GardenSpotlight

We had a very hard freeze here the other night, so everything on the farm is done now except for the cauliflower. We just started harvesting the cauliflower this week, so I wanted to provide you with some tasty recipes. Here are some great new recipes....I love Autumn roasted vegetables. You can do the same with root vegetables too...such as beets, potatoes, parsnips and carrots...roasting brings out so much flavor... Cauliflower with Bacon 1 head cauliflower, cut into flowerets 1 tsp dry mustard ¼ Cup butter or margarine ½ tsp salt (if desired) ¼ lb bacon, cooked and cut into 1” pieces 2 TBSP water 2 oz jar sliced pimiento, drained 1 TBSP chopped fresh parsley In 3 qt saucepan, melt butter. Stir in remaining ingredients except parsley. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is crisply tender, about 10-12 minutes. Season with parsle...

We had a great time at the Pumpkin Festival today at the Farmer's Market. It was very cold though, and the Cooperative Extension office made hot Butternut Squash Soup! Yum. I made up recipe flyers for Pumpkin Soup for today, and we ran out of them, so I will post the recipe here for those who missed out. Here it is...enjoy. Allow yourself to be creative too and serve the soup in hollowed out pumpkins! Pumpkin Soup 1 Large Red Onion, sliced thinly, about 2 Cups 1 stick (½ Cup) unsalted butter white pepper to taste 8 Cups coarsely chopped raw, peeled pie pumpkin pieces (2 lbs) 6 Cups chicken broth 2 TBSP Raw Rice 2 Cups heavy cream or to taste In a kettle, cook onion in butter over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until softened and add pumpkin, white pepper and salt to taste. Cook mixture, covered, over moderately low heat 20 minutes or until pumpkin is softened. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add rice, and cook covered, over moderately low heat, 20 - 25 minutes un...

Pasta Fagioli; or Pasta & Beans; this is one of our favorites, with one small change.... The recipe we were using called for Escarole, which I absolutely love. My husband said, "Why don't you try making it with our Swiss Chard?" So I did that tonight. Wow...out of this world. Even our daughter loved it and had seconds. (She will not normally eat Swiss Chard). Here's what I did: 1/2 Medium Sized Sweet Onion 2 Cloves Garlic 1 Bunch Golden Swiss Chard (Golden Chard tends to be sweeter than red or green) 10 cups Chicken Broth 4 - 6 oz Pasta, either small Shells, Penne, or something similar. 1 can Great Northern Beans (White Beans) Olive Oil Coat the bottom of a 6 Qt sauce pan with Olive Oil. Chop the onion, garlic and swiss chard stems and saute until tender. While that's cooking, chop the leaves of the Swiss Chard and rinse and drain the beans. Once the onion, garlic and stems are tender, add the chopped Swiss Chard leaves and continue cooking until the Chard ...

In the midst of freezing my beans, (I was able to get 18 quarts of beans done) another farming friend dropped off a couple of bushels of apples. They were great! I made applesauce...so easy! And since it's almost gone, I have to make more. I think I'll make a few pies and freeze them until the holidays. Quick Homemade Applesauce: Wash, peel and chop apples...I did about 20 apples so far, and it made about 1-1/2 - 2 quarts. Place them in a large saucepan with a little water on the bottom and cook them slowly on low-medium heat. You'll want to cook them until they are very soft. I also added Apple Pie Seasoning and just a touch of sugar. You can use plain Cinnamon as well if you don't have the Apple Pie Seasoning. Season to taste and you can either mash by hand and leave small chunks of apples in the sauce, or you can puree with a mixer. Allow to cool a bit and then ladle into plastic containers. Store in refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for longer ...

It's 8:00am and I am home now. I just dropped our daughter off to school and she'll be home before I know it...the days go by so quickly, don't they? I've been wanting to write about what it's like here on the farm for so long. Nothing like the present. My daughter reminds me of that every so often by saying things like, "I'll be driving soon Mom!" Mind you, she's only 10 and she's been saying that since she was 8! Don't rush it kid! That's my advice..enjoy childhood while it lasts. My husband has been driving since forever...that's what it's like on a farm. The boys learn how to drive the tractors....probably as soon as they hit double digits, maybe even before that. And the farm trucks too...but only on the farm. So I think they are able to do that just because they are boys! Our daughter has not learned yet how to do those things. She knows how to drive the quad, but she's only allowed on it with an adult. She always tell...

