Winter Again...

I guess I have become dormant poster....once every six months. I need to get a kick in it and start posting more regularly. So many things have happened since September but the most obvious would be the antique brick patio. We decided that we needed to remove the 40 year old wooden deck and in its place, I spent 4 weeks putting in a 480 sq. ft. two tier brick patio. The design enabled me to create 3 more planting beds for perennials and things of the such, added unique stair elements for quick access to my garden and overall just added character. Additionally, I was able to brick the walkway in my garden with the left over material which should help combat the ever loosing weed problem I have been experiencing. All I have left to do in the spring is to patch the foundation of the house, paint what is not exposed, erect a pergola over a portion of the patio and plant!!! Second picture it shows a portion of the overall patio ready for the bricks to be set. Some of the retaining walls that were built and off to the right the lower 12'x13' patio which will be covered with the pergola.

One of the last things planted in October was the garlic. This year I went overboard; 4 varieties, 120 head of garlic in a space that is too small. Last years was a mediocre harvest of 60 bulbs but had more to do with the varieties planted. The softnecks had little flavor and the hardnecks didn't grow to my expectation but characteristic of the variety planted. This year, I opted for the stronger flavored, bigger hardneck varieties that should explode. Now it is only hoping and wishing that they survive the winter

Spring planning is just starting. All of my seed catalogs are starting to come in and I will be making some minor changes this coming year. Nothing is set in stone yet but I will be cutting back from 38 tomato plants to about 16. I will be putting corn (popcorn variety) in somewhere, adding a potato planting plot and re-introducing zucchini to the yard. As always, 98% will be started from seeds this year with the majority of them coming from Seed Savers Exchange. In February I will start the salad greens, April the tomatoes and peppers and May brings the zucchini, sunflowers, squash, watermelon and gourds. I will direct seed peas in March, string beans in May and corn in June. Again, it will be another busy year with nothing but anticipation for what we can eat from the garden!!!


Food Harvested:
None

Things Planted:
Garlic in October

Seeds Saved:
hulled Radish Seeds and Pole Bean Seeds

Preserved/Cooked:
Home Made Pasta and Roasted Red Pepper Ravioli
Made Mozzarella Cheese

Things to Remember:1. Need to build bew garden gate
2. New Garden Arbor
3. First is the back corner planitng and arrangement
4. Then its building the pergola
5. Then plainting the back patio area...

Thanksgiving Dinner...

It has been a while since I last posted as life have become a little chaotic. It is amazing to me how little time I can find to do this but now that I am sitting here, I wonder why I don't find the time. Over the last month, the weather has gotten much colder and there has been very little happening outdoors but lots of exciting stuff inside!!

Thanksgiving dinner went well. We had Tiffany, Sandy, Ellie and Alex over for an early dinner. It was the first time I cooked for Thansgiving (even a turkey actually) and with the exception of 1 or 2 items, we managed a relatively preservative free dinner. Actually, I wasn't really thinking about that during the planning process; it wasn't until I had resorted to buying bread cubes did I realize how non-preservative dinner was to be. Dinner was all new recipes for me:

• Organic, Free Range 15lb Turkey (John's Meat Market)
• Sausage, Apple, Cranberry Leek Stuffing
• Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes
• Twice baked, Brown Sugar and Pecan Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
• Oven Roasted Beets with Rosemary, Garlic and Thyme
• Garlic and Onion Sauteed Swiss Chard (with Beet Greens)
• Cranberry, Ginger and Apple Chutney

For dessert, I made a recipe that I think Jen will force me to make every day.....Shoo Fly Pie. If you like Molasses, this is the recipe for you. It is extremely rich and heavy but absolutely delicious!! Although there are a lot of directions below, it is quick and simple to make.

Shoo Fly Pie

Pastry :

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small chunks
• 2 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed

Filling:

• 1 cup un-sulphured molasses or Pennsylvania Dutch Table Syrup
• 3/4 cup hot water
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 large eggs , lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Crumb Topping:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Whipped cream, for serving

Directions
To make the pastry: Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and mix with a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in the ice water and work it in to bind the dough until it holds together without being too wet or sticky. Squeeze a small amount together, if it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Sprinkle the counter and a rolling pin lightly with flour. Roll the dough out into a 10-inch circle; transfer the dough to the pie plate. Press the dough firmly into the bottom and sides so it fits tightly. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the filling: In medium-size mixing bowl, combine the molasses and water; stir in baking soda, eggs, and spices.

