This is the Spring to get growing a vegetable garden!
With so much up in the air dealing with COVID19, I am soothed knowing the ground beneath my feet is here for me.
Gardening can be a great escape that also keeps you: going outside and getting sun, moving while the gyms are closed, feeding you healthy food, …which all seem like pretty good reasons to go ahead and plant a (bigger) garden this Spring!
Let’s Dig In!
Victory Gardens were a sign of national patriotism back in the days between WWI and WWII.
Even schools had gardens, which I am happy to say was already well on it’s way to making a comeback! This school garden influx is tied with the national push for Farm to School eating in school lunches!
Those home gardens focused on quick to perish or easy to store at home foods. Home Grown veggies could be found in over half of American’s lawns for a few years! To put that into numbers, “by 1944, an estimated 20 million victory gardens produced roughly 8 million tons of food—which was the equivalent of more than 40 percent of all the fresh fruits and vegetables consumed in the United States,” according to the History Channel.
The Agricultural Departments also urged us to keep our chickens, ‘two for each family member’ and I’d be happy to help you get started with that too 😉 I’ve got an article, Chickens in the Hood all about that!
During these uncertain times, I simply feel better knowing I am doing something (anything) to prepare and plan for the future. Of course, I already loved growing food, so growing more makes sense. For those of you not used to digging in and planting there are a few tips to get you planting a successful garden.
Basic Garden Tips
Plant what you will eat.
Plant in the sun, near water if possible.
Fence it in, because critters want to eat fresh veggies too.
Add compost, good soil matters.
Grow Vertically to keep the garden footprint small.
Plant Diversity
Consider planting a few fast growing crops like greens (lettuce, spinach) and more expensive herb plants- which also are things that you need to keep going to a store to keep buying ‘fresh’. Beets, radishes, kohlrabi and kale are all ready to harvest in 45 days. Bush beans are another crop that is ready in 60 days, and beans are truly one of the easiest plants to grow!
Or try something like cucumbers that most families love- and if you get too many, quick refrigerator pickles keep well- or go all out and make homemade pickles and slowly become just as addicted to homegrown as I am 😉
There are also lots of plants to grow inside, from salad gardens to microgreens. This is also still time to start some seeds indoors, tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, kale. Only onions, celery and peppers are really past their prime for starting indoors.
The satisfaction of knowing you’ve got a plan feels almost as good it will to pick that first ripe green bean, carrot or tomato later this summer. If you want to really go for it you can plant two crops in a row of many crops (yes even in Minnesota). This technique is called succession planting.
Why Garden
For most of us, gardening is a leisure activity, and I think there’s a very good reason gardening ahs been on the rise right along side technology use and stress- because it decreases stress and gets us into the real world. In real time.
Right now, with so many things are out of our control, this is one way to work with the rhythm of nature and take back a little control over our food in a way that keeps us healthy on so many levels!
Get a Garden Plan
So, I urge you to start a garden, even a tomato in a pot, a few feet of climbing beans or a salad garden this spring. If you want to learn more about putting in a sustainable vegetable garden, I’ve got “Dig Into Vegetable Gardening” + “Companion Planting” classes coming up online. Check my Classes + Consults Page to register.
But keep in mind that plants want to grow, that’s their job! If you give them soil, sun, water and protection from animals, the plants will reward you for your help!
Growing your own salad greens is one of the easiest ways to kick start spring – or prolong fall growing. Greens are fast growing, nutritious, and delicious. And like every early spring after a long winter, it’s a great time to have something to nurture that will nurture you back in a few short weeks.
It’s also a great project to introduce kids to the basics of gardening as lettuce greens grow FAST- as close to instant gratification as growing food gets!
You don’t need much in the way of supplies to get started; just a container, some potting mix and a few seeds. If you happen to have a grow light, great- but once the Spring Equinox arrives, (or as the fall equinox tolls) even up north in Minnesota, a southern facing window will grow good greens. So let’s get planting!
Container
After picking many salads from this container it is still growing strong on the 4th of July!
Any container with holes will do; so you’ll need a drip pan/saucer too. If you have used the pot before, please take the time to Disinfect it (wash in warm soapy water, then soak in a 1:9 bleach solution for 10+ minutes (I leave mine in the water for a few hours).
Potting Mix (NOT soil!)
Potting mix is sterile and gives baby seedlings the best chance of growing past the delicate first few days when they are prone to ‘damping off’ which are pathogens (fungi and bacteria) that break down the tiny stems. Many solid brands exist; Epsoma, Burpee, Miracle Grow, a smaller company, called Purple Cow Organics is available at small shops near me as well, like Bachmans, Hugo Feed Mill and Hedberg Landscape. Some of these businesses are offering pay ahead and curbside pickup during the Covid19 outbreak.
Seeds
There are so many lettuce ‘greens’ combinations it’s deliciously staggering! The basic types of lettuces are leaf lettuce, butterheads, crisp heads and romaine.
My best advice is just to grow what you will eat! But for the beauty of it, add in some reds too 😉 Lolla Rosa, Red Iceberg, Red Salad Bowl, Rouge D’Hiver ( I added scarlet kale in the video).
Try growing more salad items in the same pot- radishes, basil, dill, cilantro.
Kids love the flavor combos!
Many Seed companies sell a “Salad Mix” that include a variety of shapes and colors all maturing around the same time. Here’s a link to my favorite seed companies and their online + mailed seed catalogs for fun lettuce variety browsing!
Leaf lettuces:
These are typically pick and come again types that you’ll pick a few outer leaves and let the plant keep growing, these are best for a small container garden.
