GARDEN JOURNAL

Every Year I keep a journal of my Garden.  Sometimes it is an elaborate book filled with seed packets, the weather documented, how and when plants were harvest, etc. etc.

 This year, I glued an old painting that had a whole torn in it, onto a journal cover.

A piece of garden twine keeps the pages in.

Draw simple plans of the area so you have a record of what was planted, enabling you to keep track of crop rotation from year to year.

Make notes of the wonderful surprises you find.

Simple drawing, newspaper articles, seed packets. and pictures drawn by your children are easily glued onto a page.

Add pictures of crops you grew.  Record the planting date, how productive they were and make a note of any additional information that can help in the following years.

Keeping a garden journal and recording important information will help you have a better, more productive garden the following year!

Click here for a view of 2010 Journal

A walk around the yard

After a long morning of weeding the garden, I needed a break. 

 I wandered around the yard with my camera and snapped a few pictures.

All work (and a little play) around this place.

A fancy, old glass chandelier hanging in the GARDEN SHED

Beautiful beet leaves just the right size for a salad.

Rain caught in small copper cups from a Tea-set I had inadvertently left outside sitting in a tiny child's  metal shopping cart.

Happy Marigolds planted along the walk-way.

QUICK VEGE PICKLES

Gather a variety of veges from your garden.

I have beans, peas, carrots, radish pods, peas, broccoli, green tomatoes, and peppers.

Wash well.

Use the vinegar brine from purchased pickle jars, or your use your own favorite brine recipe. Simply add your vegetables and put in the refrigerator for several weeks.  To hurry the process along, add heated brine.  Keep refrigerated and use within a reasonable amount of time.

I haven't tried radishes before so I made a jar using this beautiful watermelon radish.

I generally eat these pickles after they have marinated in the fridge for 3 weeks.

VINTAGE TRAILER REMODEL

Take a look at what I have been up to this summer.  No wonder my garden is full of weeds.  Even though I enjoy pulling weeds, this project has been more fun.

Sold a few of my antiques to buy this antique.  Look at those classic lines!!!

The old door has been repaired several times, but it adds character.

It came with many dents and dings, but I guess we all have a few of those don't we.

Woops, I wonder who was driving when this happened? (it wasn't us) We will be adding new skin to several places and replacing the entire underbelly.  It will take some work, but the end result will be amazing!

Spent several days gutting out the interior.

We took it on our yearly river trip to Wyoming.  We certainly had a lot of fingers pointed and people laughing, but they just couldn't imagine what it looked like on the inside.  I think I will put a sign on the back that says,

I MAY BE UGLY 

ON THE OUTSIDE, 

BUT I AM BEAUTIFUL

ON THE INSIDE!

SEE MORE PICTURES OF THE TRANSFORMATION HERE

Veges I will have at Market/CSA deliveries

Been busier than a hill of ants around here.  Up and down the road.  Running around like a chicken with.......well to be politically correct, I guess I shouldn't finish that cliche.  I promised pictures of the garden when I got the weeding caught up....... that's not going to happen so I just snapped a few pictures anyway.  Here is a list of the items in the CSA delivery and what I will have at market this week.

CSA

tomatoes

broccoli

peppers

zucchini

patty pan

yellow gold

peas, sugar snap and shell

beans, green, yellow wax and purple

rhubarb

onions

garlic

chard

lettuce, red, mesclum mix

arugula

kale

cabbage, green, purple

carrots in all colors

beets, cylinder, red, choiggia, golden

strawberries

I still have a few shares available.  Please contact me at market if interested.

Will have beans available, but the potatoes will be a few weeks yet.

RUNNING AWAY

Remember when you were little and you would "run away" from home, but as soon as you got hungry, cold, and night set in, you could be found back in your own bed?  Well, hubby and I ran away for a couple of weeks.  As adults we call this a vacation, but I hang on to my childish notion of running away.  That is why I guess ANDREW HENRY'S MEADOW  has always been my favorite  book.  I look for it in every second-hand store I enter.  I have been collecting enough of the first edition copies to give to each of my children so that their children will know the proper way to
" run away. "

Stopping in junk stores and flea markets along the route is my idea of a great vacation.  We stopped in a little thrift store somewhere in Colorado, I don't remember what town we were in.  As we were checking out I suddenly realized I had not looked through the children's books.  I took the change from our purchase and quickly found the book aisle while my
 husband went out to the car to wait.

 As I rounded the corner my eye caught a glimpse of a bright green cover.
 Could it be?

AND TO THINK I ALMOST WALKED OUT OF THE STORE!!!!!

