Lettuce, Dahlia, Herbs and Tulips

Lettuce getting some sun on the porch

Herb basket: basil, sage, thyme, oregano, stevia

Dahlia sprouting

Tulips coming up!

Temperature Back Down

Two consecutive nights below 30º F make me nervous but don't seem to affect my plants much. The Lemon Glow Daffodils are blooming beautifully next to the back step and the hyacinths seem ok too. I had Nate cut a couple to put in a vase inside just in case, and now the whole house smells amazing!

Oops, turns out seedlings need water.

This weather is nuts. Most days this past week were sunny and mid 60's to low 70's! Tonight it's supposed to go down to the 20's! In the ground, my hyacinths are blooming and smelling amazing and the daffodils look ready to go - some others around town are blooming. Occasional crocuses survive but I think the rabbits are too quick for me. My potted peas and spinach are poking their heads up through the dirt.


Under the grow lights, my neglect this week led to disaster. The whole top shelf dried up and died - the Red Popper Peppers, Baby's Breath, Lettuce, Snapdragon, Onions, Echinacea... nada. Luckily the lower shelves seem okay - Tangerine Dream Peppers, Tomatoes, Zinnias, Lettuce, Sage and Basil. Today I started seeds for: Rosemary, Strawflower, Henry Eckford Sweet Pea, Heatwave Lettuce, Heshiko Scallions/Bunching Onions, Sweet Basil, Cut and Come Again Zinnia, Nasturtiums, Luffa, Cosmos and Lavender.

At my house the air plants I got at the Boston Flower Show are fab. One bloomed in purple and another has a little pink thing emerging! They are living in a basket in the bathroom. The 3 Stop+Shop dahlias are sprouting in their pots, but the one from last year is not - it might have gotten too frozen. I can't wait for the last of the tubers to arrive from Eden Brothers! The seed starting mix and sphagnum moss Dad got at Lowe's (in bulk) seems much coarser than what I've been using. Will keep you posted.

Lasagna

I had a fabulous dinner party with lasagna, salad, bread and some amazing chocolate cake and forgot to take pictures of the food! Instead I took silly pictures with my friends. 

A Baby Lamb!

I know spring is here because the sheep are having babies! The circle of life on the farm is so amazing and CUTE!

 

Another good thing happening on the farm? Home-made sushi! We did a combination of avocado, smoked salmon and tempura-style sweet potato. This time we coated the sweet potato strips in a batter of egg and flour and did more of a deep-fry in oil... it was messy but a much better bread covering than when we just dipped in egg, dusted with flour and cooked them in a tiny bit of oil.

March 21

Air Plant in bloom

When it's sunny, I bring my seedlings outside

Soon this will be filled with flowers!

One of the only crocuses to escape the bunnies, next to the front door.

Sautéed Chicken Breasts with Ginger-Orange Glaze

Recipe from Chuck Williams's Simple American Cooking. Serves 4.

Ingredients:
4 chicken breast halves, 8-9 oz each, skinned and boned
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon EVOO
1 tablespoon minced green onion, including some tender green tops
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger, or more for stronger flavor
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 orange

Remove all excess fat from the chicken breasts. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Place each breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and, using a rolling pin, flatten to an even thickness. Put the flour on a plate or on a piece of waxed paper. Lightly salt and pepper each breast and then lightly coat with flour, shaking off any excess.

In a large sauté pan or frying pan (preferably nonstick) over medium heat, melt the butter with the olive oil. When hot, add the chicken and sauté, turning once, until lightly browned and opaque throughout when pierced with a knife, about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.

Pour off any excess fat from the pan and place the pan over medium-high heat. Add the green onion, orange juice, brown sugar, ginger and Dijon mustard and mix well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Cook, stirring, until thickened and reduced, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Return the chicken to the pan and turn the breasts over several times to coat them well with the sauce. Transfer to a warmed serving plate or individual plates and spoon the remaining sauce over the breasts.

