Wild Leeks
We are blessed to have quite a few wild food items growing on the property, among which is more wild leeks than you can shake a stick at. For a long time, we assumed they were stands of garlic, which is also growing everywhere here, […]
Living Simply for a Better Life
Gardening
Edible Root Crops: Taro vs. Elephant Ear
My aunt by marriage is Japanese, and although she has been in this country since she was a young bride, she has not conformed to the American way of life in many ways. She still eats Japanese food – with chopsticks, still writes and reads […]
Planting Potatoes
Potatoes are a member of the nightshade family. They are easy to grow, fun to harvest, can be stored a long time, and are very nutritious and versatile. There are lots of fun facts and interesting history about them, as well as misconceptions. The average […]
Getting Ready for Garden 2014!
For the last 3 years, Roy and I have said we wouldn’t put in a “real” garden due to our varying circumstances, but in the end, we just can’t help ourselves! In 2012, we were building the cabin with every moment of every day, almost […]
Neck Pumpkins – a really big squash
Growing up in the South, pumpkin pie wasn’t on the line up for our autumn menus because we ate sweet potato pie. Pumpkins were for carving and decorating for fall, and I never really gave it much thought until I first ate pumpkin pie as […]
Peach Juice and Peach Tea
We’ve been selling peaches, but we’ve also been buying some for ourselves. The girls have been processing a box or 2 each week, but they are out of town this week, so it fell to me. Roy often goes into the kitchen wanting something interesting […]
Putting Up Peaches By Blanching
We have had the good fortune to have access to lots of peaches this summer, and I have set out to make use of every one and not let any go bad. We are also selling 1/2 bushel boxes to anyone in our vicinity that […]
Questions And (sort of ) Answers About Biochar
So what is biochar? Evidently biochar is to the gardener what the “tachyon beam” is to Capt. Kirk… it does everything! Biochar is the byproduct of the gasification process. When biological material (wood, manure, etc.) is burn at high temperatures and with limited access to oxygen, […]