Hounds in the Kitchen events

Kids Cook – Thursdays from 11:15am-12pm at Sprout Soup.  This month we’ll be going bananas on the 4th, serving up maple syrup on the 11th, and cooking the exotic quinoa on the 18th.  $4 per child.

Kids Cook EGGstravaganza – Saturday March 20 from 12 – 1:30 pm. at Sprout Soup.  Kids of all ages can join in the fun of decorating an egg, making a late lunch, and visiting with a laying hen.  $5 per child; $15 family maximum.  Please RSVP to Rachel.

Urban Edible Gardens - Tuesday March 30 from 7 -8 pm at Greenovate, 9 East 2nd Ave Columbus 43201.  Come to Rachel’s workshop filled with techniques on how to include an edible garden in your environment, be it a backyard, patio, or deck.  She will share information about raised beds, containers, plants best suited to Ohio conditions, and low impact low budget tips to start gardening this season.

Events hosted by others (in chronological order)

Maple Syrup festivals are being held around the city.  Check out the Maple Syrup 2010 post for dates and locations.

Columbus Winter Farmer’s Market March 6 and 20 from 9 am – 1 pm at First UU Church, 93 W Weisheimer Dr.  Purchase Ohio grown and made goods, enjoy live music and space to sit and chat at the Winter Farmer’s Market.  (Here’s my review from a January visit.)

Urban and Container Gardening- Saturday, March 06, 2010 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Stratford Ecological Center 3083 Liberty Rd., Delaware, OH.  Stratford’s farmer will gear this class to the small backyard or patio grower, sharing information on rainwater harvesting, composting, maximizing your space, extending the growing season, and using containers to “grow your own.” $20/person or $30/family.

Hills Market Oscar Dinner – March 6 – $35 per person – 6:30 p.m. at Hills Market. This dinner, served in the Wine Department, is a compilation of courses inspired by all five 2009 Oscar Nominees for Best Picture. This evening will feature five courses, four wines and three film critics: John DeSando, co-host of WCBE’s It’s Movie Time, Cinema Classics, and On the Marquee, Johnny DiLoretto co-host of WCBE’s Cinema Classics and entertainment reporter for Fox 28, and Kristin Dreyer Kramer, co-host of WCBE’s It’s Movie Time and On the Marquee and editor-in-chief of NightsAndWeekends.com. $35 per person.  Call 614.846.3220 or e-mail manager@thehillsmarket.com for reservations.

North Market cooking classes include Seafood Suppers on Sunday March 7, and Eastern European on Wednesday March 24.  Their chef series continues with The Refectory on Thursday March 18 and Trattoria Roma on Wednesday the 31.  All classes are $50 per person or $125 for 3.  Visit their events calendar for more information.

Ohio Market Day – March 13, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. At Hills Market. This event features dozens of our favorite Ohio vendors, more than 100 prizes, free hot dogs from Boar’s Head (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) workshops and a day-long midwest beer sampling in the Wine Department.  Free.

Composting Workshop – Tuesday March 16 7 pm at Worthington Library, 820 High St.  Attendees will learn safe, simple and effective methods to start their own home composting program in this FREE workshop. All are welcome!

King Corn and Big River movie screenings – March 22 at 7 pm at Studio 35.  This event is held in celebration of World Water Day, while we also kick off Earth Month with Aveda Institute Columbus. Join us and find out more! Doors open at 6pm and the movie begins at 7pm. Admission is $7.50 and a portion of the proceeds will go to Sierra Club’s Central Ohio Clean Water Campaign.

Ohio Maple Dinner – March 23 at 6:30 p.m. at Hills Market. Enjoy a perfectly-balanced three course meal (paired with wines hand selected by Wine Director Constance Begue) to complement the delicious maple syrup harvested by Lewisville, Ohio’s Misty Mountain Estates. $35 per person. Call 614.846.3220 or e-mail manager@thehillsmarket.com for reservations.

What’s on Your Table? – Saturday March 27 from 9am – 1:30pm at Columbus Menonite Church, 35 Oakland park ave.  An intriguing discussion led by trailblazing Cleveland chef & well-known food advocate, Parker Bosley. Local foods pioneer, Mary Holmes, will give the keynote, followed by presentations from area food activists arranged by the Clintonville Farmer’s Market.  $12 for materials and lunch.

Organic Gardening - Saturday March 27 from 10 am – 12 pm at Stratford Ecological Center, Delaware Ohio. Gardening without chemicals is nothing new; humans thrived on naturally-grown food for centuries. In this class, you’ll observe the organic perspective of viewing your garden as a natural and diverse system, learning the basics of composting, companion planting, crop rotations, pest control and more. Pictures will inspire and clarify. $20/person or $30/family.

