The Omlet Eglu

Can you imagine having fresh eggs whenever you want? Eggs that don't travel hundreds of miles, that don't come from cage-kept chickens?

Check out the Omlet Eglu and the Eglu Cube.

Soooo cool!

Summer '09 / My Addiction to Home Canning

So the Fall is upon us now, and we have had a wonderful Summer... it went by so quickly!

The one thing that has become obvious as the year progresses is that I have developed a serious problem- I can't stop putting things in jars.

So far this year I've made / preserved:

Pickles

Pickled Beans (twice)

Pickled Peppers (three times)

Pickled Okra

Peaches (canned, frozen and dried)

Zucchini Chips (dried)

Tomatoes (dried)

Fig Preserves

Green Tomato Salsa

Regular Salsa (twice)

Cream Corn (frozen)

Pepper Jelly (twice)

Muscadine Jelly (twice)

Vegetable Soup (twice, frozen)

French Onion Soup (frozen)

Beef Stew (in a new pressure-canner)

Only a couple things needed to be added here and there that we did not grow, like spices or some carrots, etc., but for the most part, every ingredient was fresh from the field. (Peaches and figs were not from our farm, but right off the tree and into the jars the day they were picked.)

Here are some pics from the foolishness:

Peaches ready for the freezer.

Jars of pickles and peaches.

Dehydrator stacked with tomatoes, zucchini, and bell peppers... bell peppers DID NOT work!

My friends the Gordons' fig tree!! It is HUGE!

Figs I picked and preserved.

Tomato bounty!

SALSAA!

Muscadines right off the vine.

Crushed...

Cooking them down...

Jelly!

Fresh veggie soup!! Almost EVERYTHING from the garden!

Ready for the freezer, and my belly!

Peppers!

Must wear gloves... hot stuff!

Pepper Jelly... mmmmm!

Pickled peppers and beans.

Stringing peppers to dry.

Pepper sauce.

Group shot (all in one week!)

Beef stew!

Stew in the pressure canner.

Another group shot...

We have loved eating and sharing all of our summer bounty from the garden, it is so wonderful to have all winter long!

Georgia Peach!

Boy 'o boy does summer mean delicious peaches, especially in GA. In the last month, I've canned peaches, dried peaches, frozen peaches AND made peach ice cream!!

The peach ice cream was first- for my friend Jill's birthday... here are some pics from that process:

Yummm!

A few weeks later, my mom wanted to can fresh GA Peaches with me, so she picked some up in South GA and we set to work:

It was quite a process, but the peaches turned out more delicious than you can imagine, and will last through till next Summer! (Plus, I always love canning with my mom.) :)

Baby Beets

About a month ago, as we were clearing the last of the spring veggies out of the garden, I pulled all the beets I could find, large or small. Sadly, most were small (so far we haven't had a lot of luck with beets) but I decided to try roasting them anyway.

When I was a child, I couldn't stand the thought of eating a beet- to me, they tasted just like dirt. Ironically, that is part of what I like about them today- their earthy flavor seems like the closest I can get to the soil somehow. Plus, beets brought Michael and I together, so they are my #1 favorite.

I planted three types of seeds for the beets, "Detroit Dark Red", "Golden", and "Chioggia." "Chioggia" was clearly more successful than the other two- it is a mild beet, that has concentric rings inside when sliced.

So, anyway, I decided to show the process of roasting beets, in case you've never tried it! I love them this way- it isn't a speedy process, but worth the time in my opinion. (Again, these were tiny baby beets, I think ones a little larger have a better flavor in general.)

Cut off the tops,

Rinse,

Trim and scrub,

Wrap in a tin foil pouch with olive oil, kosher salt and rosemary,

Roast until knife tender (usually at least 45 min), then peel- (the skins will slip off easily, but be careful, the beets will be super hot out of the oven!)

Everything in this delicious salad was from the garden except the grilled chicken- lettuce, squash, peas and... chilled roasted beets!

Garden Update!

