Brad's Blueberries... and more bok choy

Wednesday, May 31, 2006

The strawberries are finished now, but I've got my eye on another berry these days -- blueberries. These are the ones in Brad's plot, seen from my point of view as I peer longingly through the fence. The birds and I, we've been watching these blueberries get plumper and plumper by the day. As much as I like strawberries, blueberries are my absolute favorite berry on the planet. (Well, of the berries I've tried at least).

I was surprised when Brad planted these in his plot last fall. For some reason, I thought blueberries only grew well in cooler places. I figured they wouldn't have a chance in Washington's heat, but apparently he knew what he was doing. And he really knew what he was doing when he planted this bush just out of my arm's reach. Oh, the temptation!


In other news, it's Bolting Vegetable Night #2. Today's bolting bok choy was a big one, so I decided to do it up right with an interesting-sounding recipe called Ballistic Baby Bok Choy and Fried Tofu. Here is the recipe, which I found at Orlando Organics.

8 oz. firm tofu
3 Tbs. corn oil (I used canola.)
1 tsp. chile powder (I used 1/4 tsp., because I wasn't sure how ballistic this was going to be!)
3/4 lb. baby bok choy, chopped (I used big bok choy.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 scallions, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
2 Tbs. water
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1 dried shitake mushroom, rehydrated and sliced (I used button mushrooms.)
3/8 cup coarsely chopped water chestnuts
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. cornstarch or arrowroot mixed with 1 Tbs. water
2 cups cooked rice


I was so eager to taste it that I forgot to set it over the rice. Ah well, it tasted great, even without the rice. It had just the right amount of heat. Too ballistic and it would have been all over for me and my sensitive taste buds.

I really liked the red bell pepper in this recipe. The only thing I would change would be to omit the water chestnuts. With all the other veggies being fresh, I really didn't care for their canned taste. But I will definitely keep this one in my roster of choy recipes.

Bolting Vegetable Night

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Every once and a while, Michael and I go rummaging hungrily through the vegetable drawer, only to find that things have been neglected for a little bit too long. You know how it is. The broccoli gets a tinge of yellow. The mushrooms begin to shrivel. The carrots start to go limp. And the onions want to start setting down roots.

Well, not to worry, because at our house, this is not necessarily a bad scenario. It simply means: Time for Rotting Vegetable Night!

Yes, Rotting Vegetable Night is when we salvage what we can and cook it into something good -- usually a stir-fry. Of course, we don't actually use any rotten stuff, just the things that are on the way out, but can still be cooked. It usually turns out good because Michael has a knack for inventing things on the fly and making them taste really good with the right mix of herbs and spices. (Me? No way. You would actually get something that tasted like, well, ... rotting vegetables.)

Anyway, I was out at the garden this afternoon and I noticed that all the hot weather has brought on a definite change. The basil and tomatoes are really starting to take off, but the spring vegetables are rapidly beginning to bolt. So in honor of this occasion, I've initiated a new dining event called Bolting Vegetable Night.

My bok choy appears to be in a big hurry to go to seed, so I'm on a quest now to figure out how many ways I can eat bolting bok choy this week. Tonight I fried it with garlic and mushrooms (Ha! Fresh ones, not wrinkly ones!), and I stirred in some cooked chicken.


Tomorrow night? I don't know. But I have about seven bok choys to figure out uses for, and I have a fair amount of rhubarb chard that's looking to claim a recipe, too. I guess I could freeze some, but I'm on a mission to figure out something more interesting. Stay tuned.

Building a Garden in Clay

Monday, May 29, 2006

Our friends in Georgia now have a new vegetable garden, thanks to our efforts over the long weekend. OK, well it's not quite a vegetable garden yet, but it's a pretty fine looking 12' x 6' box of dirt, waiting to become a vegetable garden.

I forgot to bring the camera for before and after pictures, but let me see if I can paint the picture for you. During the hottest part of a HOT Georgia day, we built a raised garden bed from scratch. We began with the process of tearing out a section of grass in the back yard. Then we got down to business, grabbed our shovels and, with all our might... took a gigantic swing... and... Tink! Tink! Tink! The shovels just about swung back at us.

