What To Do For the Vegetable Garden When There’s a Frost on the Way
October 29, 2010 - Written by DianaThere’s a frost on the way tonight, and I’m a little more worried tonight than the last time they predicted it. I guess because it was so cold all day today, even with the cloud cover that I think it could be a serious threat. We still have plenty of veggies gathering up the last bit of sun that they can. It will be time for me to dig up the potatoes and the sweet potatoes, now that there’s is a real frost. We have pea flowers but haven’t tried a fall pea crop before. It may be that we planted the peas too late, but we thought we’d try. We also have cabbage and what would have been broccoli, if an animal hadn’t come along and peeled the plant back to the stems. How do they know they like broccoli, but not cabbage? Here are a few things to do to the garden to prepare for a frost.
First pick what you can – If it’s not able to be covered – for example, I had a couple of plants in separate beds that were individuals. I decided not to cover them, but to pick them instead. …
Strawberry Tips
June 25, 2010 - Written by DianaStrawberry season is winding down in Ohio, but they will probably still be around for another week or so in some other places. We love strawberries, (we love most berries) and when I can, I’ll freeze some to use later. They go bad pretty quickly, so here are some tips from the California Strawberry Commission to help you get the most out of your strawberry picking/eating season.
Here are 10 tips from California Chef, Luca Rutigliano:
Storing
1) Choose strawberries with a consistent red color from top to bottom.
2) Make sure the stem is green and the skin is shiny and firm.
3) Inspect berries in container for signs of bruising or mold.
4) Refrigerate strawberries immediately after purchasing.
5) Before eating, rinse under cool water, pat dry and then remove stems.
Freezing
1) After rinsing, gently blot dry.
2) Slice stem off at top of berry.
3) Place cut side down on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper.
4) Place uncovered in freezer for 24 hours.
5) Transfer strawberries to a freezer bag or container.
Serving Tips from the California Strawberry Commission
1) Strawberries are most flavorful served at room temperature.
2) Serve just as they are or sliced in cereals, salads and served with any meal, …
WW – Chard From My Ohio Winter Garden
January 21, 2010 - Written by DianaWhat a nice surprise after a dreary, cloud covered day, chard from my garden that I used for our dinner. Isn’t that the coolest – in the middle of winter?! It’s just a little bit, but it was so delicious. ( PS ignore the wilty looking stems – I pulled that part out).
Herb Day Sale
May 3, 2009 - Written by Diana
We have been so busy with track meets, it’s difficult to find time to cook, never mind writing about cooking. Hot dogs or burgers at the meets, or fast food afterwards. Sometimes a group of us will go to a restaurant and hang out, though usually it’s a buffet and portion control is always an issue there. My son is doing terrific, but he is one of the runners on the 4 X 4 team and they run the last race at every meet. An exciting, but usually poorly attended race because everyone leaves during the 2 mile race right before it. Last night, it was damp, and then turned rainy and cold. We stopped for the thunder and lightning, then went back out for the last two races. The kids are real troopers. We didn’t eat until 10, then because we were so hungry, we ate too much and didn’t sleep well. Well, what does that have to do with an herb day sale? When I was looking for the meet results (although we won the …
Early Spring Kale
March 25, 2009 - Written by Diana
A Little Too Late For Basil – Darn it!
November 1, 2008 - Written by Diana
Basil hates the cold and I didn’t take care of it before the first frost. It’s such a waste. I will go out and try to pick and dry the rest of the herbs that are still alive. Usually, I cut them at the bottom of the stalk or stem, put a rubber band around a big bunch and hang it upside down into a bag. Then after it’s dry I will put it into a small container of some sort. I have some spice containers for that purpose. Too late for the basil though, darn it. The other green stuff is Swiss Chard which doesn’t seem to mind the cold. My husband threw a plastic cover over top to help keep some of the heat in and it is thriving. Poor, poor basil, poor poor me without basil.
My Garden Pal – He Can Stay As Long As He Likes!
October 14, 2008 - Written by Diana
Tomatillos to Salsa Verde
September 29, 2008 - Written by DianaMy husband loves to grow Tomatillos. Tomatillos are a tart sour tomato (or tomato-like). We’ve planted seeds in the ground or in pots to grow our plants every year. It’s not a plant we can find in a store or nursery, so I decided to try them one time and we’ve done it every year since. Usually we just add them to our salsa’s when we make them, but this year I decided to make Salsa Verde or Green Salsa. This salsa is more of a fresh salsa. Since tomatillos are sour on their own, I didn’t add any vinegar and while it is delicious, I’m not sure of storing it long term. So this is a fresh made salsa to be used up. 
Tomatillos grow on plants and they hang down covered in a papery husk (my husband says they’re lanterns). The tomatillos are in the plant picture, but it’s like a where’s waldo you need to look closely to see them.
Grow Something New, Try Something New
August 1, 2008 - Written by Diana 
I try to grow fresh vegetables and fruit on my little two acre plot. My husband would love to be self sufficient enough to live off the land. I’m not so ambitious. I just want to grow some stuff and I’ll supplement what we can’t. Here’s the deal though. Don’t limit yourself to doing only what you have tried before. Try something new.
We had a party recently and some people wanted to see what we are growing. I showed them and I apologized because my garden has some weeds and is a little messy. I was kind of embarrassed, but they were impressed. We have tried growing things that they had not seen in a regular garden. Some of it was not too far fetched. One guy thought the dill was asparagus. I did have asparagus, but not right there. We also had Kale and Chard, those were new for us this year.
We grow tomatillos, and have grown them for many years, but we haven’t met another person who grows them. A couple of years after we started growing tomatillos they showed up …
Start your own herb garden
June 22, 2008 - Written by DianaI have my own herb garden, that I started years ago. Some years it looked really, really good and other years it went to heck and looked horrendous. It all depended on how much time I had available to work in and around the garden. Big vacation years, or when my kids were young and needed a lot of watching in the pool were the bad years. My kids are older teens and I now have a lot more time to spend in the garden, plus sometimes they help out. Raised beds make it easier to grow and control my herbs and keep the weeds and grass at bay.
