Seeds of Change

So you want to start a garden. GREAT!!!! ...Why??? You like getting your hands dirty? You need to find a place to "get away"? You want to commune with nature becoming one with the earth, listening to the birds sing, and getting a dose of fresh air and vitamin D? You enjoy nurturing seedlings into mature plants? You want the convenience of having fresh veggies at your doorstep for every meal? You like the taste of fresh? You want to know where your veggies come from and how they was treated (pesticides, etc)? You want the optimum nutritional value of freshly cut veggies? You want a great workout? I don't know about you, but it is all of the above for me. I have been gardening since I was a teenager. No matter where we moved around the world, I grew a garden.

In the past years, I have grown the majority of my plants from seed. There are several reasons for this, the most important reason being that I wanted variety. Another reason is that the cost is cheaper. And lastly, I am able to give away all of the seedlings that will not make it to my garden. This has become my favorite reason. I have be able to connect with my gardening friends who love receiving free plants. It is incredible how word spreads; every year my "adoption program" grows. Some are even trying their hands at gardening for the first time! Those seeds are changing people's lives.

Starting veggies from seed is really pretty easy. This is how I go about it.

-I am fortunate to have a room in my house that gets a ton of sun so I really do not need fancy grow lights and heating mats. You must have a light source- natural or artificial.

-Next, I fill empty plastic containers (like from strawberries or lettuce) with specially prepared seedling soil. You can buy this soil at most stores early in the growing season. Just make sure the containers have holes in the bottom (you may have to punch holes yourself) and a lid. You need the lid to maintain heat and moisture to help sprouting. Follow the directions in adding warm water to the seedling soil. Pat down the soil and poke holes in the soil about 1/2 inch deep. Place 1-3 seeds in each hole. Cover the seeds with soil and water.

-I then put lid on the container. Make sure to label the container with the seed variety. Place your container on a tray in a sunny window. You may have to water a few times before the seeds germinate. Do not overwater! Once the all the seeds have completely germinated, you can remove the lid.
You really must rotate your seedlings daily to keep the plants from "leaning" toward the the sun and getting too leggy. This is where a grow light really comes in handy. If you are fortunate to have a florescent light, place it about 12-18 inches over the seedlings to extend you growing day.

- When your seedlings get a second set of leaves, they are ready for their own "home." I have purchased reusable trays from Territorial seeds that hold 50 2"x2" peat pots. Take each plant and put it in an individual peat pot, adding additional soil. This is the most tedious of jobs-every germinated seed gets their own peat pot-yes, every single one. I just can't stand to throw them out. Instead, I try to find a home for all of them! And as you can see, there is a craft stick in each with the variety.

-Lastly, you need to harden off you plants. This is done a few weeks before they go into the ground. You put them outside, starting for an hour or two and increasing time each day till they are out all night. Keep them out of wind and heavy rains.

So I know that you can do this yourself. It really is not hard. Some gardeners plant seeds directly in peat pots. Personally, I find the greenhouse dome effect of plastic containers help in germination. Either way, try it. If this is really not your bag, that's ok- there are seedlings sold everywhere. And don't forget, if you live in my area, and want some freebies to adopt, let me know. I will put you on the list and will contact you when they are ready to take home. Veggies plants to adopt include: tomatoes, peppers, hot peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, and cabbage.

Gardening from seeds changed my life...how about yours?

Bountiful Brocolli's A bloomin' (And Cauliflower,Cabbage....)

It is Spring!!!!! Almost...

It has been such a mild winter in central Maryland that it has felt like spring almost the entire winter. But there is no doubt that the earth is tilting and as the robins know to return, the gardeners are beginning to sharpen their tools, planning their gardens, and planting their seeds indoors to get a head start on their crops.

My cole crop looks so happy! This year, I will be planting several varieties of cauliflower white Toscano, orange/yellow cheddar, and purple Graffiti cauliflower. Last season, the Cheddar variety did amazingly well. The white and purple did not fare as well. As illustrated in the pictures, I will be sure protect the precious heads by tying the leaves if the weather gets too hot.

Broccoli will again will hopefully be the centerpiece of my early summer garden. The Batavia and Packman varieties did remarkably well last year so they are a returning favorite to my garden. I tried my hand at vacuum sealing and freezing the abundance. It was amazingly fresh tasting and oh so sweet!

As successful as brussel sprouts have been for me in the past, last year was horrendous. The stink bugs destroyed my plants. I could not believe and wasn't prepared for the devastation! Again, I will be planting the Dimitri variety but will definitely be prepared- investing in some pheronome traps for stink bugs as well as trying to kill them in the larvae stage. I may even take my shop-vac in the garden as I read in article (and dumping them in a pail of sudsy water.) Another article stated that the stink bug population may be way down this summer due to all the rain from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. One can only hope!

