tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32045121585558358272024-03-14T13:34:25.715-04:00ColtiviTwo enthusiastic gardening novices (and one feral kid) experimenting in their backyard in suburban New Jersey. Mark is squashing aphids; Kate is rolling her eyes; Nico is yelling "Dig Hole!"Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176431306130460649noreply@blogger.comBlogger183125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204512158555835827.post-64935165697101491292017-03-19T11:53:00.001-04:002017-03-19T11:53:35.297-04:00Begin Again<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Note to self: Remove your headphones. Get off the couch. Plant some seeds. Look for signs of life under the snow. Exercise. Do it now.<br />
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Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176431306130460649noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204512158555835827.post-23617630807448738352015-10-29T13:16:00.000-04:002015-10-30T00:52:34.436-04:00This Is the End<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Reader, I think of you fondly and often. I haven’t forgotten this space. So many blog posts have been started and abandoned, both in my head and on the page, so many photos taken and then left to languish in laptop purgatory. So when I went out to the garden yesterday to bring in one of the last harvests of the season, I was determined to report back to you. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Two weeks ago, after an early hard frost, a weather report popped up in my Facebook feed. The last line read, in all caps, “THE GROWING SEASON IS ENDING.” Could the National Weather Service be any more dramatic? The same day, a farmer sent me this text after I asked if his fields contained anything </span><a href="http://www.localsharenj.org/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">LocalShare</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> could glean: “We had 23 degrees that froze what we had left and turned it to mush.” This isn’t a surprise--the ancient Revolutionary-era ash tree outside our front door dropped its leaves a couple weeks ago, and I had to wear a winter coat last weekend--but the reiteration that WINTER IS COMING from all around does make it seem more real. It’s all not over just yet, though.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-VDS06tDDU14nVk-XntTdQ0lCahs6JoIsvtVL03lsWhHcCKmAKF7KMRao1xrVA18WfhE_Mi462MTZ8NUMjjgVGGwBrBJTJL55j1u0jvsm2ovjugq50LmVvR4c3xove1Qm8UjfTogsYyc/s1600/Chilis.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-VDS06tDDU14nVk-XntTdQ0lCahs6JoIsvtVL03lsWhHcCKmAKF7KMRao1xrVA18WfhE_Mi462MTZ8NUMjjgVGGwBrBJTJL55j1u0jvsm2ovjugq50LmVvR4c3xove1Qm8UjfTogsYyc/s320/Chilis.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Our huge bed of kale, which started out as 24 pale, rescued seedlings, is happier than ever thanks to the low temperatures killing off the pests that were devouring their leaves, followed by some rain and a number of days with temperatures in the 60s. I continue to pick huge bunches of peppermint and spearmint several times a week, now with some urgency, to make big batches of my favorite green chai-mint iced tea before the cold gets serious and kills off everything green. And even though Mark objects to collecting horseradish root in the fall (yes, okay, it should be harvested in the spring for the optimum health of the plant, but our robust horseradish isn’t going to wither away anytime soon), he concedes that now is the time to make our favorite winter tonics--Rosemary Gladstar’s fire cider and my </span><a href="https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/t31.0-8/1399026_10151783747283575_1065537574_o.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">horseradish-infused vodka</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> with caraway seed and honey from our bees. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Fall activities, working overtime, and kids’ schedules are keeping us so busy that getting out to the garden to do the most basic tasks seems nearly impossible. There are still potatoes in the ground; the garlic remains unplanted. Yesterday I couldn’t take it anymore and had to spend some time out there even though the rain was pouring down. And you know what? It was marvelous. There’s something deeply satisfying about gardening in the rain. I plucked enough sprouting broccoli to make a nice head’s worth for the kids’ lunches, checked on the leeks and brussels sprouts that we’re leaving out for as long as possible, squelched the sense of failure I felt upon seeing all the delicious ground cherries from this year’s bumper crop that went uncollected. The greenhouse was still humid with the intoxicating smell of warm earth that’s been seducing me since my first job in a greenhouse at age 15. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Next season we’ll be easing off on the large-scale gardening to offer the rest of our property some TLC. Ironically, even though we’ll be doing less gardening, this should leave me more time to post here. We’ve wanted to share stories about the </span><a href="https://instagram.com/p/6vqG6tEgQU/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">earth oven we built at Luna Parc</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, </span><a href="https://instagram.com/p/6mvywVEgSw/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">the satisfying work of LocalShare</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, </span><a href="https://instagram.com/p/3SbX-skgaD/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">what’s going on at Genesis Farm</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, </span><a href="https://instagram.com/p/71OlfoEgcC/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">the farm dinners I’ve been cooking</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, </span><a href="https://instagram.com/p/8ZacktEge4/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">the exciting things our friends have been up to</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, and of course, our ongoing kitchen and garden experiments. Because sharing with you all is my favorite.</span></div>
Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176431306130460649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204512158555835827.post-69067684158370437442014-05-14T12:42:00.001-04:002014-05-14T12:50:48.433-04:00The War on Weeds<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmOPnoMUCvYVKDlpSjw30-moBelkgA_XaI17brdLUlz01Hu_zLHaEiJ2vRxXXAmqcb6XlE7P127xnFUbXrR9NZwoZmSA7I-es_7e1_53CQcOyE9MrFKn0JsoMggJR6iQ4u8D7Zp9-vcdQ/s1600/black+beauty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmOPnoMUCvYVKDlpSjw30-moBelkgA_XaI17brdLUlz01Hu_zLHaEiJ2vRxXXAmqcb6XlE7P127xnFUbXrR9NZwoZmSA7I-es_7e1_53CQcOyE9MrFKn0JsoMggJR6iQ4u8D7Zp9-vcdQ/s1600/black+beauty.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our most beautiful hen--and the meanest by far. <br />
Just like that girl in junior high.</td></tr>
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It’s been a long time, we know. It’s not that we’ve been
slacking—au contraire. We’ve been busy as ever, digging and planting and cooking
and making ambitious plans. After a long winter that weighed heavily, we’re
heaving a huge sigh of relief that spring is in full bloom. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Kate made Mark pinky-swear that he would not launch a huge
new project this year. So far, so good. Instead we’re trying to improve the
garden we have. The greenhouse is a godsend, the perennials we started four
years ago are now well established—mature asparagus, rhubarb, peonies,
blackberries, and gooseberries around the perimeter, plus some obscure sea kale, turkish rocket, ramps, and hyssop in the hugelkultur.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6D3NKTb0_cfh13guAbgP8KQopD_HcgrPtRuHBJVMxlyq8F4mc4lCi2a_XLYSLVZhlP1f3AQRNla_TCGjpfsF7z86ASthkjV9RJAoqOVmJ1gauqCl2H9wCTUDQjjYpjy6aWVmigSQ1dI/s1600/planting+peas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6D3NKTb0_cfh13guAbgP8KQopD_HcgrPtRuHBJVMxlyq8F4mc4lCi2a_XLYSLVZhlP1f3AQRNla_TCGjpfsF7z86ASthkjV9RJAoqOVmJ1gauqCl2H9wCTUDQjjYpjy6aWVmigSQ1dI/s1600/planting+peas.jpg" height="204" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark planting peas in double-dug beds <br />
with his little helper mugging for the camera.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The objective this season is weed control. We don’t use
herbicides, and we keep the tilling and gas-powered machines to a minimum (in
fact, we haven’t done any this year besides mowing the lawn once). Considering
the battle we continue to wage in the garden against thistles and mugwort, which has completely taken over, this means many, many hours of hand-weeding.
That’s one reason Mark became enraptured with double digging—the other being
his obsession with nurturing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_food_web">the soil food web</a>.
