New Experiments in Seeding

It's now late spring, and the weather in Southern California has been all over the place. One day it's  cold and hazy. The next, we get 100 degrees, wind-swept afternoons. The "blood moon" of April 15 really must have brought some strange luck to our atmosphere!  Something bizarre is occurring. In 3 months, just a few inches of rainfall, and we are in the midst of a real drought.  Water conservation is in everyday conversation among Angelenos.  Selecting drought-tolerant plants has become the neighborhood talk.  But then there are people like me, who still want to grow glorious fruits and vegetables this season!  And, so many factors involved in that, from the quality of seeds, to the quality of my soil.  Of course, my composting efforts proved to be less than ideal.  I am trying, but have yet to succeed. I have great space in my backyard, but naturally occurring sandy based soil.  So, I got to thinking, instead of fighting with the soil, constantly amending it, I will just experiment with what is already in the ground.  Here are some things I tried:

Using a trellis horizontally, from top to bottom, various seeds planted in various degrees of sandy soil.

Squash seeds planted in the sandiest soil are actually germinating!

Fennel seeds germinating in soil that was not amended this season.

An experiment to see how seeds might grow in a box instead of the ground or a raised bed.  So far, so good :)

Anomaly of the Week!

I just love fruit and vegetable anomalies!

 I think they are worthy of our attention. Some people may think anomalies are just freaks of nature. Well, they are.  But they are also the very living, breathing fruits and vegetables that grew wild and undisturbed. They never succumbed to human regulations and modifications imposed on our wild food source. Anomalies may look funny, but are just as beautiful and fascinating (and in most cases delicious!), as any perfectly round tomato! 

 

 

 

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Anomaly of the Week!

I just love fruit and vegetable anomalies!

 I think they are worthy of our attention. Some people may think anomalies are just freaks of nature. Well, they are.  But they are also the very living, breathing fruits and vegetables that grew wild and undisturbed. They never succumbed to human regulations and modifications imposed on our wild food source. Anomalies may look funny, but are just as beautiful and fascinating (and in most cases delicious!), as any perfectly round tomato! 

 

 

Source: https://www.facebook.com/dailyhealthtipss?fref=photo

Anomaly of the Week!

I just love fruit and vegetable anomalies!

 I think they are worthy of our attention. Some people may think anomalies are just freaks of nature. Well, they are.  But they are also the very living, breathing fruits and vegetables that grew wild and undisturbed. They never succumbed to human regulations and modifications imposed on our wild food source. Anomalies may look funny, but are just as beautiful and fascinating (and in most cases delicious!), as any perfectly round tomato!

"Buddha's Fingers" lemon at Whole  Foods  td>

 

Farm-Fresh Salad of The Week

Inspired by Sunday's Farmer's Market, designed by yours truly. These sexy and well-balanced salads will help keep your belly full, your blood levels happy, and perhaps even turn you on to new flavors!  Easy to make, salads have 4 ingredients or less. Plus, a great dressing which keeps well in the fridge.

Heirloom Caprese Salad With Homemade Basil Pesto 

This version might look a bit different from the Caprese salads you've had. I like using baby heirlooms, and a pesto topping instead of basil leaves. One hunk of fresh mozzarella in the middle, and there you have it! They served Caprese salad similar to this. Best enjoyed during the summer, but of course, Los Angelinos know that we can enjoy this anytime during the year ;)

Salad:
One Large Ovoline (fresh) mozzarella, cut in half
About 10 Baby Heirloom tomatoes, halved

Dressing:  Drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Top off  mozzarella with basil pesto.

Pesto Recipe: http://myfarmtotable.blogspot.com/2013/12/veronicas-kitchen-day-7-pesto.html

BUON APETITO!

Anomaly of the Week!

I just love fruit and vegetable anomalies!

 I think they are worthy of our attention. Some people may think anomalies are just freaks of nature. Well, they are.  But they are also the very living, breathing fruits and vegetables that grew wild and undisturbed. They never succumbed to human regulations and modifications imposed on our wild food source. Anomalies may look funny, but are just as beautiful and fascinating (and in most cases delicious!), as any perfectly round tomato!

On a front patio of a home on the island of Capri, Italy, (August 2013) 

 

Farm-Fresh Salad of The Week

Hi there, and thanks for tuning in!

Inspired by Sunday's Farmer's Market, designed by yours truly. These sexy and well balanced salads will help keep your belly full, your blood levels happy, and perhaps even turn you on to new flavors!  Easy to make, these salads have 4 ingredients or less. Plus, a great dressing which keeps well in the fridge.

MEDITERRANEAN-STYLE QUINOA SALAD

What's more Mediterranean than cucumbers and tomato?  How about some tahini dressing?  Yes. Add a little sesame-based zing, and you got yourself a satisfying salad.  Quinoa, as you might know, is also a fantastic grain with a low-glycemic index(great for gluten-free eaters), and is jam-packed with protein and other fantastic nutrients. The crunch of cucumbers, and the tangy earthy tomato will complement and round out the flavors.

Salad:
One large heirloom tomato, diced
One persian cucumbers, diced
One green onion chopped (green plus white parts)
One cup cooked quinoa

Optional: Couple sprigs of parsley

Tahini (Goddess) Dressing: (Source:Vegetarian.about.com)

1/2 cup tahini

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

3 cloves garlic

1/2 cup water

2 tbsp dried parsley

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 cup oil

Combine all ingredients, except for the oil to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth and creamy. Slowly add oil until well mixed. Dressing will be thick, but you can always add a bit more water if you prefer a thinner consistency.