Planning And Planting an Edible Garden

Interested in all things related to food is it any wonder that I have been known to forage for wild edibles in the local hills as well as forage for more domesticated delectables at farmer's markets.

This spring I began to think and dream about creating my own edible garden space.  My idea of an edible garden is to create something that is beautiful and useful.  I want a garden to be pretty.  I do not like the idea of vegetables lined up like soldiers in a row.

I am not using manure.  I have had to behave like a Philadelphia Lawyer - to borrow a phrase from my dear mother - in order to persuade Dan - so far - not to manure the garden.  I told him today that I avoid food that is raised in CAFO's and why would I want to use the left-over refuse from a CAFO to grow my veg?  I would like to create a more closed system where I can actually build the soil without relying on a bag of manure.  So far I think he is either tolerating my ideas, humoring me, or perhaps even supporting me.  :-)

In this yard fertility will be the key.  When we moved in almost all of the existing plants were dead and the earth barren and ridden with weeds.  The soil is serpentine/adobe soil which is notoriously low in nutrients.

What I am aspiring to achieve in this first year - this first endeavor in the soil - is to create little islands of fertility.  I do not want to be overly enthusiastic or overly ambitious this first year.  I want to begin by building the soil.  A tree service dropped off at least two truck loads of tree trimmings within the last 12 months and now the earth is no longer barren but covered with mulch.   We both pulled out the weeds.

This week I began building little islands of fertility.  I amended the soil in several sunny locations with organic material and worm castings and planted two hills of winter squash.   One is a beautiful warty French heirloom.  The other is a really old Japanese variety.  Squash is a notorious heavy feeder and requires rich soil and nutrients galore.  Perhaps I have already been overly ambitious? - But, the seeds are snugged into two adorable cages in the ground for better or for worse.  Yes, we have gophers - hence the cages.

Saturday morning when Dan had the brilliant idea to go to one of my favorite nurseries and peruse the aisles for plants I needed little persuasion.  He needed to go to an electronics store and the nursery was not far away.  What a great idea.  However, this late in the season the nursery had low inventory.  Most of the plants that I wanted were unavailable.  I don't mind waiting.  It will allow me ample time to plan and ponder on the land here and how best to re-habilitate it one step at a time.

In the end I picked out sets of green bunching onions, and shallots, basil, an heirloom cherry tomato, a gypsy pepper that is long thin and reputed to be very sweet, marjoram and several packets of seeds.

~Dill Pickles~

Pickle Making

Inspired by warmer weather - I assembled the ingredients to begin my first jar of dill pickles for the year.  Though Carrisa and I made pickles together back in the summer of 2008 I decided to put together a new recipe.

I was fortunate that when I got the sudden urge to make a jar of pickles this morning that neighbor Suzanne had just received a bunch of fresh dill in her CSA box.  We both made pickles today.

I put 4 sprigs of dill, garlic and peppercorns in the bottom of a sterile quart-size mason jar.  Then I trimmed the cucumber tips, sliced the cucumbers in half and packed them into the jar along with the rest of the dill and some fresh grape leaves.

I remember reading somewhere that grape leaves help retain the crisp texture that is so favored in dill pickles.  Fermenting dill pickles at a slightly cooler temperature is also helpful.  My house stays fairly cool, even with the weather being extra warm this week, so that will be in my favor.

Once the jar was packed I poured a salt brine of 1 1/2 c. water to 2 T. sea salt and which included 1/4 t. of a vegetable starter over the cucumbers until they were completely covered, inserted a small glass jar (left-over from caviar) into the mouth of the mason jar to keep the pickles from floating to the surface, and screwed the sterile lid on.  The pickles will sit on the cupboard for about 3 days and then they will go into the fridge.

I can't wait to see how they turn out.

~Probiotic Soda Class~

Discover The Benefits!

September 26th Mina and I hosted a really fun Probiotic Beverage Class at Soul Body Yoga in Moorpark. We learned about all the amazing health benefits of probiotic soda while sampling lemon balm soda, elderflower soda, strawberry-rose soda, nettle-ginger soda and lavender kombucha!

Traditional fermented foods help balance the production of stomach acid, ease digestive discomfort related to either too much or too little stomach acid, help the body produce acetylcholine, (for healthy brain function - remember the gut/brain connection) increase bowel movements, act as a potent digestive aid, improve pancreatic function, and help inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria.