And indeed, double-digging does result in gorgeous, aerated soil free of rocks
and deep-rooted weeds (for the time being, at least). <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUp8XOsA2q4">This video</a>
showed us just how easy it is! Except . . . it’s not. It’s difficult and slow, especially if you pull out all of the weed roots you encounter as you go. What an opportunity, though, to not only loosen the compacted soil but to attack the weeds right at the source! And at the end of it, we have the beautiful,
high, mounded, well-aerated beds we’ve always dreamed of. The beauty of the
tilth is enough to make one swoon. These days, early in the morning, you can
find Mark outside in his pajamas and muck boots digging just a few more
trenches, getting one more bed prepped before going to work. That’s how good
double digging is, if you have the time and energy.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Busy hens in the chicken tractor.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Another weapon in the War on Weeds (just as
futile as the War on Drugs or the War on Terrorism) is laying down 20-year greenhouse-quality weed blocker in the pathways. Kate has mixed feelings about this, since she has a vision of the
garden as wild and free and able to breathe, and she worries that the weed blocker
will harbor disease. Plus it’s kind of ugly right now since we haven't had a chance to dump any mulch on top. But she will certainly not
be complaining when we don’t have to beat back the weeds on the pathways, and covering the pathways will placate her aesthetic concerns.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This first rhubarb became syrup for iced <br />
black tea with star anise and cinnamon.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Finally, the most fun way to combat weeds—the chicken
tractor, which is truly as cool as we hoped it would be. We carry a few girls
from their yard out to the garden, put them inside, and they happily peck and
scratch at the dirt all day, eating weeds and bugs that will end up producing
more luxurious eggs for us. Closing the loop like this—making energy out of
waste matter like insect pests and weeds, plugging that into our little
ecosystem—feels SO SATISFYING. We’re perpetually working on becoming more
efficient like this.</div>
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Some of the other topics we’ve been talking a lot about at
Markate Estates are mulching, foraging, pushing our permaculture principles
even further, and establishing an orchard. And Kate is obsessed with making
bitters (and consuming them, of course), while Mark is content to simply remain bitter. More on that later.</div>
</div>
Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176431306130460649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204512158555835827.post-44310012803415515742013-11-24T10:58:00.002-05:002013-11-24T10:58:32.963-05:00Bracing Ourselves<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzc4snQ_d9EXyK1EqpZyDbxWdgMgFQRmp5zUPsZ1Ex-LTyYVSFSz6fQ56GgLdAHa37vGw7iS8ffVlxMj6UxUnn4p_5WOYIwD_ZPKgCHX_50kGymZsVzVUU9zf5NG_1ZDD4sJOr0rYEcI4/s1600/DSC_0007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzc4snQ_d9EXyK1EqpZyDbxWdgMgFQRmp5zUPsZ1Ex-LTyYVSFSz6fQ56GgLdAHa37vGw7iS8ffVlxMj6UxUnn4p_5WOYIwD_ZPKgCHX_50kGymZsVzVUU9zf5NG_1ZDD4sJOr0rYEcI4/s320/DSC_0007.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
It's bitterly cold today, 23 degrees with a mean arctic wind whipping across the mountaintop. Hard to believe that we spent the entire day yesterday outside, putting up the greenhouse, prepping garlic beds, and pulling in a surprisingly large harvest for late November--several pounds of little leftover onions, leaf beets that are still going strong, and about 20 pounds of parsnips.<br />
<br />
Back in October we brought in half our parsnips and left half in the ground, and when I dug them up yesterday they were monsters. Hopefully the cold weather has concentrated their flavor without the texture getting too fibrous. But if they've matured into that sweet, cinnamon goodness, then I don't mind cutting out a tough core one bit. <br />
<br />
We also checked on the horseradish, and sure enough, the roots have been going crazy underground. Recently I've been on an Eastern European kick and eaten at a couple of Russian restaurants in New York and Washington, DC. Their savory infused vodkas knocked my socks off, with the horseradish infusion being my favorite. So we broke off a good-sized piece of root and I shaved it and put it in vodka this morning. In a few days we should have a bracing winter tonic. Some people swear that a shot of horseradish vodka with a spoonful of honey stirred into it will clear your sinuses and ward off an oncoming cold. A more genteel person might use this infusion for a spiced-up bloody mary. In the interest of science, I will try both and report back.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZPDoqVu2G7fxa0XeWkvGBfRQ7DeiA0BrJRGqE4YHjlGTyyh2lA8CUJ7gVEUE4YolTo1q6V0LsvAd0-xWDPOSYvLYdmh8i5B9gk793eLAxcC_9HIl3eF4Mky88XyxwQsTh8Bqu9NvQI7U/s1600/DSC_0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZPDoqVu2G7fxa0XeWkvGBfRQ7DeiA0BrJRGqE4YHjlGTyyh2lA8CUJ7gVEUE4YolTo1q6V0LsvAd0-xWDPOSYvLYdmh8i5B9gk793eLAxcC_9HIl3eF4Mky88XyxwQsTh8Bqu9NvQI7U/s320/DSC_0001.JPG" width="212" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAD_Kxz_luWDseg9zIf9eEgXBp6yaF_VY3q0NoyirzDfXoq8i_GbeHTQCwXEkIgOKZvTLY5s6ae439lTEl8-12m9Ime6DfKe5Qi0rEIe13PdWF-9lPnxZcE3G5n1NFX4DLu-Q8YJVNZ4s/s1600/DSC_0012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAD_Kxz_luWDseg9zIf9eEgXBp6yaF_VY3q0NoyirzDfXoq8i_GbeHTQCwXEkIgOKZvTLY5s6ae439lTEl8-12m9Ime6DfKe5Qi0rEIe13PdWF-9lPnxZcE3G5n1NFX4DLu-Q8YJVNZ4s/s320/DSC_0012.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176431306130460649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204512158555835827.post-11795178960303235032013-11-21T11:59:00.002-05:002013-11-21T11:59:24.490-05:00One Step Forward, Two Steps Back<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBdgP9AELzE2kLI33z5yhSR7p-gBj-jR1fpBP5NSKD6WWVLXuzk4HoViYWbZ8Q3RwKKlbfUW6cH2asbaLClRNYbcViKjhqnieDsIVeL2zdvt5Q171XLQmiOCtnvnOaKObN6hyGSCKAUrM/s1600/DSC_0040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBdgP9AELzE2kLI33z5yhSR7p-gBj-jR1fpBP5NSKD6WWVLXuzk4HoViYWbZ8Q3RwKKlbfUW6cH2asbaLClRNYbcViKjhqnieDsIVeL2zdvt5Q171XLQmiOCtnvnOaKObN6hyGSCKAUrM/s320/DSC_0040.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're so spoiled to be able to make meals almost<br />
completely with goods we produce ourselves. <br />
But we can do even better.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's not all about fancy new greenhouses around here. At the same time, austerity measures are being implemented. Sometimes Mark and I get carried away by our enthusiasm for growing obscure and unusual vegetables. Often, there is a reason said varieties are obscure. We grew a row of fava bean plants this past year--plants that required purchasing seeds, planting, tending, watering, weeding, and harvesting--that yielded about 2 cups of beans after they were removed from their fleshy pods, blanched, and shelled again. As much as I love favas, that's not much of a return on our investment. Same goes for the black chickpeas--two peas inside every tiny pod means a lot of work, and the small, feathery plants required frequent weeding so they wouldn't get swallowed by thistles and garlic mustard. There's a reason these aren't perfectly suited to our climate or to the way we garden.<br />
<br />
In 2014, we're looking for a little more bang for our buck. There's satisfaction in being economical and sustainable. I'll step into the chicken coop with kitchen scraps, spent grain from brewing beer, and whey leftover from making cheese, and I get to walk out with a pocket full of eggs, white and blue and brown, some so recently laid that they're still warm, all with richest golden yolks I've ever seen. It feels so rewarding, and I get one step further away from the stereotype of the wasteful American consumer. I feel like part of a primal network of people, animals, and the land.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xPGuhUTdabQxU6CrCmLRtLumH3wXHutUkrMmDyIhDRPj6-CtvSzIA2N0szjHjufWBzBe6kdRbR6QEq15mYdhtag10BIFbPIeWga6ZZoozLMSb6780oa9B5amrPleUzvNITGlCueU0KE/s1600/DSC_0017.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xPGuhUTdabQxU6CrCmLRtLumH3wXHutUkrMmDyIhDRPj6-CtvSzIA2N0szjHjufWBzBe6kdRbR6QEq15mYdhtag10BIFbPIeWga6ZZoozLMSb6780oa9B5amrPleUzvNITGlCueU0KE/s320/DSC_0017.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We grew these hops for Man Skirt Brewing, <br />
and we feed his spent grain to the chickens. Everybody wins!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Right now we see glimpses of it: growing some hops for the brewer who gives us his spent grain that we feed to the chickens, who give us eggs, some of which we give back to the brewer. Using day-old cream from our neighbor's farm stand to make butter, trading honey for vegetables from our farmer friends. Recently we've been going a little deeper into the system by helping to establish a local seed library, and launching <a href="http://www.localsharenj.org/">LocalShare</a>, a project that uses farmers' culls to feed people who don't have access to fresh, local produce.<br />
<br />
We'll still be growing mostly heirloom varieties using biodynamic and
permaculture practices, but there's nothing wrong with trying to save a
bit of money and our own energy. So we'll be growing fewer varieties and
bulking up on veggies that produce and store well--broccoli, potatoes,
carrots, plum tomatoes, green beans. Veggies we can't get enough of,
that aren't labor intensive, that won't go to waste. This is what we're working toward--closing the loop, eliminating waste, helping ourselves and others.<br />
<br />
To that end, we're taking suggestions for what we should grow next year. What do you grow that's delicious, prolific, easy, and well suited to zone 6b? Because heaven forbid we should do anything that's easy. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSTLSmzCscxHeI2ovjSuLwt3hHTdgybc6o24wJGtSFPcalCNub2NNdP3Mm9sbAxz2XBw7IkWy2UfALRT3SDWIuXfFMWd6Dq3PQBbyxaSQXoBSMxeeRURHwNWM4d7xYw9aUOHeVgbGPrmg/s1600/DSC_0013.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSTLSmzCscxHeI2ovjSuLwt3hHTdgybc6o24wJGtSFPcalCNub2NNdP3Mm9sbAxz2XBw7IkWy2UfALRT3SDWIuXfFMWd6Dq3PQBbyxaSQXoBSMxeeRURHwNWM4d7xYw9aUOHeVgbGPrmg/s320/DSC_0013.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LocalShare pepper cull from Caristi Farms--185 pounds total. <br />
Most was distributed to food pantries, but we made <br />
50 pounds into pickles and hot pepper jam.</td></tr>
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Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176431306130460649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204512158555835827.post-72945589234480945362013-11-21T07:53:00.000-05:002013-11-21T07:53:25.071-05:00Raising the Roof<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We can't leave well enough alone. You probably know this about us. It
