Here's the thing about growing a vegetable garden. It's fun.
But it'll also turn you into a completely different version of yourself. A person you maybe don't even recognize or didn't even know existed. For instance. Behold my cabbage.
It's a thing of beauty isn't it? Just days away from being lovingly harvested and turned into something disgusting. You see, I hate cabbage. Karen, the vegetable eater doesn't like cabbage. Karen the garden grower loves it. It looks good, is easy to harvest and any leaves that pests get at can just be pulled off with about a billion perfect, unnibbled leaves underneath.
But I don't like cabbage. It's farty and gross.
So why grow it? I don't know. That's what's so weird about it. When you have a vegetable garden you'll grow just about anything because that's what we front yard farmers do.
I will use the cabbage to make cabbage rolls (which I do like) and coleslaw. So to say I hate cabbage is probably a bit of an exaggeration but I'd never just cut, steam and eat a cabbage. Ever. Or I might.
I find I can easily trick myself. Like a kid. I'm so excited about growing the cabbage that I might just cut it up, steam it and eat it. Along the same lines, you can also get me to finish my dinner by saying things like "YOU CAN'T FINISH THAT! You'll NEVER be able to finish that dinner! Don't you finish all that dinner!" I'm also a sucker for "What happened to that bite? I think I saw a mouse! A mouse must have eaten that broccoli. Did you see a mouse?"
Yeah. I'm cute but dumb.
My friend Anj was over a few weeks ago and she commented on the amount of flowers in the garden and there are, so thought I should point out that part of my vegetable garden. I does have things like these cascading perennial sweet peas in it as well. These aren't edible peas, just ornamental ... although a group of roving 5 year olds have been known to eat the pods that look like peas. It could be some sort of gang initiation. I'm not sure.
The front porch has pots of red geraniums.
And in between a lot of the vegetables are flowering bushes and plants like Rose of Sharon, Day Lilies, and hydrangea.
Then of course there are the vegetables that put out an impressive amount of flowers on their own, like lettuce and onions that have gone to seed because summer decided to come all at once in about a 2 weeks stretch of 100 degree days. It's cold again by the way. Summer was two weeks long in Southern Ontario this year. It's now time to replenish the wood pile and sit in front of the television waiting for the premiere of Gold Rush Alaska.
And then there's the potato. It's a nice looking plant that puts out different coloured flowers depending on the variety of potato. The Kennebec potatoes put out white flowers, and the Russian Blue potatoes have purple/blue flowers.
I've decided to hill entirely with straw this year to see how that goes. I've grown potatoes entirely in straw before, but I found a lot of rot happened. I think this was because I compacted the straw too much and it didn't stand a chance of drying out. This time I just piled it loosely around the potato plants.
I'll know how it turned out around September 1st. Who am I kidding? I'll be digging, peaking and checking way before then.
Unlike cabbage, I LOVE anything potato related. Except famine.
I'm growing my regular favourite, Dinosaur (lacinato) Kale, but I'm also growing a different variety of it this year. Rainbow Lacinato Kale is a cross between regular Lacinato kale and a curly, red leafed kale. It produces kale with the long leaves of a lacinato kale, not quite as dimpled, with red veining.
Oh look. There's more cabbage.
Here's my patch of broccoli.
Which as you may remember I said I'd never, ever grow.
And I wasn't going to grow it (because of the wormy pests) but then I did. Because gardener Karen can't be reasoned with. Gardener Karen is unreasonable and quite frankly a little bit of a conundrum.
Tried carrots again this year. I went with the over seeding method (just dump all the seeds you can find/buy/steal and hope for the best) and it worked well.
Beets are ready to be picked and pickled.
Oh, I'm sorry, what's that? Yes. More cabbage.
And its friend ... cabbage.
Just after I took the pictures of this lettuce I picked it all before it bolted. All the other lettuces had bolted so I knew it was just a matter of time. And heat.
Black Beauty Zucchini. Should be ready to pick in a day or two. Normally you'd be able to pick it sooner, but it doesn't get 8 hours of sun in this spot.
The garden path.
In order of appearance from left to right: leeks, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage. In behind there's a few kales and a tomato.
Sidewalk flanked by leeks and swiss chard.
Yellow onions.
Sweet potato slips that didn't seem to want to grow. The day after I took this picture, I took these slips to my community garden allotment and planted them. I have no hope that they'll grow into anything, but it doesn't matter because ...
... at my community garden I have a 20' x 40' plot filled with sweet potatoes, tomatoes, squash, potatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe, cutting flowers, carrots, quinoa, amaranth, bell peppers, cucumbers, raspberries, horseradish, beets, green beans and yes ... more cabbage.
