Gardening 2013 - Mid July Update

This has been a tough spring and early summer for the garden. We've had weeks of steady rain interspersed with merely cloudy weather. Last week was the first time in  a while when we've had even a few consecutive sunny days. Nevertheless, things are staring to happen...

San Marzano Tomatoes

The San Marzano tomatoes are finally coming along. They've made it to the top of the support frames at last and are beginning to set fruit. Obviously there has been no water stress this year. With plenty of eggshell mixed into the soil around each plant I'm hoping we're free from blossom end rot. So far there's no sign of wilt either.

Eggplant in cages

The eggplant has been slow to develop (and we won't mention the state of the peppers). I've been cutting off fruit as it sets to try to encourage more growth. I'm hopeful that a few sunny weeks will put them on track. We did harvest a couple that got away from me but for now there's nothing happening but (I hope) solid growth.

Cippolini Onions

As expected, the onions have pretty much all tipped over. I'll go out this evening after it cools off to weed and tip the ones that haven't. There are some beets and carrots in the foreground that need thinning as well.

Zucchini

The Zucchini was direct seeded in late May. This is the same variety we grew last year and it's doing rather well. I'll harvest that little guy in a couple more days.

Lettuce Gutter

This has been successful beyond my hopes. We've been making little salads a couple night each week and the lettuce just keeps coming. There's a drip line in there so in the event we ever go more than a few days without rain the lettuce will stay happy.

Gardening 2012: Labor Day Update

Last Harvest?

Never underestimate the power of Italian vegetables! Just when I though the eggplant had finished, I ended up with another 2 lb 3 oz. We even got one last zucchini because I was too lazy to dig up the plants. We've harvested another 1 lb of little red Calabrese Peppers too. Back in the upper bed the Cima di Rapa is up and needs to be thinned and the cicoria and spinach are poking their heads up as well.

Saffron Bulbs

We also planted 45 saffron bulbs. This was a bit harder than it might seems due to the fact that the front area was still laced with old bamboo roots that had to be dug out before we could plant the little guys. Saffron is a fall blooming bulb and according to the directions we should have fresh saffron in a month or so.

We still have to plant root vegetables in the old lower bed and there are hundreds of peppers still slowly ripening. We might even see a few more eggplant.

Gardening 2012: July Update

It's time once more for a gardening update!

Coming Along

San Marzano Tomatoes: They're exceding every possible expectation. The plants in the upper bed have reached the tops of the double height ladders and although the three in the lower bed are not as tall, they easily match the others for quantity of fruit. We got our first ripe tomato from the lower bed on July 3rd. and now there are quite a few beginning to color. I'm a little concerned about the wilting leaves, but the plants seem otherwise healthy.

I didn't think I'd start needing to buy quart jars until August...

Il Talismano della Felicita: Maccheroni Con Mozzarella

Maccheroni Con Mozzarella

Recipe by Ada Boni

Maccheroni Con Mozzarella

Another classic recipe from Il Talismano Della Felicita this is a meatless baked pasta dish enriched with a scratch made fresh tomato sauce and lots of cheese.

As usual with Ada Boni's recipes this one can be cut in half to accommodate modern appetites or left "whole" to yield plenty of leftovers.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 600 g Ziti, broken up if long
• 1.5 Kg Tomatoes
• 2 Medium Eggplant
• 1 Tbs Lard (or Olive Oil)
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 1 Carrot, chopped
• 1 rib Celery, chopped
• 100 g Grated Provolone
• 200 g Mozzarella, sliced thin
• Basil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Oil for frying

#MeatlessMonday - Garden Pizza #1

Garden Pizza #1

Recipe by Bill C

Made with the first few vegetables from our little garden.

Ingredients

• 250 g. Bread Flour
• 200 g. Water
• 5 g. Salt
• 1 Tbs Olive oil
• 1/2 pkt. Active Dry Yeast
• 1 Small Italian or Japanese Eggplant
• 1 Small Zucchini
• 28 oz Can Peeled Tomatoes
• 4 oz. Fresh Mozzarella
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Gardening 2012 - Thunderstorm Update

Rolled Zucchini

Friday evening we had the first real thunderstorm of the season. I managed to get the lawn mowed before it started and although there were a few flickers, the power stayed on. This morning I went out to see how the garden had fared, particularly the tomatoes, as they have gotten rather tall.

As you can see, the zucchini got sort of rolled over in the wind. Although a few of the male blossoms broke off, they're none the worse for the experience.

You can't hide anymore

And it was easier to trim off a couple unfertilized zucchini that were hiding underneath (they'll gradually decay if you don't).

Eggplant!

The eggplants don't seem to have noticed the storm at all. As you can see we'll be getting plenty of these purple beauties this year. The big one on the lower right is now in the kitchen awaiting it's fate.

Some of the pepper plants got knocked over. Since they're all a little on the spindly side, I took the PVC pipes we used early in the spring to support a frost cover and converted them to stakes.

Almost 6 feet tall

And then there are the tomatoes. These San Marzano plants are huge and are going to need some careful pruning. A couple branches were partially broken in the storm so they'll have to come off and a few other branches are intruding on the onions and Swiss Chard.

Gardening 2012 - Memorial Day Update

San Marzano Tomatoes 6 weeks after transplant

Back in Minneapolis, this is the weekend we used to set out tomatoes and other cold sensitive plants. But of course, things get warmer sooner these days and if you've been following along you'll recall that we planted out our tomatoes on April 15th! Anyway, six weeks later those scrawny plants have grown into exceptionally vigorous vines that are nearly four feet tall. Since it's apparent they'll easily over-top the ladders I bought, I've ordered another set to extend the ones already in place.

