And now for something completely different

...a project I actually completed! (Well, 95%, but who's counting.)

In the last post, I listed some of my to-do list for the garden cold season, and by crikey here's one that came to fruition. It is about the sloppiest example of wood cutting anyone could ever hope to perpetrate, but what the muck, we have decided that this is just the prototype for greater things to come.

I ripped the majority of the pieces with a jigsaw blade as dull as dirt, late at night, and with no clamps to hold the stock, so we have a rather free form example of the original hod (thanks RunnerDuck!) I set out to replicate. Still, I think it will be very functional and if I don't carry bricks around in it, may last for a few years.

The original design has handle supports attached to the outside of the hod ends, but due to some airheaded measuring, I cut the dowel handle too short. Not a problem; did some 'redesign' and attached the handle supports to the inside of the hod ends. (See this photo for a much cooler example of another handle option.)

Guess what- I like the 'booboo' design even better! Truth be told, I did consider attaching the handles on the inside before I goofed on the measurements. (That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.) The inside attachment doesn't reduce the interior space very much, but does reduce the outside dimensions if you have storage considerations (as I do).

My final measurements are a little larger than RunnerDuck's, due to going with a 1 x 8 instead of a 1 x 6- 7 3/8 " high x 9 7/8 " wide x 17" long (basket dimensions, not including handle height- that is about 13"). I'm very happy with the extra 2" depth. This is still relatively lightweight since it's made from pine.

That's right, cheapo pine was used here, not the cedar recommended by RunnerDuck (mainly because Homey Deepo did not have any cedar), so I applied a tung oil finish for some water repellance. Right before I took the pic here, the hod was out on the deck and it started to rain. The water beaded up just fine, so I think if it is not left to fend for itself day and night in the cold cruel (outside) world, and is given reasonable care, the little basket will hopefully be around for many seasons.

Another modification was to use 1/4" wire mesh instead of 1/2". My reasoning was that herbs (as well as smaller vegetables, like little hot peppers) could be gathered more easily in a smaller meshed hod, with no 'slipping through the cracks'. The only caveat is that the wire gauge of the 1/4" is also a little thinner. If you want the sturdiest construction, go with the 1/2" mesh. You could always line the basket with a cloth to keep the little stuff from falling out.

One last mod, which has not been applied yet, will be to add 'feet' under each end, creating a little air space underneath the mesh, and theoretically protecting it from getting cut up. The plan is to rip two pieces, 7/8" square x 6" long, and attach them to the bottom of each end piece.

As for the savings over a ready-made garden hod, if you don't count the ~$38.00 I spent on tools- spade bit, jigsaw blades, carpenter's glue, and clamps- the wood and mesh ran about $15.00, and there is just barely enough wood to make one more hod. So much for pinchin' the pennies.

There may still be an opportunity to grab an artistic photo of the new garden basket brimming over with 'plenty'- never mind the fact that it will probably consist of nothing but swiss chard and jalapenos- hey, doesn't everybody still have jalapenos growing at the end of November?

That's a wrap

What do you do when you know there is no longer any hope of squeezing another cracked tomato, or minuscule eggplant, or puny pepper out of the utterly failed garden? Gather up everything that you did squeeze out and pile it in a bowl so you can pretend you actually had a harvest. There. Denial fixes everything, and I feel much better now.

Due to Hurricane what's her name, anything in my garden that was still clinging to life by a thread has been drowned, ripped off the vine, or otherwise molested. There is currently a large branch from the stupid silver maple impaled in the middle of the beds and the leaves have created a wet mat of slug heaven (why don't hurricanes do the slugs in? Not fair.)

Sunday looks like it's going to be a great day for being outside and taking care of some of the destruction; problem is I volunteered my little self to help out with a booth at the Waterfowl Festival in Easton, for the entire day. (I am an idiot). The first two days of the festival were pretty much a loss due to the storm remnants that ripped through the Mid-A this week, so I guess they deserve to have one good day since it is something that's planned all year. Just wish I hadn't opened my big mouth and volunteered!

The fall cleanup is going to end up getting done in January if I don't start scheduling things a little better. I have been doing some inside stuff, but there's plenty still left on the inside to-do list. Which is why it's always good to keep a list of inside tasks for when the weather outside is frightful; you feel like you're not a complete layabout. Some suggestions:

- Bagging up the seeds you've been drying, if you are prone to collecting way more than you will ever possibly be able to grow, like me. I had umpty billion little dishes of this and that seeds waiting patiently to be put to bed, and many of them are now snugged away in their little envelopes. Not all, but some (hey, I'm a great starter, but a very poor completer, what can I say. Short attention span.)