To round out my cole crop this season is my new favorite superfood-kale. This year, I will be growing Winterbor and Dwarf Blue. Definitely consider growing this wonderful brassica.

Now that is it for my cole crop this year. If you are a fan of this blog, you will know that this is just a portion of Claudia's culinary garden. Stay tuned for more veggies, more recipes, and more stories.

Welcome Spring!

Living in the Land of Pleasant Living

Living in the land of pleasant living....

If you live in Maryland, you definitely know what that title means. It was actually coined by the National Bohemian Beer marketing campaign when I was a wee one. Living near the Chesapeake Bay, in the summer, putting down a cold Natty Boh, getting your hands caked with Old Bay seasoning while picking steamed crabs...that my friends, is living in the land of pleasant living.

Now when you have your full of crabs and you have many left, what do you do? Well, I either make a pot of Maryland-style crab soup or I pick the remaining crabs and make crab cakes for the next night's meal. And, of course, Maryland tomatoes right from my garden and the last of my garden's potatoes made into potato salad are perfect side dishes.

So it went several months ago. As I was starting my 2012 blogging, I realized I had started this blog back in September. It was worth publishing just to get everyone's mouth salivating. I remember that meal like it was yesterday. If you live in the "Land of Pleasant Living," you may have your own family recipe for crab cakes. Here is mine:

1/2 sleeve Ritz crackers crushed
1 1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 pound lump crabmeat with no shells (Maryland crab is the best!)
panko flakes

In a bowl, mix mayo, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, baking powder, Old Bay, mustard, and egg. Gently fold in crabmeat and cracker crumbs. Mix lightly and shape into 4 patties. Coat with panko flakes. Refrigerate patties for 30 minutes to help keep them together when cooking.

Broil on cookie sheet lined with foil sprayed with Pam or fry in canola oil until golden-brown on both sides.

Now, all you need is an ice cold Natty Boh. Ahhhhhhh! That is living!

I Heart Tomatoes

I love tomatoes. Even more, I love tomatoes that I grew myself. Just going out to the garden and collecting ripe, plump, red/yellow/pink/orange tomatoes, gently putting them in your basket, and tearing off several sprigs of fragrant basil is a summer event that I try to imprint in my mind to recall when the cold Maryland winters roll around. Tomatoes rule the recesses of my culinary mind. Every summer day, I think of the endless possibilities of adding its sweet/tart/tangy taste to whatever I eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. It is the time of year when we cannot wait for a BLT, add fresh tomatoes to the morning omelet, grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches, tuna salad filled tomatoes, baked tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, homemade pasta sauce....the possibilities are endless.

Here are two of our favorites. Almost every night we artifully arrange tomatoes on a platter, tuck in basil leaves, crumble feta cheese, sprinkle dry oregano and cracked pepper, and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a touch of red wine vinegar. It is a meal in and of itself.

We also enjoy making a fresh pasta sauce right from the garden. Just saute 1 small chopped onion and 3 cloves of minced garlic in olive oil. Add 6-8(or more) ripes plum-type tomatoes that have been peeled. Saute altogether for about 10 minutes, breaking up the tomatoes until chunky. Add about 1 cup white wine and one small can of tomato paste. Add a sprig or 2 of fresh basil, 1 teas dried oregano and 1/2 teas celery salt. Simmer about 15 more minutes. Add to your favorite pasta. This amount serves 2-3 people easily. Enjoy the season. Hopefully stinkbugs have not taken residence in your garden as they have in mine. There is always the local farmer's market to fill your summer tomato fancies. Eat them now-they are in season. Make that culinary summer memory.

Heads Up on Cabbage

I cannot believe it has been over a month since I last blogged. Since my last post, my son, Dave got married (yay!!!) to his lovely bride, Jen. And now with her son, Riley (in the picture), they make the perfect family! But in the meantime, my garden went downhill (boo). The stinkbug invaded and destroyed much of my garden. Nevertheless, over that month, we have enjoyed many a fantastic meal. Luckily, I had the presence of mind to photograph the food so that I can blog about them at a later date.

The subject of this blog is cabbage. I grow three varieties each year: regular, red, and savoy. Cabbage has many health benefits. It has cholesterol-reducing benefit, especially when lightly steamed making the fiber components easier to bind to bile acids.This makes it easier to excrete, lowering cholesterol. Cabbage also contains sinigrin which converts into compounds that is know to have cancer preventive qualities. Cabbage is chock full of vitamins K and C. It also contains dietary fiber, manganese, vitamins B6, B1, B2, and A, calcium, potassium, tryptophan, folate, magnesium, and protein. And if you are looking for a big bang in antioxidant value, eat the red variety. It contains 6 to 8 times the antioxidants than the green varieties.