The peppers and eggplants in the front bed are starting to catch up now that they're getting sunlight before noon. It's a good reminder that even though it was warm enough to plant out in mid-April, the Earth is still in the same orbit around the Sun, still tilted 23.44 degrees and for plants like these, there's just not enough light in the day at that time of year to really get them growing well.

The zucchini has also recovered from it's too early planting and we actually have our first baby squash. This is a spot where it's looking like the plastic mulch is going to be a huge benefit. Obviously it keeps down the weeds (even the bamboo that's still trying to grow under there). It also helps keep the soil moist and it keeps the tender plants off the dirt which means we'll have clean zucchini with (hopefully) little or no spoilage.

In the rest of the garden the second batch of cima di rapa has had it's final thinning. I've replanted Swiss Chard because the first batch cima di rapa shaded the original planting so much it was hopelessly stunted. The carrots and beets are coming along. The onions in the old bed are doing quite well while  those in the upper bed have fallen a bit behind. That's likely attributable to the fact that the old bed has had the benefit of a decade of organic cultivation and is far richer and fluffier at this point.

Gardening 2012 - Mid May Update

Things are happening in the garden! The San Marzano tomatoes have recovered from the little cold snap and are almost half way up the towers.

In the old lower bed the onions are doing well and as soon as I get done typing this, I'll thin the cima di rapa. Just to the left of the onions we've added a few rows of carrots and replanted the beets. Now that temperatures are well into the 70's they should all be sprouting in a matter of days.

Earlier in the week I picked up 4 cheap plastic buckets. They're a classic piece of low-budget container gardening and make excellent pots for tomatoes. So we drilled 5 half inch holes in the bottoms and filled them with potting mix topped off with one Roma tomato plant each.

While it's possible I'll have way too many tomatoes this summer, this will give us a chance to compare the performance and taste of "real" San Marzano tomatoes and the modern Roma hybrid.

In the new front bed the eggplants are doing quite well, but the peppers don't seem real happy. It's still early though and they may still be a little stunted from the cold snap a couple weeks ago. Or... it might be because I forgot to poke some holes in the plastic so rain water could reach the soil. Whichever it is, the weather is now warm and the holes have been poked.

On the other hand the rest of the container plants are very happy. Obviously I was able to bring in the big pot for a couple evenings, so that eggplant suffered not at all on those cold nights.

#foodstampchallenge - Monday: Penne w/Eggplant

Adapted from @mariobatali this is one of the most expensive recipes I'll make during the challenge. But it makes eight servings with about 490 calories and 7 grams of fiber each. The official Mario version can be found at Penne al Forno con Melanzane. I've reduced the amount of olive oil used by baking the eggplant rather than frying it (as suggested in the corresponding TV episode) and used plain bottled tomato sauce instead of making Mario's Basic Tomato Sauce.

Ingredients

2 pounds eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds (about 2 medium eggplant)
4 Tbs (approx.) Olive oil
1 pound penne
2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated caciocavallo or pecorino fresco (not the hard dry kind)
4 or 5 sprigs fresh Basil
Salt & Pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt and stack them in a colander. Top with a plate and weight it down with a brick or a big can of tomatoes. Let them sit for at least an hour, then rinse and pat dry. Brush the slices on both sides lightly with olive oil, distribute in one layer on a baking sheet and bake until lightly browned.

Cook the penne according to package directions but cut the cooking time in half, about 5 minutes. Drain and  toss with 3/4 cup of the tomato sauce.

So It Doesn't Stick

Brush the bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking pan with olive oil and pour in just enough tomato sauce to cover the bottom. Sprinkle with half the bread crumbs and a little salt and pepper. (The pan in the pictures is actually 10x15 so things are a little spread out.)

Half Way There

Spread half the pasta on the breadcrumbs and top with half of the eggplant. Cover with half the remaining tomato sauce and half of the cheese and half the basil.

Repeat with the remaining pasta and eggplant then spread on the remaining tomato sauce, cheese, breadcrumbs and torn Basil leaves. Drizzle 2 Tbs olive oil over the top and bake for 1 hour.

30 Minutes to Go!

Let it rest for 20-30 minutes before serving.

Incidentally, those keeping score at home may recall that my shopping list didn't have eggplant or tomato sauce on it but it did have $6.98 of budget remaining. On the way home this evening I stopped at Superfresh and bought:

1.95 lbs eggplant                    $2.91

Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce             $2.00

1 lb rice                            $1.55

                                     =====

                                     $6.46

So now we're done - whatever food we have has to last through Sunday.

Gardening 2012 - Seed Starting

Well, it's 8 weeks to the "last frost" date for our area, so it's also time to start starting seeds. For the first batch we've got parsley, thyme, basil, eggplant, and some spicy Calabrese peppers. In a couple more weeks we'll start tomatoes, then about the middle of March zucchini. This year we're also growing broccoli raab, beets, carrots, and swiss chard, all of which will be direct seeded along with some red cippolini type onions that will go in from sets.

To get things moving in our chilly basement, we're using a heating pad underneath the seed starting tray. In a perfect world it will provide just enough (and not too much) warmth to get the seeds moving. According to the instructions, that's 10 degrees warmer than ambient. The manufacturer suggests using a thermostat, but the basement is cool enough that I'm hoping it won't be necessary.

The tray with the first five varieties loaded, the tray looks like this:

And after a couple hours with the heat on it's looking good; not too hot, but warmer than my basement:

The heated seed starting tray is this one:



We've also got a lighting system we won't actually need for a week or so: