What am I supposed to do with that?!

Tuesday is CSA pick-up day. Kind of like Christmas and a vegetable mystery rolled into one. ‘Cuz we get some unusual stuff in our box, and lots of it!

Today for example, we got black radishes. Ok, a radish. I know what to do with that. Put it in salad, eat it raw, slice and eat on buttered bread.

But we got three of them and they’re the size of large oranges. Any one of these big guys alone would be enough to exhaust my radish recipe repertoire (put it in salad, eat it raw, slice and eat on buttered bread).  Add them to the two pretty sizable ones we got last week and I am stumped.

Giant black radishes

Roasted root vegies and Brussels sprouts

So, I tried roasting them along with the other root vegetables and Brussels sprouts we got today. OH were those Brussels sprouts yummy! I used this recipe from the Barefoot Contessa and could not stop eating them hot out of the oven. Crispy, salty, sweet, heaven. And the roasted parsnips, carrots and celery root – yummy. The radish…not so much.

In desperation I turned to the internet to find dozens of hits for “black radish recipe” that all began with, “What is this mystery vegetable and what can I do with it?” Or something along those lines. This site has information about the black radish and a list of recipes. I will start with the black radish and potato salad. If you go the site with the recipe, read the comments, too, for more suggestions on what to do with them.

Next up – the bag of mystery greens labelled “salad greens to cook.”

Should I give up on my garden?

I have been asking myself this question for a while now. For various reasons, I was unable to work in the garden for most of the summer. And when I was finally able to find the time in September, I could not summon up the fortitude necessary to tackle a garden that had been neglected for 4 months.

It was really bad. Weeds were (are!) everywhere. No really. Some places are so bad, that I would have to go in and pull the really aggressive weeds before I could even start taking out the regular weeds. And there is nothing else growing because I didn’t really have time to plant anything, so all that weeding wouldn’t even pay off in a harvest of some sort. The Czech mate was no help. He suggested we just let the grass take over and be done with it. Three years of gardening looked to be a complete waste of my time. It was so depressing that I didn’t even want to go outside and look at it.

But I finally did go outside and look at it. And I found 2 enormous pumpkins. They didn’t turn orange, but they are HUGE and will make great Jack-o-lanterns. Well, that’s encouraging. And there were a few late strawberries and probably if I pull just a few of these weeds in the strawberry beds, I won’t have to give them up. And our young apple trees only had a few apples, but – oh my gosh – we never tasted better apples! And if I dig a couple of holes out of these weedy spots, I can transplant some rhubarb. And wow it feels nice to be out here in the fresh air, and weeding gives you such a sense of accomplishment – your progress is so visible and gratifying.

It was all like a story I remember reading in school. Someone gave a flower to a sad, old woman. And the flower was so pretty, the woman decided to polish her dusty old vase so it would really look nice. And then she decided to to dust the table where the vase was sitting, and then clean that corner of the room so the table looked nice and before she knew it she had cleaned and polished her whole house and felt happy again.

I have now spent that last 4 days in the garden, weeding and mulching and transplanting and trimming. I feel much better about it and even found a few things to eat. Like the beans I planted and forgot and some Swiss chard and nasturtium flowers.

So, I’ve decided not to give up on my garden, though some things have to change. I put too much energy into repetitive tasks because I haven’t found a way to make my garden more self-sustaining. I can just about keep up with it if nothing goes awry, but I can’t get ahead and make improvements or expand because then I wouldn’t be able to keep up with it.

What I need is a new plan. That’s my task for the winter months. A plan that incorporates more permaculture techniques, more time- and labor-saving solutions and more productivity for less effort. Sounds like a pipe dream, right? But I think it can be done. Permaculture is all about getting the plants to do the work for you, and I am sure better management will help, too. I feel like I have to put the effort in at the right times to save more effort later.

My perennial herb garden is a great example. I only planted it last year and finished it this year. It’s full of hardy perennial herbs and keeps itself relatively weed-free. The lemon balm, tansy and comfrey spread pretty well, cover the soil and prevent the weeds from growing. I’ve added yarrow, salad burnet, thyme, and hyssop. They all seem to thrive and are low-maintenence. I need more of this kind of thing.

There are still lots of weeds in  my garden. But I have rediscovered my passion for the garden and can’t wait to get back out there in the spring!

