I am a VERY amateur gardener. I haven’t done any vegetable gardening since I was in grade school. However, last year, I started a small community garden of sorts in a friend’s back yard – more background on how that came to be in a future post. It went pretty well, so I decided to chronicle our adventures in year two to hopefully inform, inspire, and start some dialog among the Slow Food Boston community. As a relative newbie, I’d love to hear about other people’s helpful tips and experiences on their “Boston Grown” gardening adventures.
While it was still a little early to start working outside, it wasn't too early to start planning and prepping for 2018’s garden. To begin planning, our little garden group has had a few lunchtime meetings to decide what we want to grow this year and in what part of the garden might work best. We had some ideas to improve on what we grew last year – we want to add some trellising for those plants that like to climb (we are going to try more beans this year). Now that we know how the squash plants like to run around the garden, we’re thinking of using the fence to give them some direction and make better use of space. Our big idea was to do a little succession planting and build a small, portable hoop house to let us get started earlier before the threat of frost to extend the warm season past the first frost in the fall. Stay tuned to see how those go.
While it was still a little early to start working outside, it wasn't too early to start planning and prepping for 2018’s garden. To begin planning, our little garden group has had a few lunchtime meetings to decide what we want to grow this year and in what part of the garden might work best. We had some ideas to improve on what we grew last year – we want to add some trellising for those plants that like to climb (we are going to try more beans this year). Now that we know how the squash plants like to run around the garden, we’re thinking of using the fence to give them some direction and make better use of space. Our big idea was to do a little succession planting and build a small, portable hoop house to let us get started earlier before the threat of frost to extend the warm season past the first frost in the fall. Stay tuned to see how those go.
In the early (still freezing) months leading up to Spring, the other thing you can do while holding a hot beverage in your hand when the wind is blowing is seed shopping. There are several great sources of seed you can find online, like Burpee and High Mowing Organic Seeds. There's also Johnny's Seeds, which I learned at a Slow Food Seacoast gardening seminar and seed swap a few weeks ago located in Portsmouth, NH (that chapter is a reasonable trip from Boston if they have a meeting you’d like to attend). Johnny’s Seeds is located in Maine and their website has some great resources including planning tools and calculators to help with planting times and succession planting (we’re going to need that!). Baker Creak Heirloom Seeds even has a special section for Slow Food Ark of Taste vegetables. Along with those selections, a new venture this year is a collaboration between chef Dan Barber (of Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns in NY) and Cornell University with Row 7 Seeds that breed vegetables specifically for taste instead of shelf-life or transportability. One thing I really enjoy is growing things you can’t find as easily as you would in a regular grocery store. Last year, we grew rainbow carrots and Chiogga beets, which have candy cane stripes of alternating colors. This year, we’re trying some interesting varieties from Row 7 Seeds: A beet with less of the earthy flavor I’m not fond of, a squash that changes color when its ripe (vine-ripened squash!), and a spicy pepper without the heat yet still retains its floral characteristics … stay tuned to see how they work out.
After picking out my seeds for this year, a few weeks ago amidst a few warm days I caught garden fever and stopped by my local hardware store and picked up some additional seeds and a seed-starter “system.” You can make your own “system,” but I’m lazy and this was pretty neat and tidy for an apartment situation so I went for it. It’s probably still a bit early to start growing veggies, so I’ll grow herbs in containers this year on my small deck. I’ve started those along with my Row 7 Seeds peppers since that will likely be a container-dweller too, while I start the bigger vegetables in my friend’s backyard garden nearby. While Boston residents can find a community garden in most parts of the city to start growing vegetables, that might seem too daunting for those just getting started. I live in an apartment with a little outdoor space in the form a small deck. Herbs can grow pretty much anywhere there's access to sunlight like near windows – perfect for urban spaces. You can even grow herbs hydroponically without soil in mason jars. I’ve grown salad greens in a flat planter that sort of looked like a deep frying pan. Alice, a new friend I was speaking with at a recent Slow Food social, mentioned that Mother Earth Gardens sells trays that let you garden on rooftops in urban spaces. Based on what I've learned from Alice, I'd welcome any other thoughts on creative ways to make things “Boston Grown” in non-traditional gardens!
Why grow herbs, you ask? They are pretty easy to grow and are a great way to add flavor and freshness to dishes without adding extra calories. Maybe you don't think you can do a lot of elaborate cooking with herbs, but they can also be used in beverages; use fresh mint in mojito’s or mint juleps (derby day is coming up), use them fresh or muddled to infuse them in various drinks to create craft cocktails or herbal teas. Herbs are also of course a great way to add flavor and freshness to dishes without adding extra calories. Herbs can also be added to eggs or omelets, as well as simple soups and sauces to add an extra complexity of flavor, or even tossed with some oven roasted vegetables. Since we generally still eat roasted root vegetables when eating seasonally during the colder months, I like to make a tasty garlic oil infused with rosemary (homegrown or store-bought) to flavor roasted vegetables like squash, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and other hearty mixed vegetables. I generally combine a few recipes that work for me to make what I consider my own version of Bertucci’s bread dipping oil reverse-engineered (with help from Martha Stewart on creating garlic oil). I have read about some risk of botulism with garlic-infused olive oil, but from what I’ve read, cooking the infused oil in a jar with a tightened lid in boiling water for 10 minutes seems to be the consensus to mitigate any risk; when you notice steam bubbles developing from the water escaping the jar after almost 10 minutes, this indicates that the water is cooked out and the jar is vacuum-sealed to prevent harmful cultures from contaminating your preserves. When ready to eat, it’s fantastic sprinkled with a little parmesan & romano to dip bread into, but I’m trying to reduce my simple carb intake, so I’ve re-purposed it for roasted veggies instead. Below, you'll find a delicious garlic rosemary infused olive oil you and loved ones can enjoy anytime of the year.
Garlic Oil Recipe
6 cloves garlic – minced
1 cup olive oil
Red pepper flakes (I use a small pinch – just ~ 2 dozen flakes, but you may like it hotter)
Fresh Rosemary (maybe 1-2 tsp – I eyeball what “looks” right)
Smash, peel, and mince garlic (I use a microplane)
Add olive oil and garlic to a medium pot and heat over medium-low heat until bubbles form around garlic (about 3 minutes)
Let cook for 10 minutes, reducing heat to low if garlic starts to brown
Remove from heat
Immediately add red pepper flakes and finely minced rosemary to hot oil to steep
Cool to room temperature
Store leftover in jar until ready to use, shake to redistribute herbs that sink to the bottom
6 cloves garlic – minced
1 cup olive oil
Red pepper flakes (I use a small pinch – just ~ 2 dozen flakes, but you may like it hotter)
Fresh Rosemary (maybe 1-2 tsp – I eyeball what “looks” right)
Smash, peel, and mince garlic (I use a microplane)
Add olive oil and garlic to a medium pot and heat over medium-low heat until bubbles form around garlic (about 3 minutes)
Let cook for 10 minutes, reducing heat to low if garlic starts to brown
Remove from heat
Immediately add red pepper flakes and finely minced rosemary to hot oil to steep
Cool to room temperature
Store leftover in jar until ready to use, shake to redistribute herbs that sink to the bottom
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