OG's Test Gardeners

High Anxiety Tomatoes

Hi All, Leslie in Las Vegas here.

Bill has waited all winter and the moment has almost arrived.  For Bill, anticipation is not part of the enjoyment of eating tomatoes.  He suffers greatly while the plants grow a little everyday.  Just like the kids asking, "Are we almost there?" Bill asks, "When do you think they will be ready to pick?"

I think we can start to eat them the second week in July. I transplanted these Hawaiian Tropic tomatoes on May 7th this year, a little later than usual. But no worries - this is a very heat tolerant variety that stands up to our sizzling desert

Herbs

I asked the Test Gardeners to share their tips, techniques and recipes for growing herbs. Here's what they have to say:

Don: I have all kinds of herbs integrated into my yard's landscape, and we have herbs at Urban Ministry, too. Most are toughies that manage to look very charming.

One key to growing herbs in the Southeast is good drainage. Pay careful attention to that when preparing an herb bed or area. Also, don't over apply compost or manure, or overly enrich the soil, either (although basil and garlic do fine as a 'regular' crop in rotation the veggie beds - I intercrop tomatoes with basils, as many gardeners do).

Most I grow as perennials. Thymes are favorite of mine (there are dozens), and make fine edible ground covers. Oreganos and lemon balm are almost weedy in their persistence and ability to spread, but they do keep things green, and are good for recipes. Rosemary, given good drainage, can thrive here, too. Every garden needs some, just so you can brush against it and smell that scent.

Annual herbs include all the 60 million basils out there. I find the best tasting are the broad leaf, old fashioned, plain green, Italian types. I also have a real liking for anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum). It works best for me grown as an annual, though it self- seeds readily enough.

Here, parsley is a two-fer plant. I grow it to have the leaves, but also to attract black swallowtail butterflies and their beautiful larva. They eat all the leaves on a plant or two, but it is worth it.

I grow peppermint, spearmint, etc in big pots, when I can - that way, they don't invade everything, and I can keep them moist.

My favorite recipes with herbs are based on growing them just outside the front door, where I can literally walk out and cut them as needed right when I need them. Tossing a handful of chopped leaves of thyme, summer savory and basil right into a simple French vinegrette can turn a simple salad into a masterpiece.

A simple vinegrette is a 1/2 c high quality olive oil; 2 T high quality vinegar, 1 or 2 Ts water, salt and pepper to taste, T Dijon mustard (prepared). Whisk it all together. Then add about 2 T to 4T well chopped diverse herbs fresh from your garden. Enjoy! (I also like to squeeze 1/2 clove of garlic and mist that in).

Interesting factoid - cellantro turns into coriander if you let it flower, set seed, and dry out.

Leslie: Herbs grow easily in Las Vegas - in fact, I can't think of one that that requires any special care.  I encourage herb growing as they attract the pollinators to the garden - butterflies, bees, etc.

Rosemary and common sage are my 2 most useful herbs, not only for flavoring a recipe, but also for lovely and maintenance free landscape plants. Hardly a week goes by without using sage to flavor a poultry recipe, or rosemary to flavor lamb.  We are also huge consumers of garlic and parsley for almost every meal, and peppermint for mint sauce and jelly.

Rosemary Encrusted Leg of Lamb

I coarsely crush dried rosemary needles with a mortar and pestle and use them to encrust a leg of lamb for roasting.  Rinse the leg with water and get it good and wet.  Then pierce the flesh to the bone and stuff in a clove of garlic in every square inch. Rub the leg with salt, pepper and olive oil - be careful, it will be slippery and want to scoot across the floor.  Then press copious amounts of crushed rosemary to the entire surface until it is unrecognizable as meat.  In the desert we roast in a slow oven, or bbq grill (lid closed), with a large pan of water on the rack, this helps to retain the moisture in the oven and in the meat.  I always use a meat thermometer.  Make a simple gravy from the juices and serve with red potatoes and parsely butter, chunks of fresh fruits and a green veggie like grilled string beans.

