The Salcedo Kitchen Garden

The grass is greener...

2011-11-17T05:30:00.000-08:00

So a few weeks back I mentioned Michael Polland's book In Defense of Food. This book really gave me that extra push I needed to make some changes in the way I shop and prepare the food my family eats. The biggest change I'll be making to our diet, is the type of meat we eat. I try to cook pretty healthy meals and balance meat with other items like grains and vegetables. However, meat still makes up a good portion of our diet. That being said, we took the plunge and decided to order a 1/4 side of grass-fed beef from a local farmer. I'm not quite sure how much meat this will actually mean. From what I've read, a 1/2 side of beef can be around 350 lbs. So a 1/4 side will be roughly 175 lbs. That sounds like a lot of meat, but I'm hoping that will last us a year. We live in a part of the world that has excellent seafood and other great sustainable protein, so I'm hoping to make this work.

We will have to make an initial investment of an extra freezer. That won't be too hard to fill up I'm sure. I've been wanting an extra freezer for seasonal produce, bulk flour and home-made stock. We are going to try to snag a good holiday sale in the next month or so. Our beef is due to be ready in mid-January. The butcher date is at the end of the year and the meat is aged for two weeks and then cut, wrapped, and frozen. We'll be getting our 1/4 side from Eric Robb at Zion Acres. I'll report back in late-January on the quality.

Interested in finding a source for locally grass-fed meat, poultry, eggs or milk? Check out this great website: Eat Wild (eatwild.com)

National Bundt Day: I like BIG bundts

2011-11-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

I'm participating in National Bundt Day by baking and posting about a bundt cake. Mary the Food Librarian has been making bundt cakes for a long time. The last three years she's been doing a special 30 days of Bundts up to National Bundt Day on November 15th. If you haven't visited her site yet, it's a must. Mary is totally awesome and she likes BIG bundts.

I decided to bake the Gingery Pumpkin Breakfast Bundt recipe from her blog because it's fall and it's cold and wet and there are tons of pumpkins to be had!

I have to admit something about making this bundt cake. I actually made my first one on Friday of last week. I baked the cake in the morning and then had to go out to get my haircut. Somehow in the rush to get out of the door and get my hair cut, I forgot to get something for lunch. (If you are wondering how this happened, then I must remind you that I have six month old at home. Time is very limited and so is mental capacity.) So when I got home from my errands it was almost 4pm and not a thing to eat, except of course this wonderful cake. But wait! I hadn't iced it or taken pictures yet. I said to heck with it and I cut into it with relish. Glad I did, because this bundt is absolutely delicious! So I had to make another cake to photograph for today. Here you have it.

A perfect bundt for a rainy and cold Pacific Northwest day. While I waited for the cake to cool, I went out and did some raking.

The golden maple leaves make for a perfect backdrop to this autumn cake.

The fresh ginger is a perfect complement to the pumpkin. The pumpkin puree also makes an incredibly moist cake. A lovely morning treat with a nice cup of tea or coffee.

Hope I've inspired you to bake a bundt cake this month. If you need ideas on recipes or pans, visit Mary's blog, Food Librarian for loads of examples!

Last of the tomatoes

2011-10-24T21:08:00.000-07:00

With the temperature predicted to drop in to the mid to low 30s tonight, I decided I couldn't procrastinate any longer on picking the tomotoes. So here is the final harvest for 2011. The ones that have color will ripen on their own if left in the produce basket. I think I'll try a green tomato pickle recipe on the green ones. I'd love your suggestions on recipes if you've had success with any recipes.

Update: I never got around to making the green tomato pickles. However, almost all the tomatoes ended up ripening! The texture was a bit mushy, but the flavor was out of this world. Yummy! Can't wait for next summer.

Homemade applesauce

2011-10-20T20:31:00.000-07:00

One of my goals in life is to make healthy whole foods for my family to enjoy. As my daughter approaches the age when solids are introduced to her diet, I've been researching baby foods and nutrition in general. While I was in Florida visiting my parents, my mother gave me a copy of Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food. If you haven't read this sequel to his The Omnivore's Dilemma, I highly recommend it. I'll be posting soon on some of the changes that I'll be making to my family's diet based on the information in his book.

I have decided that when possible, I'll be making all the baby food my daughter consumes. To date, she's eaten mashed up banana and pureed acorn squash. She loved the banana, the squash not so much. Today I made a batch of home made applesauce. I looked on the web for some simple recipes that didn't have many ingredients and found a good one from Smitten Kitchen. I adapted her recipe just a bit. Instead of ground cinnamon, I added half a stick and instead of lemon rind, I added a bit of the actual juice. I'm trying to keep all her foods organic. I didn't have an organic lemon on hand and who knows what's on the skin of regular lemon, so I opted for using the juice instead.

Organic Fuji Apples

Peeled, cored and diced. Cooked for about 30 minutes on medium heat until soft.

Pureed for easy eating.

The final product was incredible! No sugar needed. The applesauce is smooth and sweet. It was a welcome change to my little girl from the acorn squash she had yesterday. Her smile and open mouth said it all. Yummy!

Slugs

2011-10-17T21:07:00.000-07:00

I saw this slug today on my walk. They are eating up all my veggies. :( I'm not sure I'll get to harvest any fall greens. All the leaves have holes on them. I've never seen slugs the size of the ones that live here in the Pacific Northwest. It's hard to garden organically with these guys around.

Tomatoes

2011-10-17T20:06:00.000-07:00

My last crop of tomatoes. There are still several green ones on the plant. I'll need to pick them in the next day or two. Anyone have a good recipe for green tomato pickels?

Artichoke harvest

2011-10-06T20:10:00.001-07:00

Garden Update

2011-08-24T14:19:00.000-07:00

This is the world's smallest artichoke. I planted to seedlings in early summer and didn't expect any flowers this year. I went out to look at the garden yesterday and this little guy. He's about 1 inch long!

Kale seedlings coming up.

I have a beautiful crop of tomatoes. Here's hoping they ripen before it gets too cold.

Brussels Sprout seedlings.

A new veggie bed that I've added for additional growth space. Still needs planting.

Fall and Winter Seeds

2011-08-10T11:09:00.000-07:00

Being a newbie to the Pacific Northwest gardening scene, I decided to buy a starter winter gardening package of seeds. The order is in the mail and due to arrive in time for weekend planting. Included in the package are the following seed packs:

1. Broccoli-Fall Broccoli Blend
2. Brussels Sprout-Falstaff
3. Beets-Autumn Harvest Blend
4. Cabbage-January King
5. Collards-Champion
6. Carrot-Merida
7. Kohlrabi-Superschmelz
8. Kale-Improved Dwarf Siberian
9. Lettuce-Arctic Tundra Blend
10. Winter Greens Blend
11. Mustard-Tah Tsai
12. Onion-Winter White Bunching
13. Chinese Cabbage-Tenderheart
14. Pac Choi-Chinese
15. Parsnip-Gladiator
16. Radish-Cherry Belle
17. Spinach-Giant Winter
18. Swiss Chard-Fordhook Giant
19. Turnip-Purple Top White Globe
20. Cauliflower-Amazing

Some will be planted for fall and some for winter. I ordered the seeds through Territorial Seed Company based in Oregon. Here's hoping for a great harvest!

New beginnings...

2011-08-07T21:44:00.000-07:00

It's been almost a year to date since I last posted. My life has changed pretty dramatically since then. Let's see, new house, new garden, new job and a new kid. Yes, you read correctly, new kid! Since my last post, there has been an addition to the household. Is that a good enough excuse for not posting to the blog for a year? About this time last year I found out I was pregnant, had just accepted a job offer and was about to close on a contract to our new house. So let's just say I was a little overwhelmed with life. Now three months into being a new parent and a stay-at-home mom and wife, I finally feel like I'm getting my footing. I hope to revive this blog with my gardening adventures and my attempt at growing a good portion of our produce. In the weeks to come I'll try to document some of the outdoor work that has taken place in preparation for growing our food.

In the mean time I leave you with one photo of my daughter Corrina. The newest joy in my life...

Dog Days of Summer

2010-08-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

Jack taking a rest in the clover field.

Life doesn't get much better.

CSA: Week 8

2010-08-09T08:52:00.000-07:00

Week 8 brings us a lot more local produce. I think this is the first week where almost half the share is locally produced!

Mexican Zucchini
Yellow Squash
Carrots
Spring Mix
Leeks
Red Bell Pepper
Cherry Tomatoes
Garlic
Fennel
White Corn
White Onion
Organic Red Potatoes
Lime
Puyallup Valley Black Berries
Bartlett Pears

Maybe there is a bit of a stir-fry in my future. Last night we made one of your Mark Bittman standby recipes. Anchovy pasta with tomatoes and garlic. It's a quick easy recipe when you're hungry and don't have a lot of time. You can find the recipe here.

CSA: Week 7

2010-08-08T08:50:00.000-07:00

This week's share included the following:

zuccini
beets
yellow carrots
cabbage
spicy green mix
green beans
rhubarb
oranges
lemon
red onion
green onions
broccoli
white peaches
basil

I still have quite of a bit of the share left from this week. It was a crazy week to say the least. My husband and I are officially home owners again! My posts will probably be a bit sparse for now as we prepare the house for occupancy and as I prepare to head back to work full time after my extended vacation.

A little bit of Chaos

2010-08-08T08:39:00.000-07:00

My uncle Randy is an artist. My recent trip to southern Oregon was to see a solo art show. I was already a fan of his work and have one piece on my own wall at home, but it was a new experience to see it up in mass with great museum lighting!