Mesclun:
This is baby leaf lettuce mix; traditionally of leaf lettuce, arugula, endive, chervil – now we’ve gone flavor crazy and add in spinach, kale, mizuna, Swiss chard, mustard greens, frisée, mâche, radicchio, sorrel… and I love it!
Butterhead:
These are the tender the bib lettuces, soft and sweet, great for wrapping . They do form a head, but its looser and you can harvest the outer leaves like other cut and come again types.
Crisphead:
Icebergs fall into this category. Typically having tighter heads and crisp structured leaves, these are best suited to grow to maturity and be taken as one full head, doing well as either the ‘last lettuce standing’ left in a container, or being transplanted out into a garden bed once the weather warms.
Before jumping onto the next variety, just remember how much more flavor all homegrown veggies have compared to their grocery store counterparts. I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the taste and crunch of a homegrown ice berg!
Romaine:
Romaine’s outer leaves can be tough when you buy it from the grocery, but you can enjoy the outer leaves all season wen you grow it at home! If you can let it grow to a full head it is also amazing on the grill!
There are many other fast growing greens I love, from Mizuna, Cress, Mustard Greens etc. Even radishes grow happily with lettuces. Get as creative as you want, and enjoy the variety of flavors that grow well in a container!
Kale
A special word about kale, since I have a known addiction to this hardiest of garden greens, see this previous blog post for further proof. Please know (and consider) that you can transplant these out into the garden from the container and they will continue to grow and produce through fall’s frosts.
Get Growing
Most lettuce seeds need to be barely pushed into the soil. Some, like spinach, require a mere 1/2″ of soil covering them to germinate. Most germination will happen in a few day, so seeing seeds emerge 3-5 days after planting is a fast reward as well. **Lettuces need on average Six Inches of Soil to grow solid roots.**
Light
We all know plants need light to grow, and lettuce greens are no exception, but they only require part sun, so a sunny window, as long as it’s not in the months surrounding the winter solstice, should grow just fine. If you have an indoor grow light, use it by all means!
The best part about growing in a small container is that you can move it. Eventually, being able to bring it outside, leaving it on a deck or balcony, after ‘hardening off’ the lettuce seedlings… If you have questions about seed starting in general check out my Seed Starting 101 blog.
I hope you try your hand at growing a little salad bar garden of your own! Let me know which are your favorite varieties, and of course ask any questions!
The more I garden, the more in awe I am of the soil that helps it grow.
This is a great time of year to dig into- yes even under the snow- and get a soil sample. You’ll be digging up a better understanding how to help your garden grow!
A deeper understanding of the earth that grows our food leads to a deeper respect for it. And I believe the earth could use a little more respect right now!
let’s Dig in!
There are two main options out there for soil testing. Home tests and Laboratory Testing Services. Both of the soil tests check for the basics: Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium/Potash and Soil pH levels. From there things diverge. Let’s take a look at which test might be right for you.
The Home Test
For years my kids have
looked forward to doing the home version of testing our soil in early spring,
mostly because they get to be ‘soil scientists’ 😊. Letting
them dig up the dirt and pour it and the chemicals into the ‘chemistry tubes’
went a long way to getting my kids into gardening. We bought a version just
like This One which cost $15 and has lasted three years (with multiple uses
each year).
The simple DIY way of
buying a soil test kit will give you general results, telling you if anything
is WAY off. Because these tests are done at home they’re quick, and have enough
product/test strips to test many times. If you just want a general idea if a
soil is nitrogen deficient this is a good option. PS: they also sell slick digital soil pH testers if that’s what you
really care about.
Laboratory Soil Test
The U of MN, through CFANS, College of Food, Agriculture
and Natural Resource Sciences, has a simple online test submission process, and
**if you get in before the rush** a quick two week turn-around time. Use the
Lawn & Garden form, I checked for “Vegetable Garden”.
Most University/ extension
services provide a few different levels of testing, and recommendations. If you
plan on planting near a road that gets lots of winter salt plowed up on it, you
can check for the “soluble salts test” and you can even test for lead if
suspected. They have all the instructions and options laid out on their
online forms. The basic soil test costs $17. I had two
done earlier this year at the same time to compare spots in my yard.
Soil Science Notes
Disclaimer: I’m just getting started when it comes to understanding what is going on under the ground. Soil is unfathomably intricate and in constant flux. So, starting to understand it can seem daunting.
For example, “there are more microbes in a teaspoon of soil than there are people in on the earth”.
Yup, daunting.
But, like with all things worth understanding in the garden and in life; when we take small steps, we can eventually cover a lot of ground. You’ll soon ‘get it’ enough to make a real difference in our gardens, and on our plates – and quite honestly, the world.
Soil is where our food starts, and the soil in use for
commercial farming is simply not growing food as well as it used to. We now
understand that we’ve been poisoning it plus the animals that eat the food
grown this way- from microscopic to the noticeable insects, the birds that eat
them… and all the way up to us humans.
Understanding a little about soil science helps you sort
fact from fiction. You’ll be able to sniff out the false advertising proposing your
purchase fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. My hope is this overview will get
more people comfortable growing 100% organic!
The Soil Nutrients
Plants need lots of things to grow well, but we can boil it
down to three basic necessities: Sunlight, Water, Nutrients – let’s dive into
those nutrients! Think of soil as the stomach of the plant can help when
thinking about taking up these nutrients.
Most soil tests look at amounts of a few very specific
chemical nutrients. These results simply can’t take into account the vast soil
food web relationships that are required to be in decent proportion for plants
to able to access the minerals and nutrients in the soil. But they give us a
place to start, a foothold. The elements that are most often looked at are
N-P-K; nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium/potash.