So we learned that:

1. They ain't kidding about Georgia Clay. It's not a myth.

2. Don't ever use your favorite pickaxe while attempting to break up Georgia Clay. It will get bent.

3. We'll never complain about our own soil ever again.

4. Don't build a garden bed in the middle of a Georgia summer day, unless you have vast quantities of water and sweet tea. Fruit smoothies also help. Oh, and you'll need a lot of aspirin afterwards, too. And finally...

5. How does anything grow in Georgia anyway?

Seriously though, it was really hard work but we had a fantastic time. This was a surprise gift to Michael's friend's girlfriend, and she looked ecstatic at the chance to start a garden in a brand new bed of thick, dark, clayless, fluffy soil. We now await word on what she decides to plant.

Giving the gift of a garden... It was totally worth it.

Have Shovel, Will Travel

Friday, May 26, 2006

This weekend, Michael and I have our first gig as garden consultants. OK, well... not exactly. But sort of.

We were invited by a friend to go to Atlanta and help fix up a garden for said friend's girlfriend. The existing garden is suffering from drainage problems, and friend claims to have a Steel Thumb.

Apparently we've got some serious Georgia clay to contend with. So our plan is to build raised beds and lay down some soil amendments. I imagine there will be lots of digging, followed by soreness and back pain, but it will all be fun and well worth it. I love that we have the chance to help someone get off to a great start with their garden. Plus, we'll have this opportunity to visit with family members in the area too.

Time with family and friends, and a gardening gig to boot. What a great way to spend the long weekend.

Jack O'Lantern Flower?

Thursday, May 25, 2006

This is my poor little Chinese Lantern plant. I'm now calling it a Jack O'Lantern plant, since some little critter has been busy carving shapes into it. I'll be really spooked if I go by the garden one day and see a face design staring back at me. Yeeesh!

Chinese Lanterns are such an interesting flower. I was hoping to grow a few this year, but it's not looking good so far. Come to think of it, I've never seen anyone in the community garden grow Chinese Lanterns. Hmmmmm. That's not a good sign.

Anyone know what could be bugging this little guy? I've never seen any actual bugs on or around it, but obviously they're hard at work when I'm not looking.

Saving the L.A. Community Garden

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Today, The Associated Press reported that Joan Baez and Julia Hill are camping in a tree to protest the demolition of a community garden in Los Angeles. South Central Farm is said to be the largest urban community garden in the United States. More than 300 families, many of them low-income, cultivate gardens there.

Now the gardeners are being evicted because the owner of the land wants to build a warehouse. The Trust for Public Land stepped in and tried to raise enough money to buy the land and save the garden, but they fell short by $10 million. (And as a former fundraiser, I cringed when I read that they only had 45 days to raise the money. Ouch.)

So my initial thought was: Why must we take to the trees in times like these? But on second thought: If that's what it takes, I'd be right there with them.

In my opinion, we don't need one more warehouse to hold more "stuff"; we need more community gardens. As an urban gardener myself, this is near and dear to my heart. I see so many benefits of community gardens, going way beyond fresh fruits and vegetables. They create a real sense of community. They preserve precious green space. Members get involved in local policy making.

Our community garden sits on a prime piece of land in Washington, D.C., where everyone and his brother seems to want to build condos these days. My favorite is the "high-performance" condo complex that's going up near the Tenleytown Metro station. (What's a "high-performance" condo? Can someone fill me in on that one?)

I can't imagine how it would be if developers came and wanted to build condos -- or a warehouse, or whatever -- on our community garden site. You'd better believe that I'd be at every city council meeting and on every council member's doorstep. I'd camp in my plot if I had to. They'd have to carry me away kicking and screaming and wielding my shovel. I care about it that much. People sit on a waiting list for a year to get a piece of dirt where they can cultivate a garden here.

So I say to Joan Baez and Julia Hill: You go, girls! Whatever it takes. Community gardens are so worth fighting for. I'd be right there with you.

(Read more: "L.A. Urban Farmers Fight for Community Garden," by Jessica Hoffmann.)