Oh. I almost forgot. Of course I'm also growing ... brussels sprouts
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I don't have any veggies in the front yard, but my backyard veggie garden is surrounded by flowers and really looks quite decorative. I built my raised bed from cinder blocks and plant herbs, nasturtiums and marigolds all around, with a big flower garden half surrounding it. Looks good all summer and attracts loads of pollinators. Boo on neighborhood associations that don't allow veggies in front. Most lots do not have sun on every side, after all.
Yes! This is totally what I want to do. I'm really not a fan of the rectangular standalone garden. I think they are quite ugly. I'd love to have a vegetable garden that is also ornamental like this. :)
Hey....what happened to the "smuggled" seeds from Thailand? You make me feel like a slug!!!! You must not sleep because your house is amazing, your garden is amazing. I wish I had your energy or even just half of your energy. Love your blog!
Wow lady..The garden looks like heaven for vegetarians..Those are some gorgeous heads of cabbage!
Best post eva! So funny and informative. Your garden is amazeballs! But, I have one very important questions, how in the heck do you trap a slug?
Thanks Buff, lol. You must like gardens. And you trap slugs with well ... with beer believe it or not, lol. (put it in a shallow dish and bury it so the lip is even with the soil. The crawl in for a drink (sluggishly) and never get out. ~ karen!
That is awesome! My poor beer drinkin' husband is going to be missing some cold brews here soon.
The earwigs ate my cabbage.
I planted potatoes because of you. I've eaten like 4 potatoes in as many years so I get the gardeners illness. I was going to pester you about why the soil on them keeps getting mildew on the surface......
LOL. Potato eater. I'm not sure why you're getting mildew on the surface of your soil. My guess (and it's a total guess) is it's too damp, not getting enough sun and not getting a lot of air circulation for whatever reason. That's my guess and I'm sticking to it. ~ karen!
I just got in from my garden and all I can say is wow!! How in the world do you keep it weed free????
It is beautiful!!
Kim
Thanks Kim. I'm not sure why but I don't have many weeds in this garden. My community garden is FILLED with them if that makes you feel better, lol. You literally cannot keep up with them. ~ karen!
I shred the cabbage, petition the dehydrator for 24 hours and then put it in a canning jar. Then I use a food processor to grind it to powder and use that to thicken sauces and stews. Yes, it's a lot of extra steps but the cabbage lasts over a year that way and it's another use for it beyond the standard
stuff. This year, I've branched out into doing zucchini the same way.
It's all so beautiful! !!!!
Due to limited Internet access I've totally missed your pizza oven tutorial! Hello gorgeous!
I know you don't have kids but you would make one awesome mom! You are a well of inspiration.
I'm not a big fan of cabbage either but my son started ordering moo shu pork at the Chinese restaraunt and I liked it so I decided to try it at home. I made chicken moo shu though. The roast chicken 101 from Martha Stewart is so delicious and I make the moo shu on the second night. It makes a wonderful brown broth and it's a good way to use up the cabbage. I don't have a real recipe just kind of stir fry the cabbage, add some chicken and some of the broth onion mixture. The chicken is baked on a bed of sliced onions in the recipe. I just use thin tortillas in lieu of the chinese pancakes. My mouth is watering just talking about it. I need to make it again.
I have another suggestion for your cabbage - and it goes really well with your new jet-engine stove-top burners! It's an Asian stir-fry but, between you and me, it's really just Chinese moo shu filling without the pancakes. The key is to stir-fry the cabbage in an insanely hot wok until it chars. It mellows the cabbage out and turns it sweet but it still has some crunch. I use about 4 cups shredded cabbage to 1 tbs peanut or rice bran oil (something with a really high smoke point). Turn on your range vent. Heat the wok and oil until just smoking and toss in (dry) cabbage. Keep tossing/stirring. Once it's charred (5 minutes or less) set it aside, wipe out wok, heat it up with 1-2 tsp oil and do the same with a cup or two of julienned carrots and sliced onions or scallions. Repeat with a few cups of sliced shiitake mushrooms. If you want protein, repeat with protein (thinly sliced pork loin works well). Final round is just a tsp of oil - no need to get it scorching - regular hot is fine. Throw in a few tsps each minced garlic and ginger. Stir a minute. Mix 1/3 cup of hoisin, 1-2 tbs of sherry or shaoxing wine and 1-2 teaspoons of roasted sesame oil (most recipes also call for white pepper but I'm not a fan) and heat until bubbling . Return all other ingredients to wok and toss to coat. Serve as-is or with rice /noodles of your choice. It actually tastes better the next day.
Great job Karen! About fourteen years ago, the folks that built my house planted some sweet peas. We bought the house in 2006 and I was uncovering entire Lilac trees that had been taken over by sweet peas. Eight years later, I still can't control them- they crop up everywhere in spite of the crazy hot New Mexico sun and drought! I'm amazed at their resiliency!!