N- Nitrogen
Nitrogen gets a lot of press, so I bet you know a fair
share about this chemical powerhouse. All plants need nitrogen to make amino acids,
proteins and DNA. Nitrogen is also a big component of chlorophyll production
and photosynthesis. Plants obtain nitrogen through when bacteria in the
soil convert the nitrogen to ammonium and nitrate, which is then
taken up by the plants by a process of nitrogen fixation.
The Organic Way to Add more Nitrogen:
Composted manure, Blood Meal, fish emulsion or Worm Castings.
P – Phosphorus
mixing seed starting soil
Phosphorus is a vital component of ATP (get your HS chemistry
class hats on) which is the ‘energy unit’ of plants. Without enough P, plant
stems are usually weak and leaves can turn a blueish-green tint. P is needed
right after germination to help lift the plant out of the ground. Seeds need a
reserve of P to accomplish this, so there needs to be enough P throughout the
lifecycle of a plant for the seed to hold enough to grow on in its next
generation.
The Organic Way to Add more Phosphorus:
with bone meal or kelp meal
K- Potassium/Potash
Potash is a potassium-based product that
is often bonded to other chemicals. Plants use most of
their available potash for keeping water levels up in their plant cells, and so
is added to fertilizers to help with water retention. Plants also use K to
activate protein and sugar synthesis, which is basically how plants grow. Often
adding
You know how bananas are a
good source of potassium- well, only if they grow in soil with available
potassium…in the form of potash stored in the soil in various salt forms- from
nitrates, sulfates etc- which have gotten a bad wrap as of late- but with all
things it’s the form of thing that matters… and these little nutrients are
important for all kinds of veggies.
The Organic Way to Add More Potassium/ Potash:
wood ash (slightly raises pH levels), green sand
pH – Acidic to Alkaline
I think this is one of the most anti-intuitive readings out there (anyone else?!). I always have to remind myself that the numbers mean the opposite of what I think. A lower pH level means the soil is more acidic (good for blueberries, those blue hydrangea) and higher pH means the soil is more alkaline (also called ‘sweet’ soil). A pH level of 6.5 is considered ideal for most vegetables, but anything between 6 and 7 will grow good food.
Soil acidity levels have huge impacts on what nutrients are bio-available in the soil. So (and this is another one of those amazing relationships in our soil) even though you have lots of Phosphors in your soil, if your pH is below 6.5 your plants could have trouble absorbing it.
My Soil Test Report
I had two tests done, because I wanted to compare my front
yard soil with my vegetable garden soil. We haven’t done anything to our front
yard except mow (leaving the mulched grass clippings in place) and throw some fertilizer
on a few years back. In comparison, I’ve been amending our backyard vegetable
garden soil for years, adding our own compost, leaf mold and building a few
“lasagna garden beds” (look for a blog post coming this summer about lasagna
gardening). I was curious if all my work was paying off…
Well, it has!
The biggest difference was the % of organic matter. Only
2.8% in the front yard, compared to 9.8% in the veggie patch! Wow! I’m
impressed.
Nutrients in higher % organic matter soils (like compost)
don’t wash away. They stay put, as long as the soil is relatively undisturbed,
another reason I’m a proponent of the lasagna garden! The organic matter helps keeps
‘on tap’ more of the nutrients rather than spraying them on only to get washed
away.
my soil test report
My pH varied greatly between my front and backyard spaces
as well. A pH of 6.0 in the front yard, compared to 7.1 in the back. With just
over a 7.0 reading, the Iron and Manganese in my soil might be a little harder
for my veggie plants to absorb in the back, which is why I’m looking into
adding some more Humic acid to my veggie beds. This is a good
article that goes over the basics and drills down about Humic acid (even
covers the electronegativity factor).
The report also goes over the levels of Phosphorus and Potassium. But even though Nitrogen is a major building block, it is not included in the Regular Test package because “correlations between the soil nitrate test and plant growth have only been established in some areas of Minnesota, and only for a limited number of crops. One reason for the difficulty in establishing uniform fertilizer recommendations based upon soil test nitrate is that nitrate is easily leached out of the soil by rain-water and so precipitation can significantly change the nitrate test result,” states the U of MN Soil testing laboratory.
baby cabbages started in soil blocks inside
I feel like I’m one step closer to digging in to the garden season armed with my soil test results! And what really matters is how we use this information to help grow good food for ourselves and our families. A deeper understanding of the earth that grows our food leads to a deeper respect for it. And I believe the earth could use a little more respect right now!
Congratulations to making it through this science heavy article- you deserve a high five! If you want to dig a little deeper, Dr. Elaine Ingham is one of the most respected soil scientists and was recently interviewed by Joe L’ampl on his Jo Gardener Show podcast, worth every second!
So go ahead and test your soil this season- whichever way you chose your eyes will be opened to some of the life that is being lived just under the surface that helps feed you every day!
Who doesn’t love those Free Seed Catalogs– right!?!
*Updated 1/02/25*
They can fast forward the time to lush summer gardens without that pesky weeding. Their pages are saturated with possibility and so much incandescent color inspiring us to dream a little bigger, a little bolder, a little MORE each year.
Looking for help planning your Vegetable Garden? I’ve got a FREE Garden Design Class on my You Tube Channel!
Seed Stash
And dreaming is an important part of gardening for me – so of course I want to share that with you! There are a surprising number of well established Organic and Heirloom seed companies. Turns out there are almost as many seed companies out there as there are ways to plant those seeds. And after a while you find what fits best for you.
I’ve gathered my favorite Free seed catalogs, and online links for ordering those beauties, along with the accompanying online versions for those that want to stay paper free. There’s a bit about each of the companies to hopefully inspire YOU to dream big – but purchase responsibly – with an eye to saving more seed each year. For more on saving Seeds and local Seed Libraries, check out my earlier Post on just that.