Shades of Yarrow

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

In my first gardening year, I didn't want to invest in any perennial flowers. There were a few perennials in my plot from the previous owner, but I wasn't about to add new ones that would require a whole year's wait until bloom time. I wasn't patient enough. I wanted instant gratification. So I planted annuals.

But last summer, I gave in and bought myself a perennial yarrow plant. I'd been admiring these in other people's gardens and I really wanted one of my own.

When I bought my yarrow, it was kind of scraggly looking and hung on for dear life in a flimsy plastic pot that was about five inches wide. This spring it settled nicely into its new home, and now it's about three feet tall by three feet wide. An explosion of yellow!

What I can't convey through the blogosphere is its wonderful fragrance. Find yourself a jar of honey and take a whiff. The leaves and blossoms smell somewhat like honey.

Here I've put a few cuttings with my blue sage flowers. A pretty combination, isn't it?

The Fruitful Front Yard

Monday, May 22, 2006

Earlier this month, Amy Stewart blogged about the pleasures of having vegetables and fruits planted in the front yard. She got me thinking about several front yard gardens here in D.C. that I really like. This one always brings a smile to my face when the strawberry blossoms begin to open. There are strawberry plants along the walkway leading to the front door. It looks like they have something else interspersed; I think it's Pachysandra, which I assume will fill in after the strawberries are done bearing fruit. Isn't this a great idea?

I don't know why more people don't plant edibles in the front yard. I guess they're afraid of thieves? Who knows. I don't have a front yard of my own, but if I did, I think I'd want to include some vegetables or fruits among the flowers and such. Why not mix things up a little? I think it would be interesting. And how fun it must be to pick a strawberry or two as you're heading out the front door.

On Saturday I passed by the house and saw they had set out -- or left behind? -- a few berries. I could only imagine there was someone inside, peering from behind a curtain, watching to see who the first taker might be. It was tempting, but I still have strawberries of my own to pick. And besides, perhaps these will lure and inspire someone else in the neighborhood to take up a little front yard gardening of their own.

Eating From the Garden: Dill and Parsley

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Dill is one of my favorite herbs and we are growing a lot of it this year. Today I used three heaping tablespoons of dill, along with an equal amount of fresh parsley, to make Orzo and Tomato Salad with Feta Cheese. The recipe is by Sabrina Harris on Allrecipes.com. I used Kalamata olives instead of green, and I added a whole chopped cucumber.


The recipe is so easy and it's suitable for lots of improvisation. I can't wait until we have our own tomatoes and cucumbers to put in. That will make it even better.

Making Chamomile Tea

Saturday, May 20, 2006

My mom will be happy to know that I finally broke out the nice tea set she gave me three years ago. I guess I was waiting for a special occasion: the making of my own, homemade chamomile tea.

These are the German Chamomile flowers I picked from my garden recently. I've been setting them out to dry on a sheet of wax paper. I think I finally have enough to fill the tea ball, just in time for Weekend Herb Blogging.

The blossoms have a wonderful light apple scent. The tea itself has a very delicate flavor, almost like it has a touch of honey.



Chamomile is renowned for its calming properties. It is said to help relieve insomnia and cure stomach ailments. In the New Book of Herbs, author Jekka McVicar mentions that chamomile is sometimes called the "Physician's Plant," because it helps revive sick plants that grow nearby.

When I lived in Ecuador as a student, my host family went to the garden every time I felt sick with a stomach bug. They went to get manzanilla (pronounced "mahn-zuh-KNEE-uh"). They used it to make a tea. I thought manzanilla was something unique to Ecuador -- an exotic herb cherished by the ancient Incas perhaps. When my host mom gave me the tea, I had no idea what I was drinking. But when in Ecuador, you do as the Ecuadorians do, and so I smiled politely, said muchas gracias and drank up. And wouldn't you know, the manzanilla always made my stomach feel better.

It was not until I returned to the States that I realized manzanilla was just plain old chamomile. So to this day, I still think of chamomile as the exotic manzanilla, and I enjoy it because it is just plain good.