So I LOVE cabbage. It is a staple in our household, adding it to stir-fry recipes and soups. But my most FAVORITE way to use cabbage is to stuff the leaves to make the family Polish favorite --Golabki

Golabki Recipe (Our family pronounced this dish ‘gawumpki’)

1 lb ground beef

1/2 lb ground pork

1/2 cup rice

1 egg

1 onion chopped fine

2 TBSP butter

Salt and pepper

1 whole head cabbage

1 32 oz can tomato puree

4 strips bacon

1 teas vinegar

Remove core from whole head cabbage. Scald the cabbage in boiling water. Remove a few leaves at a time as they wilt. Cool before using.

Wash rice in cold water and stir into 2 quarts of rapidly boiling salt water. Boil 10 minutes and strain. Run cold water through rice in strainer. This rice is only half cooked now.

Saute onion in butter only until it becomes transparent. Do not let it turn yellow. Combine the meat, egg, rice, and seasoning and mix well. Spread each leaf with meat, about half inch thick, fold in the two opposite sides in and roll, starting with one of the open ends. Stack each cabbage roll in large sauce pot with fold face down.

Pour in tomato puree and vinegar and place uncooked bacon on top. Add water if necessary to cover cabbage rolls. Bring to boil and simmer 1 to 2 hours.

My Babcia (Grandmother) always added peeled potatoes in the same pot.

Yum!!!!!

Cheddarific Cauliflower

Take a look at this cauliflower from my garden! Yes, it is indeed golden yellow and the name of it is indeed "Cheddar." So why not make Cheddar/Cheddar Cauliflower Soup. I love cauliflower. I love it raw and I love it cooked. I love how nutritious it is. Cauliflower contains two major disease fighters: indole-3-carbinol, or 13C, and the photonutrient sulforaphane. These are known to lower cancerous tumor growth. Cauliflower also contains vitamin C and folate. Three florets of cauliflower a day will provide you with 67% of your daily vitamin C requirement. "Cheddar" Cauliflower has 25 times the beta carotene and vitamin A of regular white cauliflower. So it seems to me that it is worth growing. The soup I created was a result of harvesting some potatoes, onions, and cauliflower.



So, here is the recipe:
Ingredients
3 heads of "Cheddar" cauliflower
48 oz chicken or vegetable broth
4 potatoes
1 onion
1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 and 1/2 or milk to thicken
1 Knorr vegetable or chicken bouillon cube
dash or two of hot sauce
sprig thyme for garnish

Directions:
In a soup pot, boil cauliflower and pealed and chopped potatoes in broth until both are soft. (Save some cooked cauliflower florettes for garnish) Chopped and saute onions and add to pot. Cool slightly and puree in blender in small portions. Put puree back in soup pot and heat. Add bouillon. Add cheddar cheese and let melt. Add enough milk or 1/2 and 1/2 to thicken. Add a dash or two (or more) of you favorite hot sauce to taste. Serve warm. Garnish with florettes and thyme sprig.

It is Cheddarific!!!!!!!

The Joy of Gardening

There is nothing more satisfying than realizing that all the hard gardening work is worth it. Our family often vacations this time of year. Coming home to a prolific harvest is both exciting and daunting. Ready and waiting were yellow and green beans, sugar snap peas, beets, yellow squash, cabbage, zucchini, cukes, broccoli, cauliflower, swiss chard, lettuce, kale, carrots, potatoes, and onions. Whew!!!!!!!!! It has been a challenge to to keep up with cooking or preserving this amazing bounty.

Preserving methods can vary. Freezing, canning/pickling, or dehydrating are the most common. This week, I froze 9 huge heads of broccoli. Make sure you soak broccoli or cauliflower in salt water to draw insects out. Then, drop in boiling water for three minutes follwed by ice water for three minutes. This process is called blanching. Blanching slows or stops the action of enzymes which cause vegetables to grow and mature. If you don't stop this process, the enzymes will be active during frozen storage causing off-colors, off-flavors and toughening. In addition to freezing, I have been canning beets, and pickling cucumbers. Mrs. Wages Kosher Dill pickling spice is what I have been using for years and is by far the family favorite. Making pickles are so easy. Just slice cukes, put them in a clean canning jar, add pickling spice, and put a new lid and band. Place jars in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Remove and enjoy after 24 hours. Mrs. Wages even makes refrigerator pickling spice for those who do not fuss with canning. Now this year, I am trying my hands at dehydrating.