I won't go into too much detail here, but let the art speak for itself.

If you'd like to learn more about Randy and his work you can visit his site http://www.johnsonartworks.com/

It was truly an unforgettable experience to see the show in real life and to experience it with so many of the the members of the Johnson family.

If you are in the Grants Pass area, stop by the show. It runs through August 27, 2010.Grants Pass Museum of Art

Sunday Brunch

2010-07-26T08:52:00.000-07:00

Fresh Crab Benedict

This week I'm on a trip with family. I flew into San Francisco and drove up to Grants Pass, Oregon with my mother, grandmother and uncle to visit with another uncle. We've had a wonderful trip so far. I'll be dedicating several posts to this trip, but for now I'll just include some images from a wonderful brunch at Summer Jo's. A very charming farm/restaurant in Grants Pass. The whole family sat outside under shade umbrellas and enjoyed a delightful brunch.

Quiche with carrots

I really enjoyed my fresh crab benedict. The lumps of crab meat where so sweet with the creaminess of the farm fresh eggs. The edible flowers added such a whimsical touch to the dish. I also ordered the lavender lemonade. The lavender was definitely infused in the the lemonade and it was very refreshing although a bit sweet for my taste.

My uncle Randy had the quiche with carrots. I don't recall the other ingredients, but the presentation was amazing.

All the dishes looked very good. I didn't get a picture of the whole gang at the table, but maybe I'll be able to snag one from one of my family members.

Brunch was a great start to what would be a wonderful day. Stay tuned...

Update: Here we all are enjoying the wonderful outdoor space at Summer Jo's.

CSA: Week 6

2010-07-26T08:36:00.000-07:00

This week's share includes the following:

Beets
Zucchini
Organic Peaches
White Onion
Garlic
Mushrooms
Green Bell Pepper
Tomatoes
Carrots
Avacado
Radishes
Cucumber
Arugula
Blueberries
Canteloupe

I'm out of town this week, but I managed to pick up the share and take pictures. My husband is home and made a wonderful gumbo with some of the produce. I'll see what's still left when I get home later in the week.

Chocolate Beet Cake

2010-07-21T15:40:00.000-07:00

Every week since I started receiving the CSA share I've gotten beets, except for one of the weeks. I hate to admit that the first two weeks, the beets didn't see a single plate, pan, or fork. I've been determined to find something to make to use up the beets. I can't say I'm a fan of beets, never have been, but I want to at least make an effort to try them several different ways before I give up on them completely.

I was surfing around the net and found a cute blog called "When Harry Met Salad" that had a recipe for Chocolate Beet Cake. It sounded good in theory, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. Here's a quick rundown.

Boil beets until tender and skin comes off easily.

Using a food processor or blender, puree until smooth.

Beat three eggs with sugar until light and fluffy. Then add oil, chocolate, vanilla, and beets. (I adapted my recipe from the one found on the blog mentioned above because I didn't have unsweetened chocolate, so I used cocoa powder and added a bit of extra oil.)

Look at the rich color of the batter, this is just before adding the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, and salt). Put batter in a greased cake pan and bake approximately 35-40 minutes in a 375 degree oven. The cake is ready when a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes and then invert out of pan and let cool complete on wire rack.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve!

So the cake is pretty and moist, but it still has a bit of a that dirt taste that I've come to associate with beets. I'm not sure I'm convinced that this cake is worth making again. But it sure was fun to watch it come together and see the vibrant color of the beets.

Do you have any beet recipes that you just love? I'm due to get more beets this coming week, so I'll have more to test out other recipes. I'd love to hear your favorite beet recipe.

It's off to work I go

2010-07-17T09:33:00.000-07:00

Reason number two I haven't been blogging as much. Just a little over two weeks ago I got a call back for a job I applied for back in March when I was still living in Florida. They wanted me to come in for an interview and give a 20 minute section of a library instruction class. So I spent a whole week preparing my lecture and practicing. I had my interview last week and felt pretty good about it. On Tuesday, I got a call back and a job offer! My official start date is September 14th. This will give me time to settle into the new house and get things ready for heading back to work.

Sometimes life comes at you fast!

Home Sweet Home

2010-07-17T09:17:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons I've fallen behind on posting in the last couple of weeks is this:

Our future home! We are officially under contract and will hopefully close on Aug. 4th! It will be so nice to have a yard and garden again! One of the perks to this house is that there is already a raised veggie bed! Once the house is officially ours, I'll post more pictures.

CSA: Week 5

2010-07-17T08:24:00.000-07:00

Week five brings us the following:

mint
apricots
red onion
red leaf lettuce
tomatillos
bi-color corn
avacado
cilantro
limes
lemons
strawberries
bartlett pears

The share always comes with a newsletter and a few recipes. This week the farm must have had summer days on their mind. They included several cocktail recipes with the strawberries, limes, lemons and mint. I also definitely see some mexican cuisine in my future. This week my husband will be out of town again on business, so I'll see how I manage with all this loot!