Your vegetable garden looks wonderful. And I especially like the millwork, if that's the word, for the design of your fence and the white, painted wood on your beautiful front porch . Or is it a verandah? It must have been replaced over the years but it is so pleasing to the eye. Just lovely!
I love looking at your front garden, Karen. It's you, having introduced us to seeds from Cubit's and Edible Antiques, that got me going on what I've hashtagged #containerfarming. When the Butterfly Bush in the frontscape didn't survive the winter ice storms, I glared the neighborhood down and moved my #fromseed lemon cucumbers to the front. (I'm looking for a piece of crazy sculpture for that space.) I did exactly what you did with the carrot seeds in their big containers, and they seem to be thriving. Everything is thriving. Except the dill. So... thanks a bunch! Now. The sweetpeas you are growing. I think I see both white and pink. Are they trellised? And what variety did you use? Because they are one of my favorites. They might even be a True Flower for me. The pizza oven looks to die for, but I don't have room for Gracie Allen Golden Pup and the pizza oven. So I'll be over Sunday, if that works for you. :-D :-D :-D
I love your garden. It just looks beautiful. I am a huge fan of cabbage. I put it in my homemade egg rolls.
Last year, smashing success (mashing success?) w/ potatoes grown in big feed sack,vertically, and in an old laundry basket. I used more soil to hill up. Plants got tall, flowered, all the right potato growing progress. This year, I'm using the basket again and added 2 galvanized wash tubs. All went well until it was time to hill. I was out of decent soil so I used some coarse pine mulch mixed with some so-so soil. Soon a couple of the plants started to die off. Should I dig out the spuds from those plants or leave them? The other plants, which I think I have too many for the size of the containers, are growing but not flowering yet. Do you think my hilling material is too heavy? Here in w. NY, we've had a LOT of rain, a few days of really hot humid weather and some fairly cool days too, kinda like where you are. Have you ever had plants that didn't flower. I'm growing all red potatoes, same as last year.
When you harvest your cauliflower, here's my favorite way to cook it: Slice it (like slicing a brain) and lay it on a metal sheet pan that will fit inside your pizza oven, drizzling the pan liberally with olive oil and sprinkling with salt and pepper first. When your cauliflower is laid out, drizzle with more olive oil (don't skimp) and more salt and pepper. You could roast this in your Blue Star oven at the highest heat for about 45 minutes, or you could use your pizza oven and it will take only 15 minutes or so. Flip the cauliflower halfway through. It needs to get very, very dark, mahogany brown in most places. It's so nutty and delicious I can easily eat an entire head of cauliflower this way. BTW, if you sauté those hated brussels sprouts in butter until they are more than halfway burnt, then add a squirt of lemon juice, they achieve a similar dark brown nuttiness that is not at all mealy. But I'm not sure if your objection to them is mealiness. Maybe you are a super-taster: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/super-tasting-science-find-out-if-youre-a-supertaster/
No, i'm not a supertaster, lol. I just don't like brussels sprouts. :) And most of my cauliflower will be used for curried cauliflower soup, (which I make and freeze for the winter) but I'll save one for the pizza oven! ~ karen
This book http://www.amazon.ca/Vegan-Cooking-Carnivores-Recipes-Tasty/dp/1609412427, which may also be available at your library?, has an amazing recipe for a salad with cabbage, basil, soybeans, spinach, cucumber, tomato, carrots with a soy/ginger dressing. It's my new favourite meal (although, I am not vegan or even vegetarian.)
I'm not a huge cabbage fan either, but we made this recipe for Grilled Cabbage the other night and it was delish! It's mostly about the vinaigrette, I think, but still. ;)
Your garden is beautiful!
Great. I've added it to my bookmarks! ~ karen
Have you ever had Curtido? It's my favorite way to eat cabbage, hands down. It helps that you normally serve it alongside super cheesy pupusas, but I bet it would be amazing next to grilled cheese sandwiches.
http://www.southbeachprimal.com/fermented-curtido-salvadorian-sauerkraut/ - the right technique (ignore the term sauerkraut, it's not at all the same)
http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Masa-Cakes-with-Spicy-Slaw-Pupusas-con-Curtido - for the brine
Your garden is really amazing!
Thanks Martina! I've bookmarked the recipes. Fermenting is probably what I'll go for. ~ karen!
cool! A Salvadoran friend showed me how to do it and the technique is kind of interesting. You add the salt to the cabbage and then massage it, kind of like kneading bread, until "it stops squeaking". This step makes a huge difference to the finished slaw. Plus, it's kind of fun!