Raised Beds and Natural Gardening 101, Saturday, March 27, 2010 at Blue Rock Station, Zanesville, Ohio.  Learn how to use thermal mass, passive solar,
and lots of other easy techniques to enhance your garden growing knowledge
and become a true eco-manager.  $35 per person.  E-mail Annie at annie@bluerockstation.com  or give her a call at (740) 674-4300 for reservations.

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Local Food & Gardening Events – March 2010 is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen

We love to hear from you! Please add your comments or send Rachel an email.

]]> http://houndsinthekitchen.com/2010/03/04/events-march-2010/feed/ 4 http://houndsinthekitchen.com/2010/02/20/central-ohio-home-garden-show/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=central-ohio-home-garden-show http://houndsinthekitchen.com/2010/02/20/central-ohio-home-garden-show/#comments Sun, 21 Feb 2010 02:31:17 +0000 Rachel http://houndsinthekitchen.com/?p=1633 From February 27 – March 7, the Ohio Expo Center will host the 2010 Central Ohio Home & Garden Show.  With an Art in Bloom theme, the show will feature living landscapes, works of art, and appearances by home and garden celebrities.   Mary Alice Yeskey and Geof Manthorne of Ace of Cakes, Jamie Durie, star [...]

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Central Ohio Home & Garden Show Giveaway! is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen

We love to hear from you! Please add your comments or send Rachel an email.

]]> From February 27 – March 7, the Ohio Expo Center will host the 2010 Central Ohio Home & Garden Show.  With an Art in Bloom theme, the show will feature living landscapes, works of art, and appearances by home and garden celebrities.   Mary Alice Yeskey and Geof Manthorne of Ace of Cakes, Jamie Durie, star of HGTV’s The Outdoor Room, and HGTV’s Designed to Sell host Shane Tallant have scheduled events.

While I have never attended the Home & Garden Show, it has always captured my interest.  There are chef demonstrations, a Kids Day with special events, and workshops on everything from vegetable gardening to cake decorating.  I’m excited to explore the show this year.

Tickets are $10 for adults while children 12 and under are free.  $2 off tickets are available at Home Depot stores.  Hours vary with extended hours on Saturdays; the show is closed Monday the 1st.

The organizers of the event have provided me with three sets of two tickets to give away.  If you wish to go, you can gain a chance to win two tickets in either or both of these ways:

1) Comment on this post with something you hope to see at the Home & Garden Show.

2) Tweet about the Central Ohio Home & Garden Show (include my twitter ID @racheltayse and comment below)

I will pick three winners randomly at 12:00 PM EST on Friday February 25.  Good luck!

Disclosure: I was given tickets for my family, a media parking pass, and chocolate lollipop courtesy of the Home & Garden Show.

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Central Ohio Home & Garden Show Giveaway! is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen

We love to hear from you! Please add your comments or send Rachel an email.

]]> http://houndsinthekitchen.com/2010/02/20/central-ohio-home-garden-show/feed/ 13 http://houndsinthekitchen.com/2009/12/19/the-gift-of-csa-membership/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-gift-of-csa-membership http://houndsinthekitchen.com/2009/12/19/the-gift-of-csa-membership/#comments Sun, 20 Dec 2009 00:10:41 +0000 Rachel http://houndsinthekitchen.com/?p=1140 the little hound wants you to try a CSA!

The first real snow is finally on the ground here in central Ohio. It might be hard to think about summer produce but that’s just what small farmers are doing.

Several farmers offering Community Support Agriculture (CSA) shares already have their 2010 signups available.  At least one is [...]

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The Gift of CSA Membership is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen

We love to hear from you! Please add your comments or send Rachel an email.

]]>

the little hound wants you to try a CSA!

The first real snow is finally on the ground here in central Ohio. It might be hard to think about summer produce but that’s just what small farmers are doing.

Several farmers offering Community Support Agriculture (CSA) shares already have their 2010 signups available.  At least one is offering discounts for those who register and pay before December 31.  Others have deadlines in early 2010.

What is so wonderful about giving a CSA membership to yourself or someone special?  You are giving:

• The freshest farm produce all season long
• Freedom from standing in long farmer’s market lines
• A diversity of crops that benefits the whole ecosystem
• A small farmer work, doing something they love
• Contributions directly to the local economy
• Healthy additions to meals
• Thought and concern for the recipient and the environment

Below is the  most complete list I could gather of central Ohio CSA signups currently available.  Readers in other cities can search Local Harvest for a CSA local to them.

Wayward Seed – very early bird discount before Dec 31, early bird discount ends Feb 28.  We just sent in our registration for the fruit portion of the Wayward Seed CSA.