Recently acquired by EPIC Gardening, Botanical Interests was started 25 years ago and they are sticking to their motto of inspiring and educating gardeners.
Hungarian Bread Poppy
I adore their seed packets. They are by far the most beautiful, illustrated with Botanical art with and the most informative. I read somewhere that most gardeners get their ‘how to’ info right from seed packet (which puts me in my place – ha!) another reason to choose these packets if you’re new to the garden game.
I adore their flower selection, from Hungarian Bread Poppies, Mexican Sunflowers and Bachelor Buttons and had great luck with their Sugar Magnolia snap peas and Calliope Carrots as well!
As their name implies, you’ll find only Organic Seeds here. I have been consistently satisfied with their seed stock from germination to disease resistance- which is exactly what comes from growing seeds organically (and not coddling them with chemicals).
Arugula + Pea shoots
They take educating gardeners and farmers seriously, and did a great Joe Gardener podcast called Why Buy Organic Seeds with Joe L’Ampl of Growing a Greener World. Their seed catalog is extra enticing to me, I’m going to have to control myself. I especially love their microgreen seeds, pea shoots and arugula are some of my favorites. I also have great luck with their Midori Edamame and many of their herb seeds.
These guys have a huge inventory of seeds and sell more F1 hybrids than the other seed companies I’ve mentioned, they also grow lots of heirloom seeds that germinate well. There are some things that I do prefer to grow that are hybrids, or things that, as a nothern gardener, I just can’t get to overwinter to set seed (looking at your cole crops) and Johnny’s is usually where I buy those from (Bellstar Broccoli, Graffiti Cauliflower, Veronica Romanesco). They are also 100% employee owned, which you gotta love!
Seed Savers Exchange
Heritage Farm Display Garden at Seed Savers Exchange
SSE holds a special place in my heart and garden, and the only seed farm I’ve visited. I wrote another blog post about these grass roots people and their love and stewardship of so many rare seeds. They grow most of their seeds out on Heritage Farm just outside of Decorah, Iowa. Worth a visit to one of their events, especially the annual Conference + campout!
Their seed catalog shares seed stories and recipes, and does an amazing job of welcoming you into their community.
Seed Savers Exchange is also where I’ve gotten some of my favorite seeds that I save annually (Glass Gem, Tiger’s Eye, Borage, Cilantro, Wisconsin Lakes Bell Peppers, Black Hungarian Peppers, Winter Density Romaine). When you buy from them you are helping save seeds for future gardeners, which is becoming more important each year!
Southern Exposure is a well-loved small seed company that grows most of their seed in Virginia, a little further south than I usually like, but these guys grow great seed! They have a history of helping others save seeds and other great growing guides on their website. Their seed catalog is a fun mix of illustrations and photos. I also got to meet one of their leaders, Ira, at the Seed Savers Exchange Seed Swap. She was a joy to meet and talk with. Owning that I had a fan girl moment 😊!
Meeting Ira at the Seed Savers Exchange Seed Swap!
– I started with their root crops and found my favorite white beet, Avalanche here! They have a great selection of unique crops, with lots of greens. They have around half of their seeds offered in organically grown options.
They also have a decent amount of flowers to chose from !
After hearing about all those seed catalogs, you might be ready to jump in but don’t know exactly how or where. Check out some of the local gardening resources, under HomeGrown Garden Resources. And, if you’re ready to get growing I’ve got a Seed Starting 101 article to take through step by step!
looking forward to seed starting fun!
Updates
Since I first wrote this piece a few years ago, I’ve added more eco friendly Seed Companies to my favorites list:
Dusty + Nate of EFN
Experimental Farm Network (EFN)- The seed stock is growing just as fast as the social justice side of the company. They keep their catalog online only. I recently interviewed the co-owners for a Northern Gardener Magazine article.
North Circle Seeds – A true Minnesota seed company with a small but growing seed selection.
And there’s another way to share seeds, and what you think of them from Seed Linked, find out what they’re about HERE.
Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company is no longer on my recommended list because of the way they conduct business. From Linda Black Elk, member of the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Lakota Nations and Food Sovereignty Coordinator at United Tribes Technical College:
* Baker Creek has been confronted by Indigenous, Black, Asian, and many others for their use of white supremacist dog whistle language.
* They have been confronted for taking seeds from Indigenous communities and re-naming them. This is Indigenous erasure.
What seed companies do you love that I didn’t mention?
Vegetable stamping towels is an easy craft project using vegetables (and fruit) to make your very own unique gifts.
Combining my love of vegetables and a homemade gift was a natural. These also make awesome teacher gifts, hostess gifts and are a fun eco-friendly way to wrap up some preserves or pickles!
This is a very simple process which is the only reason I do this!! I am the first person to admit I’m NOT crafty. Basically, if I can eat it, I’ll spend hours making it; but when it comes to a ‘craft’, well- my patience evaporates. But this is a project I keep coming back to, so I figured it was time to share!
Project Prep
Buy Towels
I can often find 100% cotton made in America towels for $1 a
piece at places like Fleet Farm. You can also buy organic cotton towels online
in bulk if you really want to go for it!
Buy Paints
Most craft stores will have a wide variety of fabric Paints,
make sure you do buy FABRIC paint as the others will wash out. Grab some paint
brushes while you’re in the aisle, I ran out of brushes for all the colors and
using sponges got old towards the end 😉
Buy Veggies
You want to buy firm veggies, slightly under-ripe is best.
And think of all the different ways you can slice to get different shapes. I’ve
got lots of examples here, but feel free to play around with other ideas- and
if you come up with a cool print, please share!
I like to get a little funky with the cabbage – making
Christmas tree shapes with the marbled effect is too fun to pass up.
