February 20, 2010

potato order placed

I meant to order these a few weeks ago, but didn’t actually do it. Now the order is placed – the day after the discounts ended 🙁 I’m excited about the varieties I found though. Three of the four show resistance to late blight!! I should have had these last year. I got only 4 orders – last year I got 5 and this was a bit too much. Here are the Moose Tubers’ catalog descriptions: Irish Cobbler Early. Buff skin, white flesh. Slightly larger than a golf ball, great…

February 19, 2010

onion sprouts

More and more little onions sprouts keep popping up.

February 11, 2010

ordering seed potatoes

Moose Tubers discount ordering deadline is Feb 19! I’d better get my order in. This year I’m planning to grow just two varieties of potatoes: a Russet (Burbank) and a blue (All Blue) potato. (BTW, Burbank is the famed Russet McDonald’s and most fast food places use for fries. The most common variety grown in Idaho. I’m just curious to try it. I grew the newer Rio Grande Russet last year, which was excellent. All-Blue is the most widely grown Blue potato. I should balance these selections with a rare…

January 23, 2010

sweet potato sprouts

One of my sweet potatoes is sprouting well, but very slowly. No growth on the other. I thought maybe they need more warmth than they get on the window sill, so I moved them to an 80*F location under my fish tank. I hope to buy a few more of different varieties soon.

January 9, 2010

sprouting sweets

I’m experimenting with a couple sweet potatoes from the store. A white one and an orange one. I cut off an inch of each and put them in a glass of water. I’m hoping for a few sprouts I can pot up then plant in the garden when spring comes. I didn’t do so well with mail ordered slips last year. Maybe too early to start, but I’m looking forward to getting the garden going.

December 26, 2009

Christmas potatoes

This is a delicious recipe my mother-in-law made for Christmas dinner. about 4 or 5 large potatoes potatoes, sliced or diced 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese1 can cream of chicken soup3/4 cup sour cream1/4 cup finely chopped onions2 Tbs melted buttertoasted onions rings Mix everything except toasted onion rings. Put in a baking dish. Top with toasted onions rings (or use corn flakes and butter instead). Cook 350*F for 45 minutes.

November 14, 2009

celeriac recipes

Someone asked a while back what to do with celeriac. I thought I start a recipe list.Here is a nice post from Winter Green Community Farm. As they describe: Celeriac is descended from wild celery and has a crisp, clean flavor. It can be used in turkey stuffing instead of regular celery and has a good amount of Vitamin C. Try celeriac raw grated into salads or in any recipe that calls for celery. Celeriac can also be boiled or steamed. Peel, slice, and boil for 5-10 minutes or boil…

November 14, 2009

white Detroit beets with carrots

I wasn’t real sure of these when I ordered the seed last year. White Detroit beets. But the description at Sand Hill Preservation Center sounded interesting: White Detroit: 65 days. Relatively new introduction where the beets are white, less bleeding and staining but same earthy flavor. And the good news is my teenager liked them! And they didn’t stain the carrots. Or my hands. They were very tasty. I think this will be a variety to grow again next year. My dad has questioned the nutritiousness of white vegetables. I…

September 30, 2009

harvest – russet potatoes and broccoli

Big Russets and a serious head of broccoli. I feel like a real farmer. I really enjoy running down to the garden instead of the supermarket! We ate these immediately. Pan fried potatoes, sliced thin and steamed broccoli. Yum!

September 12, 2009

parsnips

I dug down a bit around the crown of one of my parsnips today. Yes! A root. I won’t pull these til after a frost, but they are coming along. The past two years I tried to grow parsnips and was not able to get them to sprout. This year I kept reseeding and watering. They start out very slowly.

weeks and counting until my last spring frost

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