Sausage Pilaf and Roasted Root

This meal just evolved out of combining whatever was on hand...  but it turned out to be a super-tasty way to use some seasonal veggies from my Papa Spuds (see TIP below) box this week!  My roommate came back from his Grandma's house this Christmas with enough pork products from her farm to fill our freezer.  This week, he had thawed out a package of seasoned pork sausage, and I made use of it in the dish below.  Not to mention the Matson maple syrup mmmm....

Recipe:

-5 c chopped winter root vegetables (sweet potatoes, turnips, rutabegas, carrots, etc.)

-1 large onion, chopped

-1-inch piece ginger, minced

-1/4 c (Matson) maple syrup

-olive oil

-1/4 lb seasoned sausage

-2-3 cups of cooked mixed whole grains (like the mix below, whole wheat berries, barley, steel-cut oats, brown rice, millet or whatever you have on hand)

-1 large bunch kale, rinsed and chopped

->Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Mix chopped veggies and onions with ginger, syrup, oil, and ginger and season with salt and pepper.  Spread in a single layer on a roasting pan.  Roast for about 20-30 minutes until fork tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally.  

Meanwhile, brown the sausage in a pan over medium heat.  

Saute the mixed whole grains.  Add chopped kale turn off heat, cover and set aside to let wilt.  Stir before serving.  

 
~*TIP:  If getting to the farmer's market doesn't always fit into your schedule each week or if you just don't have one close by, consider signing up for Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).  It's like the vegetable version of Christmas each week.  You can find more information and a great nation-wide map of markets and CSAs here.  Or, in the triangle area, another option, especially if you're just getting started with trying to purchase locally, is Papa Spuds, which will deliver local and organic produce, dairy, meat, and other treats to your door.  The only drawback is there's also a lot of non-local products on there (sometimes even when they're in season here), so shop carefully.*~

Whole Grain Yogurt

Time to make a brief foray into recipes again for the moment...  We'll get back to seedlings soon enough.  My roommate introduced me to the idea of whole grain yogurt.  Apparently it was a favorite of hers when she lived in London, where you could get it at the supermarket.  I decided to try to make my own the other day, and I think it will become a staple in my diet from now on!  The nutty, chewy grains are a welcome new twist on the idea granola.  Try it out with whatever whole grains you have on hand.  

Recipe: 

-Whole grains (mix and match; I used whole wheat berries, barley, steel-cut oats, brown rice, and millet)

-Honey

-Spices (such as nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger)

-Fresh fruit (this varies seasonally, but I love it with apples right now)

->  Combine equal amounts of all whole grains in a large sauce pot.  Add twice as much water as you have grains (like you would cook rice).  Add honey and spices to taste.  Bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and cook approximately 30 minutes or until all water is absorbed *trying not to peek*!  Remove from heat and allow to set about 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork.  

Add warm grains to fresh yogurt.  Add fresh fruit as desired.  Enjoy!

~*TIP:  If you want to try to make your own yogurt, follow these simple instructions:  Scald a half-gallon of milk (at least 2% milk fat) mixed with about 1/4 cup dry milk powder on stove to about 180 degrees F.  Pour into a ceramic container (an unplugged crock pot will work) and let cool covered until temperature falls to 110-115 degrees F.  Stir some of the warm milk into about 1/2 cup of yogurt.  Pour yogurt-milk mix back into the rest of the milk.  Cover and then wrap in a blanket.  Let sit about 8 hours.  When you unwrap it, you'll have yogurt!*~

The seedling factory...

I think I have been more systematic about my seed starting this spring than ever before, and so far, it's paying off.  Using lessons learned from many past failed attempts and new tips and ideas from my winter reading, I've set up a pretty serious seed-starting operation.  Not to mention, due to an absent roommate, we have an extra room this spring with an ideal south-facing window that I've taken the liberty of transforming into my own quasi-greenhouse.

Here's an overview of the steps I've taken (as mentioned in the previous post, with every step for every variety documented in the gardening journal).

• Presprouting:  Presprouting your seeds before planting them has a few advantages over just planting directly in the soil.  (1) You can quickly see which seeds are viable, and avoid the effort and space involved with planting any seeds that will not sprout.  (2) Presprouting moves the germination forward a few days faster, with seeds generally germinating within a couple of days of planting after presprouting.  So, how to?  This year, I've been trying a new method.  As pictured to the right, for this method you want to wet a paper napkin (about as wet as a damp sponge), put it on the bottom of a clear plastic container, sprinkle your seeds on it, and then seal.  When you see your seeds sprouting, it's time to plant!  Very convenient and a great way to reuse those pesky plastic containers before recycling them.*  

*With most bigger seeds, presprouting is a great option, but very small seeds (like thyme, for example) are much too delicate to presprout and get into the soil without damaging them.  