*You can also use a cookie cutter and/or carve out any shaped stamp you’d like out of a potato. I did not highlight making potato stamps here, as I think nature has provided us with enough beautiful designs.
Set Up
You’ll want to do this on a table you can easily wipe down
between each stamping or lay down a plastic tablecloth to wipe down. The paint
will almost always soak through the towel. Get lots of separate paint
containers, and trays on which to set the painted veggies. You’ll also want to consider where you’ll dry
these – I strung a clothesline in our basement to dry overnight.
Get Stamping!
Now for the fun part. Designing your towels – or not! I sometimes wing it, sometimes have a planned pattern or design. The best part is you get to decide! Another fun stamping tutorial is over on the Homestead and Chill website, a great all around website for all things homesteading.
Both turn out fun and whimsical because with vegetables, fruits and paint each piece, each stamp is different. And that, my friends, is what makes these so fun!
So stamp away – and remember to save any unused fruit and veggie halves for later. I also cut off the paint-soaked parts and added the limp bits to our compost.
Not my normal vegetable project – but these sure are fun, and are a craft my kids can join in on too. Playing with your food is fun for everyone! If you’re into a more natural DIY crafty projects, check out my recent Calendula Salve DIY article!
We all have our favorite food from holiday meals. That one most anticipated dish, or the combination of flavors that only happens once a year. For me it was the turkey stuffing and pumpkin spice cake. Although… looking back now, doing dishes with my grandma holds just as special a space in my heart.
I distinctly remember my grandma’s attic stairs around the holidays. They would be lined with all the baked goods she’d made, to keep them cool in what she referred to as her ‘extra ice box’. Each step held its own treasure; pumpkin chiffon, lemon meringue or apple pie, brownies, apricot strudel, lemon bars. But my favorite Thanksgiving dessert was the pumpkin spice cake! My Grandma was quite the baker.
Recipe Updates
I hope Grandma would still be proud of the recipe as I make it today. I’ve swapped and altered (quite) a few things. I make my own pumpkin puree, but there are decent organic canned versions out there now too! I use coconut oil instead of vegetable oil. And I swap half of the regular flour with oat flour, which is simply whole rolled oats that I’ve pulsed in my Nutribullet until flour like. I’ve also doubled the spices- so know that you can make this recipe your own as well.
I’ve tried to get this to an all Gluten Free version, but because my taste buds are locked into all the other things associated with this dessert, half GF is as close as I can get. This is a splurge anyways, and worth every bite!
To make a roll, invert a jelly roll pan of baked recipe on a tea towel and gently roll up and let cool in rolled position. Unroll to frost, re-roll and enjoy!
The recipe is also quite versatile. I’ve made it as bars, bread, muffins, a two-layer cake and most recently even a ‘roll’. Delicious whatever the form takes.
A note on pumpkin puree: Making your own pumpkin puree is not hard, but you do have to plan ahead a bit. The process is easy; cut a pie pumpkin in half and scoop out guts, roast cut side up (some people roast whole and scoop out after baking- I’ve never tried that!) at 350F for 1.5 – 2 hours. Let cool, scoop out chunks, and puree. It tastes AMAZING!
With either homemade or purchased pumpkin puree, I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!
Pumpkin Spice Cake Recipe:
4 eggs
1C Coconut Oil
1.5 C Sugar (I use raw)
2 C Pumpkin Puree
Thoroughly blend
Clockwise: Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Ginger
In a separate Bowl MIX
1 C Oat Flour (grind/blender whole oats)
1 C White Whole Wheat Flour (or whatever flour you have)
½ tsp Salt
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 T Cinnamon
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Cloves
1 tsp Ginger (Or sub all spices with 2 T pumpkin spice blend)
Add flour mixture to wet ingredients, mix well. Pour into
greased pan.
I used to add chopped nuts before my boys outlawed them… Bake at 350F for 20-40 minutes depending on what kind of pan you’re using; muffin tin – loaf pan.
Cream Cheese Frosting!
8 oz pkg of cream cheese 1 T milk 1-2 tsp vanilla 1 C + powdered sugar *We add ground ginger to the frosting as well** adjust milk to make as think or thin as you like.
In case you’re looking for more healthy recipes for your winter squash varieties, I’ve got you covered with my “Holiday Market Meals“.
Can’t wait for you to dig into this recipe with family and friends this season! Just try to save some for the guests 😉 Michelle
This was the first herbal salve I ever made, years ago and it is still one of my all time favorites to use, pretty much daily. this Calendula salve softens, heals, soothes and calms my skin in ways that nothing else can.
Making salve is kind of the gateway herbal bath and body product. Once you realize that you can mix a few natural, quality ingredients and end up with a practical, beautiful and healing product most people feel empowered. I want you to feel that power too!
At a time when more and more of us are becoming aware of what we’re
putting on and into our bodies – along with the carbon footprint the products we
use leave behind… making your own salve is a great place to pivot.
These salves also make great gifts! As I am writing it is prime Holiday Shopping time, yet my gifts are being made from things I am already have in my home. Nothing beats a consumable, homemade gift as far as I’m concerned. Bonus that you can use canisters you already have, furthering your commitment to ‘reduce – reuse – recycle’!
Basic Benefits of Calendula Salve:
Calendula petals contains anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial properties, and is used to soothe a long list of skin ailments. Plus, it’s safe to use on babies (yes, even the finished salve with beeswax)! The oils and beeswax are both sustainable and deeply healing in their own right – so being able to swirl and melt them all together can make just about anyone feel like a healer.
There are
two parts to making salves.
*Infusing
the oil with an herb/flower you’ll be using.
*Adding the thickening + healing agents to that oil.
