The following travelogue has little to do with the purpose of this blog. I expect only my lurkers (I know you’re out there) and grandmother to read this post. But if you want to know in great detail about our recent trip to southern California, here goes: Wednesday, August 26, 2009: I dropped off...
Read more →While it is probably clear to long term readers, we have never described in detail our no man-made chemicals garden practice. Sometimes we describe our garden as organic for ease of description, but we don’t even use organic chemicals and are certainly not registered by an organic licensing body. Our vegetables and fruits grow...
Read more →This morning I venture out to California to meet with Alex, already there conducting some business audits. California is special to us because just after we were married in December of 2000, we moved to Monterey. Alex was stationed there learning Russian at the Defense Language Institute (DLI) for the Army Reserves. We moved...
Read more →Many garden novices seem to be overwhelmed at the time investment in gardening. I can tell you it doesn’t take that much time, but I finally realized I need to quantify it. So last week, I recorded every moment spent in the garden. I chose mid-August because it is a typically busy time –...
Read more →I put in six hours at the kitchen today. My work was measured in quarts and pints; four and twenty one, respectively. It started with these fifty pounds of organic tomatoes from Green Edge Gardens. (Daughter pictured above is only thirty eight pounds.) Then my friend Sarah and I chopped and sauced. Thank you...
Read more →Herbs are big and bushy around Central Ohio right now, which means it’s time to think about drying some for the winter. Many people also grow herbs inside and we’ll certainly try that, but indoor gardening remains difficult for me. Here’s how I dry big leafed herbs like basil, oregano and mint: 1) Pick...
Read more →When I was co-leading the Freezer to Table class at Wild Goose last weekend I realized that we completely missed the first step in produce preservation: proper storage of raw fruits and vegetables. Many foods can be preserved in their raw state for a long time if done at the right temperature and humidity. ...
Read more →This is deadly woody nightshade, found growing through our fence from the neighbor’s side. We’ve also encountered it and deadly nightshade at public parks and all over the alley. It’s a highly fascinating and invasive plant. Problem? Deadly nightshade is indeed deadly, or can be. Ingesting only a few berries can kill a small...
Read more →Two weeks ago we drove past a tandem bike for sale in someone’s yard. Last Saturday Alex and I went on a long bike ride together and after that I was sure I had to have that tandem. After a few phone calls, trip to the bank for cash, plea to Dad to pick...
Read more →Tonight, two of Lil’s friends came over for dinner. They could have chosen to play in her playhouse, ride bikes, pretend with her thousands of animal toys, but no. It was digging in the empty garden bed that captured their attention. The plastic shovels held little interest for the little one. He wanted our...
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