Eating on the Wild Side: A Book Recommendation

There's only thing I love as much as gardening, and that's reading. When the book is about gardening, I am in heaven. Heaven.

Over the winter, I'll be sharing recommendations on gardening books. My view on gardening books is wide -- although the community garden here is all about veg and herbs, the books I'll share may be about flowers, landscape design, food politics, and cooking, in addition to growing veg & herb, heirlooms, organic methods, etc.

The first book is actually a recommendation from one of our gardeners. I haven't read it yet, but I bought it right away when she emailed me (I have a nasty habit of not censoring myself when it comes to ordering books from Amazon.com). I'll chime in on the book once I've read it, but here's her recommendation:

"I just read a really great book of getting the most good stuff from veggies.

The book I like so much is Eating on the Wild Side, by Jo Robinson.

I learned so much from this outstanding book. Jo Robinson tells you how to shop, cook, and eat to maximize your intake of protective phytonutrients that nature puts in plants. Highly recommended reading for all who are health conscious."

Here's the Booklist blurb on the book:

"For some, locavorism isn’t enough. Farmed food of any sort lacks the full panoply of flavors and textures that wild foods bring to the table. Moreover, wild foods offer some nutritional advantages and may be richer in some vitamins and minerals than their cultivated cousins. Some laboratory studies have concluded that medical benefits, including protection from cancer cells, can be found in vegetables such as brussels sprouts. Despite her impassioned advocacy for eating foods culled from woodlands and creek beds, Robinson is not so doctrinaire as to believe that everyone has the time or the access to such foods. So she offers a guide to buying the best, most flavorful produce in supermarkets. Robinson guides readers through ranks of greens, explaining how to judge lettuces by color and why to select loose spinach rather than the bagged variety. Such guides can benefit grocery shoppers who lack the means of foraging their dinners. --Mark Knoblauch"

For more about the book and its author, click here for an interview on Epicurious.com and here for an interview on NPR.

And the garden is closed!

The Wagner Farm Community Garden program is officially closed for 2013. What a terrific growing season! I enjoyed gardening with all of you and hope to see you back in 2014!

END DATE IS OCTOBER 27

Given that we're about to hit a week of nightly frosts, October 27 will be the end date for all community gardeners for the 2013 season.

Know your squash

Found this cool poster online -- giving me some ideas of what to grow next year!

Finch-frenzy

Community Gardener Tom spotted this oh so happy finch lunching on a sunflower a few weeks ago in the community garden.

Favorite tomatoes?



Everyone's tastes are different, but I'm curious -- what's your favorite tomato to grow? And why? Is it the beautiful color (like the Indigo Rose above), the taste, the shape, the fact that the plant seems impervious to disease or pests -- what? Is there anything you grew this year that you had trouble with? I'd love to hear!

Not limited to heirlooms, by the way -- just looking for recommendations!

Harvest Picnic is cancelled for Sunday

Sorry to say, but the Harvest Picnic is cancelled for Sunday. I have been diagnosed with pneumonia and will not be in the garden for at least another week.

It's not just the veg -- the peelings are good for you, too

I love veg and fruit peelings. I have great memories of nicking my nuckles while peeling mountains of potatoes in the kitchen with my mom and grandma while getting ready for Jewish holidays. In those days, we put the peelings in the trash; now, I compost them and reuse their nutrients in my garden.

Apparently there's another way to get the most out of your produce -- use the peels in preparing dishes or prepare them on their own. Prevention Magazine has a neat article up on how to sneak peels -- and nutrients -- into your food. Click here for the whole story -- check out the sample below.

Potato skins

Why: About half of the spud's hunger-quelling fiber is in the skin.
How: Make potato crisps. Place peelings on a baking sheet and sprinkle with oil, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Bake at 400°F until crisp, 10 to 15 minutes.

Planning for next year already...