The farm also informed us that we'll be receiving the newsletter electronically from now on and earlier in the week. This is great because it will give me an opportunity to really plan my week ahead of time. The other great thing is that the wonderful meat market I talked about several weeks ago is on the way to the farm stand. So now I'll actually be able to pick up my meat there too already having a plan for the coming week!

CSA: Week 4

2010-07-15T15:19:00.000-07:00

So I didn't even get a chance to take a picture of week 4 produce, but here is a quick rundown.

rhubarb
beets
oranges
cilantro
basil
cucumber
poblano peppers
sweet onion
escarole
doughnut peaches
cherries
pineapple
watermelon

Things that I made this week with the bounty: soup a pistou, chiles rellenos

I can't tell you how much we've enjoyed having all the fresh fruit around. It's been such a treat. The cherries barely last more than 48 hours after I bring them home.

CSA: Week 3

2010-07-15T15:04:00.000-07:00

So I'm way behind on posting. I'll give you an update shortly on why I'm so behind, but for now. Here's a recap of what was in week 3.

two types of lettuce
pineapple
watermelon
honeydew melon
cucumber
yellow bell pepper
corn on the cob
green onions
mushrooms
sweet potates
zuchini
garlic
yellow onion
beets
sugar snap peas

Some of the things I made that week of the 4th of July.

Chicken Marsala (mushrooms) w/ sauteed peas
stemmed corn on the cob (with ribs on the 4th)
Large salad w/ sauteed shrimp (lettuce, cucumber, bell pepper)

Rhubarb

2010-07-01T08:09:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to share the two rhubarb recipes that I made last week. Sorry I've been slacking, I've been busy house hunting and volunteering.

I made a very tasty and moist Rhubarb Strudel Bread (it was more of a cake in my opinion). In my attempt to make a bit healthier, I substituted some of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour and it came out great!

I also made stewed rhubarb, something my mom used to make. It's great over ice cream or on your yogurt for breakfast in the morning. The best part is that it only takes about 10 minutes to make.

Stewed Rhubarb

About a pound of chopped rhubarb, 1/4 cup water, 1/2 cup sugar, lemon zest and a little juice. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 7 minutes until softened.

Let cool and refrigerate. I like my on yogurt in the morning. That nice tart flavor really complements the tart creaminess of the yogurt.

CSA: Week 2

2010-06-25T14:54:00.000-07:00

I switched my pickup day to Friday's at the farm stand. This will give me all weekend to plan for the coming week's meals.

This week brings us the following goodies:

Leeks
Beets
Spring Mix Lettuce
Red Potatoes
Dill
Carrots
Green Leaf Lettuce
Grapefruit
Plums
Cherries
Radishes
Red Onion
Lemon
Tomatoes
Artichokes
Snap Peas

There is also a bonus sample of the locally roasted Vashon Island Roasterie coffee. Included are four recipes to try with the produce.

Some of you may be wondering how citrus and other items are included in what is supposed to be locally grown produce. Well I'm gathering that this particular CSA feels like it's best to include items needed in recipes to make the best use of the local produce into usable recipes. I have to say I appreciate that. A recipe calls for a little lemon zest and juice, we'll throw in a lemon! I think it's a great idea.

I'm a little behind on posting my recipes from this previous weeks goodies. Rhubarb strudel, stewed rhubarb and more tomato tart. I'll catch up soon and don't forget to come back next week to see what I've come up this week.

Rice and Onions

2010-06-22T21:04:00.000-07:00

So one of the things my Dad loves to make for breakfast is rice and onions. For those of you who've never had this tasty dish, it's made of day old rice and sauteed onions in a little oil. Dice onions, saute in a little olive oil or bacon fat and then add in the day old rice and saute until it's all heated through. It's great with eggs and bacon!

So as part of my CSA share this week I got some leek scapes (they have a very mild onion flavor) that I wasn't sure what to do with. Let me remind you that I'm flying solo this week as my husband is away on business. So I wanted to use the scapes in a way that wouldn't produce a lot of food since it's just me. I thought about what I could make and what I already had on hand to needed using up. So here it is, in its full glory: Leek scapes, chipotle bacon (homemade at the local butcher shop), and brown jasmine rice. I cooked the bacon in the pan until just crisp, removed from pan and tossed in the chopped leek scapes with a bit of garlic and sauteed for about 3 minutes in the bacon fat. Then I tossed in the left over rice and chopped up bacon and heated through. I garnished with a bit of grated parmesan reggiano cheese and dug in!

It was tasty but the leek scapes were way too tough. I think if I try this dish again I'll have to steam the scapes first and then saute them. Plus, I think there were a few too many in relation to the rice, but I didn't want any to go to waste. But you can't really go wrong with bacon, bacon fat, rice and cheese! A very tasty dinner indeed.