- Recycling all of the garden catalogs from the past year. I know they're pretty, but they have to go. Go open up your recycling bin right now, gentle reader, and cast them. The 2010's have started to arrive.

- Also recycling all of the oddball containers you've been hoarding that you thought might be good for growing stuff (hey! This is a good size tray/cup/box, I should save this...) No one on the planet needs hundreds of yogurt containers; don't know why I thought I did. But I'm not giving up my mushroom trays, no-sir-ree.

- Doing inventory on the garden equipment. What's broken? Can it be fixed? If yes, start on that, if no, then throw. What do you have too many of? Get rid of the multiples. You do not need six trowels, I'm sorry but you just don't. What might you be hankerin' for next year, that maybe you could make yourself? In this economy, the $40 or $50 garden hod is but a sweet dream, so I have decided to build my own, and the whole project can be made in my back room. I'm thinking there might be a few more do-it-yourself projects waiting in the wings as the winter looms.

- Doing inventory on the garden seeds. I actually already did this a few months ago, but it's a good one for anyone who hasn't already. Those twelve year old melon seeds are not going to germinate, buckaroo, so toss 'em. Pull all of the seed packs out and go through them ruthlessly, figure out what's still good and get rid of the rest. That way you know what you need when ordering season starts, and you don't order way too much and end up with duplicates like I always do (how'd I get four packs of Bloomsdale Long Standing Spinach? Not doing inventory, that's how).

- Planning next year's beds. If you are a strict rotator, figure out where everybody can go so as not to invite pesties to multiply. I have never actually been one to pay all that much attention to whether the tomatoes are growing in the same spot as last year, but then the garden was sort of non-existent for a couple of years so don't take me as a good example. Right now my planning is looking like the front yard will be getting ripped up and the back yard left to the damn silver maple and it's branches of death.

Wrapping up the garden year is sort of mournful in a way, but then I remember there will be seeds needing to be started in just eight weeks (I'm going to have broccoli and cabbage next year, dammit, if it kills me.) That's when my season starts. In the meantime, there's garden hods to build, and broken stuff to get rid of, and vegetable beds to plan...

Oh, what a tangled Web

Well hey, kids- your humble blogger was recently done the honor of having a chat with Susan Harris, a local garden guru, who also has a gig over at the Homestead Gardens blog, as well as being the producer of the world famous Garden Rant blog, and it was a pleasure. They (i.e., the Homestead Gardens blog) are looking for local gardener/cook/bloggers- that means you! I was their first local featured blogger, and hopefully there will be many more to come.

A new venture, the Homestead Gardens blog is sponsored by the venerable local garden business that has been operating in Maryland for over 35 years. In addition to being a pretty mind-boggling place to buy plants/seeds/tools/other garden chotchkies, if you haven't been there during the holidays (yikes! are they almost here?), well I'm sorry, but you just haven't been.

So about the blog. I actually stumbled upon them because Rita Calvert (also at the Homestead Garden blog) stumbled upon me, asking in an email if I'd been to Green Drinks Annapolis, a project under the umbrella of AnnapolisGreen. I had not, but will be checking out some of their events shortly, always on the lookout for forward thinking ventures.

One of the reasons I went squash hunting last weekend (see previous post) was because I'd seen a curry recipe Rita posted that I thought might be interesting in a veggie incarnation- just hadn't decided yet if I wanted to do seitan or tofu as the protein component instead of goat, so who knows, the squash might still end up in a soup (if I can ever stop looking at it; it's so pretty I don't have the heart to break into it yet. Must grow this next year.)

But anyway, one thing leads to another, and before you know it, SNAP! their web has you in it's craw, but it's OK because now you have a mess o' new friends with similar interests, and great new places to go eat and drink until you just can't stand it anymore.

Talk about other people's gardens. Everyone else's this year looked better than mine. But that's normal. Since the weekend is almost here, you must go check out some of your local garden resources before the snow starts flying, and let's all start scheming on next year's garden.

OPG (Other People's Gardens)

As it turned out, the nine year old was the man with the information I needed. "And which variety is this?" I asked the more 'mature' gentleman behind the table at the Farmer's Market on Saturday. "Here's who can tell you" he said, as he pulled his (I think it was) grandson over to address the customer's question.

"Gal LOW dee ay see NAY" he told me, very carefully enunciating. "Oh, it's Italian?" I asked. "No, French." Must have asked him at least twice more what the name was, but eventually the old brain stored it, and I promised to look it up when I got back home. Three dollars went to the nine year old, and one of the most beautiful winter squashes I've ever seen went home with me.