Basil is my most useful summer herb, we always serve it with tomatoes as a basil pesto or just a few leaves - sometimes both.  Lunch anyone?

 
Bill: I don't grow many herbs, but last year tried zaatar. Don't know if it's a variety of marjoram or actually a different plant. Hardy stuff. I transplanted it mid-bed between two areas of cucumbers where it did well last summer. Dug it out and transplanted it again this spring when I worked up the bed. Haven't really cooked with it much.

My regular in summer is Genovese basil. I have erratic results sowing it directly in the garden so started some in the greenhouse this year. It transplanted very well. I've also had good luck this spring with plantings that were direct sown.

Supposedly a friend of tomatoes, I plant it between varieties and/or at the ends of beds when I don't have enough tomato plants to fill the row.

My customers tell me it's the best for pesto. I don't do pesto often myself. Mostly I use it for bruschetta and crostini with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. Sometimes just the tomatoes and basil laid out nicely on a dish, topped with basil and dressed with good local olive oil and balsamic vinegar (or sushi vinegar, depending on my mood).  Lettuce and spinach can't cut it in our desert heat so our summer salads tend to be simple, mostly centered around fresh tomatoes, basil, & cucumbers.

The Earthbox Challenge

We like the Earthbox here at OG. Why? Because it works.
However … I like my gardens to be lovely as well as functional. Despite its admirable practicality, the Earthbox is not, by any measure, beautiful. So I issued a challenge to my handyman friend Dan. “Dan,” I said, “do something to make this green box attractive and it’s yours to keep.” Dan’s wife took one look at it and said, “It’s not going in MY garden.” Nevertheless, he took my Rodale Backyard Builder book for inspiration and got to work.
Two months later, Dan unloaded his masterpiece. “How long will you need it?” he asked. “My wife wants it back!” “I’ll return it as soon as we photograph it filled with pretty lettuces,” I replied. He scowled (but just a little … Dan’s a prince among men.)

In another week those lettuce plants will be gorgeous. Good thing, because they will have to make a plain green box look garden-worthy. Tomorrow, sadly, the beautiful Earthbox cap will be lifted from our Earthbox and transferred to Dan’s. So now I’m pondering my own version. Funky, weathered, and definitely blue. Mine will probably not meet Dan’s standards. Will yours?

Test Gardener Salad Recipes

Debbie's Fruit Jam Vinaigrette

Here’s a really easy dressing that a friend first came up with and that I now make quite regularly. I call it the 1-2-3 Fruit Jam Vinaigrette. In a jar, mix together 1 part homemade (or high quality commercial) organic fruit jam or preserves of most any type, 2 parts balsamic vinegar, and 3 parts olive oil. Shake vigorously and use with your favorite salads!

Don's Pomegranate Vinaigrette

When some of my early attempts at pomegranate jelly weren't quite right, I started using the syrup for Pomegranate Vinaigrette. Family members now expect it on special occasions, so I now put up about 24 pints each year of pomegranate syrup - just pom juice & sugar, no pectin needed.

 

Instead of Debbie's 1-2-3 using jam, I'd say I use 2-2-3 because I'm using syrup instead.  I don't really measure. (I have done it using jelly instead and it works just fine.)

 

I use rice vinegar for a little less acid. Also add salt, pepper, oregano and either granulated garlic or fresh crushed garlic.

 

In season, I'll toss in pomegranate pips as well.

Leslie's Easily Addictive Summer Salad

This is a good salad to serve with BBQ Pork.

Fresh Greens tossed with chopped celery, a couple of ripe chunks of cantaloupe and honeydew melons and topped with a few candied walnut halves and just two Marichino cherry halves for color. For a dressing; I blend to taste sour cream and sweetened whipping cream (not whipped), or add a little sugar into heavy cream, then drizzle it lightly over all - lightly, lightly, lightly.

Tufbell is back!