Do you have any tasty recipes for leek scapes? I might need some for future weeks.

CSA: Week 1

2010-06-20T13:40:00.000-07:00

This first week started with a bit of hiccup. I show up to my pickup site and the farm stand is no where to be found. I get back in my car and call the CSA manager. She tells me that she's not sure why they aren't there, but she'll look into it and get back to me. I wait in my car until I hear back. She tells me they had trouble with their truck this morning and weren't able to make it to the farmer's market. If I don't mind driving to their permanent farm stand, I can pick up my share there and they'll throw in a few extras for my trouble. Luckily the farm stand is not too far from my original pickup stop so I head over. Wow, it was totally worth it. In the share this week:

Leeks
Leek Scapes
Beets
Rhubarb
Field Greens
Organic D'Ajou Pears
Organic Navel Oranges
Organic Peaches
Romaine
Parsley
Garlic
Lemon
Red Onion
White Corn
Cucumber
Radishes

They also included some bonus items since it was the first share of the season which included a flower arrangement, Copper Hill Olive Oil, vine ripe tomatoes, grape tomatoes, organic blueberries and the extra for my travels out to the farm a veggie platter with dip. Also included in the box is a newsletter and several recipes that use this weeks items! I couldn't be happier with the share. There was a disclaimer in the newsletter about the items not being all from the farm. It's been unusually wet and cold this month and they've had trouble getting things to produce. As the weeks progress, there should be a lot more directly from the farm. I can't wait.

On a side note, did I mention that my significant other is out of town this week on business and it's just me at home this whole week! I'll have a fun time trying to come up with uses for all this produce.

So how's the weather?

2010-06-16T22:15:00.000-07:00

It's a common question asked by many to start a friendly conversation. Little did I realize that it would become a daily topic, especially recently. While my friends and family back in Florida talk about the blistering heat which came a tad too early this year, I'm still having to wear a sweater to walk Jack in the evenings. Just take a look at tonight's temperatures in the two locations.

The high today was supposedly 63, but I'm not sure it ever made it up to that. When I took Jack for his morning walk, you could see his breath!

Jacksonville still has temperatures in the 80s at midnight! I was also told that it reached 100 degrees yesterday.

I frequently get asked why I moved here by the locals. They can't imagine why I would trade the Florida sun for the pacific northwest cold and wet. Time will tell if it was the right move. For now I'm enjoying the change and learning to embrace my new home.

Wascally Wabbit - Rabbit Ragout

2010-06-10T14:42:00.000-07:00

When I was kid growing up in Venezuela, my family raised rabbits for the meat and to sell to the neighbors. It was a meat that I enjoyed eating very much and I never built the association of bunnies as pets. Once we moved to the U.S., it wasn't a meat that was readily available at the local butcher or grocery store. As I became an adult and starting experimenting with food and cooking, I always came back to the memories of my childhood favorites and not much has changed since then. I've tried to replicate my mother's recipe for rabbit stew, but have never come close to that flavor and texture I remember.

A couple of days ago I went on a country drive with my mother-in-law to check out a butcher shop I read about on yelp and the farm stand of the farm that runs the CSA I joined. One of my reasons for going to the butcher was specifically for rabbit meat. I read in the yelp review that they carried this hard to find item. Sure enough, when we arrived, they had a nice prepared rabbit and tons of other beautiful meat including buffalo, elk, homemade sausage, pepperoni and beautiful bacon. I bought a rabbit and brought it home anxious to prepare it. I decided on Julia Child's rabbit ragout recipe from The Way To Cook.

Rabbit Ragout

Cut rabbit into six pieces and marinate in a mixture of olive oil, lemon zest and juice, onion, carrots, soy sauce, garlic, italian seasonings, salt and pepper for approximately 24 to 48 hours.

After the meat is done marinating, take it out, scrape any bits off and drain on rack.

Reserve the marinade for later use.

Thinly slice an onion and peel, seed and chop a couple of tomatoes.

Pat dry the pieces of rabbit with paper towels and dredge in a mixture of flour, salt and pepper.

In a hot casserole, heat olive oil and brown rabbit on all sides.

Add sliced onions and the drained solids from the marinade to the pot with the remaining olive oil. Cook until softened. Then add dry french vermouth, making sure to scrape up all the little brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

Let simmer for a couple of minutes and then add back the rabbit, the rest of the marinade, tomatoes and enough chicken broth to cover the meat completely. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for about 1 hour until the meat is tender.

Accompany with rice or noodles and broccoli. Serve with a nice light red or dry white and enjoy!

It doesn't get much better than this!

