July is a very exciting month in the garden! Robust leaves and early fruits should be prominent and plots containing your more sizeable plants are probably approaching jungle status!
What to do in your garden this month?
Onions should be fully developed and can be harvested and prepared for storage. Other plants like broccoli, peas and cauliflower will be coming to a completion as well. Strawberries are hanging in there and producing pretty consistently and beautiful ripe red raspberries should be popping out all over the place! Be prepared to get your harvest on this month! All those big beautiful zucchinis, cucumbers and juicy ripe tomatoes are right around the corner. This time of year tends to be very hot and dry so you need to be on the top of your game when it comes to watering. Your garden needs about one inch of water each week. Early morning is the best time to water. Evening watering is less desirable because plant leaves that remain wet through the night are more susceptible to fungus diseases. Check the soil moisture of container grown vegetables and flowers daily. As the temperature rises, some plants may need water twice a day. A reapplication of straw mulch can be applied to plants to reduce water lose and improve yields. You may also want to apply a mid season fertilizer to assure consistent production through the rest of the growing season.
What to plant this month?
Continue to make successive plantings of crops like beans, cucumbers and sweet corn to provide a continuous harvest until fall. A small garden will produce a large quantity of vegetables if replanting is done throughout the summer. Although the excitement of ripe summer vegetables make it hard to think about fall and early winter crops timing is everything when it comes to planting. For a sufficient fall/winter harvest of lettuce, radish, broccoli, turnips, kale and spinach, sow seeds in late July.
Final Thoughts?
Once again, make sure to weed, weed, weed! It’s a continual process, and a daunting task, I know, but keeping your beds free of weeds will allow your plants to thrive without having to fight for sunlight, water and soil nutrients. Also perform frequent plant prunings. When you think of pruning you probably don’t think about vegetables, but snipping off wilted branches and dead or pest-munched leaves allows the plants "support system" to send vital energy and nutrients to healthy areas, provides better air circulation and stimulates more vigorous growth.
Happy Planting!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Not so simple
The Not So Simple Living Fair, a weekend of hands of workshops on rural living, is coming back to Boonville this weekend. Learn neat things like how to mill your local grain, how to keep your bees, seed saving and composting, and winter veggie growing. It's the perfect place to polish up your rural living skills. For more information on the event, click here
If you get a chance come check out The Gardens Project in the conversation cafe on Saturday morning. We'd love to chat with you and answer any questions you have on gardening and community gardens!
Hope to see you there!
If you get a chance come check out The Gardens Project in the conversation cafe on Saturday morning. We'd love to chat with you and answer any questions you have on gardening and community gardens!
Hope to see you there!
FREE food! New recipes! More fruits and veggies!
FREE taste-tests of farm-fresh foods are offered by local BEANS teens!
This summer, the BEANS crew of teen peer educators is reaching out to coastal and inland community members at farmers’ markets, food banks, and community centers.
1) Fort Bragg: You can see a recipe demonstration, learn nutrition facts, and try new foods at the Fort Bragg Farmers’ Markets on Wednesdays in July. Also, if you want a hands-on cooking experience, you can join the BEANS class at Safe Passage during the month of July in Fort Bragg.
2) Willits: Stop by to taste some goof-proof recipes with the BEANS teens at the Willits Community Food Bank on several Wednesdays (July 20, August 3, and August 17). The teens will be cooking a recipe using food bank food and, of course, incorporating tasty fruits and veggies. Also this summer, local kids from the Nuestra Alianza summer program will be cooking with the BEANS teens and learning new recipes to share with their families.
3) Ukiah: You can gather recipe ideas, learn nutrition facts, play with home-made hula hoops, and try new foods at the Saturday Ukiah Farmers’ Market in August. Also, if you know someone who attends the summer program at the Ukiah Boys and Girls Club, be sure to ask them to tell you about the great foods the BEANS teens will be cooking there on Mondays and Wednesdays in late July and early August.
The BEANS crew reminds you to enjoy the bounty of fruits and vegetables by incorporating them into every meal. Need ideas? Stop by one of our summer locations and we’ll be happy to share!
Summer Garden Tour
Mark your calendars for August 26th - our second annual garden tour is coming back!
This year we're envisioning more of the same good music, great food prepared by our gardeners, and a personal tour lead by the people who grow some of the best food in town. If you've ever been interested in knowing what's going on in the gardens or if you're not sure exactly what a community garden is or what happens in a pre-school garden - this is the time to come check it out.
