Bugs Bunny Would Be Proud

A couple months ago, I was surfing the net, looking for new canning recipes. I found a really yummy-looking one - Carrot Cake Jam (tell me that doesn't sound the best!) - and have kept it in the back of my mind since. Today I tried it out.

After a bunch of running around earlier, I settled down to the job at hand. I pulled a handful of carrots from the garden. Almost everything died back awhile ago when we were hit with hard frost but the carrots just keep getting better.

Last crop in the garden

I had picked up a basket of pears at the Market last week and they've been sitting, staring at me relentlessly, ever since. Oh, the pressure. Turns out, I only needed two pears for this batch. What do I know. I see an apple-pear sauce, or something, in my none-too-distant future. May even share a couple with the chickens. What the heck, they give us food every day.

The fruit and veggie were peeled, grated and/or chopped, thrown into my beautiful maslin pan with a can of very not-local pineapple, spices added and everything brought to a boil. I'm not usually one to use pectin, but had found some Pomona pectin at the health food store and wanted to give it a try. Instead of using the...are you sitting down...6-1/2 cups of sugar that's called for, I used about 2 cups. As it cooked down, I had a wee sample and it tasted mighty fine, if I do say so myself. Ended up with 4 - 250ml jars. The final judgment will take place in the next few days, with a slice or two of toast and a hot cup of coffee.

Carrot Cake Jam. Oh. Mmmm.

Dig In

When I started thinking about the garden back in the spring, I decided I would pick one vegetable and concentrate on it. So, while I planted a variety of things, I'm keeping records on the potatoes. My goal is to grow enough to see us through a good portion of the year, maybe even having enough left over to plant again the following year. You've gotta dream big. So, in May, I picked up three bags of seed potatoes - two Yukon Gold and one Chieftain - both mid-season potatoes with good storability. Cookie and hubby were also good enough to give me a bunch of blue potatoes (can't remember the name on those) so they went in too.

We've been eating spuds here and there, through the summer but today the shovels came out and the boys and I dug in. Yesterday was a hot humid day but today was overcast and windy. Whether we were seeing the outer limits of hurricane Irene or not, I don't know, but it made for a perfect working day. With gloves on and shovels in hand, we all worked toward the same goal early on, pulling out Yukons, big and small. At some point...I'm not sure exactly when...the digging moved from potato hills to a newly spud-free spot and soon there was a fairly large, deep hole. Cameron declared that this was Rosie's own 'room' where she could lie down and relax. Nolan noted that there wasn't a roof and she would get wet if it rained. They look after her.

Rosie helped with the digging and apparently got in the way too.

The boys and Rosalita left a short while later, apparently bored of the new earthen room while I continued digging. When my back could handle no more, I called it a day and loaded the freshly dug crop onto the wagon. There's still a few rows to go but it was a good afternoon's work. We'll see how far we get with these and make adjustments next year. One day, we'll grow enough to see us through. That will be a mighty fine day.

Guess what we had for supper tonight.

Veggie Fortress

We're in the home stretch with lacrosse now. It's been a busy couple months with Cameron playing two nights a week and Nolan on Saturdays. Times like this, I almost wish I lived in town. Almost. Good thing gas is so cheap. This week, Cammy's team plays playoff games Tuesday and Thursday and Nolan plays a make-up game Wednesday. Then Saturday is the grand finale, champions are decided and I get my life back. It's all good.

I was at the Kinsmen Arena Saturday afternoon with Nolan. He made a beauty pass to set up a goal - no small feat considering there's not a lot of passing at this age.

#13 on the run. Shockingly, he's the tallest on the team.

Spent a good part of today in the garden. I had taken a couple days off work a few weeks ago and got most of the veggies planted. The lettuce, cabbage, radishes, zucchini, pumpkins, sweet potatoes and 12 rows of spuds went in then. Oh, and the melons. We've a small garden to the south of the house, beyond the firepit, where I moved my herbs. I had some room left over so planted the melons there. Even came up with a brilliant structure that allowed the sun through but kept the dog out. Did I mention she likes dirt? Later on in the day, as I came back up for a shovel or whatever, I noticed that the big tree to the west of the garden completely shaded my newly planted melons. I hear melons like full sun. Heat, you know. I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but at least I'm fairly likable.