I'll admit it -- I'm planning next year while I'm finishing up this year. And peppers are high on my list -- they're heavy eaters like tomatoes, but they're mostly maintenance free, immune to most fungal or bacterial issues, and incredibly healthy to eat. One of our gardeners grew ghost peppers this year -- aka the Bhut Jolokia -- and that got me thinking about heat levels in peppers. Check out this cool image to help you choose next year's pepper crop. And click here for an explanation of the Scoville measurement.

What to do with all of your tomatoes

Found this great link with a ton of recipes -- click here.

Love that gardeners are sending in recipes -- keep them coming!

And while I have your attention, here's a picture of Mike's huge (and small) radishes, with the appropriate comparison to sports equipment.

Cooking with Corn... Ice Cream?

Here's Marianne's second offering -- sweet corn ice cream!

Sweet Corn Ice Cream with Blackberry Sauce

The natural sweetness of freshly harvested corn combines with cream to create an unusual—but delicious—ice cream. With a drizzle of fresh blackberry sauce that’s a fruity counterpoint to the rich ice cream, this cooling dessert captures summer in a bowl.

4 ears of fresh sweet corn, husks and silk removed 

3 cups half-and-half 

1 cup heavy cream, plus more as needed 

2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar 

Pinch of salt 

1/4 cup water 

2-1/2 pints blackberries 

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice 

Using a chef’s knife, cut the kernels off the corn cobs. Add the kernels and cobs to a large pot along with the half-and-half and the 1 cup cream. Add the 2/3 cup sugar and the salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for about 

5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let steep for at least 3 hours or up to overnight. (If steeping for longer than 3 hours, refrigerate the mixture.) 

Strain the corn mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Using your hands, wring out the cobs and press on the kernels with a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the cobs and kernels. Measure the liquid; you should have about 3 cups. If not, add more cream as needed. Cover and refrigerate the corn-infused mixture for at least 3 hours or up to 8 hours. 

In a nonreactive saucepan, bring the 1/2 cup sugar and the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 2 pints of the blackberries and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries break down, about 8 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender and add the lemon juice. Puree the berry mixture, then strain it through a fine-mesh sieve. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Freeze the chilled corn-infused mixture in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If desired, pack it into an airtight container and freeze until very firm. 

To serve, scoop the ice cream into bowls, drizzle with the blackberry sauce, top with a few of the remaining blackberries and serve immediately. Makes 1 quart ice cream; serves 6. 

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma New Flavors for Desserts, by Raquel Pelzel (Oxmoor House, 2008)

Cooking with Corn, Part S[oup]

First up, a recommendation from Marianne, plot SC11. Marianne is a chef for Williams Sonoma, and she has offered up two recipes from a class she taught at Williams Sonoma last year. Here's the first:

Corn and Zucchini Soup with Crumbled Bacon 

The texture of the fried corn, bacon and thyme garnish elevates this humble dish. You can make the soup ahead of time, but prepare the garnish just before serving.

6 thick-cut bacon slices

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 zucchini, trimmed, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

4 cups chicken broth

3 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 6 ears)

Salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

1 Tbs. unsalted butter

1/4 tsp. minced fresh thyme 

In a large, heavy pot over medium heat, cook the bacon, turning once, until crispy, about 

8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Let cool, then cut into bite-size pieces. Set aside.

Discard all but 1 Tbs. of the bacon fat from the pot. Add the olive oil, onion and garlic and sauté over medium-high heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and sauté for 

5 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add 2 ½ cups of the corn kernels and cook for 

5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender. Return the soup to the pot and season with salt and white pepper.

In a small fry pan over high heat, melt the butter. Add the remaining 1/2 cup corn kernels, the bacon and the thyme. Fry, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat.

Serve the soup topped with the corn and bacon mixture. Serves 4 to 6.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Soup of the Day, by Kate McMillan (Weldon Owen, 2011)

You grew it -- now what do you do with it?

I'm starting a section on recipes on the blog -- and I have to admit, this may be more for me than for you! I'm not a great cook, and I'm not always confident reading through cookbooks and choosing recipes. I figured if you guys sent me recipes you like, that's enough recommendation for me!