Sippel Family Farm currently adding people to their waitlist

Greener Grocer only winter signup is available at this writing but 2010 coming soon

Toad Hill Organic Farm 2010 coming soon

New Century offering fruit and beef packages for 2010

Green Edge Gardens only winter signup is available at this writing; 2010 coming soon

Frijolito Farm chicken, eggs and bread available in addition to produce

Elizabeth Telling Farm shares include eggs

Paige’s Produce egg and fruit shares available in addition to vegetable

Please comment with any additions, corrections, or questions about CSAs.

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The Gift of CSA Membership is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen

We love to hear from you! Please add your comments or send Rachel an email.

]]> http://houndsinthekitchen.com/2009/12/19/the-gift-of-csa-membership/feed/ 2 http://houndsinthekitchen.com/2009/10/10/whats-growing-october-10-2009/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=whats-growing-october-10-2009 http://houndsinthekitchen.com/2009/10/10/whats-growing-october-10-2009/#comments Sat, 10 Oct 2009 20:40:14 +0000 Rachel http://houndsinthekitchen.com/?p=683

It has been a long time since I entered a What’s Growing post.  The end of the summer was so busy that I ran out of time to photograph and post on a weekly basis.  I hope to be more disciplined next year not only to share with other Columbus gardeners, but to keep records for [...]

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What’s Growing: October 10, 2009 is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen

We love to hear from you! Please add your comments or send Rachel an email.

]]>

It has been a long time since I entered a What’s Growing post.  The end of the summer was so busy that I ran out of time to photograph and post on a weekly basis.  I hope to be more disciplined next year not only to share with other Columbus gardeners, but to keep records for myself.

The garden is in a bit of transition now.  Most summer crops were pulled last weekend.  Herbs are still producing.  All the herbs for last week’s Kids Cook class came from our garden.

Fall produce is just getting started.  Our lettuces are delayed because birds ate the tops two weeks ago.  I put bird netting on and they are recovering nicely.

Spinach is almost ready to eat.

The second planting of squash is trying to hang in.  There are lots of blossoms but not any fruit yet.  We planted a bit late, so the squash might not end up producing this year.

We could harvest the beet tops now but we will leave them on the plants to produce strong roots.

We are still eating the spring planted kale and new kale seeds are sprouting.

What’s growing in your garden?

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What’s Growing: October 10, 2009 is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen

We love to hear from you! Please add your comments or send Rachel an email.

]]> http://houndsinthekitchen.com/2009/10/10/whats-growing-october-10-2009/feed/ 0 http://houndsinthekitchen.com/2009/07/11/whats-growing-july-10-2009/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=whats-growing-july-10-2009 http://houndsinthekitchen.com/2009/07/11/whats-growing-july-10-2009/#comments Sat, 11 Jul 2009 02:07:42 +0000 Rachel http://houndsinthekitchen.com/?p=456 What’s growing?  Everything!  Well, almost everything.

Peppers are starting to mature and we are eating them as we need.  If we keep them on the vine, they will ripen to red, which is fine by me.

unidentified variety (someone should really keep track of these things!)

We have tons of green tomatos on the vine.  A very few [...]

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What's Growing: July 10, 2009 is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen

We love to hear from you! Please add your comments or send Rachel an email.

]]> What’s growing?  Everything!  Well, almost everything.

Peppers are starting to mature and we are eating them as we need.  If we keep them on the vine, they will ripen to red, which is fine by me.

unidentified variety (someone should really keep track of these things!)

We have tons of green tomatos on the vine.  A very few have started blushing red.  One cherry tomato plant (a volunteer) has given us our first two ripe tomatos!

pop in your mouth fresh!

Speaking of volunteers, the sunflowers are a delight!  I might actually plant them on purpose next year.  The big blooms provide the perfect playground for us to observe goldfinches, cardinals, and bees.

Every day or so I pick a handful of green beans.  Beans are one of my very favorite veggies and I can’t help but eat a lot of them raw.  We are leaving the rest of the dragon tongue on the vine to dry out for dry beans.  I’ve never done this before and hope it works out!

Only one broccoli plant has a broccoli head.

And one has this:

Not a broccoli. Maybe cauliflower?  Except we started these all from a single seed packet and I didn’t intend to plant any cauliflower.  Hmmm…

We have eaten a few servings of kale from the forest that is happy along the fence.  Swiss chard is almost ready for picking too.

again with the mixed seeds - supposed to all be red

Blueberries didn’t like the cool weather and dropped most of their berries.  We were able to eat a few ripe ones, but only maybe 10 in all.  Boo.

Then there’s the squash.  We started with just four mounds and they have now taken over a huge chunk of the garden.  The golden nugget variety has lots of fruit, some of which is almost ripe, I think.  (Never grown it so I’m not sure.)

squash everywhere

We were calling the hokkaido blue variety a bust until today when I saw these squashlings.

I thought I could illustrate the size of the squash monster by placing our little squash princess in the picture.

We tapped the rain barrel as we watered this evening.  I am hoping for a storm tomorrow to soak the plants and refill our barrel.

