This article was orginally published in the Chronicle Journal supplement Horizons:
By the time this article is published, we’ll be watching the closing ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympics and tallying Canada’s medal count. However, those of us who attempt to grow and store our own food will still be in a sprint to the finish. I won’t be focused on Canada’s final results (although I did manage to sneak in a little viewing time); instead I’ll be worried about picking and freezing my green beans. At this time of year, it feels like the days are never long enough to pack everything in and the finish line is still a long way away.
Like the splashy opening ceremonies for the London Olympics, the spring garden is full of potential and hope, not for medals, but for an abundant harvest. The beds are freshly ploughed, the weeds haven’t yet germinated and the varieties of crops to be planted are endless. A snapshot from my garden a month ago shows orderly and (almost) weed-free beds. That certainly isn’t the case now. The hot weather with the occasional rain shower that has been good for most crops, but is also a boon to weeds and pests and so, there is a ton of weeding to be done.
At least the battle with the potato beetles is over and this year I have claimed victory! Daily inspect and squish sessions have left my potato plants intact and I can’t wait for our first serving of boiled new potatoes with
butter and rosemary.
It’s mid-summer and my “to-do” list feels insurmountable as the maturing crops need to be harvested almost daily and preserved by canning, pickling, freezing or drying. Right-I guess we should enjoy some fresh veggies too. This would be the perfect time to experiment with some new recipes from my
ever-growing cookbook collection, but in my mildly stressed-out state I usually rely on old favourites like steamed peas, sautéed green beans or a simple Caprese salad. Then, it’s back to shelling peas and making pickles.
We all want our cold cellars to resemble a Harrowsmith photo shoot, but
in reality I’ll be happy to have enough canned peaches for my daughter’s lunch and a few jars of jam to give away at Christmas. At least my results are based on my own efforts and measured by my family’s appreciation and not arbitrarily evaluated by a judge!
You don’t need to live in the country and plough up a ¼ acre to grow some of your own food. A few simple raised beds in the back yard will do the trick; tuck some edibles into patio pots or pull out those ratty-looking Spireas that never get pruned anyway and create an edible garden in your front yard.
You can create your own podium moment when you harvest your first lettuce
crop or sneak a sweet cherry tomato from the vine. Although my closing ceremonies may be weeks away, I’m thankful for the opportunity to compete in the gardening Olympics and am always looking for ways to improve my performance next year.
Boiled New Potatoes
This isn’t meant to be a recipe more like a guide
to enjoying the waxy, creamy flavour and texture of new potatoes.
You’ll need:
A pound and a half of small new potatoes, preferably “grabbled” from your own plants, otherwise coaxed from a friend with a bumper crop or purchased from your favourite farmer.
2 Tablespoons real butter or a generous glug of good olive oil.
Don’t use margarine or butter substitutes, you’re looking for flavour here
and besides you want to support our dairy farmers, not the edible oil
industry.
3 Tablespoons of your favourite chopped fresh herbs, try: rosemary, chives, dill or mint. Salt to taste.
Boil potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender
when pierced with a fork (approximately 10-15 minutes).
Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.
Halve any larger potatoes (this also gives a good surface for the butter
to adhere to), toss with butter and herbs, season with salt to taste and
enjoy.
By the time this article is published, we’ll be watching the closing ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympics and tallying Canada’s medal count. However, those of us who attempt to grow and store our own food will still be in a sprint to the finish. I won’t be focused on Canada’s final results (although I did manage to sneak in a little viewing time); instead I’ll be worried about picking and freezing my green beans. At this time of year, it feels like the days are never long enough to pack everything in and the finish line is still a long way away.
Like the splashy opening ceremonies for the London Olympics, the spring garden is full of potential and hope, not for medals, but for an abundant harvest. The beds are freshly ploughed, the weeds haven’t yet germinated and the varieties of crops to be planted are endless. A snapshot from my garden a month ago shows orderly and (almost) weed-free beds. That certainly isn’t the case now. The hot weather with the occasional rain shower that has been good for most crops, but is also a boon to weeds and pests and so, there is a ton of weeding to be done.
At least the battle with the potato beetles is over and this year I have claimed victory! Daily inspect and squish sessions have left my potato plants intact and I can’t wait for our first serving of boiled new potatoes with
butter and rosemary.
It’s mid-summer and my “to-do” list feels insurmountable as the maturing crops need to be harvested almost daily and preserved by canning, pickling, freezing or drying. Right-I guess we should enjoy some fresh veggies too. This would be the perfect time to experiment with some new recipes from my
ever-growing cookbook collection, but in my mildly stressed-out state I usually rely on old favourites like steamed peas, sautéed green beans or a simple Caprese salad. Then, it’s back to shelling peas and making pickles.
We all want our cold cellars to resemble a Harrowsmith photo shoot, but
in reality I’ll be happy to have enough canned peaches for my daughter’s lunch and a few jars of jam to give away at Christmas. At least my results are based on my own efforts and measured by my family’s appreciation and not arbitrarily evaluated by a judge!
You don’t need to live in the country and plough up a ¼ acre to grow some of your own food. A few simple raised beds in the back yard will do the trick; tuck some edibles into patio pots or pull out those ratty-looking Spireas that never get pruned anyway and create an edible garden in your front yard.
You can create your own podium moment when you harvest your first lettuce
crop or sneak a sweet cherry tomato from the vine. Although my closing ceremonies may be weeks away, I’m thankful for the opportunity to compete in the gardening Olympics and am always looking for ways to improve my performance next year.
Boiled New Potatoes
This isn’t meant to be a recipe more like a guide
to enjoying the waxy, creamy flavour and texture of new potatoes.
You’ll need:
A pound and a half of small new potatoes, preferably “grabbled” from your own plants, otherwise coaxed from a friend with a bumper crop or purchased from your favourite farmer.
2 Tablespoons real butter or a generous glug of good olive oil.
Don’t use margarine or butter substitutes, you’re looking for flavour here
and besides you want to support our dairy farmers, not the edible oil
industry.
3 Tablespoons of your favourite chopped fresh herbs, try: rosemary, chives, dill or mint. Salt to taste.
Boil potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender
when pierced with a fork (approximately 10-15 minutes).
Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.
Halve any larger potatoes (this also gives a good surface for the butter
to adhere to), toss with butter and herbs, season with salt to taste and
enjoy.
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