A customer from the farmer's market we attend was asking for a zucchini bread recipe...I couldn't find the one I was thinking of, but this one is great too! Zucchini & Cheese Bread 2 Cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 3/4 tsp salt (if desired...I never use salt) 1/8 tsp red (cayenne) pepper, ground 1/4 tsp dried oregano, crushed to release flavor 1/4 tsp dried basil, crushed to release flavor 1/2 tsp dried, minced onion 1 TBSP sugar 3/4 Cup shredded Cheddar cheese (3 oz.) 3/4 Cup shredded, unpeeled zucchini, can us green or yellow or mixture 2 eggs 1/2 Cup pureed unpeeled zucchini 1/4 Cup vegetable oil..if using olive oil, use the lighter version...better for baking 1 TBSP lemon juice Grease and flour an 8"x4" loaf pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, red pepper, oregano, basil, onion, sugar, cheese and 3/4 C shredded zucchini. Set aside. In medium bow...

I wanted to write today in honor of all the victims of 9-11 and in honor of our troops, working hard to keep us safe. Today is the 7th anniversary already of that tragic day. I'm watching it again on the news. Sometimes I hate to see the replays, but I think it's important that we're all reminded of that terrible day. Life goes on and we take things for granted. We need to remember our fellow Americans who have lost their lives or lost their loved ones that day. They don't need these reminders from the national media to remember. They remember everyday. There are parts of their lives just torn apart that they've had to try to rebuild. Think of the children who have lost one or both parents. Or the parents who have lost children who worked in the towers. Or sisters, brothers, friends, etc. who now have to carry on without that special person in their lives. My heart goes out to them all. I pray for them and I pray for justice. It's hard to try to ...

I have had several people ask me how we grow such great looking eggplant and want to know why they had problems this year with their eggplant. They seem to have beautiful plants and lots of flowers, but no fruit on their plants. There are several answers to this problem, and the answer for each person's garden may be one or a combination of both. First, we need to remember that while it is important to fertilize regularly, too much Nitrogen will offset the fruiting capability of the plant. In essence, the Nitrogen encourages plant growth, so that the foliage and plant itself grow and remain healthy, but while the plant grows, the Nitrogen does nothing to encourage fruit set. In other words, the plant puts its energy into growth, rather than fruit production. Because of this, you may have some flowers, but they may be dropping off the plant prematurely, before pollination occurs. By changing the ratio of elements in the fertilizer, we can regulate how our plants grow on the ...

Tomatillos are a mainstay of Mexican cuisine and they are quickly making their way into American home gardens. The tomatillo looks similar to a tomato, but smaller...each fruit weighing about 2 - 3 oz. The plants grow to about 4 feet, and the fruits develop inside a papery husk which is shed when the fruit is ready to harvest. They are green to yellow in color, and I've seen one variety that was actually purple in color. They are most widely known as being one of the main ingredients in Green Salsa, for which the recipe follows. Tomatillo Salsa...this is a large batch recipe for canning... 5 1/2 Cups Tomatillos, husked, chopped and cored (about 2 pounds) 1 Cup chopped onion 1 Cup chopped Green Chili Peppers ( Serrano Chiles provide much more heat than Jalapenos ) 4 Cloves Garlic 2 TBSP minced Cilantro 2 tsp ground Cumin 1/2 tsp Salt 1/2 tsp Red Pepper 1 Cup Vinegar 1/4 Cup Lime Juice Combine all ingredients in a large saucepot. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and si...

One of our customers had asked how to blanch Swiss Chard for a special diet she is on. Blanching is a critical step for all vegetables being stored for more than one month, with one exception: those vegetables being used solely for their flavor, such as green onions, herbs and hot peppers, do not need to be blanched. Blanching is necessary in order to cleanse the produce of any remaining dirt and to kill any microorganisms. It also brightens the color, helps retain vitamins and reduces the action of enzymes that can destroy the fresh flavor of the produce when frozen for longer than the first month. As you can see, blanching is a most important step in freezing vegetables and must be done very carefully, but that does not mean it is difficult to do. On the contrary, it is actually very simple. First, wash, drain and prepare vegetables as you would normally for cooking, such as trimming ends and chopping into the size you would use in your recipes. I would recommend using 1 gal...

Great news! The webmasters/legal department over at The Food Network said I can post some links for recipes....and boy have I found some good ones. You'll find the name of the recipes and the shopping list. Just click on the recipe title and you'll be taken over to that recipe at The Food Network. I'll start with Swiss Chard, since we sell so much of it at the Farmer's Market. Swiss Chard Tart: Pasticcio di Bietole al Forno Recipe courtesy Mario Batali Show: Molto Mario Episode: Trastevere On a Sunday 2 pounds Swiss chard, washed and spun dry (2 bunches..about 15 stems ea. bunch) 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1/4 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped to yield 1/8 cup 3 large eggs Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 1 cup bread crumbs Here's another recipe, but with a little more difficulty. Some p...