Lady Loves Purple

Thursday, May 18, 2006

We have an abundance of ladybugs in the garden right now. This one I caught in the moment just as it was spreading its wings to take flight. Another click of the shutter, and it was gone.

Eating Locally Grown Food

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

In comparison to the past two years, Michael and I have eaten more from this year's spring garden than ever before. That's partly because we planted more edibles, but also because we got an early start.

In addition to enjoying the fruits (and vegetables) of our labor, I've been following with interest the idea of eating all locally grown foods. Certainly the food we grow in our garden is a start, but some people are taking it further by participating in the Eat Local Challenge that's going on this month. Take a look at Life Begins at 30, which lists 10 Reasons to Eat Local Food. As a gardener, I enjoy producing some of my own food because it's fresher and pesticide-free, it tastes better and keeps me in tune with the seasons, and it's just plain fun.

The Eat Local Challenge suggests that participants commit to eating only foods that are grown or produced within a 100-mile radius of one's home. For me, I'm happy that would mean I could have all the Maryland blue crabs, Lancaster County dairy products, and Hershey's chocolate my heart desires!

Well, I'm not quite ready to commit entirely to an all-local diet. But I do think I'll take up the task of learning about what is grown and produced in my area. I've found a great starting point at FoodRoutes, a website that allows you to type in your zip code and find markets and restaurants that offer local foods.

If you eat from your own garden, do you also try to find other locally grown foods?

Eating From the Garden: Garlic Scapes, Strawberries and Choy

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Yesterday we harvested bok choy, garlic scapes, and about three handfuls of strawberries. Michael used the vegetables in another fabulous stir-fry.


And for the strawberries... ah, what could be better than homemade strawberry shortcakes?


These were a 'savor-every-moment' kind of good. And they were incredibly easy to make. I used Williams-Sonoma's Classic Strawberry Shortcakes recipe, which is a definite keeper. The shortcakes had just the slightest bit of salt in them, which provided a nice, mouthwatering contrast to the sweetness of the strawberries and cream. And yes, that's real whipped cream.

Five heavenly stars for this one! I've already added it to my binder of favorite recipes.

Jalapeño 911

Monday, May 15, 2006

No, I didn't burn my tongue on a bite of hot salsa (although that's happened to me before, in a seriously painful way). The problem is our ailing jalapeño pepper plant.

We set out our pepper plants to get acclimated to the outdoors. Within the next day or two, their leaves started turning white, papery and wilted. It's almost as if the leaves started disintegrating.


This has happened to us before, also with our tomato plants. Usually, the inner leaves will be fine and the plant will survive. But sometimes, this "illness" can do them in completely. I am trying to figure out what it is so we can prevent it in the future. Any ideas? Advice?

By request...

Friday, May 12, 2006

A Bachelor's Button in full bloom.

To all moms: Happy Mother's Day weekend!

Eating From the Garden: Beet Greens

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Yesterday's harvest consisted of beet "greens," lettuce, spinach, strawberries, chives and a radish. I made a salad topped with homemade balsamic vinaigrette, feta cheese and a sprinkling of the chives.

The verdict?

Michael makes better salads than I do.

Well, it wasn't so bad actually. It's just that the beet greens were a bit more fibrous than I was expecting. I crunched my way through and enjoyed their beet flavor nonetheless. I liked the color they added, too. Of course, it was the strawberries and cheese that stole the show.

Will the peonynapper strike again?

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

I sometimes wish I could add background music to my posts. I would use something mysterious and dark for this one. Or maybe just something simple and sneaky sounding that everyone recognizes, like "The Pink Panther" theme. OK, so imagine the song and dim the lights a bit. We've got a mystery on our hands.

I was at the garden yesterday when I decided to take a few photos of the peonies by the tool shed. Nearby, there was a middle-aged man sitting at the picnic table reading a newspaper. Seems perfectly normal, right? But as I was snapping shots, I could feel his steely glare burning into my back. He must have been peering over the paper with a raised eyebrow, thinking to himself, 'Is she the peony thief?'

Meanwhile, I was thinking to myself, 'The guy with the newspaper doesn't look like he's here to do any gardening. Is he scoping the place out? Is HE the peony thief?'