The joy of gardening can be enjoyed by you, too-even if you don't have a veggie garden of your own. There are tons of local farms that you can pick your own. Try it. Make sure that you have a preserving plan so all your work does not go to waste. By all means, have fun and bon appetit!

Popeye's Favorite is One of Mine TOO!

When you think Popeye, you think spinach-"He's strong to the finish cause he eats his spinach. He's Popeye the Sailorman."

How did Popeye know to eat a can or two of spinach everytime Brutus and he had a tussle? Popeye knew what he was doing. Spinach is chock full of phytonutrients. This leafy green is an excellent source of magnesium, folate, manganese, iron, calcium, potassium, vitamins C, K, A, B2, and B6. It’s a very good source of protein, phosphorus, vitamin E, zinc, dietary fiber and copper. Plus, it’s a good source of selenium, niacin, and omega three fatty acids.


I love what you can do with spinach. Fresh, it adds color and texture to salads. Add it to soups, dips, and smoothies. Saute it with olive oil, garlic, and a splash of low sodium soy sauce for a great side dish. Mix spinach with feta as a stuffing for spanakapita. Mix it with ricotta for a stuffing for ravioli. Lately, I have included spinach in some of my favorite chicken recipes.

Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts
1. Saute a large bowl (about 1 store-bought bag) of spinach with 1 TBSP olive oil a 2 cloves minced garlic. Add 1/2 chopped onion sauteed. Cook until competely wilted.
2. Drain spinach mixture. in collender. Push liquid out of spinach mixture.
3. Add spinach mixture to food processor. Add a pack of feta and one egg. Pulse until all ingrediants are just incorporated.
4. Flatten 4-6 boneless chicken breasts and place on flat surface.
5. Spread a good portion on each chicken breast and roll up chicken breasts. Put aside.
6. Gently take three pieces of phyllo dough and spread with melted butter.
7. Place rolled chicken breast on the phyllo. Roll chicken breast in phyllo dough folding in sides as you roll.
8. Place on cookie sheet and brush outside with melted butter.
9. Bake 400 degrees until brown-about 25 minutes.


Chicken Francese
1. Cut 2 chicken breasts lengthwise to make 4-6 cutlets. Lightly flour cutlets. Saute floured cutlets in 2 TBSP olive oil until very lightly browned. Remove breasts from pan and set aside.
2. Mince 2 cloves of garlic and saute in pan that you cooked chicken. Add juice of 2 freshly squeezed lemons, 1 cup white wine, 1 chicken bullion cube and 1 teas. butter. Reduce lemon sauce till a little more half the amount.
3. Return chicken to sauce. Saute until fully incorporated.
4. With stove on medium, add two huge handfuls of fresh spinach. Cover until spinach is wilted. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzerella. Cover until cheese is melted.
5. Serve over cooked pasta. I prefer quinoa spaghetti.

I LOVE BREAD!!!! But It Doesn't Love Me

I know that this blog is dedicated to my love for veggies and cooking. OK this post is not about my veggies or my garden....but instead it is about one of the best accompaniments to a summer meal....read on!

Who hasn't sat at your favorite restaurant, put in your order, you order the beverage of your choice, and then the EVIL bread gets served to you. I say evil because I mean evil. Yes, evil. It smells so so good. You remove the napkin only to have the absolutely amazing aroma waft under your nose. Sitting before you is a small loaf of white, crusty, Italian- type bread. You know the kind-hard and crusty on the outside and soft and velvety on the inside. A crock of butter or olive oil infused with delicious spices entice you to tear off just a little..at least that is what you tell yourself...just a little...just a little...just a little...and before you know it, you have eaten the entire basket. Evil. If that isn't bad enough, the next day you can't quite button your jeans. And if you are like me, I have a bloated feeling that often has me reaching for the Activia or probiotic to re-adjust by digestive tract. Like recovering from a hangover, you ask yourself "Why did I do it?" "Why did I eat that evil bread?"

Well, you may not have such a dramatic reaction to bread. Lucky you. But lucky me. I have discovered a bread recipe that is so nutritious and so delicious with none of the digestive drama. This bread is made with sprouted wheat. I learned about this from Janie Quinn, an author, a real food educator and organic chef. I just happen to walk into her lecture last year while attending my husband's professional meeting. Her lecture was so convincing that I immediately bought a bread machine, ordered the sprouted wheat from Shiloh Farms and ordered one of her book, Essential Baking.