CSA love

2010-06-09T10:33:00.000-07:00

Since I'm stuck without a yard and an east facing patio with very little sun, I decided it would be a perfect opportunity to join a CSA (community supported agriculture). One of the things that I was so excited about when we decided to relocate to the Pacific Northwest was the availability of great food and the focus on sustainability in this area of the world. On one of my trips to the local library I was browsing the area with all the weekly circulars and came across the 2010 Puget Sound Farm Guide: Farms, Farmers Markets, CSAs and U-Picks! This 38 paged guide has tons of info on farm fresh products in the area. I browsed the guide and found a CSA that is convenient to me and joined. I'll be picking up my share on Sunday mornings at a nearby farmers market. I think this will be a great way to get my share as it will also give me the opportunity to check out other offerings at the market like organic beef and farm fresh eggs. It will be a fun challenge. I'm used to making a menu and then going shopping for the week, now the CSA share will dictate the menu! The first share will be ready on Sunday June 20th. Stop by to check it out.

David Lebovitz' Tomato Tart

2010-06-01T13:06:00.000-07:00

This weekend I was catching up with the blogs I like to follow and came across this tasty looking tomato tart. Since the cross country move I've been slacking in the kitchen a bit as I'm feeling sorry for myself and the loss of my huge kitchen and herb garden back in Florida. I've also had to adjust to this very dreary weather with only the occasional sun break. So when I saw this tart on Mr. Lebovitz blog, it just screamed warm summer days to me and I had to make it.

It just so happened that I had everything I need on hand (which was a blessing considering I'm home sick with a cold and didn't want to hit the store).

With the leftover tart dough I decided to make a quick strawberry tart. I happen to have some fresh strawberries on hand and a bit of strawberry jam. I rolled out the scraps from the tomato tart and spread the strawberry jam on the bottom, tossed the sliced strawberries on top and sprinkled it all with a bit of sugar. It was a great way to finish lunch today!

Hopefully this will be the beginning of kitchen adventures in this new place.

Seattle at last

2010-05-20T20:18:00.001-07:00

It's been about a month since my last post. I'm now in my new home in the greater Seattle area. Life is settling down and I'm adjusting to my new surroundings. I'm living in an apartment for the time being and it's quite an adjustment after owning a home. No garden, less space and definitely less privacy! I'm going to try to revive this blog and include more on gardening in this new climate as well as cooking with fresh produce either grown by me or by local farmers. Thanks for hanging with me during this transition. I'll leave you with a photo of the Cascade Mountains, a view from a recent hike. Cheers!

Moving on...

2010-04-23T14:36:00.000-07:00

My gardening time in Florida is coming to a close. In less than a week I'll be relocating to the pacific northwest! It will be a time for renewal and discovering new things. It will be hard to leave my Florida garden behind, but new adventures await. Thanks for following along these last couple of years.

Potato gnocchi with gorganzola sauce

2010-03-04T16:38:00.001-08:00

My other passion is cooking. I was surfing the web last night and found a video of gnocchi with a gorganzola sauce. I knew I had to make it because it just looked so delicious. So here is my step by step of making this decadant dish! It came out better than I could have dreamed. Yummy!

Winter Bounty

2010-03-04T10:08:00.001-08:00

Just harvested the last of my winter veggies. Yum!

Kumquat Mania

2010-02-07T05:53:00.005-08:00

There are two varieties of kumquat trees growing in my yard. A Marumi (oval shaped and tart) and a Nagami (round and sweet). Apparently these are the two most commonly found varieties in Florida. This year they have produced a fantastic amount of fruit!

With a household of only two people and neighbors tired of the fruit, it's hard to know what to do with it all. I few years back I actually made preserves (I think I still have some in my pantry) and shared with family and friends.

Yesterday I spent some time harvesting the fruit off the trees. I put a box full out by the curve in hopes that someone will drive by and help themselves. We had an abundance of fruit last year too and ran into problems with rats. They would climb the tree and pick the fruit and scurry back to their nest. They were so brave they even came out during the day time. This year I'm going to try to avoid the whole issue by picking the fruit.

You can see the partially harvested tree next to the one I haven't touched yet. The tree on the right with all the fruit is the Marumi tree. The close-up photo at the top of the post is the Nagami.

Do you have fruit trees in your yard? What do you do with all the excess fruit? Any ideas on what I can do with mine?

Front Yard

2010-01-23T08:24:00.001-08:00

I was looking back at the pictures I snapped in the past year of the garden and ran across this photo of the front yard after my new beds went in. This was in April of last year. Everything grew in beautifully over the summer and fall. I had lantanas, pentas, milkweed, red salvias and a few other varieties. I fear most will need to be replaced this spring.
Today it is partly cloudy and cool. I think I'll go out and do a bit of clean-up and remulching before the weeds get to out of control.

