It's Not Uncanny

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, there really is a National Mason Jar Day. And you can learn all about this amazing invention that is one of the gardener's best friends here.

Watch This Space

To Thanksgiving And Beyond

Yes, I still have a precious few tomatoes wrapped in newspaper, ripening in a brown paper bag in a cool, dark, dry place in the garage. Would that I had enough to last through the entire winter. Alas, that is not the case.

Yeah! It's National Cake Day!

What better way to celebrate a day dedicated to one of America's favorite desserts than to use some of those green tomatoes that remain in the garden that won't ripen on the vine before the first heavy frost arrives? This recipe makes a moist, spicy cake that most will enjoy. You may sprinkle the finished cake with confectioners' sugar or a nice dollop of vanilla fat free yogurt. And it can be made with or without the nuts, either way its very tasty.

 

Preparation time: 25 min.

Baking time: 45 min.

 

Ingredients

4 cups chopped green tomatoes
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup light stick margarine
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1-Place chopped tomatoes in a bowl and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt. Let stand 10 minutes. Place in a colander, rinse with cold water and drain. 

2-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan. 

3-Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat until creamy. 

4-Sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add raisins and nuts to dry mixture; add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Dough will be very stiff. Mix well. 

5-Add drained tomatoes and mix well. Pour into the prepared 9 x 13 inch pan. 

6-Bake for 40 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.

7-Now gather about two dozen of your favorite people together to help celebrate the day and enjoy your cake!

Never Have I Ever: Garden Edition

Leaf Storage Made E-Z

As Nature's red, brown and gold falls to the ground, don't forget to gather up plenty of it for use as compost. And when it comes to storing and handling leaves the best thing that you can do is to shred them first! Shredding the leaves will make them much easier to handle, allow you to store them in a smaller amount of space, and will also speed up the decomposition process when the leaves are applied to the garden or used in making compost.

Once shredded the possibilities for storing your organic leafy matter are almost endless and will vary depending on your situation. Dried leaves can be bagged or placed in large containers for storage over the winter without the worry of them blowing away, just take care that you don’t create a combustible hazard if the leaves heat up in storage.

Another simple alternative is to incorporate the shredded leaves right into the garden beds with a garden fork or tiller during the fall months. Or mulch vacant beds with a thick layer of leaves that can be removed or tilled under in the spring. You can also insulate your garlic beds and other fall vegetables that are being over-wintered with a blanket of shredded leaves.

Get Your Mind Into The Gutter

If you don't have the space for a garden plot, you might want to consider going vertical with a hanging gutter garden.

Seedy Humor

Happy Discovery of Puerto Rico Day!

The date on which Puerto Rico was discovered, November 19, is celebrated as a national holiday. Discovery of Puerto Rico Day, or Día del Descubrimiento de Puerto Rico in Spanish, is celebrated with all schools and public offices being closed. A huge parade is organized annually on November 19 to celebrate the occasion.

We All Need A Walk On The Wild Side

If you know someone who you want to say "take a hike" to, this would be the day to do it!

Fast Food

While today is National Fast Food Day, when it comes to gardeners, fast food doesn't have the same meaning as it might for others. After all, what could be faster than getting your food fresh from containers located on your window sill and patio or from the garden only a few steps from your door?

Of course, there are those who would argue that it takes time to produce all of that produce. So it's not really fast at all. However, the meat, fish and veggies used in the production of  meals for fast food restaurants doesn't just appear in an instant from out of nowhere. So all things being equal, gardeners are quite justified in calling what they eat fast food. It's all in how you look at things, isn't it?

Coming Around Again

Gardeners certainly don't need to be reminded of recycling by a special day. After all, we see recycling, repurposing and upcycling around us on a daily basis. The discarded storage totes we've made into planters, the two liter bottles that have been converted into long term automatic watering devices, the old water hose that now serves as a neat border and a host of other things constantly remind us that we live in a country of abundance where there is more than enough of just about anything that can be used to make life better and reduce the size of landfills.

As stewards of the land we are acutely aware of the effect our choices have on the environment and are always seeking to make the best choices for sustainable living. For us the the old adage, "Waste not. Want not." is not an outdated idea but a way of life. And we encourage others, whether they be gardeners or not, to celebrate and practice recycling not just in America, but around the world 24/7, every day of the year.

If You're In A Pickle, Then This Is Your Day!