Sprouting a grain actually changes its composition from a starch to vegetable. Thus, bread made from this flour, is digested as a vegetable. Additional benefits of sprouted wheat are that it is a great source of antioxidents, vitamins, C, B, K, E, carotene, pyridoxine, pantothenic acid, biotin, and riboflavin. It also increases the protein content in the bread. It is delicious, nutritious, and easy to make. The following is a recipe I make in my breadmaker I got from Janie Quinn, Essential Baking book:

Put the following ingredients in order in your breadmaker tub:
4 TBSP organic butter
4 TBSP maple syrup
1 1/2 cups warm water
4 cups sprouted wheat flour
1 1/2 teas sea salt
1 pack dry yeast

Bake on white bread rapid cycle for a 2lb loaf.

This bread is definitely NOT evil!

Let-tuce Begin!

The growing season has officially begun and no one can be happier than I am! My lettuce and spinach are at the perfect size for a spring salad. With scissors in hand, I snipped enough for tonight's salad. Those that know me, know that I live for my salads, having at least one salad a day.

There is nothing as easy to grow and nutritious to eat as freshly cut greens from your garden. Did you know that just 100 grams of fresh cut lettuce contains 247% of your daily vitamin A and 4443 mcg of beta carotene making one who eats this have healthy mucus membranes and contributes to healthy vision. Zeaxanthin in lettuce is a dietary cartenoid that offers some protection against age related macular disease in the elderly. It has a rich source of vitamin K, folates, and vitamin C. Minerals, such as iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium in lettuce are abound. These are essential for body metabolism. If that isn't good enough for you, how about that it is rich in B-complex group of vitamins such as thiamin, vitamin B-6, and riboflavins. Here is one factoid that I am probably sure you are not aware of-lettuce helps you sleep. Freshly cut leafy lettuce contains a sleep-inducing substance, called lectucarium. Who knew?

Tonight's yummy salad could not have tasted better. 15 minutes after I snipped my greens and washed them, added a few colorful veggies (albeit not from my garden-yet), topped it with crumbled feta, and dressed it with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and fresh cracked pepper, I was in heaven. One of the biggest advantages of growing greens is that a little taste of heaven is just one snip away. Hmm, maybe lunch tomorrow will be greens with hard boiled eggs and tuna and some pickled beets I canned last summer. What do you think?

Try growing lettuce.

It is worth it!

a·mend/əˈmend/Verb

1. To change for the better; improve

Every year I amend my soil. Every year I throw chemicals in my soil whether it needs it or not. 10-10-10, lime, and composted manure get slung into my garden to amend the soil, to change it for the better, to improve it. Every year, I have phenomenal crops. But this year, I got the ecological bug and wondered if I was over fertilizing. My crops were successful, but to what damage to the environment?

So, I enlisted the most handsome biology major I know, my hubby, to be my lab partner to help me test the soil. I collected 9 samples from various areas of my garden. We meticulously followed the instructions of the soil testing kit by taking a portion of the soil and adding water to it. After several hours of preparing our soil samples and soil sample with water, it was time to perform the lab. I felt as if I were back in high school testing the pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content of each of the 9 areas of the garden. The only difference from High School is that I went to an all girl High School and never had the opportunity to have a dreamy male lab partner. We put the chemical capsules in each of the vials and added our soil water trying to match the color of the water with the chart. Often I disagreed with my lab partner. But I figured, as a biology major, he had a better eye discerning the nuances of colors, and went with his assessment. (I wondered how that would play out in high school?) We concluded from our results that our pH was just fine for the majority of crops so we did not add more lime. All areas were deficient in nitrogen, so we added more composted manure. Potassium and phosphorus were normal so we did add some 10-10-10 but a lot less than in previous years.

The soil is now amended. It is changed for the better, improved. I feel good that I did not add a ton of fertilizer the garden did not need. The experiment was a bit tedious but if you have a good looking lab partner, it makes it all worth it.

You Gotta Have a Plan

Every spring, I amend my soil, till it and and cover my garden with landscaping cloth. It looks like a painters canvass ready for the first brushstrokes. Just as the painter has an idea of what to put on the canvass, I too let my creative juices flow. The brushstrokes on my landscaping canvass are always very linear. The past few years, I have been using the software provided by http://www.growveg.com/Default.aspx. It allows me to put my exact measurements into the program and plan where to put each of my veggies. It even remembers where you planted your crop last year to ensure you rotate your crop each year. So far this spring, I have planted onions, potatoes, kale, Swiss chard, spinach, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, carrots and beets. I know by looking at my grid, where to plant each plant or seed. Eventually, my canvass will fill in with linear brushstrokes of my work of art that is good enough to eat!

