You say Tomato, I say Tomahto

Uh...what's a girl to do with a ton of tomatoes? I just can't keep up. I roasted a bunch which are now nicely in the fridge. They are great with cheese and crackers. Next step is to roast and then freeze for sauce in the winter. It's the end of the tomatoes though and I'm so proud they did so well. "Yes Virginia, you can grow tomatoes in the Fog Belt."




Garden looks a little sad. Pulled out all the squash. They never did very well. Planted more lettuce and beets. They're doing great. Also planted peas which are getting attacked by slugs so have little wells of beer in the bed. At least they can get a little tipsy before they DIE!!!!

too busy for photos!

This weekend has been a blur - spent several hours in the Community Garden cutting back and tying up the communal (thornless!) blackberry bush, then separated a dozen onion shoots, transplanted more onion (three varieties!) broccoli and brussel sprout seedlings, took up the tomatoes and blue lake beans and transplanted three of the six fava bean seedlings I'd started from seed. After that, I harvested some young radishes, two small heads of frisee* and pruned the lemon verbena (tree) shrub.

All said and done, it was a solid 4+ hours in the CG, and while the garden has a greenhouse, it has no OUTHOUSE, so I was in such a hurry to get to, how shall I say?, le facilities, that I failed to take any photos of the fruits of my labor.

And that is why you get only words. But they're good words, non?

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DIY greenhouses

The transition from summer to fall in SF can be quite harsh - the biting cold 'coastal effect' of the heat from the inland regions rising in the afternoon, which creates a sucking in of the chilly ocean air from the Pacific Ocean. It's BRUTAL.

As I've been starting my fall greens from seed, and the community garden's greenhouse has been in high demand for exactly the same purpose, I decided to improvise. The apartment dwellers of the CG don't have access to directly sunlight as I do in our backyard, so I figured I'd best leave the greenhouse to them, and get my seedlings started on my own turf.

The conclusion was: DIY greenhouses.

I reuse 4" squares and 6-packs from nursery seedlings, and fill with a mix of compost and vermaculite (ala Square Foot Gardener). I start the seeds (Botanical Interests is my preferred brand) and then I slip them into standard grocery store clear plastic baggies (the kind you bag loose veggies in) and do a simple knot at the top. This simple enclosure provides a mini-greenhouse effect - protects them from the harsh cold evening winds, while capturing and containing the heat generated during the day. In the mornings, I untie the baggies and roll them down to let fresh air and sunshine in, then roll 'em up and tie again in the evenings. and Voila! DIY greenhouses.



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End of Summer

Well, if this week's dramatic deluge on the earth didn't signify it, summer is over in SF. Time to clear away the summer squash, the collapsing tomato vines and salvage the salad greens. I made my final 'clear out' of the garden(s), and made off with the goods, with a new batch of fall planting seedlings getting going on the side.



The stately chard, leeks, beets and radishes paused briefly for a photo op, then dove right into the oven and the stewpot. Really, they did.

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Serving for One

Well, the French Beans have been off to a slow start - could be the dry spell of my european vacation, when I forgot to stick in the 'water me' sign until a good while gone, and had to email the Community Garden manager and ask him to put it out at my plot.

I did get a small harvest from the four stalks - just enough for one serving, sliced lengthwise, sauted with a diced strip of bacon and sliced red onion. Delish!



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boucoup bamboo

The bamboo was planted 4 years ago. Over that time, the small quart tub plant has grown into a very nice visual screen along the property fence, and tall shoots are continually harvested. I havested a BUNCH this past weekend:



The 12+ foot tall shoots were trimmed down to 7 foot lengths, to use as trellis supports, with the thin top lengths to be crossties. Additional shoots were dried into half-loops, to support protective netting over the veggie beds. A nice DIY project, with homegrown raw materials!

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ambitious goal, partial success

The Boy and I got in just a couple of hours of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass this past weekend - the crowds and the bitterly chilling evening gusts were a bit much for us this year. Even Steve Earle made some "d*mn wind!" comments while on stage, and as I couldn't feel my fingers at that point, I'm betting they were having a rough time, too. When we trekked out of the park, my scarf wasn't enough to keep me warm, and I was dreaming of something hot to consume, tout suite!

To my delight, The Boy had made us dinner reservations just down the path, at the new California Academy of Natural Sciences' swank downstairs restaurant, The Moss Room. I'd heard about the space (interiors done by an arch/fabrication firm I've done some consulting with in the past) and had seen gorgeous images of their ambitious full height Living Wall at the restaurant's entry stair. The promo shots showed a fully populated wall of ferns and moss, dripping with lushness.

Not quite what remains, after about 7 months of operation, but still pretty none the less:




The structure appears to be on a series of horizontal steel members, with tall vertical slabs of slate anchored with wide washers held by nuts between the slabs (layered like fish scales, you can't see the anchors except at the bottom row). Behind the slate are wedges of growing medium - looks like coir or other fiberous matting, allowing the plants to take root within their gaps.