You see, there's an anxiousness in the community garden these days because last year, someone stole everyone's peonies. All of them. Not just the ones in the common areas, but the ones enclosed in people's plots too. They started to bloom and then... gone!

I didn't have any peonies in my own plot but I felt angry just the same. Peonies always remind me of my grandmother, so I was sad to see them stripped away so heartlessly.

People had all sorts of theories about 'who dun it.' Was it a florist who ran out of peonies and needed replacements? A bride and groom who wanted flowers on the cheap? Someone who just felt like helping themselves to a nice big bouquet for their dining room table?

We'll never know. It's a cold case. Unsolved.

So as the peony buds begin to swell this week, we're all keeping a watchful eye over our shoulders. Will the peonynapper strike again?

Budding Bachelor's Button

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Gardening is murder sometimes

(Thinned-out carrots.)

With only a few exceptions (e.g., rosemary, tarragon, and a couple of perennial flowers), my husband and I grow almost everything in our garden from seed. It takes extra time and care, but it's worth it. We enjoy that moment of discovery when we see the first hint of green pushing through the soil. We check with anticipation to see the first leaves unfurl. We watch eagerly as we witness the development of the second pair of leaves -- the distinctive leaves that foreshadow the adult plant to come. It's a fascinating and fun process to watch.

But there's a part in the whole cultivation process to which I haven't quite adjusted yet. It's the time when seedlings reach a certain height and require thinning.

Last week I had to thin out the carrots and I really didn't look forward to it. I mean, I realize it's for the greater good of the carrot crop, but who am I to decide which carrots live and which ones get yanked out to die an untimely death withering away on the compost heap? The ones I pull will never grow up to live out their full potential as carrots.

After we've watched every step of the young plants' growth and they've finally gotten on their way, I come along with my bare hands -- pondering this one or that one -- and then pinch... wince... yank! Ugh! I really don't like doing it. No matter how small and un-carrot looking they are at that stage, it's murder.

My husband thinks I'm nuts to feel this way, but I have to wonder: Do other gardeners get this emotional when it comes to thinning? I can't be the only one.

Eating From the Garden: Bok Choy

Monday, May 08, 2006

Sunday's harvest: our first bok choy. Michael cooked it in a chicken stir-fry for dinner. He blanched the choy in chicken broth with ginger and garlic. Separately, he fried the chicken, which he'd marinated in rice wine, canola oil, soy sauce, cornstarch, and egg whites. He stir-fried the blanched choy with oyster and soy sauces, more chicken broth, cornstarch and salt, then added it to the chicken. The recipe was "Ray Lee's Chicken and Choy Sum", from Grace Young and Alan Richardson's The Breath of a Wok. Delicious!

Eating From the Garden: Chard and Oregano

Sunday, May 07, 2006

Yesterday's harvest from the garden: rhubarb chard and oregano. I used both to make a super-easy pasta dish for dinner. I infused olive oil with one clove of garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes. To that, I added the chopped chard and oregano, salt and pepper. Then I mixed in some cooked linguini and topped everything off with toasted walnuts, shredded Parmesan cheese, and an additional pinch of fresh oregano. It turned out delicious! I'd only add a squeeze of lemon juice for the finishing touch. (Note to self: buy lemons.)

Strawberry Update: "Ridiculously Good"

Saturday, May 06, 2006

That long-awaited moment has arrived. We watched. We wondered. We waited. They bloomed. They ripened. They tempted us.

And then we ate.

These are the first strawberries we grew in our garden, and they tasted absolutely exquisite. At first, it was their fragrance that enveloped us. Then we bit slowly into their soft, sweet flesh -- still warm from the day's sun -- juicy, and ever so slightly tart to the finish. A pure, naked strawberry. I don't think it can get any better than that.

In Michael's own words, they were "ridiculously good."

(P.S. I think I might have just written my first food porn.)

In Bloom Today: Sea Pink

Friday, May 05, 2006

Sea pink, or sea thrift (Armeria maritima) is the first perennial I planted in my garden when I stared it two years ago. It originates from northern Europe and around the Mediterranean, where it can withstand the salty mists along coastlines and sea cliffs. Growing to about 8 - 12 inches tall, it makes a great edging plant. It requires little maintenance and has a fairly long bloom period -- from now until mid-summer.