It was the runt of the litter, so to speak, as it's remaining brethren were much larger and had much more impressive bumps ("those are the sugar caps!" my young instructor corrected, when I referred to them as 'peanuts'). That morning's quest had been to obtain a butternut-type to use either in a curry or soup (hadn't decided yet) so I didn't need a giant, and Grandad assured me this was suitable for my needs. And asked for a report the next time I came back. So I innocently went to the Farmer's Market and come back with homework, which means I can't just stick it on the counter and admire it for the next several months.

Once everything was unpacked at home I set to finding out what this new-to-me critter was. Remembering the bit about the French origins, I started googling Gallo plus Acine plus French plus heirloom plus squash, in various combinations, and bingo! after some twists and turns there she was- 'Galeux d'Eysines'. And of course everybody else in the know in the Heirloom Vegetable Community has grown and loved this variety for years, and numerous catalogs devoted to heirloom varieties carry it. (Respect to you, dudes, as well as to my producer.)

Galeux d'Eysines hails from Eysines, a city in the southwest of France. Seed Saver's Exchange says it is "The most popular squash that we offer". Most descriptions I've read put it in the 10-20 pound range, but mine is more like 6 pounds. Which is fine with me, and that works out to $.50 per pound for my score this weekend. Most sites also concur with my producer that it is great for soups as well as roasting.

So will it be soup, or will it be curry, or will it be...

Sorry, the homework assignment is ongoing. In the meantime, here are a few sources I found if you're interested in including this in next year's garden. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I currently have to depend on Other People's Gardens (i.e., the Farmer's Market), not my own, if I want to have Really Cool Veggies such as this.

Next year, though, there's always next year.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Gourmet Seed
J.L. Hudson Seeds
Seed Saver's Exchange
Territorial Seed

Is it soup yet?

There hasn't been a lot of elaborate cooking going on here recently (not that it's EVER elaborate), it's been more like boil the pasta and throw some Parmenon on top. After slathering on the Earth Balance. But with the waning days of autumn (if I may indulge in a little poetic waxing) the kitchen has become far more attractive than it was during the last despicable part of the Mid-Atlantic summer. Which means it's time for soup!

So here is not a soup recipe (maybe later) but the latest version of homemade veggie broth mix to get said soup started. There have been a few times in the past when I actually did a veg stock from scratch, but let's face it, that is not a common pursuit in my kitchen. First of all I can't stand the idea of boiling vegetables to death and then throwing them away (which most broth/stock recipes tell you to do). I think I really prefer to start out with something more of a seasoning base and then make sure the main ingredients carry the show.

I've mentioned before that there is a standard go-to recipe I use for an instant chicken-style soup base (from Joanne Stepaniak), but recently (well, today) there's been some tweaking and influence on that standard after looking at Bryanna Clark Grogan's Vegan Chicken Style Broth Powder.

I'd never included soy in my concoction, it was pretty much the nutri yeast base with salt and dried herbs. But I riffed on Bryanna's version by using soy milk powder instead of soy protein powder, and the soy milk definitely adds a 'roundness' to the broth. It was good just for sippin'! (Note that the soy milk powder can be left out completely and you will still have a good broth mix.)

Bryanna also uses sugar in her mix, which I'd never done before, and frankly I was suspicious. I didn't want a sweet result, but after making up a bit of broth with this hybrid recipe, I can say there was not a noticeable sweetness, again probably just a rounding out of the flavors.

Methinks this is the new standard. Plus it is another seasoning-type recipe that fits nicely in a 1 lb. recycled peanut butter jar. Hoo boy.

Light Instant Broth Mix

1½ cups nutritional yeast flakes
4 Tbs. powdered soy milk (optional; leave out for a clear broth)
3 Tbs. salt
2 Tbs. onion granules
1 Tbs. garlic granules
1 Tbs. paprika
1 Tbs. dried parsley
1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. dried dill or cilantro, or a combination
½ tsp. dried sage
½ tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. freshly ground white pepper

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender until finely powdered, and store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.

To make broth, use 1½ tsp. per cup of water, or more to taste.

Option: for a mushroom-style broth, add a tablespoon or two of dry mushroom powder to the other ingredients before blending.