seems like every year we embark on some big project. Last year it was
the chickens, before that the bees. We made a pinky swear that we'd take
it easy in 2014--no big projects. Well, it turns out we're
untrustworthy, because this showed up at our house today:<br />
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<a href="https://scontent-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/1459959_10151773820578575_1887797338_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://scontent-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/1459959_10151773820578575_1887797338_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Xmas came a little early this year. Yup,
we're building a greenhouse. And in order to impose some kind of order
on the garden, we're also putting down environmentally friendly
landscape fabric to widen the paths and attempt to keep some of the
weeds at bay. We have long wanted to extend our growing season and
create an environment that's friendlier to our favorite heat-seeking
plants like eggplant and peppers, as well as our potted kaffir lime,
lemongrass, and baby fig trees. Plus a greenhouse will give us the space
we do desperately need for starting seeds and storing garden tools. No
more making potting mix in the dank basement or filling seed trays in
the living room! We had talked about cold frames and a hoop house, but
finally we just bit the bullet and got the most useful and versatile structure we could think of. After all, the greenhouse is just one layer of protection; incorporating cold frames and row covers inside the greenhouse extends the season even further.</div>
Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176431306130460649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204512158555835827.post-39167833686343342912013-05-08T21:06:00.001-04:002013-05-08T21:08:11.854-04:00Rhubarb Star<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhagvCnC_AXV0adLEsr93n-SC2dg2uaphAGBaWavFSO9IRIafyHNEjBpX4Zq6FHO-wa5tpbk0WJGEVs8Tf-HewjEXh6O_LZBZclMpISNoSulP5cBanBvI9V5iQzV85HDYtnZDycKA8WwDU/s1600/rhubarb+star.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhagvCnC_AXV0adLEsr93n-SC2dg2uaphAGBaWavFSO9IRIafyHNEjBpX4Zq6FHO-wa5tpbk0WJGEVs8Tf-HewjEXh6O_LZBZclMpISNoSulP5cBanBvI9V5iQzV85HDYtnZDycKA8WwDU/s320/rhubarb+star.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm a Real American Hero, managing to harvest 8 pounds of rhubarb tonight in the torrential rain before the lightning came uncomfortably close. And oh look, here's a snapshot of me walking in the door soaking wet.</div>
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I'd been putting this off for too long, and all the plants have already thrown up flower stalks, which I dutifully hacked off. If the plants flower, then they'll devote their energy to reproducing instead of making more tart, snappy stalks for us to eat. If we let the flowers mature and go to seed, then they'll produce babies that won't produce reliably true to type. So now there's lots of <a href="http://www.barefootkitchenwitch.com/the_barefoot_kitchen_witc/2009/06/rhubarb-ginger-jam.html">rhubarb-ginger jam</a> and my mom's famous rhubarb bread and <a href="http://liquor.com/recipes/rosemary-rhubarb/">rhubarb-rosemary cocktails</a> to be made. Onward!</div>
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Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176431306130460649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204512158555835827.post-74387072093514149732013-04-08T21:25:00.001-04:002013-04-08T21:42:22.659-04:00Glass Half Full<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We managed to sow all our cover crops this weekend, blanketing most of the beds with field peas and a couple others with an oat/clover mix once the peas were gone. This is the first year we’ve
managed to do this consistently and in a timely fashion; previous
attempts have been kind of sporadic. We’re motivated by the visible
benefits from limited cover cropping last year. We can see the
improvements compared with the beds that weren’t cropped: looser soil
with better tilth, less erosion, better water retention.<br />
<br />
Of course, it’s not all coming up roses at Chez Markate. Although I try to
be meticulous with my seed starting, I’m having all sorts of trouble
with some of my seedlings. In the past, I’ve started peppers, tomatoes,
and basil in mini soil blocks that heat up quickly to 70 degrees or
more. This year is no different, but the results certainly are.
Germination has been great, but I’m finding many of the emerging
seedlings are failing to take root. The tiny plants have been bowing
over and petering out within a day or two of sprouting. The effect is
somewhat different from damping off fungus, where the base of the stem
withers visibly. Even the seedlings that have survived are anemic and
slow growing. I’m pretty sure there’s something wrong with the soil
block mix I made for the mini blocks.
<br />
<br />
We expect to get only about 15 tomato plants and a handful of peppers--a
poor showing compared with past years. Fortunately, there are many local
sources of live plants for the nightshade family. I just put in an
order for 25 pepper plants from <a href="http://www.chileplants.com/" style="text-decoration: none;">Cross Country Nursery</a> and managed to score most of the same varieties we were planning for this year. We also plan on attending the annual <a href="http://www.jerseygrown.com/" style="text-decoration: none;">Catalpa Ridge</a> plant sale at Lafayette Village in May to augment our tomato stock. We
used to do all our tomatoes and peppers from purchased live plants, so
in a sense we’ve come full circle. The alliums and brassicas continue to
thrive, fortunately, so we’re currently trying on our ‘glass half-full’
hat for size.<br />
<br />
It helps that this week truly feels like spring. Look how happy our rhubarb is!<br />
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Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176431306130460649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204512158555835827.post-12578118095054129382013-02-24T16:16:00.002-05:002013-02-24T16:16:25.661-05:00Glimpse of Green<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leeks sprouting from seeds we saved two years ago--success!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our floor-to-ceiling seed-starting rack is filling up quickly with flats of onions, leeks, and spinach. Next up are lettuce and peas, radishes and broccoli. Mark is mixing up huge tubs of seed-starting medium that have become permanent fixtures in the kitchen and, confusingly, look remarkably edible once they've been made into blocks. It's a little confusing, even for me, to keep what look like huge pans of brownies on the counter. Everything is germinating well, and the weather is seasonal but generally cooperative. <br />
<br />
In even more exciting news, our shipment of baby chicks arrives tomorrow! We're dizzy with excitement and have the guest room all fixed up for them--literally.</div>
Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176431306130460649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204512158555835827.post-68865385167238140762013-01-14T17:12:00.004-05:002013-04-08T21:32:32.347-04:00Pickin' Chickens<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<a href="http://www.rightpet.com/thumbnail/BreedDetailPhotos/LivestockBreed_2_65_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rightpet.com/thumbnail/BreedDetailPhotos/LivestockBreed_2_65_1.jpg" /></a>It’s good to have goals, right? It makes sense to begin each year with some
objectives in mind for the coming growing season. As usual, 2012 left us
with plenty of room for improvement but also lots of enthusiasm for the
future. Here’s the short list for 2013:<br />
<br />
Chickens!
This is the big one, and we just placed our order for chicks this week.
They’re scheduled to arrive at the end of February. Mark has already
done a lot of prep in anticipation of these little dynamos’
arrival--they have a coop that we hope is secure, their own little
nesting boxes. We’re hoping the birds will improve the health of our
soil through tilling, manure, and composting. Chickens do a lot of
scratching and rooting around, which happens to mimic exactly what we’d
do to prepare a garden bed for growing. They’ll generate manure that
will enrich that same soil, and they also process a lot of waste biomass
into compost while they search for food. And then, you know: EGGS. Kate
is already entertaining fantasies of the kids collecting dozens of eggs
in old-fashioned wire baskets every morning and not breaking a single
one. The key word here being <i>fantasy</i>.<br />
<br />
One of the coolest parts of this process was using <a href="http://www.motherearthnews.com/happy-homesteader/chicken-breeds-with-pictures-zb0z10zgri.aspx">Mother Earth News’s Pickin’ Chicken app</a>
to choose the chickens based on their characteristics. That was pretty
fun. We chose Dominique and Wyandotte breeds because they’re known for
having decent foraging abilities, being well suited to our climate,
laying well, and having a peaceable temperament that’s resistant to
curious children. Unlike <i>some people</i> who choose their chickens because they look like they’re wearing
pants--you know who you are. But big questions remain: Should we name
all of them? And if so, what? Should we have a theme? Please weigh in on
the comments.<br />
<br />
Next up: perennial vegetables. Mark expanded the size of the hugelkultur
mounds in autumn with the hopes of adding some more perennial vegetables
this spring. Reading Eric Tonsmeier’s book <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Perennial-Vegetables-Artichokes-Gardeners-Delicious/dp/1931498407/ref=sr_1_sc_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1358193442&sr=8-2-spell&keywords=eric+tonsmeier">Perennial Vegetables</a></i> and attending one of his lectures has inspired him to rely more on
perennial gardening for diversity and time savings. We’ll be adding
exciting and obscure veggies like sea kale, turkish rocket, sorrel, and
even some more rhubarb to the hugelkultur, filling in the gaps with a
range of perennial flowers to keep the beneficial insects happy.<br />
<br />
Finally, we’re going to focus more on keeping the plants content, which is code
for MORE WEEDING. There are bound to be disappointments every year, of
course, but I think we missed out on some of our favorites like beans,
potatoes, and basil last year because we fell behind in keeping the
weeds at bay as the end of summer came and got overwhelmed with
harvesting and preserving.<br />
<br />
Right now we're keeping warm by perusing seed catalog porn, and next up will be the big compendium of all the varieties of vegetables, flowers, and herbs we'll be planting this year. Planning the garden is like a slow IV drip sustaining us until we see some green again--besides last year's Asian mustard greens still alive under the snow. Kate is already asking how soon till we start the first seedlings. Answer: Not soon enough.