To make the crumb topping: With a pastry blender, mix together the flour, brown sugar, and butter, until it is the texture of coarse crumbs. To Assemble:Take 1/2 cup of the crumb mixture and put it in the bottom of the pie shell, pour in the molasses filling, and scatter the remaining crumbs on top. Bake for 30 minutes, until the filling jiggles slightly and the top is firm. Let cool to room temperature before cutting

The garden is done for this year. I do have some more beets in the ground but I think I am going to let them stay to see if they go to seed next year. To prep for the winter, I did not plant Rye or any other cover crop as I wanted to but I was able to put a layer of mulched leaves down. In the early spring, I will turn those into the soil and probably add another bag of peat. I still have the bean trellis up and will probably leave it until spring as well just out of plain laziness.

Now Jen and I are in the talking stages about what to plant and where for next year. I have used this blog to really talk through some ideas and I keep coming back to the same ones (blueberries, blackberries, apple trees, fig trees). Seems that the more I talk, the farther away spring seems to be :)

Food Harvested:
Last of the beets

Things Planted:
spring bulbs

Seeds Saved:
Orange (for Jack)
Chaste Tree (Not sure if it is ready yet, need to research more)

Preserved/Cooked:
lots and lots (Thanksgiving Dinner)

Things to Remember:
1. Need to lay down weed barrier in mature lilac beds
2. You never can know too much

Apple Heirarchy and the $3 Head of Garlic

Funny how things change with time, I always hated apples, could barely stand eating apple pie growing up. Now as my kids eat halves of everything they grab, pick-your own farms and general love for things that have a taste, I have started eating "the other half", apples included. (As I am typing, I am realizing that I think the only varieties my father bought were McIntosh and Red Delicious, my least favorite!!!) Now, I have a new sense of urgency to eat as may varieties as possible and find the best tasting ones possible (I guess I am trying to make up for lost time). In our trip to the Catskills, Jen and I found a great market stand in Stanford where they had 6-7 locally picked varieties. Trying 3 of these, I now am forced to write down my list so I can remember.

1. Honey Crisp
2. Cameo
3. Jonagored
4. WineSap
5. Golden Delicious
6. Gala
7. Red Delicious
8. Ida Red
9. Macintosh

The Goldens came over for Plainfield Iron Chef 2 last night and it was our turn to cook. The secret ingredient: Tomato. Of course with all my tomatoes being ripped out last weekend, Charlotte and I made our way to the farmers' market in Scotch Plains. Really small as compared to the Summit market but it sufficed. 10 lbs of tomatoes (the season's last), 1 lb poblano peppers, Ida Red Apples, some potatoes and lots of fun looking around. The markets (both SP and Summit) are all done for the season next week which will be sad; Jen and I really have become accustomed to shopping for most of our produce and some proteins weekly there.

To make sure the garlic was in the ground on time, I had to finish preparing the bed from last week. When you look at it from a larger perspective, it starts to sound not worth it for garlic. To explain:

• 2 days to rip out the invasive Orange Blossom bush that had more roots than its untamed top growth.
• 1 day to edge the bed, turn over the soil, remove the rocks and start to build a rock border
• 1 day to add 3.3 cu. ft. of peat and 6 bags of mushroom compost ($40), turn it in and rake out/break up the large rock like clumps
• 1 day to plant 30-40 cloves of garlic, cover with 1 bale of straw and 6 bags of cedar mulch ($35)

So, for $70 (excluding having to buy a new shovel to replace the one that broke during the process and ~35 heads of expected garlic, it comes out to about $2 per head, $3 a head if I include labor; I could buy it for $1 per head at the farmers market, oh well.

Tomato Chutney

• 1 - White Onion, chopped
• 4-5 Red Tomatoes (large), rough chopped
• 1 Poblano Pepper, Seeded and rough chopped
• 3 Tbsp Ginger, raw and diced
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Tbsp Paprika
• 1 Tsp Mustard Seed
• 1 Tsp Cumin Seed
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 2 tsp Turmeric
• 2-3 Tbsp Flour

In large covered pan, heat oil until hot. Add all spices and allow to meld for 1 minute until aromatic. Then add everything else except flour. Stir well for first 2 minutes then cover for 5 minutes. Uncover, stir, add flour, cover and let cook over medium heat for another 5 minutes. Turn heat off, uncover, stir and let sit to cool. Can be served at room temperature, hot or cold. I prefer room temperature

Food Harvested:
Green Tomatoes
Green Peppers

Things Planted:
The rest of the garlic (30-40 cloves
Mums
Tulip, Daffodil, Iris bulbs

Seeds Saved:
None..Chaste will be ready soon

Preserved/Cooked:
Fried Green Tomatoes (Jen)
Tomato Chutney (Medium Heat)
Pumpkin Pie

Things to Remember:
1. Don't walk on the garlic
2. Plant Watermelon in Ivy patch
3. Plant pumpkin along side and back fence
4. 4-4x4's for gate arbor, 4 - 4x6's for bottom bed border