fridge until the next season, if they last that long.
Frozen: Blanch and freeze for bean time flavor all winter. Bring them out at Thanksgiving for your classic green bean casserole. I like mine with creme fresh, caramelized onions and BACON! Never better...

The New York Granny Diaries

My son and daughter-in-law flew me to NYC to babysit my grandson while mama goes to Japan on business. I'm here for 10 days. My son, raised in the garden, is an inspired and talented chef in Manhattan, currently a stay at home dad healing from back surgery. With too much time on his hands he has taken it upon himself to feed me to show his appreciation for my grand mothering. Guess I'll just have to go along with it. Thought I might journal along the way.

Day 1: Meatballs Et Al

Slightly jet lagged and running on 3 hours of sleep, we arise and start planning a special dinner to mark the opening ceremony of the Olympics. We leave the apartment early to beat the crowds and sweltering heat and with baby in tow mosey on down to the infamous Green Market in Union Square. There we load up on summer bounty. The stroller doubles as a shopping cart overflowing with heirloom tomatoes, corn, beans, onions, herbs and honey. Dinner evolves into savory meatballs swimming in fresh tomato basil sauce and a kale Caesar salad. The Russian and Curly Red kale traveled in my suitcase from my garden in California. Frozen yogurt from the corner Belgian deli and fresh strawberries sopped in vodka, honey and lemon zest closed the dinner ceremony. All washed down well with lots of chilled Rose, the wine of the moment. No complaints, no leftovers. Let the games begin.

Day 2: Suffrin' Succotash

Mama left for Japan and Sweet Grandma Honey (my stage name) is in the house. Since his birth 9 months ago, I've been YouTubing music videos to my grandson featuring my ukulele sing along shtick. The intention is to stay connected through the magic of music and cyber space while living on opposite coasts. So far he's been raised with a collection of Grandma playing children's tunes, and now the cartoon character on mama's phone has come to real life. He's rapidly taken on the sidekick role to my cache of diddies and is a devoted fan, a much needed diversion for an active baby boy away from his mother for the first time. While we sing and play, my son cooks.

Tonight he prepared a perfectly seared pork loin with a succotash of fresh corn off the cob, caramelized Hudson Valley sweet red onions, yellow wax, green haricot vert, and Romano runner beans, a bite of red pepper flakes and parsley-basil oil. Rustic, honest, homey. He says its so simple he would never serve in a restaurant. I say I'll suffer through it, go ahead, spoil me.

Baby eats heirloom tomatoes with tofu, sweet potatoes, yogurt and bananas.

Day 3: Brie LT Sandwichcrafting

Its Sunday Funday and we invite family and friends over to play Bocce Ball. The court is right outside the front door of our building. Outdoor games call for outdoor snacks and a picnic is in order. Whatever we do it must have tomatoes, the food star of the season. In our quest for a simple menu we probably constructed and deconstructed the sandwich concept way too many times, but so apropos considering its origins in the current hub of the Olympic Games.

The word sandwich that we use today was born in London during the very late hours one night in 1762 when an English nobleman, John Montagu, the Fourth Earl of Sandwich, was too busy gambling to stop for a meal even though he was hungry. The legend goes that he ordered a waiter to bring him roast-beef between two slices of bread. The Earl was able to continue his gambling while eating his snack; and from that incident, we have inherited that quick-food product that we now know as the sandwich. He apparently had the meat put on slices of bread so he wouldn’t get his fingers greasy while he was playing cards.

Well bocce balls are messier than cards, but sandwiches would carry on well to the court so we run with it. First step, shopping. There's a Farmer's Market every Sunday right in this housing development. The availability of fresh food and support for the organic movement here in NYC makes the city feel sane.

We start with bread - 2 ciabattas, 1 mushroom, 1 onion-rosemary.

Everything looks so good, a feast for the eyes.

Picking up a little this and that, we go big on tomatoes and go home.

Brie LTs

 

 Slightly toasted bread, layered with bacon, brie, tomatoes, red onions,
pepperoncinis and basil, drizzled with Japanese Mayo.

The lettuce deconstructed on the side, tossed with kale from Voss Gardens.

We packed our picnic down the elevator with glee and made our way to the bocce court. Our balls barely busted out when the clouds burst and poured. Undaunted, we went back up the elevator, ate well, made merry, and took a rain check on the game.

Day 4: Dashi and Delivery




Breakfast is served.

 Oh the joys of living with a chef with too much time on his hands and an adorable grandson. My son dreams recipes in his sleep or in this case dreams them up when he can't sleep due to incessant back pain. Today he awakes with Japan flavor notes on his mind, missing his wife. He dutifully mops the floor, keeping the world safe for a crawler, makes me a quick bite, and we're off to the Japanese grocery store.
Today's cravings involve Dashi and Asian Greens. Most of the things at the Sunrise Market are a mystery to me but I'm always enthused about the marvelous packaging and curious about produce I've never seen before. We pick up kombu (dried kelp), fresh kimchee, dried shiitake mushrooms, soft tofu for the baby, and some Hi-Chew Japanese candy.  Ambling our way through the East Village, we stop at the Union Square Green Market to buy mustard greens, baby bok choy and fruit.

Heading home, the last stop was to get some fish.

 But the shop had closed, so plans changed once again.

Who said the secret to life is Plan B?





 Just Lunch

 Back in the apartment, a quick snack of homemade Kimchee, Japanese cucumbers and scallions - dressed with sesame oil, rice wine vinegar and red pepper flakes, is just the thing to recover from our 3 mile trek sweating in the July humidity. New York is a walking city and you can easily regulate all the fabulous eating and drinking it offers with exercise. Just wear good shoes. And the people watching on the street is top notch, my favorite spectator sport.

