Jewels of the Garden

Inspired by the wonderful pictures of produce over at Mark's Veg Plot I decided to take some glamor shots from the harvest last evening.

Crooked neck squash

Hot banana peppers

I think the chard may be the best looking

First picking of green beans

Complete harvest from last night.

I started feeling a bit anxious that we won't have much harvest, but I went back to last years' postings and things didn't start really taking off until the end July when the tomato harvest began in earnest. I think we'll be OK. The addition of the crooked neck, zucchini, and pickling cucumbers should help pick up the pace.

The beets aren't bulbing out except for the odd one here or there, though the foliage looks great. Hopefully the fall crop will do better.

Until next time, Keep Digging & Eat Well!

The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener

Making room for growth

Last weekend I took apart the old garden bed, effectively making two. The thing is, my plans include 2 more 4x8 beds. With this in mind, there is not much room to manuever. Leave it to the Dear Wife to suggest removing the second stair case.

I hemmed, I hawed. I succumbed.

Some pictures are little messed up because I had the white balance set for inside.  I tried to correct for it. Sorry for that.

The stairs that have been there since we built the deck in 2001.

A little crowbar, hammer, and drill gun action and they are out.

A gaping hole, kinda like losing a front tooth!

I patched it up a bit, it still needs the top railing but you can see the two beds better arranged. I'm thinking one more 4x8 box for this year.

I still need to take the side railings off the stairs, we'll likely use the stairs themselves to set containers on.

While I feel pretty good about getting a jump start on this, there is still plenty of cleanup to do in the other beds, but I am ahead of schedule.

Until next time, Keep Digging & Eat Well!

The Gastronomic Gardener

Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/

Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/

Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt

http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener

Potted Seedlings

The last few years, before I got more interested in vegetable gardening, I would start most of my vegetables by purchasing seedlings. There is nothing wrong with that, but it transfers some control over to the big producers.

I want a more hands-on experience, so I've started some from seed this year. A few homemade pots, started a while ago and some new pots started tonight.

Tonight's new starts include:
Hot lemon pepper
Basil
Kung Pao peppers
Cimmaron Lettuce
Sweet bell pepper
Cabbage

No, there are no pictures, no need to show pots of seed starter.

The other sprouts are in the south window of the "sun room" and they seem to be doing well.
They include:
3 kinds of tomato ( Cherry, Roma, Rutgers)
Broccoli
Black Beauty eggplant
2 peppers (Jalapeno, Habenero)

Yes, I'm a little heavy on the chilies and tomatoes, but that is what we eat and preserve.  It may not seem like many seedlings but the Square Foot Gardening method suggests that we don't need as many because we won't be thinning. I like the theory.

While we are out here, I might as well show  you the "sun room." Originally an exterior porch on my little Sears house (circa 1927), this was converted to a three season porch before I bought the house 10 years ago. I ripped out the walls, and added a ton of insulation and  now it is usable year-round. Yes there is a ton of stuff in here. I live here, it's not a show place!

Anyway, there are seedlings growing, but I can't wait to get outside and going on the beets and carrots!

What do you have in little pots waiting for warmer weather?

Until next time, Keep Digging & Eat Well!


The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener

Vegetable garden options and the beginnings of a new Square Foot Garden

As I've mentioned over on Facebook, my plan this year is to try several different methods for food production. here is what I'm thinking

1) I've got the big veggie plot over at my friends house. It did pretty well last year, but it is still a hassle to get over there except on weekends.  That can make for some heavy duty weeding when we do get over there. Water is also an issue. Last year we were very fortunate in that we did get pretty consistant rain. But if not, without the homeowners constant attention, which is not very fair to them, we could have some problems dispite the rain barrel setup. We'll likely use a few rows, but not sure how much. This needs to be worked out with the home owner.

2) There is the back yard that is mainly given over to perennials. There was a very small garden (4x7) that last year provided some tomatoes, a ton of basil, and some entertainment as I constructed a hoop house in the spring and fall.

