tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213186052024-03-15T20:09:51.068-05:00In My Kitchen GardenAn Offshoot Of FarmgirlFare.com, My Food & Farm Blog <br>
Welcome to my garden! I'm terrible about keeping gardening records.<br>
I'm hoping this informal, journal-type blog will inspire me to better document what transpires each season inside my garden gate.Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.comBlogger304125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-84738572124281085202013-10-21T15:38:00.000-05:002013-10-22T11:18:34.368-05:00Color, Frost, and Freezing Peppers: Autumn in the Kitchen Garden<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7545231@N03/10409827323/" title="Autumn colored harvest from the October kitchen garden - FarmgirlFare.com by Farmgirl Susan, on Flickr"><img alt="Autumn colored harvest from the October kitchen garden - FarmgirlFare.com" height="368" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5548/10409827323_2d7d800d35.jpg" width="490"></a><br>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The last of summer's bounty color coordinated for fall and ready for freezing, roasting, and munching.</span></i></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Realization of the Day:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I managed to go all summer without posting anything here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thankfully it wasn't because there wasn't anything going on in the garden; just the opposite in fact. Except for the tomatoes, which didn't like getting 14 inches of rain during two weeks in late July and August (something I didn't even know could happen in Missouri), this was actually one of my best summer gardens in years. And thanks to some timely August seeding, autumn has been great so far too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For the last few weeks we've even been celebrating that rare occurrence around here: lettuce and tomatoes in the garden at the same time. Such a treat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On Friday, though, we had our first patchy frost—which wasn't surprising since our official frost date is October 15th—and yesterday morning everything was white. In anticipation, I picked the last few baby eggplants (how cute are they?) and a bunch of sweet peppers on Thursday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I froze some of the peppers, which is so easy to do.<br>
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<i><b> More below. . .</b></i><br>
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</div><a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2013/10/color-frost-and-freezing-peppers-autumn.html#more"><b>Click here for the rest of this post »</b></a>Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-40341122965581453722013-06-18T17:50:00.000-05:002013-07-19T11:09:03.063-05:00Recipe: Lemony Tuna and Artichoke Picnic Sandwiches with Fresh Basil<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7545231@N03/9080805360/" title="Lemony Tuna and Artichoke Cooler-Pressed Picnic Sandwich Recipe - FarmgirlFare.com by Farmgirl Susan, on Flickr"><img alt="Lemony Tuna and Artichoke Cooler-Pressed Picnic Sandwich Recipe - FarmgirlFare.com" height="368" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3774/9080805360_514bf4c776.jpg" width="490" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2013/05/perfect-picnic-recipe-lemony-tuna-and.html"><b><u>Lemony Tuna and Artichoke Cooler-Pressed Sandwiches</u></b></a> are my new favorite lunch—and they aren't just for picnics. Tuna packed in olive oil is combined with marinated artichoke hearts, lemon, and fresh basil on crusty baguettes for a scrumptious, no mayonnaise twist on tuna sandwiches.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They travel well, taste delicious, and can be made several hours ahead. I even like them the next day, when the lemon flavor is more pronounced. They're perfect for toting on picnics or hikes, to work, or just out to the backyard.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They're also the perfect way to celebrate the first <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/search/label/basil"><u>homegrown basil</u></a> of the season, especially if you don't have any ripe tomatoes yet. And if you really want to make your sandwiches special, you can bake your own baguettes using my <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2013/05/easy-french-bread-recipe-four-hour.html"><u>easy recipe for Four Hour Classic French Baguettes</u></a>.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Love fresh basil?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It tastes great in <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2005/07/chives-herbed-yogurt-cheese.html"><b><u>herbed yogurt cheese</u></b></a>.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Or try this <a href="http://try%20this%20big%20bite%20of%20fresh%20basil%20herb%20dip%20or%20salad%20dressing/"><b><u>Big Bite of Basil Herb Dip or Salad Dressing</u></b></a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All my <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/search/label/basil"><b><u>basil growing posts are here</u></b></a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What to do with purple basil and my favorite basil pesto recipe <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2008/06/purple-basil-pesto-easiest-white-bean.html"><b><u>here</u></b></a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">© <a href="http://farmgirlfare.com/"><u>FarmgirlFare.com</u></a>, bonkers for basil, impatiently waiting for juicy, vine-ripened tomatoes. <i>Grow, grow, grow.</i></span></div>
Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-91633966094184588382013-06-12T14:50:00.000-05:002013-06-16T10:33:19.958-05:00Growing in the Raised Vegetable Beds Right Now: Kitchen Garden Journal 6/12/13<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7545231@N03/9028162552/" title="In the kitchen garden on 6-9-13 (1) - FarmgirlFare.com by Farmgirl Susan, on Flickr"><img alt="In the kitchen garden on 6-9-13 (1) - FarmgirlFare.com" height="368" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7334/9028162552_c9e4cceeb9.jpg" width="490"></a><br>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Eggplant, peppers, basil, volunteer lettuce, and our new cat, <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/search/label/Jasper"><u>Jasper</u></a>, who loves to march through (and roll around in) all the garden beds.</span></i></div>
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<i><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Want to see more? You'll find photos of what's happening each week in my kitchen garden (and all around the farm) in the <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/search/label/Friday%20Farm%20Fix%202"><u>Friday Farm Fix series</u></a> on Farmgirl Fare.</span></b></i></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Realization of the Day:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Every few weeks this spring I've been taking pictures of each of my raised garden beds, but I never get around to posting them. Sometimes I forget, sometimes I'm busy in the garden, and sometimes parts of the garden are kind of a mess and things just don't look good enough. (You may have noticed the overgrown walkways, unsightly cardboard mulch to kill/prevent weeds, and tangle of tomato cages with last year's dried tomato plants still clinging to them in the photo above).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That "good enough" nonsense needs to stop.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Real gardens aren't perfect—at least mine never will be—and it's the imperfect details that often teach us the most. And <i>any</i> garden journal photos are better than no photos. It's amazing how much stuff I completely forget I even grew until I see old photos.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Realization #2:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am apparently incapable of writing a short garden blog post, even when it's mainly supposed to be pictures.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's hot and humid, 90 degrees in the shade and headed higher. There's a saving grace breeze, but by late morning it feels like a giant noiseless hairdryer. Joe is out on the tractor raking up our second cutting of hay. All the animals are napping in the shade.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>We've reached an annual turning point in the kitchen garden, and it's time to face the truth</b>. Most of the seeds you ordered are still sitting in the freezer. It's too late to start any more spring or summer crops, and the rest of the poor little tomato plants you bought back in April and still haven't put in the ground (or transplanted into bigger pots, or even fertilized) have turned a disturbing shade of purplish black.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So many plans for the garden this year, so few of them actually accomplished. Again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But then you realize that all of this no longer matters, because after spending half an hour watering out in the blazing sun yesterday morning <i>(I </i>love<i> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=water%20right%20garden%20hose&linkCode=ur2&tag=farmgirlfare-20&url=search-alias%3Dlawngarden"><u>these garden hoses</u></a>)</i>, you've managed to permanently sweat away your appetite.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What's planted is planted, and suddenly it seems like more than enough. Who wants to eat 56 feet worth of potatoes in July and August anyway? All you can think about are crisp, cool salads and really tall, ice-filled drinks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And then the realization hits. You were so busy enjoying all that lovely over-wintered Swiss chard and kale, and then the spring-planted gourmet baby lettuce mix, not to mention all those big beautiful heads of volunteer lettuce from last fall's salad patch, that you conveniently forgot to start any heat tolerant greens for summer salads.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now all those potatoes are starting to sound pretty good.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Picture perfect or not, here's what's growing in my garden right now. There are a also few herbs and flowers tucked here and there, and the <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2012/03/in-greenhouse-on-first-day-of-spring.html"><u>homemade greenhouse</u></a> is full of lemon balm and bolting Swiss chard, but this is the bulk of things. All photos were taken June 9th, except the cucumber and pepper bed which was taken yesterday because I forgot it on the 9th.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>11 more photos below, </b>descriptions of each at the end. . .</span></i></div>