Breaking the rules

This lonely little pepper pod came from a plant which came from a seed which came from a plant ('Black Pearl' ornamental pepper) I paid way too much money for last year. Although I got several seedlings this year that looked like the parent plant from last year, the one this pod came from had normal green leaves instead of the almost black leaves characteristic of the variety. It did have a completely black fruit though, which as seen in the photo is halfway to red at this point. Hopefully I left it on the plant long enough for the seeds to be viable.

The usual pod shape on 'Black Pearl' is pretty much round, but this one had a little bit of narrowing at the end so I thought what the muck, let's see what it makes next year. 'Black Pearl' is supposed to be stable, since it has PVP (Plant Variety Protection) status, but the flower from last year's plant that provided the seed for the current year's plant probably had relations with another pepper plant, as the current plant has 'normal' leaves.

Even though the conventional rule is don't save seeds from hybrids cause you don't know what you're gonna get, sometimes that's the whole point. I'd like to see if maybe an individual in the next generation gets some variegation in the leaves, while still producing the inky black fruit. Typically I'll germinate the rule-breakers and see how they grow out for a while. If they are not interesting they can always join the compost pile.

For a really striking ornamental 'black' pepper plant which does have variegated leaves, I prefer a variety called 'Royal Black African'. I got the seed from Amishland Seeds, grew it out for the first time last year, and it was stunning, just as showy as the 'Black Pearl' but with green, violet, and white streaking in some of the leaves, and more pointed fruit (which I like better than round). Even with a late start from seed it caught up with the 'Black Pearl' (which was at least 18" tall at time of purchase) in a few months. The plant in the photo below is still fairly small so there aren't as many dark leaves yet; don't take it as representative of a mature plant. When the plant is mature, the dark leaves dominate and it is much more noteworthy.

The seedlings this year were from my own saved seed, and I think there is even more streaking this year, but since the little darlings are pretty much growing in the shade they are probably not normal specimens. Still pretty though.

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange carries a variety called 'Royal Black', and from the website description of the variety I think it's the same as 'Royal Black African', or very, very close to it (the leaves in the website photo appear to be green, however, not dark and streaked, per the accompanying description).

So the season is winding down, the garden was subject to a humiliating lack of sun, and the roller coaster weather helped not one little bit.

Can't wait 'til next year!

Inventory time/lessons learned

Besides the obvious answer to the question, "What vegetables can you grow in the shade?" (not many), this season brought a few surprises/ successes, and had the gardener been a little more attentive, the success rate would probably have been a smidge bit better.

Insufficient sun is not going to net you big honkin veggies. However, more modestly sized varieties, such as the Pizza My Heart pepper, as well as many hot peppers, may struggle along and produce an acceptable yield. The Pizza My Hearts shown here are probably destined for a veggie sausage-and-peppers combo, as they are sweet but can occasionally zing you with a little spiciness.

I had scads of Jalapeños and Cascabellas (well scads for me anyway). Basil, parsley, and the other herbs did OK. The African marigolds went nuts, and the French Dwarfs got nice and bushy with a little time. The Swiss Chard is even growing moderately well, and the lettuce would have done better if it hadn't gotten eaten by the Trombetta di Albenga squash vines, which only made one damn decent squash, but I didn't find it until after ripping up the vines in disgust. The Trombetta had gorgeous, enormous leaves by the way, and made gillions of flowers (which I didn't use- idiot!), and was certainly not the one at fault for being so stingy with the fruit. Trying to grow it with only an hour or so of direct sun a day is cruel and unusual punishment, so it gave me leaves and flowers instead of fruit.

Which brings me to lesson number 1. You can grow leaves in the shade. Most leaves don't care. It's fruit that cares, and will snub you unmercifully by not showing up to your party. Herbs and greens are the mainstay of the kitchen shade garden.

Then lesson number 2. Forget mammoth tomatoes and put your bets on golf ball sized fruits, if you insist on trying to grow tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, and the like in shade. I got a few smallish cucumbers and eggplants this season, so next year, if I am unfortunately still here, the plan is to grow only midget varieties.

Lesson number 3. Once the funds are available again (with salary freezes things are pretty tight, like everybody on the planet didn't know that already), hire an arborist and limb up/down whatever I can get away with on the trees on the property.

Lesson number 4. A fall garden may be the best bet for a shaded yard, as the canopy is decreasing and the light increasing, even though the sun is at at a lower angle.

Lesson number 5. Tear up the front yard and put the garden there. It gets a whole THREE hours of sun a day.

Chores

Before the seeds get into the envelopes below, they have to get out of the seed production units, whatever they may be. Herbs seeds can often be uncooperative due to tiny size, and their tendency to hole up in equally tiny seed capsules/cavities.

