Seeds!!!

As promised, week one of my four week venture to plant my garden has come to a fruitful (or should I say vegetable) end. With four varieties chosen and paid for I have finalized my seed selection. 

Been a While Eh?

Ray's Garden has been on an unannounced hiatus for the past month. Those of you reading now, thanks for not abandoning me.

Life for this novice gardener has been a little hectic as of late. Some great changes have been happening in my life which has, unfortunately, kept me from devoting time to this lovely blog of mine. But, never fear for I return with great hope for the future...

The spring is fast approaching. Winter's benumbing weather has begun to break and I now wake to the warming sun. I've begun to see sprouts of grass growing in my yard and my garden is starting to fill with the perennial annoyance of weeds. So, I say to myself, "self, it's time to get back to it".

With that in mind, I've made a weekly goal checklist. My hope is that by the end of the month and beginning of April I will have a fully planted garden ready to start growing.

Baby it's cold outside...

I woke up this morning to 7 degree weather and a ground that crunched at my feet. Stepping outside I look around at the trees that look so dead. The last leaf fell weeks ago and has begun feed the earth. My garden has done the same.

I shiver at the cold and at the idea that there are no plants to tend. The frozen soil is beyond all hope of tilling and even if I could break the ground I know that nothing would grow. So, I turn to my memories of the time I spent planting, growing, tending, and harvesting my garden.

But, I have more than just memories of my garden. As I look back in nostalgic bliss at the garden that kept me warm, I realize that I am fortunate to have recorded the season and enjoy knowing that I can share this warmth with you too. 

Local Fall Veggies Do Exist!

Today I'm sharing a wonderful fall time recipe. Red Lentil Dal with Butternut Squash and Crispy Cabbage. What's so wonderful about this dish is that both the squash and cabbage are in season and can be found locally at your farmers market (if it's still running) or natural foods store. But don't fret, if you don't have either you can still find these veggies, along with all of the other ingredients, at your nearest supermarket.  

There are really two parts of this recipe, the dal and the cabbage. Both can be done at the same time so long as you prep your ingredients first.


Red Lentil Dal with Butternut Squash

1 15oz can coconut milk
1/2 C. water 
1 C. red lentils
1 small butternut squash peeled and diced into 1/4-1/2 inch cubes

Bring your coconut milk and water to a boil then add in lentils and squash. Bring back to boil then cover and simmer for 20-40min or until squash is soft.

Crispy Cabbage

1 small head of red cabbage sliced
1/2 C. all purpose flour
1/2 C. whole wheat flour
3-4 Tbls. canola oil

Preheat oven to 475.

Slice cabbage into 1/8 inch strips.

Mix flours in medium bowl. Then mix in cabbage coating well.

On stove top, preheat oil in a large skillet. Once oil is hot, place flour coated cabbage in oil and fry until it starts to brown.

 

 Don't be tempted to fry it too long. We'll finish the cabbage off in the oven and we don't want it to burn. 

Then place fried cabbage on a sheet pan an into preheated oven.

Cook cabbage in oven for about 5-10 minutes or until crispy. Being careful not to let it burn.

 

It should look about like this. 

Once cabbage is cooked and dal is done simply spoon the dal into a bowl and place some cabbage on top. This is a perfect meal for the chilly fall nights.

If you have some cabbage left over it can be made into a great sandwich. Just add some greens, an avacado, and a little mayo or deli mustard and you've got a great lunch the next day. 

Or heck, just sprinkle on some salt or seasoning of your choice and eat it like you would chips or fries. 

But, as always, no matter what...enjoy!

DIY Cold Frame

My most recent post got me to thinking about the home gardener and just how 'high tunnels' can be applied to the small garden. It's great that there are options for the gardeners who's livelihood depend on their crops. But, what about those of us who just want to grow some lettuce in the late fall and early winter? To that issue I say, cold frame.

Now, those of you familiar enough with Ray's Garden may notice that this particular plot looks a little alien. That's because this is not Ray's Garden. It is, in fact, The Mountainside Garden. Today's post is going to be a first. I'll be talking about the experiences of another fellow gardener. One who is much more seasoned than I am and has chosen to take on the task of building a cold frame. A task, which I have learned, is not too difficult. Even for a beginner gardener such as myself.

Thinking Ahead

Well, this season is starting to come to a close. Naturally I've begun to think about what I want to grow next year. I ponder the past season's triumphs and losses and think about what I've learned. Next year will be about trying to ameliorate my troubles by honing my gardening skills further. 

I want to see more tomatoes and not make the mistake of caging them late. I will find creative and inspired ways to avoid the pests that destroyed my yellow squash. I plan to keep the rabbits at bay with new fencing and perhaps I can save my beans. There you have it--I've chosen three crops already.
 

Another change my garden will see next year is a reduction of plants. I found this year that five was just one species to many. My garden is small and my plants grew well. So, next year I will grow four types. Some quick math will tell you that I have room for one more vegetable, then. 


So... Ray's Garden is having a survey!

