GardenSpotlight

As I was debating with myself about what to write this week, I came across a bit of trivia about Joseph Rudyard Kipling, the English author who wrote “The Jungle Book.”   I found that he also wrote a beautiful poem titled ‘The Glory of the Garden.’   This led me to other poets, such as the well known Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Alfred Lord Tennyson and others.   I had visions of a new gardening journal, scattered not just with seed packets, culture information and pictures, but now with bits of poetry tossed in between the entries as well. I fell in love with Kipling’s poem and wanted to share it with you.   Enjoy your first week of the New Year.   May it bring you time to dream of new gardens; new visions of home, happiness and the myriad of colors that come with the changing of the seasons.   Joseph Rudyard Kipling, English author was born in Bombay, British India on December 30, 1865.   He wrote several enduring favorite children's books...

Fresh from my kitchen....Crunchy Veggie Slaw Ingredients: 1 lb mixed shredded red and green cabbage 4 - 8 oz shredded carrots 3/4 Cup baby broccoli florets 1/4 Cup roasted sunflower seeds 1 Handful raisins 1/4 Cup Mayonnaise 2 TBSP Milk 2 TBSP Sugar 3 TBSP Vinegar, either white or cider 1 tsp Celery Seed Mix all veggies, sunflower seeds and raisins together in large bowl.  In separate small bowl, for the dressing, whisk together the mayonnaise, milk, sugar, vinegar and celery seed.  Pour the dressing over the veggie mixture; stir until dressing is evenly distributed and chill for one hour.  Serves 8.....unless you are my family, then it only serves 4. :-) Tip:  We always have Balsamic Vingar in our home, not so much of the others.  You can substitute with the Balsamic if you like.  Keep in mind the dressing will be brown and not white...still very yummy though.

Christi Barth's blog: Summer Garden Salad w/Chili-Garlic Shrimp

This week at market, we are adding freshly dug garlic, patty pan squash and salad cucumbers to our produce line-up.  Yum...all farm fresh picked!

3 Cups Flour 2 tsp Cinnamon 1 tsp Salt 1 tsp Baking Soda 1 tsp Baking Powder 1 Cup OC Blonde, Chatham IPA, Chatham Pale Ale (beer replaces eggs) 2 Cups Sugar 2 Cups Zucchini, grated 1 tbsp Vanilla 1 Cup canola Oil Sift first 5 ingredients together; add sugar and then remaining ingredients.  Mix and divide into greased loaf pans or bundt pan.  Bake @ 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until top springs back when tested. Courtesy of my friends at Chatham Brewing ( www.chathambrewing.com/ ) and the Dive Bar ( www.DiveBarNYC.com )

1 c. squash (Jersey Golden Acorn, Patty Pan or summer white squash)       Peel squash if skin is tough; cut up and cook until tender crisp. 3 eggs, beaten 1/2 can sweetened condensed milk 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1/4 c. melted butter Beat 3 eggs; add 1/2 can sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Add cooked and drained squash and melted butter. Bake at 325 degrees until knife inserted comes out clean.   Cooks.com

What to find at Running Creek Farm's market tent today: Mediterranean Squash Zucchini Yellow Summer Squash Kirby Cucumbers - just a few this week...more next week Zucchini Flowers Cannas (Plants) Bedding Plants Container Gardens

BATTER - DIPPED FRIED ZUCCHINI Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1750,155180-224205,00.html Content Copyright © 2012 Cooks.com - All rights reserved. 1/4 c. beer 1 1/3 c. flour 2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese 1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley pinch of freshly minced basil (optional) 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 1 tbsp. oil 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten 2 egg whites, stiffly beaten oil grated Parmesan cheese Allow the beer to stand at room temperature for 45 minutes. In a large bowl, combine flour, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt and garlic powder. Add oil, egg yolks and beer. Beat until smooth. Fold in beaten egg whites. Pour oil into a deep pan to 2 inches. Heat to 375°F. Dip zucchini slices into batter. Fry 3 to 4 at a time. Turn once and fry until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels. Serve while still warm, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. Cooks.com