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Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176431306130460649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204512158555835827.post-2044981999160052002012-10-15T10:49:00.000-04:002012-10-15T10:49:00.693-04:00Last HurrahThe garden's last hurrah before Friday night's killing frost. I can't believe we're here already--too soon for my taste.
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><br /></span></span>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176431306130460649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204512158555835827.post-57096789807333427382012-08-31T12:03:00.000-04:002012-08-31T12:10:10.271-04:00Going to Seed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been hearing the same refrain several times a day: Where did the summer go? At Markate Estates we're knee-deep in tomatoes, making confit, sauce, ketchup, salsa, gazpacho, and canning like crazy. The Titan sunflowers, which grew to a towering eight feet this year, are already hanging their heavy heads. We're still waiting for the seeds to darken and dry, though, so we can harvest and eat them. A friend told us that the entire sunflower head can be roasted and eaten as a delicacy, but we haven't attempted that yet.<br />
<br />
Three cheers for the ground cherries that are finally dropping off their bushes! But I'm still in denial about the pumpkins; a couple of them are already ripe! My brain is unable to make the transition from summer to fall just yet. And we have three more weeks to go till the autumnal equinox. I'm in no hurry for the bounty of summer to trail off, even if processing all these tomatoes is a full-time job.<br />
<br />
I took these photos yesterday at dusk, in my favorite light with my favorite lens. Man, I love our garden, even when the overgrowth is trying to swallow me whole. <br />
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Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176431306130460649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204512158555835827.post-73199557624926119932012-08-06T22:18:00.001-04:002012-08-06T22:18:40.915-04:00The JungleAs you can see, this is the time of year when the garden starts to take on a life of its own. Eight-foot-tall sunflowers, watermelons as big as basketballs, and a bumper crop of tomatoes on the verge of ripeness. We're steeling ourselves for the weeks of desperate round-the-clock canning. Not that I'm complaining. We just have to keep telling ourselves that it's okay to feel out of control sometimes. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhKj52u3LQ_CK1HMKkbcYovo-OkLm2O0AhfFmVc54jkej2YGWFdrZFx_WijvAdMqiq07vFNeA2SJ90rn8zSR3TZJebE9aL_2b-4b0Q8C5uw6DAvGWN4EoRShDBJT1mTaQCPJ79oXKFr0/s1600/DSC_0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhKj52u3LQ_CK1HMKkbcYovo-OkLm2O0AhfFmVc54jkej2YGWFdrZFx_WijvAdMqiq07vFNeA2SJ90rn8zSR3TZJebE9aL_2b-4b0Q8C5uw6DAvGWN4EoRShDBJT1mTaQCPJ79oXKFr0/s320/DSC_0013.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90T62HsPCjGjH_mK2M4ZOOuozM7-2JyJqCIKs17yWGsQ6mK0J2GHwolWo4a4L5Eq2yCp0I1Ahk8ilo4fvJG1i7YOLqKwzTszfYEA9VGZ6k_m2bHGxNpzIWVdCSr1-mhBai6gosYs1grA/s1600/DSC_0017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90T62HsPCjGjH_mK2M4ZOOuozM7-2JyJqCIKs17yWGsQ6mK0J2GHwolWo4a4L5Eq2yCp0I1Ahk8ilo4fvJG1i7YOLqKwzTszfYEA9VGZ6k_m2bHGxNpzIWVdCSr1-mhBai6gosYs1grA/s320/DSC_0017.jpg" width="212" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNG3BNgf0B03P65fATOpmsY9sMojPzrcZ1WX9ZqOifF4GmeyaHoh6TJ5a0knF3zb7tp5jcYDQ-DUYO2xOxs4Lnp-os1NFZ24CjV2u2zwIl4hUI8D6_KtNwFAkxsfVf6xKXScqIMSaCyzw/s1600/DSC_0008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNG3BNgf0B03P65fATOpmsY9sMojPzrcZ1WX9ZqOifF4GmeyaHoh6TJ5a0knF3zb7tp5jcYDQ-DUYO2xOxs4Lnp-os1NFZ24CjV2u2zwIl4hUI8D6_KtNwFAkxsfVf6xKXScqIMSaCyzw/s320/DSC_0008.jpg" width="212" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmTjCVeQTCEfJDPjG5fz6fDzHp8BwwSJDr1otV9hyOWZ2axLjn2jwYnyChMdLDJZ4BRZ80RkKTMhjWT7Dlf9tWRN_Cqe5DeurHN8Qoy0VqjElHh3YmRq9phD_WJM_M8QhIHsNuMJH94M/s1600/DSC_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmTjCVeQTCEfJDPjG5fz6fDzHp8BwwSJDr1otV9hyOWZ2axLjn2jwYnyChMdLDJZ4BRZ80RkKTMhjWT7Dlf9tWRN_Cqe5DeurHN8Qoy0VqjElHh3YmRq9phD_WJM_M8QhIHsNuMJH94M/s320/DSC_0003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176431306130460649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204512158555835827.post-39492764792903052572012-07-06T17:07:00.000-04:002012-07-06T17:08:38.692-04:00Fortunetelling<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjahQY9I_hS0yu-Exc3pK9P7xCxKz95e26ZQv0D1hjlHpzNwUmoYtrZCFkvCQqb3vfrZiz2z4dUDyc5OqYYnY_IgTBiKXrS8EY9cKgLfN4KIFzYlech0AnzpOASpQffQUGYbMazcDAJULE/s1600/DSC_0015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjahQY9I_hS0yu-Exc3pK9P7xCxKz95e26ZQv0D1hjlHpzNwUmoYtrZCFkvCQqb3vfrZiz2z4dUDyc5OqYYnY_IgTBiKXrS8EY9cKgLfN4KIFzYlech0AnzpOASpQffQUGYbMazcDAJULE/s400/DSC_0015.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I see a number of feathered friends in your near future. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176431306130460649noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204512158555835827.post-12095305153233513972012-06-12T19:44:00.002-04:002012-06-12T23:22:47.650-04:00Baked Torta with Spring Greens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZf_D08fM-N0A2L056gXZq4V8mly8tU-GD3Ru0LOSKM6pJ7eFIbln5azo089XhV1rFw9llOqgUap2AcjYG2Kh2oOkXnKD6fqRp_qOxr_ejCkZM-Pk5DYVRDHunUAmnBlQZMyJFnhUISyI/s1600/DSC_0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZf_D08fM-N0A2L056gXZq4V8mly8tU-GD3Ru0LOSKM6pJ7eFIbln5azo089XhV1rFw9llOqgUap2AcjYG2Kh2oOkXnKD6fqRp_qOxr_ejCkZM-Pk5DYVRDHunUAmnBlQZMyJFnhUISyI/s400/DSC_0009.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Right now our
garden is exploding with good things to eat, and after waiting so long for spring to
arrive, I can’t bear to waste a single lettuce leaf. Our bi-weekly share of amazing produce from
<a href="http://csgatgenesisfarm.com/">Genesis Farm</a> has also begun, so on occasion I’ll find myself with a fridge full
of greens as well as bags full of them littering the kitchen floor. Like today,
for example. When this situation arises, I do not panic. Our family can only
eat so many salads, so I turn to this trusty recipe for a warm, flavorful torta
that uses up to three pounds of spring greens and garlic. Served with a big
communal bowl of snap peas that the kids gobbled in minutes flat, it was
perfect for today’s cool, rainy weather.<br />
<br />
This is a significantly
adapted version of Marcella Hazan’s Baked Escarole Torta from her <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Essentials-Classic-Italian-Cooking-Marcella/dp/039458404X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339544510&sr=1-1&keywords=essentials+of+classic+italian+cooking">Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking</a>. I don’t often use recipes to cook Italian food, but
when I do, Hazan is my guru.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Baked Torta with
Escarole and Chard
</span></b></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li>2 2/3 cups
unbleached flour</li>
<li>1 teaspoon
salt</li>
<li>Freshly
ground black pepper</li>
<li>1 scant
teaspoon active dry yeast, dissolved in 1 cup lukewarm water</li>
<li>3 tablespoons
extra virgin olive oil</li>
<li>2 to 3 pounds
fresh escarole, chard, kale, or spinach</li>
<li>2 tablespoons extra
virgin olive oil</li>
<li>2 teaspoons
chopped garlic (or 4 stalks garlic greens, or 2 heads young garlic, or
even 1 cup chopped garlic scapes)</li>
<li>3 tablespoons
capers</li>
<li>10 oil-cured olives, pitted and quartered</li>
<li>7 flat
anchovy fillets, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces</li>
<li>3 tablespoons
pine nuts or chopped walnuts</li>
</ul>
1. Mound the flour in a bowl (or on a work surface, if you’re feeling confident) and
make a hollow in its peak. Put the salt, a few grindings of pepper, the
dissolved yeast, and the olive oil into its peak. Pull together and knead for
about 8 minutes by hand or in a standing mixer.<br />
<br />
2. Shape the kneaded dough into
a ball and put it into a lightly floured bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp,
