Well, this was a decent crop despite the fact that it rained every day starting August 1 and by mid-September all the leaves had fallen off these plants due to some kind of fungus. I don't think there is a living thing or surface outside right now that hasn't been colonized by some kind of fungus.
I would definitely plant the supersonic and cherokee purple varieties again. Supersonic was a good slicer and it ripened early. Cherokee purple is a big, fleshy beefstake style tomato that really gives you a hunk of fruit. Both are tasty.
Amish paste was OK, but I think I could have hoped for more fruits per plant. But it could have been the soil or some other factor.
Mr. Stripey gets these ugly scars all around the top (possibly in part because of all the rain cracking the skins) and then they rot there. Plus it's hard to tell when they are ripe. I'm not doing this one next year.
Doug's grandmother's tomatoes' descendants did quite well. Small slicing tomatoes with good flavor.
The need to rotate is a problem. I don't have enough space to rotate properly, and I really don't want to reduce the number of tomato plants I plant. Tomatoes are not THAT cheap, and I've been freezing them as diced or sauced tomatoes. I think next year I will plant them inside the rabbit fence. There haven't been tomatoes in there for years, and that will give the rest of the garden a break. Plus, I can start them early because I'm planning to put a hoop house over that part of the garden in a couple weeks. Also, I can still put the early spring crops in there because they'll grow between the tomatoes until the weather gets too warm for them and the tomatoes crowd them out.
As far as a mix of varieties, I'll plant at least 4 slicing tomatoes, 1 cherry tomato, and at least 4 paste tomatoes. I'd like to plant something that is good for drying as well.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Lessons Learned: Herbs
I've been meaning to write good notes on what I learned this year and what I hope to do differently next year. I'm starting with herbs.
First, I didn't plant as much variety as I'd like to next year. Part of the problem is finding a good spot for perennials. I'll start with the herbs I did plant and then note the ones I want to add.
1. Mint. There is a big stand of mint that escaped pots near our fence line. It's an unknown variety, but well-established. I used it all summer in lemonade. In pots in the vegetable garden I also planted apple mint, spearmint, and your basic mint mint. The apple mint had impressive, large, lush leaves, but it never grew too many stems so I don't think I harvested it for anything. Maybe it will grow better next year. The spearmint got kind of overwhelmed by a nearby marigold and a dock, so it's not as strong as it might have been. But the mint mine is outrageous! It must be 3 feet in diameter spilling out of it's pot. And that's AFTER I whacked it way back to dry it's leaves.
Keeping the mint in terra cotta in the garden seemed to work well. It got watered whenever everything else did. One great thing about the mint is that it dried so well. Hung by the handful in a paper bag for about 2 weeks, it smelled amazing as I pinched the leaves off.
2. Basil. This is one crop that must be started indoors as early as possible and maybe planted out in a cold frame. And buying a few starts from the greenhouse is a good bet too. It took 'til June 30 before I could harvest any decent amount.
I planted 4 lettuce leaf basil and at least 12 regular plants. I ended up with about 8 large ones, with the ones out in the vegetable bed growing strongest. The lettuce leaf basil looked cool, but didn't have a great taste.
A friend, Gene, recommended a method of harvest that should maximize yield. I'd like to try this next year.
I converted most of the basil to pesto, especially when pulling the plants toward the end of the season, and froze it in 1/2-1 c portions. I definitely could have used more. I feel sure we'll eat everything I've frozen over the winter months.
I also planted a few starts in between plants I expected to get large, like tomatoes. The problem is, the basil is pretty slow growing and by the time the basil was ready to grow it was already shaded by the larger plants. So basil needs dedicated garden space, at least a square foot per plant. I would, ideally, have 16 square feet of basil.
3. Cilantro. I have got to get serious about succession planting. This is one of my favorite herbs, so despite the fact that it bolts about a week after it reaches harvestable size, I'm going to try to grow it. It might make sense to grow it in a fertile soil flat, where the seeds can be sewn densely every 2 weeks. Maybe the shortage of soil would even stunt it a little - either that or make it bolt even faster!
4. Parsley. This was a starting year for parsley. I now have 3 strong italian flat leaf, but need to put in a curly leaf plant. I'm hopeful these will come back next year.
5. Sage. We discovered sage butter. Man, oh man. Finely chop 2 T of sage leaves and simmer in 1/2 c butter and then sprinkle in nutmeg. My smallish sage plant from a local greenhouse thrived next to the garden fence. If it comes back next year I'd be very happy, but I'm not sure I can expect that.
6. Thyme. Eh. It's growing, but not stunningly. I think I should research varieties too. There seem to be a million and I have no idea which I'd like best.
7. Tarragon. I planted a very tasty tarragon, but allowed it to get crowded out, and I don't know if the weak plant remaining could possibly survive winter to come back next year. We have a very strong, but tasteless variety that does come back voraciously every year, so I guess I can be hopeful, but I should move it.