So here we go -- send me any recipes you love that use veg or fruit you grow at Wagner Farm or purchase at the Farmer's Market. Let's bring this party full-circle -- growing and eating what we grow!

Check out the RECIPES section on the right side of the blog -- click on a recipe name, and you'll be taken to the recipe if you'd like a copy to print out.

Enjoy!

Do Organic Pest Control Methods Work?

Ok, so I've been a little lax putting up new posts. I'll admit that August always flies by for me -- harvesting veg every day, doing all the end of summer stuff for and with my kids -- generally, I'm lucky if I remember to shower during August. (And my family would be lucky, too!)

But I'm back, and to start back up, I'm putting up an article by Mother Earth News, questioning which organic methods of pest control work, backed up by a survey. It's interesting stuff -- and worth keeping in mind for next year.

One of the best methods of pest control, one which I'll mention again and again next year, is using row covers to keep pests like cucumber beetles away. Another one for the cucumbers? Plant later, after the first flush of cucumber beetles pop up, and after predators of this insect are higher in number. I've got some other research to do about cucumbers -- we should be growing them better, and it's been a sad two years for this popular veg.

Anyway -- click here for the whole article. I've copied just a bit of it for quick reference below.

Top-Rated Natural Methods for Controlling Common Garden Pests

Aphid: Insecticidal soap, attracting beneficials, horticultural oil
Armyworm: Bt (Bacillus thuringiens), handpicking, row covers
Asparagus beetle: Poultry predation, neem, handpicking
Blister beetle: Poultry predation, neem, handpicking
Cabbage root maggot: Crop rotation, beneficial nematodes, diatomaceous earth
Cabbageworm: Bt, handpicking, row covers
Carrot rust fly: Crop rotation, beneficial nematodes, diatomaceous earth
Colorado potato beetle: Poultry predation, neem, handpicking
Corn earworm: Bt, horticultural oil, beneficial nematodes
Cucumber beetle: Poultry predation, neem, handpicking
Cutworm: Rigid collars, Bt, diatomaceous earth
Flea beetle: Insecticidal soap, garlic-pepper spray, row covers
Harlequin bug: Handpicking, good garden sanitation, neem
Japanese beetle: Handpicking, row covers, milky spore disease
Mexican bean beetle: Poultry predation, neem, handpicking
Onion root maggot: Crop rotation, beneficial nematodes, diatomaceous earth
Slugs: Handpicking, iron phosphate slug bait, diatomaceous earth
Snails: Handpicking, iron phosphate slug bait, diatomaceous earth
Squash bug: Handpicking, good garden sanitation, neem
Squash vine borer: Growing resistant varieties, crop rotation, beneficial nematodes
Stink bug: Handpicking, good garden sanitation, neem
Tarnished plant bug: Handpicking, good garden sanitation, neem
Tomato hornworm: Bt, handpicking, row covers
Whitefly: Insecticidal soap, attracting beneficials, horticultural oil

---

Worst Garden Pests by Region

Ever wondered which pests thrive in your region and how your region compares with others in North America? The information in our regional pest chart breaks it down.

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/print.aspx?id={43C559E0-267A-4383-8B69-9EA3290484C4}#ixzz2cYa8wUCs

Farmer's Market Recipe Generator from Mark Bittman

So you all are growing some terrific veg out in the community garden. I'd love to hear about some of your favorite recipes or preparations, because while I know how to grow organic veg, I'm not the best cook.

Here's something else I'm going to try -- I found a Farmer's Market Generator on Mark Bittman's website. (Bittman is a terrific chef and cookbook writer -- one of my favorites because he includes very simple recipes in some of his cookbooks).

Here's how it works: The Generator includes up to 50 combinations of fruit, veg, cooking method and herbs. You choose a fruit/veg, and the Generator randomly picks a cooking method and herb, and includes a recipe using all three right below. If you don't like the cooking method or herb chosen, click on those down-arrows, and see if there are other options.

