As a side note – if you decide to buy garlic from the store to plant, make sure that you’re buying organic garlic that hasn’t been treated with any sort of chemicals. Partly, because it’s bad to eat chemicals, but also because any garlic you’re buying at the grocery store will likely have been treated with an anti-sprouting chemical, so it won’t sprout in the store. Which is why you can keep store-bought garlic at home for months before it ever starts to sprout.

Needless to say, you don’t want to put anything in your garden that is already hindered by chemicals, so go with the most organic, untreated, pesticide free garlic you can.

So, I planted this garlic in February of 08, and I kinda forgot about it. That is, until about September of 2008 when I found 6″ green sprouts coming out of the ground! It took me a while to remember what was happening in that corner of the garden, but when I remembered the garlic planted there, I was terribly excited! I just couldn’t figure out why it took so long to sprout!

So, I let it grow all winter, and when spring came, the puffy flower-ball at the top emerged, and the lower foliage began to die off. It was at this point that I remembered the French technique of breaking the necks of the garlic plants! Basically, what this technique suggests, is that once the bottom leaves of the plant start to dry, and turn brown, bend the neck of the garlic until the top of the plant are laying on the ground, but the bulb is still buried in the ground. Put a brick on the plant, and wait for about a month. Continue to water as normal, and the plant will put all of it’s effort and resources into building a big, healthy bulb, instead of trying to keep the foliage going. Leave the broken plants under the bricks, though, so you know where to find the garlic later!

After a month of keeping these broken necked garlic in the ground, I pulled up a dozen heads of beautiful garlic!

Wash off the dirt (use a scrubby vegetable brush!) and peel off the hard crusted dirt and garlic skin, and you’ll have beautiful garlic ready to eat. If it’s more garlic than you’ll use before it goes bad, puree it with some olive oil, and keep it in the freezer for up to a year!

What I’ve built in my garden is the simplest variety of garden cloche possible – it’s also one of the least expensive. For a 3’ wide by 6’ long space, I needed:

• Two six-foot sections of ¾” PVC pipe
• Two eight-foot sections of ¾” PVC pipe
• One eight-foot section of 1” PVC pipe – cut into eight, one-foot sections
• Clear or opaque heavy-plastic sheeting

To begin, pound the one-foot sections into the ground. Leave about 4 or 5 inches of the end of the pipe above ground.

I just noticed how boring this photo is!

You’ll use these as the insertion points for the arches of your cloche. Two on each end in pairs, two on one side, and two on the other, about 24″ apart.

I use the 6' pipes on the far ends, and the 8' pipes in the middle, so the middle is higher up.

On the far ends, bend a six-foot section of the ¾” pipe into an arch, and insert the ends into the pipes you’ve pounded into the ground.

8' sections in the middle, the shorter ones on the end

Now, we’re going to cover the pipes with a clear, heavy plastic (4 mil or heavier contractor plastic works well!) and create a tent… well, actually, a cloche!

You can use many, many things to secure your plastic – I anchor the back of the cloche (the side I can’t get to, because it’s on the neighbors fence) with a staplegun, but then leave an open flap in the front, and weight it down with bricks.

You want to keep the plastic fairly taut – too much slack in the plastic can allow the wind to create a little flapping which can quickly become a sail and take your cloche up like that house in the Wizard of Oz. Most importantly, though, is the precious warming under the cloche! Under these small, temporal greenhouses, you can effectively create Springtime in small scale, and start growing those early spring veggies now! Even if there’s snow outside!

Think salad! Arugula, radishes and peas! Remember to keep them watered, and your cloches will reward you with early springtime!

As we get into spring, the days will warm – and on those days, remember to open your cloches during the day and let your plants breathe and let off the excess heat. In February there won’t likely be much “excess heat”, but as April and May roll around, you may find that your cloches are no longer necessary until Fall comes back.

Share your thoughts! What do you like to grow in your cloche?