<a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2013/06/growing-in-raised-vegetable-beds-right.html#more"><b>Click here for the rest of this post »</b></a>Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-62563820280946844442013-03-02T15:47:00.000-06:002013-03-02T22:38:26.966-06:00At Last: My First 2013 Seed Order (and Two Great Gardening Books)<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7545231@N03/8521532339/" title="Bear guarding a raised bed of direct seeded beets and spring greens, taken 4-1-07 by Farmgirl Susan, on Flickr"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="Bear guarding a raised bed of direct seeded beets and spring greens, taken 4-1-07" height="368" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8520/8521532339_90718e2dd6.jpg" width="490"></span></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/search/label/Lucky%20Buddy%20Bear%202013"><u>Lucky Buddy Bear</u></a> guards a raised bed of direct seeded beets and spring greens, while the wire fencing laid over the bed keeps it safe from Bear—and cats and rabbits and any other destructive critters (taken 4/1/07).</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I received an e-mail from <a href="http://www.dixondalefarms.com/"><u>Dixondale Farms</u></a> the other day, thanking me for being a loyal customer since 2009, and letting me know that I normally place my onion plant order by now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm a little behind in the garden department this year. I still haven't even <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2013/01/how-to-grow-your-own-garlic-and-how-to.html"><u>planted my garlic</u></a>, but that's because of the weather. The ground has either been too frozen or too muddy (which is why you aren't supposed to plant your garlic in January or February in Missouri), but I haven't given up yet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the up side, we're already just about done with <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/search/label/lambing%20season%202013"><u>lambing season</u></a>, which in previous years hasn't even started until March or April, so I'm hoping I might be able to (for the first time in several years) get a jump on some indoor seed starting. (You can read about my adventures <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2010/03/garden-journal-31110-growing-onions.html"><u>growing onions from purchased plants here</u></a> and <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2009/06/garden-journal-6209-harvesting-spring.html"><u>here</u></a>, and learn how easy it is to grow your own garlic—assuming you actually get it planted—<a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2013/01/how-to-grow-your-own-garlic-and-how-to.html"><u>here</u></a>.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I did finally get my <a href="http://rareseeds.com/"><u>Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds</u></a> order placed last week, and while I managed to show considerable restraint—because my unused seed stash is starting to grow back—I'm excited about trying several new things this year. I'm also looking forward to welcoming some old favorite flowers back into my garden. Besides attracting pollinators (and sometimes even deterring pests), brightly colored flowers add so much beauty and joy. Many of them are even edible.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My <a href="http://superseeds.com/"><u>Pinetree Garden Seeds</u></a> order is almost finalized, and I'll share it with you once it's actually placed. In the meantime, here's what I ordered for 2013 from Baker Creek:</span></div>
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<i><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">More below. . .</span></b></i></div>
<a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2013/03/at-last-my-first-2013-seed-order-and.html#more"><b>Click here for the rest of this post »</b></a>Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-57209784815547642252013-01-01T14:59:00.002-06:002013-01-02T11:30:56.755-06:00How To Grow Your Own Garlic (and How To Not Get Any Planted): Garden Journal 1/1/13<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7545231@N03/8334891598/" title="How to grow garlic (1) - save your biggest cloves for planting next year's crop - FarmgirlFare.com by Farmgirl Susan, on Flickr"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="How to grow garlic (1) - save your biggest cloves for planting next year's crop - FarmgirlFare.com" height="368" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8491/8334891598_4fa3ed18c8.jpg" width="490"></span></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Save your biggest cloves for planting next year's garlic crop.</span></i></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Realization of the Day:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">December is a bad time for me to plan on planting my garlic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of course I knew this already. The best time to plant garlic is a month or two before the ground freezes. Here in Missouri that means October. In warmer regions, you can plant after the first frost date through early winter. Ideally you want to get good root growth but no top growth before winter, although I've had sprouts shoot up before it got really cold, and they survived just fine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you're gardening by the moon, you want to put your garlic in the ground on a fertile day during the third or fourth quarter. (If you're interested in learning more about minding the moonsigns, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0882665618/farmgirlfare-20"><u><b>Astrological Gardening: The Ancient Wisdom of Successful Planting & Harvesting by the Stars</b></u></a> by Louise Riotte is a great book.)</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7545231@N03/8335139498/" title="the snowy kitchen garden on 12-29-12 - FarmgirlFare.com by Farmgirl Susan, on Flickr"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="the snowy kitchen garden on 12-29-12 - FarmgirlFare.com" height="368" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8212/8335139498_f7aef130a1.jpg" width="490"></span></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The kitchen garden on Saturday, December 29th.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Miraculously, I did actually manage to get my garlic in the ground in October in both 2011 and 2010, but this year my planting plans were waylaid. Then I missed November. And on Saturday, which was my scheduled December planting day, the ground was frozen and there were three inches of snow on it. Yesterday and today are good planting days as well, except for the old snow and the new sleet. But that's okay.</span></div>
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<i><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lots more below. . .</span></b></i></div>
<a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2013/01/how-to-grow-your-own-garlic-and-how-to.html#more"><b>Click here for the rest of this post »</b></a>Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-11765940448723684132012-11-26T18:08:00.000-06:002012-12-20T16:18:28.529-06:00What's Growing in the Late November Kitchen Garden: Journal Entry 11/26/12<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7545231@N03/8222621098/" title="Volunteer Dwarf Siberian kale in the late November kitchen garden - FarmgirlFare.com by Farmgirl Susan, on Flickr"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="Volunteer Dwarf Siberian kale in the late November kitchen garden - FarmgirlFare.com" height="368" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8347/8222621098_9a1d856cf9.jpg" width="490"></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This volunteer dwarf Siberian kale plant doesn't mind the cold.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br>
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Did you eat anything from your garden for Thanksgiving? I'm kind of embarrassed to admit the only thing I harvested was some fragrant lemon thyme that I stuffed inside a locally raised, pastured chicken (along with some of this year's garlic via the pantry), but it wasn't for lack of anything growing out there. It was more like we'd been enjoying freshly picked salads nearly every night for months, so we celebrated Thanksgiving by having things like champagne and grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch and apple streusel pie with ice cream for breakfast.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br>
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But now the holiday weekend is over, and we're back on our usual veggie kick. It may be late November here in zone 5 Missouri, and we've already had quite a few nights down in the low 20s, but thanks to some <a href="http://www.amazon.com/mn/search/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=floating%20row%20cover&linkCode=ur2&tag=farmgirlfare-20&url=search-alias%3Daps"><u>floating row cover</u></a>, old bedsheets, and a few plastic tarps, the kitchen garden is still supplying us with plenty of autumn bounty.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br>
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In various 4' x 8' raised beds:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br>
<i><b>More below. . .</b></i><br>
