Happiness is a Bountiful Garden

Where It All Began

I've never been a fan of pre-packaged meals. Seems so simple to buy select ingredients, mix 'em together according to instincts developed at my mother's apron, and presto, dinner! But I must admit, I have rarely prepared my own sauces or jams or chutneys from scratch as I've done this summer. Now, halfway through harvest time, I have a new respect for farmers and a new appreciation of the convenience of convenience food - even just a jar of bottled sauce - tomato or apple.

Planning, measuring, hoeing (didn't do the tilling ourselves), marking, planting, weeding, watering, staking & tieing, smacking pesky bugs with one's fingers, creatively discouraging four-legged pests, more weeding, picking, washing, peeling, coring, slicing, chopping, sauteing, blanching, steaming, shelling, baking, grilling, pureeing, wrapping, freezing, canning, labeling - whoa!

Canned peach jam, basil tomato sauce, carrot-pineapple-orange marmalade

Happiness is working with neighbors, learning new self-sufficiency skills, having the health, the resources, and freedom to do it all. Happiness a bountiful garden, a stocked pantry, and a full freezer - to say nothing of having a ready and willing (Willen?) husband/garden partner/sous chef/clean-up-guy with whom to share the whole experience. I am content.

Cherry Tomatoes & Garlic ala FoodFix.com

Gratitude is My Attitude

As I sit here so proud of our garden team, what we've done this season so far and how it was accomplished, I am struck by the difference between our cooperative local efforts and the discord simultaneously occurring in Washington, D.C. 

Yesterday, a small group of gardeners arrived in the fields early in the morning to "Pick for Manna Foodbank." This was a vision set in motion by Joyce Davis and Al Cutter, which they materialized along with Ross Aiken, Nancy Dhom, Jeanne Grasperge, Judy Price, Zeke Mitchell, Laurel & Bob Schmidt, and Mike Willen. In two and half hours a carload (over 100 pounds) of fresh produce were selected, brushed off, and placed in containers to be transported by Al and Joyce to the foodbank in downtown Asheville.

All summer long, each of our gardeners have managed to go about their own business - getting children off to college, spending time with grandchildren, taking out of town vacations, working full and part time jobs, taking care of loved ones and households near and far - and yet they also were able to give their best effort to growing major crops together. Today the harvest that was donated came from our individual parcels as well as the community crops - without a thought to the politics, religions, values or demographics of those who would eat what we produced. 

The land we've worked all summer was generously loaned to us by a nearby "homesteader", who said he would enjoy our company as he tended his own garden along side the creek that runs by his home. Nature provided us with a headstart and some challenges - bugs, blight, pesky critters and the ever-uncontrollable weather variations, but no one seemed to get discouraged. No one took sides on "how to proceed." No one needed credit for work done or the achievements that came along. Now why can't Congress behave a bit more like our group?

Who knows what changes will "trickle down" on us from the decisions being made in Washington this week. Most likely the future will demand something more from us than we've had to give or do (or do without) in the recent past. In Transition Hendersonville and Transition Asheville, we have a slogan about meeting disruptive changes in the environment or economy, "If you wait for the government, it will be too late; if you do it yourself, it may be too little; if we work on it together, we're sure to thrive."

The High Vista Community Garden team has proven without a doubt that we are and have neighbors with a community with a can do, will do attitude. Together we will thrive.

Follow this link to a "Pick for Manna Foodbank" photo album. And please heed the note from Mike Pace that we found on the bulletin board this morning: DO NOT THROW DISCARDED PLANT MATTER IN THE SPACE BETWEEN OUR FARM AND THE CREEK - IT IS UNSIGHTLY, SMELLY, ATTRACTS PESTS. BURY IT OR TOSS IT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CREEK. I will call Mike to apologize for our transgressions. I'm glad he has communicated with us on this.

Pickin' Happy, an Invitation, And Recipes

I hesitate to call out the team for group harvesting of beans, since they really do need to eaten quickly after picking and when I put out a call for those I picked recently, they sat on my kitchen counter with no takers for more than a day. (Same thing happened to Lexi when she picked squash for everyone.) So, please, please don't let those plants toil for no reason. Pick and eat at your veggies (see the bean recipe by Joan Neeman and two squash recipes gathered by yours truly at the end of this entry - and keep more recipes coming).

