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October 2008

That little nip in the air that signals a change in the season is just so fantastic!  Every creature around here senses the change, from the cows to the chickens the improved weather is exciting and we all breathe a sigh of relief.  During this down time for growing we spend the fall planning for our new 2009 season which becomes a big project in itself.  There are so many things for us to decide such as improvements to make in our shipping system, upgrading computer hardware and software to handle the orders more efficiently, and building more spaces to hold our thousands of plants while they grow large enough for shipping.  2009 will be our most exciting season yet and we are looking forward to providing the best vegetable and herb plants available anywhere. 

Although we are currently getting ready for next season, we are still very well stocked on herbs and even have a few Vegetables, and we have gorgeous Citrus trees as well as Onions, Leeks, Shallots and Garlic bulbs which are shipping while supplies last. 

We have a limited supply of these huge Mammoth Basil plants in 8" baskets which come with hangers.  Get one now for perfect pesto!  We also have French Sorrel, Chervil, Parsley and Cilantro which grow great this time of year.  Sorrel and Parsley will grow vigorously through the colder months!  For exceptional flavor, check out our herbs.

I am sure that you all are getting tired of just me writing articles in this newsletter so we have recruited some help in that area.  Willa Mitchell has been organic gardening and farming for many years and loves to write about it!  Read her article on growing Garlic, Onions, Leeks and Shallots below.  We also have a great recipe for Potato Leek soup with Cannellini beans and Herbs.

Garlic, Onions, Leeks and Shallots can be ordered now and should be planted in early November in most areas. These fantastic bulbs are going fast so order now.  We have French Red Shallots that are just huge! Music Garlic bulbs are also very large this year and taste fantastic.  Grown by our own Chris Bennett in his garden here in Alabama. Onions and Leeks will be in stock and ready for shipment on October 28th. They are very easy to grow and perfect in the garden through the winter with harvesting from early spring through June. 

Fall vegetables are still available for a limited time!  We have attempted to select the earliest varieties we could but don't wait, get them in the ground now for best results.  Many of these vegetables such as Arugula and Spinach can be harvested very quickly and will continue growing throughout the fall and into early winter.  

Fall is really the best time to grow fresh herbs.  With the cooler weather, we cook so much more and there are no better ways to use herbs than in soups.  Get yours growing in the kitchen where they will be handy!  Our Kitchen herb planter kits, Windowsill herb gardens and Hanging Baskets are just beautiful indoors.  Send one to a friend as a birthday or anniversary gift or for a house warming present for new home owners!  Available through the Holiday season, you just can't beat our beautiful fragrant live herb plants!  At The Tasteful Garden, it's all about the flavor--try out our new original recipe:

photo courtesy of: Kitchen Gardeners International Fresh Potato Parsley soup with white beans and Basil 2 tbsp butter 2 leeks, cleaned well and chopped 2-3 celery stalks, chopped finely with leafy tops 1 quart chicken stock (homemade is best) 5-6 medium white potatoes, peeled (if skins are thin, you can leave the skins on for more fiber and a rustic texture) and cut into large bite-sized pieces 1 can white navy or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained 1/2 bunch or several stalks of fresh parsley 2-3 stems of fresh basil (or use a tsp of prepared pesto) juice of 1/2 lemon Salt & pepper and 1/2 cup cream or half and half (optional)  sour cream and chives to garnish Remove parsley and basil leaves from stems, set leaves aside and tie stems together with kitchen string. Add butter to a Dutch oven and melt over medium heat. Add leeks and celery and cook for about 5 minutes until soft. Add bundle of herb stems, potatoes and chicken stock to Dutch oven and cook on medium heat until potatoes are fork tender, about 10 minutes boiling time. Remove herb stem bundle. Chop parsley and basil leaves finely and add to simmering soup along with drained cannellini beans, lemon juice, and salt & pepper to taste. Simmer soup until beans are warmed through, about 6-10 minutes. Soup can be pureed at this stage for a smoother texture. Add in batches to a blender or use an immersion blender.  Add 1/2 cup cream or half and half for a creamier, richer soup. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and fresh snipped chives. This recipe would be great with a bruschetta of tomatoes, basil and garlic.