Yes, it's National Pickle Day. And for those of us who garden, we know that pickling is one of the tried and true ways we can make our harvest last all year long. There is almost no limit to what you can pickle. But here are a few general rules to follow:

1. Always start with clean, sterilized mason jars! Don’t skimp…they are fairly cheap and you can reuse the jars several times.

2. New canning lids …never reuse old seals or ones that have been used before. never! You can reuse the screw lid tops but, what the heck..just keep with new ones and make a wind chime or something with the old ones:)

3. For best results, make sure that whatever you are pickling is at its peak of ripeness and freshness.

4. Use 5% vinegar distilled vinegar or apple cider vinegar…if you're like me sometimes I will use a combination of both of these vinegars.  The key here is to look at the labels on the vinegar to make sure you have a 5% acidity rate.  Vinegar along with the salt is what preserves your pickles and keeps them from spoiling. So very important…to get the right stuff!

I'll Take Several Dozen Of These

When Buildings Go Green In Barcelona, They Don't Do It Halfway!

For some reason, I don't think anyone would mind me having a garden on my balcony in this building.

An Autumn Thought

If Only

I'd love to have a garden full of these. They are known as Swaddled Babies Orchids and are native to the Andes Mountains in South America.

The Year Of The Cabbage

Nine pots, eight harvests. From soup to casserole. From coleslaw to kapusta. It's been a very, merry cabbage year. Let's do it again sometime soon.

Each type of cabbage has its own unique flavor and nutrient profile, but all contain the cancer-fighting glucosinolates and good levels of vitamin C and K.

1. Green Cabbage

This is the most common variety. Pale in color and with tight leaves, it is great for slaws, salads and stir-fries.
Varieties include: Grenadier, Charmant, and January King.

2. Savoy (Curly Cabbage)

Savoy cabbage has looser, crinkled leaves. It is a great addition to your regular green salad, or as the wrapping for a raw burrito.
Varieties: Salarite, Savonarch, Promasa and Wivoy.

3. Napa (Chinese Cabbage)

This popular variety has light green, narrow, crinkled leaves. The leaves are more delicate than those of its green cousin, so they cook much more quickly. It is delicious in salads, curries or just very lightly steamed.

4. Bok Choy

Bok Choy has dark green leaves and white stems and a much different shape than the cabbage you may be used to. Wonderful both raw and cooked, the stems have a sweet flavor when fresh. Other varities: Michihli, Pe-Tsai, Tai-sai, Lei-choi and Pakchoi.

5. Red Cabbage

If I had named this group, I probably would have called them purple rather than red, but don’t let the color deter you. You can use red cabbage in pretty much the same way as the common green variety, and it has a higher lever of protective phytonutrients then its green counterpart. Other varieties of red cabbage: Meteor, Red Rodan, Ruby Ball and Scarlet O’Hara.

Near At Hand

Fall colors just a hop, skip and a jump down the street.

One Of Many Autumn Views In Our Fair City

Freeze Dried Tomatoes

This is what happened when I left some container cherry tomatoes in the refrigerator for an entire winter.

And this is what happened when I planted some of them.

My $Free.99 'Coldframe'

Hey! Hey! Hey! It's National Sandwich Day!

The sandwich was popularized by John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, in the 18th century. He liked to be served a little beef between a couple slices of bread while playing cards, and friends would ask to be served "the same as Sandwich".

Take some time to ponder all the things that can be grown in a garden from which a sandwich can be made. This may be best done when eating your favorite sandwich.

How Devilish Can You Get?

You would think that National Deviled Egg Day would occur on Halloween. But nooooooooooooo! I guess the egg producers wanted a day with no other distractions. Although, placing it on the second of November definitely puts it within shouting distance of All Hallows Eve.

There are many ways to dress up the ordinary nature of eggs and make them devilish. And when one thinks of the devil, the thought of fire most certainly comes to mind. So here is a recipe that uses two garden products that are easily grown in pots(indoors or outside) or in the ground to bring some heat to your delectable,  devilish delights.

Jalapeno Deviled Eggs Recipe

6 large hard-boiled eggs, cooled and peeled
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons fresh, chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon white vinegar
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1 fresh sliced jalapeno pepper, for garnish

Halve the eggs lengthwise.  Carefully remove yolks and place in a small bowl; mash yolks with the back of a fork.  Add jalapeno pepper, mayonnaise, cilantro, mustard, pickled jalapeno juice and cayenne pepper.  Season to taste with salt and black pepper.  Spoon mixture into hollowed out egg whites.  Garnish with fresh jalapeno slices.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.  Serves 6.

The Wisdom Of Martin Luther