Based on Mary Alice's estimate of production possibilities from the tomatoes as well as what I'm seeing of the crook neck squash and bush beans, we really have to begin serious consideration of donating and/or preserving some of the harvest. I propose a meeting/pot luck on Sunday, July 10, from 5 to 7:30 pm to plan for the future of our harvest. Please let me know if you can make the pot luck. Location to be announced (anyone volunteering their home, please let me know).

I've been forgetting to bring my camera to the garden, ... 'uh, Farm, when I go down to work, but the crops have been totally enjoying the long hot days and generous rain we received this summer, so far. The rain has freed up Peter Steurer and Claude Grasperge, our water barrel keepers, from the daunting task of filling from the stream. Peter was able to get away with Mary Alice to their son Adam's Freshman Orientation at NC State. (Seems like Adam has inherited his parents' values along with their genes; he's entering a multi-disciplinary, inquiry-based program focusing on World Population and Food.) Claude went to Florida and Louisiana, and is probably still wondering why he agreed to travel south in the summer (you're a good man, CG.)

Both men have contributed hugely to the success of our enterprise. Peter has selected and applied several organic pest control approaches to address multiple problems: potato beetles, flea beetles, Japanese beetles, and tomato horn worms, among others. Claude has assured a bountiful harvest with his tender care of over 100 tomato plants. Jim Dhom fought off the "attack of the ground hogs" to plant several successions of corn, which I think are so cute now in their various stages of development. Big brother, little brother is what they look like to me. All our crop leaders and team members have been diligent, even with their many out of town trips. We conquered the weeds, for the most part, and now onto the work of harvesting and preserving - and possibly reseeding.

I did attend the NC Extension Service workshop on Canning and Preserving and came away with tons of information and "The Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving," which has step by step instructions (with pictures) and recipes! I have extra handouts to share and I found out that they will loan pressure canning equipment for free for limited time periods, like a library book.

I'm gratified by the veggies I've already eaten from our field crops and Mike and my personal garden. I was elated to see the first pink/white/purple flowers on the Cherokee Trail of Tear Heritage Black Beans we started from seeds donated by a friend in Transition Hendersonville. I've got two of those plants growing on our back deck at home that have gone beyond the height of the house and are reaching for the sky on fallen branches Mike dragged out of the woods! Last night I made zucchini sweet bars from the field crop that you'd swear were apple crisps. Yum! (recipe at end of blog.)

RECIPE BOX

From Joan Neeman: In case you aren't sure what you'd want to do with beans you harvest, here is a favorite of mine:

 

                                     BEANS IN MUSTARD MARINADE

 

1 lb green beans

1 lb wax beans

3 Tbsp white vinegar

2 Tbsp drained capers

2 Tbsp mustard (either regular yellow or dijun)

2 1/2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 cup salad oil

At least 2 1/2 hours before serving, in a 4 qt saucepan over high heat, add beans to one inch boiling water. Return to boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 5-10 minutes, until beans are tender/crisp, and drain. Mix with remaining ingredients and refrigerate at least 2 hours to blend flavors.

This works well with leftovers, is more like a pickle....and keeps quite a while in the refrigerator.

ZUCCHINI DESSERT BARS

(Note: this is very sweet!)

4 c flour, 2 c sugar, .5 tsp ground cinnamon, .5 tsp salt, 1.5 c cold butter or margarine

FILLING:

8 - 10 c diced, seeded, peeled zucchini (4 - 5 lbs), 2/3 c lemon juice, 1 c sugar, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, .5 tsp ground nutmeg

Prepare your ingredients before beginning.

Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly; reserve 3 cups. Pat remaining crumb mixture into bottom of a 13x9x2" baking pan. Bake at 375 for 12 minutes. Meanwhile, for filling, place zucchini and lemon juice in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 6-8 minutes or until zucchini is crisp-tender. Stir in sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg; cover and simmer for 5 minutes (mixture will be thin.) Spoon over crust; sprinkle with the reserved crumb mixture. Bake at 375 for 40 - 45 minutes or until golden. Yield: 16-20 squares.

Note: Next time, I think I'll make this using oatmeal instead of flour and way less sugar.

ZUCCHINI CAKES WITH MUSHROOM RAGOUT

(Haven't tried this yet, but it sounds great)

Nonstick cooking spray

1/2 medium zucchini, shredded (1 c)

1 8.5 oz package corn muffin mix

1 c shredded cheddar cheese (4 oz)

1/4 c milk

1 egg

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

12 oz assorted mushrooms, quartered (4.5 c)

1 c drained bottled roasted red sweet peppers

1. Preheat oven to 400. Lightly coat twelve 2.5 inch muffin cups with cooking spray; set aside
2. Combine zucchini, muffin mix, cheese, milk, egg, and cayenne pepper in a bowl; spoon evenly into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 11 - 14 minutes till golden.
3. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook 3 - 4 minutes or till tender, stirring occassionally. Season with salt and pepper. Place roasted peppers in blender, cover; blend until nearly smooth.
4. Arrange 3 cakes on each plate with some of the mushrooms and pepper sauce.