In the Garden:

• Leaves are starting to fall and it is so important not to throw those stacks of leaves away!  There is nothing better for your garden than leaves, they actually make your tomatoes taste sweeter!  Put a bed of leaves right on top of the garden and they will compost over the winter.  Cover them up with a little compost or soil to keep them from blowing away. 
• Make sure you check the pH of your soil so if you need to lime or add gypsum, you can let them work to correct pH over the winter.
• Clean up all the old garden waste and either compost it or throw it away if there is any sign of disease or insects that they may be harboring. 
• Weeds should be mowed or pulled out so they will not leave seeds for next year's garden. 
• Covering the garden with fabric garden cloth or planting a cover crop is a smart way to prevent weeds and improve your garden soil.

We are happy to have a contributing writer this month with some thoughts on organic methods of gardening.  We know you all care about growing your gardens with natural methods and Willa Mitchell has many years of growing and farming organically to share with us. Onions, Leeks, Shallots and Garlic Why? Why even bother with onions, leeks, shallots or garlic? That was exactly the dialogue that was inside my head. I can get them, anytime, anywhere so it seemed that the question was, why bother? That's the magic of it, that is the surprise, because when you grow something yourself, it tastes different. So what is the payoff? The payoff is flavor. Garlic and Onions when they are home grown, they are "garlicky" or "oniony" in a different way. There is some of the uniqueness of the soil from your chunk of real estate. Even the nutrition is determined by your soil. That uniqueness, those flavors, will truly delight your mouth. A flavor that has subtlety, intensity and dimension. Then there is the pride you have in knowing that you GREW it. Then there's timing. It is critical to get bulbs into the ground at the just the right time of year so they have their internal timing right. They need to have cold winter months or short or long days (depending on which varieties) to form new bulbs. The great thing about onions, garlic and shallots is that you can eat them at any time after they have grown up. As an addition to your salad, the green "youngsters", make a salad like no other you've ever tasted. With bulbs, you just can't fail. Packed inside them is their future. The other special quality of timing with Garlic and other bulbing plants is their harmony with nature. When you get them in the garden in the fall they have the whole winter to sleep and lay dormant. They are eager to leap up in springtime, it is just magical really, and you didn't do much. You went out there and pushed them into the dirt, they really did it all.    Read more: Growing Onions and Leeks Growing Garlic and Shallots

Happenings here on the farm! 

Our 2 young bull calves just got weaned and boy are they are hungry!  With our dry weather, grass is growing slowly so needless to say, they have found their way through the fences and the mother cows just follow them right through.  Unfortunately, they have decided that our fall planted lettuces were just what they wanted and they have eaten them down to the ground!  Lucky we still have peas and beans going but we will really miss that lettuce.  One of the calves we will trade, along with his mother, to a neighbor so that we can get a new cow to breed with our bull, Bruno.  She is a Red Angus and we hope to have some really nice beef from her offspring.

Our chickens are what we call "yard birds" which is sort of like free-range, only more country.  They love to get out and scratch for bugs and worms, especially after a rain. Because of their diet, they have yolks which are so dark yellow you wouldn't believe it.  This means they are high in Omega 3 that they get from the grass and protein they get from the bugs. They have access to the entire yard and we will sometimes be sitting in the kitchen and hear one clucking nearby.  We even had a few eggs hatch this year when the hens hid the eggs from us!  Fresh Farm eggs just can't be beat and with over 40 chickens, we never have to be without them.

 

Our Book SALE continues!   Read some fantastic books about, what else? Gardening and Cooking from the Garden.  Our books are all on sale right now in our bookstore with many new titles!

Keeping in line with nature's seasons is what "organic" farming is all about including the symbiotic relationship of all the creatures on the farm from the smallest insect to the largest bull.  With the upcoming election, please vote for folks who understand that our farmers need to be allowed to continue this relationship instead of becoming subsidized factories. 

Contact Us toll free 866-855-6344 or visit us at www.tastefulgarden.com