Credit that most of the plants strive to be natives, including maidenhair ferns. Up above the wall, sloped along with the angled ceiling, are a track of growlights and a well concealed landscape mister system which activated twice during our visit.

While most of the plants appeared healthy, their spotty placement (and in the easiest to maintain locations) make me think that they're replacements to what were the original plantings.

Nice effect, but only time will tell if the maintenance on this Living Wall will be ongoing with the tenant.

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water fairies

I love these handpainted "water me" signs we use in the Community Garden. One of the gardeners painted them herself! Lovely!

that's what THEY said...

I'd told someone this tidbit, and got scoffed at. "More iron than HAMBURGER? Really? HAMBURGER?"

Yep. HAMBURGER. That's what THEY said, anyway....

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chard for days!

It was time. Time to do a final harvest of the remaining summer greens and prep the beds for Round 3: Winter Planting. Coming soon, near you!

The chard had grown to monster proportions - easily 3 ft tall! In all the hubbabaloo of things, I'd failed to harvest before the week+ long vacation, and there they were, ready to bust through the anti-cat netting. I was afraid they'd be bitter, but that's the good thing about bitter greens - they don't go any more bitter than what you loved about them in the first place! These were FABULOUS, and definately the most healthy dark glossy chard I'd ever seen - grocery pickings just don't even come close!

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watching The Garden - docu drama!

I have a dinner+movie date with The Boy tonight - watching the 2008 documentary that swept the SilverDocs fest and has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature:

The Garden a film by Scott Hamilton Kennedy

The fourteen-acre community garden at 41st and Alameda in South Central Los Angeles is the largest of its kind in the United States. Started as a form of healing after the devastating L.A. riots in 1992, the South Central Farmers have since created a miracle in one of the country’s most blighted neighborhoods. Growing their own food. Feeding their families. Creating a community.

But now, bulldozers are poised to level their 14-acre oasis.

The Garden follows the plight of the farmers, from the tilled soil of this urban farm to the polished marble of City Hall. Mostly immigrants from Latin America, from countries where they feared for their lives if they were to speak out, we watch them organize, fight back, and demand answers:

Why was the land sold to a wealthy developer for millions less than fair-market value? Why was the transaction done in a closed-door session of the LA City Council? Why has it never been made public?

And the powers-that-be have the same response: “The garden is wonderful, but there is nothing more we can do.”

If everyone told you nothing more could be done, would you give up?

* * *

The Garden has the pulse of verité with the narrative pull of fiction, telling the story of the country’s largest urban farm, backroom deals, land developers, green politics, money, poverty, power, and racial discord. The film explores and exposes the fault lines in American society and raises crucial and challenging questions about liberty, equality, and justice for the poorest and most vulnerable among us.

High on the Highline

Husband and I had a nice little get-a-way weekend to New York City. I am usually the planner who gets a little out of control and has doubled-up lunch and dinner reservations all over the town. This trip we decided to take it easy. Once place I had to see was The Highline. It's an old freight line from the 30's that was abandoned in the 80's. Now it is a public park owned by the city of New York. It's a lovely meandering walk above the city with concrete paths, trees and all types of plants. We had our pink wine at Pastis and then took a leisurely stroll through the park. Only New York could get something like this together. I was hoping to see a vegetable garden up there but it's mostly different grasses and trees. I was also amazed to see so many rooftop gardens. I would love to somehow get a tour of NYC rooftops. All in all a fabulous trip.




PS check out Palazzo Chupi - Julian Schnabel's little pink building in the West Village

Fingers O' Squash

Nice little harvest of Summer squash and Pattypan squash. I'm not getting too many of either though. They are dying on the vine even with my attempts at self-pollinating with a paint brush. Maybe not enough sun? My tomatoes are out-of-control! I've been picking nice batches of Sun Golds and Sweet 100's. They are so good! Made a lovely little salad of tomatoes, corn, olive oil and salt and pepper.

pasta toppings

Made this the night before I left for Paris - a simple pasta with garlic, mushrooms and the cherry tomatoes from the garden.

I've been gone for 9 days, and I had forgotten to put out the 'Please Water' sign on my community garden plot. I'm hoping someone noticed, and that my 2nd round plantings aren't shriveled dry husks of their former selves. Off to find out!

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French beans!

in honor of our upcoming trip to Paris, I've planted French Beans. I expect them to be robust, productive and ready to provide me the raw materials for the stolen recipes I plan to heist back to SF!!!

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Lotus-ish

Just about one of the prettiest things I've ever, ever seen. Somehow, these manage to be 'natures-mathematics' zinnia, while still having 'wabi-sabi' zen garden off-kilter perfections. Somebody please explain this to me!