Here in the Pacific Northwest they can be a bit of a challenge, (even with the zillion varietals that grow well in cooler, wetter climates), and can frustrate even the most savvy of gardeners. I once heard a friend say that she was considering not growing them at all. I was stunned.

What would be the point of gardening, if NOT to grow your own tomatoes. More than any other vegetable, I think, the difference between a home-grown tomato and a store-bought tomato is the greatest. I’ve fed home-grown tomatoes to people who have never had one (can you imagine?) and they are almost confused; overwhelmed by the enormity of the difference in flavor and quality.

The photo above is of the first cherry tomatoes I pulled from the vine earlier this week. They are explosively sweet, and full of flavor. Another perk, or so it seems to me, of homegrown tomatoes, is that they last longer. Of course, you should NEVER refrigerate a tomato – EVER! That will only accelerate the wilting and dying process. It should only find it’s way to the refrigerator after it’s been cut into a salad, or for no more than an hour or so to chill it before serving. However, I wouldn’t even bother chilling them. When they get cold, the natural sweetness is hindered, and they can become unpleasant, because only the acidic tang can be tasted.

A tomato, fresh from the garden, washed gently with cool water, sliced and served with a sprinkling of salt and pepper (perhaps a bit of fresh basil and olive oil?) is one of the most perfect of summer delights, and should only be attempted in the summer.

In a few weeks time, I’m hoping to start canning tomatoes. I have quite a few lovely saucing tomatoes that are currently green on the vine and will be perfect soon. Time to dig out those canners and Mason jars!

The peas are still sweet and I pulled some of the new potatoes from the overwintered plot. For lunch I made peas and new potatoes, a dish my grandmother made every summer after having us girls pick and shuck the peas. Its a great dish throughout the pea season and not just when your pulling them. The fall peas go in around Labor Day, must be why Thanksgiving makes me think of this dish also.

So here’s what you need, the quantity of each is personal taste:

Fresh shucked peas
Small or cut freshly dug potatoes
Cream
Butter
Onion
Pepper

I don’t remember my grandmothers recipe so here is what I did.

After cleaning all the garden dirt off of the potatoes and cutting some of them in half. I boiled the potatoes in water for a minute or two because I didn’t know how long they would take. I think I could have skipped this part.

I sauteed the onion in a little butter and then added in the potatoes and peas, added the cream and brought it up to a light boil and cooked the potatoes until done and the cream thickened up and peppered to taste. Yummy.

As much as I recognize the cage’s ability to manage the plant’s shape, they can be hard to deal with when it comes harvesting time.

As I wrote in an earlier entry, I’m using the red plastic mulch on the ground under the tomatoes and peppers, and they couldn’t be happier! I’m very pleased with their progress, considering how abysmal the weather has been lately! Since “summer” kicked in (remember, that this IS the Pacific Northwest) there has been a sad lack of fully sunny days, and a DEFINITE lack of durable heat during the day. The plastic mulch has not only helped keep water in the ground (so I could spend a few days away camping!) it has keep the plants warm, and well lit!

If you live in a climate where it doesn’t stay nicely hot and humid, then I would HIGHLY recommend the red plastic mulch.

Right now the plants are well above the barrel and if they where in the ground I would continue to cover with soil. I planted them pretty low so I should get quite a bit of the fingerling’s and whatever else was in the “control group” given to me by Boe and Les.

Here are a few pics of the potato plants.

With a fresh salad from the garden, and mustard greens ready to saute, we came up with an absolutely delicious herbed and grilled chicken that we’re sure you’ll love too.

CITRUS AND HERB MARINATED GRILLED BONE-IN CHICKEN

What you need:
1 whole chicken cut up for grilling

2 large lemons and 2 large oranges zested and juiced

A good handful (or 2 if your hands are small!) of chopped mint, tarragon, basil

1/2 cup olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Mix the oil, balsamic vinegar, orange and lemon juice and herbs all together with a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of pepper. Add your chicken to the marinade, as well as the squeezed orange and lemons.