doubled-up cloth towel and put it in a warm, protected corner until the dough
has doubled in bulk, 1 to 1½ hours.<br />
<br />
3. Preheat the oven to 375°F
and prepare a rack in the uppermost position.<br />
<br />
4. While the dough is rising,
prepare the filling. Wash the greens and slice thinly into 1-inch pieces. Put
the olive oil and garlic in a large sauté pan, turn the heat to medium, and
cook the garlic, stirring, until it becomes colored a pale gold. Add the greens,
turning once or twice to coat it well. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for
10 minutes, turning from time to time. If the pan juices are watery, turn the
heat up and reduce them quickly. Stir the capers, and then the olives, into the
escarole. Remove from heat. Stir in the anchovies and nuts. Taste for salt,
pour the contents of the pan into a bowl, and set aside to cool.<br />
<br />
5. When the dough has doubled
in bulk, divide it into 2 unequal parts, one twice the size of the other. Roll
out the larger piece of dough into a circular sheet large enough to line the
bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan. To simplify transferring this to
the pan, roll the dough out on a piece of lightly floured wax or parchment
paper.<br />
<br />
6. Smear the inside of the
springform pan with butter. Transfer the large circular sheet of dough to the
pan, covering the bottom and letting it come up the sides. Smooth the dough,
flattening and evening off any particularly bulky creases with your fingers.<br />
<br />
7. Pour all the filling from
the bowl into the pan and level it off with a spatula.<br />
<br />
8. Roll out the remaining piece
of dough until it is large enough to cover the top of the pan. Lay it over the
filling, covering it completely. Press the edge of the top sheet of dough
against the edge of the sheet lining the pan. Make a tight seal all around,
folding any excess dough toward the center.<br />
<br />
9. Place on the uppermost rack
of the preheated oven and bake until the torta swells slightly and the top
becomes colored a pale gold, about 45 minutes. When you take it out of the
oven, unlatch the pan’s spring, and remove the hoop. Allow the torta to settle
a few minutes before loosening it from the bottom and transferring it to a
serving platter. Serve either lukewarm or at room temperature.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176431306130460649noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204512158555835827.post-62303334083915847612012-05-19T21:00:00.004-04:002012-05-19T21:04:55.045-04:00Two Hearts That Beet As One<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEoBVGxBwI-LiaLJ3tgMJTl4Cn8AuPfOerZuHXLe4UpxH_NVAxMNRbKoapqMRL3xq6JGNWapoe0VSF2WOzauHhwajfJwye8QVUmLgV-59mJhN7c3Ay9-Dfz3zORrOt39KxoB6feWTTz_c/s1600/DSC_0013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEoBVGxBwI-LiaLJ3tgMJTl4Cn8AuPfOerZuHXLe4UpxH_NVAxMNRbKoapqMRL3xq6JGNWapoe0VSF2WOzauHhwajfJwye8QVUmLgV-59mJhN7c3Ay9-Dfz3zORrOt39KxoB6feWTTz_c/s400/DSC_0013.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaf beets, where have you been all my life? </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Mark and I recently had a revelation similar to the one a couple of years ago when we discovered ground cherries. Intrigued by a rave review in the Fedco catalog, we ordered some leaf beet seeds to supplement our spinach crop, which always seems to peter out too early in the season.<br />
<br />
Leaf beets are basically beets that don't have an edible root. But the leaves are completely delicious, and I actually like them more than spinach. They don't squeak between your teeth, they're a little more succulent than spinach, and the flavor is unexpectedly savory, almost salty. The whole family chowed down on a big bunch at dinner tonight, and I didn't hear a single complaint from the kids.<br />
<br />
Internet wisdom tells me that leaf beets are an ancient vegetable that lost
popularity once spinach came on the scene, but I don't get it. Why eat
spinach when you can have these tasty, crunchy leaves instead? They're
even more heat tolerant than spinach and can grow right through the
summer, like chard. And they're prolific as all get-out, not spindly like spinach plants can be. <br />
<br />
I'm already brainstorming recipes.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176431306130460649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204512158555835827.post-24256959023769937182012-05-07T23:16:00.001-04:002012-05-07T23:37:30.258-04:00Promises, PromisesI often get impatient in the spring, my mind jumping ahead to harvest time. But it's easy to forget how overwhelming August and September can be: trying to keep the garden under control, canning all that produce, and planting fall crops.<br />
<br />
Spring is so full of promise; nothing has gone seriously wrong yet, and I can blithely imagine that the deer won't eat our gooseberries, that beetles won't chew on the eggplants, that the tomatoes won't succumb to end rot and we'll actually have time to pick and process them all instead of leaving some to wither on the vine because we're so frazzled.<br />
<br />
In May I can take pictures of flowers and enjoy their winks and whispered innuendos. Consider me seduced.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS9Surp-9WLtaBcMNSccV3T-CD45AH5bPCSqXka-3Z7STehXLno02TL2eDQoOBp5sc60PeXdrI8u0gGWnLtd4q1py4ulOen3hGbFTwA3woIIVENxZhS3tdgMoOjrBClis-g6_aXYHxQkI/s1600/DSC_0004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS9Surp-9WLtaBcMNSccV3T-CD45AH5bPCSqXka-3Z7STehXLno02TL2eDQoOBp5sc60PeXdrI8u0gGWnLtd4q1py4ulOen3hGbFTwA3woIIVENxZhS3tdgMoOjrBClis-g6_aXYHxQkI/s320/DSC_0004.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chive flowers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yN5H6VIt0rchU9ONThgndmnFy2s9eEeSZ3cUKH52zoSJcRd386qnmLlYG9FXeDYInCwbyu_nQWeA4px-BZsS2NgYx5BtDiiG66_7kmdw-1lJ-AWnV1Ag3ysHmGFrIElzFm1nH3OZr6M/s1600/DSC_0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yN5H6VIt0rchU9ONThgndmnFy2s9eEeSZ3cUKH52zoSJcRd386qnmLlYG9FXeDYInCwbyu_nQWeA4px-BZsS2NgYx5BtDiiG66_7kmdw-1lJ-AWnV1Ag3ysHmGFrIElzFm1nH3OZr6M/s320/DSC_0007.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First-year strawberries</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6FoUdPF85IxxTui8O8c6wtgCMWFVAsgs1bkY7lltKTmajS2fVyKLKI0bN6varo1z-jdwDtapoRgzudj_ofYYJQOM9P_MdYKXFu6nVMXurBmfgL70nPF_vopdZ9j5eZpPjvALVB8a98Qw/s1600/DSC_0017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6FoUdPF85IxxTui8O8c6wtgCMWFVAsgs1bkY7lltKTmajS2fVyKLKI0bN6varo1z-jdwDtapoRgzudj_ofYYJQOM9P_MdYKXFu6nVMXurBmfgL70nPF_vopdZ9j5eZpPjvALVB8a98Qw/s320/DSC_0017.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little lettuce volunteers from last year's plants that went to seed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKupIfEV9W3pYk9UktlB5zCwBt-SlRbtZWcX69rLym-FNxPXyrevevLhGx7NYiic1Jyc435BSinpRS6kXHAW6b-QpDEk1QA71wmG76qf6CoRl2AQqPeqLY5CtId4gIo6qi5h4_IFVpB4/s1600/DSC_0025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKupIfEV9W3pYk9UktlB5zCwBt-SlRbtZWcX69rLym-FNxPXyrevevLhGx7NYiic1Jyc435BSinpRS6kXHAW6b-QpDEk1QA71wmG76qf6CoRl2AQqPeqLY5CtId4gIo6qi5h4_IFVpB4/s320/DSC_0025.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pea shoots--yum.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQAnLig6jyvAEuPzFfwyr_Syb4DB8iFHCLZM1xJtFIg9zZpqLFodv3N3lln_veQY4pccQthmxQv9q1xIe8h0L8fKR5AA-nk6nSJvnAbsR3v_qUCJJz7xFF5hZs9lHz5oGakvZ88AB3HE0/s1600/DSC_0027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQAnLig6jyvAEuPzFfwyr_Syb4DB8iFHCLZM1xJtFIg9zZpqLFodv3N3lln_veQY4pccQthmxQv9q1xIe8h0L8fKR5AA-nk6nSJvnAbsR3v_qUCJJz7xFF5hZs9lHz5oGakvZ88AB3HE0/s320/DSC_0027.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new friend the violet.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqeXrkWB3IZ4VYJJedUqtgbi5zeEvXb4kKKuYL2PxN0qoOQSNi7KYxKEZr8rarVXW7jkbif6JXiuZf8LkVyf5QyxOctBW3UPIinuvjkvkkTP3uaRoJxF0WMwhZ3IUodn1hIwDe8r1oao/s1600/DSC_0030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqeXrkWB3IZ4VYJJedUqtgbi5zeEvXb4kKKuYL2PxN0qoOQSNi7KYxKEZr8rarVXW7jkbif6JXiuZf8LkVyf5QyxOctBW3UPIinuvjkvkkTP3uaRoJxF0WMwhZ3IUodn1hIwDe8r1oao/s320/DSC_0030.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark's hugelkultur experiment: <br />
growing potatoes in mounds of old wood. <br />