If you want to add a few recipes to your summer repertoire, or you're considering buying something new at the Glenview Farmer's Market on Saturday and you want to see what you might do with it, check out the Farmer's Market Generator here.

Bon appétit!

Composting Workshops at SWANCC

If you've ever considered composting kitchen scraps at home, now is the time! SWANCC is hosting a composting workshop on August 15 from 6:15-7:15pm for residential would-be composters. The workshop is free but you must RSVP because space is limited. To register, and if you have any questions, contact Mary Allen, SWANCC Recycling and Education Director, at mary@swancc.org or 847-724-9205, ext. 204. Include your cell number and the name of your town. You'll then receive a follow-up confirmation with additional info and directions. The class will be held outdoors at SWANCC's Glenview Transfer Station at 1151 N River Road.

SWANCC is the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County, a not-for-profit intergovernmental agency comprised of 23 municipalities in Illinois. Check them out by clicking here.

In and around our garden

One of my favorite things about our community garden is the amazing diversity of design and technique. I walk up and down the walkways almost every day, and it occurred to me that many of you gardeners may not, so I thought I'd share some of my favorite things in our very own garden:

A handy way to store watering cans

Storing watering can AND tools

Nicely rendered Florida weave support for tomatoes

PVC hoops with row covers

PVC hoops with netting

Purple string beans

Creative signage

Our very own sign-maker, Christine

Kids staying cool while visiting the garden

And my very favorite thing -- sunshine on the veg...





 ...which is not a technique, but is beautiful nonetheless.

Flowering onions

I've received a few questions about flowering onions. Yes, onions can flower -- and not just chives! There are lovely Dr. Seus-like alliums that are ornamental onions; these bulbs are not edible.

But sometimes onions planted for eating flower -- here's an explanation from MotherEarthnews.com:

Onion Flowers and Garlic Flowers

5/13/2013 3:57:00 PM

By Vicki Mattern

I noticed onion flowers and garlic flowers in my garden last summer. What caused this, and, in the future, should I remove the flowering stems or let them bloom?

Onions are biennial, which means they ordinarily produce bulbs in their first year of growth, then, if left in the garden, they flower and bear seed in their second year. George Boyhan, a vegetable specialist at the University of Georgia extension office, says springtime temperature swings — such as a warm spell followed by a cold snap — can sometimes cause onions to bloom. That’s especially true if cold weather strikes an onion that is approaching maturity, a state usually indicated by seven true leaves. Younger plants with fewer leaves are less likely to bloom early.

What to do? Harvest any flowering onions and use the bulbs immediately, because they won’t keep well. (You can put the pretty flowering stems in a vase with water.) Do not break off the flower stems or leave the bulbs in the ground for later harvest — the bulbs won’t grow any larger, and the broken, hollow flower stems will channel rainwater directly to the bulbs, encouraging rot.

According to Boyhan, onions are regionally developed. To reduce the chance of onion flowers blooming (or “bolting”) too soon, check with your extension service for recommended varieties. Bulb formation is triggered by the amount of daylight, so be sure you are planting the right “day length” type for your area — “long day” onion varieties in northerly latitudes, and “short day” onion varieties in southerly latitudes. Smaller onion sets (less than the size of a dime in diameter) are less likely to bolt than larger sets. (MOTHER EARTH NEWS’ comprehensive, step-by-step guide to growing onions is available at All About Growing Onions.)

Hardneck garlic produces long, curled stems, called “scapes,” in early to midsummer, following a fall planting. Snip off the scapes as soon as they appear, but don’t harvest the garlic bulbs yet. Unlike onions, the flowering garlic bulbs will continue to grow after the scapes have been removed, putting all of their energy into making the bulb. A tasty bonus: You can use scapes from flowering garlic — which have a pleasantly mild garlicky flavor — in soups, salads, stir-fries or pestos. Harvest garlic bulbs when the lower five leaves of the plant have turned brown.

Above: Springtime temperature swings can cause onions to bloom early. Harvest the flowering onions, as they won’t keep well.