Swiss Chard is one of our favorites here on the farm. They come in different varieties, or colors if you wish. There is White Swiss Chard, Red Swiss Chard and Yellow Swiss Chard. Rainbow Swiss Chard is a mixture of the different colors together in one bunch. Swiss Chard is high in nutrients such as iron, (as many leafy greens are) and vitamin C. If you are growing your own at home, just snap the outer stems away from the base of the plant when harvesting, and leave the center to continue growing. You can leave Swiss Chard in the garden well into the fall as it is a fairly tough plant, withstanding some snow and colder temperatures. We generally like to chop or tear the leaves, like you would with spinach, and chop the stems too, into 1 - 2 inches pieces after rinsing well. Then we steam the Swiss Chard in a large saucepan until wilted and the stems have softened. Drain the water (there should only be a small amount, if any), and add olive oil and chopped garlic...saute a co...

We began harvesting some other vegetables on the farm, so I figured I had better get you all some recipes to go with them! This week we began harvesting Swiss Chard, Cucumbers and Miniature Eggplant. Miniature Eggplants are great...they are very tender and sweeter than most other types of eggplant. We like to coarsely chop them, after peeling and removing the stems. Then saute them in garlic and olive oil and add to omelettes or other vegetable dishes, such as sauteing them with summer squash and tomatoes. They add a little bit of a buttery flavor to our omelettes, which I love! You can also slice them length-wise and brush with olive oil, season with Oregano and Garlic and roast them in the oven or grill them on the BBQ. Use a non-stick foil sheet on the grill so they are easy to remove. Another idea I love is to take the roasted or grilled eggplant along with red and yellow roasted peppers from the grill & grilled or sauteed onions, place them all in a vegetable wrap an...

Here's another of our favorite Green Bean recipes, Italian style! 1 QT Green Beans, rinsed and trimmed, 1 small Onion, sliced, 2 cloves Garlic, chopped, 4 or 5 New Red Potatoes, sliced, Tomato Sauce, Fresh Oregano and Rosemary, chopped, Olive Oil. Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until tender. Add green beans and potatoes and cook until tender, about 15 minutes or so. If you like, you can add a little water to the skillet and place a lid over it to retain the heat and cook the potatoes more quickly. Add chopped fresh oregano and rosemary (1 small sprig), while cooking. During last few minutes of cooking, add tomato sauce, about 3/4 Cup, and stir through to heat sauce. You may season with salt and pepper to taste if you like. Hint: I like to use red potatoes in this recipe as they cook faster than the other varieties. I also use my own homemade tomato sauce, but that recipe is for another day! Also, I usually do not cook with salt as there is so much salt already...

In the Greenhouse: Sale on All Annuals Perennials Ready for Sale Hardy Mums Growing for Fall Sales Notes: We still have a nice selection of great looking home-grown annuals including Marigolds, Angelonia , Salvia , Licorice, Browalia , Impatiens, Celosia & more. Many are now available in larger pots as well to help fill up those empty spaces in your garden more quickly. We recommend fertilizing your flower beds and pots regularly with a good triple 15 or triple 20 (IE: 15-15-15), or mix in a good slow-release fertilizer at time of planting. On the Farm: Now Picking Fresh Snap Beans and Cucumbers Still Growing: Tomatoes, Eggplant, Melons, Cauliflower, Lettuces, Herbs and some other surprises along the way! Our Favorite Green Bean Recipe: I’m Italian, and my mom always told me “Use your judgment,” whenever I asked for quantities in a recipe, so please pardon me for not including quantities in some places. Use your judgment! :-) 1 Medium Onion, sliced thinly, 2 cloves Garlic...

With the decline of honeybee populations, fruit growers have been looking for alternatives to pollinate their crops. Mason Bees are native to North America and seem to be a much more effective pollinator in the orchard than the honeybee, which had originally been imported.....

Planning to add solar fountains to your garden? What a great idea! Not only can the Sun make the flowers in your garden bloom, but the Sun can also make your fountain work and add to the charm and the elegance of the garden. These fountains are as beautiful as the other varieties, and to top it all, they are much more cost effective to run because they operate on the power of the Sun. They are easier to set up too because you will not need any power lines. And the lack of any power lines makes them safer in the home too, particularly if you have pets and kids. Just select a corner in the garden that receives adequate sunlight and install it. Though solar fountains are not the conventional variety (they are an innovation keeping in mind the convenience of the user), but nowadays they have become very popular. Improvements in the water pumping technology have optimized the performance of these fountains. The self-contained features of solar fountains will add to the charm of your home....