We fell in love with tufbell, a durable see-through rowcover that looks like plastic, acts like remay, and perseveres like polyester, a couple of years ago. We clipped it onto out irrigation-pipe hoops using clips like these from Territorial:

hooped, safe and sound

Then we just stood in the garden and admired our handiwork. The deer were flummoxed, the plants were free of little holes, and we were content.

 
and see-through too!

Then the unthinkable happened … tufbell disappeared from the market. For the next two years we guarded our tufbell edges from the mad mower guys by putting big rocks in strategic places (mower blades are the only known tufbell destroyers). Nevertheless, edges were frayed and our contentment waned. I located the manufacturer and the importer, and made a pest of myself. When is tufbell coming back? I asked. And asked.
At long last, it has reappeared, renamed DIO-betalon! The original company sold the machinery and technology to another company, which is making the material in three degrees of porosity. And it’s available from Peaceful Valley www.groworganic.com.
Mind you, we’re still using our original length … three years and counting.

If you have deer, or frost, or little caterpillars that make little holes, you will love this stuff!

Asparagus for all of us!

We asked the OG Test Gardeners what they do with asparagus and it turns out this bunch of talented gardens are pretty clever in the kitchen as well! Here are their recipes and tips:

Don Boekelheide
I like to make 'real' mayo and dip asparagus. I guess I shouldn't use raw egg, but I still do - from local chickens. I usually steam the asparagus lightly before the dipping - it's easier than braising or roasting.

• an egg yolk
• lemon juice (only about a teaspoon, I like lemon for dipping better than vinegar)
• dash salt
• about 1/2 - 3/4 cup oil at room temp - I like safflower or canola with a mild taste ("invisible"), walnut is good, if you use olive use a light one
• a scant Tspoon boiling water(a little in the microwave)
• (optional) 1/2 t or less prepared Dijon mustard

Small glass bowl (I like glass)
Wire wisk

Beat the yolk for a minute
Wisk in the lemon juice, salt and mustard, for a half minute
Keep whisking away while you dribble the oil into the mix until it thickens. Stop dribbling every few seconds, but keep beating
After it thickens, add more oil slowly, a T at a time
If it gets too think, squeeze in a little more lemon juice, then keep adding oil
Julia Child says add a tiny bit of boiling water at the end (<T) to help ensure that it doesn't separate. I sometimes bother, sometimes don't

Dip the asparagus (or anything else) in the mayo...mmmmmm

Leslie Doyle

Grilled Asparagus.
Mix up a salad dressing of Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil to taste - I usually blend 1 part of Balsamic Vinegar to about 4 parts of Olive Oil.

Brush the mixture on asparagus spears and place on the bar-b-que that is medium low heat.  Baste asparagus again, being careful of flare-ups from the fire and close the lid quickly to contain the smoke.  Fresh garden asparagus will be ready to turn in a couple of minutes, then baste again. Serve hot or cold as a side dish at your bar-b-que.

AND - as long as you have the grill going, add more veggies for a . . .

Cool Grilled Salad for a Hot Summer Night Feast:

Combine asparagus spears with shrimp and other basted and grilled veggies and serve on a bed of leafy greens such as; cherry tomatoes, hunks of sweet peppers, 1/4" thick slices of eggplant, bean or pea pods, pineapple chunks, small cipollini onions. Top off this healthy salad with a 1" square of feta cheese and drizzle the Balsamic and Olive Oil dressing over all.  Serve cold with a fresh baguette of French bread and ice cold sweet cream butter.

This is an entire meal at my house.  It can be prepared the day before and kept cold until guests are ready to eat.

Leslie Halleck
Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Drizzle

Ingredients:

2 lbs thin asparagus spears, trimmed

cooking spray

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons butter (must use real butter)

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

 

Directions:

 Preheat oven to 400.

 Arrange asparagus in single layer on baking sheet and coat with cooking spray.

 Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

 Bake for 12 minutes.

 Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat.

 Cook for 3 minutes or until lightly browned.

 Remove from heat, stir in soy sauce and vinegar.

 Drizzle over asparagus, toss well to coat.