Photo By Dreamstime/Jupaule

MotherEarthNews is a terrific resource for gardening information, as well as information on sustainable living practices.

Tackling Tomatoes -- a terrific class

Had a wonderful class about tackling tomatoes on Monday night! While the class was munching on heirloom tomatoes, I taught them about how tomato plants grow, best ways to feed & water them, and staking techniques. Then we went out into the community garden for some hands-on work.

First, we discussed the different staking techniques I had used with different tomato plants in the Wagner Farm demo plot. I got to show off my new Florida weaving technique (see above) while dissing my previous use of wimpy bamboo stakes. We all agreed that 1" wooden stakes are a good, sturdy choice for staking and making improvised cages.

Then we had a laugh over the tomatoes I hadn't staked -- they were a mess of stems, and separating them out plant by plant took awhile. The demo plot is a place where I experiment and teach gardening techniques. I purposefully hadn't staked some of the tomato plants because I wanted to teach, in the tackling tomatoes class, how to come in, mid-season, and put tomato plants on a better path. It's all very well to say, well, you should've done this when you planted the tomato a few months ago -- I wanted to teach what can be done now.

Finally, each class participant got to prune and diagnose one of the tomato plants in the demo plot. Some of the gardeners were shy about cutting limbs off my plants, but they soon loosened up. Apparently, it's a lot easier to hack away at someone else's plants! Luckily, I'm not sentimental about my tomatoes. I also know, from past experience, that judicious pruning now will save me heartache later.

The best part of the class? Hearing the next day how some of the participants went to work pruning their own tomatoes! I guess the shyness has rubbed off!

________

Stay tuned for more about how to set your tomatoes on a good path for the last 3 months of the growing season!

Dilled Pea Salad With Dill Mustard Sauce

Dilled Pea Salad:

1/2 cup Mayo
1/2 cup diary sour cream
1 Tbsp. Dilled Mustard (see recipe below)
1, 10 oz. pkg. frozen green peas, thawed
1/3 cup sliced green onion
1 3/4 cups chopped cabbage
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
Lettuce Leaves

Stir together mayo, sour cream, and mustard. In a salad bowl, combine peas, onion, cabbage, celery, and eggs. Add 1/2 cup dressing. Cover; chill 2 to 4 hours. Serve on lettuce-lined plates. Store remaining dressing up to 1 week in frig. Makes 8 servings.


Dilled Mustard Sauce:

3/4 cup yellow mustard seeds
1/2 cup dry mustard
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. snipped fresh dill or 1 Tbsp. dried dillweed, crushed
2 tsp. salt

In a medium container, combine seeds, dry mustard, vinegar, and water. Cover. Soak 48 hours; add vinegar and water (in correct proportions) to keep seeds covered.

Transfer to food processor bowl. Add remaining ingredients; process 5 to 6 minutes until creamy and flecked with seeds. Add enough water, vinegar, and wine (in correct proportions) to make creamy. Mixture will thicken slightly. Transfer to nonaluminum container. Cover and refrigerate up to 6 months (best aged 3 to 4 weeks). Makes about 3 1/4 cups.

Kale Salad with Pine Nuts & Currants

1/2 lb fresh Kale
2 tbs. black currants
1 1/2 tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tbs. rice wine vinegar
3 tbs. honey
2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbs. pine nuts, toasted
2 tbs. parmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Whisk balsamic vinegar, rice wine vinegar, honey and olive oil in a large mixing bowl. Wash and chop the kale into larger pieces. Add chopped kale, pine nuts & parmesan cheese to dressing. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

And you thought your itty bitty zucchini plant would never fill the space

So we've made it through the first influx of cucumber beetles, and a flood, and a late cold spring, and now your zucchini are out of control.

What to do?

You can prune vining veg (like cucumbers or melon), by making a diagonal cut right above a set of leaves. Zucchini plants are more like long stalks with leaves on the end (bushes, rather than true vines), so while you can just chop wandering leaves, there are other things to try.

While I don't generally allow fences around your garden plots, I'll modify the rule to help you corral your bushy friends. Try a pea fence between your plot and the next to keep your zuke in line.