Today, at long last, the tomatoes went in. They've been on the porch for several weeks and are doing great but it was a relief to finally get them in the ground. I also managed to get half the carrots in, the dill and some peas and beans. I've built a fortress of tomato cages around the tepees for the peas and beans and will win this season against the deer. (I know, I know; I said the same thing last year and how'd I make out.) We've also discovered that Rosie has selective hearing. "Come, Rosie." Oh, look at her run right through the potatoes. Good thing she's cute.

A cage or two here, a bench there, and victory will be mine.

Hey, what do you think about this for show-and-tell at school? We've a robin building a nest in the garage. Paul's removed two of them so far and there's another in the process of being built. Too bad it's on top of the garage door opener - that isn't working properly right now. Wildlife.

The trick is getting it to school without making scrambled eggs.

A Little Seedy

I came home from work today and found, hidden amongst the mail on the kitchen counter, a large manilla envelope. My name was on the label affixed to the front and, stamped in red, here and there, were pictures of plants. My seeds had arrived!

I'd like to say that I ripped into it then and there, but I had kids to feed and things to do so the envelope stayed put awhile longer. But, once dinner, dishes and Riley's homework was complete (I am so good at word problems involving metric conversions! Go ahead; ask me anything.), I tore open the package.

Holy. I ordered a lot of stuff. I'm gonna have to watch that next time. Anyhoo, it's exciting! Now I just have to build a seven foot high fence around the garden to keep the damn deer out and we're rockin'.

After much research, I went with the one with the best name.

So, here's the rundown on the seeds...

Bean - Cherokee Trail of Tears
Cabbage - Mammoth Red Rock
Carrot - Chantenay Red Cored, Scarlet Nantes
Lettuce - Drunken Woman Frizzy Headed
Onion - Rossa di Milano
Pea - Golden Sweet Edible Pod
Radish - Black Spanish, Watermelon
Tomato - Box Car Willie (it's the name again), Isis Candy, Rideau & Principe Borghese
Ground Cherry - Aunt Molly's
Zucchini - Cocozelle 
Melon - Amish
Pumpkin - Connecticut Field, Small Sugar
Watermelon - Small Shining Light

I can't wait 'til May!
 

First Maters!

Good thing I got a picture 'cause the tomatoes aren't there anymore

Lettuce Turnip and Pea

My Mum used to say that - always elicited a big laugh from me and my little brother Enos. I know. It's not really that funny. (Speaking of not funny, have you heard my Dad's jokes?...hope he doesn't read this.) And I never really liked turnips either. They're awful. Anyhoo, yesterday, I got the wee little side garden weeded and turned. We dug it last year with the intention of moving the saskatoon bushes this spring but I've changed my mind. I've commandeered it for peas. Ha-ha! I dare Bambi and her evil minions to fiendishly sneak up this close to the house and devour my veggies. Evil, evil, cute little deer...and so evil.

Nolan and Cammy planted some sugar snap peas around the tipi (tepee? tee-pea? get it? Yes, folks; the laughs never end around here. And it's all free.) I threw in a couple short rows of radishes too. I was hoping to get some lettuce started but ran out of room. Maybe next weekend. I'll tell you, though, it feels good to get something in the ground at last. Not long now 'til the risk of frost passes and the season kicks into full gear. I look forward to this all winter 'cause there's nothing quite like the feeling you get watching a patch of dirt turn into a sea of green, full of the freshest, tastiest veggies you can imagine and then sharing the bounty with the people around you. Brings a smile to my face just thinking about it...

Nolan - my faithful helper

Pickers Delight

This little vacation has started out busy. The three trips to the dentist's office are done. Yea for me! The trip to the Market on Saturday was semi-productive. Brother Enos called me up Saturday morning and asked if I was going. I answered in the affirmative. He said he wanted to go and check it out so we agreed on a meeting place and found each other awhile later. The kids were thrilled to see their Uncle Gooey. We were wandering along the first aisle when I spotted the peaches. A woman had a flat of them and there were still lots there. So I decided, instead of picking them up right away, I'd get them on the way out; save carrying them around, you see. You know where this is going, don't you? Uh-huh. They were completely out when we got back there. I blame it on Enos.

