Two good reads

So, you've found this and you may be looking for something to read. I know this is usually about plants and soil and insects and yields, but how about something on food and recipes...

On the Organic Gardening web site www.organicgardening.com there is a great article about 11 mood boosting foods and one on edible flowers. If you are looking for some chili for the Super Bowl, or because it is supposed to be so bitterly cold here in Maryland this week-end (NOT!) there are some recipes at www.finecooking.com

Happy reading and eating!

Getting the grow room going (or growing?)

Well it is getting to be that time. The grow room tends to turn into a storage room in the quiet gardening months, so it is time to start sorting through the accumulated clutter and setting things up to grow.

The grow room itself is an old converted porch (when it was the convent the nuns would have crab feasts on the porch, beer and all, during the summer). The only heat is baseboard. The baseboard works well but the soil tends to stay cool. Maybe this year I'll look into warming grow pads.

Harvested Horseradish

We finally did it!!! Two Fridays ago we harvested the horseradish. It was surprisingly hugemongous. Folks say horseradish can be weedish in nature - kinda taking over where you might not want it too, or hard to get rid of. Short term its been worth it.

The excitement of the kids pulling and pulling and pulling and harvesting big, long roots of horseradish was too cool. Later that week at our board meeting, one of our board members chewed on an end of horseradish root and marveled at its great taste and heat. We can't wait to process the horseradish.

It has been so warm that we also harvested very healthy and happy fennel. If you didn't know, it seems that big fennel also make great pigtail hats for the kids...

Seed Catalogs

Below are a list of seed company's catalogs complied by Organic Gardener. Happy dreaming! Click on the company's name to be transported to their site! Yee Haa!!!

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co.
2278 Baker Creek Road, Mansfield, MO 65704
417-924-8917 www.rareseeds.com

W. Atlee Burpee & Co.
300 Park Ave., Warminster, PA 18974
800-333-5808 www.burpee.com

Fedco Seeds
PO Box 520, Waterville, ME 04903
207-873-7333 www.fedcoseeds.com

High Mowing Organic Seeds
76 Quarry Rd., Wolcott, VT 05680
802-472-6174 www.highmowingseeds.com

Johnny’s Selected Seeds
955 Benton Ave., Winslow, ME 04901
877-564-6697 www.johnnyseeds.c0m

John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds
PO Box 638, Bantam, CT 06750
860-567-6086 www.kitchengardenseeds.com

Nichols Garden Nursery
1190 Old Salem Rd. NE, Albany, OR 97321
800-422-3985 www.nicholsgardennursery.com

Renee’s Garden
888-880-7228
(no print catalog) www.reneesgarden.com

Seed Savers Exchange
3094 N. Winn Rd., Decorah, IA 52101
563-382-5990

Seeds of Change
PO Box 152, Spicer, MN 56288
888-762-7333 www.seedsofchange.com

Territorial Seed Co.
PO Box 158, Cottage Grove, OR 97424
800-626-0866 www.territorialseed.com

The Cook’s Garden
PO Box C5030, Warminster, PA 18974
800-457-9703 www.cooksgarden.com

Tomato Growers Supply Co.
PO Box 60015, Ft. Myers, FL 33906
888-478-7333 www.tomatogrowers.com

Chicken Soup for the upcoming cold and Raven's game

So, it is going to be cold this week-end and if you live in Baltimore and care about pro football a first time ever home playoff game looming. What to do? Eat chicken soup of course.

Whether you care about the game or not it'll still be cold and a nutritious and delicious soup is in order. So follow this link to this interesting chicken soup published by Fine Cooking magazine. I am always interested in new soup recipes and this looks like keeper!

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/chicken-rice-soup-spinach-lemon-dill.aspx?&lookup=auto&V01=E&V02=0&V03=3&V04=&V05=&V06=0&V07=0&V08=0&V09=0&V49=01-JAN-2010&V50=0&Taun_Per_Flag=true&utm_source=email&utm_medium=eletter&utm_content=20120110-chicken-soup&utm_campaign=fine-cooking-elette

or go to http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/chicken-rice-soup-spinach-lemon-dill

Happy cooking!

Things to do in January

We are already starting to plan our upcoming growing season at The Green School. For a great guide, follow this link to Organic Gardening: http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow

There are many tips from zone to do lists, to how to start and grow healthy plants indoors without a greenhouse.

I am particularly interested in the article on starting plants indoors as we continue to try to be more productive at this practice!

Happy Reading

Finally...

Hey, cold weather is finally here. I know, we are only a week or so into winter, but I've seen snow in Maryland in October. Before you know it we will be planting sugar-snap peas... again! Crazy thing is that we just ate sugar-snap peas off-the-plant at school yesterday.

The horseradish greens are finally frosted off so, we can look forward to harvesting them on E3 Friday!

1/1/2012

Happy New Year!