Monster Kale

Just when we thought it was finished it puts out new growth.

Honestly, we do not eat a lot of kale, but we have still been impressed. Another box holds our favorite, Red Russian kale. I was fixen to chop this one down (really, I think I need a hatchet) but decided to leave it for a while. The box it is in is tentatively scheduled to grow tomatoes this season so I have some time before it has to go.

Huge

It will take some work to get this giant out of the box. I almost hate to do it but I suspect there isn’t much left in the soil to feed it. Fennel is coming up under the monster. The fennel parent plants did not do well in the shade of the kale last season. Does anyone know? Seems like I have heard that if I let the kale go to seed I will be able to harvest broccoli like heads.

Red Russian Kale on a frosty morning

The Russian did not get as large as the Italian but it is a bit sweeter.  After a spring tease the PNW is back to the daily drip. 50:50 chance that it will be raining all day long. 46/37; Sunrise at 6:39, 11 hours and 22 minutes later it sets at 6:01. It is the 24th day of the Snow Moon (3rd qtr) so there is still time to plant your carrots in the PNW.

The Snow Moon

Dull day, bright crocus. The yellows are already done.

Known as Adar in Hebrew, this last moon cycle allows impatient souls like me to begin the transition into the coming growing season. It is the time to be thankful for what was tucked into the pantry and freezer last season, a time for fresh appreciation of hardy vegetables that overwinter in the garden. The hens lay their eggs again. The grass is growing but the rain is too constant to mow. Daffodils and crocus renew my hope that spring will come again.

Top shelf veggies. Spring greens and 4 kinds of onions.

In the new greenhouse skinny little onions are just starting to get stocky. Water from the fish tank is all they need to grow straight and strong. My spring potatoes are chitting on a lower shelf. I have noticed that the tray of greens growing by the onions has a few no-shows. My favorite lettuce, Flashy Trout’s Back, did not sprout. Neither did the Australian Yellow. Both are from seed packets that were bought in the first season of the Toy Box. Only a few spinach, red and fordhook, have sprouted but spinach is always slow. But the Flashy Trout’s Back! Insisting that Ray take me downtown (Everett) to the Natural Food Co-op, the only local place I know of for Uprising Seed, I bought a fresh packet of Flashy Trout, but there was no Australian Yellow to be found on that small rack. Instead I bought a packet of butter head with a seductive description of silky leaves wrapped around a buttery, crisp heart. If I follow the moon phases then these will get a start when the next moon, The Worm Moon, is still dark.

 Just when I begin to wonder if I bought potatoes that have been treated to not sprout, I notice the first bit of tiny green swellings in the eyes. I need to remind myself that even old farmers don’t know everything. Patience is called for. It is still too early to plant even though this new practice of chitting starts so early in the season. Maybe it is just to give me something to do while I wait for spring to properly arrive.

Winter Sown purple cone flower

No progress in the winter-sown containers. Even the sweet peas are still asleep.

In the garden the first 4×8 box has been planted with an abundance of all kinds of peas, fava beans too. They went in under the increasing light of the 2^nd quarter of the moon before it became full. There is a row of squares that I plan to plant with carrots in this 3^rd quarter, while the moonlight is still strong but daily waning.

Leeks, Celeraic, parsley, chard, kale and a bit of fennel.

Spring eggs are here! They smell amazing in the morning. Just in time for spring eggs, parsley and chives put out tender green shoots. Winter food gets a fresh taste with hardy kale, fat leeks, celeriac and the last of the winter carrots growing in the garden. Occasionally a bit of precious green garlic finds its way to the table. Tiny baby fennel adds a sweet licorice flavor when there isn’t any basil. There are even a few small potatoes volunteering in the old potato patch.

-I want to start a batch of wild yeast for biscuits. I have so much jelly to use before summer. Should be perfect with green omelets (from all the spring herbs!) Sourdough starter is one of those low maintenance, high return projects that should be perfect for a farmer with a day job.

Fixen what the wind blew down.

March came roaring in on the South Wind. Had a few repairs to make in the morning. Saturday, March 2; how can the sky be as gray as Rays sweater but the sun still be shinning through? It is a blustery day, rain, shine and back to rain again. 55 to 60 degrees today and back down to the upper 30′s tonight. Sunrise at 6:47, setting 11 hours and 8 minutes later at 5:55. Fantastic!