Lacto-fermented soda is a fizzy, sweet, and tangy soda that is lower in sugar and higher in minerals and enzymes than the sodas you may have grown up with.

Water kefir soda is light, sweet, and fizzy.  Because of its high mineral content it is a popular electrolyte beverage.  It is delicious when flavored with fruit or herbal tea which make it especially well suited for hot summer days.

Kombucha is a fermented tea that has a tangy and assertive flavor.  It is gaining in popularity for its delicious health benefits.  Because of the detoxifying properties of kombucha some find it slightly dehydrating - so it is best consumed in smaller quantities.

Cheers To Probiotic Soda!

Delicious Refreshing Heat Remedy

As the temperature rises I continue to find new ways to stay comfortable.

One of the best ways to stay juicy and hydrated in hot dry weather is to drink plenty of protiotic-rich fermented beverages.  They are super hydrating, refreshing, full of beneficial bacteria and enzymes, a great source of electrolytes, and they taste delicious.

Although my refrigerator is fully stocked with a variety of water-kefir sodas such as nettle-ginger soda, chamomile soda, elderberry soda, june berry soda, and strawberry soda, and I will be hard-presssed to find more room in it for more soda, I decided to venture down a new avenue of soda making today.

In anticipation of more warm days ahead, as well as the possibility of parched friends stopping in, I began four double batches of lacto-fermented soda today.  Strawberry-rose soda, elderflower soda, nettle-ginger soda and lemon balm soda are sitting on my counter in the first stage of fermentation.

I am on my way to the kitchen to pour myself a refreshing glass of soda.

Even Hotter Today

With the temperature rising I would like to be able to say I kicked back and went to the beach today.

Instead of going to the beach - maybe this weekend? - I cooked for a very special client in his kitchen.

I prepared Roast Chicken with every kind of Root Vegetable imaginable, Egyptian Lentils, White Bean and Escarole Soup, Chicken Curry, and Spinach with Golden Raisins and Toasted Pine Nuts.

You might wonder what a single man could possibly do with all this food?  He freezes most of it and then eats it over a period of several weeks adding a salad or vegetable here and there.

After work today I chilled out at yin yoga.

To make it easy on myself after all that kitchen time I relied on left-overs for my dinner.  I prepared a quick medley of fresh kale, chard and spinach and then tossed it into the left-over pasta.

Pasta With Toppings

This has been my first summer in a house that is over 100 years old and that doesn't have an A/C. Knowing how much time I spend in the kitchen it has been a challenge to continue to eat well without feeling over-heated in the process.

My favorite strategy is to do most of my cooking early in the day while the air is still cool and fresh.

Another strategy that has worked for me is to use a clay rice cooker to cook rice or steam vegetables.  It doesn't heat up the kitchen.

Lately I have been cooking pasta with something green such as broccolini, kale or spinach.  Then I store the pasta in the fridge until I am ready to use it.  When it is time to eat I gently warm the pasta and then I dress it up in variety of ways.

Some of my favorite toppings are chunks of fresh ripe heirloom tomato, a sprinkling of minced red onion, sun-dried black olives, a dash of olive oil, chopped mexicali avocado, (a wonderful small avocado with paper-thin skin that is edible) finely grated parmesan cheese, and fresh basil from the garden.

Delicious Farmer's Market Fare

Beautiful Summer Color!

During the warmer times of the year when all the luscious summer produce is at the peak of perfection I make most of my food preparations during the cooler parts of the day.

Today I visited the farmer's market and brought home arm-loads of produce.  Today I found organic tomatoes, yellow squash, cucumbers, snap peas, fresh peaches, strawberries, wild sage honey, fresh black figs, corn on the cobs, yams and sweet potatoes.

Fresh peaches and strawberries make the BEST late afternoon snack btw.

When I am not in the mood for salad I often make a pot of soup.  Tonight I am making a wonderful Italian Minestrone.  It is one of my favorite soups and is chock full of beautiful farmer's market vegetables and beans.

When I team this soup up with a slice of sourdough bread it is wonderfully satisfying - a regular meal in a bowl.

Tonight my neighbor Suzanne is making a sourdough pizza on her outdoor grill.  Now that is a great idea - and she is going to send a slice to me!