Flowers First
Like all recipes, it’s important to start with quality ingredients. Growing my own Calendula adds so much to the garden, as both a trap crop for many common garden pests, and as a draw for beneficial insects – plus they’re gorgeous. I prefer Calendula Resina because it has the highest concentration of petal ‘resin’ aka the good stuff. My original seed packet came from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.
These are also great starter plant to seed save from; more on seed saving here. This is all before I snip off the buds to use their medicine. More in depth info on growing these and other beauties at my Companion Planting Flowers for your Vegetable Garden.
Harvesting Calendula
Summer is in full swing when it is finally time to start
harvesting the flowers. This is both rewarding and a great way to tidy up the
garden. Picking them at their peak, with fully opened petals but not drooping-
and after the morning dew has dried but not in the heat of the afternoon, will yield
the best resin.
So, start with either homegrown calendula or skip that part of the
process and buy your calendula from a trusted source. The only place I’ve been consistently
happy with is Mountain Rose Herbs.
They have an amazing selection and grow things they way I do.
Making Calendula Oil:
Once the flowers are cut, I usually let me calendula (and any other herbs/petals) wilt for a good day or two- or even place in our dehydrator overnight to reduce the water content. This make for a more intense diffusion and reduces the chance of mold in the oil as you let the plants sit and infuse. After they’re wilted/dried a bit cover the petals with enough oil so the petals are fully submerged. This also helps keep any possible mold at bay. I use a mason jar and screw the lid on. I usually write the date I started the infusion on a dissolving label and let it set for at least 4 to 6 weeks – usually more.
Sweet Almond Oil is my go-to carrier oil for infusing. It has the softest
feel, a good shelf life and healing properties of its own. I’ve used a light
Extra Virgin Olive Oil as well, and that works fine too.
Infusing the Oil
Infusion is the process of extracting chemical compounds or flavors from plant material in a solvent such as water, oil or alcohol, by allowing the material to remain suspended in the solvent over time, a process often called steeping.
Herbal academy
Think of this as a cold brewed tea on overdrive. There are quicker methods where you heat the oil. I’ve never tried this, but if you want to check out the Double Boiler Herb-Infused Oil section of the Herbal Academy article, you can make the infusion in a day. It will not be as potent as the slower, lower temperature version.
*You can also slowly add petals to this jar as they bloom- just
make sure they are dried a bit and remember to keep adding oil to cover petals
completely.*
By the time I’m ready to make salve the bulk of my outdoor garden
work has slowed down – and if you don’t have time to make the salve right away,
just try to strain off the oil from the infusion within 8 weeks. This straining
is as easy as leaving it to drip through a sieve, until the very end when you’ll
want to get in there and squeeze out every last drop of goodness. The oil will
be cloudier as you squeeze, this is totally normal.
Alchemy Time
Ingredients:
1 C Calendula Infused Oil (or less if adding other oils)
1 Oz Beeswax
20-40 drops of Essential oil of choice. Here’s a great list of Essential oils for salves and their properties.
Now it’s time to get your other ingredient(s) and containers in order. Mainly, beeswax and any other oils you’ll be adding to the mix. One word about beeswax. If you can buy directly from a beekeeper- the raw goodness, plus the smell of honey will add another layer of healing to your salve. Local beeswax will keep the carbon foot print low as well!
I keep my salve recipes pretty simple and just add a bit of jojoba or emu oil to the pot as I’m warming the ingredients. And topping it off with essential oils just before I pour it off.
So Simple
Melt + Pour.
It really is that simple.
Notice my pyrex measuring cup in lieu of an actual double boiler- means one less dish!
In a double boiler (see my cheater version above) or a heavy pan start warming the infused oil and beeswax. If you want to make a larger or smaller batch a good rule of thumb is 1 ounce of beeswax for every 1 cup of oil. You can play around with these ratios as much as you’d like. Adding more beeswax will give you a harder salve; some like a harder slave for summer so it doesn’t melt.
The only trick is to not let the mixture get above 140- low heat is the trick here! If adding essential oils (I do love this, but unless capped they loose their fragrance quickly) do so right at the end. I usually turn off the burner and add just before I pour in.
I usually opt for Lavender or rosemary – but this time I let my
son choose. I make this as much for his eczema as anything else, so I figured he
could chose the scent…and I love that after smelling over 30 bottles he chose frankincense,
which is an essential oil known for being wonderful for your skin!
Let the containers cool and cap in a few hours.
Congratulations! You’ve just made your first calendula salve.
One cup of oil turned into this much calendula salve.
These are great as gifts, and you’ve solved the dilemma of needing an upstairs + a downstairs + a car + a backpack skin cream without any fake chemicals or plastic packaging. Well done!
My Switch has been flipped and my body is craving hearty soups, roasted veggies and all. the. Kale!
Kale really is the QUEEN of the late Fall garden. It is by far one of the easiest plants to grow and it just keeps giving. Easier to grow than many other superfoods, this stuff was made for Minnesota gardeners.
Growing Kale
Kale can happily grow with only 6 hours of sunlight, and will still produce tender leaves – making it a great option for those of us struggling with the shady side of the garden. Like most leafy things, it likes a healthy dose of Nitrogen, my best practice is to add homegrown compost to the top before planting.
There are quite a few different varieties out there and they are not all created equally.
Kale Variety Role Call
Dwarf Blue
Seed Savers Exchange Dwarf Blue Curled Scotch Kale has consistently tender leaves, and stay roughly one and half feet tall. One of my all time favorites.
The Westlander Kale from High Mowing Organic Seeds was a show stopper this season, producing the ‘Kale Trees’ loved by vegetable gardeners.