Enter another use for one of my (way-too-many) kitchen gadgets. Trying to get Thai basil seeds out of their jackets was really yanking on my carpal tunnel. This mortar with ribbed sides was perfect for rubbing the little suckers out of their hiding places.

The top of the bowl is about 5.5", tapering to a bottom of about 2", so my fingers fit easily inside to roll the seed heads around the sides of the mortar, freeing most of the seeds to drop to the bottom.

I love justifying gadget purchases.

Growing pains

The garden was almost a complete flop this year (well, the marigolds did OK). The shade in the back yard is now so complete the harvest wouldn't feed a family of mice. Sigh.

Still, there are some things going to seed, so what do we do? Waste valuable time making seed envelopes! Instead of working on the house and selling it and moving somewhere that has sun!

The latest incarnation is not exactly a step by step, it's more of a spec sheet for what I currently do to contain the seeds of a meager harvest.

There have been some changes to the original envelope template, most notably cutting a curve into the top of the back section ever so slightly, to make it easier to fold down the top flap, and angling the edges on the side and bottom flaps, also to make for easier folding. The template and specs are provided in Word this time so customizing should be easy peasy.

Black pearls

So they aren't anywhere near being black, and there aren't many yet, thanks mostly to a minuscule amount of sun but also a late start, but if I had enough to make a bowlful it would be the most beautiful bunch of 'maters I've ever grown. These are Chocolate Cherries, and finally getting the dusky, velvety, black-brown-red wash I bought the seeds for.

They are rich, sweet, winey, and all the other adjectives that get used for 'black' tomatoes. Just about an inch across, so the perfect cherry size. I was planning on doing a photo while they were still on the vine, but forgot the plan, so here they are hanging on a fence stake instead.

Also growing in the same shaded plot are Japanese Black Trifeles, which get to about 8 oz. or so, a nice medium size. Note: I don't understand why people grow geenormous tomatoes- I can't eat a whole one at one sitting and I hate them after they've been refrigerated. None of the Trifeles, however, were at the right stage of color to include in the photo. I've actually gotten several off the vine already, but most had (as I commented at another site) Sent From Hell cracks. Hey, even the backmost tomato in this pic had a huge crack- that's why it's in the back!

The normally wacky Mid-Atlantic weather stayed true to form this summer- cool later than normal, then instant tropicalness and a drought, then frequent violent death rain for several weeks (ergo Sent From Hell cracks), then no rain for several weeks and much cooler temps. Admittedly, it has been nice to turn off the AC for a while.

So at any rate. Currently I have some cuttings from the shade grown Chocolate Cherry plants growing roots in a pot, to be transplanted in the front yard shortly where there is at least a modicum of sun. I figure we've got better than two months of frost free weather to go, and will try for a last blast of velvety brown lusciousness- or at least enough seeds for next year, when, if I move, I might have a garden in the sun. Yay!

Now it's off to track down a good tomato chutney recipe on ze interwebs...

That's amoré

There is not a drop of Italian in me but pasta has always been a major food group at my house. One of the other major food groups is Stuff That Goes on Top. And Parmigiano Reggiano from real live cows was at the top of that group for most of my adult life, and as far as I'm concerned is still one of the seven wonders of the world.

When I decided that cows really don't exist just for my pleasure (even though I'm not diary-free yet), a great sorrow came over my heart. Or something like that. Because I adore Parmigiano Reggianno. And because cows can produce a basic raw ingredient that becomes a wonder of the world, and we can't (Mt. Rushmore and the Sphinx wish they could compete). When considering dairy cheese, and especially the crown jewel of dairy cheese, we may manipulate the main ingredient, yes, but face it, the cow is the star player.

So we flail away, flying in the face of all reason and attempting the impossible even though we know it's absurd. Meat alternatives have never been much of a problem, and other non-dairy cheeses are getting close, but vegan parm remains an elusive holy grail.

But cheer up! Maybe we'll never reach the level of accomplishment of cows, cheese-wise, but we can still crank out a darn good sprinkle now and again. I've been making a simple nuts-and-nutri-yeast combo as a Parmesan stand-in for a couple of years, and frankly, have been pretty happy with it. Tweaking is in my blood though, and every batch is preceded by much web-surfing.

The latest tweak included just a bit of citric acid (find it with the canning supplies at your grocer), which I hadn't used before, and I think it's now going to be a standard ingredient. Another site I looked at recommends powdered lemon juice instead of citric acid, but since I don't keep that around I haven't tried it. Dried lemon peel, finely ground, I do keep around, and would probably work as well, so that might replace the citric acid, if that's all you have.