For A Kale Smoothy

A kale smoothy sounded like a nice way to celebrate the last day of the Wolf Moon. It also seemed like a good idea for the first day of 2013 that has 10+ hours of daylight. I knew I had a few large kale plants thriving in the garden. It was only on a whim that I picked up the new basket Chris made.

New toy for the Toy Box

How did it get so full? The morning started in silver fog but the sun came out in the afternoon. I have so little time after school and puppy walks. I thought I would just get started on the garden that I plan to plant peas in. I saved the best of the skinny spring leeks and the tiny fingerling carrots hidden under weedy oregano. I love this new basket.

Stella and Bertha finish the job.

While I was out, I let my chickens out to graze. They seem to love their job… except for Miss Purdy, over by the fence. She was the first to molt this year and the last to recover BUT I suspect it is more than a tough molt. Her comb and waddle are a sickly orange-yellow instead of bright red like the rest of the girls. She just wants to sit in the sun. Poor thing. Little Bit was in the house laying an egg. I saw her when I cleaned out the old bedding in the easter basket. I cleaned out the run and put down fresh straw.

Kale Smoothie, nice after working in the cold winter sun.

I did finally get that smoothy. Sunrise at 7:22 AM. Ten hours and two minutes later it sets at 5:24. That is when we say good-by to the Wolf Moon and Hellow to the Snow Moon (a reminder that it isn’t spring yet.)

Under the fading Wolf Moon

The last two weeks of January and the first two weeks of February tend to be the most winter like in Everett, Washington. I read about snow in Robe Valley, home to us for nearly 25 years. Everett proves to be more wet than cold in 2013. We have not said good-by to the fading Wolf Moon, it could still get cold.

Still dreaming and planing

The Toy Box is keeping winter food ready for us. Celeriac, leeks, and kale. The hens have been resting, molting, but the occasional egg can be found in the nest box. Spring is coming but the pile of blankets on the bed tell me it is too early to plant or bring home chicks. Even so, I hear bird song on dog walks. My soul is ready to leap into farm girl life but my head tells me to rest a while longer. Maybe that is my right brain and left brain interacting. The flat of onions in the kitchen window smooths the gardening itch. Their spring green and black crowns give me something to fuss over while the days are still short and the school day is so long.

Seed from 2010, looks like the crisper drawer is a good place to store seed.

Peas will be the first seed into the garden, but not under this moon. That does not let me off the hook. The box they will live in is still full of leeks and celeriac that I hope to harvest this weekend. If I can get one of the boys to help me I’ll move the chicken tractor to that box so that the girls can work their magic. They will eat the weeds and grubs while turning and fertilizing the soil. Chickens are amazing. City birds connect me back to my roots.  Maybe while the girls do their work I’ll find the strength to turn that compost or make soil blocks for salad greens.

Anticipation

Season 4 coming soon. Today (February 1, 2013) at the Toy Box: Clouds still wintering overhead but not weeping. 50/36. Sunrise at 7:35, nine hours and 34 minutes later comes sunset and Sabbath at 5:09

Onions

The Toy Box has produced beautiful onions every season. Confidence with growing onion seed does not belong to me. I know I can get inexpensive onion plants but I like the harder to find onions, which means expensive.  Since Ray put up the green house I am going to try growing my own transplants this year.

Mixed bed of onions and broccoli in the Toy Box.

I do have some older seed but due to my lack of confidence I want to start fresh.

Tiny Cipollini Onions, part of the 2012 harvest last September

Ray and I are in love with the tiny cippolini onions we have always got as plants. To buy this type of onion from a grocery store makes them seem like a silly indulgence. Then again, paying a premium price for plants is an indulgence we can no longer afford. They are wonderful with roast beef or chicken. TSC suggests using them as part of the vegetable mix for shish-kabob. Simply roasted in the oven with herbs and olive oil alongside a nice bean soup is fantastic!