Let the chicken marinate for about 6 hours or so (overnight is great too!). About an hour before the you’re ready to start grilling, take the chicken from the refrigerator and let it come up to near room temperature (I know what you’re thinking, but it’s fine!).

When your grill is hot, place the chicken onto the grill. Turn only once during the cooking process, and cook until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees (remember to keep the thermometer away from the bone).

Easy and delicious!

With the chicken, we decided we wanted baked potatoes. Of course, we had to give them a little spin, and came up with Twice Baked Grilled Potatoes. Taking a little spin on the traditional “Twice Baked” idea, we just put them on the grill.

Baking Cycle 1 – Clean your potatoes (1 per person, usually). Poke a few holes in each potato and soak them in salted water for about a half-hour. Drain and dry your potatoes. Coat with olive oil and coarse salt.

Place the potatoes on your grill, but not over direct heat (we lit the outside two burners, and put our potatoes down the middle). About 20 minutes into the cooking time, give the potatoes a turn. The skins will start to get a bit papery, and you will be able to feel them “give” a little when you squeeze them. After another 15-20 minutes on the grill – remove your potatoes from the heat.

Let them cool for a few minutes, and when you can pick one up without hurting yourself, cut them in half lengthwise. They’ll probably be steaming hot inside, so let them cool for another couple minutes.

Scoop out the inside of the potato, so you’re left with a little boat of potato skin. Reserve the potato flesh in a bowl. Once they’re all scooped, mash your potatoes reserved in the bowl until they’re just chunky – you don’t want to blend them smooth, necessarily. For our 8 medium sized potatoes, we added 1/2 cup of sour cream, 1/2 stick of butter, 1/2 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and a tablespoon of chopped garlic, salt and pepper to taste. (This is where you can be creative! Add green onions, bacon, anything you like on a baked potato can go inside!)

Once the potato mixture is blended nicely, fill the emptied potato boats with the creamy potato mixture, and return them to the grill. Again, not directly over the heat. Give them about 10 minutes or so on the grill, until the cheese is melty and the inside of the potato is starting to bubble a bit.

We garnished ours with freshly blossomed garden chives and maple-cured bacon. Beautiful and delicious!

Last, but certainly not least, is simple and delicious fire-grilled corn on the cob. Start by removing the silks from your corn, and soaking the ears (husks and all!) in cool water. Let it soak for about an hour or so. Drop your ears of soaked corn onto the grill (still in husks) and let them roast for 10-15 minutes. They’ll steam in the husks and become incredibly sweet and delicious!

After grilling, remove the husks, and cut the cobs into 3-4 inch sections, and toss with melted butter and a combination of paprika, chili powder and cumin for an incredibly delicious sweet & spicy blend of flavors.

Write to us, and share your Memorial Day menu!

Growing up on the Jersey shore, Blue Claw Crabs were a big part of our summers and to actually catch the coveted soft shell crab; well that was the greatest triumph of all! Give a call or stop by Mutual Fish for a true taste of the East Coast!

Select crabs that are still alive and moving.

To clean:

With scissors, cut off the eye area, then lift the back shell on each side and remove gills.

To prepare:

Soak crabs in buttermilk seasoned liberally with hot sauce for about an hour.

remove crabs from milk and let drain, dredge thru all purpose flour that has been seasoned with Old Bay seasoning, fry crabs in canola oil until shell turns red and crispy
serve immediately on mixed greens as salad accompaniment or on a crispy roll with lettuce, tomato and tartar sauce (and for those of you new to the SSC world…….yes, you eat it shell and all!)

Photo of Nan and Pop Neuweiler, Uncle Eddie and Aunt Ginny and Uncle Rudolph on the dock of Oyster Creek Restaurant, Leeds Point, NJ 1973

p.s. the fresh squeezed orange juice with the balsamic is a wonderful flavor mix and can be used on chicken & fish as a marinade or a reduced sauce.