This type of fence is terrific to use first for cool-season peas, and then to keep summer veg in line. Be sure it's solidly in the ground, though, because squash are tough characters.

Another thing to try, especially for zucchini, is a tomato cage.

But not like this -- flip it over and place it over your plant, like this --

This is a helpful technique for several reasons. First, it keeps those huge zucchini leaves from shading your neighbor's veg. Second, the zucchini grow around the base of the plant, and they can be hard to find amidst the prickly stems and huge leaves. Lifting and containing the leaves like this makes it really easy to find your growing-over-night zucchini before it's the size of a baseball bat.

"Drinking In the Garden" - Bella Fragola

1 ounce fresh lemon juice
4 basil leaves
2 strawberries
2 ounces Beefeater 24 gin
1 ounce simple syrup
1 can sparkling water (about 8-10 ounces)
Lemon Wheel

Add lemon juice, 3 basil leaves and 1 strawberry to a mixing glass; lightly muddle.

Add the gin and simple syrup along with ice to fill; shake vigorously. Strain over ice; top with a splash of soda.

Garnish with lemon wheel, basil leaf and strawberry, if you like.

 Find a Friend, Sit back and enjoy.

Radishes of Unusual Size

Mike from plot SC1 was kind enough to share his comparative radish study. Anyone else taking pictures of your harvest?

T-shirts have arrived!

The t-shirts arrived earlier this week! I'll be wearing mine today at the farm, while I see how much water may still be on the garden plots. (And did I hear right it's supposed to rain again today?)

If you ordered a shirt, stop by the front desk of the Heritage Center today from 9am-5pm and grab your shirt!

Living on the edge

The edges of your garden plot are the most important -- and most overlooked -- place in your plot.

1. WEEDS

That's the first place I look for weeds -- if you can keep the edges of your plot clean, I am less likely to be concerned about weeds in the center (unless they're going to flower). Especially consider the weeds along the edge between your plot and your neighbors' plots. Gardeners often consider this no-man's land and figure the other person will weed. I consider this the first place to weed, since this is the main reason why weeds are a problem (wandering from one plot to the next).

I am not as concerned with weeds right along the grass walkways, but it's good for you gardeners if you keep that area clean. Staff gets the mower close to the plots, but then there's usually a bit of weed-whacking necessary. If you want to protect any veg you have growing close the walkway, keep an extra little area clear of weeds, or just chop them down yourself, and then staff won't need to weed whack there.

2. POSSESSION

Also keep in mind a little bit I learned the first day in my property law class in law school: if a neighbor's apples fall on my property, they become my apples. If your tomato plants drop a tomato in another plot, by virtue of being planted so close to the other plot that branches overlap the airpspace, that tomato now has a new owner.

3. WANDERERS

Some of the plants we grow get pretty big -- squash & cukes get long and viney, tomato plants get pretty wide. While a neighboring gardener might appreciate a tomato falling on their plot once in awhile, they are less likely to look happily on a squash plant bullying its way into their plot. If you have planted squash, cukes or melons in your plot, you are responsible for keeping it in your plot. If you have planted too close to your plot edges and your plants are uninvited visitors in the next plot, please prune or otherwise corral them. Next year, consider planting your vining plants in the center of your plot, and leaving enough room around tomatoes for their full growth.

This applies to the edges of your plot along the walkways, too. Any plants wending their way into the walkways will get mowed eventually if not promptly pruned or corralled.

This is the one time I will let someone use a small piece of fence on the edge of their plot -- to keep vines in. But keep any fencing or containment clearly on your plot, and make sure you have enough room in your plot to weed around the plant. In other words, don't take up any of your plot neighbor's space.

Spinach, Apple, And Walnut Salad

Serves 4.

2 Golden Delicious Apples, cored, cut into large dice
4 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 (5-ounce) packages (8 cups) of baby spinach leaves
3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons honey
2/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, chopped

Toss apples with 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice. Place spinach in a large bowl, remove long stems and bruised leaves. Whisk together remaining juice, olive oil, vinegar, honey, salt, and ground pepper to taste. Toss spinach with apples and dressing. Divide between four bowls. Top with cheese and walnuts.

