Greetings from the "Garden!" This box has winter squash, onions, "potato onions," garlic, carrots,celery root, black radishes, beets, potatoes, and micro greens.
We are both curious to see how this spring compares to last winter. Although we have had warmer temperatures this winter, the lack of snow means that when we have had cold weather the frost has dropped deeper than it did last year as the snow kept the soil warm.
The first of the Asian lady beetles have arrived and this makes Ken most happy. I know many people find them an obnoxious pest, but they do not carry disease like Lymes, West Nile, etc. Why is Ken happy? Well, we can watch the beetles walk up and down the rows of seedlings, and they feast on any insects eating the seedlings such as aphids. And I like them as they eat fungus gnats, tiny little insects like fruit flies that live in potting soil and come out once the February sun is warm.
From the Kitchen. With the cooler temperatures we have had the cook stove going. Ken has been making squash or apple pies. I have been roasting vegetables with meats. Ken and I also love to slow cook shanks with onions, garlic, and assorted vegetables.
We find this to be our season of slow cooking - soups and stews. Ken made a batch of mushroom soup with sauteed mushrooms, sauteed onions, meat and stock with grated potatoes for thickening. He also makes a mean cream of carrot soup with sauteed onions, carrots simmered in stock and run through a blender or food mill. He adds herbs, a hint of nutmeg, and a bit of cream or yogurt. We often have a pot of chili with corn bread made from our flint corn.
I also start sprouting seeds and we have sprout slaw with sprouts, grated carrots, grated black radishes, and minced onions topped with a creamy dressing from herbs, kefir or yogurt, honey, vinegar, salt and pepper.
Now is the time to reserve your vegetables for next season!
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