</div><a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2012/11/whats-growing-in-late-november-kitchen.html#more"><b>Click here for the rest of this post »</b></a>Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-2222971499436292612012-11-13T15:52:00.000-06:002012-11-13T15:52:04.783-06:00Growing (and Using!) Your Own Fresh Herbs: My Six Favorite Varieties<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7545231@N03/8183271379/" title="Greek oregano growing in the unheated greenhouse on 11-13-12 by Farmgirl Susan, on Flickr"><img alt="Greek oregano growing in the unheated greenhouse on 11-13-12" height="368" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8069/8183271379_8cfea197b2.jpg" width="490" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>Taken today: a happy pot of Greek oregano is surrounded by volunteer, <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2007/09/how-to-grow-swiss-chard-from-seed-why.html"><u>easy to grow Swiss chard</u></a> in the unheated, <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2012/03/in-greenhouse-on-first-day-of-spring.html"><u>homemade greenhouse</u></a>.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Chives, basil, Greek oregano, lemon thyme, Italian parsley, and lemon balm. It's the middle of November in zone five Missouri, and five of my six favorite herbs are still thriving in the kitchen garden, despite weeks of heavy frosts and several nights in the 20s. Even some of the heat-loving basil lasted until a week ago, thanks to some old bed sheets and a plastic tarp.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">When my publishing network, BlogHer, asked if I was interested in writing an article for their Go Green to Save Money series, I immediately thought of homegrown herbs. They're easy to grow, cheap to keep, don't require lots of space or attention, and aren't usually bothered by diseases and pests. They're pretty to look at, bursting with flavor, and far fresher than those pricey little packets at the store.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Want to learn more?</b> <b>You'll find my article, <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2012/10/growing-your-own-fresh-herbs-my-six.html"><u>Growing (and Using!) Your Own Fresh Herbs: My Six Favorite Varieties, on Farmgirl Fare.</u></a></b></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Do you grow any herbs in your garden? Any favorite varieties, stories, growing tips, or recipes to share?</b></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">© <a href="http://farmgirlfare.com/"><u>FarmgirlFare.com</u></a>,<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span>full of freshly picked flavor.</span></span></div>
Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-69965258507744571622012-10-14T21:16:00.002-05:002012-10-14T21:19:02.155-05:00How To Ripen Green Tomatoes Indoors the Really Easy Way<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7545231@N03/5102924066/" title="Green Tomato Harvest 10-17-09 by Farmgirl Susan, on Flickr"><img alt="Green Tomato Harvest 10-17-09" height="368" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1377/5102924066_1185f5b6b3.jpg" width="490" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>Will green tomatoes ripen after picking them? <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2010/10/how-to-ripen-green-tomatoes-indoors.html"><u>Yes!</u></a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Have you had your first frost yet? Ours was a little early this year, and we've even had one 24 degree morning. When the forecast called for several nippy nights in a row last week, I went through the garden and picked all the remaining green tomatoes from my plants, most of which didn't really start putting on fruit until our summer-long heat wave finally broke in September.<br />
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I ended up with about 40 pounds of green tomatoes, and in just one week, a bunch of them have already turned red.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Wondering what to do with your green tomatoes? You're not alone. The most popular post on In My Kitchen Garden right now is <b><a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2010/10/how-to-ripen-green-tomatoes-indoors.html"><u>How To Ripen Green Tomatoes Indoors the Really Easy Way</u></a></b>—and it really is easy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">If you'd rather celebrate their greenness instead, check out my super popular <b><a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2005/09/saving-harvest-green-tomato-relish.html"><u>Salsa-Like, No Sugar Green Tomato Relish Recipe</u></a></b>, which is the number one post right now on Farmgirl Fare.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">© <a href="http://farmgirlfare.com/"><u>FarmgirlFare.com,</u></a> slightly immature but with plenty of potential.</span></span></div>
Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-47718966618782579302012-09-11T14:21:00.001-05:002012-10-07T16:19:18.832-05:00Freezing Zucchini and a Recipe for Lemon Rosemary Zucchini Bread<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7545231@N03/7917420032/" title="Lemon Rosemary Zucchini Bread (1) - FarmgirlFare.com by Farmgirl Susan, on Flickr"><img alt="Lemon Rosemary Zucchini Bread (1) - FarmgirlFare.com" height="368" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8441/7917420032_08dcd2d5a9_o.jpg" width="490" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>Lemon zest and fresh rosemary add a flavorful twist to zucchini bread <b>(<a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2012/09/recipe-lemon-rosemary-zucchini-bread.html"><u>recipe here</u></a>).</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Tired of eating zucchini?</b> Try freezing some for later. One of the most popular posts on Farmgirl Fare right now is <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2007/09/how-to-freeze-zucchini-my-one-claim-to.html"><b><u>How To Freeze Zucchini and Summer Squash & My One Claim To Fame</u></b></a>. (The claim to fame is that I'm the only serious gardener on the planet who never has a zucchini glut. I've been buying zucchini at the <i>supermarket</i>.) Zucchini and other summer squash are easy to freeze, and you'll be so glad you saved some come winter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Tired of the same old zucchini bread recipes?</b> Try this scrumptious, just-sweet-enough <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2012/09/recipe-lemon-rosemary-zucchini-bread.html"><b><u>Lemon Rosemary Zucchini Bread</u></b></a> instead. The recipe makes two loaves, so you can eat one now and freeze the other one. I love it toasted and slathered with butter for breakfast. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Or try my <b><a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2012/09/recipe-100-whole-wheat-coconut-zucchini.html"><u>100% Whole Wheat Coconut Zucchini Bread</u></a></b>, a healthy, tasty treat made with unsweetened coconut, coconut oil, and less sugar than many zucchini bread recipes.<b><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Hungry for more than zucchini?</b> <b>You'll find links to all my sweet and savory Less Fuss, More Flavor recipes in the <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/p/recipe-index.html"><u>Farmgirl Fare Recipe Index</u></a>.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">© <a href="http://farmgirlfare.com/"><u>FarmgirlFare.com,</u></a> grateful for all of the other glorious bounty the kitchen garden does provide, but still looking forward to someday actually being sick of eating homegrown zucchini.</span></div>
Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-55479119843849122282012-09-06T18:08:00.000-05:002012-09-30T21:17:21.310-05:00Growing Miniature White Cucumbers from Seed in Fall? Maybe.<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>You can read more about growing these cute little crunchy cucumbers in my previous post, <b><a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2010/02/easy-to-grow-from-seed-favorites.html"><u>Easy to Grow from Seed Favorites: Miniature White Cucumbers</u></a></b>.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This is shaping up to be the year of experimental fall planting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I generally have pretty good luck growing cucumbers. Between my own harvests (<a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2009/07/garden-journal-72109-mixed-emotions-and.html"><u>lemon cucumbers</u></a> are another favorite or mine to grow) and the excess bounty purchased from my <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/search/label/Amish%20neighbors"><u>Amish friends</u></a>, I haven't bought a supermarket cucumber in years.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This past spring I started three varieties of cucumber seeds in flats, and for various reasons (the main one being that I probably didn't plant the seeds deep enough and they washed away when I watered them—<i>yeah, duh</i>) I didn't end up with any cucumber plants. Then, again for various reasons, I never got around to starting any more cucumber seeds directly in the ground once the soil had warmed up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Thankfully some other gardeners around here fared better than I did in the cucumber department, and I was able to buy some nice ones (along with some really bitter ones). But because of the heat and drought (which is what made those bitter ones bitter), the local front yard pop-up produce stands closed down almost as soon as they opened up this year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Fast forward a couple of months to a desperate me, trying to work on some new summer recipes. I finally broke down and bought some supermarket cucumbers. <i>Blech.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I've already direct seeded two of my 4'x8' raised beds with cool season crops—something I've never done as early as August before—and on a whim, I also stuck half a dozen <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2010/02/easy-to-grow-from-seed-favorites.html"><u>miniature white cucumber seeds</u></a> into a bare spot in <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/search/label/greenhouse"><u>the homemade greenhouse</u></a>. A couple of days later, four of them sprouted.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><i>More below. . .</i></b></span></div>