Sesame seeds also went in with the nuts (cashews and pine nuts) in this last batch. The sesame component I'm not so sure about. It was equal parts cashews, pine nuts, and sesame seeds, and I think it was a little too bitter due to the sesame. It was OK, and I'll eat up every bit, but it was not my fave. It's possible the seeds are starting to go south- they've been refrigerated the whole time, but I can't remember when I bought them. However I think it's mostly got to do with the nature of sesame seeds.

Sweetness, such as what you get with cashews and almonds, should be a forward flavor in parm, not bitterness. So the latest batch looks like the following recipe. I've added a little miso powder for some tang and 'fermentedness'. I bought mine online but see the next link in this post for a method of drying readily available miso paste to a powder; this is what I will do when my current stock runs out.

Bryanna Clark Grogan includes miso in this recipe, which also uses okara from making soy milk. The Galaxy brand has a soy base for its parm, so Bryanna's okara base should be similar. It's also not as yellow-y as the more nutri-yeast-based toppings, either, so may appeal more to the unwashed masses (i.e., the vegan-fearful).

So, in the spirit of the myriad cutely named commercial parms on the market, I have dubbed mine "Parmenon". Cheesy, huh?

Grated Parmenon Topping
(a.k.a. That's Amoré Sprinkle)

1½ cups nutritional yeast flakes
¾ cup finely ground almonds, cashews, or walnuts, or a combination
2 tsp. salt, to taste
1½ tsp. miso powder, to taste (optional, try it at least once)
1 tsp. onion granules, to taste
½ tsp. garlic granules, to taste
¼ tsp. citric acid

Process or pulse all ingredients in a blender or food processor until thoroughly combined. Adjust seasonings to taste. I tend to be conservative with miso; others may like it a little more assertive. This really adds a rich note to lean or hearty pasta dishes, but I also love it sprinkled on steamed veggies and/or baked potatoes.

Note: this quantity fits snugly in a 1 lb. recycled glass peanut butter jar.

Bounty

Even without any sun (well almost no sun) there is a little magic starting to happen in the garden. Late, yes, and skimpy, but it's happening.

These are Matina tomatoes, which are supposed to be early, as long as you start them at the right time. The bowl is the same one from the curried carrot soup post, about 5" across, so we are barely out of cherry tomato territory here, as one can see.

In an ideal world (where I am not the gardener) they should probably be 4-6 ounces each. The green ones still on the vine look like will they be closer to the expected size.

The weather has finally turned to the godawful high humidity famous in the Mid-A and will likely hit 100 F tomorrow. Aack.

From the land of pleasant living

The harvest is underway fast and furious in most parts around the Mid-A, just not here in my garden. I have loads of blossoms that keep dropping off the vines, but no squash/zucchini as of this post. Not to panic!

Zukes are not taking over my particular corner of the planet yet, but are available, so here is my favorite way to prepare the little monsters (which are currently from the farmer's market, until my vines start producing, if that ever happens).

They go great with a Natty Boh or other local brewski, and some local corn (roast it for the best results), which is beginning to take over the planet. Add a classic cucumber salad, and you are pleasantly set.

Chesapeake Bay Zuke Cakes
(Mock Crab Cakes)
Makes 8

Wet ingredients:
2 cups coarsely grated, thoroughly squeezed dry zucchini, unpeeled (about 2 medium; you must squeeze them until they beg for mercy)
1 small onion, finely minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbs. parsley, minced, more to taste
2 Tbs. vegan mayonnaise
1 Tbs. vegan Worcestershire sauce

Dry ingredients:
2 egg replacer servings, not reconstituted with water (1 Tbs. of dry powder; see recipe below, or use a commercial mix)
2 cups coarse dry bread crumbs
1 Tbs. Old Bay seasoning, more/less to taste (I tend to be generous)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. kelp powder, or more to taste, optional, for a "taste o' the sea"

oil, for frying

Combine wet ingredients in a bowl and mix well; do the same with the dry ingredients in another bowl.

Add wet and dry ingredients together in a large bowl, and fold together gently but thoroughly. Form mixture into 8 patties.

Heat 2 Tbs. of oil (or enough to coat the pan) in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry in batches until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Add more oil to skillet if necessary during frying.

Drain on paper towels before serving.

Homemade Egg Replacer

1 cup potato starch
¾ cup tapioca flour
2 tsp. baking powder

Blend all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar.