I hid it under the other books purchased and said to my husband as I climbed into the vehicle.  "Guess what I found."  He replied, "ANDREW HENRY'S MEADOW".
"How did you know?" I asked.
"By the grin on your face".  He replied.
Yep, needless to say it made my day-----week!!!!

I also found another copy of
Barbara Kingsolver's   ANIMAL, VEGETABLE, MIRACLE
My dog-eared copy of this book is down at the farm.  Now I have one in both locations.
see what other unique things I found along the way.

A WEEK OR TWO OF WANDERING

I also found this book about Georgia O'Keefe, an artist I have always admired.  I read it aloud as we traveled along.  We even made a loop out of the way to drive by her house in New Mexico.  Hopefully next trip down I will be able to catch a tour.  I was unaware that you must schedule ahead of time through the museum in Santa Fe, and only a hand full of people are allowed to participate at a time.  Make reservations before you go!

When we got home the gardens were completely over run with weeds.  The water timers had worked great and kept everything alive!  As soon as I find the plants I will post pictures.

ALL VEGES are grown by CRICKET SONG FARM

My booth August of 2011

(photo used by permission)

Just to let you know, ALL the produce we take to market is grown by us and governed by our own HIGH standards. 

This year is a bit scrambled, I will be attend the Market closest to where I am at..... at the moment.  For instance if I am down at the farm and pick on a Friday, I will hit the Friday night and Saturday Markets on my way back up north.  Look for me at the Provo Park or at the Town Center in Spanish Fork.  If I happen to stay at the farm for the Weekend you will find me at Cedar City in the IFA parking lot.  And of course when I am in Roosevelt look for me at the City Park.

Sorry, it is a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack!

Summer CSA deliveries in Roosevelt will begin in mid July. 

Farm to Fork Restaurant

In Taos New Mexico just as you are coming into town is a quaint little restaurant featuring organically grown farm produce.  They also source products from 20 other local farmers.  Of course we had to stop in for breakfast.  It was delicious. Organic egg frittata filled with fresh vegetables, new potatoes, bacon and a yummy sauce all provided by fellow farmers just down the road. I tip my Farmer's Hat to you, it was a great dining experience!  

After breakfast we went for a stroll through the whimsical yard and beautiful garden

No chemicals or sprays used here, just good old fashioned pulling weeds by hand.

If you are ever in the area be sure to stop in for a bite.  They also have a wide variety of baked goods.  

RHUBARB HARVEST

Whew, I harvested 3 large piles of Rhubarb on my last trip to the farm.  Ended up with 60 pounds!  Called my sister to see if she wanted to take it to market, but she was was way up in a tree harvesting cherries.  She had to get them picked that evening and didn't have time to make the trip up to get the rhubarb.

 I hauled 3 big bins full back up with me and cut and bagged the Rhubarb putting 10, one gallon sized bags in the freezer.  I will be making jam, lots of jam, pies, etc. later.  Rhubarb freezes extremely well, just cut in about 1 inch chunks, bag in a heavy duty freezer bag and remove as much air as possible before freezing.

There are many good recipes for making rhubarb jam mixed with all kinds of different fruit and ingredients on the Internet.  I do however, want to share one of our families favorite ways to use rhubarb.

Hot Rhubarb Compote

Simply chop rhubarb into small chunks and put in a sauce pan.  Add sugar to taste and a little water....not to much.  Cook until Rhubarb has softened, and has a thick consistency, drizzle over a good french vanilla ice cream.  YUM!

This is also great over pancakes or waffles.

MORE FAMILY FAVORITE RHUBARB RECIPES

Just a reminder as Farmer's are hauling their produce to Market.  Please support your

local growers! 

 Some markets allow farmers or middle-men to bring in produce from other states, or from the far reaches of the corner of your state, traveling over 400 miles one way!   When you support your local growers, monies spent stay in your area or community supporting local businesses and those around you. Support your small local growers so they can continue to grow you the freshest, most nutrient dense fruits and veges available.  A product picked just hours or minutes before market still has all the vitamins and minerals your body needs.

So be good to yourself and your community!

BUY LOCAL !!!!!

Italian Spinach and Parmesan Cheese Balls

I hope every one's garden is producing an abundance of Spinach.  This recipe for spinach balls is delicious served over spinach noodles and covered in home-made Alfredo sauce.

Or  fill a 9x13 baking dish with the boiled Spinach balls, cover with tomato or pasta sauce and grated Parmesan  cheese.  Bake for 30 mins.