<a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2012/09/growing-miniature-white-cucumbers-from.html#more"><b>Click here for the rest of this post »</b></a>Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-59578448034470418262012-08-29T19:52:00.000-05:002012-09-06T18:11:31.597-05:00Recipe: Easy and Healthy Roasted Eggplant with (or without) Red Onion and Sweet Red Peppers<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7545231@N03/6244234111/" title="Easy Roasted Eggplant with Red Onion and Sweet Red Peppers 1 - FarmgirlFare.com by Farmgirl Susan, on Flickr"><img alt="Easy Roasted Eggplant with Red Onion and Sweet Red Peppers 1 - FarmgirlFare.com" height="368" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6235/6244234111_9ba627b423.jpg" width="490" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>My favorite way to cook eggplant is great tasting and great for you <b>(<a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2011/10/recipe-easy-and-healthy-roasted.html"><u>recipe here</u></a>)</b>.</i></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I'll spare you photos of the eight really pathetic looking eggplant plants struggling out in my kitchen garden (two words: <i>flea beetles</i>) and skip right to my favorite eggplant recipe instead: this <b><a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2011/10/recipe-easy-and-healthy-roasted.html"><u>Easy Roasted Eggplant with Red Onion and Sweet Peppers</u></a></b>. I made it over and over last summer and have been craving it ever since I put my eggplant seedlings into the ground back in the spring.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">You can't go wrong with roasting, and this has to be one of the least complicated—and the healthiest—ways to eat eggplant. Forget the cumbersome peeling, salting, and draining that so many eggplant recipes call for. Want to know how to roast eggplant? Just dice it up, toss it with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, and stick it in the oven. Additional vegetables are optional.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">So simple, yet so flavorful. Exactly what summer eating should be.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<b><i>Do you have a favorite eggplant recipe? Any eggplant growing tips to share?</i></b><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>No eggplants yet either? You'll find links to all my sweet and savory Less Fuss, More Flavor recipes in the <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/p/recipe-index.html"><u>Farmgirl Fare Recipe Index</u></a>.</b></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">© <a href="http://farmgirlfare.com/"><u>FarmgirlFare.com</u></a>, where we're already direct seeding fall crops but still holding out for some more late summer bounty, especially since the flea beetles are <i>finally</i> almost gone.</div>Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-21346171600438400932012-08-15T11:25:00.000-05:002012-12-21T08:01:22.259-06:00Recipe: How To Make Your Own Homemade V8 Juice (Vegetable Tomato Juice)<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7545231@N03/6134462468/" title="Homemade Vegetable Tomato Juice (like V8 juice) 2 - FarmgirlFare.com by Farmgirl Susan, on Flickr"><img alt="Homemade Vegetable Tomato Juice (like V8 juice) 2 - FarmgirlFare.com" height="368" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6152/6134462468_dfe2673731.jpg" width="490" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>A cool and refreshing way to drink your vegetables <b><a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2008/10/less-fuss-more-flavor-homemade-tomato.html"><u>(recipe here)</u></a></b></i></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I have a <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2011/05/thursday-dose-of-cute-back-at-friends.html"><u>sheep farmer friend</u></a> who swears by Campbell's V8 juice when working out in the heat. She says it's more rejuvenating than drinking water or Gatorade and literally makes the difference between wanting to keel over and being able to keep going for hours.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
This is the kind of stuff I need to know.<br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">What could be even better than V8? Homemade V8! Or <b><a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2008/10/less-fuss-more-flavor-homemade-tomato.html"><u>in this case</u></a></b> V4, though I suppose it's technically V3 if you count the parsley as an herb and not a vegetable. Either way, this easy to make vegetable tomato juice will blow that V8 away. Did you know V8 is mostly made from water and tomato paste?</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">It definitely helps when you're outside slogging away, and it tastes refreshing and delicious.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>To make </b><b><a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2008/10/less-fuss-more-flavor-homemade-tomato.html"><u>this healthy, flavorful juice</u></a>, all you do is chop everything up and toss it into a pot, then put it through a food mill.</b> (I <i>love</i> my <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000I0MGKE/farmgirlfare-20"><u>Oxo Good Grips food mill</u></a></b><i>.</i>) It's the perfect way to make use of overripe, imperfect, or just plain ugly tomatoes, which you can sometimes find for a deal at farmers' markets.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">And thankfully you don't have to be sweating to enjoy it.</div><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><i>Would you rather have your refreshing summer vegetables raw? Check out my <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2008/10/less-fuss-more-flavor-quick-easy.html"><u>quick and easy gazpacho recipe</u></a>. You just blend everything up, chill, slurp, and say Ahhhh.</i></b></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">© <a href="http://farmgirlfare.com/"><u>FarmgirlFare.com</u></a>, where the plants in the garden are so heat-stressed (despite watering at least once a day), even they could probably use a slug of juice.</div>Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-24047902659963779282012-08-09T14:41:00.000-05:002012-09-02T18:35:39.007-05:00Recipe: Greek Style Panzanella Salad with Kalamata Olives, Feta Cheese, and Homemade Pan-Fried Croutons<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7545231@N03/6147804054/" title="Greek Style Panzanella Salad with cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta cheese, and homemade croutons 2 - FarmgirlFare.com by Farmgirl Susan, on Flickr"><img alt="Greek Style Panzanella Salad with cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta cheese, and homemade croutons 2 - FarmgirlFare.com" height="368" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6071/6147804054_51c7530016.jpg" width="490" /></a><br />
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<i>The traditional Italian tomato and bread salad is given a Greek twist with feta cheese and kalamata olives. Olive oil croutons are hard to resist <b>(<a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2011/09/recipe-greek-style-panzanella-salad.html"><u>recipe here</u></a>)</b>.</i></div>
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It's the height of summer bounty in the garden, so I thought I would share a few of my seasonal favorites from the <b><a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/p/recipe-index.html"><u>Farmgirl Fare recipe archives</u></a></b>, starting with this <b><a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2011/09/recipe-greek-style-panzanella-salad.html"><u>Greek Style Panzanella Salad</u></a>.</b></div>
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One of the reasons I haven't posted more recipes during the seven years I've been blogging is because I'm often still making the same old favorites over and over again—like the <b><a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2005/06/chocolate-chip-sheep-chocolate-chip.html"><u>Big, Soft and Chewy Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Raisin Cookies</u></a></b> I've been baking for more than 20 years. I pretty much lived on this Greek style version of the classic Italian panzanella for several weeks last summer and am ready to do it again.</div>
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It's cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, kalamata olives, feta cheese, red onion, and crunchy, pan-fried olive oil croutons, tossed with a flavorful red wine vinaigrette. For an extra boost of protein and fiber, you can stir in some organic garbanzo beans.</div>
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It makes a great side dish for grilled meats and a perfect light supper or lunch. I've even eaten the leftovers for breakfast. You'll find <b><a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2011/09/recipe-greek-style-panzanella-salad.html"><u>the recipe here</u></a></b>. <i>Enjoy!</i></div>
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<b>Hungry for more than salad?</b> <b>There are links to all my sweet and savory Less Fuss, More Flavor recipes in the <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/p/recipe-index.html"><u>Farmgirl Fare Recipe Index</u></a>.</b></div>
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© <a href="http://farmgirlfare.com/"><u>FarmgirlFare.com</u></a>, where it's been, to put it mildly, a challenging summer in the kitchen garden this year, but thankfully the <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2012/07/blasted-birthday-blister-beetles-garden.html"><u>blister beetles</u></a>, cabbage worms, and deer have left me a little something to eat out there, including quite a few cherry tomatoes. <i>Yes!</i></div>
Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-87928931158545655492012-08-04T10:49:00.004-05:002012-08-04T10:53:45.658-05:00Recipe: Savory Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil Pesto Pie with an Easy Cheesy Biscuit Crust<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7545231@N03/6074056511/" title="Savory tomato, mozzarella, and basil pesto pie with an easy cheesy biscuit crust by Farmgirl Susan, on Flickr"><img alt="Savory tomato, mozzarella, and basil pesto pie with an easy cheesy biscuit crust" height="368" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6204/6074056511_272365e5a3.jpg" width="490" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Scared of pie dough? This easy biscuit crust is perfect for beginners (<b><a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2006/08/savory-tomato-pesto-pie.html"><u>recipe here</u></a></b>).</i></span><br />
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The first meaty plum tomatoes in my kitchen garden are finally starting to ripen, and there's homemade pesto in the fridge. It's time to make a <b><a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2006/08/savory-tomato-pesto-pie.html"><u>Savory Tomato and Basil Pesto Pie!</u></a></b><br />
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This is one of my most popular recipes, and for some reason men seem to especially love it. The other day my friend Susan in Vermont said, "I'm making your tomato pesto pie for dinner tonight. I made it last week, and my husband fell in love with me all over again." <br />