Personally, my favorite onion in summer is the light red torpedo, also sold as Tropea. I once saw Lidia use one on her show just as I was reading about them in a garden catalog. Not too sweet, they have just enough bite in salads and summer food to remind me why I love to cook garden food. I use them at all stages through the summer. They store ok but the flavor is best right out of the ground.

For winter I have always favored leeks, the fatter the better. Now that I am back to school I have not been using vegetables that are still in the ground. The taste of Leeks are better than cold storage onions but if they are still buried in frozen soil where I am not likely to go dig them on a icy winter day after school, then maybe I should re think them?

Tiny onion sprouts

Too cold to start any seed today. There is a new moon tonight with the ominous name, Wolf Moon. (The Hebrew name is a less frightening Shvat.) We are getting up before the sun and ending our days early. All the while bundling up against the icy cold. Sunrise at 7:55 AM only to set 8 hours and 44 minutes later at 4:39 PM

Sugar & Spice Pumpkin Pie

I have been baking this pie since 2008 when I found it in “Fine Cooking” magazine. Before the magazine falls apart I’ll rewrite it here.

Sugar and Spice Pumpkin Pie

Heat the oven to 325*F  Prepare a crust for a single crust pie.

• 2 cups pumpkin (a 15 oz can of pumpkin works)
• 2 large eggs + a large egg yolk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 Tablespoon Brandy

Whisk the pumpkin, eggs, cream and Brandy (we like Apple Jack) in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the following.

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cloves

Blend the sugar and spice mix into the pumpkin.

Pour the filling into the pie crust. Bake for about 1 hour. The pie should be set around the edges but still slightly wet and jiggly in the center. The filling will continue to cook and set as it cools.

Let your pie cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 2 days before serving.

Make a Brandied Ginger Cream just before serving. Whip 1 cup of cream to soft peaks (about 2 minutes). Add 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground ginger and 1 teaspoon brandy to the cream. Continue to whip until it forms medium-firm peaks, about 30 seconds longer.

I keep it just for Thanksgiving

Side note… if you use roasted pumpkin like I did this year (2012) remember to run the pumpkin through the blender to free it of pumpkin strings! I’m jus sayen.

Two Frog Home Cranberry Sauce

Just after the last holiday season I came across this cranberry sauce recipe on the blog, “Two Frog Home” (written near Flat Head Lake area in Montana). I have been saving the link for this season. It is even better than it sounds. I only made half a batch, I should have made the whole batch!

Here is the original post:  Brandied Cranberry Sauce

Organic cranberries, sugar and spices.

A three quart pan was large enough for half a recipe. Sterilize the jars and lids, start the water bath canner, then start your sauce.

• 18 ounces organic cranberries
• 2 and a half cups of sugar
• 2 cups of water
• 10 whole allspice, 8 whole cloves
• 3 cinnamon sticks (about 7.5 to 8 inches total)
• 1 cup apple brandy (American made Apple Jack is cheaper and better than the French types)

The sugar, water and berries go into the pan. Add the cinnamon sticks. Put the whole allspice and cloves into a tea ball to steep in the sauce as it cooks. (the wire hanging from the meat fork is a tea ball with my spice).

Bring the mix to a boil. It only needs occasional stirring.

Skim the foam for a pretty jar of sauce

You can see in the corner of this picture, a blue and white bowl of the foam that has been skimmed from the sauce. It isn’t pretty in a jar but it is just as good tasting. Let the sauce cook at a rolling boil for 10 minutes while the cranberries pop and soften.

Add the apple brandy

Add the cup of brandy and return the sauce to a boil.

Once the sauce is boiling, turn off the heat, remove the tea ball of spices and the cinnamon sticks.

Pour the hot cranberry sauce into hot, sterilized jars.

Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes (adjusting for altitude). You should get 6 half-pint jars and enough foamy sauce to have a nice taste of the sauce while you wait for all the lids to pop and the jars to cool.

I fully intend to try this on thick vanilla greek yogurt, not quite the same as home-made goat yogurt that Kathie of Two Frog Home recommends. I also like it with TJ’s creamy goat cheese on a baguette. Nice in a lunch bucket. Cream cheese, turkey sandwiches will also be awesome with this sauce. It is probably a good reason to go to the trouble of making mashed potatoes…… thanks Kathie!

Humm, keep or give as gifts?