8. Rosemary. I had a 3 year old shrub in a pot that had moved in and out of the house with the seasons. We put it in the ground this spring. I'll bring two new starts in the house this winter, so we'll have those come spring if the shrub doesn't survive. My mom taught me to slip some sprigs up under the skin of a chicken before roasting it and we just love that. I'd like to find more uses. I'm betting rosemary butter is good.
9. Lavender. I have a small but strong lavender plant. They survive in the backyard of a neighbor, so I hope this one will revive next spring and get even larger.
10. Oregano. This plant was a runt 2 years ago, harvestable this year, and I'm hoping for stunning next year. Flavor is good, but boy does it disappoint when dry. There must be some trick to that.
11. Lemongrass. This was a fun experiment worth repeating. I'm told if I bring the clump in over winter, and set it back out next spring it will be much stronger next year. The stalks and leaves can be dried or frozen for soup or tea. It's the kind of thing you can't bring yourself to pay for, so it seems worth the small garden space.
12. Chives. I have a massive clump of chives. Garlic chives are taking over. I can barely see the regular chives any more. Perhaps next spring I can tidy this up, or maybe just start a fresh patch. They are really a crop that just keeps giving.
For next year:
1. Dill. Need to plant dill somewhere where it can reseed it self permanently.
2. Plants good for tea. I had calendula this year, but never harvested any to dry. Camomile? Lemon Balm?
3. Marjoram.
4. Savory.
5. Up for suggestions. Just leave a comment.
First, I didn't plant as much variety as I'd like to next year. Part of the problem is finding a good spot for perennials. I'll start with the herbs I did plant and then note the ones I want to add.
1. Mint. There is a big stand of mint that escaped pots near our fence line. It's an unknown variety, but well-established. I used it all summer in lemonade. In pots in the vegetable garden I also planted apple mint, spearmint, and your basic mint mint. The apple mint had impressive, large, lush leaves, but it never grew too many stems so I don't think I harvested it for anything. Maybe it will grow better next year. The spearmint got kind of overwhelmed by a nearby marigold and a dock, so it's not as strong as it might have been. But the mint mine is outrageous! It must be 3 feet in diameter spilling out of it's pot. And that's AFTER I whacked it way back to dry it's leaves.
Keeping the mint in terra cotta in the garden seemed to work well. It got watered whenever everything else did. One great thing about the mint is that it dried so well. Hung by the handful in a paper bag for about 2 weeks, it smelled amazing as I pinched the leaves off.
2. Basil. This is one crop that must be started indoors as early as possible and maybe planted out in a cold frame. And buying a few starts from the greenhouse is a good bet too. It took 'til June 30 before I could harvest any decent amount.
I planted 4 lettuce leaf basil and at least 12 regular plants. I ended up with about 8 large ones, with the ones out in the vegetable bed growing strongest. The lettuce leaf basil looked cool, but didn't have a great taste.
A friend, Gene, recommended a method of harvest that should maximize yield. I'd like to try this next year.
1) Basil growing tip from Ecology Action, Nov. 2010, p. 3.
a) Once basil reaches 4-6 growth nodes and is at the point of flowering, cut back to 2 growth nodes (starting from the ground up), as long as there are enough leaves for photosynthesis.
b) Water well after each cutting.
c) After 7-10 days, it should be ready for second cutting (again, just at the point of flowering).
d) Cut back to 1 growth node (counting from the main stem).
e) Repeat every 7-10 days until plant starts to get leggy, around the third cutting. Then cut back to 6-8” and wait until it re-grows. ( 2 weeks).
f) Repeat the entire process – taking 3 or more cuttings.
g) Cut back to 8” and repeat process.
h) Of course, let some go to seed to save seed.
I converted most of the basil to pesto, especially when pulling the plants toward the end of the season, and froze it in 1/2-1 c portions. I definitely could have used more. I feel sure we'll eat everything I've frozen over the winter months.
I also planted a few starts in between plants I expected to get large, like tomatoes. The problem is, the basil is pretty slow growing and by the time the basil was ready to grow it was already shaded by the larger plants. So basil needs dedicated garden space, at least a square foot per plant. I would, ideally, have 16 square feet of basil.
3. Cilantro. I have got to get serious about succession planting. This is one of my favorite herbs, so despite the fact that it bolts about a week after it reaches harvestable size, I'm going to try to grow it. It might make sense to grow it in a fertile soil flat, where the seeds can be sewn densely every 2 weeks. Maybe the shortage of soil would even stunt it a little - either that or make it bolt even faster!
4. Parsley. This was a starting year for parsley. I now have 3 strong italian flat leaf, but need to put in a curly leaf plant. I'm hopeful these will come back next year.