My mom gave me the sea pink plant as an Easter gift two years ago. When it blooms, it reminds me of her.

Dahlias growing in our bathroom closet

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Two years ago, I planted a few dahlias from seed and they quickly became one of our favorite flowers in the garden. Each fall, I dig out their tubers and stow them away in our bathroom closet for the winter.

Why the bathroom closet, you ask? Well, for no special reason other than the fact that our apartment has a very large bathroom closet. It's so big that it accommodates not only all of our toiletry items, cleaning products and linens, but also our miscellaneous tools and gardening equipment, among other things. Since we don't have our own basement or garage, the wintering dahlias go there.

This year, we're adding a new dahlia to our home-grown collection -- the bright orange and white-tipped Megastar. We couldn't resist this one when we saw it in the gardening store. Isn't it a beauty? (Well, as glorious as it is, it too has had to stay in our un-glorious closet since February when we bought it.)

So last Sunday, I was out in the garden ready to plant the dahlias when I saw something interesting. All of the tubers -- both the home-grown and store-bought varieties -- had already begun to grow a stem. I wondered how -- from the confines of the bathroom closet, with no access to daylight or fluctuations in outdoor temperatures -- did they know when to start growing? What triggered them? How did they know it was time?

We all know that potatoes, if left to sit long enough, will grow roots. But these dahlias -- both the home-grown and the store-bought -- had been in the dark for different periods of time and each one had grown a stem of about the same length -- not roots, but a stem.

Apparently they just "sensed" that it was time to start growing. They just knew. It was time to get out of the closet and become glorious dahlias.

I don't know how it works, but this was just fascinating to me.

Bells, books, and sweets

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

These are the bells hanging in Plot #61, with the National Cathedral bell tower in the background. We are fortunate not only to have a wonderful view of the Cathedral, but also easy access to its greenhouse and the always-enchanting Bishop's Garden that lies to its south.

This weekend, the National Cathedral is holding its annual Flower Mart, a two-day festival and plant sale. They usually offer a great variety of herbs, flowers, and miscellaneous gardening knickknacks.

I have gone to the Flower Mart for several years in a row now, but oddly, I've never gone to buy flowers. I go because I love the festival atmosphere, the people watching, and, I think mostly, the food. They offer all the typical, bad-for-you festival foods like funnel cake, grilled sausage sandwiches, soft-serve ice cream, and giant bags of salty-sweet kettle corn for the walk home. (It's so bad, I know. But we all have our weak moments.)

Another of my favorite features of this event is their used book sale. There's a room full of old books -- on all sorts of subjects -- and they cost as little as 50 cents a piece. Who can resist that?

The Flower Mart is also one of the two times per year that the Cathedral bell tower is open for public tours. If you're claustrophobic or afraid of heights, it's not the tour for you. But barring those details, it's well worth the climb. You'll walk through the dark inner bowels of the Cathedral roof, pass through a room with giant carillon bells (the largest bell is bigger than my dining room and weighs twelve tons!), and, if you don't have a nose bleed by then, you'll go all the way to the top room for a demonstration of the peal bells, which are rung by hand. From there, you'll be treated to an amazing view as you look out from the highest point in Washington, D.C.

If you're in the D.C. area and I've piqued your interest -- for gardening knickknacks, large bells, old books, and tempting sweet things -- check out the Flower Mart this Friday and Saturday.

Strawberry Update: The pinkening

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Oh, this is going to be good. Just a few more days now until we experience strawberry bliss.

Coming soon to a teacup near me...

Monday, May 01, 2006

My chamomile started blooming today. I have one plant of the German variety that came up from the packet of seeds I planted last year. I am hoping it will get enough flowers so I can try it in a cup of tea.

Room for the grill?

Here's a picture of the patio Michael built in our plot yesterday. It's not quite big enough for a grill, but hey, at least we'll have a nice place to sit when we're feasting on those strawberries.