To make one reconstituted egg substitute/serving:
Mix 1 ½ tsp. egg replacer with 2 Tbs. water and blend well. For recipe above, just use 1 Tbs. powder and mix with dry ingredients.

Hurry, curry

OK so it's not curry, it's curried carrot soup. Curried carrot and potato soup to be exact, and I ate every drop.

Even though it was a pinch too hot on the first go round (leave out the cayenne pepper if you're only a moderate/medium heat lover, like me), this was really good. Summer soups don't have to be cold, but they've got to be fast.

This is great with naan, my new favorite carb (see previous post).

Curried Carrot and Potato Soup

1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. Earth Balance margarine
1 medium onion, chopped (use a sweet one if you've got it)
2 cloves garlic, minced (more as desired)
1 lb. carrots, peeled and chopped
2 medium all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 1 lb.), such as Yukon Gold
6 cups vegetable broth
1 Tbs. Madras curry powder, or other favorite curry
¾ tsp. salt
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
¼ tsp. ground cayenne pepper (optional)
¼ cup cilantro leaves, minced, plus whole leaves for garnish (optional)

Preheat at least a 4 quart pot over medium high heat. Add olive oil through potatoes and saute 5 or 10 minutes. Add vegetable broth and seasonings to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook until vegetables are tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Using a hand blender, blend until soup is smooth and carrots are fully pureed. Or place in a blender in batches and puree until smooth (this method will yield a silkier result). Return to the pan. Correct seasonings to taste, and stir in cilantro leaves, if using. Garnish individual servings as desired.

Tomato topics

Another in what will probably be a long line of pizza posts (pizza being my favorite vegetable). Flatbreads are becoming more popular for pizza bases 'round here as the summer rolls along, and the new favorite for topping is naan, or as it is described on the package from a local Asian grocery, Tandori Nan.

It's not all that far removed from being a pita, which has always been my go-to for a quickie lunch, but it is a bit thicker and sturdier (Hand Stretched for Fluffiness! cries the package) and less likely to become a cracker. Plus it's kind of shaped like a slipper which is more fun than round. Don't ask me why.

I used a 14 oz. can of tomatoes with diced chilies, as tomatoes have not hit their stride here yet, a can of tomato paste, a tablespoon of olive oil, and the usual suspects for seasonings (Italian, minced garlic, minced onion, sugar, and salt). The chilies gave it a proper kick, but if there were rugrats clamoring to be fed I think I would have stuck with plain ol' diced tomatoes, as the chilies might have been too zingy. Topped it with a generous handful of Teese vegan mozzarella, which didn't really melt a lot here, but that could be because the top element in the toaster oven is burned out.

Melted or not, it was down the hatch long before I got the jpeg open for editing. I think Tandoori Nan is about to become a staple- sorry my little pita friends. Now to dig up that recipe I saved a while back for homemade...

Speaking of tomatoes. There are lots of flowers but I don't think any fruits yet. Largely due to someone having a rather nonchalant schedule about planting. But oh well no worries cause most of them are indeterminate so they will be producing for a long time. As much as tomato plants can produce when they are only getting a couple hours of sun a day, anyway.

Update 7/12/09: Yes there were fruits! Just really tiny at the time. They are little green marbles now, and I believe we will have redness by the end of the month.

A wee harvest

It's not much yet. Everything went in late, per the usual non-plan. The radishes and greens were picked last week, the beans this week (look hard! They're in there!)

Waiting in the wings are the tomato plants, which are finally starting to take off, and now need stakes, a couple of tiny little eggplants and jalapenos plumping up, and squash blossoms scheming to take over the world. The Tiger's Eye shelling beans can't decide if they are pole or bush types, and I thought they were bush, so they are a little disheveled after recent storms- but the pods are filling out.

The parsley and basil finally look lovely, but we are far away from self sufficiency just yet. Sure is fun to harvest your own stuff though. Even if it's only a wee bit (bet this salad tips the scales at four ounces!!!)

BaBaCoo, I Wuv U

In a previous life (when I ate meat), I was never a barbecue fan. Perhaps the generous amounts of dripping grease that came with most BBQ food had something to do with that. But I love grilling, and so decided to try doing a veggie 'chicken' barbecue sandwich after seeing a chik patty over at Vegan Dad's that looked interesting (they have a new baby! Go over there right now and wish congrats).

Turned out very nummy, especially for a first try. Instead of keeping it whole, I sliced it fairly thinly, dunked it in some cheap BBQ sauce, and grilled just a couple minutes on a stovetop grill.

Fast! And it will be even better when I get off my lazy a and make some REAL barbecue sauce (Father's Day is coming up you know...)