Chop several large bundles of spinach into bite size pieces.  Saute in a hot skillet with splash of olive oil.  Saute until wilted but not soggy.  Remove from skillet and have chopped mushrooms and onions ready to put into the hot skillet. ( Can be made with or without these )

In a large mixing bowl combine wilted Spinach, 2 eggs beaten, 1/2 c. Italian Bread Crumbs, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan and 1/2 Ramono cheese, 2 Tbs. olive oil or butter.
  Add sauteed mushrooms and onions.

It should be the consistency as pictured above. (will hold it's shape)  if not add more bread crumbs
 or a bit of flour to thicken.

Drop by large spoon fulls into a bowl containing flour and roll it around coating well.  Set on parchment paper placed on a large baking sheet.  Refrigerate for 20 or so minutes while you are waiting for a large pot of water to boil.  Drop several at a time into boiling water.  When they float to the top remove and drain.  To finish cooking, place in a lightly greased baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with grated Parmesan Cheese.  Put under the broiler until toasty golden brown turn and brown both sides.

Sorry didn't take a picture of the finished ones.  Just a word of advice, even though you may feed your family home-grown food from the garden and backyard, it certainly doesn't mean your children's friends will appreciate your efforts or this recipe.  That is except one of my teenage son's friend.  After happily consuming a large number of home-made goat cheese and chopped sage stuffed, battered and fried zucchini blossoms, several cucumbers and a couple of  Delicious Heirloom Tomatoes he exclaimed, "Boy you guy's certainly do eat weird, but it sure does taste good!"

Try these they are delicious!

kALE

Kale comes in many varieties.  Pictured above is red kale, my personal favorite.  I grow several varieties each year,  Russian Red, Blue Dwarf, Curly, and Lacinato.  I haven't tried the Dinosaur variety yet.

Lacinato

Kale is a power house food.  I prefer to eat it raw, but if you slightly steam it or stir fry it the nutritional value is not compromised.  Boiling it however will weaken the nutritional value.  Kale is high in anti-oxidants, vitamins A, K, C, Calcium, and iron.  It has powerful anti-inflammatory  and detox benefits also.  High in fiber and tastes great on sandwiches.

MORE INFO ABOUT KALE

HOW TO MAKE KALE CHIPS

AND OTHER RECIPES

Heirloom Beets

Beets are easy to grow.  Plant your seeds about 3 inches apart for best results.  A beet seed is often referred to as a flower seed because 3 or more beets can grow from a single seed.  As the beets mature, carefully harvest the largest beet from the group and let the smaller ones continue to mature.  Keep harvesting  using this method until there is a single beet left and allow it to grow until the end of the season.  I leave several of the biggest beets in the ground to winter over (hoping the gophers don't find them) and collect the seed from them the following year. 

I particularly like to grow the Heirloom beet  "Cylindra".  This beet grows long roots that are just the right size for slicing to make pickled beets.  They are tasty in a fresh beet salad and the deep dark purple color makes a nice dye for hand spun yarn.

The Heirloom "Chioggia"  is an interesting beet to grow.  It has rings inside.  The taste in my opinion is not quite as earthy as the other beets I grow.  I do not like it quite as well, but it's unique colors make it a ,must in my garden!

The good ole stand by "Detroit Red"  produces  extremely well.  But my all time favorite is "Golden".  This beet does not preform as well as the other beets.  It takes a little more care, and make sure to keep the seeds moist after planting.  The germination rate is not quite as high as other beets.  The amazing taste is why I fuss over this beet.  It has the wonderful "earthy" taste of other beets, but I find is has a sweetness to it that puts it on the top of my list.

 My favorite is the "Golden Beet"

starting at far left:  Cilantro,  Bull's Blood Beets and Clyindra Beets

I intentionally plant my beets very thickly.  The greens (tops) are harvested  for market all through the summer.  In mid summer I begin picking through them and harvest the beets that are "baby beet" size. 

 Cutting the tops off the beets does not inhibit their growth because they quickly send up new leaves.  If you are growing for greens specifically, the Bull's Blood Beet and the Chioggia are good choices, but any beet variety will give you a good harvest of greens.  As the summer progresses I continue to harvest the beets as they mature.  By late summer I have thinned them out sufficiently for the roots to mature into a large beet.  I love baby beets with the greens intact, simmered until soft.  Eaten with a pat of butter and a splash of vinegar.  Try them roasted along with baby carrots and new potatoes.

More Info here: 

I has been a while since I posted.  Been busier  than a hive of bees around here.  Hope everyone is getting their gardens in and that all your efforts will be rewarded with a big, bountiful harvest!