More to come about this soon.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176431306130460649noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204512158555835827.post-65364608949221381492012-04-25T13:29:00.001-04:002012-04-26T13:10:12.287-04:00Blueberries: From Alkali to Juicy Pie<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMlktet2RSX-nl9scCSdQTKgEsHbmAY9N5fmabBNmDFWvd0aH5BAqRFp00IrL0xrP312iofYzg9O7sZenchfLdL1qdYgUIEuuN2snyjnguVh_82qASN_vk9-ysjoFronXaew9F8l5bZk/s1600/DSC_0048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMlktet2RSX-nl9scCSdQTKgEsHbmAY9N5fmabBNmDFWvd0aH5BAqRFp00IrL0xrP312iofYzg9O7sZenchfLdL1qdYgUIEuuN2snyjnguVh_82qASN_vk9-ysjoFronXaew9F8l5bZk/s320/DSC_0048.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy blueberry bush in our garden.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>What’s
that you say? This is supposed to be a gardening blog and you haven’t
seen any actual gardening for a while? I’m glad you mentioned it,
because it’s not that we haven’t been doing any. Mark has been itching
to talk about the extensive array of berries we’ve planted this year,
especially the blueberries. He’s also been taking advantage of his new
headlamp to stay out in the garden until 9pm. (Hilarious photos to
come.)</i><br />
<br />
Blueberries
are about as quintessentially “Jersey” as the Turnpike and the
Sopranos. When it comes to growing them, the southern part of the state
is the perfect environment with its distinctively acidic soil thanks to
all those pine needles. While most fruit plants enjoy soil that is
neutral to slightly acidic, blueberry bushes prefer to plant their feet
in well-drained sandy loam, rich in organic material, with a pH range of
about 4-5. This habitat abounds in the evergreen forests of Atlantic,
Burlington, and Ocean counties, but not so much in western Morris
county. A certain amount of backbreaking toil is required--music to my
ears!<br />
<br />
At
first glance, it’s tempting to lump blueberries in with members of the
bramble family (raspberries, blackberries, etc.), mostly because of the
similar ways we use the berries. I mean, how hard can they be to grow?
Wild raspberries grow like weeds around here, and even the cultivated
varieties thrive in less-than-ideal conditions. But the highbush
blueberry plant, a member of the heath family, differs in many ways from
your garden-variety bramble. In addition to the acidic soil
requirements, blueberries grow as individual bushes and take longer to
establish than raspberries. That said, once established, blueberry
plants can produce for decades, and wild version are every bit as
successful as their wineberry counterparts given the right conditions.
And that’s the key with blueberries: getting the conditions right.<br />
<br />
My
first blueberry experiment began 2 years ago with about 8 plants and a
new garden space. I read up on planting techniques and made a plan. The
biggest challenge was to get the soil pH down from neutral to below 5 if
possible. A lot of sources recommend using peat moss and sulfur, so I
merrily dug 8 holes in hard-pack, rocky clay and filled them with with
some sphagnum moss, sulfur granules, and some native “soil” for good
measure. I planted each seedling, watered them once or twice, then
dutifully ignored them for the next 24 months; three or four survived
but never showed much growth, and the others called it quits altogether.
They turned into casualties of an over-ambitious start to an
overwhelming new garden. I’m sure it won’t be the last horticultural
atrocity I commit.<br />
<br />
Flash-forward
to Plan B. My latest scheme is influenced an orchardist friend who has
actual experience growing blueberries just a few miles from my house.
The first step I took was to spread some sulfur, peat moss, and pine
needles over the planting area last fall. The idea here is to try to
slowly--not instantly--lower the pH of the entire area. Then, instead of
digging individual holes for each plant, I excavated a 35’ long trench
to a depth of about 12” and filled it with peat moss, sand, some native
soil, and a little compost. Importantly, NO sulfur went into the hole.
Sulfur is apparently a very slow-acting agent that can take years to
activate, and it does not belong in intimate contact with plant roots.
Next, I planted the blueberries and dumped lots of compost on top of the
filled-in trench and around each plant. I mulched the entire planting
area with cardboard [<i>Kate: This lends our garden a delightful hobo je ne sais quoi.</i>"]
and then dumped straw on top for weed control. The finishing touch is a
mound around each blueberry plant made of pine needles and forest
litter I dug up from our yard. I’ve even managed to water each plant
deeply twice during this hellacious drought we’ve had.<br />
<br />
For
“fun,” I dug up the surviving stragglers of Blueberries v1.0 and
planted them at the end of the new row. I could be imagining things, but
I feel like these three old veterans have already perked up noticeably
this year at bud-break. Perhaps they’ve been biding their time, waiting
to explode with fecundity when conditions turned favorable. Or perhaps
I’m delusional and simply enjoy using disgusting adjectives. Only time
will tell.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176431306130460649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204512158555835827.post-60457708812054262742012-04-24T21:53:00.004-04:002012-04-25T11:19:11.807-04:00Infusiasm, Part II<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxWy6BWdmtFKQMle3Jmq76BOOszRKuPn1nIUSB4RXmyvwvHqmtBPslaJLZa75bpshxhpqsn-IKbalpLw7rO0steC5h_6MAKS-ar5hqPmd6HKJJCSmxe5DDm-0M6hsd2htKZkVLPN88-Y/s1600/DSC_0036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxWy6BWdmtFKQMle3Jmq76BOOszRKuPn1nIUSB4RXmyvwvHqmtBPslaJLZa75bpshxhpqsn-IKbalpLw7rO0steC5h_6MAKS-ar5hqPmd6HKJJCSmxe5DDm-0M6hsd2htKZkVLPN88-Y/s320/DSC_0036.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The two infusions, much reduced.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In <a href="http://coltivi.blogspot.com/2012/04/infusiasm.html">Infusiasm: Part I</a> I merrily picked bucketsful of violets and honeysuckle, then poured boiling water over and let everything sit overnight. Today I finished the experiment. <br />
<br />
The syrups turned out to be subtle but surprisingly flavorful. I wasn't sure what to expect from the violets, since one friend warned that commercial violet syrup, like Monin, tastes (in her esteemed opinion) like old lady perfume. I'm relieved to report this is not the case with the homemade version. It's floral and a little fruity without tasting like you ate a handful of potpourri.<br />
<br />
The honeysuckle tastes like a garden with bees in it. It's so lovely I had to immediately mix a couple of drinks with each. First I tasted them both with sparkling water on ice (so refreshing!), then I got serious. Here's what I came up with:<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhve-NDBqhhseQqM8RkVCur7VPhZogy6efEwm9t_HsoEIEvQxTISHtCZ1kyqVaMiPthFXu8rRa531GD1WJyhyphenhyphenOWyCzpOpCRgBNKaOrGJD3jsjtHihY-1JliETM5k4lkB0mrZdBH7fpZOko/s1600/DSC_0044.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhve-NDBqhhseQqM8RkVCur7VPhZogy6efEwm9t_HsoEIEvQxTISHtCZ1kyqVaMiPthFXu8rRa531GD1WJyhyphenhyphenOWyCzpOpCRgBNKaOrGJD3jsjtHihY-1JliETM5k4lkB0mrZdBH7fpZOko/s320/DSC_0044.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A splash of lemon juice turned the violet <br />
syrup from dingy purplish-gray to true violet.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Violet syrup with sparkling water, Cointreau, and a squeeze of lemon. So delicate and ladylike! Not at all perfumey like violet candy. <br />
<br />
Honeysuckle syrup with Courvoisier and mint has a lot of personality. You get the floral honey and mint flavors with an edge of cognac that gives the drink some structure.<br />
<br />
You can't go wrong mixing either of these with prosecco, too.<br />
<br />
You may be wondering which one of these delightful cocktails
accompanied me into my office to write this blog post. Gentle reader, it
was the violet. Who can resist such a beautiful color?<br />
<br />
I'm
left with a few questions: Are the violets I used less potent than