Lacinato
I prefer any kind of curly kale to Lacinato (aka Dino) Kale about 1000 : 1. So when I am raving about kale, keep in mind I do NOT mean the stuff pictured above. I mean nothing is 100% perfect, right…
Red Russian
Red Russian is a striking beauty that had a more leathery texture than the others I’ve grown, so I suggest using these in cooked form. Still very much worthy of a spot in the garden.
Scarlet
A single glorious Scarlet Kale from that OVERWINTERED (yes through last years insane polar-vortex temps) and is happily living its best life towards the back of my garden, partly shaded and loving it. I’ve now overwintered plants from the seeds of this kale.
I may have saved the best for last- this is for sure my new favorite for late season harvests and the fact that it is a true perennial in my Zone 4b Minnesota garden.
Homesteader’s Kaleidoscopic Perennial Kale Grex
Not only is this a perennial, but the variety of leaves coming from that single seed packet, from flat to curly, darkest green to purples- but all with the best kale flavor I’ve grown. This is also my go-to variety for blanching and freezing to use all winter long. The only company selling these amazing seeds is Experimental Farm Network.
Cold Hardy
Most kale varieties can easily handle temperatures down to 10F. So even up here in Minnesota we can keep these beauties growing into November. A few years back they lasted until our Christmas meal! Because of their size and ability to take the cold I have never grown these with any season extension covers or hoops.
After the first few frosts you’ll fall even more in love with this veggie. They get sweeter with each passing frost!
HARVESTING TRICK
Snap off those bottom leaves first working your way up the stalk as you go. This is a key to not being stuck with big, tough leaves! This is especially important if you want to keep enjoying all season long.
You can always snap off a few leaves and freeze them rather than having to eat tough leaves a few weeks later! This will also leave you with adorable kale trees at the end of the season.
Meet the Kalettes!
Kalettes are kale’s hipster little sister. They’re a mix of kale and Brussel Sprouts. These are gorgeous to grow, with intense purple stems, and purple coloring into the base of the leaf clusters.
They take up a huge space like Brussel Sprouts, and produce a lot of fluff – but the taste is pretty awesome! I’ll grow two or three plants next year instead of six.
Cooking with Kale
We grow a LOT of kale, so here’s how we use it.
Fresh
Chopped and ‘massaged’ (when you run olive oil into the leaves to tenderize them) salads, Here’s one of my favorite chopped kale salad combos as highlighted on my website‘s recipe page.
Kale Chopped Salad Ingredients 3-4 Cups Kale, torn Drizzles of EVOO, honey, 1/2 Lemon juiced S&P A few Craisins Directions Toss into blender of choice and just barely pulse. Can add fresh berries, parmesan cheese and nuts after blending
Crispy
Kale chips are such a great way to sneak in ALL those Vitamins,
minerals and Protein! We just tear and massage in EVOO, bake on a sheet pan for
5-10 minutes at 350F. You can use whatever seasonings you feel like that day-
chili powder, cumin, onion powder, or go for an Asian taste and add in Aminos
and red pepper flakes. One note; garlic powder tends to burn for me on these.
Steamed + Sautéed
Warm Squash and Crisped Kale Salad!
Have you ever cooked up a pan of kale and red onions? If not, this needs to be one of the next things you try. I’ll add a simple mix of kale greens, onions + garlic with chick peas and roasted squash and boom you’ve got your self a perfect fall salad. This recipe is included in my Market Meals post from last winter. Add kale, onions and tomatoes to your egg scramble in the morning to boost flavors and nutrients.
Preserving Kale
Since we grow so much kale it is one of the veggies we preserve a lot of as well. I used to just wash tear and freeze, but have found that it holds both its flavor and its texture better if I steam blanche it first. Steam blanching is better for greens that regular blanching directly into the boiling water as it helps retain more of the nutrients.
I then pack the blanched kale leaves into muffin tins and freeze overnight. Then remove the ‘pucks’ which equal roughly 2 cups of fresh kale into freezer bags (important to squeeze out as much moisture before freezing). With the air removed from the bag, its also a great space saving way to store kale. We use frozen kale in recipes all winter long. Frozen kale is perfect for adding into soups and stews, you can also eat it just like steamed/creamed spinach – YUM.
If your main use of frozen kale is in smoothies, I’ll suggest you DO NOT blanche it before freezing. There is something magical about the way kale crumbles and loses some of its toughness when frozen raw. If you’ve never liked kale in smoothies, I challenge you try frozen kale and let me know!
So, are there any Kale Nay Sayers left out there? What can I do to convince you of kale’s abundant awesomeness?
Tell me, which recipes are you going to dig into first?
The second annual BearPower Harvest Party will feature FREE small bites crafted by local chefs from local food. We’re pairing delicious food with family activities and eco-friendly information.
Our Local Chefs
This is your chance to celebrate community grown food! Join us 12-3pm on Sunday, September 22, 2019. The event will take place at the White Bear Area YMCA Community Gardens, at 2100 Orchard Lane behind the YMCA building. We’ll be serving food until we run out, so join the party early. We’ll be inside the YMCA if the weather is really bad, so this is a rain or shine event!
Follow the Harvest Party Facebook Event for Updates and Fun!
Last year’s event was a blast!
Local Food
Farmer Butch pulls a Rutabaga!
Much of the produce was grown in local community Gardens. Our own WBL School District (Central, Lakeaires, Matoska and Oneka) the WBL Health Partners Clinic Garden, Tamarack Nature Center Garden and the YMCA Community Gardens are all sharing produce for the event. Local organic farm, All Good Organics, will again be donating lots of organic grown goodness to round out our garden harvests.