Makes 4 services.

Veggies Anyone?

Recommended Vegetable Recipes by High Vista Gardeners

From Joyce Davis

swiss chard 

Wash, chop into large pieces, stalks and all, then add nuts and cranberries.  Sautee it in garlic. Serve it hot/warm with feta cheese sprinkled on top.  

Note: I would have used pine nuts, but didn't have any so used shopped brazil nuts and almonds, i.e. whatever you have on hand.  It was surprisingly good.

Tomato Plants -- Layout by Variety

Below is a link to a spreadsheet that shows the community garden tomato plants by variety. The Rutgers are on the far end away from the bulletin board.
Mary Alice


https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?hl=en_US&hl=en_US&key=0Ald9ERJ770scdDY5MnlGYlhUd2JOc0VHNjRrcjRQbkE&output=html

Taking Flight

Thank you, Jim, for planting the first corn today. Thus, our field crops are officially in! Mary Alice and I carefully inspected all the tomato plants and found and eliminated more than one kind of beetle. We also removed the tiny flowers that had appeared as we're told the plants are too small and need to continue to use their strength to grow before producing fruit. We are hoping that they'll shoot up in this warmer weather and thus get ahead of the bugs. Otherwise, we'll have to take more aggressive action.

Mary Alice was kind enough to spray my eggplant with Pyrethrium and it seemed to be a lot more effective against the flea beetles than the Safe Insecticidal Soap.

We thinned out some of the Tenderette bush beans by transplanting some to the empty half row where the Green Dragon beans seemed to have failed to germinate. We decided to wait a bit to see which of the remaining plants to remove for thinning, so we can select those that look scrawniest to throw away. Looks like we didn't really need to plant two beans at a time in each hole, since they've all come up!

Here are some pix from the garden today. Reminders: wear bug spray - the gnats and skeeters are out since there's been rain. Be sure to check for ticks very carefully when you leave the garden - lots of folks have found them on their clothes, bodies and hair. Weed early, weed often - the weeds are very prevalent until they are shaded by the growth of leafy plants. Mike and I took our cue from the Dhoms/Stricklands and others who put down weed control paper and then mulched - hoping that will save us some back breaking work.

I had an amazing experience this morning when Mike and I watched a blue bird fledge from the box for her (?) first flight. She flew directly for the largest structure around, which was our house - and clung to a screened kitchen window while deciding what to make of this big beautiful world. I'm posting a picture of that first bird and video I took of the second (it's shaky and rough - shot thru the screen).

Life is good!

6 Corn Rows Planted

Summer Squash a Growin'

Pole Beans in circles

Tiny tomatoes with flowers

And a blurry video of bluebird leaving the box on his first flight

Lots of Garden Activity

I can't believe how many times I've been to the garden recently sans camera. What a shame, since the climate seems to have been just right for our crops. The beans (all of them) and squash are visibly growing each day, and we have flowers on our tomato plants!! I think the corn is going in sooner than I expected. Expect contact from your crop leaders to keep after planting, thinning, and maintenance tasks.

I'm posting a photo of the terrific bulletin board designed and constructed by Ross and Karen Akin. What a great team we have!

Also posted below is a photo of a beetle I pulled off one of our tomato plants at the garden today (Actually there were 2 of them. I hate to kill anything, so I only sacrificed one to be able to bring it home and take the picture.) Anyone know what it is and whether we need to do something about this alien species?

And while we're on the subject of pests, everyone's eggplants are becoming infested with bugs. If you look carefully on the underside of the leaves, you'll see tiny white larvae, which I believe then become tiny black voracious eaters. You'll see the top of the eggplant leaves already showing a spotted, mottled look. I've been spraying my eggplant since last weekend with a Safe Insecticidal Soap, but I don't know it it's going to work. I have/had the same problem with eggplant on my deck planted in containers, but not till later in the season. The same critters also love bok choi and pansies, apparently, because I've had to spray those like crazy on the deck also. Any suggestions will be welcome.

The weather report is for the rain to end and warm, sunny days ahead, so let's keep ahead of the weeding. See you in the dirt.