What’s growing in your garden?

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What's Growing: July 10, 2009 is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen

We love to hear from you! Please add your comments or send Rachel an email.

]]> http://houndsinthekitchen.com/2009/07/11/whats-growing-july-10-2009/feed/ 1 http://houndsinthekitchen.com/2009/07/03/gardening-events-columbus-oh-late-summer-2009/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gardening-events-columbus-oh-late-summer-2009 http://houndsinthekitchen.com/2009/07/03/gardening-events-columbus-oh-late-summer-2009/#comments Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:44:33 +0000 Rachel http://houndsinthekitchen.com/?p=447 There are several growing events happening around central Ohio in July, August, and September

*Ohio Farm Bureau Grow And Know Seminar is July 18 at the Bob Evans center in Rio Grande.  Topics from bees to mulch.  Registration closes July 6.  $25 members, $85 non members.

*The American Community Garden Association is holding their annual conference at the [...]

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Gardening Events: Columbus OH Late Summer 2009 is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen

We love to hear from you! Please add your comments or send Rachel an email.

]]> There are several growing events happening around central Ohio in July, August, and September

*Ohio Farm Bureau Grow And Know Seminar is July 18 at the Bob Evans center in Rio Grande.  Topics from bees to mulch.  Registration closes July 6.  $25 members, $85 non members.

*The American Community Garden Association is holding their annual conference at the Franklin Park Conservatory this year August 6 – 9.  Early registration ends July 6.  Full conference cost is $200 members, $250 non members.  I’m considering going to the Saturday only, which is $100.

*Franklin Park Conservatory also offers weekend gardening programs.  They are $15 per session.  The most recent Franklin Park newsletter suggested they are starting a certificate program, which I inquired about but haven’t heard back any details.  At any rate, upcoming classes are:

July 18 10:30 – 12 – wise water use

August 1 10 – 11 planning your fall garden

September 19 10 – 11 putting your garden to bed

*Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) is offering a whole series of farm tours and workshops around the state.  I will be attending the Beekeeping workshop Sept. 13 for sure.  I have this crazy idea that we might try an urban hive next spring.

*September 11 – 13 is the Franklin Park Conservatory Field to Table event.  There’s a wicked expensive dinner ($300 per person?!) on Friday night and a details-to-be-added festival Saturday and Sunday.

If I missed any sustainable gardening events, please comment and let me know.

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Gardening Events: Columbus OH Late Summer 2009 is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen

We love to hear from you! Please add your comments or send Rachel an email.

]]> http://houndsinthekitchen.com/2009/07/03/gardening-events-columbus-oh-late-summer-2009/feed/ 0 http://houndsinthekitchen.com/2009/06/27/whats-growing-june-26-2009/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=whats-growing-june-26-2009 http://houndsinthekitchen.com/2009/06/27/whats-growing-june-26-2009/#comments Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:39:08 +0000 Rachel http://houndsinthekitchen.com/?p=431 Oh goodness.  We went on vacation for a week and a half and the garden GREW! It was green stuff everywhere, and most of it didn’t belong.  The grass was almost a foot high!

broccoli pea patch

We threw out the peas (they were past the sweet stage by the time we came home) and transplanted some [...]

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What's Growing: June 26, 2009 is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen

We love to hear from you! Please add your comments or send Rachel an email.

]]> Oh goodness.  We went on vacation for a week and a half and the garden GREW! It was green stuff everywhere, and most of it didn’t belong.  The grass was almost a foot high!

broccoli pea patch

We threw out the peas (they were past the sweet stage by the time we came home) and transplanted some tomatoes in their place.

The strawberry bed needed major work.  Can you even see the strawberries in this picture?

An hour later, and it looks much better.  We have a late bearing variety that will hopefully fruit in September.

The squash are crazy big.  We spotted a few squash babies and some bees doing a little pollinating.

Raspberries are ripe and delicious.  The plants are only a year old and not producing much yet.

The garlic sent up scapes which we harvested.  Our reading indicates that if you cut off the scapes the plant puts more energy into the bulb which is the more useful part.  We have been using the scapes in meals.

Our dragon tongue beans are producing too.  We are picking the young ones to eat as fresh beans, though they sadly lose their color when cooked.  Some are left on the vine to dry for dry beans.

The pole beans are just starting to send out beans.  We planted another row where some of the peas were hoping to extend the harvest.

After a nice thunderstorm wet the ground, I was able to thin the carrots tonight.  We had a lot of thinnings!  When you wait this long to thin, the babies are tasty and can be eaten too.  Don’t thin (like we did last year) and you’ll have lots of nifty looking entertwined legs that are impossible to clean, i.e. very gritty.

I love the growing season and learned an important lesson this year: I will never take a vacation for more than 3 or 4 days in June.

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What's Growing: June 26, 2009 is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen

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