Here is a short list of some perennials we are currently growing for sale at Running Creek Farm Greenhouses: Agastache Alcea Aquilegia Aruncus Buddleia Caryopteris Centaruea Centranthus Coreopsis Delphinium Dianthus Digitalis Echinacea Gaillardia Gypsophila Heuchera Lavendula Lupine Malva Monarda Oenothera Platycodon Rudbeckia Scabiosa Veronica Just to name a few. Stop in a visit us and if you don't see what you are looking for, just ask. Some crops will be ready earlier than others due to weather and seasonal demand. For example, Zinnias, an annual plant, are not typically ready for sale until at least the third week in May, sometimes later. They are more sensitive to cold and need to stay protected until all chance of frost is gone. We will be open for retail sales the beginning of May.

Yes Sheila; you can try the website of the article's author, which is www.gardensupermart.com or try this one I found on Google; http://www.rainbarrelsandmore.com/ At "Rain Barrels & More" there are specific illustrations and instructions for installation. If there is someone in your home who is handy, you may even be able to make your own. Try a local garden or agricultural supply store. I hope that helps. Thanks for reading and for your comments! Nancy C-

If you would like to create a wonderful attractive landscape at your home but do not know where to start, there are many different places to draw your inspiration from. Having landscaping how to thoughts is not nearly as hard as you may think. Take a look at that house that gets your attention every time you drive by. Take some mental notes, take a few pictures or possibly even stop by and ask the owner where he came up with his wonderful looking yard. Books and magazines about landscapes and designs are a good source of inspiration. The Internet is full of landscaping plans and articles that will get your brain thinking of all of the possibilities. Look around enough and you may find some sample landscape plans, pictures, and tips from experts in the field. If you decide to design your yard around a centerpiece, two of the more common ones are decks and patios. These outdoor centerpieces add usefulness to your home while making your outdoor living area seem larger. Decks and patios...

Author: Shawn McCulloch The entire green industry is progressively focusing more and more on environmentally friendly production and products. With increased incentives backed by government agencies as well as the general consensus that environmental stability needs to start now, more and more companies are developing new innovative products to adhere to this. In some ways it's a shame that the only way to cause change is through monetary incentive programs or the need to be trendy, the counter-argument is the need to put food on the table or fuel in the yacht or the increased cost of doing business. Whatever the case may be, positive change is good relating to the environment. Now this isn't stating change can only happen through big business, even the end consumer, can have a major impact. So you might be asking, where is my incentive program? The answer is, certain products can actually save you money, and this isn't just pocket change. Hundreds of dollars per year rea...

Hi! Well, the weather in the Northeast certainly is spring-like, or close to it! It's 45 degrees today and rainy. We had thunder rolling across the farm this morning! It was so loud, I jumped out of bed and looked out the window to see what had happened. Then I realized what it was and the rain started to pour. We let the dogs out as usual in the morning, and they came in sopping wet. Thank goodness for the woodstove in the farmhouse, as it keeps us toasty warm and the dogs dried off quickly. We placed our seed order recently, and wanted to let you in on what to expect this season. I'll cover the annuals first. Ageratum Alyssum Angelonia Begonias; both fibrous and tuberous Browalia Celosia Cleome Coleus Dahlias Dianthus Diascia Dusty Miller Gazania Geranium Helichrysum Impatiens (both regular and double) Lobelia Marigolds (African and Dwarf) Nemesia Nicotiana Pansy Pentas Petunia (singles, doubles, spreading) Phlox (annual va...

Here's a quick tip that has always worked for us on the farm here in the Northeast! Now that February is right around the corner, you'll want to check for fog in the morning. Then keep track of each day of fog in February on your calendar. Why, you ask? Because typically the last day in February that you have fog is usually the last chance of frost on the corresponding day in May! Pretty neat...

Ahh...January. Well, actually almost February. The Holidays are over and gardeners are beginning to long for spring (well, we always long for spring and summer since that's what we do :-). I was playing this morning on Better Homes & Gardens' website and they have a great online garden planning tool. Go check it out at http://www.bhg.com/ . Our daughter has long been talking about putting in a garden sanctuary, as she calls it, behind our home. We thought it was just a passing phase, but turns out she's very serious about it and has designed on paper just how she wants it. It's quite detailed too. There's a pond (in addition to the large pond we already have) for her pet turtle, "Squirt." There is a park bench, a picnic table and chairs, a three-tier fountain with statuettes around it, stepping stones, a pool (for us humans), a pergola, an arched entrance with a garden gate and lattice fencing, and 4 separate garden plots. One for vegetables, one for ...