Yesterday, I took about an hour to dig out all the soil, and cut the boxes in half. Now I have two 4x7 beds to use. I'm planning to take out the stairs so I may orient the boxes in a better manner. That's a project for another day

and 3) I'm planning on doing some SIPs (Sub irrigated planters) also known as earthboxes, or utility bucket SIPs. This should be a fun way to check out this method.  Today I purchased a large number of 5 gallon buckets that I'll convert for this purpose (they were on sale)- Watch this space.


Until next time, Keep Digging & Eat Well!

The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener

Starting Micro Greens

It's snowing, the middle of January, and here in Zone 5a there's nothing happening outdoors in the garden remotely resembling green growth. Not for several months anyway.

With that in mind, there is no need to wait to start some new life, new life that will be delicious!

Mico greens differ from sprouts in that sprouts can be done without any soil and are harvested before the second set of leaves (after the cotyledon) form.

Personally I'm not big on sprouts though I know many people love them. They do add crunch to salads, stir fry,s and sandwiches.  Enjoy them in good health!

Micro greens typically are harvested at 10-14 days after germination, grown in shallow soil, and kept moist. They have the flavor of the adult plant in a more subtle fashion.

Let's get started, shall we?




I'll keep them moist and covered with paper towel until they start pushing it up, at which point I'll remove it.

This is a quick project to get started and a super way to teach children about plants and introduce them to gardening!



Until next time, Keep Digging & Eat Well!

The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener

Final Vegetable Plot Harvest - more beets!

After raking and shredding the leaves in the front yard, I bagged them up to take to the compost heap at the vegetable plot. We've started a new pile and this will make a great base. After dumping the leaves, I stepped  into the garden for the last time this year with a harvest bag.

Back home, let's see what we have. It looks like a big tangled mess!

However, a short time later I have a nice batch of baby beets ready to roast, and a big bag of beet greens, which are delicious!

So that is almost that for the year, but I still have lettuce in the hoop house. It'll be fun to see how long I can keep it growing.


Until next time, Keep Digging & Eat Well.

The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener

2010 Vegetable Garden Recap Video

Here's a little video I put together recapping the 2010 Vegetable Garden. Enjoy!




Until Next Time, Keep Digging & Eat Well!


The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener

Still Blooming

A walk around the garden this cool autumn (I love that word) morning and there is still color and form in the garden. The hummingbird has been visiting the nasturtium, it's doing very well after a slow start. Some of these blossoms are bound for the salad plate.

The stone crop is feathery in front of the echinacea which the goldfinches have been enjoying.

Got the tomatoes out of the kitchen garden, will pull most of the basil to get in the late lettuce crop. The basil is vigorous to say the least!

In the side garden the rudbeckia and geraniums look good together.

I like this, the decay of the peony which are finally drying out, the old pot, and the bright red geraniums. A nice contrast.

The little cherub greets you on the path.

The miscanthus' feathery bloom. It looks like hoarfrost to me.

Hops cones.

It is likely that both the miscanthus and hops will be de-install for good this fall. The hops are so invasive they cause some issues and the miscanthus have grown so large they flop over and lay down on other plantings. There are three big clumps, at very  least I'll split them up and only keep a third of them. Anyone  want some?



The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
My cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener

Plans for the weekend

The days are getting shorter, and the temps are nudging down despite the occasional warm and humid day.

The kitchen garden is still overflowing with the herbs, some late tomatoes and monstrous basil.  This weekend will see the removal of the tomatoes, at least half the basil (stay tuned for how I put them up for the winter), planting of lettuce and re-installation of the hoop house that I made way back in April. we'll see how late we can keep things going.

There are a few tricks that I plan on trying including full water bottles painted black to release heat during cold nights. It's an experiment, and I have no idea what to expect. The high/low thermometer should help us keep track, and if it fails all I'm out is a packet of seeds! Seems like a good deal for me!

Until next time, Keep Digging & Eat Well!

The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener

Late Summer Harvest

It's two days before the first day of autumn. The vegetable garden is winding down but still is producing.
A bite in the air tells me cold weather is coming, and it was quite cool over at the veggie plot.