New beginnings

2010-01-18T14:28:00.006-08:00

So, what can I say. I've been silent for the past year. It's hard to believe that 2009 has come and gone without a single entry in my gardening blog. It hasn't been because I haven't gardened, that I have definitely done. But I guess life just got in the way. Lots of changes have occurred both in the garden and in life itself. I will try to get back to this blog a little at a time. One thing I can report is that my yard was devastated by the most recent freeze here in northeast Florida. We had temperatures below 30 for almost two weeks. Now I'm in the process of cleaning up the damage. I did harvest some fingerling potatoes today and the broccoli managed to survive the cold. We'll see if it matures all the way.

As for the front yard design, it didn't happen. After much thought I decided to go with a more organic feel. My husband and I have been thinking about putting our house on the market and I felt like the design was too modern for the general public. I put in a butterfly garden that grew in very nicely over the summer. It will need some major work this spring. More to come on the front yard.

Plant Selection Forthcoming

2008-11-25T05:28:00.002-08:00

Hi everyone, Thanks for coming by to check out the plans. With Thanksgiving just a couple of days away, I won't be posting much.

After the holiday I will plan on posting photos of the plants that have been suggested so you can have an idea of color, texture, and size. I might add a couple of alternative selections that I'm thinking about.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday!

Garden Plans

2008-11-23T05:52:00.005-08:00

I've wanted to landscape the front yard of our house for some time now. I'm fortunate to have an uncle who is a talented landscape architect. His projects are usually of much larger scale and with pretty large budgets, so I'm sure when I asked him if he would do a design for my front yard, it was quite a challenge.

I specified that I would like to have a yard that utilizes the concepts of xerscaping (low water usage, low maintenance, little to no grass, and native plants).

To the right is the design he came up with. He's specified some of the plants that could be used, but those are still up for debate. Take a look at the design (you can get a slightly larger view by clicking on the image) and tell me what you think. Feel free to share your ideas and suggestions. This project is still in the planning phase and I'm open to any ideas on good plants to include in the design.

Just to help you get oriented with the image the house is facing the left of the blog post. The house is on a corner lot and a large part of the design would be on city property, so that's something to keep in mind.

I look forward to your feedback.

No Gardening Today

2008-11-23T04:44:00.004-08:00

So I had to take a little break from the garden yesterday to catch a bit of my Gator Football. I haven't been to a game since I graduated from Florida and it felt good to be back in the stadium!

Karrif Lily

2008-11-19T17:43:00.002-08:00

It's always satisfying to find the name of a plant that you just could not figure out what it was! Several months ago I posted this picture and I was trying to figure out what this beautiful grass like plant was.

Tonight as I was sitting by the warm fire, I was browsing the American Horticultural Society: Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. I picked this gem up at a local used bookstore. What a wonderful reference!

This mystery plant is Schizostylis coccinea or more commonly know as a Karrif Lily or Grandiflora. The book says it's a "rhizomatous perennial with long, narrow, grasslike leaves. It says that they can grow pretty thick after a couple of seasons and the rhizomes should be split in spring.

Early frost

2008-11-18T17:59:00.005-08:00

We are expecting a record breaking freeze tonight. We usually don't have a hard freeze until at least mid to late December. I've covered up the raised bed the best I can with the supplies I had easily accessible in the garage. My husband thinks I'm a bit crazy. He doesn't share my passion for gardening, but is always willing to help in my adventures. At the time that I went out to cover the plants it was already 46 degrees out, with a wind chill of 38. It's suppose to drop to 30 tonight. For some of you who live in other parts of the country, this might seem like tame weather, but for northeast Florida in November, it's practically unheard of. We'll see what tomorrow brings, hopefully my veggies will survive.

I've also put the few orchids I have in the garage, hopefully that will be enough shelter. I put them next to the garage windows so they would get the north light. One of my orchids finally bloomed for me this summer, so I want to make sure to protect them for future enjoyment.

Fall Colors and few other surprices

2008-11-16T11:36:00.003-08:00

Have you ever seen one of these growing in your garden? If you have, then you know it has an unmistakable smell of rotting meat! These mushrooms are appropriately called stinkhorns. They never seize to amaze me when I find one in my yard.

Now to a more pleasant topic, my growing veggies in the newly built raised bed. Since I haven't grown veggies in a long time in our yard, I wasn't sure if it was too late for some of these things, but so far so good.

I have tender baby lettuce that seems almost perfect for picking at this point. Also in the bed are turnips, carrots, spinach and a couple of cherry tomatoes that I'm not sure will get a chance to produce anything before we have a frost.

Lastly, there is a beautiful tree in my neighbor's yard that is one of the few trees around here that show off any fall color. It's nice to see a little red and orange in the folage.

Today is a perfect day to enjoy all the beauty of a fall garden in Florida, sunny, 55 degrees with 42% humidity. It doesn't get much better than that!

Monarchs and dogs

2008-10-15T14:52:00.002-07:00

I just had a large group of monarch crystalis hatch into beautiful butterflies throughout the garden. I didn't get around to taking a picture while they were still in cocoons, but here are two beauties drying off their wings before taking off to explore the world.