Enjoy!

WFCG T-shirts are ordered

Thanks to everyone who ordered t-shirts! I put the order in today for 54 t-shirts, and they should be here next week. When they arrive, I'll set up a pick-up time and let you all know.

54 shirts ordered -- wow!

Weeds and other Friday fun facts

A weed by any other name... is a terrific source of nitrogen for a compost pile. So do us a favor and put your weeds to good use in the compost bins, not in your plots!

Here's a primer on the main 6 I've seen out in the community garden over the past year... plus the one who has been the subject of the most disagreement. (Read on to find out why.)

Lamb's Quarter

Lamb's Quarter

Type: Broadleaf annual

Size: To 4 feet tall and 18 inches wide

Appearance: Scalloped leaves have gray undersides.

Control: Mulch to prevent it; pull plants by hand

   

Smartweed

Smartweed

Type: Broadleaf annual

Size: To 42 inches tall and 30 inches wide

Appearance: Upright plant with pink or white flowers in summer and fall and lance-shape leaves often marked with purple chevrons.

Control: Mulch garden areas in spring to prevent it; pull plants by hand

 

Canada Thistle

Canada Thistle

Type: Broadleaf perennial 

Size: To 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide

Appearance: Spiny, gray-green leaves and purple flowers.

Control: Mulch to prevent it in landscape areas; dig it out by hand.

Note: Thistle has an extensive root system that can grow several feet out from the main plant. This makes it great for using in compost bins or homemade fertilizer.

 

Pigweed

Pigweed

Type: Broadleaf annual

Size: 6 feet tall, 2 feet wide

Appearance: Tall plants with a taproot; hairy-looking clusters of green flowers.

Control: Mulch garden areas in spring to prevent it; pull plants by hand

 

Ragweed

Ragweed

Type: Broadleaf annual

Size: To 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide

Appearance: Finely cut green leaves are almost ferny.

Control: Mulch to prevent it; pull it out by hand.

Musk Thistle

Musk Thistle
Type: Broadleaf biennial
Size: To 6 feet tall and 18 inches wide
Appearance: Prickly leaves off of tall stems topped by heavy 2-inch purple flowers.
Control: Mulch to prevent it; dig it out.

And the one at the center of several vociferous arguments last year...

Velvetleaf

Velvetleaf

Type: Annual

Size: To 7 feet tall -- and quickly

Appearance: Large, floppy leaves with a velvety feel, and small yellow flowers.

Control: Mulch to prevent it; dig it out.

I get it -- velvetleaf has soft leaves, pretty flowers, and quick growth. It can seem like a sunflower until the moment you realize it's taken over your plot and it is not something you planted. Velvetleaf is considered a major weed of Illinois cropland because of its quick, almost miraculous growth, and the fact that its seeds can remain viable in soil for twenty years.

Yup, you read that correctly. Let this guy go to seed, and you've got a major weed problem from when your baby is in diapers until she's almost legal to drink. Do us all a favor: unless you KNOW you planted sunflowers in that exact location, if you see a plant looking like this one, yank it right then and compost it.

Spicy Zucchini with Garlic and Parsley

Spicy Zucchini with Garlic and Parsley

Ingredients:
 - 1/4 cup olive oil
 - 2 garlic cloves or you can use jar form
 - 1 - 1/2 pounds zucchini, washed, trimmed and cut into 1/4 inch rounds
 - 1 teaspoon dried red chile flakes
 - Kosher Salt to taste
 - 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
 - 3 tablespoons fresh minced parsley

Directions:
In a large skillet, combine olive oil and garlic and cook on medium for 3 minutes. Add zucchini, chile flakes and salt and cook in a single layer on medium until golden brown on both sides. Stir to prevent overcooking. Add vinegar and scrape bits off bottom. Cook another 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in parsley and serve. Makes 4 servings.