M is for Magic

Do you believe in magic? Do you encourage your kids to?

I do, though maybe you and I mean different things by it. I don’t mean anything like miracles, or some interference from a superior intelligence . I don’t mean wishful thinking, that the world is other than it is, that if you wish hard enough you won’t get in trouble for not doing your homework.

I mean wonder. I mean the ability to enjoy and appreciate the world without always being able to explain it.

I mean the magic of seeds germinating and buds opening and wild creatures and breathtaking landscapes.

And the magic of a smile and generosity and music.

The magic of the wind roaring through the forest behind our house right before a thunderstorm.

The magic of a rainbow and the first snowfall.

The magic of the moon and stars.

The magic of Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy.

The magic of books and learning.

The magic of building forts in the woods and hikes and spotting deer.

Life is magical and living it with an appreciation for the magic all around us makes us happier and the world better. I hope that my children will want to preserve all those magical things in the world so they can share them with their children. I think fostering an appreciation the magic of the world in a child is the key to an environmentally and socially responsible adult.

L is for Learning

Over the past two years I have learned a lot about gardening and greener living.

Most recently, I have learned that I cannot blog every day! This challenge is killing me! It’s not that I don’t have something to say, it’s just that I’d rather not add crap to the internet, as far as possible, and I know what I have to say is mostly not original and quite often not as eloquent as what is already there somewhere.

I’ve also learned that all this food stuff takes time. Lots and lots of time. It’s hard to do with a full-time job and 2 kids. Even though I think it is ruining our world, I totally get why people grab the plastic bag of pre-washed baby spinach in the store. If I’ve planted some, I have to pick it, wash it, wash it again (spinach is really gritty and dirty)…definitely more time and trouble than opening a bag and dumping it in the bowl. Especially when you’re tired and hungry. Theoretically, it’s joyous – going outside, satisfaction of growing what you eat, knowing you didn’t add to the plastic in the world, etc. But some days, it’s going out in the cold drizzle and freezing your hands in the water while washing it and dinner delayed and kids whining…

Thus, I have also learned that food takes commitment. It’s energy I can usually summon up because I know why I am doing it and believe it’s the right thing to be doing. The blogging, on the other hand…ell, it mostly feels like singing in the shower. Makes me feel good, but no one else really hears it, and do I really what them to? (This is not me fishing for comments and compliments, by the way!)

I have learned that I am terrible at growing tomatoes. I just have not had success with them. I put them out too late or too early, they get terrible diseases and I have not yet had the kind of harvest I am looking for.

I have learned that no matter how discouraged I am by the state of my garden, by my tomato and other failures, by lack of energy and time to work, spending a good couple of hours always makes me feel good. The birds singing, the flowers, the worms and other creatures I come across, the soil itself it seems, all revive and invigorate me.

 

K is for Kompot, Kohlrabi and Koledovani

Kompot

I’ve written about Kompot before – it’s a local CSA I belong to. If you’re looking for a CSA in Prague, definitely check them out.

One day when I was over at the Kompot garden, I met a young woman who is doing her master’s thesis on CSAs using Kompot as a case study. As part of her research she did a survey and follow-up interviews with some respondents. My interview was last week, and it was really interesting. We talked about food and why it is important to me to be in a CSA. At the end of the interview she asked, “Are you a food activist?”

“Yes,” I answered without hesitation. Not that I ever thought of calling myself that before, but something inside of me said, “Yes! That is what I am.” So, what does it mean?!

I guess at a basic level it means trying to do something to make the food and food systems better. And in my own small way, I think I do that. I try to use my consumer powers for good, buying local seasonal food as much as possible, joining a CSA. I grow some of my own food. I forage some of my own food. I teach my kids and students about food issues. This blog is also part of it, I guess, bringing the joys of all this food awareness to at least a few others!

Kohlrabi

As yummy as it is funny-looking!

Just a memory really…When I was growing up we had a babysitter who lived with her family a couple of doors down from us. And they grew kohlrabis. No one else we knew ever even heard of them, but this family did and grew lots of them.

And now I live in kohlrabi country and realize that family must have been Slavic.

What, you don’t know what a kohlrabi is? Never tasted one? They are yummy and easy to grow. I highly recommend them, if you can find them! They still seem somewhat unknown where I come from.