Nevertheless, no matter how ratty the garden looks, there is fruit to be had, and the fall crops of radishes and beets look promising.

Here is what we came up with today.

Not bad for September 19th!  Now off to cook something up!

Until next time, Keep Digging & Eat Well!

The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener

Tomatoes Keep producing

As the days get shorter and there is more to do, it it becoming more difficult to get over to the vegetable garden. That said, it has been a week since my last visit, temperatures are definitely autumnal and the daylight is diminishing.

The garden as a whole looks pretty shaggy.

I think the eggplant and the peppers still look the healthiest.

The acorn squash has done OK.

The fall planting of radish, and beets hopefully will produce viable fruit.

There are still many green tomatoes on the vine so we should get at least a couple more hauls before anticipated first frost. (Oct 15) The trick will be to get out to the plot and harvest all the greenones before they are frost damaged.

Overall yesterday was a good harvest! I'll be busy today putting up more tomato sauce. Those feet belong to some helpers!

Until next time Keep Digging & Eat Well!


The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener

An impending decision

While I have enjoyed the experience of our first year vegetable plot, I am pondering the decision to move it from the donated site to my back yard for next year. There are two primary factors leading to my questioning the current setup.

1) Distance – while it is not very far away – 10 minutes maximum by car, it is still a bit to go over there do our thing and then come back

2) Maintenance - with the homeowners being busy with their own projects/situations, it is not reasonable to expect them to perform any maintenance. With my limited visits, work doesn’t get accomplished in a timely manner.

That said, it does have its advantages primarily plenty of space and super fertile soil.

If I were to relocate it to my back yard it would have a cascading impact on my yard and how I use it.

I could just plant in the back in the empty space – but that would be quite small. How small? I have to measure.

I could take out some of the sun perennials and move them to the front of the house. This would give me more space for food production. It would also take a great deal of effort and negate about seven years of work/growth.

Additionally should I move more plantings to the front, it would restrict the space I have for a rather complex Halloween display that has been a passion the last five years, though the Halloween bug may have run its course.

This is a difficult decision. Stay tuned.




The Gastronomic Gardener
My garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
My cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener

Sunday Morning Bounty

I've not been out to the vegetable plot in a bit so  I needed to go see what was happening, harvest anything ripe, thin the radishes and beets that I've put in for a fall crop. I also had the usual bucket of kitchen scraps for the compost heap as well as the milled skins and seeds from the tomato sauce I made yesterday. That was intended for the chickens.

I like the idea of growing the tomatoes, giving seeds and skins to the chickens, who then make eggs, and contribute to compost heap when their coop is cleaned. Closing the loop and not a garbage can in sight!

I haven't shown you the garden recently but this time I remembered the camera. As I got ready to pull out of the drive, I saw some sunflowers, volunteers from the bird seed no doubt, but they were looking cheerfully jaunty, so I snapped a picture.

After arriving on site and dumping the bucket into the compost pile, I treated the chickens aka "the girls" to the skins and seeds of yesterdays tomatoes.  They are quite funny as they will run up to you and beg, and are generally pretty vocal. This quieted them as they feasted.

Here is the whole garden, it is very shaggy and overgrown but is producing  (a little garden humor for you!) quite well.

The eggplants are happy - the Japanese eggplants keep producing and the globe eggplants are getting there too. Despite the leaf damage the fruits are lovely.

The cherry tomatoes keep going - the homeowner claims these as they are his favorite.

The golden Romas were so vigorous they pulled down their support!

The acorn squash are enjoying themselves - we'll have plenty I think. And I  like that they will keep for months!

After all the photography it was time to do some harvesting. I was surprised at the amount of green beans, the plants look a bit ragged but they keep going strong. Also picked tomatoes, peppers, green beans, Indian cucumbers, and a few eggplant. Another good haul. I'm looking forward to making some golden salsa!

After picking I went over to the big box store, picked up some more canning supplies (on sale) - a little lunch and I'm going to tackle the out of control perennial garden!

Until next time, Keep digging & eat well!



The Gastronomic Gardener
My garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
My cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener