Transforming Winter "Blues" to Winter "Greens"

This time of year is usually associated with cozy, indoor activities like cooking hearty dishes, curling up with a good book, or snuggling with a partner over classic movies. But it can also be the season of the blues, the "winter blues", those feelings that are so famously sung about, and that discourage one from getting out and doing those things we left behind in the summer.  Yet, during these shorter, colder days, with a little bit of work and creativity, the winter blues can be transformed into winter greens!  All you need is a little inspiration, a planting guide to winter edibles, and the curiosity of a kid.

This is the first year I try my hand at winter gardening, and there was nothing terribly detailed about my plan. I simply pulled out my dried out summer plants, amended those spots with organic compost mix, and reassessed the sunniest spaces where I  can maximize growth. I cheated a bit by buying a few seedlings from my favorite nursery (like the cabbages, spinach, broccoli), just because I had a late start this season. However I decided that my root veggies (carrots, onions, beets), as well as my lettuces,  will be started from seed.  This is still a work  in progress as the planting will be in various stages.

Next to the bell peppers, some space for 2 spinach plants

Where the tomatoes once occupied; Broccoli, and two kinds of cabbage

A spot with amended soil, where carrots will soon befriend hot peppers

There's something invigorating about putting your hands in soil, no matter the season.  Here I built a 4x4 planting box, leaving the bottom open to concrete, and filled it with premium organic potting soil. I laid down 4 rows of organic and non-organic seeds: arugula, swiss chard, broccoli raab, and leafy lettuce. Can't wait to see what grows!

Finally, who said you even need any horizontal ground space to grow edibles?
Thanks to innovators and "outside the box" thinkers like this guy who posted a video on how to plant 'vertically', nothing is impossible. For those who have smaller spaces and resources to contend with, here is a fantastically creative way to grow an edible plant.

Time-tasted Tomatoes

 

Ahhh... winter in L.A....
Rain is coming down, heaters are turned on, and hopefully you've got someone warm with whom to cuddle. As for my waning tomato plants, I find I'm stuck with a couple stragglers; green tomatoes whose fate is undetermined. The likelihood of these guys reaching their prime lusty red on the vine is low. So, I consulted a couple sources and learned about alternatives to ripening on the windowsill (which is not always guaranteed to expedite the process). I found that placing unripe tomatoes in a box along with other fruit is a proven method to help the fruit make its color transition. In this instance since I had just a couple small Early Girl tomatoes, I used a shoebox. I lined the bottom of the box with crumpled up newspaper, then placed the tomatoes alongside half-ripened thick-skinned fruits from my garden (grapefruit, lemons, peppers). I closed the box and let these guys hang out on my kitchen counter at a desirable 70 degrees F, checking the box every couple days to make sure nothing was going bad and no fruit flies are accidentally trapped in there (cause you know that's not a good scenario, haha). So, after about a week, voila!....tomatoes were shiny red and ready to eat!

Tasty Tip:  Take your ripened tomatoes, chop them along with a couple Persian cucumbers, add cubed feta cheese, black kalamata olives, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. If you got some chopped fresh mint, basil or oregano, add those. If not, get yourself a nice dried herb mix(I personally love the versatile "Herbes de Provence").  If you have them, add  some chopped walnuts to the mix for that extra satiety factor, and there you have a tangy, delicious Greek salad. You got your protein, your calcium, your vitamins, and overall a low-carb, highly filling salad. Very tasty!

 

Capricorn, Capra, the Goat

The season of the Capricorn fast approaches, and goats are on our mind! Well, on mine at least...

After the Soledad Goat Farm tour in October, we had an increased level of interest among meetup members to see a real working goat farm. So, thanks to one of our members, Moti, she suggested Drake Family Farms in Ontario, CA for our next meetup. Moti is also an intern there and is a fascinating person who is truly connected and devoted to the community gardening/farming initiative. On Saturday, November 3rd, we enjoyed a special day at the farm where owner Dan Drake provided us an in-depth tour of the goat cheese production process, followed by a tasting of their artisanal cheeses. Needless to say, first timers were truly thrilled at meeting these docile creatures, and those who were more curious gained in-depth information on the kind of lifestyle, challenges, and financial realities of operating a goat cheese business.

A perfect Southern California sunny day for a  neat learning opportunity about the goat-cheese process, from milking, to draining, to ripening. So much goes into this, and the final products are simply fantastic!

Like many cheese loving friends, I have developed a special love and affinity for a good goat cheese, or "chevre". Look at the French, they have perfected it for centuries. It is also quite versatile as an ingredient in recipes like creamy fettucini,  stuffed peppers, lasagna. Or just simply spread onto crackers or crusty bread with a  nice glass of Rioja or Merlot!  mm...mmmm....Also, goat cheese is naturally more alkaline and digestible than cow's milk.  It's a good source of vitamins and minerals. After all, these goats are free-roaming and relatively stress-free! So, you're getting a product close to what our ancestors lived on. Pure, unadulterated, straight from the land.....now how much better can it get?

Purple Reign

Purple is the color of royalty, and undoubtedly, the richest, heartiest, and most stunning vegetables that reign my garden are my purple bell peppers and Japanese eggplants. Every time I watch the bell pepper plant begin to flower and bud, I marvel at the wondrous, dark, regal skin slowly take its full "bell" shape (You won't see this color so readily in the standard markets, not the ones I go to)....

Oh, and the full-bodied promise of the eggplant....mmm...You know that with smaller eggplants you don't even need to drain their bitter juice like you do with standard ones. You can cut and start cooking. That's one less step!  On a couple occasions, I've created a more "compact" version of an eggplant parmeggiano using this smaller variety, by layering slices in a small Pyrex dish, which works just as fine.

Most of the time, however, I just like to grab whatever's growing and make a mixed roasted vegetables dish, Mediterranean style.

SIMPLE ROASTED VEGGIES:
*2  Bell Peppers(any color) cut into strips of 1/4 inches thick
*2-3 Small Eggplants (japanese, Italian), cut into approx. 1 inch thick pieces.

*1 large Red Onion, cut in 1/2 inch thick rings
*1/4 cup mix chopped fresh herbs(oregano, thyme, rosemary)
*1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil
*Salt and pepper to taste
*Preheat 425-degree oven, mix all above together. Lay out veggies in a single layer on a flat roasting pan, or aluminum pan. Roast until tender. You will definitely know when they're done when the fantastic fragrance fills the kitchen. What makes this even more flavorful? Adding couple cups of chopped white mushrooms (try to buy organic).  Try this on top of pasta, add some parmesan cheese, and you got yourself a fresh, mouth-watering dinner.  Or just simply serve your roasted Mediterranean vegetables as a side to a fish or chicken dish. Divine!


Japanese eggplant about a third way to maturity