most? Does it matter that I collected the honeysuckle blossoms on a
rainy day? I wonder if the syrups will be stronger if I pick them under
precisely the right conditions. I'm happy with the
results, but I plan to keep experimenting. Here's my recipe.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Flower Syrup</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Folks, make sure your flowers are <a href="http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/blflowers.htm">safely edible</a> before you start.) </span></i></div>
<br />
<div>
2 cups packed blossoms</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3 cups boiling water</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 cup sugar </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 tablespoon lemon juice</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pick your flowers, using only good
quality fresh flowers. Cover with boiling water and let steep anywhere from 12 to 24 hours. Strain through a sieve, then simmer gently until the infusion is reduced to 1 cup. Make a 1:1 sugar syrup by adding the sugar and the lemon juice. Pour into a glass jar and use right away or store in the fridge. These are safe for canning; simply put in a hot water bath for 15 minutes and store in a cool, dry place for up to a year.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Makes 1 1/2 cups.</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwgSUpQDlilcshnf2Mw46ZoMmm9votFzj1lZapwaA9nNrqvrPNNz-Bi9_6H7aCuXm2KlP7O5E8u10PC-gpyQMK8ZWS99vv97_Lk2w038lBQnPLu5Kch8bMtaQ0fD_Jv4LJ8uJikO25VvU/s1600/DSC_0051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwgSUpQDlilcshnf2Mw46ZoMmm9votFzj1lZapwaA9nNrqvrPNNz-Bi9_6H7aCuXm2KlP7O5E8u10PC-gpyQMK8ZWS99vv97_Lk2w038lBQnPLu5Kch8bMtaQ0fD_Jv4LJ8uJikO25VvU/s400/DSC_0051.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peter Rabbit can't choose a favorite!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176431306130460649noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204512158555835827.post-76582170762021103862012-04-23T20:07:00.009-04:002012-04-25T11:20:08.305-04:00InfusiasmAren't you lucky? You get to watch me perform my latest kitchen experiment in real time. Not much is ready to harvest in our garden yet besides rhubarb and mint, so I'm taking my impatience far afield and going foraging. We were treated to the deluxe version of foraging a couple of weeks ago at a <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/116147142765640976237/albums/5731256832428836849?banner=pwa">little ramp festival</a> in the woods with the best local ingredients prepared by some chefs who really knew what to do with them. My humble contribution was some Golden Treasure syrup I had made from late-summer yellow tomatoes and herbs from our garden--rosemary, some basil when it starts to flower and take on an anise flavor, and the season's first apples. My friend Ben made a mouth-watering sweet-tart sauce for barbequed local pork by pureeing some of my rhubarb together with this syrup, and it was completely amazing.<br />
<br />
This got me thinking about infused syrups, taking inventory of what's in season now. Spring has busted out so quickly that I'm afraid if I blink I'll miss something unique and then be forced to wait another year to cook up some obscure recipe. Last year I wanted to try violet jelly but was preoccupied by the garden. I've always loved the fragrance and taste of honeysuckle, too; pulling the sweet stamens out and eating them was a favorite pastime when I was a kid.<br />
<br />
The violets are all over our lawn, so it was easy to collect them. They're not very fragrant, though, so how can they make a perfumed syrup? Guess I'll find out soon enough. This week I've been seeing honeysuckle bushes in bloom wherever I go, tempted to pull over when I'm driving and sniff them to my heart's content. Today I picked a huge jarful of blossoms that turned out to be only 1.5 ounces, half of what I needed for the recipe I'm using. No matter, I'm forging ahead!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhotsVZP3O8gAAQwz39Y7GjzVr7D97DCK4B0HsKnKVW4ebb52uwiYNXJaYJT-xfbfAO8xQy9zOJtbIWN_MuBxNLVWNXFMP0PghSxEtydpbRDBN5PQkTtAmdLRvK3FEOb0HwpTnW_4aZWJE/s1600/DSC_0039.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5734758968399962546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhotsVZP3O8gAAQwz39Y7GjzVr7D97DCK4B0HsKnKVW4ebb52uwiYNXJaYJT-xfbfAO8xQy9zOJtbIWN_MuBxNLVWNXFMP0PghSxEtydpbRDBN5PQkTtAmdLRvK3FEOb0HwpTnW_4aZWJE/s400/DSC_0039.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 266px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Step 1: Make a kind of flower tea by pouring boiling water over the flowers and letting them steep overnight.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCe2TXT_qMkVrA7S2yU7TBNCmbAv7Ss-uqpA4VqepmsW4CF1tl33Mg4gWjDEFSMeNAlbbsyTuFSCksfgE-aCDZ6ko4NsxdSktQ4eriZE7HPgCENW9QwKixnjehrb8CtZxdODayUQLkPJ8/s1600/DSC_0045.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5734759322050445682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCe2TXT_qMkVrA7S2yU7TBNCmbAv7Ss-uqpA4VqepmsW4CF1tl33Mg4gWjDEFSMeNAlbbsyTuFSCksfgE-aCDZ6ko4NsxdSktQ4eriZE7HPgCENW9QwKixnjehrb8CtZxdODayUQLkPJ8/s400/DSC_0045.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 266px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>I promise to post the results whether this succeeds or fails.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176431306130460649noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204512158555835827.post-38623859553681977652012-04-04T22:42:00.005-04:002012-04-04T22:55:54.845-04:00Getting There<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjTzucqJ2bQVvqqCL3Ju8LkfKJXhZtExs02FxCFjkfklrUMlLN-Ch_UVPRRyM4sfzvbxMMX8AcXby3AV_-VCHrNQ1AgUMbI5RN-rpYXw_GI3YI5QfqTRbY0f9oG2jA6Ea2yri_-VI1lU4/s1600/DSC_0010.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjTzucqJ2bQVvqqCL3Ju8LkfKJXhZtExs02FxCFjkfklrUMlLN-Ch_UVPRRyM4sfzvbxMMX8AcXby3AV_-VCHrNQ1AgUMbI5RN-rpYXw_GI3YI5QfqTRbY0f9oG2jA6Ea2yri_-VI1lU4/s400/DSC_0010.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727741659224522738" border="0" /></a>I can't believe how many strawberries, blueberries, elderberries, and raspberries we've planted (mostly thanks to Mark) in the past two weeks. How much dirt we've moved. How many seeds we've planted. The greens and broccoli are ready for transplanting. Peas and trellises are up, garlic and shallots are happy. Mark attended a grafting workshop, I took an intensive 16-hour apiculture course. We're getting there.<br /><br />P.S. Did I mention my <a href="http://longvalley.patch.com/articles/lv-green-market-set-to-open-thursday">farmers' market</a> opens tomorrow? So yeah, we've been busy.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176431306130460649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204512158555835827.post-45244982451286799472012-03-08T12:54:00.005-05:002012-03-08T13:07:27.193-05:00HarbingersSpring is coming. It really is.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhII8m7GKgmGeNm09D_mft9LV8xupaYU5ZlLFa6-QsF_1uPaWYPvs9FbANF1Lc8mL7i_Bcx3ItKTZpGNGyuKMxQdeMSSEflLfRKr5_UWzycOYAz0p2PJJu8fW1WOt903OFDdSPKZTbzSVw/s1600/DSC_0002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhII8m7GKgmGeNm09D_mft9LV8xupaYU5ZlLFa6-QsF_1uPaWYPvs9FbANF1Lc8mL7i_Bcx3ItKTZpGNGyuKMxQdeMSSEflLfRKr5_UWzycOYAz0p2PJJu8fW1WOt903OFDdSPKZTbzSVw/s400/DSC_0002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717588745728367954" border="0" /></a>Ice crystals under the workable topsoil<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixC3zI1hSKVuRelXi7BJwtPSTfQXW1mZr8HcRLxFDF-LUMl6UdSchqSgab5JWqIthovNIU68sclTiX8yodBTl92oodQ-psv4MKI3zJME20JleebVgZEU70PnQuces9OdzXLkrnCTl9Syo/s1600/DSC_0023.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixC3zI1hSKVuRelXi7BJwtPSTfQXW1mZr8HcRLxFDF-LUMl6UdSchqSgab5JWqIthovNIU68sclTiX8yodBTl92oodQ-psv4MKI3zJME20JleebVgZEU70PnQuces9OdzXLkrnCTl9Syo/s400/DSC_0023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717589371190256274" border="0" /></a>Rhubarb!<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_k78Y-DXz3P0GVQmEWluvjRuySu0LmKOBrwKvKSKFZ26Feox5THpxQnEp01kNzs0f2Vp9L6CWmZhtneAcnyb5nEDaZoR8C3KRCkJfcecyEVSfFjF3cCEutLhFnE415-ZZiMN4pUP2kW0/s1600/DSC_0021.