•  The Germinator:  This is both the name of the organic seedstarting soil I've used this year as well as what I like to call the domed structure to the right.  It's important to use sterile soil, so either buy special seedstarting mix or make your own, just be sure to sterilize it in the microwave or oven.  Plant your sprouted seeds in the seedstarting mix and cover with about as much soil as the diameter of your seed. Keep your soil very moist until the seedling emerges.  I like to use the plastic dome method to the right for this part, but as soon as the seedlings are up (as pictured below), I take them out of this environment which is much too damp and lacking in air circulation to keep seedlings healthy.  

• Under the Lights:  Once seedlings are up, I move them under the lights (pictured to the right)...  My low-cost and low-consumption alternative to purchasing new grow lights is to purchase a few used desk lamps at local thrift stores and outfit them with CFL light bulbs.  These lamps, surrounded with mirrors and aluminum pans to reflect the light and in front of a bright, south-facing window, provide enough light to keep my seedlings from getting spindly.  I also keep a fan blowing low on them from a couple of feet away in order to increase air circulation (decreasing risk of disease and dampening off), to strengthen stems, and to get them more hardy and ready for the chilly early spring outdoors.  I keep lights just a couple of inches above the seedlings, readjusting as they grow, and rotate seedlings regularly to keep them from leaning too far in one direction toward the light.  The seedlings are watered daily, keeping them as moist as a wrung-out sponge, with just water, as fertilizer might "burn" them at this early stage of life.  You can see a sampling of what's growing so far below.  

• Indoor Transplanting:  Between when the seedlings have produced their first true leaves (beyond the cotyledons they produce when they first emerge) and their second set of true leaves, it's time to transplant them to a bigger container with more fertile soil (see to the right).  For this purpose, I like to reuse disposable cups, collecting them from friends that may have forgotten their travel mug for their morning java.  ;)  I punch a few holes in the bottom, and fill with a mix of worm compost and potting soil (about 1/3 worm compost).  Then, gently untangle seedlings, putting each in its own new, upsized home.  From there, I start fertilizing every other watering with diluted worm tea (about 1/4 cup to 5 gallons water).  They stay under the lights for a while yet before heading outside, but the youngest seedlings get to hog most of the light.  

Next up: Making our way outdoors...  to the cold frame!

Seeds! Where to start?

Just a quick note on where to get seeds before we jump into my efforts at seed starting.  With the many stores, websites, and seed catalogs out there, it's easy to get overwhelmed with where to go for your seeds and what varieties to choose.  Below are a few key things to consider when purchasing seeds as well as a few of my favorite places to get them...

1. Plant for Flavor and Beauty.  Plant things you will actually eat.  It's also a bonus if they'll add some nice color or texture to your beds (especially if your garden is on the curb, like mine).  But don't let this stop you from experimenting with things you've never tried before.  
2. Plant Heirloom.  Try heirloom varieties!  This helps to maintain biodiversity by keeping many forgotten strains of fruits and vegetables growing in our gardens, avoiding the dangers of monocropping.  It's also really fun!  Experimenting with the many beautiful and sometimes strange varieties out there definitely beats the usual same-old, same-old at the supermarket. I love Seed Savers.  Getting their catalog (see pic to the right) each spring is like getting the toy catalog before Christmas when I was little.  
3. Plant Regional.  Consider planting varieties that are known to do well in your region.  See previous post on books that will help with this.  If I hadn't done this, this Ohio girl may never have discovered okra...  so sad!
4. Plant local.  Bypass the big box stores for a local garden center.  This will not only better support your local economy, but also, they will be able to provide a lot more advice and assistance on what to plant in your area and when to do it.  My favorite in this area for all of you in the triangle is Logan's Trading Co.  

Planning and Journaling

Every gardening book I've read has recommended starting a gardening journal.  I finally did this past year, and I think it makes a big difference in my approach to the garden.  I have a place to compile all of that valuable information I read in gardening books and magazines.  I am much more conscious of my planning efforts. When things go poorly, I have peace of mind in knowing that I'll write down what not to do for next year to avoid making the same mistake twice.  That's not to say I am always the best at keeping up on my notes throughout the year, but I'm definitely improving.