We've been harvesting a light green Mediterranean squash out of our greenhouse for a while now, but this week we've started picking zucchini and yellow summer squash out of our field as well.  Customers have come to the greenhouse in the past to buy squash plants and always comment on how many squash they are overrun with.  So much so that their neighbors hide when they see them ;-) ....just kidding.  I've also recently written an article on growing squash for our local paper, and I will post that once the article has been published next week.  For now, let the recipes begin.  Da-ta-da....!!! My Mom’s Summer Squash with Rice              ……an old Sicilian recipe   8 medium summer squash, either zucchini, yellow or other, split in half lengthwise, then cut into ¾” slices 2 medium or 1 large yellow or sweet onions, roughly chopped 1 -28 oz can peeled plum tomatoes with juice or ...

Summertime!   Ahhh…picnics, barbeques, outdoor sports……mosquitoes.   There are many things you can purchase to help fend off those nasty, disease carrying insects.   One of those items is Citronella Oil.   Citronella Oil is produced from Citronella plants, one of which is a type of grass ( Cymbopogon nardus).   There are also Citronella Geraniums or Scented Geraniums, of which the citronella type are also known as Mosquito Plants. Citronella grass is a coarse, clump-forming tropical grass that can grow 5-6 ft tall. The stems are cane-like and the leaves are grayish green and flat; about 3 ft long and about 1 in wide.   It does not spread by runners, as some grasses do, but the clump increases in size as the plant matures.   I did read somewhere that the grass can become quite invasive as it produces a large quantity of seeds, so you may want to check with you local nursery or county extension office prior to planting.   This grass is closely rel...

We are still adding new crops to our sales greenhouse…new marigold colors, new crops of alyssum,   a young coleus crop and new types of basil, to name a few.  The month of June is full of great celebrations; Father’s Day, weddings, graduations. This is a perfect time to assess your landscaping goals and schedule further plantings accordingly for the remainder of the summer and fall seasons.   Many times we have customers come in thinking it is too late to plant in June….not so.  Flowers can be planted throughout the summer, many well into August.  Garden centers are still full of great plants and you will also find larger plants for a greater impact in your garden.   For those of you not wanting to spend time in the garden weeding, or for a lack of planting space, look for container gardens; combination plantings in larger 10” -  20” pots.  Talk about instant gratification!  Vegetables can also be planted in pots successfully...

Garlic Scapes are the stem and seed pot of the garlic bulb.  Garlic is usually planted sometime between September and October.  The cloves are separated from the bulbs, some of the papery skin is rubbed off and the cloves are planted separately, about 10 - 12" apart in rows.  The garlic bulb must go through a period of vernalization, which is basically the cold period through the winter.  This vernalization is necessary for the plant to flower the following season.  However, when producing garlic, we don't want the plant to go to flower, so the scapes which harbor the seed pods are removed while they are still green.  These scapes have the same garlic flavor as the bulbs and are widely used in cooking but only available for a very short period of time.  This year, being that we had such a mild winter and early spring, the scapes are about a month early.  We typically don't harvest them until the beginning of July.  The remaining leaves o...

Stuffed Mediterranean Squash ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ 8    Mediterranean Squash or zucchini (ends trimmed each approx. 6 long about 3 pounds) 12 ozs ground lamb 3/4 cup brown rice (instant) 1-3/4 tsps marjoram (dried, divided) 1-1/4 tsps ground cumin (divided) 1-1/4 tsps mint (dried, divided) 1/4 tsp ground allspice (divided) 1/4 tsp salt 1 pinch cayenne pepper 28 ozs tomato sauce (preferably chunky) 1 Preheat oven to 350ºF. 2 Hollow out each zucchini using a zucchini / apple corer or small, flexible paring knife, leaving 1/8-inch-thick walls. 3 Combine lamb, rice, 1 1/4 teaspoons marjoram, 3/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon mint, 1/8 teaspoon allspice, salt and cayenne in a medium bowl. Loosely stuff each zucchini with the lamb mixture. Place the stuffed zucchini in a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. 4 Combine tomato sauce with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon marjoram, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 3/4 ...

