Plant Something – No seed planting this week. Transplanted the broccoli and cauliflower starts to the garden. Other than that just monitoring the beets, chard and lima’s I put in last week and obsessing over where I am going to find room to put in the fall spinach, new lettuce, arugula and rutabaga. I got no room! Anyone have a few acres to spare? I promise I’ll take real good care of it and even give you some veg!
Harvest Something – Harvested Kohlrabi, butter crunch lettuce, spring onions, fennel, oregano and chives. I also harvested a pint jar worth of Nasturtium pods/seeds (still green). I have read in numerous places that one can make a “poor mans caper” from these. I put together a brine and plunked em in. This will probably be a post of its own shortly.
Preserve Something – No preserving this week either (except for the nasturtium seeds). I did a bunch of re-referencing a book I bought over the winter in preparation for attempting to try out lactic fermentation on some of the harvest this year. The book is fascinating, if a little short on specifics. It is mostly just a huge compilation of methods and recipes sent in on preserving food without canning or freezing. I recommend it (check back with me when I actually taste some of the experiments).
Preserving Food without Freezing or Canning: Traditional Techniques Using Salt, Oil, Sugar, Alcohol, Vinegar, Drying, Cold Storage, and Lactic Fermentation
Prep Something – Decided to try my hand at cider making as a prelude to home brewing beer. I was involved in the creation of several rot-gut, tongue numbing experiments earlier in life with a main focus on alcohol content and the impatience of a 18 year old. The goal this time around is to actually make something palatable too. Purchased basic brewing supplies and looking for an affordable source for local apple juice/cider. With blackberry season coming up I am betting I can get pretty creative and fruity.
Cook Something – Garden Vegi mac n cheese with Kale, beet greens, egyptian onions and garlic. Beef Kebabs with Kohlrabi puree (from Farmgirl Susan). Another big salad with chick peas, hard boiled eggs from the girls, bacon and chioggia beets. Rhubarb upside-down cake. Quiche with eggs from the girls, kohlrabi greens, garlic, leeks and Tillamook cheddar.
Manage your reserves – Pulled out and took stock of all the jars, made notes on how many more wide mouth and regular rings and lids I need to purchase. Marked off chipped jars with a sharpie for regular refrigerator storage. Can you tell I am waiting for tomato season?
Work on Local Food Systems – Went to the farmers market this morning and picked up eggplant, roma tomatoes, onions, squash blossoms and a few jalapenos. I’ve had a hankering to make KitchenMage’s Blueberry Habanero Chutney, but Alvarez Farm doesn’t have habaneros ripe yet. Talked with a good friend who is in the process of trying to start up a farm cooperative about 2 hours south of Seattle. We are heading down to visit in a couple weeks and I am excited to learn more about the effort. This is in an area that used to be a bread-basket but was converted over into timber harvest and christmas tree farms and now pays out the nose at the general store for a tomato.
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1 3attached // Jan 12, 2022 at 6:10 pm
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