Hounds In The Kitchen » What’s Growing

Forcing Bulbs with Kids {Lesson Plan}

Rachel — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:26:17 +0000

Every year I force bulbs into blooming to brighten the dull days of winter. Alex delights in the ‘dominance over nature’ implied by forcing but Lil and I just love watching things grow.

This year, our bulbs became a science project for Lil.

Lil chose several paper white narcissus and one amaryllis bulbs from our favorite local nursery, Oakland Park. Fancy-grade amaryllis can be very pricey but the $6 version thrill kids just as well as the unusual and expensive bulbs.

We set up the bulbs in little pots and jars around our dining room with south facing sun. Lil chose three that we would study.

We worked together to make a graph that would measure the height of the bulb. We labeled the x-axis with ‘date’ and the y-axis with ‘height in centimeters’. We decided to measure from the top of the round part of the bulb and recorded our first height. Lil chose three symbols to represent the three different bulbs so we could record them all on the same graph.

Every two or three days, Lil measured and recorded again. After one week we had to add a second sheet of graph paper for the ever-increasing height of two of the bulbs.

In two weeks, two bulbs had bloomed and reached their maximum height. We thought we had a dud in the third bulb but now, three weeks after the forcing began, the third bulb is growing.

I used a similar set of bulb activities to teach measuring, estimation, and natural science to a class of second and third graders when I worked for Torah Day School of Virginia. They loved watching their individual bulbs grow, though we all agreed that twenty blooming paper whites in a room created an overwhelming smell.

Below, find a basic lesson plan for anyone who is unfamiliar with forcing bulbs and might want to do this with a group of children.

Forcing Bulbs Activity

Age: 6-10 years old
Time: two weeks divided as 1 30-minute set up, 1 30-minute conclusion, 10-minutes every two-three days
Objective: Gain experience measuring, estimating, and graphing. Observe parts of a plant and bulb growth.

Materials:
2-4 paperwhite or amaryllis bulbs per individual or small group of 2-3 students; bulbs should be specifically labeled for forcing, i.e. they have been exposed to very cold temps for at least 3 weeks.
one half pint jar or other container per bulb
sterile peat moss (for amaryllis)
toothpicks
graph paper (print your own here)
foot-long ruler
bamboo stake and twist ties (optional)
pencil with eraser

Procedure:
1) Use toothpicks to suspend bulb just under the top of the jar or container. The thick base of the bulb should be slightly submerged in water when you fill the jar. For amaryllis, plant in a pot of peat moss with the skinny top well out of the soil.

2) Fill jars with water and water amaryllis pot.

3) Set up a graph with date along the x-axis and height in centimeters on the y-axis. Allow space for at least 14 days and 70 centimeters.

4) Use foot-long ruler to measure the initial height of all bulbs. Choose a consistent base from which to measure which might be the emergence of the white tip out of the brown bulb.

5) Every two or three days, measure height and record on the graph. Water when bulb is no longer touching water or soil is dry. Optionally, ask children to record their observations in a log for every measuring date.

Questions to pose:
What is happening to the bulbs? Look on the top, the bottom, the sides.
What are the parts called? Reference this bulb anatomy diagram as necessary.
What do you think will happen next?
How much do you think this bulb will grow in the next few days?
When do you think it will bloom? What makes you think that?
Which plant has grown the most? Which grew fastest? Use student generated graphs to answer.

6) As the plant becomes very tall, insert a bamboo stake in the jar/pot and use twist ties to stabilize if necessary.

7) Conclude by asking students to draw, verbalize, or otherwise express what they learned.

8 ) Enjoy the blooms!

Are lesson plans something you would like to read more often? If so, what additional info do you need or what is extraneous?

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Forcing Bulbs with Kids {Lesson Plan} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Lenten Rose in December {Wordless Wednesday}

Rachel — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 19:14:37 +0000

This little hellebore from our deadly garden is blooming about four months ahead of time. Perhaps it has the religious holiday seasons mixed up, as hellebore typically blooms when Lent begins, not during Advent.

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Lenten Rose in December {Wordless Wednesday} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Backyard December 3, 2011 {What’s Growing}

Rachel — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 13:39:20 +0000

Who says a late autumn garden is dull and brown?

Ours is hanging on to some color with rainbow swiss chard and greens, some of which self seeded when I neglected to pull the flowering mustard green plants. Austra the Australorp chicken regrew her jet-black feathers after molting and her comb is starting to redden up. On yesterday’s unseasonably warm evening, the sunset was full of bright hues too.

Surely the color will fade or be covered with white snow soon. In the meantime, I am enjoying every bit of intensity.

What’s growing in your neck of the woods?

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Backyard December 3, 2011 {What’s Growing} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Year of the Peppers {Wordless Wednesday}

Rachel — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 13:20:53 +0000

l to r: pimento, Jimmy Nardello, pepperoncini, purple beauty

Last year, sexy tomatoes stole my heart. 2011 is the year of pretty homegrown peppers.

Added to 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordless Wednesday.

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Year of the Peppers {Wordless Wednesday} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Growing Sesame

Rachel — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 12:48:42 +0000

Every year I commit to growing something completely new to me. This year, that distinction went to sesame.

I sprinkled seeds, liberated from Franklin Park Conservatory, in rich soil in mid May. They sprouted and grew to three feet tall. A string of pentagonal buds formed into sweet white flowers. Below the flowers, strings of five pointed pods grew around the stem.

The pods are swollen and dark green now. In time they will dry to brown. I’ll pluck the pods from the plant and shake out the dry seeds for eating or saving for next year.

I imagine the harvest of sesame seeds will be minimal, yet I will certainly plant sesame again. It is a tall attractive addition to a flower border and an unusual edible to tuck into sunny spaces.

Are you growing anything unusual this year? How’s it going?

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Growing Sesame is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Home Pickled Cornichons {Recipe}

Rachel — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:00:26 +0000

Mmmm…cornichons. Oh…gherkins. I like to say your names. I love how your vinegary taste and crunchy texture excite the palette, especially in between bites of rich charcuterie.

The tiny cucumbers needed to make cornichons are difficult to find raw. To fulfill my homemade pickle desires, I did what any self-respecting homestead would do: grow my own.

I started with Parisian Pickling Cucumber seeds from Seed Savers Exchange. Last year the plants grew a little and produced just enough cucumbers for a single jar of cornichons before rust withered the plant away.

This year, I planted six seeds from the same packet our sunniest compost rich raised bed. The plants are ten feet long, trellising on anything that stands still, and covered with hundreds of yellow flowers.

Each flower matures into a bitty cucumber overnight. Given another 24 hours, the cucumber is perfect for cornichon making. If left un-picked, the cucumber grows to 8-inch long relish-making size in another 24 hours. This rapid development seems magical, as is the camouflaging effect of all those green leaves hiding the cucumbers.

I pick off the correctly sized cucumbers daily and store them in the fridge. When I have 8 to 10 collected, Lil and I wash and pickle them with this simple recipe. Pickling is great for young cooks because they can stuff the jars and count the spices. If all goes well, we will have a stash of jars in the larder before winter.

I created this recipe based on several versions I found in cookbooks. It is tart but not too tart and rich with spices. Many recipes call for salting the cucumbers overnight and rinsing them to ensure a crisp pickle. Because these babies are so tiny, I skip this step and they are plenty crunchy for me. If you have access to fresh grape leaves, tossing in one per jar is reported to help the texture of pickles.

Homemade Cornichons
for each half pint jar

2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup water
5-8 whole 2-4 inch cucumbers, washed thoroughly with spines rubbed off
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 small bay leaf
1/2 tablespoon pepper corns
2 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
1 fresh grape leaf, washed, optional

1. Heat salt, vinegar, and water in a pot over medium heat until boiling.
2. Pack cucumbers into a sterilized jar with peeled garlic clove. Sprinkle spices over cucumbers.
3. Pour boiling vinegar brine into the jar, leaving 1/4 inch head space.
4. Wipe rim and place new lid on the jar. Finger tighten a ring on the jar and place in a hot water bath.
5. Boil in hot water for 15 minutes. Remove from water bath and allow to cool to room temperature.

Added to Simple Lives Thursday 53 and Punk Domestics.

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Home Pickled Cornichons {Recipe} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Neglected Cucumber Relish {Recipe}

Rachel — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 14:08:04 +0000

I am a mad woman harvesting Parisian pickling cucumbers every morning and night. I want them at exactly 2-3 inches in length to make into cornichons. Too small and they aren’t worth processing. Much larger and the skin is bitter.

But try as I might, little cukes camouflage themselves under umbrella green leaves. Seemingly overnight, they turn into big honkin’ cucumbers. They can’t be eaten raw and will not make pleasant pickles with thick sharp skin.

I enjoyed this cool pallete cleanser between bites of homemade hot dog (recap of the hotdog making fiasco tomorrow), though I’m not typically a relish eater. The texture is pleasantly crisp and the flavor mildly spicy.

I’m not sure how I feel about the yellow hue given by the tumeric. If Chicago can have fluorescent green relish, maybe Ohio yellow relish is ok?

Fresh Cucumber Relish
makes approximately 1 1/2 pints

3 cups cucumber peeled, seeded, and minced
1/4 cup onion, minced
3 tablespoons kosher salt
3 cups water
1 cup vinegar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon tumeric
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon caraway seed
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1. Place onions and cucumber in a bowl. Top with salt and water and rest in fridge for 2-6 hours.
2. Drain liquid.
3. Place onions, cucumber, vinegar, sugar, and spices in a pot. Heat to boil over medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until the liquid begins to reduce.
4. Meanwhile, sterilize 3 half pint jars, 3 lids, and 3 rings.
5. Ladle hot relish into sterilized jars. Wipe rim, top with lids and rings. Place in hot water bath and process for 15 minutes.
6. Cool to room temperature. Label and store in a cool dry place until ready to use. After opening, store in fridge for 3-4 weeks.

Added to Simple Lives Thursday 52 and Punk Domestics.

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Neglected Cucumber Relish {Recipe} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Scenes from Franklin Park’s Edible Gardens {Friday Five}

Rachel — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 13:08:00 +0000

I had the pleasure of volunteering with the Franklin Park Conservatory Women’s Board at a cooking class last night. Yes, I was on my feet for almost seven hours, and yes I spent a fair amount of it around a hot wood fire. But I was truly entertained by instructors Jim Budros, Rich Terapak, and Steve Stover and I was thrilled to take pictures around the garden.

Here are just some of the beautiful edibles I saw:

Did you know okra grows bottoms up towards the sky?

gooseberries (taste like gooseberries and schnozberries taste like schnozberries)

Espaliered apple tree

asparagus on yakitori grill

cooking paella over fire

If you have never been to the Scotts Miracle-Gro Community Garden Campus, go! Find parking in front of the caretaker’s house off Franklin Park South or you can enter via the conservatory main entrance and keep driving towards the south end of the park until you reach the far parking lot. Wander around and take note of the hundreds of culinary species growing. It is a place of inspiration for kitchen gardeners and beauty for all others.

If you’ve never been to a cooking class, I suggest Rich and Steve’s Spanish Tapas offering on July 19. Even an experienced home cook will be inspired and entertained while eating a fine meal.

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Scenes from Franklin Park’s Edible Gardens {Friday Five} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Summer Solstice Garden Update

Rachel — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 13:00:09 +0000

After a spring devoid of garden success (sparrows ate the peas, springs crops like radishes bolted too quickly, lettuces were slow to grow), I welcome summer. Warmer temperatures and less torrential rain will surely help our sustainable garden grow.

Grapes, tomatoes, and peppers bend with fruit and hope for autumn harvest.

Greens and herbs grow by inches overnight.

Insects exchange flower dust for nectar in the symbiotic relationship that creates so much of our food: pollination. Thank you, bees and butterflies, for this gift.

Beans climb and slowly reveal their flowers.

Cucumber and squash plants also hide petals under their shady leaves.

We pick small handfuls of warm, soft ripe raspberries daily, coveted by child, chickens, and hounds alike.

How does your garden grow?

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Summer Solstice Garden Update is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

We Love Garlic Scapes

Rachel — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 13:57:15 +0000

What is it?

Garlic scapes are the magical-wand-like flower shoots of the garlic plant. They emerge in late spring and contain a small bud that will become a flower if left on the plant.

Many farmers, including me, prefer to cut the scapes away. The theory is that instead of the garlic spending energy growing the allium blossom, it will focus on the bulb.

The scape is edible at this early age. Many farmers include them in June CSA shares. Others sell them at the farmer’s markets.

Eating Garlic Scapes

As with all vegetables, I encourage cooks to taste the garlic scape raw as a first step to using it in recipes. I find it has a mild garlic and onion flavor. The texture is dense and stringy in wider parts of the scape but palatable raw in the thin ends.

Young scapes are very curly. Choose these for the most tender bite. The flower bud can also be eaten and tastes like the rest of the scape with a hint of bitterness.

If you enjoy the scape raw, toss it in salads or use as a garnish. You can also blend it with basil, olive oil, salt, and pepper to make a delightful pesto sauce. We’ll be eating scapes that way at least once this week.

If you aren’t a fan of raw garlic flavor, try cooking with the scapes. Chop finely and use as you would use garlic or chives. In larger chunks, a garlic scape is a savory addition to stir fry, frittata, or quiche. They can flavor rice or quinoa dishes.

If you find yourself unable to fit them into your menu, freeze the scapes whole with the rest of your vegetable scraps for the next time you make stock.

Our family <3s garlic scapes, does yours?

PS. I asked Lil to arrange the scapes for me to photograph and she came up with the heart. How cute!

Added to Hearth and Soul First Year Anniversary.

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We Love Garlic Scapes is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!