Here are my adaptations from the original VeganDad burger recipe. Since I increased the beans, I also increased the flour and oil amounts. If you want kid-sized portions, make 10 or 12 smaller patties instead of 8.

- 1½ cups cooked light beans such as canary (Mayocoba, my new favorite) or white beans
- 1 cup water or veggie broth, more if necessary
- 2-4 Tbs. olive oil (I used 2 Tbs. but may use 4 next time)
- 1 Tbs. soy sauce
- 2 Tbs. chicken-style broth powder (I use the 'All-Season Blend' broth recipe from Jo Stepaniak's "Uncheese Cookbook")
- 2 Tbs. nutritional yeast
- 1¼ cup vital wheat gluten (a 6 oz. box of Hodgson’s Mill)
- ½ cup chickpea flour, more if necessary
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. sweet paprika
- ½ tsp. hot paprika
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper, more to taste

Prepare a steamer (if it is at least 12" in diameter, these should all fit in one layer). Place beans through soy sauce in a blender and pulse several times for a rough blend. Place the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl, stir in the bean mixture, and knead into a smooth dough.

Shape the dough into 8 burgers (or more if you want smaller burgers).

Place the burgers over a rack in your steamer and steam, covered, for 30 minutes. I use a cheap splatter screen from the dollar store, sans the handle, and place that on top of an open steamer basket in a 12" wide casserole type pan, with about an inch or so of water simmering in the bottom. Nothing sticks to the screen. If you don't want to place the burgers directly on your rack, wrap each one in foil, place on the rack, and then steam. Serve on buns with your favorite fixins. Or slice and brush with BBQ sauce first, and grill for a few minutes on each side before serving.

Having a (re)purpose in life

The garden is still pretty bare. It is amazing how many ways one can put off the grunt work of actual planting.

Here is one of my favorites: stop paying cash money for plant markers and start making your own. This is not new or innovative at all, but I'll waste space on it anyway.

Small yogurt cups (6-8 oz. each) work great for tags for seed starting flats, and you can get at least 8 out of one cup with a fair amount of room for writing (more than those 1/2" wide purchased ones anyway). A 1-lb. margarine tub (such as from Earth Balance, even though it's only 15 oz.), will get you 12 tags. Cut from the top to the bottom of the cup, then cut around the bottom edge to remove the bottom circle. To cut out the desired number of strips (whether it's 8 or 12) after the initial cutting, I usually cut the whole thing in half top to bottom, then in half again, then cut two or three strips from each of the four sections.

I used a larger yogurt container here (from a 24-oz. Whole Soy container) and got 12 tags about 1" wide by 4 1/4" long. A nice size for in the ground. Plus you can use the bottom circle that remains after cutting 12 strips as a shrub tag- just use a hole punch on the edge to put a tie through. If you have quart size containers lying around, you'll get longer tags still.

I never used to point the bottoms but decided to do it on these; they should go into a garden bed a little more easily. If you want no waste at all (see the 'chads' in the glass bowl), don't give them points, they will still work.

Root around in the recycling bin and devise your own way to procrastinate on garden chores!

Got seeds?

Then you need seed envelopes. Admittedly it's too early to really be collecting any seeds yet, but one can always prepare.

Here's a tip of the hat to the hapless chard seedlings that never made it into the ground last year. (Their brethren this year are doing much better, thank you).

Download a PDF (4 envelopes per page) here, or open a new document in your word processor, set to landscape, and the margins to one tenth of an inch (0.1"), and copy the JPEG to the right four times onto the page. If you center everything, including the page layout, the margins will be even all around.

These end up to be about 3" high x 2.25" wide after folding and gluing- fold the side and bottom tabs in first, apply stick glue, and fold the back flap over them to seal. Small, but I've found this to be an almost perfect size for most of my seed collecting. Plus you get four to a page.

I swiped the envelope shape off the web a couple of years ago, then ravaged it in Paint Shop until it suited my needs, and have since tried about a baskillion different labels on the front. Beats paying real money for premades!

Cooking the books

Amazon told me my order for Bryant Terry's Vegan Soul Kitchen and Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Vegan Brunch shipped yesterday- yay!

Since the garden is going to have lots of greens, roots, and fruits this season (if I ever get the freakin plants in) and brunch dishes are great for baby showers (of which I have at least two coming up) I am all aflutter.

Please God help me to stop buying cookbooks. Think I need a 12 step program.

Update 5/16/09- arrival! and I promise I am going to actually cook something from these and not just read them in bed.