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Do tomatoes and basil say summer to you? Do you love pesto and savory pies and melted mozzarella cheese? Then you'll want to celebrate the bounty of summer with this scrumptious <b><a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2006/08/savory-tomato-pesto-pie.html"><u>Savory Tomato and Basil Pesto Pie</u></a></b>.<br />
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If you're scared of pastry crust, you're going to love this recipe. The biscuit dough is practically foolproof, and the pie itself is easy to make but looks impressive and tastes delicious.<br />
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<b>Don't believe me?</b> <b><a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2011/08/summer-recipe-savory-tomato-mozzarella.html"><u>Click here</u></a></b> for a sampling of rave reviews from Farmgirl Fare readers. (<i>Thanks so much to all of you who take the time to come back and report on my recipes!</i>) Ready to eat? You'll find <b><a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2006/08/savory-tomato-pesto-pie.html"><u>the recipe here</u></a></b>.<br />
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<b>Hungry for more than pie?</b> <b>There are links to all my sweet and savory Less Fuss, More Flavor recipes in the <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/p/recipe-index.html"><u>Farmgirl Fare Recipe Index</u></a>.</b></div>
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© <a href="http://farmgirlfare.com/"><u>FarmgirlFare.com</u></a>, the ripe and ready foodie farm blog where I haven't forgotten that promised post on growing arugula in hot weather. The short version? Order a packet of <a href="https://www.superseeds.com/products.php?search=Rucola%20Selvatica%20arugula"><u>Rucola Selvatica arugula seeds</u></a> from Pinetree Garden Seeds in Maine and scatter them in a partly shaded spot in your garden ($1.35 for 400 seeds).</div>Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-49143018692302709992012-07-23T17:55:00.001-05:002012-07-31T21:21:24.387-05:00Recipe: Arugula Salad with Pan-Fried Herbed Potatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Feta Cheese & Kalamata Olive Vinaigrette<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7545231@N03/7599902640/" title="Arugula salad with pan-fried herbed potatoes, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, and kalamata olive vinaigrette by Farmgirl Susan, on Flickr"><img alt="Arugula salad with pan-fried herbed potatoes, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, and kalamata olive vinaigrette" height="348" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8024/7599902640_48f93f84cc_o.jpg" width="490" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>This light main course salad is a perfect way to celebrate the summer harvest <b>(<a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2012/07/recipe-arugula-salad-with-pan-fried.html"><u>recipe here</u></a>).</b></i></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I'm kicking off BlogHer's new Market Fresh Cooking series with this beautiful <b><a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2012/07/recipe-arugula-salad-with-pan-fried.html"><u>Arugula Salad with Pan-Fried Herbed Potatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, and Feta Cheese</u></a></b> that's full of flavor and bursting with summer bounty. For this batch I used arugula, parsley, thyme, and red onions from my garden.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The crisp, herby potatoes also taste great on their own, and the Kalamata olive vinaigrette is wonderful on other things too. I love it tossed with cucumbers and tomatoes. To make this a more substantial meal, simply add some leftover grilled chicken or steak.<br />
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No arugula? Make it with romaine lettuce instead. My favorite variety of romaine is an easy to grow heirloom called Parris Island Cos, which is crisp, tasty, and amazingly heat tolerant. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><i>Coming up next on In My Kitchen Garden: Can you grow arugula during the summer? Yes!</i></b></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">© <a href="http://farmgirlfare.com/"><u>FarmgirlFare.com</u></a></span></div>Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-91992901207278476472012-07-10T16:43:00.000-05:002017-07-20T14:54:35.145-05:00Blasted Birthday Blister Beetles: Garden Journal 7/10/12<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7545231@N03/7545700192/" title="Blister beetles attacking Swiss chard 1 - FarmgirlFare.com by Farmgirl Susan, on Flickr"><img alt="Blister beetles attacking Swiss chard 1 - FarmgirlFare.com" height="368" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8288/7545700192_4568e8e8b4_o.jpg" width="490"></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2006/07/whats-growin-on-71706.html"><u>Blister beetles</u></a> attacking Swiss chard in my kitchen garden.</i></div>
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<i>For more about how to deal with blister beetles—and the many ways we use diatomaceous earth around the farm—check out <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2011/08/garden-journal-8111-attack-using.html"><u>this post</u></a>.</i></div>
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<b>Realization of the Day:</b></div>
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I knew better, I really did. Translation: I am a lazy gardening idiot.</div>
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There are several things that I block out each year once they're over, like <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/search/label/lambing%20season%202012"><u>lambing season</u></a>, which is very cute but stressful and totally exhausting. <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2010/07/its-been-hell-of-few-weeks-and-not-in.html"><u>Poisonous snake season</u></a>. Chiggers and ticks and the unsightly, horribly itchy ankles they cause. Hot and humid Missouri summers that often last five months.</div>
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And <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2006/07/whats-growin-on-71706.html"><u>blister beetles</u></a>.</div>
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So when I saw a couple of blister beetles, which love hot, dry weather, trotting along the burned up grass near the sheep barn the other day, what did I do? Nothing.</div>
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What <i>should</i> I have done? Raced back to the garden and liberally doused the pepper plants, tomato plants, and <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2007/09/how-to-grow-swiss-chard-from-seed-why.html"><u>Swiss chard</u></a>, as well as the surrounding soil, with <a href="http://amzn.to/2tjR2kx" target="_blank"><u>food grade diatomaceous earth</u></a> (which we buy in <a href="http://amzn.to/2uenC8S" style="text-decoration-line: underline;" target="_blank">economical 50-pound bags</a> - it will last indefinitely if kept dry). These are the crops they seem to go after the most, although I know they also like beans.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjveyV9kcdFxQe8HCVgH5tcf3D0qES5kSJKzIuZtNSnsRalpbgXdarL1nfiD9cl4dhdmd26fr2WV9gC04ftFY3q2-ll_qvNd-d0WORfvxIslxHp5vE-BKGK3i1T4vfJW9IG3Awr2w/s1600/Blister+beetles+attacking+Swiss+chard+2+-+FarmgirlFare.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjveyV9kcdFxQe8HCVgH5tcf3D0qES5kSJKzIuZtNSnsRalpbgXdarL1nfiD9cl4dhdmd26fr2WV9gC04ftFY3q2-ll_qvNd-d0WORfvxIslxHp5vE-BKGK3i1T4vfJW9IG3Awr2w/s1600/Blister+beetles+attacking+Swiss+chard+2+-+FarmgirlFare.com.JPG"></a></div>
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Yesterday morning I went out to the garden and discovered that the ravenous blister beetles had arrived just in time for my birthday. The 4'x4' patch of densely planted, previously beautiful Swiss chard was teeming with them—and the leaves that hadn't been devoured were covered with their disgusting droppings. I found minor damage on a few tomato plants too.</div>
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I tossed handfuls of <a href="http://amzn.to/2tjR2kx" target="_blank"><u>diatomaceous earth</u></a> all over the chard leaves, and then sprinkled some around all the tomato and pepper plants, along with the eggplants just in case, and then went back inside to block out the depressing invasion and have some cake.</div>
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And then I got my birthday wish and it rained—and washed away all of the diatomaceous earth I'd just put out.</div>
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<b><i>More below. . .</i></b></div>
<a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2012/07/blasted-birthday-blister-beetles-garden.html#more"><b>Click here for the rest of this post »</b></a>Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-58643860910759889662012-07-03T15:33:00.000-05:002012-07-04T07:45:12.760-05:00A Red, White, Blue—and Green!—Fourth of July<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7545231@N03/7496577930/" title="Freshly picked Masai filet beans (haricots verts) from the kitchen garden - FarmgirlFare.com by Farmgirl Susan, on Flickr"><img alt="Freshly picked Masai filet beans (haricots verts) from the kitchen garden - FarmgirlFare.com" height="368" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7110/7496577930_e1fddfbcf1_o.jpg" width="490" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>Freshly picked Masai green beans (haricots verts)</i></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Will you be eating anything from your garden this Independence Day? I don't know what we're going to grill yet (probably something doused with my <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2010/07/recipe-all-natural-homemade-barbecue.html"><u>easy, all natural homemade BBQ sauce</u></a>), but I do know we'll be having green beans—the fridge is overflowing with them.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I picked all 32 feet of mine (Slenderette and Masai), then couldn't resist buying a few more pounds of pretty filet beans (the delicate, thin green beans also called <i>haricots verts</i>) from our <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/search/label/Amish%20neighbors"><u>Amish neighbors</u></a>—and then another big bag from an older couple in town that was selling their extra backyard bounty.