Now is the Time

I hear from so many of my friends say, "I wish I had a veggie garden." Well what are you waiting for? There is no time like the present. Spring has sprung and the soil can now be worked. My advice to beginners-keep it simple. Just choose a few of your favorite veggies to get your gardening "sea legs." So what are your favorite veggies? Maybe it is just tomatoes and basil. There is nothing more amazing than to go out to your garden a pick a luscious homegrown tomato, slice it, tuck some fragrant basil leaves amidst the tomato slices, salt and pepper, and finally drizzle some sweet balsamic vinegar and a tad of olive oil. Is your mouth watering? I don't just grow my own veggies for the taste and convenience but for the superb nutritional content and the joy I receive from my connection with nature.

Well, it is easy to make that garden dream come true. And now is the time to start acting on that dream. If you have a space in your yard that gets a decent amount of sun, start removing that grass now. Most vegetables can go in the ground in central MD the beginning of May so you have another month to prepare. Please, please, please amend your soil. If you cannot get your soil
tested, you need to add some humus, a general well-balanced fertilizer, some lime, and some composted manure. Work your soil with a tiller or shovel to lovingly prepare your soil for the plants in May. Remember that your plants will need room to grow and most likely supports. So if you think that you want that garden -stop wishing and start doing. And don't forget- Keep it Simple.



Here some helpful websites:

http://www.hgic.umd.edu/
http://sn115w.snt115.mail.live.com/default.aspx?wa=wsignin1.0 -Garden Planner Newsletter
http://ow.ly/42N9G -Martha Stewart Garden Planning Guide
Most seed companies (Burpee, Park, etc) have fantastic resources for particular vegetables

PS- My seeds have all sprouted (indoors of course). I will be giving away all the plants I do not use. Drop me a line if you may be interest adopting plants. I have tomato, pepper, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts, and more. They will be ready for adoption by mid-April.

Ready, Set, GROW!!!!!!!

Seriously, it is that time of the year. As a gardener, it is one of my favorite times...a time for planning, a time for hopefulness, and a time for serious math calculating- How do you ever put and infinite variety of vegetable favorites in a finite space. Seed catalogues arrived. Favorites were circled. Checked the budget. Final choices were ordered. At last, the seeds arrived. I am so excited but I have to hold back just a week or two. Last year, I started the tomatoes this time last year. They got a bit leggy by planting time. So I will be following the University of Maryland Extension Service guide. If you are a Central Maryland gardener, I am sure you may find it helpful. It is a nifty schedule of when to start seeds in spring, put plants out, when to resow for fall planting, and so on. The link is:

www.growit.umd.edu/GE007_Vegetable_Planting_Calendar_for_Central_MD.pdf

Growing vegetables from seed is super easy. There are several methods but this is what works for me. I use plastic containers from store-bought lettuce, strawberries, or tomatoes. I put small drainage holes in the bottom and fill them with organic soil specifically for seedlings. I water the soil before I plant the seeds. These plastic containers have a dome or lid so when closed it makes a perfect greenhouse! In a few days (varies according to variety) you have little sprouts. I keep the well watered and in the sun, turning them often. Luckily, I have a sun room that gets a ton of sun. After a several weeks, I carefully transplant all the babies to their new home-a small peat pot already labeled with the variety ready to be planted when the time is right. By the end of April, my sun room looks like a greenhouse. After I take what I need for my garden, the rest are up for adoption.

What am I growing? Asparagus, broccoli, brussel sprouts, yellow, green, soy, and lima beans, beets, cabbage, cauliflower, swiss chard, carrots, celery, cucumbers, fennel, kale, lettuce, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, bell and hot peppers, pumpkins, spinach, yellow squash and zucchini, sugar snap beans, and tomatoes, tomatoes, and more tomatoes. Not to mention all the herbs. Whew! Now you know why I have to do a lot of calculating.

So are you ready to start a garden? Consider it. It is the best way to provide yourself and your family (and your friends) with the freshest and most nutritious produce ever. And it always tastes better when you grow it yourself!

Now is the time to get ready, now is the time to get set, and now is the time to GROW!

Happy New Year!!!!

Do any of you make New Year's resolutions? I bet you all do, whether you admit it or not. Consider this one: Eat more healthily. How can you do this? Eat what is in season, try to eat what is grown locally, try to eat organic. And if you are as fortunate as I am, grow your own!

Do make this resolution...it is the best gift you can give yourself and your loved ones. Happy New Year to all my followers. I look forward to start back blogging on a regular basis. You will be reading about my triumphs as well as my failures of last season. You will also be reading about the new crops coming in the spring, summer, and fall. Additionally, I will include many more recipes.