I've added a poll to the site asking my readers what they think I should plant next year. So, it's up to you to decide. What will be? Corn? Cucumbers? Okra? Or onions? I look forward to finding out.

The poll will last till January 31st. On February 1st, I will declare the winner. 

Don't Forget Your Plants!

Heat! That's right, I said it and I'll say it again. Heat! It's been so freakin' hot lately that I've had no motivation to get out and do anything in my garden. I mean it, I did nothing for a good 2-3 weeks. Ok, I guess I did make it out occasionally to water. But, all that required of me was a simple turn of the hose.

Update on Squash Bug Situation

I've been using the soap solution for several days now, spraying on average once a day, and it seems to be working. At first I saw fewer bugs, gradually I've seen even less. Finally, I went out and found none. Today, however, I did find that some of the eggs had hatched and a new batch of baby bugs were poised and ready to take over. Luckily, I found them in time and sprayed it all down. I feel good about this solution and (at this point) would recommend it to anyone who asks.

They!

For some time now I've been wearily checking my squash leaves for the dreaded sign of squash bugs. I will go out to my garden and apprehensively lift several of the leaves looking for those feared reddish-brown eggs. You know the ones right? No? Well they look kinda (exactly) like this.

I Harvest Ergo I Cook

My wife and I have recently opted to change out diets dramatically and eat vegan. Consider this post a response to the many who wonder what it is exactly someone who eats a vegan diet does, in fact, eat.

I adapted this recipe from the April 2010 issue of Veg News.

Summer Squash Vegan Quiche 

1 Lb.  firm tofu, drained
1/3 C. unsweetened soymilk
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Medium yellow crookneck squash (fresh from garden if possible)
1 Medium patty pan squash (from your father's garden if possible)
3 Cloves garlic 
1/2 Tbsp. dried basil
1/2 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 Tsp. Salt
2 Tsp. Pepper
1 9 Inch vegan pie crust
1/4 C. vegan cheese (I like garlic and herb almond cheese)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, blend tofu and soymilk until smooth. 

2. In a saute pan over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Add yellow squash and patty pan squash. Cook for about 5-6 minutes until tender. Add garlic and continue to cook for another minute. 

3. Fold squash and garlic into tofu mixture adding basil, oregano, salt, and pepper.

4. Pour mixture into uncooked pie crust, spreading smoothly and evenly. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Rotate once halfway through to ensure even cooking. 

5. Pull quiche from oven and sprinkle vegan cheese over top. Return to oven and cook for another 5-10 minutes until cheese begins to melt (note: vegan cheese doesn't melt like regular cheese, don't expect it to fully melt). 

6. Enjoy warm or let cool off and serve cold. Great for breakfast, brunch, or dinner. 

Production, Harvesting, Reaping What You Sow, or Whatever You Feel Like Calling It

Countless hours have been spent, back bent, sun beating down on my neck, sweat pouring from my forehead as I till, hoe, rake, plant, weed, weed, and weed some more. All this time telling myself not to be upset if nothing grew. Yet still, knowing the disappointment that would come from so many lost hours. 

I am excited to say I am not disappointed.

From the Soil...

Ok, so I've gotten a "little" behind on the posting.

Last time we saw my garden it looked like this.

Now, it looks like this.

 Yes, that's right, what was just an area of land infested with weeds has become a plot of soil which will (with any luck) produce a beautiful vegetable garden. 


Here's how I did it.

Making the right choices

Decisions decisions...For a new gardener like me it's hard to know exactly what to plant. Looking through all of the differnent seed magazines, scanning the thousands of websites, and standing in front of the display at my local hardware store became a daunting task. So, finally I just force myself to go into to the store and pick 5 vegetables. In order to have a good shot at actually producing something I chose a few items that I'd grown as a kid. But, I didn't want to limit myself, so I chose a few items I'd never grown before. Here it is, the rundown of what I will plant.

All of my seeds are Ferry Morse brand. The descriptions I'm giving are what Ferry Morse uses on the back of their packets.

1)Big Boy Hybrid Tomato
       Description: One of the most popular hybrid tomatoes! Indeterminate plants produce large, deep red slicing tomatoes, some up to 2 pounds. Great for salads, canning or juice. Plants will produce until frost.

2)Derby (bush) Garden Beans
      Description: This All-American Selection has capacity to produce new pods throughout growing season. Stringless pods are very long and straight; most tender when 5-6 inches long. Disease resistant. 

3)Yellow Summer Crookneck Squash
      Description: A popular yellow summer squash with firm, tender, pale cream flesh. For best flavor, eat young fruit when 4-8inches long. High in vitamin A. 


4) Long Imperator #58 Carrot
      Description: Large, straight, smooth roots. about 8 inches long when fully mature. The flesh is firm, and the flavor is excellent. Perfect in fresh salads. One of nature's best sources of vitamin A. 


5) Bibb (or Limestone) Lettuce
      Description: A butterhead variety considered a real delicacy. Easy to grow. The small somewhat loose head is tender with distinctive flavor. Early starting is advised to avoid bolting to seed in hot weather.  

So there you have it. The lineup as it stands now.