The good news is that I picked up another flat of strawberries and they're all dried and tucked away now. Much to the rugrats' delight.

Sunday I had grand plans to get up, out the door and picking blueberries by 9, when they opened. Well, Paul was out late Saturday and, since he now works six days a week, I figured he deserved to sleep in. I'm good that way. So, I stuck around to play referee for the chilluns. It was also overcast and threatened rain all day. I didn't go. I blame it on Paul. And the weather forecasters.

So far, things don't sound all that busy, do they? Well. I spent three hours weeding the garden on Saturday. Looks lovely...as long as you don't wander too far along. And we've got beans coming out our...we've lots of beans. The kids love picking and delivering them to our neighbours. Of course, that could be because they often get a treat in return. Most recently, it was fudgesicles.

Today, I dried some more sage and oregano and froze lemon balm and basil. And, after supper, I went down and picked two buckets of blueberries. It was much nicer than last time. Cooler. Nice breeze. No mosquitoes. And it took about 2/3 as much time. Perfect. One buckets-worth is in the freezer now and most of the remaining berries will go in tomorrow. Hopefully I can get one more trip in this month and we should be set for a good while.

Signs of Life...Beyond the Weeds

With renewed hope, I started weeding the back garden. The pumpkins are flowering and some fruit (vegetable?) has started growing. I weeded around the Sugar Pumpkin below before taking the picture...wanted to make it look good. As you can tell, there's a good deal more weeding to be done, but it's a start, folks. Cammy came out before bed and helped himself to the three peas that we found. (Ha ha, deer!) And, after an hour or so of weed pulling (the mosquitoes finally drove me away) I've managed to clear a large swath and it almost looks like a garden out there. Who'd a thunk it?

Oh, Deer

I've been discouraged. And it's not just because summer has been noticeably absent. The deer have been enjoying a free salad bar, courtesy of moi, so I've largely avoided the back part of the vegetable garden. It's now something of an overgrown mess. Earlier today, I went out to snip some raspberry leaves (more on that later) and, as I'm prone to do, wandered around the garden. By golly, there's pea and bean plants climbing the tipi! (You might have to squint.) Could my ingenious deer-scarer-awayer be working? It might be!

A couple of weeks ago I tied a pie plate to the tipi. It blows around and...bangs. A-ha! Noise. Could that be helping? I don't know but suddenly this strange feeling of hope came over me. Egad. Maybe we'll get some peas this year. And then...gasp...I started weeding! Thistles. Grass. Dandelion. Anything that shouldn't be there. And before you knew it, the tipi had a dirt floor. Soft and fluffy, at that. I could feel a smile. And, unlike the last few times I was out there, I didn't swear once!

There's still a lot of weeding to do. Good Lord, there's a lot. And I won't be sharing any pictures of it. But I do feel better. Might even rig up another couple of deer-scarer-awayers. Oh. Another thing. It's getting hot out there. Could do without the 78% humidity but it feels vaguely familiar. Like, maybe...summer?

.

Bugs and Spuds

I was reading Tiny Farm Blog earlier and noticed some new comments on an old post about potato fruit. Can't say as I'd ever seen fruit on my potatoes before...until tonight. After gathering some lettuce for a caesar salad, I wandered over to the spuds and there, in the condo, was a wee green sphere hanging from the plant. According to this link, it isn't unusual to get fruit, especially where different cultivars are grown close together. Sure enough, I have both Yukon Gold and the blue-potato-that-shall-remain-nameless growing side-by-side.



This year, for the first time, we've also had an invasion of potato bugs. Bright orange bugs that devour leaves and poop a lot. Cammy and Nolan have devised a simple, yet effective device to rid the plants of their invaders. A nice sized flat rock (codename: the killing stone) sits on the ground. Nolan picks the bugs from the leaves and places them on the killing stone. Cammy then takes a smaller round rock that has been hand-picked specifically for this purpose, and squishes the bugs. Great fun. Judging by the number of bugs I saw today, the killing stone is going to see its share of work this weekend.

Still Waiting For Summer

Tomorrow is the family picnic. Every year at this time, Paul and all his brothers and sisters (well, the Ontario ones, anyway), the outlaws, families, his Mum and Dad and any other straggler we can find, descend on Rice Lake for a get-together. This year, we're also celebrating Paul's Dad's 85th birthday! Not bad, eh?

Since we all bring food, I thought I'd bring a really yummy zucchini casserole. Problem is, my zucchini isn't ready yet. It's coming, but since Mother Nature's decided to take her sweet time with the whole summer-thing this year, everything's behind. Not to be outdone, however, I dragged the kids to the Peterborough Farmers' Market this morning. (Paul's working so neither the kids nor I had any choice in the matter. ;o))

First things first, Cameron showed us the door he entered for lacrosse camp each day. (The market's in the Memorial Centre parking lot.) Very exciting. We wandered around, picking up some zucchini and a couple dozen eggs. Cammy asked for some early Niagara peaches and I'm not likely to say no to something healthy. Then, per Riley's request, we bought some spinach and feta in a phyllo-type pastry from "A Taste of Russia" - they didn't last long. Might have to try making these, 'though pastry's not really my forté.

Riley's off to a sleepover birthday party today at her friend Sierra's and tonight Paul and Cammy head out to the Lakers game (best of five, Lakers up 2-0). Nolie and I haven't figured out what we're going to do tonight but it may involve cheesies and a movie. He'll let me know.



Speaking of zucchini, are you swimming in it yet? Take a look at this link from the Old Farmer's Almanac for some ideas on how to handle it all...

Class Trips and Signs of Plant Life

School's almost done for the year so, besides the kids' excitement for the coming summer vacation, it's also the time for class trips.

Riley and her grade 4 mates made the big trip into Toronto yesterday to see Medieval Times. Not a cheap excursion but Paul and I saw it years ago and it is quite a production. She said she loved the show (and the chicken) and finally arrived back in Peterborough around 6 o'clock. Growing up in Oshawa, our school trips were often to Toronto too, but here, adding another hour to the trip makes for a long day. Especially travelling by school bus.

Earlier this week, Ri placed second in ten-year old girls high jump. Yes. I know. Hard to believe that the long-legged child would do well in something like this - two years running, no less. So, next week she's competing at Adam Scott highschool in high jump.

Cameron is off to the Warsaw Outdoor Education Centre next week. Their instructions are to bring long pants for the morning because of the poison ivy (*sigh*) and shorts for the afternoon as they'll be in the pond catching critters. And, don't forget an extra set of clothes, just in case. The good news is that there's enough poison ivy around here that Cammy shouldn't have any problem identifying it...and avoiding it.

And, not to be outdone, Nolan received his acceptance to school in the fall. (My little boy.) Because French Immersion doesn't start until SK, Nolan should really be going to our local rural school but, with special permission, we're able to send him off to Peterborough with his brother and sister. As with Cammy, it also means that Nolan won't have to change schools after one year like Riley did. And that means less stress for all of us.

The garden, at last, is done. I managed to get the tomatoes in on Saturday. Finally. It's June, for Pete's sake; surely the threat of frost has passed. The lovely basil plant that Cammy gave me for Mother's Day also went in. I noticed the potatoes are coming up in the condo and the romaine and iceberg lettuce is starting to appear. Whatever critter was digging in my second carrot trough each night seems to have moved on. Fingers crossed. We'll see if anything grows there. The early peas, lettuce and radishes are growing beautifully. As for the rest, we wait. And grin widely with each new appearance.

The Maple Leaf Garden

I spent most of the day Sunday in the garden, turning soil and planting seeds. Boy it was cool - about 8 deg. or so - and windy but with warm clothes on it was perfect for working outside. Not a bug to be seen. Or felt.

My wee little strawberry patch has lots of blooms. I had mulched it with grass clippings last week 'though I wasn't sure whether that was okay or not. I've wondered if too much rain would cause problems, but it seems to be alright. Guess we'll see as the season progresses.