I wanted to bring up the subject again of USDA Hardiness Zones since it is now planting season and the article garnered much attention the last time I posted it.  We definitely have had a mild winter, and a very dry one at that.  I heard yesterday that even with the recent rains, we are still about an inch to an inch and a half short of necessary rainfall for this time of year.  Here in our area, we can expect frost up through the third week of May or so.  We can never be sure what Mother Nature will hit us with.  In 2008 and 2009 both, we were hit with damaging rain and hail in June, the same day both years. Without further delay, here is the article I posted previously: There seems to be confusion at times among some gardeners as to the definition of perennials and annuals. For those of you that this applies to, this posting is for you! J The definition of “perennial,” simply put, is a plant that continues to grow in your garden year after year...

So our Mango Roasted Chicken last night was delicious!  There was not enough left over for another full meal, so I took the rest and decided to make chicken salad and chicken stock.  I'm not sure what it is with me lately, but I've been concocting and trying out new recipes.  Maybe it's because I can't wait for the growing season here on the farm to start.  We've had such a mild winter and that 80 degree weather on and off between March and April...who knew?  Then the other night there were hard freeze warnings!  My poor hydrangeas are very confused.  I know Mother Nature is going to make us pay for our very mild winter!  Hopefully it will not be by the way of hail after the crops are planted and sprouting.  Last year's rain after the hurricane was bad enough.  We lost our crop of cauliflower and a field of beans and cucumbers too!  It's very scary at times living on the farm, but it's our way of life.  Tough at times for...

1 Fresh Roasting Chicken 3 Cloves Garlic, minced 2 TBSP Butter 1 TBSP Olive Oil 2 - 3 TBSP Mango Butter 1 Lemon, sliced, seeds removed Red Pepper Flakes, to taste, or about 1-2 tsp Dried or Fresh Rosemary, to taste, or about 1-1/2 to 2 tsp Wash chicken and pat dry with paper towel.  Set in roasting pan with a little olive oil.  Spread butter all over chicken, then do the same with the mango butter.  You can spread some of the butter and mango butter under the skin of the chicken as well.  Scatter a few slices of lemon on top of the chicken and sprinkle the chicken with the minced garlic, rosemary and red pepper flakes.  I also like to put some of the herbs and butters into the cavity along with one or two slices of lemon. Bake covered at 350 degrees F until done, calculating at 20 minutes per pound, basting about half-way through.  Serve with your favorite selection of roasted or steamed vegetables and either c...

Good landscaping can increase the value of your home by upwards of 8%-15%.   A well maintained outdoor space gives the impression that the home is well cared for and maintained not only on the outside, but on the inside as well.   Realtors all over the country are suggesting that their clients improve the look of their landscaping. Even if your home is perfect on the inside, a bad view from the outside can literally turn people away. An amazing "82% of surveyed agents have had potential buyers decline to look at the interior of a house due to its exterior appearance," according to the survey Real Estate Agent Community Trends (REACT).   http://www.myhomechannel.org/article_landscaping_home_value.php Even if you are not planning on moving in the near future, you should invest in landscaping as plants and trees take time to mature.   Plan with the end result in mind; design your landscaping as a whole so it looks coherent when completed, even if you can only do a li...

I spent part of today baking as I had bananas that were becoming over-ripe.  I made muffins and they turned out so yummy that I had to share the recipe with you! 1/3 Cup melted butter 3 ripe bananas, mashed 1 egg, beaten 3/4 Cup sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1-1/2 TBSP Brewed,French Vanilla coffee or any strong coffee 1 tsp baking soda 1-1/2 Cups all-purpose flour 1/4 Cup powdered baking cocoa Pinch of salt Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease 12 muffin cups or prepare with paper liners.  Using a wooden spoon, stir in melted butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl.  Add in the sugar, coffee, vanilla and egg and mix well.  Add in the baking soda and the pinch of salt and mix together into the banana mixture.  Add the flour and baking cocoa and mix until just incorporated.  Scoop into prepared muffin tins and bake for 20 - 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into muffins comes out clean.  Cool on rack....