Meanwhile the stock pot goes on to make dashi. Dashi is a Japanese stock made from boiling Kombu (dried kelp) and Bonito (smoked dried fish shaved into flakes) in water to extract the umami flavor. The rich liquid is used as a soup base for noodle and miso soups as well as a classic flavoring of Japanese cuisine. Some dried shiitakes are added to this one and it brews for hours filling the apartment with heady aromas that promise great things to come. I rob the pot and spoon some broth over the baby's Japanese noodles and carrots his mama made ahead and left in the freezer. He tastes and becomes wildly ecstatic, bouncing in his high chair. Top that with his first blueberries and he's channeling his happy baby pose.

Later on, due to lack of sleep, enthusiasm for dinner prep wanes. Its Plan B time again-DELIVERY!!!
New York City Baby, you can order whatever you want, whenever you want it. A simple phone call and 10 minutes later authentic Greek gyros arrive at our door; one lamb, one chicken, piping hot off the grill, dressed with garlic yogurt and some decent romaine lettuce. Just 5 bucks a pop (+tip) and no dishes! Meanwhile, Japan upsets Spain in Men's Soccer Olympics and the dashi pot goes in the fridge to await further adventures.

Days 5 and 6: Dog Day Afternoons With Leftovers

Day 5:

We took a down day and a long walk down by the East Riverside. That old man river cools and calms the sultry city and a refreshing breeze stirred the thick air. The baby sat upright in the stroller, gazing at the water, taking it all in.
The rest of the day we baby proof the apartment. My grandson, with his new found mobility, seems to be everywhere we don't want him to be - time to batton down the hatches. Its amazing the peace of mind a play pen can bring, complemented by the serenity of a home cooked meal. Yesterday's dashi pot came out of the fridge and delivered harmony. Not only does it taste good, the depth of its goodness goes down deep into the soul, like your Jewish mother's chicken soup.

Cold ramen noodles cooked in dashi with kimchee, tofu and summer vegetables.

I learned slurping your noodles is proper Japanese etiquette.

Heirloom Tomato, Spanish Sardines, Basil Garlic Oil, Shaved Pecorino

Dashi simmering with greens, ground pork, chicken, and God knows what else.

I ask my son, "What do you call this?"

He says, "Delicious."

Day 6:

Granny takes some down time to go shopping. Its utterly fun hunting for that elusive New York bargain in this city of fashion. Back home in the garden I dress way down most of the time, digging around in my grubbies. Here in the Big Apple I seize the opportunity to dress up and unearth a few items to put some razzle dazzle in the wardrobe.
The best purchase of the day however, was a ball for the baby. I came home and we play ball. Squealing with delight, he caught on to catch real quick. What a timeless marvelous toy - now he's looking at the Olympic games on TV with new interest.
Leftovers were the daily special, and true to form, they taste better the next day. Dinner was downplayed and casual: Savory pan fried chicken, a summer vegetable medley, heirloom tomatoes with feta and basil garlic oil. Plattered in the kitchen with style, its "Make your own plate night" while we watch womens' beach volleyball.

Days 7 and 8: Canoodled, Bamboozled and Sizzled

Day 7:
Sleepless in New York, a full moon hovers over Manhattan, the city that never sleeps. Words like canoodled and bamboozled pop into my head for no reason at all aside from they way they slide off the tongue. My grandson is wakeful as well and we fix our eyes on each other in the blue moonlight through the slats of his crib.
An old friend comes to visit over lunch. Everything is served cold: rice noodle salad with seasonal vegetables brined in kimchee, soy ginger chicken tenders, tomato cucumber salad and iced matcha,
Japanese green tea.

Though our guest is from Italy the flavors are predominantly Asian. Hmmm... to slurp or not to slurp the noodles, Italians consider it rude, Japanese consider it rude not to.

Forks over Chopsticks?
Etiquette is cast aside.

  No matter how you munch your way through it,

good food in good company transcends cultural differences.

another New York moment....

Day 8:

Its sizzling in the city, ozone warnings are in the air. The atmosphere is so bad the baby did not go outside today. Keeping him inside all day was a challenge. Our rambunctious little munchkin gives new meaning to "climbing the walls" because he really does try. I went out early for my daily walk and to run errands.The streets were so stifling it was difficult to breath. Fire trucks with loudspeakers were cruising the streets warning, "Drink lots of water and stay inside!" I dropped the idea to take pictures of the community gardens thriving in the neighborhood. Missing my home in the mountains, I journeyed back to my home in the city.


Summer in the city



Lemonade and popcorn were the snacks of the day, good old summertime comfort food. With not much appetite or ambition to cook we pulled some of mama's curry beef and rice out of the freezer. A hot pastrami sandwich showed up from somewhere. Chef exercised his culinary skills with an uplifting strawberry peach sorbet.


Mmmmm, I could eat this all day...
and at night I could drink it with vodka...








Day 9: Chillin'

Live from New York it Saturday Night, Granny's night out!

What better way to chill than some cold dry as a bone sparkling rose

and small plates at large with my niece (she works here) and my sis.

Day 10: The Last Supper

Last day in New York for Granny, that would be me. Mama came home from Japan and my son cooked Mexican. Go figure. Something about those Latino flavors that say,

"Welcome home!" "Okaeri!" "Bienvenido a casa!"

Made With Loving Hands

Taco filling-beef, black beans, garlic, heirloom tomatoes, poblano and aneheim peppers

Salsa verde-cucumbers, tomatillos, cilantro, lime, salt

chipotle salsa, corn with lime, sour cream, lettuces

watermelon/strawberry cocktails

So my little sojourn in a New York state of mind comes to a close.

Back to the garden for this Left Coaster.

 Looking forward to seeing my hubby, the fresh air, the quietness and further adventures.

Go Granny Go!