Now, I don't know about you, but when I'm in the garden my mind wanders to just about every subject imaginable. Good therapy, the garden. And being good Canadians, many of us, I suspect, get thinking hockey. Especially right now. So I decided to name my garden. This area, my wee strawberry patch, I've chosen to officially name "Maple Leaf Garden" because this time of year, the strawberries, like the team, are the first ones out. (That's okay - I'll wait. ;o))

Planting Before the Rain

After supper tonight, Nolan and I ventured outside to plant some potatoes in the condo and some carrots in the trough. We're looking at a few days of rain ahead of us so I wanted to get out there before it starts.

I picked up a few purple seed potatoes at the Co-op a couple of weeks ago. I'd never seen them before - having always stuck to boring ole Yukon Gold - but thought we'd give them a try. I was told at the counter that they're good potatoes, just don't mash them because they'll turn grey and kids won't eat them then. Note taken. I'm thinking a blue potato salad might look kind of neat. A little early to be thinking about that, I suppose.

Back to the condo. We shoveled some soil into the condo and Nolan carefully placed the potatoes. He's very particular, you know. Then, more dirt on top and, Bob's your uncle...






Next, we piled the dirt into the carrot trough and planted it about three-quarters full of The Cottage Gardener's Colourful Carrot Mix. The rest of this trough and the new one that Paul built earlier this year will hold Little Finger Carrots. We'll save that for another day.

Strawberries and Frogs

My back is killing me and I'm sunburnt. You know why that's great? It means I got lots done in the garden this weekend.

My wee little strawberry patch was in desperate need of help. Who invented grass, anyway? I spent hours pulling dandelions and grass. I must admit, I suddenly understood why pesticides and such came to be. However, it's done now and looks so much better. Looks like I lost several plants over the winter but I picked up a bundle of them last week and in they went today.

My helper, Nolan, waterer-extraordinaire, I might add, assisted me with some of the digging and watering. And what a worm-finder! That boy's got a gift, I tell ya. During our breaks, which at times were frequent, we'd head out to one of the bogs and hunt for frogs. Like this one...


Over the weekend, I think we found a grand total of seven. We also took a look at this website and we'll see if we can contribute.

Our neighbour Greg was able to reconnect his tractor and tiller after 'converting' it into something else (and forgetting how the belt laid out - says he'll take pictures next time :o) ) and was good enough to drive it over this afternoon for our use. The garden, much to Paul's chagrin, is going to be bigger again this year. There's a good chance I, too, will regret this as weeding gets out of hand at the best of times, but, what the heck? We've got the room so might as well make it productive. And, yes, I admit, it may kill me, but I figure, with Nolie by my side digging up weeds (mostly) and never ever drowning plants - Look Mum, muck! - I've got it covered.

This week I'm looking forward to more blackfly bites (well, maybe not) and an achey back. And soon, the first strawberries. Mmmm.

The Colour of Spring

The greens of the tulips, daylilies and irises emerged from their winter slumber in the last couple of weeks but no colour yet - until now. On the way out to the garage this morning, I noticed some purple hyacinth; that wonderfully scented flower that spells spring. And, judging by the picture, it also spells 'time to weed'.

Prei

We have a sickie today. Ri's tummy isn't quite right so she, Nolie and I are at home. And since I hadn't yet got to it, today seemed like the ideal day to start some leeks. I'll admit right here that I've never attempted to grow them before so this will be a learning experience. Let's face it though, every season is a learning experience whether you're growing something for the first time or the tenth.

I chose a French heirloom leek called Bleu de Solaise (Blue Solaize) from the Cottage Gardener. This variety's blue leaves turn violet after a cold spell and are extremely cold-resistant and hardy. They can remain in the ground in winter until the ground is frozen and has to be chipped away. I'll let you know next December how that turns out. Paul has a recipe from his Mum for a wonderful dish that we call prei - prei is actually the Dutch word for leek. Mmmm. With any luck we'll be eating prei freshly dug late next fall.

We also started the tomatoes a week or so ago. I've never had any luck starting seeds - they always end up so leggy and weak...and dead. This year, damn it, will be the exception.

I pilfered the light from the utility room and swapped out the bulbs for grow lights. Paul attached the light to the ceiling, we wheeled the pump organ under it, stacked a few boxes of mason jars and set the seedlings under the light. That pump organ is a handy ole thing, wish I could play it. Riley can play a mean chopsticks on it. Anyhoo, the tomatoes look okay so far.