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Time to get out my beloved <a href="http://www.amazon.com/mn/search/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=farmgirlfare-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=foodsaver%20vacuum%20sealer&url=search-alias%3Dgarden"><u>FoodSaver vacuum sealer</u></a> and start filling the freezer! Just blanch 3 minutes (a little longer for fatter beans), cool in ice water, drain, pack into bags, and seal. (I use <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000AANXDG/farmgirlfare-20"><u>this model FoodSaver</u></a> and make my own bags from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/mn/search/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=farmgirlfare-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957&rh=n%3A1055398%2Ck%3Afoodsaver%20rolls%20bag%20material&field-keywords=foodsaver%20rolls%20bag%20material&url=search-alias%3Dgarden&ajr=0"><u>rolls of FoodSaver bag material</u></a>.) These beautiful beans will be an extra welcome treat when we pull them out for dinner in the middle of winter. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">To see more of what's growing right now in my kitchen garden, check out the latest installment of the popular new <b><a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2012/07/tail-end-of-week-get-your-friday-farm.html"><u>Friday Farm Fix on Farmgirl Fare</u></a></b>.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><i>Have a safe, happy, and delicious holiday!</i></b></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">© <a href="http://farmgirlfare.com/"><u>FarmgirlFare.com</u></a>, where I'm thinking <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2011/08/recipe-for-easy-old-fashioned.html"><u>old-fashioned blackberry crisp</u></a> for dessert tomorrow. And maybe some all-American <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2005/06/chocolate-chip-sheep-chocolate-chip.html"><u>giant chocolate chip cookies</u></a> too.</div>Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-31432496381352809582012-05-21T15:19:00.001-05:002012-05-25T22:38:00.703-05:00Picking Basil, Planting Peppers, Loving Lettuce and More: Garden Update 5/21/12<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
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<i>Lots of beautiful <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/search/label/basil"><u>basil</u></a> from just two plants (I love these $10 <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B003BC9B8Q/farmgirlfare-20"><u>take apart shears</u></a></b>).</i></div>
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<i><b>Want to see more of my garden? The new weekly <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/search/label/Friday%20Farm%20Fix"><u>Friday Farm Fix series on Farmgirl Fare</u></a> usually includes lots of kitchen garden photos.</b></i></div>
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<b>Realization of the Day:</b></div>
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Eating from the garden makes everything taste better, even if your harvest is just a sprinkling of chives or a handful of parsley.</div>
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There isn't a whole lot of bounty in the garden yet, but during the past week we enjoyed plenty of beautiful (and big!) salads, as well as chopped green onions on just about everything. If all goes well, it won't be long before I'm digging up the first new potatoes, harvesting the garlic, and picking my favorite <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2011/03/dragon-langerie-dragon-tongue-bush.html"><u>Dragon Langerie (also called Dragon Tongue) beans</u></a>. And the arugula and Parris Island cos lettuce are almost ready to start thinning and tossing into salads.</div>
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The weather has been crazy hot and way too dry <i>(thanks to my super lightweight <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/mn/search/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=farmgirlfare-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=water%20right%20garden%20hose&url=search-alias%3Dlawngarden"><u>Water Right garden hoses</u></a></b> I no longer dread watering the garden!)</i>, but we did finally get a little rain yesterday. Just about 4/10ths of an inch, but I'll take it. At least it settled all the dust.</div>
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Like what you see growing in my garden? The links included below can help you grow the same things in yours.</div>
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<b>Into the kitchen during the past week:</b></div>
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<b>Basil</b> (my <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2008/06/purple-basil-pesto-easiest-white-bean.html"><u>favorite basil pesto recipe is here</u></a>; all my <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/search/label/basil"><u>basil growing posts are here</u></a>)</div>
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<b>Chives</b> (Learn <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2005/07/chives-herbed-yogurt-cheese.html"><u>how to grow chives here</u></a>, plus my easy herbed yogurt cheese recipe.)</div>
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<b>Green onions and spring onions </b>(read about why I now <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2010/03/garden-journal-31110-growing-onions.html"><u>grow onions from purchased plants here</u></a>)<b><br>
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<b>Italian flat leaf parsley</b> (here's the <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2010/05/kitchen-garden-how-to-best-way-to-store.html"><u>best way to store fresh parsley</u></a>)</div>
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<b>Lettuce </b>(I picked the entire 4'x8' bed of my favorite Rocky Top Lettuce Mix from Baker Creek before it all went bitter from the heat; learn how to <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2007/07/how-to-grow-your-own-gourmet-lettuce.html"><u>grow your own gourmet lettuce from seed here</u></a>).</div>
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<b>Red Russian kale</b> (from a couple of last spring's plants; photo below)</div>
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<b>Swiss chard</b> (amazingly heat and cold tolerant; learn <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2007/09/how-to-grow-swiss-chard-from-seed-why.html"><u>how to grow Swiss chard from seed here</u></a>)</div>
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<b>Tuscan kale</b> (also called Lacinato kale, dinosaur kale, and Nero di Toscana cabbage; <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2012/05/new-friday-farm-and-garden-fix-on.html"><u>one enormous plant</u></a> direct seeded last fall)</div>
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<b>And into the garden:</b></div>
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<b>Four Golden California Wonder sweet pepper plants</b> (purchased; <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2011/05/garden-journal-52111-tips-for-planting.html"><u>tips for planting and growing peppers here</u></a>)</div>
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<b>Five Roma tomato plants</b> (four purchased, one volunteer from last year I'd dug up and put into a small container)</div>
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<b>Eight eggplant plants</b> (purchased; the tag just says 'classic' which cracks me up)</div>
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I have several more varieties of tomato plants that still need to go into the ground (both purchased and started from seed), another four Golden California Wonder pepper plants (purchased), and a bunch of leggy little purple basil seedlings I grew from seed that desperately need to be transplanted into individual plugs (I think they're still too small to go straight into the garden, especially with this heat).</div>
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I'm also hoping to plant some more green bean seeds and am wondering if I should try direct seeding some cucumber seeds this time, since the soil is plenty warm and my first two attempts at starting them in flats (including 4 different varieties of all brand new seeds) yielded nothing for some reason. I don't think I've ever had trouble sprouting cucumber seeds before. The basil, calendula, and zinnia seeds didn't do squat either.</div>
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<b><i>Twelve more garden photos below. . .</i></b></div>
<a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2012/05/picking-basil-planting-peppers-loving.html#more"><b>Click here for the rest of this post »</b></a>Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-7188157930717537602012-05-02T14:19:00.000-05:002012-05-03T13:50:10.302-05:00The New Friday Farm (and Garden) Fix on Farmgirl Fare<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwKhNBW7rhq6nyCPvKY25ocKX1BOo_jLOuT4uKUE41SoPkEpU-P6JB8a26N7R-klDUL6HmH3GWRPJxh6GlpmwEk1DZ9rWREB2H0u15QhXJr0SpJ5v_GQlf3BQ4_DRTMOp192Itw/s1600/Autumn+planted+kale+and+spring+Swiss+chard+in+the+kitchen+garden+-+FarmgirlFare.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwKhNBW7rhq6nyCPvKY25ocKX1BOo_jLOuT4uKUE41SoPkEpU-P6JB8a26N7R-klDUL6HmH3GWRPJxh6GlpmwEk1DZ9rWREB2H0u15QhXJr0SpJ5v_GQlf3BQ4_DRTMOp192Itw/s1600/Autumn+planted+kale+and+spring+Swiss+chard+in+the+kitchen+garden+-+FarmgirlFare.com.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>Growing in the garden now, left to right: Dwarf Siberan kale direct seeded last fall (and mostly flowering now), one gorgeous lone dinosaur (lacinato) kale plant direct seeded last fall (and on tonight's dinner menu), and several varieties of Swiss chard (I was using up a bunch of old seed packets) direct seeded in late March. (Swiss chard is wonderful stuff and <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2007/09/how-to-grow-swiss-chard-from-seed-why.html"><u>easy to grow from seed</u></a>. The white on the kale leaves is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/mn/search/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=farmgirlfare-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=food%20grade%20diatomaceous%20earth&url=search-alias%3Daps"><u>food grade diatomaceous earth</u></a>; you read about the many ways we use this amazing stuff <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2011/08/garden-journal-8111-attack-using.html"><u>here</u></a>.)</i></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Hello and happy spring!</b> How does your garden grow? Mine is doing pretty well despite two months of seriously crazy weather. On April 23rd, eight days after our 'official' last frost date, the six tomato plants I already had in the ground froze to death during a hard frost despite being covered with buckets <i>(that's what I get for sneaking in some impulse-purchased hybrids)</i>, and this Friday it's supposed to be 93 degrees. <i>Welcome to Missouri!</i></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Although I'm already feeling (and falling) behind, I have more vegetables and herbs growing in the garden right now than I have during the past several springs, which makes me very happy. Obviously I've been spending more time gardening than garden blogging.<br />