Remove the zest from the orange: Using a zester or a fine-holed shredder, and holding the orange directly over the chicken, shred the zest (orange part only) from the skin directly onto each breast. Serve immediately.

El's Shells

While Nate took care of the steak, I concocted a new recipe: El's Shells. It was a big hit!

Ingredients:
Shell pasta
Vegetable Bouillon cube
Salt and pepper
Sage (a handful)
1-2 tablespoons butter
Sweet potato
Parmesan cheese

I got water boiling with salt and a vegetable bouillon cube first, so I'd be ready for the shells. Then I cut up a sweet potato (my favorite thing to cook with!) and fried it up in a little butter in pan until the edges were golden brown. I added a bunch of sage (which I have growing on my windowsill). When the shells were al dente, I poured them out but saved about a cup of the water. Back in the pot over low heat, I mixed the shells, water, sweet potato, sage, some butter and a whole lot of Parmesan cheese. The Parmesan cheese melted into a sort of glaze over the shells and everything else and with a little salt and pepper it was delicious! Next time I might try some crushed walnuts in there too.

Success Under the Grow Lights

Beets and Boston Lettuce

Peppers and Onions

Sage, Basil, Phlox, Zinnia, Viola 

Lettuce, Peas, Stevia (bought as a seedling) and Basil

Boston Flower Show and Air Plants for El!

The Boston Flower and Garden Show was a little underwhelming but still worth seeing if you're in the area and have an afternoon or evening to kill. It's pretty amazing that exhibitors bring in full-scale gardens and even have things in bloom despite the frigid weather outside. I used to go with my parents and I don't know if the show has gotten smaller or maybe I'm just bigger? I got pretty excited about the selection of little air plants at the show and came home with a whole bag full!

Unusually Warm Weather

Crocuses in the yard

Breakfast on the deck

Time to do some planting!

It's lovely again! Days like today make it hard to believe that it's still too early to put plants outside. I think this is the 3rd 60º+ day we've had in a row! I had a weak moment and ordered Cafe Au Lait dahlias from Eden Brothers this morning. I have no idea where they will go! I have all of my indoor plants outside today for maximum sun. On the south side of the house I planted the 8 ranunculus bulbs and 20 freesia, rolling up the grass sod-style and replacing it after planting. The bloom time for the ranunculus is "Early-Mid Summer" and the freesias are "Late Spring" I'm curious to see whether these ranunculus bloom at the same time or later than the bunch I planted in the fall.

Garden update: On the south side of the house, the daffodils are the furthest along, none blooming yet but the beginnings of buds forming. Some of the crocuses in the yard are blooming, and the hyacinth look hearty sprouting up. There are other leaves poking up and I'm not sure if they are the tulips or lilies. The poppies are sprouting in little clumps that look like grass and I can't wait to see what happens there. In the front of the house, the irises in the pot on the front step are holding steady at about an inch tall. A couple of crocuses bloomed this week but I really think the rabbits are eating them because there are a ton of little nubs in crocus colors but nothing above ground level. There are patches of leaves that look like daffodil and patches of leaves that might be lilies. One ipheion is blooming (waiting for the other 49 to catch up), and the garlic seems to have continued growing all winter. No life from the lily of the valley I attempted to transplant last fall, and only a few of the anemones are sprouting. Should I move all the leaves? No growth yet from the 3 peonies.

Breaded Chicken and Couscous

Cold Frame

My grandfather was big into gardening. He and my grandmother would spend hours and hours in their gardens - DiDaddy growing vegetables and Nini growing flowers. They were award-winning. I can only hope a few of those genes have been handed my way.

Aside from gardening, DiDaddy was also big into organization. After he died we cleaned out the basement and found something like 27 hammers, each with its own special spot to hang in a peg board. He labeled everything meticulously and put everything he owned away carefully for the next use. The great thing about this is that the cold frame he built is still in the barn, with all of its pieces, carefully labeled. It took Dad and me less than half an hour to assemble. Thank you DiDaddy, now I have a cold frame to use!

Breakfast Sandwiches