We're even more excited for this year as we're partnering with the Cancer Resource Center of Mendocino to make an even more spectacular weekend full of great food. Saturday night, guests at the 7th Annual Pure Mendocino Dinner will eat the freshest, most local food, includ
ing produce from gardens in Ukiah. On Sunday afternoon dinner attendees will have the opportunity to get participate in the garden tour.
Tickets are available at a $30 suggested donation for the garden tour.
Call for more information: 462-1958
Friday, July 15, 2011
Zucchini: ambivalent delight
I planted one zucchini plant this summer and have already been delighted and completely overwhelmed with about a million pounds of it.
So, what have I done with my million pounds of zucchini? First I added it into stir fry. Then I added it into noodle dishes and grain dishes. Then I shredded it and put it into sandwiches and when I got tired of that I baked with it, and now.. here I am .. idea-less.
Thankfully this is not an uncommon problem. I think it might be safe to say that everyone who plants a zucchini plant goes through the same process: excitement when the first zucchinis become ripe followed by a desperate ploy to give away the zucchini to neighbors and unsuspecting friends.
But instead, this month embrace your zucchini. Try some of these recipes below which were posted in Ukiah Natural Foods newsletter. Mix things up - try making some chutney or even freeze some shredded zucchini for the winter.We all know the the saying: the grass is always greener on the other side. In zucchini words, come December and we'll be begging for our Zucchini so let's enjoy it now!
Minty Zucchini Salad
This salad’s minty coolness is a perfect hot weather antidote.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
Salt to taste
Dash cayenne pepper
1 1/2 pounds green and yellow zucchini, thinly sliced
into “ribbons” using a carrot peeler or mandoline.
Directions:
Mix olive oil, lemon juice, mint, salt and cayenne
pepper. Add zucchini and toss lightly to coat. Serve chilled.
Raw Zucchini Hummus
You don’t have to be a raw food enthusiast to enjoy
this delicious summer appetizer. Serve as a dip with crudités or crackers.
Ingredients
2 zucchini, chopped
½ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons cumin
1 cup tahini
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup raw sesame seeds
Directions:
Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Yields over 3 cups.
Zucchini Curry Soup
A light summer soup for the dog days of August.
Serve with a simple salad and crusty bread.
Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped, about 1/2 cup
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 small carrot, shredded
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium zucchini, chopped
2 apples, peeled, diced
4 cups vegetable broth
2 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Yogurt
Directions:
Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil over low heat until onions soften. Add zucchini, apples, broth and curry powder and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Puree the hot soup with an immersion blender or in small batches with a blender or food processor. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour into bowls then place a dollop of yogurt in each. Swirl knife through to create a pattern. Serves 4-6.
So, what have I done with my million pounds of zucchini? First I added it into stir fry. Then I added it into noodle dishes and grain dishes. Then I shredded it and put it into sandwiches and when I got tired of that I baked with it, and now.. here I am .. idea-less.
Thankfully this is not an uncommon problem. I think it might be safe to say that everyone who plants a zucchini plant goes through the same process: excitement when the first zucchinis become ripe followed by a desperate ploy to give away the zucchini to neighbors and unsuspecting friends.
But instead, this month embrace your zucchini. Try some of these recipes below which were posted in Ukiah Natural Foods newsletter. Mix things up - try making some chutney or even freeze some shredded zucchini for the winter.We all know the the saying: the grass is always greener on the other side. In zucchini words, come December and we'll be begging for our Zucchini so let's enjoy it now!
Minty Zucchini Salad
This salad’s minty coolness is a perfect hot weather antidote.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
Salt to taste
Dash cayenne pepper
1 1/2 pounds green and yellow zucchini, thinly sliced
into “ribbons” using a carrot peeler or mandoline.
Directions:
Mix olive oil, lemon juice, mint, salt and cayenne
pepper. Add zucchini and toss lightly to coat. Serve chilled.
Raw Zucchini Hummus
You don’t have to be a raw food enthusiast to enjoy
this delicious summer appetizer. Serve as a dip with crudités or crackers.
Ingredients
2 zucchini, chopped
½ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons cumin
1 cup tahini
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup raw sesame seeds
Directions:
Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Yields over 3 cups.
Zucchini Curry Soup
A light summer soup for the dog days of August.
Serve with a simple salad and crusty bread.
Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped, about 1/2 cup
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 small carrot, shredded
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium zucchini, chopped
2 apples, peeled, diced
4 cups vegetable broth
2 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Yogurt
Directions:
Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil over low heat until onions soften. Add zucchini, apples, broth and curry powder and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Puree the hot soup with an immersion blender or in small batches with a blender or food processor. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour into bowls then place a dollop of yogurt in each. Swirl knife through to create a pattern. Serves 4-6.
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