Koledovani

Today is Easter Monday and the girls have just come back from (kind of) traditional Czech koledovani. I say “kind of” because traditionally only boys did it, but now girls do it, too. And while I am mostly in favor of folk traditions as way to preserve the wisdom of our elders, this one sort of befuddles me.

You see, the tradition is that young men weave a “pomlazka,” basically a whip, from young willow branches. They then go about the village and hit (yes, hit) women with it while singing a little rhyme. The women then give them eggs, treats and shots of homemade plum brandy. It’s supposed to make the women more fertile, but I must confess seems pretty barbaric to me.

My girls don’t actually whip anyone when they do it, but they go door to door and sing the little rhyme and get candy and eggs. Hordes of children all over the village do the same. It’s like Halloween without the costumes, but with actual horrific violence. Ok, they don’t actually beat people up, but I tell you that little willow whip stings! You can read more about Czech Easter traditions here.

Happy Easter!

J is for Jersey

Cotton jersey, like the stuff they use for T-shirts. We’ve been working on a project with old cut up Tshirts, and it’s pretty nifty.

I found a website that shows you how to make yarn from T-shirts. Fun, right?

And I’ve always wanted to make a braided run. So, take two kids on vacation and stuck in the house on a bad weather day, old T-shirts and a sharp pair of scissors and voila! A fun day of cutting and braiding.

Braiding

Stay tuned for the finished product (R is for Rug?)

 

PS. Not sure why or how, but internet is faster today – I could actually upload photos! Do you think it read my post yesterday and decided to get its act together?!

 

I is for Internet

At the best of times, the internet is my connection to family, friends and the rest of the world. I coAt the best of times, the internet is my connection to family, friends and the rest of the world. I communicate with my loved ones and can see and talk to them. I discovered a whole network of food and gardening bloggers out there, the answers to all my gardening questions are there, a recipe for any odd combination of foods I might have on hand, how to preserve how to forage, how to grow how to make…it’s all there.

Except when it’s not. I happen to live on a street that does not have phone or cable connections, so my internet is delivered via mobile phone network and it is slooooooow. So slow that I can’t really download much, like updates to my software. As a result, I have old an operating system, browsers, etc. Right now I can’t really use half of the websites I have grown to depend on, like FB and my mail server. Or Skype. I feel so cut off. Which is tough when you live thousands of miles from many of your family and friends. And I don’t even have a telephone to call them with.

Hopefully I will be able to fix this problem soon, though I fear it will take some time. Luckily I can still post on my blog. And write letters. I wonder if there is a telegraph office around…
mmunicate with my loved ones and can see and talk to them. I discovered a whole network of food and gardening bloggers out there, the answers to all my gardening questions are there, a recipe for any odd combination of foods I might have on hand, how to preserve how to forage, how to grow how to make…it’s all there.

Except when it’s not. I happen to live on a street that does not have phone or cable connections, so my internet is delivered via mobile phone network and it is slooooooow. So slow that I can’t really download much, like updates to my software. As a result, I have old an operating system, browsers, etc. Right now I can’t really use half of the websites I have grown to depend on, like FB and my mail server. Or Skype. I feel so cut off. Which is tough when you live thousands of miles from many of your family and friends. And I don’t even have a telephone to call them with.

Hopefully I will be able to fix this problem soon, though I fear it will take some time. Luckily I can still post on my blog. And write letters. I wonder if there is a telegraph office around…

H is for Herbs

Of all the things I have attempted to grow in my garden, I have been most successful with herbs. In fact, sometimes it seems like they are the only things doing well. And already this spring, I have chives, mint, lemon balm and parsley ready to use. And the best part is, they seem to thrive on our poor soil and my benign neglect. In time, I may convert to all herbs.

A big project I have been working on for a year now is to turn the slopes of the vegetable garden into a perennial herb garden. I’m about half way done and excited about it. For the past 3-4 years I have tried to grow annual squash and beans on the slopes only to have the weeds invade. It got so I was putting more effort into weeding every year. That’s no way to have a garden! Permaculture, among other things, teaches that you should let the plants do the work for you, so I hit on the idea of planting the slopes with perennials. Less weeding for me – maybe almost none eventually, soil stability, soil improvement, great things to eat and use , a real win-win situation.