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I have, however, been documenting some of what's been happening each week in the garden in my new weekly series on Farmgirl Fare called the <b><a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/search/label/Friday%20Farm%20Fix"><u>Friday Farm Fix</u></a></b>.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">In each Friday Farm Fix post, I share a random sampling of what's been happening around the farm during the past week, and a lot of kitchen garden photos have been showing up alongside the cute baby animals, colorful scenery, and ever present farm dogs. I often been including a photo taken <b><a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/search/label/greenhouse"><u>inside the greenhouse</u></a></b> too. Right now it's a Swiss chard jungle in there.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">My original plan was to do a similar type of weekly photo journal post here on <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.com/"><u>In My Kitchen Garden</u></a>, but for now it's all happening over on Farmgirl Fare. Maybe instead I'll just do a little Friday Farm Fix announcement here each week, along with a list of what we've eating from the garden during the past seven days <i>(lettuce! lettuce! lettuce!)</i>. Either way, for a current glimpse of what's going on in my garden, come check out the <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/search/label/Friday%20Farm%20Fix"><u><b>Friday Farm Fix</b></u></a>. <i>I hope to see you there!</i></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>In the meantime, feel like catching up? </b></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2012/03/tail-end-of-week-get-your-friday-farm.html"><u>Friday Farm Fix #1</u></a></b></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2012/03/tail-end-of-week-get-your-friday-farm_23.html"><u>Friday Farm Fix #2</u></a></b></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2012/03/tail-end-of-week-get-your-friday-farm_30.html"><u>Friday Farm Fix #3</u></a></b></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2012/04/tail-end-of-week-get-your-friday-farm.html"><u>Friday Farm Fix #4</u></a></b></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2012/04/tail-end-of-week-get-your-friday-farm_13.html"><u>Friday Farm Fix #5</u></a></b></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2012/04/tail-end-of-week-get-your-friday-farm_20.html"><u>Friday Farm Fix #6</u></a></b></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2012/04/tail-end-of-week-get-your-friday-farm_27.html"><u>Friday Farm Fix #7</u></a></b></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">© <a href="http://farmgirlfare.com/"><u>FarmgirlFare.com</u></a>, seeding, sprouting, growing, weeding, harvesting, watering, and eating—and not necessarily in that order. Actually, eating should probably be listed in there twice. </div>Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-2293108274814217952012-03-20T17:49:00.005-05:002012-03-21T11:21:07.670-05:00In the Greenhouse on the First Day of Spring: Garden Journal 3/20/12<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7545231@N03/7001149331/" title="Inside the greenhouse on the first day of spring - FarmgirlFare.com by Farmgirl Susan, on Flickr"><img alt="Inside the greenhouse on the first day of spring - FarmgirlFare.com" height="368" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7131/7001149331_0760b4e37a_o.jpg" width="490"></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>Things are greening up in <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2006/03/looking-back-building-greenhouse.html"><u>the greenhouse</u></a>!</i></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Realization of the Day:</b></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">As much as I love lemon balm, it's probably time to stop its greenhouse spread (it's the stuff taking over the whole front left side).<br>
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I'm never one to discourage plants that actually <i>want</i> to grow (and usually embrace anything described as invasive because there's a chance it might actually do well here), but it's starting to take up valuable real estate. You can read more about lemon balm in this post: <b><a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2006/04/whats-growin-on-41706.html"><u>Lemon Balm: Growing It, Drying It, Using It</u></a></b>.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Happy first day of spring! I never used to show you the entire inside of my greenhouse because it's usually kind of a mess. Thankfully I'm over that now. In fact, a while back I started taking pictures of this same view of the greenhouse interior on a regular basis (messes and all), so I could show you what goes on in there throughout the year.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><i>More below. . .</i></b></div><a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2012/03/in-greenhouse-on-first-day-of-spring.html#more"><b>Click here for the rest of this post »</b></a>Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-78692773860972731932012-02-25T19:36:00.006-06:002013-03-02T14:11:39.391-06:00Sorting Through My Seed Stash, Beet Growing Tips, and Planting by the Moon: Garden Journal 2/25/12<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
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<i>Beautiful, nutritious beet greens, all sprouted from one little beet seed (which is actually a dried fruit containing a cluster of 2 to 6 seeds).</i></div>
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<b><i>You'll find more about growing beets in my previous post, <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2007/04/how-to-grow-beets-from-seed-and-why-you.html"><u>How To Grow Beets from Seed and Why You Should</u></a>. And <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2007/04/give-beets-chance-caramelized-beets.html"><u>Caramelized Beets with Garlic</u></a> is my favorite beet recipe.</i></b></div>
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<b>Realization of the Day:</b></div>
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I currently have 13 unopened packets of heirloom beet seeds in my posession—the newest from 2009. I may need a repeat of that 2007 <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2010/01/garden-journal-12610-organizing-seed.html"><u>massive seed packet purge</u></a>.</div>
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Organized gardeners probably sort through their old seeds <i>before</i> placing their new seed orders. I finally placed my first seed order for 2012 last Thursday, and <i>then</i> decided to dig out all of my various <i>(actually somewhat organized!)</i> containers of seeds.</div>
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Thankfully I hadn't ordered any beet seeds.</div>
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<i><b>More below. . .</b></i></div>
<a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2012/02/sorting-through-my-seed-stash-beet.html#more"><b>Click here for the rest of this post »</b></a>Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-25301175664394367802012-02-16T14:06:00.002-06:002012-02-17T08:55:38.334-06:00Easy How To: Grow Asian Greens Like Bok Choy, Pak Choy, Tatsoi, and Mizuna by Direct Seeding in the Garden<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7545231@N03/4991545154/" title="Asian greens in the kitchen garden 10-10-06 by Farmgirl Susan, on Flickr"><img alt="Asian greens in the kitchen garden 10-10-06" height="368" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4154/4991545154_5938f41ef1.jpg" width="490"></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>Gorgeous gourmet Asian greens: not available in most stores.</i></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">There are many things to consider when deciding what to plant in your vegetable garden: available space and time, soil conditions, time of year, cost of growing vs. buying <i>(or is buying even an option?)</i>, how much you love to eat it, past performance, etc. And, perhaps most importantly, does it do well in your location?</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">When I moved from the San Francisco Bay Area to rural Missouri back in 1994, I was surprised to discover that while nearly everyone around here planted a vegetable garden each spring, many people grew nothing but beans, corn, tomatoes, and potatoes.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I quickly learned that with our extremely fickle climate and growing conditions, these are the crops most likely to reward you with a decent harvest, but even they're not guaranteed. Plus people just aren't into stuff like <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/search/label/basil"><u>basil</u></a> and <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2007/09/how-to-grow-swiss-chard-from-seed-why.html"><u>Swiss chard</u></a> and <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2006/04/sublime-salads-for-those-who-are.html"><u>arugula</u></a>—which thankfully also do well here.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I've also had good luck <b><a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2010/09/garden-journal-91410-how-to-grow-asian.html"><u>growing all sorts of Asian (Oriental) greens</u></a></b>, which you can't find for sale in this area. There are numerous types of Asian green seeds available, and it's fun to experiment with different varieties. Large leaf ton ho or wong bok cabbage, anyone? Fast growing mizuna is one of my favorites. It's often stir-fried <i>(I'm crazy about my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00063RXQK/farmgirlfare-20"><u>Lodge cast iron wok</u></a>)</i>, but I love it best in salads.