Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Seedstarting: Stuff that works
Yes, I'm doing a lot of gardening-related posts lately. I expect I'll do more. Gardening is almost as big a love of mine as music, and knowing what to do is likely to be worthwhile, sooner or later.
So I was looking at starting some seeds for a fall/winter crop. Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, USDA Zone 9ish (maybe 8.5), I can grow hardy stuff all winter long.
I went out to the tool shed to dig out my seed starter flats. I have a couple of "self-watering" kits originally from Gardener's Supply in Vermont. They're part of the APS (Accelerated Propagation System) line of seed starting trays. I discovered that I have everything but the dome lids to keep the moisture in until the seeds germinate. Rather than lose two weeks to hunting around for lids I might never find, I went to the Internet. And I discovered that not only do the folks at Gardener's Supply have additional APS kits; they have replacement parts.
I could have just gotten replacement lids. But I decided to replace the capillary mats too, because they're getting old.
Total cost for replacements and spares: $27. Cost to replace the APS units: $40 plus shipping. Mission accomplished; now I just need to wait for the stuff to arrive in about two weeks.
In the meantime, I may start fava beans and peas direct in the garden, or I might wait a few weeks for the weather to cool off a bit.
So I was looking at starting some seeds for a fall/winter crop. Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, USDA Zone 9ish (maybe 8.5), I can grow hardy stuff all winter long.
I went out to the tool shed to dig out my seed starter flats. I have a couple of "self-watering" kits originally from Gardener's Supply in Vermont. They're part of the APS (Accelerated Propagation System) line of seed starting trays. I discovered that I have everything but the dome lids to keep the moisture in until the seeds germinate. Rather than lose two weeks to hunting around for lids I might never find, I went to the Internet. And I discovered that not only do the folks at Gardener's Supply have additional APS kits; they have replacement parts.
I could have just gotten replacement lids. But I decided to replace the capillary mats too, because they're getting old.
Total cost for replacements and spares: $27. Cost to replace the APS units: $40 plus shipping. Mission accomplished; now I just need to wait for the stuff to arrive in about two weeks.
In the meantime, I may start fava beans and peas direct in the garden, or I might wait a few weeks for the weather to cool off a bit.
Labels: APS, gardens, seed starting
Sunday, September 06, 2009
Salsa is easy
And here I'm not talking about the musical type, but if you want to imagine some hot, sexy salsa music going in the background while you read this, go ahead. :)
I have a garden, and long about this time every year, that garden gives me more tomatoes than I know what to do with. So I make salsa as one way of using and being thankful for that bounty.
Here's what I do:
First, I peel a half-dozen or so cloves of garlic, from the bounty of garlic I harvested in late June. The easy way to do this is to cut the bottom off the clove with a sharp kitchen knife, lay the flat of the knife on top of the clove, and whack it gently with the heel of your hand to semi-crush the clove. This loosens the skin sufficiently that you can just peel it off and toss it into the container of stuff going back out to the compost pile. Toss the cloves into the food processor.
Next, add a couple of chili peppers of your favorite heat level. This time I used two jalapenos I got from a friend who owns one of the wineries I play at; in the past I've grown these. I removed most of the seeds to keep the heat level manageable for me. To do this, you cut the stem end off the pepper and then slit it open lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds with the knife or a teaspoon, and add them and the stem to the compost.
CAUTION: If you get the pepper juice on your hands, DON'T RUB YOUR EYES or any other sensitive flesh until you've cleaned your hands THOROUGHLY. It *will* hurt if you don't pay attention to this.
Next, add the equivalent of one small onion, in big chunks, to the food processor. Once again, these are easy to grow in the average home garden, and most years I'd be using my own onions.
Now, run the food processor on high until everything is chopped and shredded into little bits. It won't take long, and it's a lot faster this way than chopping by hand.
At this point, I scrape all of the stuff in the food processor out into a separate bowl, but you can also add your tomatoes right in and mix it all together.
Cut up half a dozen or so tomatoes, more if they're smaller and fewer if they're huge. If your tomatoes are about 3" in diameter, use 6 or 7. Cut out the stem end and quarter them. Toss them in the food processor, and run the food processor until all the big chunks are gone.
If you took the other stuff out before adding tomatoes, now add your tomatoes to the onions, garlic, and peppers mix and stir thoroughly.
Presto! You're done!
At this point, you can add other stuff if you feel like it, to adjust the flavor. I used a quarter lime and some chipotle powder. If the salsa is too spicy, add more tomatoes. If you like cilantro, chop and add some.
Serves a roomful of people, alongside a bag or bowl of tortilla chips. Or use it in Mexican dishes of various sorts. If you grew all of the ingredients, let your friends know - be proud.
I have a garden, and long about this time every year, that garden gives me more tomatoes than I know what to do with. So I make salsa as one way of using and being thankful for that bounty.
Here's what I do:
First, I peel a half-dozen or so cloves of garlic, from the bounty of garlic I harvested in late June. The easy way to do this is to cut the bottom off the clove with a sharp kitchen knife, lay the flat of the knife on top of the clove, and whack it gently with the heel of your hand to semi-crush the clove. This loosens the skin sufficiently that you can just peel it off and toss it into the container of stuff going back out to the compost pile. Toss the cloves into the food processor.
Next, add a couple of chili peppers of your favorite heat level. This time I used two jalapenos I got from a friend who owns one of the wineries I play at; in the past I've grown these. I removed most of the seeds to keep the heat level manageable for me. To do this, you cut the stem end off the pepper and then slit it open lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds with the knife or a teaspoon, and add them and the stem to the compost.
CAUTION: If you get the pepper juice on your hands, DON'T RUB YOUR EYES or any other sensitive flesh until you've cleaned your hands THOROUGHLY. It *will* hurt if you don't pay attention to this.
Next, add the equivalent of one small onion, in big chunks, to the food processor. Once again, these are easy to grow in the average home garden, and most years I'd be using my own onions.
Now, run the food processor on high until everything is chopped and shredded into little bits. It won't take long, and it's a lot faster this way than chopping by hand.
At this point, I scrape all of the stuff in the food processor out into a separate bowl, but you can also add your tomatoes right in and mix it all together.
Cut up half a dozen or so tomatoes, more if they're smaller and fewer if they're huge. If your tomatoes are about 3" in diameter, use 6 or 7. Cut out the stem end and quarter them. Toss them in the food processor, and run the food processor until all the big chunks are gone.
If you took the other stuff out before adding tomatoes, now add your tomatoes to the onions, garlic, and peppers mix and stir thoroughly.
Presto! You're done!
At this point, you can add other stuff if you feel like it, to adjust the flavor. I used a quarter lime and some chipotle powder. If the salsa is too spicy, add more tomatoes. If you like cilantro, chop and add some.
Serves a roomful of people, alongside a bag or bowl of tortilla chips. Or use it in Mexican dishes of various sorts. If you grew all of the ingredients, let your friends know - be proud.
Labels: do it yourself, food, gardens, garlic, onions, salsa, tomatoes