This year I'm trying Amish Paste, Bloody Butcher, Brandywine, Isis Candy, and Mule Team. I grew a couple of Isis Candies, a cherry tomato, last year, and it was a favourite of the kids. The Amish Paste will replace the Romas that I didn't have time to can last year. Not sure how I ended up with Brandywine but who's complaining. And who could resist the other two, Mule Team and Bloody Butcher. They're worth trying just for the names - like last year's Box Car Willie. And if they don't work out, there's always plant sales.

What a great time of year. And soon, the peas will go in...

The Herb Garden

My wee Nolie is sick today. He started the morning crawling into bed with me around 6 and complained of a sore tummy. I rubbed his belly and then he showered me with kisses. This probably means I'm doomed to catch whatever he has. Even so, there's nothing like hugs and kisses to start the day.

Right now he's playing Indiana Jones on the xbox and starting to get a bit of colour back. Hopefully, we're in for a quick recovery. My fingers are crossed.

We've had a big melting of snow in the last few days. Temps today may even hit 10. From the livingroom window, I can see some of my herbs peaking through their white winter hideaway. And my thoughts turn to spring.

There's a few herbs in the garden; things like lemon balm, chives and oregano. I suppose one could also count the coneflower, evening primrose and bee balm in the front garden, but I tend to think of those as flowers and have never used them as herbs. This year I'd like to add something new.

Richters Herbs is an incredible source for herbs. Dorito and I have made a couple of trips there and I think we're nearing the time for another roadtrip.

Do you have herbs in your garden? Which are your favourite winterhardy, useful herbs?

~Liz

Hope

Over the last year and a half, Paul's job has had its share of ups and downs...actually, come to think of it, there haven't really been any ups. We've seen his shift canceled, the plant closure next year, reduced shifts, temporary shut-downs and now possible bankruptcy. And regardless of what anyone thinks about bailouts, bridge loans and such, it all makes me feel a wee bit stressed. To make things worse, I read the news way too much and have discovered that lots of information isn't necessarily a good thing. Especially when it's information overload on a tanking economy. It all leads me to believe that we're in for some dark times.

This got me thinking about food. Not supper. Or frunch, as Nolan would say. Just food in general. As jobs are lost, will more people want to, or indeed need to, start gardens? Will seeds be harder to come by? Last spring, when I was ordering from my favourite seed place, the Cottage Gardener, I ran into a problem getting some of the veggies that I wanted. No big deal, I found something else, but I wondered if they were sold out because I had left it too late or if it was because more people were ordering. Turns out that they were also backlogged and it was a couple of weeks before they could mail out my order. Again, no problem, but it was unusual. When Dorito and I visited their greenhouse later in May, they told us that they hadn't expected so many orders and as a result, had been working overtime getting the orders out. Sounds like more people were planting backyard gardens.

The day after these thoughts about food and seeds, Sharon Astyk shared a post titled "Are We Seeing the Early Signs of a Seed Availability Crisis?" Interesting reading. And timely. I will say that my outlook tends not to be as severe as Sharon's but her writing is always thoughtful and incredibly thought-provoking. As Theresa at Myriad Things pointed out, Sharon's 2007 & 2008 New Years predictions were pretty bang on and, after reading her for most of this year, I tend to take Sharon's words to heart. Which brings me back to food.

I decided to send the Cottage Gardener an email and see if I could order seeds now and, sure enough, I could. I asked Dorito if there was anything she wanted, she gave me a list and I ordered. And guess what. They arrived today! I do love getting seeds. There's so much hope in them. Hope for spring and the life that returns to the earth. Hope for the bounty that they provide. Hope for the simplicity of it all. And as sappy as it all sounds, they bring hope for the future.

I'm pretty sure we're in for tough times ahead, although I don't think things will get so bad that we'll face another Depression. Hope not. But I don't know. And despite the uncertainty of Paul's job, I doubt that we'll have problems getting food. But again I don't know. These seeds mean we eat in good times and in bad. They mean that we'll have a bounty to share with our friends and our neighbours and our family. (I bought a lot of seeds. ;o)) We'll freeze them, can them, store them and eat well into next winter. Ah, hope.

~Liz