So here is what I am growing and what I do with it:

• mint – We use it fresh, dried and make syrup from it, mostly for drinks
• chives – fresh and freeze, for cooking
• garlic chives – fresh and freeze, for cooking
• hyssop – dry for tea, supposed to be good for colds
• yarrow – nothing yet!
• thyme – fresh and dry, for cooking
• lemon balm – fresh and dry, syrup for drinks
• tansy – bug repellent
• tarragon – fresh for cooking
• parsley – fresh and freeze, for cooking
• comfrey – compost, companion plant, poultice for sprains and bruises
• salad burnet – fresh in salads
• lavender – dried
• basil – fresh, freeze in pesto
• rosemary – fresh and dried, for cooking and hair rinse
• marjoram – fresh and dried, for cooking
• oregano – fresh and dried, for cooking
• summer savory – fresh
• lovage – fresh and frozen, for cooking
• betony – dried for teas, headache remedy
• calendula – fresh on salads, dried, make calendula oil and moisturizer
• dill – fresh and frozen, for cooking
• sage – fresh and dried, mostly for tea
• chamomile – dry for tea

To make syrup, I usually make simple syrup with sugar and add the herbs. I leave the herbs in until the syrup cools and then strain them out. I often freeze the syrup until I’m ready to use it, typically for cold and hot tea.

To dry, I either hand in the pantry or use my dehydrator. Stored in glass jars, the dried herbs keep all winter. I’ve become quite fond of sage tea with honey and lemon.

Herb lore is fascinating and every time I look at an herb book or web site I am quite sure I will never know even a fraction of the things I read about. It’s all so overwhelming. My goal for this year is to make more cosmetics and learn more about the medicinal uses of the herbs I have.

If you’re keeping track, I am way behind on the B-Z blog month! But I’m on spring holiday now, so am hoping to catch up in the coming week. 

G is for Gifts

Because yesterday was my birthday.

My kids have been asking me what I want for my birthday, because they want to give me gifts. I tell them that what I want is for them to make me something, and they reply, “Yes, but what do you really want?”

That IS what I really want! I don’t need them to go buy me stuff. I don’t need anyone to buy me more stuff (although I would not say no to a pressure canner). Nothing makes me happier than seeing them make something, and giving something of themselves to others. Like every Mom, I treasure those gifts the most.

But I know what they are thinking because I often think it, too. The things we make are not as nice as the things we buy. I worry about that. I tend to give gifts I make myself. And I worry that they are not as nice as something I could buy or that people will think it’s just because I’m cheap.

When I make a gift for someone, I think about them the entire time. I ask myself what they might like and at every step of the way when I have a choice of materials, color, technique, I ask myself what they would like most. And as the object takes shape, I often smile in anticipation of how much I think they will like it. Sure, in the end there are sometimes little imperfections, but I hope that only adds to the charm!

There are other reasons I like to make gifts, and receive hand-made gifts. I think we should all buy less stuff. There is no reason our joyful and celebratory feelings must be accompanied by the consumption of more stuff.

So, give gifts, but make them. Or give your time and thoughtfulness. We’ll all get more out of this kind of gift-giving!

 

 

F is for Foraging

Foraging has become one of my favorite activities. There is something very exciting about gathering wild foods to eat. I’ve read accounts of first-time hunters in which the authors relate a sort of instinctive and primal thrill in hunting and killing that they did not anticipate. Since I don’t eat meat and have no particular desire to kill an animal, I’m not likely to try it, but foraging takes its place quite nicely. You still have to track down your intended food, be in the right place at the right time and face the danger of perhaps gathering the wrong (maybe poisonous?!) foods – don’t underestimate the primal thrill of remaining alive after eating your first wild food! Ok, perhaps not as dramatic as facing down a wild boar, but more than enough thrills for me!

Our foraged foods include:

• dandelion leaves
• dandelion flowers
• elder flowers
• elder berries
• wild raspberries & blackberries
• nettles
• wild garlic
• wild plums
• wild blueberries when we are in the mountains
• mushrooms
• goosefoot leaves (Chenopodium genus)
• rose hips
• wild strawberries

Recently gathered lots of wild garlic – it’s time and looking forward to elder flower season and fresh nettles coming soon!