Spring is here and it’s about time to prepare the soil bed for your gardens.    Remember, you don’t have to have a garden so big that you cannot take care of it all.   You can actually be more productive in a smaller, more manageable sized garden.   Begin first by planning out your space.   Select a spot in the garden that gets a minimum of 6 hours of direct sunlight if you are planning a vegetable garden.   If you are planning for flowers, know the amounts of sunlight your gardens will be receiving, as well as soil type and drainage and choose the types of plants accordingly.    Next, mark out your perimeter and then begin turning the soil over.   Dig down at least 12 inches.   Using a roto-tiller is best as it will break up the soil more thoroughly and deeply.   If you don’t own one, you can usually rent one at a local hardware store.    If one is not available, you can use a shovel and rake.   As you are prep...

Easter is almost here.   The traditional plant this time of year is the Lily.   There are many types of lilies, but at Easter, the standard is Lilium longiflorum , the Latin name for the Easter Lily.   The Easter Lily is native to the Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan.   Each holiday is marked by cherished traditions that bring joy, comfort, and warmth, and provide continuity from one generation to the next.   For many, the beautiful trumpet-shaped white flowers of the Easter Lily symbolize purity, virtue, innocence, hope and life - the spiritual essence of Easter. Easter Lily bulbs are harvested in the fall, packed and shipped to commercial greenhouses where they are planted in pots and forced under controlled conditions to bloom for the Easter holiday.   To keep your Easter Lily as long as possible, follow these guidelines.   First, look for lilies that are neither too tall or too short. Ideally, a plant’s height should be about twice the height...

Super plants; for many years, plants have been used medicinally.   In medieval times, a person carried with them small bunches of flowers called “nosegays” because they made the nose “happier,” allowing for ease in breathing.   Now there are a group of plants known as “super plants.”   These super plants have been recognized for being able to help clear the air in our homes. Our homes, while being more energy efficient and air tight, tend to hold in the toxins rather than allowing them to escape our homes.   The EPA states that the air in our homes is up to 5% more polluted than the air outside.   There are many toxins in our homes, stemming from household cleaners, furniture, carpeting and more.   Many people suffering with allergies and asthma probably suffer from these ailments because of those common household products.     Formaldehyde is a big offender in many homes.   It is a colorless, strong smelling gas that can irritate the bre...

When I think of green and St. Patty’s Day, for some reason, in addition to thinking of four- leaf clovers, I also think of moss.   I’m not really sure why, but I do.   Perhaps it is because moss is very versatile in both the indoor and outdoor landscapes. Moss is a Bryophyte.   A Bryophyte is a unique type of plant in that it has no true roots.   While moss is planted in the soil (preferably acidic soil), it obtains most of its nutrients from the air.   Some types of mosses are also found growing on rocks.   Moss lacks a lignified vascular system, therefore water and nutrients are transferred by osmosis or capillary action.   Capillary action is important for moving water (and all of the things that are dissolved in it) around. It is defined as the movement of water within the spaces of a porous material due to the forces of adhesion, cohesion, and surface tension.   (http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/capillaryaction.html ).   Moss leaves are ...

It has been very mild this winter so far and that leaves us to worry about the bulbs and perennials already in the ground, especially the newer plantings.   In addition to the milder temperatures this year, the storm track is different as well, coming from the plains states and remaining further northwest than usual.   The resulting lack of snow in our area deprives our bulbs and perennials from necessary insulation. Mild winters can create a lot of freezing and thawing of the soil.   This in turn causes our perennials to heave up out of the ground, exposing the plants’ crowns to cold temperatures.   This results in damage to the plants and they may not come back the following spring as you would normally expect them to.   Warmer temperatures over the winter can also confuse plants and trees. The milder temperatures can cause these plants to try to begin to grow too early and they then become damaged by frosts and temperatures that drop below freezing. ...

There are many seeds that you can start indoors and then transplant outside when the air and soil temperatures are warmer and there is no longer the threat of frost.   Start by gathering some seed catalogs or look online to get some ideas for your area. Germination rates, seedling growth, transplant dates and time to maturity or flower vary by the plant.    Check the descriptions in the catalogs or on the seed packets to see how soon you’ll need to start the seeds indoors before they are of sufficient size to plant outdoors in warmer weather.    You’ll need the proper growing materials as well.   Seedlings are very delicate; you should purchase sterile planting medium, such as a seed starter mix or compressed pellets that expand when watered.   If using last year’s containers, they should be sterilized.   You can purchase seed starter kits in the store, which make it easy to get started with as they generally come with everything you need such...