MORE SWEET POTATOES

The home grown sweet potatoes are so truly delicious that I highly encourage everyone to start their crop come this spring.  Purchase a couple of sweet potatoes from your market, sprout them in a glass or jar of water and plant.  It's that easy!  Check the recommendations for your area.  They are harvested right before the first frost.  They cure for 2 weeks and then are stored in a cooler area (NOT the refrigerator) and will last for approximately 6 months.

first time crop

oh so sweet, no need for butter OR salt, delicious



GARDEN MISHAP

spinach beautiful spinach

soooooooo EARLY in this winter season I planted my spinach.  I used a very reliable seed source, Burpees.  Luckily, I didn't plant all of the seeds and saved the packet.  Who knew I'd have to document my Burpees Garden Mishap. 

So I waited and waited.  Eventually the seeds started to germinate.  I dutifully weeded out every few inches, allowing the strong to survive and thrive.  I kept waiting for this crop to actually look like the spinach I know and love....hmmmmmm, something was just SO wrong.

Finally as this crop really took hold and continued to inch up, it took on a very strange appearance.  I finally recognized the smell...HEY, wait this doesn't smell like spinach.  It did, however, smell like something I had grown once upon a time...

CILANTRO!!!  oops

The bottom line is that yes, folks, even Burpees can make a mistake.  The bad news is, it required me sending a picture of the packet, product and lot numbers, AND a picture of the crop to get my $1.00 initial cost refunded (yes, I can be tenacious).  Gee Burpees, can you afford it???  Guess I'll be driving to the grocery to pick up my spinach this winter.

 

HARVESTING SWEET POTATOES

freshly dug

A GARDEN FIRST

This has been a totally new experience for me.  The threat of the first frost dictated the digging out of the sweet potatoes.  I had NO idea what to expect, fearing the worse...few IF any potatoes.  Happy to report, pleased beyond all expectations!  This first crop of sweet potatoes was an amazing success.

CURING

Now on the details of it all...not till after the sprouting and planting did I learn that sweet potatoes require curing to convert all their starches into sugars.  This curing requires storing the freshly and carefully dug potatoes at 85 degrees and 90 percent humidity for two weeks in the warmest room of one's house.  After picking, what seemed like a gillion, I carefully put these unwashed filthy potatoes into laundry 2 baskets lined with bath towels.  These will spend the next 2 weeks in my laundry closet.

After this curing process, the potatoes then should be stored in a cool location but not the refrigerator. Sweet potatoes stored under good conditions can last for more than six months.

WILL I TASTE SUCCESS?

Can't wait to eat the first one and share them with my ever tolerant neighbors.  Will they taste any different than those from the grocery?  Will the curing work before rot sets in?  Will they really last up to 6 months?  What new recipes await me?

freshly dug, drying in the sun

all shapes and all sizes

looking for a place to store the potatoes

Potatoes should not be scrubbed before curing.

Care is necessary to avoid bruising that can lead

to decay.

OVERVIEW WINTER GARDEN

Take a look at my winter crops:

 

sweet potatoes peeking up

 

 

 

heart healthy kale

 

 

 

cabbage

 

 

 

radicchio

 

 

 

broccoli

 

 

 

newly forming broccoli

 

 

 

green onions, still going strong after the March planting

why ever buy scallions again???

 

 

 

Chinese cabbage in an earth box

 

 

 

arugula

 

 

 

winter tomatoes

(very doubtful about this one)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FALL GARDEN UPDATE

collards growing in an earth box

the only watering is through the PVC pipe

strawberries hanging out near the fence

okra still blooming and producing

romaine, already abundant

GREEN ONIONS / the HOW TO

 

Sept. 22, 2012

 







 

 

Check out my post and pictures of 3/29/12.  At that time I planted a bunch of green onions that I had been rooting for 7 to 10 days.  Here they are, going strong, after 6 months of use.  These are the BEST tasting onions!  I will never buy them from the grocery store again unless it's rooting time.

 

This is from the original post:

"Next time you buy scallion,s don't use the whites - sprout them. Simply secure bulbs with a rubber band and place in a glass with an inch of water. Change the water daily and in about 7 to 10 days new shoots will appear and the roots will double in length. Plant them in a garden or container and snip the greens as you need them."

FALL GARDEN PLANTING / BIG PLANS

earthboxes, not yet covered, tomatoes for fall

who knew?

One of the most exciting features about living in the south is the two season planting.  It's a constant harvest.  It's time again and this year I have a much better handle on it.  As of today, all is planted and I await the first of the crop!

kale

romaine lettuce

mixed salad greens

kale in a barrel

broccoli

cabbage

romaine in a still uncovered earthbox

Swiss Chard, to be covered soon

kolrabi, new for my garden

I also planted spinach seeds, we'll see how that goes.  The okra and eggplant continue to produce.

The strawberry plants and sweet potatoes continue to grow.  Can't wait to harvest both!!!

AND ROOM FOR LOTS OF OTHER

INTERESTING THINGS





HARVEST TIME

And the produce just keeps rolling in.

first ever Asian pear

GREENS IN PARCHMENT

necessity is the mother of invention:

lots and lots of food available in my garden, hence:

greens mixture

mixed well together to incorporate the sauces

and spices

mixture laid out on foil-wrapped parchment paper

I secure my ends with bull-nose clips

INGREDIENTS:

an assortment of greens, 1 large bowl; I used Swiss chard and beet tops

1 red onion, cut in slivers

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, each cut in half

1 green pepper, sliced thin

4 cloves garlic, sliced

3 long green onion stems, cut into small pieces

fresh fennel fronds

fresh oregano

fresh parsley

fresh thyme

salt and pepper

tamari

fresh ginger

fish sauce (omit if vegan)

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

All the herbs are to taste; you can't ruin this one. 

Mix all ingredients together.  Place onto a large piece of parchment paper.  Wrap up and secure the ends, using bull-nose clips. 

If using the foil-lined parchment paper, then just put right on the electric grill or in oven.  For regular parchment paper, place it on a cookie sheet or baking dish.

Cook about 15 to 20 minutes.  Serve with brown rice.

I served mine with carrot dawgs.

FRESH SALAD

This salad is a mix of everything healthy added to your shredded garden greens.

"the healthy everything"

my greens today were beet tops and Swiss Chard (still producing after 8 months)

My salad included:

Goya's pink beans, 1 can, drain and rinse well

1 jar artichokes, drain, rinse and chop

green onions, from the garden, chop

diced tomatoes

frozen corn, thaw and cook slightly

Mix this with:   the greens and top with my salsa

FILLING AND HEALTHY

TRAVEL AND GARDENS #3

The Community Garden, Shrewsbury, NJ

check it out

This is the most amazing project.  I visited and supported this garden while I lived in NJ but it is OH so expanded.  Students of Rumson Country Day volunteer their time to plant and work this vegetable and herb garden.  These local students  work with nature learn the benefits of growing and helping those in need.  Hence, the name, From Seed to Need.  These students plant, water and maintain this now very large garden.  Seating is available for the public to rest and ponder. 

Check out their site and contribute if you can. http://www.grovewestnj.com/garden.php

For those of you that may never see this garden nestled in a shopping center parking lot, I offer these pictures.

strawberries in containers

beautiful grapevine entryways

a place to sit and ponder

container gardening

neatly planned walkways

an abundance of flowers and producer

shopping center in site

beauteous palm

marigolds and Swiss chard

peach tree

I love this view