Recipe from Taste of Italia, January / February 2012 issue.

Wagner Farm Dairy Breakfast

Take a break from gardening on Saturday and join us for the annual Wagner Farm Dairy Breakfast!

We had a blast taking the old timey picture in the poster -- can you spot me?

In my spare time...

I also garden at home. No veg, there, because I've got a plot at Wagner Farm, but lots of flowers.

I don't have pictures of my largest bed, because I haven't trimmed the hedge behind it yet, and it looks ridiculous. This is a bed I created around an old horse chestnut tree, which has since been made into wood chips. This bed is a lot of peonies (Paula Fay being my favorite), with wild geraniums, allium, chives, catmint, rosemary and roses, plus an evergreen. We got this evergreen 12 years ago as a seedling from a booth at the Glenview Street Fair, and I tucked it into this bed behind the horse chestnut almost as a joke. Over a decade later, it's growing really well and has taken over tree duties in the bed.

My favorite combo -- hot pink peonies and coral/yellow roses.

I'd love to see pictures of your home gardens, too!

Cold Cucumber and Avocado Soup

In a blender, combine:

1 cucumber, partially peeled, seeded and cut into small 2" cubes

1/2 Avocado

2 Scallions

1 Cup Sour Cream

1 Cup Chicken Stock

2 Tablespoons Lime Juice

Salt & Pepper

Blend well and adjust seasoning.

Enjoy on a hot summer night!

Organic fertilizer

Now that a lot of plants are planted, you might be thinking they need a bit o' feeding. Wind, cold temps, too much water -- these all can stress out your plants, and some plant food can help with that as well. Even with the terrific soil we have, different veg need different types of nutrients. Leafy greens generally need more nitrogen, and fruiting plants could use a small amount of nitrogen, potash and potassium (see blurb on NPK at bottom of post).

Before you go running to the store, think about a few things:

1. Anything you use in the garden must be organic. No Miracle-gro, nothing with an ingredient list full of synthetics. If you want to purchase organic fertilizer, I suggest nurseries like Pesches, Lurveys, Reds or Chalet. No matter the source, it must say "organic" or "OMRI" on the packaging. Even the word "natural" may not mean it's organic -- if you have questions, snap a shot of the label and email/text it to me.

2. Ingredients you might find in an organic fertilizer include worm castings, kelp extract, fish bone meal, alfalfa meal, seaweed extract, plant hormone, calcium, aged manure, among other things. 

3. You can also make your own organic fertilizers. Here are some examples --

Using common weed leaves: to add a dose of nitrogen

1. Harvest your leaves, nettles, weeds, seaweed etc and place them in a bucket with a lid.
2. Fill the bucket with water.
3. Wait two weeks.
4. Dilute the concentrate to look like weak tea before you use it.

Epsom salt: to add magnesium and sulfate (esp. for peppers, tomatoes and peppers

1. Combine 1 Tablespoon Epsom Salt, 1 gallon water in a watering can
2. Use the solution to water your plants.
3. Repeat once a month.

My favorite organic fertilizer is worm castings -- those I get from my vermicompost bin and those I purchase. The NPK is worm castings is around 0.1-2 for each macronutrient, depending on what the worms were fed. Worm castings and general compost are both like multivitamins -- low levels of macronutrients, but with terrific micronutrients, humus, and microorganisms.

NP-what?

A bit about nutrients: you might have seen a three-number marking on different fertilizers, like 16-9-9, or 4-0-0-. This lets you know the NPK contents: n=nitrogen, p=potash, and k=potassium. The numbers represent the ratio of the nutrients to each other and their volume in the container. For instance, Gardeners Supply sells "Gardener's Best Organic Tomato Fertilizer" with an NPK of 8-5-5. This means it has 8% nitrogen, 5% potash and 5% potassium. That adds up to 18% macronutrients in the bag, with the other 82% of the bag being filler and micronutrients. I've never seen a fertilizer that has an NPK that equals 100, by the way, not even close!