Here's an overview of what I keep in my notebook:

• Notes:  These include notes on what I am doing and what I plan to do.  Don't pay attention to my impeccable handwriting here...  I try to keep my bright ideas all in one place...  as well as any notes on what/when I plant, harvest, diseases or pests that arrive, etc.  I also am sure to make very clear notes to myself for next year about what I should do differently.  In the back half of the journal, I keep more general notes from books and magazines about what I should be doing.  

•  Garden Diagrams:  I drew this incredibly spatially accurate map (right...) of my garden and yard in the front.  I retrace it to make maps of water flows, where and when the sun shines, and (most importantly) what I plant where each season.  This helps me to avoid planting the same family of crops in the same place year after year...  and it helps me plan where things will go.  

•  Planting Schedules:  These look a little different each season.  Sometimes they are organized enough to take the form of a spreadsheet, but other times they barely get scribbled in a margin somewhere.  My most recent spring planting spreadsheet has the name of the seed variety, the brand, when I bought it, when I presprouted it, when it germinated, when it was transplanted, and notes on what should/shouldn't be done again next year.  

That's about it!  I keep a combination of electronic and written formats, but often print off the electronic and staple them into my journal.  Any format works.  The most important thing is finding a method that makes it easy for you to keep up with it.

My favorite part of keeping the journal is that I can start "gardening" long before I can get outside to plant a thing!

Now that all my plans are made, I can begin seed starting...  my favorite part of the year.

Winter Reading

Once the garden gets going in the spring and summer, it's hard to find time to read about gardening...  but when the winter cold has you trapped inside with no green in sight, that's when I find myself pouring over the gardening books dreaming of spring.  

So what have I been reading this winter to prepare for the spring?  Check out a couple of old standbys below and one new fun addition:  

Old Standbys:  *

• Month-by-Month Gardening in the Carolinas:  This reference has been very helpful to me as an Ohio native attempting to learn when to do what in my exploits as a now southern gardener.  It offers overviews of what you should be doing each month, dividing it between all types of gardening (i.e. vegetables, annuals, bulbs, lawn, shrubs, etc), but I pretty much only use the section on vegetables.  I like to keep a sticky note in the month I'm in at all times for a quick reference...  it helps me not to get ahead of myself or fall behind, my two biggest gardening struggles.  
• Guide to North Carolina Vegetable Gardening:  This reference gives a general overview of most common vegetables to grow in NC, with recommendations for varieties that do well in my area as well as recommended planting times and common pests/diseases for this region.  I like to cross-reference planting directions on seed packets with what it says here.  I think you can get this book and the one above for just about any state/region.  I got the Georgia versions of both as a gift for my brother in Atlanta.  

*  One drawback on both of these is that they are written more from a conventional (rather than organic) gardening perspective.  I use them as a guide to the region, but forgo their advice when it comes to things like soil building, fertilizing and pest control.


Favorite New Addition:

• The Urban Homestead:  Derek got me this for Christmas, and I love it!  It goes way beyond just gardening, discussing everything from homemade cleaners to sourdough bread...  all geared toward making your lifestyle more self-sustainable and sustainable in general.  I love the parts on gardening and find it a refreshing innovative approach to a lot of common tasks.  

So how dos we transition from all of this information gathering to action?  Next up are planning and journaling...

Spring is Coming!

It's been a while since my last post.  The holiday fervor took over where the garden left off!  But, I am getting ready again now for another spring.  Let's catch up!

Last fall, I was a little behind on getting my fall crops started, and the winter weather was a little ahead of schedule for North Carolina.  In short, my grand ideas for my fall garden never came to fruition.  The garden was never empty, but it wasn't exactly teeming with life.  A few mums, peas, beats, and Brussel sprouts were planted, and a few summer crops lingered on...  but little came of either.

On to the next season!

Over winter break, I've started getting ready for my spring garden, and the disappointment of fall is turning into excitement and a fierce resolve for spring!  How, you may ask, could I possibly be preparing for a spring garden when snow seems to have covered the ground here more often than not over the past month?  Over the next week, I'll outline the following things that have all been a part of my spring preparation...

• Gardening Books - review old favorites and seek out new and innovative new reads.  Compile the most useful and pertinent information.  
• Gardening Journal - catch up on anything that should have been noted in the fall, and start your scheduling and planning for this spring.  
• Seed Starting - start your spring crops early indoors! 

Let's get started.