In the mean time, my dog Jack is just enjoying the beautiful fall weather on the deck.

The last picture is of a wonderful ground cover plant, Wedelia trilobata or Carpet/Creeping Daisy. It can really take over, but can be kept at bay by trimming on occasion.

Garden progress

2008-10-04T14:36:00.003-07:00

My husband and me built this fabulous raised veggie bed today and will fill it will rich top soil in a few days. With all the rain we've had this summer it has been impossible to keep some of our herbs healthy because of drainage issues. With the raised bed we can plant a variety of veggies and have ideal ground conditions.

The yellow flower is from our huge tarragon bush, which we've enjoyed tremendously in seafood dishes of all sorts, including steamed mussels tonight!

The pink flowers are pentas which attract many beautiful butterflies. I'll post pictures of all the monarch crystalis in the yard this year.

Tropical Storm Fay

2008-08-22T08:47:00.000-07:00

In the distance you can see a fallen tree. The owners of that car got lucky!
We also have our very own river!

Figs

2008-08-10T08:35:00.003-07:00

I bought a fig tree about a year ago at the local flea market. This year it is loaded with fruit, but they don't seem to be ripening. I'll have to investigate in to that further.

I love the scent the tree emits when the sun is hot.

2008-07-18T18:19:00.000-07:00

I think the best part of having a nice garden is enjoying a nice afternoon out in all the wonders of it. Luckily I have a brand new hammock set up. If only it would stop raining for a day. I think we've had almost 9 inches of rain in the past three weeks. So much for planting drought tolerant species.

Spring

2008-03-15T08:35:00.001-07:00

Spring is here in Northeast Florida. I just harvested my first radishes and boy do they look great!

The other photos in order are:

1. Salmon colored flower is something I'm not sure what it's called, it's lily and iris like, sprouts in spring and blooms then dies away until next year.

2. Chive bloom. The chives are just coming back strong and blooming beautifully.

3. Climbing rose bud. I just bought a couple of climbing roses for the unbelievable price of $3.00 each. They were in transplant plastic bags, just the root balls and a couple of strong stems.

I have to say, it's hard to beat a time like spring!

Previous work towards a more eco-friendly yard.

2007-08-20T18:58:00.000-07:00

A local group called Greenscape of Jacksonville held a tree planting sale in my neighborhood last year. I live in a historic district where there are tons of old live oaks. These trees are majestic. However, the are beginning to show their age. In an effort to revitalize the canopy of the neighborhood, Greenscape offered trees of various sizes at discounted prices. Included in the price was marking of utility lines, digging of holes and planting of trees with further instructions for care.
We called around to various nurseries in the area to see if the price was competitive, and you can believe it was!

So we decided to take the plunge and buy two 4" diameter trees. If you don't know, trees are generally sold by the diameter of the trunk, which is measured 4 ' from the ground. So we are talking about a pretty large tree (approx. 15-17 feet tall). The trees arrived and were planted. We were thrilled.

Needless to say, a tree is a long term investment in gardening terms. We hope they provide years of shade, shelter and enjoyment.

Dog days of summer.

2007-08-20T18:43:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that one of the reasons that I started this blog is the scorching summer sun and heat that have kept me from playing in the garden.

You know how some people suffer from depression from lack of sun (seasonal affective disorder)? I think I'm the opposite, although not from the lack of sun, but the endless heat that it produces. One of my great therapies in life is working out in the yard, I'm not happy when I can't get out there and pull some weeds or tend to the plants in some way.

So the blog is now my therapy until it cools down enough to get back out there and dig my fingers in the dirt. Such is life.

Good Reads

2007-08-18T14:07:00.000-07:00

I've added a recommended list of books that I've found useful in my attempt to understand the natural Florida landscape and what plants thrive best in this climate. I hope you will find these books useful. I own all of them and have really enjoyed using them as references and sharing them with neighbors.

The Latina Gardener

2007-08-18T12:04:00.000-07:00

So it seems to me that there aren't many 30 somethings out there that like to garden. It might just be my lack of looking for other gardening companions. So I've decided to start posting on my gardening adventures here. I've read some of the other gardening blogs out there in Florida, but found none that are for the northeast region.

My love for plants and gardening began at a young age. My mother and father owned a nursery which was part of our home in Venezuela. I was always surrounded by wonderful tropical plants and the smells they produced. Ever since I've been out on my own, I've always made plants a part of my life. I can't imagine my life without them.

In the last two years I've grown an interest in zero scaping and sustainable gardening. I don't think you can live in Florida and not think about our increasingly dry weather and not cringe at the thought of a large Florida lawn. My goal as been to reduce lawn in my yard and increase the number of Florida native and non-invasive species that are low maintenance, yet add color and interest. This blog will try to follow my efforts in converting my northeast Florida garden into a sustainable oasis for wildlife and human enjoyment.