White Bean and Kale Salad

Large bunch of kale blanched al dente, squeeze excess water out by soft hand, then rough chop
1 lg can of northern white beans drained and rinsed
1 lg red pepper chopped
1/2 red onion chopped
pint of cherry tomatoes sliced in half
sliced green onions
salt and pepper to taste

Dress with balsamic vinegar, fresh squeezed oj, lime and chopped cilantro or balsamic vinegar, orange juice, lemon juice, and chopped italian (flat leaf) parsley.

p.p.s. After pulling out the remaining kale, Boe replaced it with golden and purple beets – Following the crop rotation mantra “Leaf, Root, Flower, Fruit”. More on that in later editions.

Buon Appetito!

Cinco De Mayo is this Saturday which for me brings to mind the start of Summer Foods, back yard entertaining, grilling, BBQ, margaritas and cervezas aplenty, and of course the Farmers Market (which starts Friday @ Union & MLK in the parking lot of the Grocery Outlet, here in the Central District of Seattle). Check out my simple and easy Cinco De Mayo Recipes and have your own Fiesta this Saturday. For a quick history click the link to this website: http://www.vivacincodemayo.org/history.htm

Classic Guacamole

Ingredients

4 ripe avocados, 2 limes, bunch cilantro, *whole roasted garlic (recipe will follow), 1/2 sweet onion (vidalia), 2 jalapenons or 1 lg poblano, s&p

Preparation

• to roast whole garlic bulb, cut off top so cloves are exposed, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper (can also add dried herbs to use with recipes at this point)

wrap in foil and bake in 350 preheated oven until tender – should be able to squeeze cloves out of there jacket. Add 3-4 cloves to lg mixing bowl and smash with fork.

• add onion (small dice), chopped jalapenos or pablo (seeds removed) and the 4 avocados.
• mash and mix by hand with potato masher, season with salt and pepper, juice of 1 lime and lg handful of chopped cilantro

At this point taste and adjust seasoning (lime, cilantro, s&p) if needed, can also add cumin, corriander, chili, or paprika. When in season, chopped and seeded tomatoes are always great to add or your favorite salsa or pico de gallo.

Refried Beans (The beans in the can are only a good start to fantastic refried beans!)

2 cans of vegeterian refried beans, 1/2 chopped onion, 1 chopped jalapeno, chopped garlic, cilantro, cotija cheese or sour cream

• heat saute pan, add olive oil, heat till oil is hot. add onion, chopped garlic, jalapeno and saute til tender
• add beans, stir and heat til smooth and creamy
• top with sour cream or cotija cheese and chopped cilantro

Chicken Fajitas
3-4 bonesless, skinless chicken breast cut in fajita strips, mix of sliced red, yellow, poblano peppers, sliced red onion, chopped garlic, cilantro, lime juice, chili powder, paprika, cumin, corriander, s&p, flour tortillas

• Marinate (3-4 hours) chix breast in fresh lime juice, dash red wine vinegar, olive oil (enough to coat chicken), cumin, corriander, paprika, chili powder, chopped garlic, salt and pepper
• Sear chicken on griddle or saute pan until barely pink in center then add peppers and onion mix and reseason with above spices, continue to saute till chicken is cooked thru and veggies are al dente. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste, add fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro. Serve with grilled flour tortillas, sour cream, guacamole and salsa!

Beef Fajitas
Use Skirt steak or London Broil with the chicken fajita recipe

Chili Rubbed Flank Steak Salad

Start with a 2-3 pound flank steak, rub with paprika, chili powder, crushed red pepper, cumin, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt and pepper. Let meat sit for about an hour at room temp. Preheat gas grill or charcoal, grill steak until it reaches an internal temp of 130 degrees.

Remove from grill and let rest wrapped in foil at least 10 minutes. Slice thin across the grain of the meat at a diagonal. Serve on a bed of mixed salad greens dressed with olive oil and balsamic. Squeeze fresh lemon on steak and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Add a good quality blue cheese and chopped green onions for an explosion of wonderful flavors!

Buena suerte en la cocina y Feliz’ Cinco de Mayo!

-Chef Brenda Lee