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_k78Y-DXz3P0GVQmEWluvjRuySu0LmKOBrwKvKSKFZ26Feox5THpxQnEp01kNzs0f2Vp9L6CWmZhtneAcnyb5nEDaZoR8C3KRCkJfcecyEVSfFjF3cCEutLhFnE415-ZZiMN4pUP2kW0/s400/DSC_0021.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717589121531921634" border="0" /></a>Perennial garlic chives<br /><br /></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176431306130460649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204512158555835827.post-45072495564834069382012-02-22T19:49:00.003-05:002012-02-22T19:52:00.252-05:00Fresh Start<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Jm2P58pxvnGczCDqApnMund2PU8zohb8X1yAjctchv_Vp-d5CqKgx1kmgyLUAAoV1gDT7hSDOOCeIaMi5KJA2SQrpxW66ISfd0gSn2eYmwW7PtaLwBg9YtADea4yIgEU4EEJ4f1CbDg/s1600/DSC_0001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Jm2P58pxvnGczCDqApnMund2PU8zohb8X1yAjctchv_Vp-d5CqKgx1kmgyLUAAoV1gDT7hSDOOCeIaMi5KJA2SQrpxW66ISfd0gSn2eYmwW7PtaLwBg9YtADea4yIgEU4EEJ4f1CbDg/s400/DSC_0001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712127148748784258" border="0" /></a>Mark finished the second gate and laid these gorgeous pavers in the entrances on either end of the garden. It feels like we're starting with a clean, organized canvas this year. Let's see how long it stays that way!Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176431306130460649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204512158555835827.post-91842667868723419372012-02-20T15:51:00.003-05:002012-02-20T15:54:38.876-05:00Microfarming and the New Markate Estates<p><span style="font-style: italic;">Microfarming</span>. You won’t find the term in <span style="font-style: italic;">Webster’s Dictionary</span> just yet. But that’s exactly what we’ve been doing without knowing what to call it. It’s not like we coined the term, either. The blogosphere is awash in aspirational folks like ourselves, some coaxing out a little slice of agricultural heaven on much smaller parcels of land than our two acres. We’ve struggled for years to define what we do with our own little scrap of Earth for years; we’re more than gardeners, not quite farmers. Definitely permaculturists, but that term doesn’t resonate with a lot of people. So--”microfarmers” it is!</p><p>A full-time farmer friend of ours was the one to call our fledgling homestead a “microfarm.” (My heart fluttered a little that he thought us worthy of any name with “farmer” in it.) This was a watershed moment for us. Being human (for all intents and purposes) we adore classification. We’ve got to slap a label on something before we can wrap our brains around it. We knew we were onto something big with the long-term “more than just veggies” approach to gardening. Besides, the term “garden” conjures up images of <span style="font-style: italic;">Better Homes and Gardens</span>, or of your Great-Aunt Rosie outside in a floppy hat, kneeling before her rosebushes on a little mat with a pair of shears in her neatly gloved hand. Our garden isn’t quite like that; it extends beyond the boundaries of the eight-foot-tall deer-proof fence, encompassing our entire yard, our sensibilities about what to eat, the most ethical place to buy it, and the ever-expanding boundaries of self-sustainability. We may move compost, dig holes, pinch grubs, and curse flea beetles, but I’ve always cringed at the notion that our little project is something as delicate and Victorian as a “garden.” On the other hand, it sure would be nice if our effort were as attractive as one of those. </p><p>Enter the microfarm, which is simply a tiny version of its much bigger predecessor. Microfarms exist in all settings, rural or urban, in zones 3-10 and beyond. A microfarm emulates the techniques of larger operations on a scale that’s realistic for a few people to oversee. In our case, our mentors include several local biodynamic/permaculture-based CSAs. We watch them closely, impressed by their accomplishments, and strive to replicate them on a smaller scale in our own front and back yards. This year, we attended the <a href="http://www.nofanj.org/winterconference.htm">NOFA NJ Winter Conference</a> in Princeton as proud practitioners, primed to absorb as much practical knowledge as the largest professional farmers in attendance. We no longer make excuses for the size of our endeavor, nor do we apologize to friends and family about our eccentric forays into all manner of organic agriculture. While our process hasn’t changed (although the scope of our work has), the microfarmer label has inspired a small but significant shift in the way we define ourselves and move forward.</p>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176431306130460649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204512158555835827.post-55840757380527792812012-01-12T10:32:00.006-05:002012-02-20T11:19:53.376-05:00Seedy Neighborhood<p class="MsoNormal">Hard to believe our seeds are already here! We even planted the first leeks under lights last week. This mild winter is tricking us into thinking that spring is near. I'm trying really hard to keep in mind that there's a good six weeks left before we can really expect warm weather. Winter is bleak, but it's easier to deal with if I brace myself. So instead, let's talk about SEEDS! If anyone reading this is as excited by this list as I am--call me!</p><p class="MsoNormal">We're proud to say that we've saved a good third of the seeds on this list from plants we grew last year. The rest we ordered from <a href="http://www.seedsavers.org/">Seed Savers Exchange</a>, <a href="http://www.fedcoseeds.com/">Fedco</a>, <a href="http://www.southernexposure.com/">Southern Exposure</a>, and <a href="http://growitalian.com/">Seeds from Italy</a>. The last is a new place that gets rave reviews from the well-respected <a href="http://www.gardenrant.com/">Garden Rant</a>. Seeds from Italy sells heirloom seeds from--you guessed it--Italy, and some varieties are hundreds of years old. We're looking forward to seeing the good germination results they're known for. If you're curious about any of the varieties on here, give us a holler and we'll be happy to opine on why we love it.</p><p class="MsoNormal">LETTUCE<br />Tom Thumb (saved) (butterhead)<br />Rouge de Vif (saved)<br />Cimarron (saved)<br /><br />BROCCOLI<br />Fedco mix (saved) (interplanting with spinach)<br /><br />SPINACH<br />Bordeaux (saved)<br /><br />CHARD<br />Leaf Beet<br /><br />SHELLING PEAS<br />Green Arrow<br /><br />SNAP PEAS<br />Sugar Snap (saved)<br /><br />FAVA BEANS<br />Sweet Lorane<br /><br />HARICOTS VERTS<br />Masai (bush)<br /><br />DRY BEANS<br />Hidatsa Shield Figure<br /><br />SUMMER SQUASH<br />Romanesca<br /><br />WINTER SQUASH<br />Kikuza<br /><br />POTATOES (experimenting with <a href="http://www.hugelkultur.com/">hugelkultur</a> this year)<br />Yellow Finn<br />Purple Viking<br /><br />MELONS<br />Boule D’Or (honeydew style)<br />Petit Gris de Rennes (cantaloupe style)<br /><br />TOMATOES<br />Japanese Trifele Black<br />Brandywine<br />San Marzano (saved)<br />Blondkopfchen (yellow cherry)<br />Principe Borghese (for drying)<br /><br />GROUND CHERRIES (saved)<br /><br />BEETS<br />3-root Grex<br /><br />CARROTS<br />Scarlet Nantes<br /><br />CUCUMBERS<br />Suyo Long<br /><br />PEPPERS<br />Aji dulce (saved)<br />Burapa (saved)<br />Marconi Rosso<br />Devil’s Kiss<br />Santa Fe Grande<br />Gigante Ancho<br /><br />ONIONS<br />Walla Walla<br />Yellow of Parma<br /><br />SCALLIONS (saved)<br /><br />LEEKS<br />Bleu de Solaise<br /><br />OKRA (saved)<br /><br />SUNFLOWERS<br />Titan (edible seeds)<br /><br />HERBS & FLOWERS<br />Marigolds<br />Calendula<br />Genovese basil (saved)<br />Holy Basil (saved)<br />Queenette (saved)<br />Sweet peas<br />Empress of India nasturtiums<br /><br />PERENNIALS/ALREADY PLANTED<br />Garlic<br />Shallots<br />Asparagus<br />Rhubarb<br />Blueberries<br /><br />NEW PERENNIALS<br />Rubel blueberries<br />Earliglow strawberries<br />Jewel strawberries<br />York elderberry<br />Adams elderberry<br />Caroline golden raspberries<br />Gooseberries<br />Blue Ray blueberries</p>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176431306130460649noreply@blogger.com0