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><i>More below. . .</i></b></div><a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2012/02/easy-how-to-grow-asian-greens-like-bok.html#more"><b>Click here for the rest of this post »</b></a>Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-32092868378747040382012-01-12T16:12:00.000-06:002012-01-12T16:12:29.934-06:00Garden Journal 1/12/12: Crazy Winter Weather<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7545231@N03/6686507991/" title="Southern half of the snowy kitchen garden - FarmgirlFare.com by Farmgirl Susan, on Flickr"><img alt="Southern half of the snowy kitchen garden - FarmgirlFare.com" height="368" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6686507991_4781659771.jpg" width="490" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>Southern half of the raised bed kitchen garden, as seen this afternoon from the second floor of <b><a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/search/label/the%20new%20house"><u>the new house!</u></a></b></i></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Yesterday it was sunny and in the 50s. I ditched my massive indoor afternoon To Do list in favor of digging <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/search/label/chickens%202011"><u>chicken manure</u></a> into a couple of garden beds and working on a compost pile—in January.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Today it's blustery, snowing, and, at last check, 22 degrees. When I looked at the online weather page this morning it said it was 18 degrees but felt like four. Tonight we'll probably see single digit temps, and on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday it's supposed to be 50.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Welcome to winter in Missouri! </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><i>So is it snowing or growing in your January garden? Any big planting plans for this year?</i></b></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">© <a href="http://farmgirlfare.com/"><u>FarmgirlFare.com</u></a>, where it's definitely time to cozy up under <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/search/label/quilts"><u>a vintage quilt</u></a> and finish the rest of that seed order. Weather ups and downs or not, planting time will be here all too soon.</div>Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-13747614905672964192011-12-06T15:33:00.001-06:002011-12-06T15:38:56.079-06:00Take-Apart Shears: The Perfect $10 Stocking Stuffer for Gardeners and Cooks<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7545231@N03/6454665211/" title="Growing and harvesting green and purple basil in the kitchen garden 1 - FarmgirlFare.com by Farmgirl Susan, on Flickr"><img alt="Growing and harvesting green and purple basil in the kitchen garden 1 - FarmgirlFare.com" height="368" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7151/6454665211_762631fb37.jpg" width="490" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Harvesting <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/search/label/basil"><u>basil</u></a> in the June kitchen garden with my <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B003BC9B8Q/farmgirlfare-20"><u>new favorite scissors</u></a></b>.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Realization of the Day:</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A few months ago, I wrote a long post about pesto and my 2011 banner basil crop, put a bunch of photos together, and then never got around to actually publishing it all. Here's the short version: That <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2011/05/garden-journal-5411-bad-luck-with-basil.html"><u>bad luck with basil I had in May</u></a>? It eventually turned out to be really good. Like well over 5 pounds of basil from 10 plants good. <i>Yes!</i> (You'll find all my <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/search/label/basil"><u>basil growing posts here</u></a>.) </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Realization #2:</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There's nothing like a little <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2011/12/tuesday-dose-of-cold-cute-snow-day.html"><u>early December snowstorm</u></a> to remind you of just how much you took all that fresh basil for granted.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">When I was getting ready to post my <b><a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2010/11/holiday-gift-ideas-16-favorite-kitchen.html"><u>Holiday Gift Ideas for Bakers and Cooks: 16 Favorite Kitchen Essentials (Most Under $25)</u></a></b> this year, Joe asked me if I had added anything new to the list. I said no, I'm still loving and using all the same great stuff. But I was wrong. I'd forgotten about <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B003BC9B8Q/farmgirlfare-20"><u>my new scissors</u></a></b> (and my awesome <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000I0MGKE/farmgirlfare-20"><u>Oxo food mill</u></a>).</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I bought these <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B003BC9B8Q/farmgirlfare-20"><u>Fiskars Take-Apart Softgrip Garden Shears ($10.15)</u></a></b> back in early spring, and hardly a day goes by when I don't use them at least once in the kitchen or garden.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">They're called herb & veggie garden shears on the package, but Fiskars also makes identical, general use <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000BYCNB/farmgirlfare-20"><u>take-apart shears without the softgrip</u></a>, and that link is full of glowing reviews from people who use theirs to cut up everything from plastic blister packages and fabric to the fins off fish (some of them for over 20 years).</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I probably have a dozen pairs of cheap scissors scattered around the farm that I've used for pretty much anything you can think of over the years <i>(I love scissors!)</i>, but now these are the the ones I always want to reach for.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The stainless-steel, serrated blades are heavy duty and sharp, but of course what's best about them is that <b>they quickly come apart for easy and thorough cleaning.</b> How cool is that? You can even put them in the dishwasher.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">If there are gardeners and cooks on your holiday list, these <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B003BC9B8Q/farmgirlfare-20"><u>dandy $10 take-apart shears</u></a></b> are sure to be a useful, long lasting, and much appreciated gift. If you're buying them for yourself and you don't live alone, you might want to order an extra pair. In fact, I think this is just what <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/search/label/my%20hunky%20farmguy%202"><u>my hunky farmguy</u></a> needs in <i>his</i> stocking this year—maybe with his name written on them.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">© <a href="http://farmgirlfare.com/"><u>FarmgirlFare.com</u></a>, where it's never too early to start planning (and dreaming about) next year's bumper basil crop.</div>Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-89948874350467730812011-11-29T08:22:00.006-06:002012-05-03T13:52:28.894-05:00Wondering What To Do with Swiss Chard? Favorite Recipes and Ways to Use My Favorite Garden Vegetable<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI3bCyXe_CrQSTUK8aUGrTPWjH3049pts2TJ43RlejFRTb6gu9iuCMXoqSKXHe_2-KDfyLAn_4J4D_W0D6sh8yn9-nHpetlOFoSC6iZPInO47ZCWNVk8cbQrtIsVoNYYjUJEIhig/s1600/Copy+of+chardichoke+pizza+2.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293197363132002706" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI3bCyXe_CrQSTUK8aUGrTPWjH3049pts2TJ43RlejFRTb6gu9iuCMXoqSKXHe_2-KDfyLAn_4J4D_W0D6sh8yn9-nHpetlOFoSC6iZPInO47ZCWNVk8cbQrtIsVoNYYjUJEIhig/s1600/Copy+of+chardichoke+pizza+2.JPG" style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); cursor: pointer; height: 368px; margin: 2px; width: 490px;"></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>Swiss Chard & Artichoke White Pizza <b>(<a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2009/01/swiss-chard-and-artichoke-white-pizza.html"><u>recipe here</u></a>)</b></i></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Realization of the Day:</b></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">It's time to start putting those seed orders together!</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">My <a href="http://superseeds.com/"><u>Pinetree Garden Seeds catalog</u></a> arrived last week, and I've already marked everything I want to order. I showed extreme self control, if I do say so myself. Of course this is just the first catalog of the season.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Since tomatoes are technically a fruit, that means Swiss chard is my number one vegetable in the kitchen garden. I've said it before and will no doubt say it again: If could only grow two things, they would be tomatoes and Swiss chard.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Swiss chard is extremely heat tolerant and cold tolerant, incredibly versatile (it can do everything spinach does and more), and <b><a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2007/09/how-to-grow-swiss-chard-from-seed-why.html"><u>easy to grow from seed</u></a></b>. You can sow chard seeds directly in the garden or start them indoors, and it does exceptionally well when grown in containers.<br>
<br>
I grow Swiss chard year round in my unheated <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2006/03/looking-back-building-greenhouse.html"><u>greenhouse</u></a>, which gets as cold as 2°F in winter and heats up to 128° in summer. When it gets below freezing, I cover the plants with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26ref_%3Dnb_sb_noss%26field-keywords%3Dfloating%2520row%2520cover%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Dgarden&tag=farmgirlfare-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957"><u>floating row cover</u></a> and old bedsheets and blankets.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br>
<b><i>More below. . .</i></b></div><a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2011/11/wondering-what-to-do-with-swiss-chard.html#more"><b>Click here for the rest of this post »</b></a>Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.com13