5. Sage. We discovered sage butter. Man, oh man. Finely chop 2 T of sage leaves and simmer in 1/2 c butter and then sprinkle in nutmeg. My smallish sage plant from a local greenhouse thrived next to the garden fence. If it comes back next year I'd be very happy, but I'm not sure I can expect that.
6. Thyme. Eh. It's growing, but not stunningly. I think I should research varieties too. There seem to be a million and I have no idea which I'd like best.
7. Tarragon. I planted a very tasty tarragon, but allowed it to get crowded out, and I don't know if the weak plant remaining could possibly survive winter to come back next year. We have a very strong, but tasteless variety that does come back voraciously every year, so I guess I can be hopeful, but I should move it.
8. Rosemary. I had a 3 year old shrub in a pot that had moved in and out of the house with the seasons. We put it in the ground this spring. I'll bring two new starts in the house this winter, so we'll have those come spring if the shrub doesn't survive. My mom taught me to slip some sprigs up under the skin of a chicken before roasting it and we just love that. I'd like to find more uses. I'm betting rosemary butter is good.
9. Lavender. I have a small but strong lavender plant. They survive in the backyard of a neighbor, so I hope this one will revive next spring and get even larger.
10. Oregano. This plant was a runt 2 years ago, harvestable this year, and I'm hoping for stunning next year. Flavor is good, but boy does it disappoint when dry. There must be some trick to that.
11. Lemongrass. This was a fun experiment worth repeating. I'm told if I bring the clump in over winter, and set it back out next spring it will be much stronger next year. The stalks and leaves can be dried or frozen for soup or tea. It's the kind of thing you can't bring yourself to pay for, so it seems worth the small garden space.
12. Chives. I have a massive clump of chives. Garlic chives are taking over. I can barely see the regular chives any more. Perhaps next spring I can tidy this up, or maybe just start a fresh patch. They are really a crop that just keeps giving.
For next year:
1. Dill. Need to plant dill somewhere where it can reseed it self permanently.
2. Plants good for tea. I had calendula this year, but never harvested any to dry. Camomile? Lemon Balm?
3. Marjoram.
4. Savory.
5. Up for suggestions. Just leave a comment.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Ravioli
Last night we made the most divine dinner we've had in years.
Butternut Ravioli, and Spinach Ricotta Ravioli (made with swiss chard) with sage butter on top.
Holy Moly.
Here's the recipe for Butternut Squash Ravioli:
http://iowagirleats.com/2009/11/06/how-to-bake-butternut-squash-butternut-squash-ravioli-recipe-2/
and
http://iowagirleats.com/2009/11/05/pan-fried-butternut-squash-ravioli-with-walnut-butter-sauce-and-bacon/
Here's the recipe for Spinach Ricotta Ravioli:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/keith-famies-adventures/spinach-and-ricotta-ravioli-recipe/index.html
We followed these recipes pretty much exactly for the fillings. We followed the Butternut recipe to construct and cook the ravioli. We made the sage butter sauce in the Spinach recipe.
Let me just say, if you've never made sage butter - at least do that before your sage keels over in the garden. Oh my...
Elizabeth
PS. I made a date-nut bundt cake with Rum Glaze for desert. It was nothing compared to the raviolis, but...
Butternut Ravioli, and Spinach Ricotta Ravioli (made with swiss chard) with sage butter on top.
Holy Moly.
Here's the recipe for Butternut Squash Ravioli:
http://iowagirleats.com/2009/11/06/how-to-bake-butternut-squash-butternut-squash-ravioli-recipe-2/
and
http://iowagirleats.com/2009/11/05/pan-fried-butternut-squash-ravioli-with-walnut-butter-sauce-and-bacon/
Here's the recipe for Spinach Ricotta Ravioli:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/keith-famies-adventures/spinach-and-ricotta-ravioli-recipe/index.html
We followed these recipes pretty much exactly for the fillings. We followed the Butternut recipe to construct and cook the ravioli. We made the sage butter sauce in the Spinach recipe.
Let me just say, if you've never made sage butter - at least do that before your sage keels over in the garden. Oh my...
Elizabeth
PS. I made a date-nut bundt cake with Rum Glaze for desert. It was nothing compared to the raviolis, but...
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Lemongrass
Tonight (11 PM - gotta do it when you can) I harvested some of the strongest lemongrass stalks. You are supposed to cut the stalks that are at least 1/2 inch wide. Then I peeled off the outer leaves, but found it was a little difficult to tell when I'd pulled off enough. The options for the heart include freezing and drying. A couple things I read said you could put these hearts in a blender and then freeze the juice in ice cube trays for later use. I may try this but for now I'm going with the drying method. Although nothing I read recommended it, I think I'm going to cut the grass into 1 inch pieces and dry it like that. Then, when it's time for soup I can just take out the pieces I need.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
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