Are you interested in starting a garden or expanding your crops beyond tomatoes and peppers? Comment or contact me. I will be glad to offer information and encouragement. And do not forget that there will be vegie plants to adopt this spring. FREE!!!!! If you were an adoptive parent last year, let me know what you liked or did not like.

To all a Happy and Healthy New Year!!!!!!

Sweet taters

I just dug up my sweet potatoes. This is the second year I have tried sweet potatoes. The crop was better than last year but I was still a little disappointed in the crop production. The vines looked fantastic this year. So good that the deer loved chomping on the tender vine leaves. I think that this is one reason that my crop was not as productive. Just another reason to put up a fence. Another issue I had was where I planted them. I decided to save space and plant them in between my pepper plants.....BAD IDEA. During the summer all was good but when it was time to dig up my potato crop, my pepper plants were still producing. I will definitely place them in a different location next year.

Why grow sweet potatoes? Well I LOVE them! I love baking them. I love roasting them in the oven with some olive oil and sea salt. I love mashing them. But my very, very , very favorite way is candied sweet potatoes which I fix only a few times a year-especially on Thanksgiving. I just boil them in their skins until the the potato is tender. I cool the potatoes, skin them, and slice them in 1/4-1/2 inch slices. Arrange potato slices in a buttered casserole dish. Dot with butter and brown sugar. Place in 375 degree oven until sugar and butter melts -usually 30 minutes. Yummy!!!!!!!!

Sweet potatoes are chock full of beta- carotine, vitamin E, B6, potassium, and iron. They are high in fiber. And they digest more slowly that white potatoes not causing your blood sugar to spike. Sweet potatoes are great additions to your diet being low in fat and cholesterol and 180 calories per cooked cup-of course that is plain NOT the candied recipe.

The bright orange of the baked sweet potato makes a great presentation with a leafy green vegie like kale. Try sweet potatoes this week. I will be preparing my sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving!

Celerific

Celery is still coming strong in my garden. I cannot believe how prolific my crop has been. Why have I never ever have grown this vegetable? It was so easy to grow and is one vegetable that I use all the time. It is great to munch on, eating it just plain or with some hummas. It seems that I am running out daily to grab some to chop in my tuna salad or add to my soups, stews, or chili-and don't be afraid to use the leafy tops. I will be using it as one of the main ingredients in my Thanksgiving turkey stuffing. The taste and smell of fresh celery is superior to storebought. This is one crop that I would definitely consider growing in your home garden. Try starting seeds indoors in February. Plant the seedlings in early May about 6 inches apart. Sow more seeds in between plants guarenteeing a longlasting crop.

Nutritionally speaking, celery leaves are high in vitamin A. The stems are a source of vitamins B1,2,and 6 as well as C. Folic acid, potassium, magnesium, calcium,phoshorus, iron, sodium, and essential amino acids are found in celery. Health benefits (especially when juicing celery) include balancing blood ph, replacing electolytes after exercise, anti-cancer compounds, lowers LDL cholesterol, aids constipation, lowers blood pressure, aid inflamation, and aids in weight loss with diuretic effect. It is certainly celerific!

So now what???????

Hello everyone!!!!
It has been a long time since I have blogged. So sorry. The garden is in its last stages. Boo Hoo!!! The tomatoes have had their last hurrah. The peppers are still producing, even though the deer are chomping them like you would not believe! The white flies have invaded the Kale and Brussel Sprouts. A good washing is all they need. The end of second crops of beans, carrots, and beets are upon us. I still have a couple of heads of cabbage left in the garden. The celery is ever present. And there are sweet potatoes yet to be harvested. WOO HOO!!! The orange pumpkins and gourds are ready to be brought to the porch for Fall decorations. This is such a sad time of the year for me. I want to have a thriving Fall garden but need a farmer to teach me how to extend the growing season. As I was about to buy Fall season vegie plants- I could not find a nursery that sold the plants. Does this mean I need to plant the seeds ahead of time? What do you do about the bugs that have decided to reside in my garden. Do I need to re-amend the soil? So much still to learn. I hope that I have inspired my followers to, at the very least, EAT LOCAL VEGIES!!! Try something new. Hopefully, I have also inspired you to start a garden of your own-whether on your deck, in a community garden, or, if you are luck enough, in a garden of your own. As for me, I will spend the winter learning how to make my garden better, how to extend the season, and especially how to control the pests organically.....especially the STINKBUG! Please respond letting me know what has been most valuable with the blog. If you adopted vegies-what did you like the most? What did you like the least? All in all, it has been an amazing season. Thank you for all your support. I will continue blogging over the fall and winter providing recipes and stories. Keep tuned!