 

Caleb Melchoir
Beurre Blanc
Pour a tablespoon of white vine vinegar into a small saucepan and reduce until it's only about a teaspoon.  In the meantime, chop one stick (4 oz.) of butter into small cubes. When the vinegar's reduced, remove the pan from the heat and toss in the butter cubes, one at a time, while whisking vigorously.  This should make a nice creamy emulsion. Sprinkle in some salt and pepper plus a handful of any chopped herbs you might have handy.  Pour over hot asparagus and serve immediately.

SSPM - Sip and Swat Pest Management

(Not to be Confused with IPM - Integrated Pest Management)

Sphinx Moth is often mistaken for a hummingbird; it is the source of Tomato Hornworms. Yuk!

 Cabbage Looper Moth. Double Yuk!

The memory of tomato hornworms and cabbage loopers is still burning a hole in my brain and I am not going to let them get the best of my plants this year.  It's time find the flyswatter, to pour a glass of wine and hang-out near the porch light. This year they have been falling asleep on the stucco wall; this makes them easy to swat.   If I swat the moths now I can reduce the tomato hornworm and cabbage looper popluation in my garden - maybe I can even eliminate all of them?

I'll go see how many bottles of wine we have in the pantry - - - and I'll get back to you on this.

Busy Bees

Here's a little time-lapse movie from our first staff day back in the test garden. It was good clean cardio fun. You'll see us working our arm muscles by chopping down rye and swarming over the alfalfa prepping the bed for potatoes. (Talk about resistance training- those roots were deep and strong!)

WaterWorks 2009

Hi Everyone- just a quick note to let everyone know we are still accepting applications for WaterWorks 2009, so reach out to your local community garden and see if they are interested.
What is WaterWorks: Organic Gardening Magazine has teamed up with Aveeno and Nature's Path to help fund a few community garden projects including water conservation.
Who should apply: Community gardens developing new projects to help improve access to fresh foods in areas where access is otherwise limited.

The application can be downloaded here.

Thanks Everyone!

Four Steps to Better Beets

Beets (beetroots) have always been a challenging crop for us.  Our thick soil and short springs make it difficult to grow them well. That said, I’m determined to produce a decent crop of beets this year. Here’s what I’ve done so far in pursuit of that rosy dream.Photo by Christa Neu

First, I’m trying some new varieties. Unusual ones include ‘Cylindrical’ and ‘Yellow Cylindrical’, both of which are supposed to produce long, cylindrical roots (imagine very fat carrots).  I’ve never eaten a yellow beet, much less a long, thick one, so this will be interesting.  ‘Chioggia’, named after an Italian fishing village, is another of my newbies for this year.  Slice it in half, and you’ll see a target-like pattern of brilliant ruby and white rings.  Two old favorites, ‘Red Ace’ and ‘Red Cloud’, will return to the garden this year.  Both have performed decently in the past, producing the typical round red-fleshed roots, so we’ll have a balance of unusual and standard varieties.

The second thing I did in preparation for a tremendous beet crop wasto plant my beets early in the season.  Like other root vegetables, beets must be grown quickly.  Their growth will slow as hot weather arrives and rainfall ceases, so I planted the seeds in early March, which leads to the next thing I did to improve my chances of an astonishing beet crop.

Third, I soaked my beet seeds overnight in warm water.  I always do this to any seeds I think might be at all irregular in germination.  Soaking the seeds overnight jump-starts the germination process, so that I have seedlings up within a week or so, even if the ground is still on the cool side.

Fourth, I planted most of my beet seeds in raised beds.  Beets are rumored to like well-drained, very loose, even sandy soil.  I have no sandy areas, so I’ve planted them in parts of the garden that have
been layered with straw and old leaves, much in the manner of a “lasagna garden”.  I avoided spots that had recently received manure or fresh compost – excess nitrogen can cause root vegetables to
produce gorgeous leaves, but skimpy roots.

With these four steps, I’ve done all I can to produce a gorgeous crop of delicious beets.  Now it’s up to the plants to do their part!  The next few weeks will show the fruits of my labors.  I’ll keep you posted.