Harvest Time

Spring onions and green beans are in! Onions were cooked on the grill and served with Tri Tip for a BBQ last weekend. Green beans were pan sauteed and served with some luscious rare ahi tuna. The rest of the green beans are slated for pickling this weekend. The tomatoes and so big that the plants are falling over. I've tried as best as I can to tie them up(growl) but they are just too heavy. Fruit is turning to orange and by next week we'll have our first batch of tomatoes!!! I already have plans for overnight slow-roasting, canning and just plain sliced tomatoes with sea salt. I have also been self-pollinating the squash with a paintbrush but they are still wilting on the vine. Not sure what's going on there. I'm already thinking of next year: less squash, more lettuce, different types of beans, adding eggplant.

hot! pepper!

YUM

Cup O'Cherritoes

Okay, Kris and I, we've both been blogging slackers. AND, we both took a vacation at the exact same time (to the exact same place, I should add!) AND, while we were gone there was a heatwave, AND neither of us were there to water/harvest/etc that is necessary at such times.

I stopped by the CG after work today, braced for shriveled devastation, but to my surprise, things were hanging in nicely. Perhaps one of my CG plot neighbors took pity on the cracking, sunbaked soil and waved the hose over the poor things!

The above is:

left: a cup of cherry tomatoes

right: my favorite way to serve them - fresh off the vine, with a glass of vino - in this case, the Solus Sto from Sonoma County, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the label - as if this black bear had just plucked one of the cherries right from the bucket!

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in honor of leos

I have no idea of the 'official' name, but I call these Lion's Mane Zinnias.

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Lunado Garden - Week 16

My first major harvest. OK, so I can't feed the world but we had a fabulous dinner of fresh summer squash, green beans, spring onions and whatever that other squash is(?)

Tomatoes are growing strong but ths d*mn fog is not helping. Really??? Another week of cold, wet and windy days? I just don't think I can take it. It's 106 degrees today in Portland. Oregon.

kiwis on the trellis

The Arlington Community Garden has 20 member plots, but it has an abundant amount of 'commons' planting area. Much of this common area is lively with mature growth, from thornless blackberries to science-project sunflowers, to the massive kiwi vine growing across a hefty arbor trellis at the south end of the garden. I'd been told that it didn't produce much fruit, but like a wisteria, was too beautiful to dispose of. And it is, beautiful that is. As my plot is adjacent to the trellis, I get the sneak preview of kiwi goings-on, and lo and behold - fruit!

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eye candy

Not everything I plant is edible - I like the eye candy, too.

Full basket bounty

a dozen onions, ranging in size from baby-fist to near-softball, gorgeous fennel, slender straight leeks, and a bright bunch'o beans!

Blue Lake Beans

I planted a six-pack of Blue Lake Beans along the chainlink fence of my Community Garden. I built up a bamboo trellis for the beans, and then sat back and waited. The bean plants never really took to the trellis - I don't know if I didn't plant them close enough (unlikely), or something else is at play here, but these plants are STILL - easily 6 weeks later - less than 12" tall.

Yet, THESE BABIES PRODUCE.

Yes, the stunted, miniscule bean plants of mine are pumping out beans like NOBODY'S BUSINESS! I harvested well over a quart of full 5" long beans, as plump and ready as could be!

I'll be serving these up french style: split longwise, sauteed with red onion, garlic and diced bacon. YUM!

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How Fast Does Your Garden Grow?

I've been gardening for a few years but am still very much in awe of the fact that a garden can go from the above photo to the below photo in 14 weeks. I love when everything thing is first planted and all organized. Every plant has it's place and lots of nice room around it. Now, it's a jungle. Tomatoes vines not staying in their cages. Summer squash leaves crowding out the leeks. Forget about my pretty herbs and marigolds. They haven't seen the sun in weeks. I'm not complaining but I am realizing I do like the beginning of a garden best. Is that weird?

SUPERB

Labour of Love.

Kris' LUNADO JAM: Apricot and Strawberry & Ginger (!!!!) jams are TO DIE FOR!!

Wait, I just died. Okay, okay, but SERIOUSLY, this woman should have her own farmer's market stand, because these little pots of gold are super-duper-delicious!! Can I just say? SUPER fruit. SUPER. FRUIT.

I didn't even have enough toast, but I went through the jar of apricot like **SNAP** THAT. I may or may not have licked the jar lid. (Best you don't really know)

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ps. I helped cut out the circular labels. My claim to fame. [grin]

ready to burst

There are the 4' tall stalks of my leeks, which I've been waiting to harvest until after this bloom. I'm both excited to see the allium-like blossom, and salivating over the tasty shoot down below.

Time to get the next round in the ground for fall!

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Lunado Garden - Week 14

I've been a bad blogger. Just haven't had any free time to take pics and post but I'm back and I know you are thrilled. The garden is flourishing. I have squash, little blue lake beans, onions, lots and lots of lovely little green tomatoes. I will now wow you with my photographs.

Squash before and squash after on the pretty plate I made in ceramics class.




The Blue Lake beans are coming in rapidly. Cannot wait to harvest these. My first try at beans. The Peter Pan squash is a jungle. These should be ready in a week or two. I still cannot pick baby squash. I love to eat them but these babies will get to play in the garden a little longer.













These squash unexpectadly came back from last year. They almost look like ornamental squash. Have no idea what to do with these but they sure are pretty.