Local Chefs
Chef Matt Ellison of Bonfire Restaurants + Chef Peggy of Margaux’s Table
Chefs Matt Ellison of Bonfire Restaurants and Peggy Doran of Margaux’s Table are donating their time and talents to turn the food into tasty meals. They’ere even inviting a few lucky kids to help them prep food before the party starts! Contact me directly if you are interested in helping the chefs too. Local fall veggies will delight your taste buds; think Fall soup + rustic salad… but the exact recipes will have to wait as the chefs see what produce rolls in the day before!
In addition to the
veggies, BearPower has brought more community goodness together. Pine
Tree Apple Orchard and the White
Bear Area Emergency Food Shelf are teaming up again to hand out apples and raise awareness of
local hunger issues and how you can help. Farmers Market favorite, Great
Harvest Bread Company, is donating bread to
use in the small bites that will be served. All Good Organics will be on site
to talk about organic farming and will likely have something delicious to give
away!
Activities
WBL Seed Library
The YMCA will be holding a few Kids’ Fitness classes in the garden. The White Bear Lake Seed Library will be giving seed saving demonstrations and information on their organization, housed in our downtown public library. BearPower is bringing family fun with giant yard games and ways to make healthy eating and activities a part of your routine. Everyone’s favorite carrot, Chomp, will be on site to get kids pumped about living healthy.
Kids with Chomp at last year’s Harvest Party
The WBL schools will have a table about their gardens, and teachers on site to talk about schoolyard gardens. Ramsey County Master Gardeners will be available for your gardening Q&A. Forks in the Dirt will have a table about the impact of eating local, getting kids in the garden and gardening tips. Our local WBL PD will be there as well with ideas for staying safe while out and about.
Event Grew from Love
Dr. Keeler at a previous BearPower event
This event grew from long-time Health Partners physician, Dr. Elsa Keeler, and her commitment to growing healthy families. Dr. Keeler is taking a leave of absence while working hard to fight cancer.
Let’s take some time to celebrate all we’ve grown this season! Hope to see you there… you don’t get to vote unless you sample 😉
Here are my top picks for local Organic Apple Orchards, plus some bonus ‘almost’ organic orchards.
The golden days of fall are that much better when you get to crunch into a crisp apple you just picked off a tree…
But not many of us grow enough apples to eat our fill- let alone make apple sauce, jelly, and baked goods we crave come fall. Enter the family trip to the apple orchard, one of many Minnesotans’ beloved traditions.
Organic orchard options are popping up around the metro as people are becoming more aware of how pesticides and herbicides often used in traditionally run orchards can come home on even those hand picked apples and harm our pollinators.
We’re not the only ones in the apple orchards!
Around the Twin Cities there are now a handful of organic options to fill an ever growing demand for organic produce. Growing organic on a small scale is one thing, but growing a large quantity of fruit trees (monoculture) organically takes a combination of skill, grit and fast action. The movie Biggest Little Farm is a great example of this!
Most of these kinds of farms have CSA (Community Supported
Agriculture) shares for sale plus on site farm stands with other products like
honey, broiler hens and lots of veggies to pick while you pick your apples.
Support the small family farm and pick your apples from an orchard free from any harmful pesticides!
Alternative Roots Farm
Alternative Roots Farm is a certified organic farm and orchard growing over 40 varieties of apples. From Honeycrisp and Haralson, to Golden Russet and Ashmead’s Kernal, we grow new and heirloom favorites – preserving diversity and heritage in South-central Minnesota.
They sell picked apples out of their farm store and do amazing deals with apple shares (like a CSA) and make a LOT of apple sauce! They’ve got a sweet deep winter greenhouse to keep locals in their greens over winter to boot. Follow their Facebook Page for updates.
One of Alternative Roots Orchards – photo credit Brooke Knisley
Carpenter Nature Center
The Carpenter Nature Center cares for a unique orchard started in the 1940’s. As a nature center they work to be as sustainable an entity as possible, but are not certified Organic. I’ve been to the orchard during their wonderful, down home Apple Festival and it is such a great family time. This year’s event is set for Saturday & Sunday, October 12 + 13, from 10-5.
My boys picking apples during last year’s Apple Festival
Sweetland Orchard
Sweetland Orchard is on the West Side of the cities, in Webster and while not certified organic they manage the orchard through minimal intervention. This family operation grows over 30 varieties developed by the University of Minnesota, heirloom varieties, and cider varieties; and they have a passion for cider! They do frequent pop ups at lots of locations around town. Check their Facebook Page for updates.
Applecrest Orchards
Applecrest Orchards is not a certified organic farm but uses IPM, Integrated Pest Management, and common sense in growing great apples. They’ve got over 1,000 trees growing 20 varieties on the Northeast end of town in Hugo. Their IPM program consists of scouting, pest trapping and utilizing the the Cornell University NEWA offerings. This helps them specifically focus any spraying. “We make sure to mow any flowers prior to spraying so we do not contaminate bee forage. The pesticides we use are targeted to specifically mitigate any loss of beneficial insects”. I will say, walking through the orchards in September there is a myriad of insect life between the rows of fruit laden trees!
They sell at local farmers markets and usually have food trucks at the orchard on weekends during the season! They will also be at the WBL Winter Farmers Market again this year.
Applecrest in Autumn
If you’re ready for a day trip, check out Sap Suckers in Mora or Hoch Orchard and Gardens in Southeast Minnesota, two established organic orchards. For other orchard locations you can check out the MN Grown website.
Make the Most of your Apples
And in case you’re wondering what to do with all those amazing apples once you get back home, I’ve got a blog post, An Apple A Day, from last fall all enjoying your apple stash for months to come!
I love learning about new farms and orchards, feel free to pass along any other organic orchards you’ve enjoyed- the more the merrier!