Datsa My Pizza

The dog days of summer has brought lots of tomatoes. Even though this years stink bug infestation tried to destroy my crop, the tomatoes keep coming. One of our favorite summertime activities is to host a summertime make-your-own-pizza night for our daughter Kat and her friends. I make the dough ahead of time and a table full of toppings-many are from the garden. And of course the favored pizza sauce was Mamma Maskeroni's homemade marinara. Interestingly, I put out store-bought as well. The home-made was definitely preferred.
Everyone enjoyed making their own personal pizza. I was pleasantly surprised on the level of creativity these young pizza chefs showed.Watch out Food Network!!!

So what's in that sauce? Well here is the recipe.
Remove the skin of 24 plum tomatoes. (An easy way to do this is to cut an x at the bottom of each tomato and place it in boiling water for one minute. Remove it to ice water bath. The skin then is easy to peal off. ) Get most of the seeds out. Place tomatoes in pot. Smash them with an old fashion potato masher or fork. Bring to boil and then turn to simmer. Add one onion chopped and sauteed. Add 3-4 cloves chopped and sauteed garlic. Add 1 -2 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon celery salt, and 1 teaspoon brown sugar (if you need it). Simmer 1 hour. You will need to thicked this sauce with 1 small can tomato paste and 1 small can tomato sauce (if needed). Simmer 30 more minutes. Add a sprig of fresh basil towards the end. You can use this recipe for everything from pizza sauce to chicken parm.

Pizza Dough
Dissolve 1 pack dry yeast (I like the new yeast for pizza that Fleischmann's just put out) in 1 1/2 cups warm water and 1 TBSP honey. Add 1 TBSP olive oil. Set aside. In large bowl, combine 1 3/4 all purpose flour with 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and 1/2 teas salt. Pour water mixture into flour mixture. Stir until soft. Add more water if necessary. Knead 5 minutes. Place in large oiled bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Keep in frig until ready to use. It will be double in size. Punch down right before ready to use. Break off small ball and pull or roll to desired shape on flour surface. I transfer onto pizza paddle, pizza stone or baking sheet BEFORE I add toppings. I also use semolina on bottom of pizza dough for easy transfer.

Top with you favorite toppings and bake in a very hot oven - at least 500 degrees. Bake until cheese is bubbling.

The Best Vegetable-No I Mean Fruit

Ahhhhhh! It is tomato time. There is no other vegetable/fruit that come close, in my opinion. Technically a fruit, it is chock full of lycopene -a potential agent to prevent some cancers. It is also a good source of vitamin C, A, K, potassium,Manganese, Vitamin E, Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper. It is the taste that makes me want to grow 30, yes 30 plants. I grow a variety: plum type, cherry type, huge beefsteaks, and heirlooms.

What do I do with all those tomatoes? First, they visually are beautiful. I have a platter on my counter all summer. You should never refrigerate them. Refrigeration makes them soft and mushy-yuk. Having these great jewels on my table inspires me daily.Use them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as snacks.

For breakfast, how 'bout an omelet. I love including tomatoes along with squash and peppers from the garden. Don't forget to use the broccoli florets that continue to grow after the heads were harvested. No time for an omelet? Why not just slice one to have with your scrambled egg beaters? Or better yet, top tomato slices with 0 fat cottage cheese. Ummm!

Now for lunch..nothing like an old fashion BLT. Want to make it make it a little lighter? Make your bread 100% whole wheat or sprouted wheat. Use light mayo or Vegeaise (a non-daily alternative). Turkey bacon is quite tasty.
My daughter, Kat, likes diced tomatoes, diced tomatoes , and tuna.
I like a rice cake spread with hummas with green olives, a big slice of tomato and low sodium turkey breast.

Dinnertime during tomato season looks like this.















This is all you need. The first picture shows sliced tomatoes, red onions, olives, basil leaves, feta cheese. Cracked pepper and dried oregano grace the dish. A splash good virgin olive oil, wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar finish the dish. It is a family favorite. A chunk of good bread is a must to sop up the juices. The second dish is a traditional insalata caprese. It is simply tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella cheese (hard to find but can substitute with fresh whole mozzarella), basil leaves, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Feel free to add some balsamic too! Wow- each of the flavors just pop in your mouth. This is soooo good.

I have just finished canning my first batch of fresh marinara. Please look for my future posts where I will share my marinara recipe as well as other ways to prepare tomatoes. Enjoy local tomatoes while they last.