Here are a few updated pics of the produce...    several of these were taken a couple weeks ago already!

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

Thanks to my dear friend Kelly, I have been consumed this past week with the following book:

(Click here for Amazon link)

The basic premise is that of a family who decides to spend one year eating only foods that they've grown themselves or sourced locally.  Just by reading the first few chapters I feel so much more knowledgeable about how we get our food as a nation, and how getting it is taking a toll on the world around us.  

Along with charming stories about planting, growing, canning and raising livestock, the book also provides startling information and statistics about commercial farming, the childhood obesity epidemic, and genetically engineered foods.  

I highly recommend it-  thanks again Kelly!!

April Showers Bring... May Showers.

Hello once again from the vegetable patch!

It has been a while (as per my usual lazy blog schedule) but here I am again to finally post fresh pics and news on what we've been doing.

It has been a very rainy Spring, which is great on one hand, but tough for farming on the other...  the upside is that the lake is almost full again, the downside is that most things got into the ground a little later than they should have.

We've had a couple of awesome family gatherings / birthday celebrations in the past few months- it is always so fun to be together, enjoy the outdoors, and EAT EAT EAT!

Family is obviously one of the best parts of the farm-  it is so fun to be together.  The gang does all sorts of different things when there, garden related and not!  (Hitting golf balls and flying kites are new and welcome practices in the field outside the garden fence.)

SO... the good thing about taking so long to post is that I can show before and after shots!!

PEAS

Dad planted sugar snap peas in a seed tray-  here you can see them heading into the garden, Shelly, Emma and I planting them on a trellis, and...  the final product-  delicious sweeeet peas!

POTATOES

Who knew digging potatoes could be so fun.  It is like an Easter Egg hunt under the ground! Here you can see the healthy green plants (each came up from one quarter of a seed potato), dad digging in the ground, the buried "treasure", and a pile of taters, about 20 from one plant!

TOMATOES

Again, a great before and after...  little tomato plants started from seeds-  look at 'em now!!

PEPPERS, ONIONS, CUCUMBERS, ZUCCHINI, ACORN SQUASH, CORN, ETC...

Here are more transformations-  first the trays of various seedlings and then examples of their progress-  it is going to be a yummmy summer!!

ALL THE LITTLE "BABIES"

ACORN SQUASH / ZUCCHINI

SWEET POTATOES / FIRST PEEP OF CORNSTALKS (DAD PLANTED TONS OF THEM!!)

ONIONS / JALAPENO PEPPERS

CULTIVATING THE GROUND / TRACTOR RIDE!

NEW SEAT AND STEERING WHEEL FOR THE TRACTOR!!

All for now...  I promise to be better about posting-  really!!

Seedlings... Nothing More Than Seeeedlings....

So, we've not just been working outside over the past month on the Spring garden, we've been planning ahead for the Summer garden as well.  

As I mentioned in a previous post, Dad and I both placed orders for seeds (and purchased some locally as well...) to start inside.  Above are the seeds I ordered from Burpee...  I must say that I may or may not order from them again next year, I found out that they charge more than double for the same exact seeds you can buy locally if you order online, and it really adds up.  You may have to hunt for what you want in a few stores, but it would save considerably.

Here are my first trays, started on the stove burners.  I always use my good 'ol timey stove to start on, it works as good as or better than a heat mat, and the flats fit perfectly.  

An addition to the group-  a flat of tomato plants.

Closeup on the tomatoes...  I planted 14 different types, about 90 plants I think.

After the sprouts came up a bit, I moved them down to my homemade grow stand in the basement...  a drafting table, a garment rack, and a shop light.  I also potted up some of the larger sprouts, which I will eventually do for all of them.

Look at the tomatoes now!

A pretty little butternut squash plant.

Last year I hadn't planned ahead, and so we had to purchase numerous seedlings from Home Depot or Hastings on the day we wanted to plant...  the savings you get by starting your own is drastic, and it really isn't that difficult to manage.

Spring Forward

What a difference a week makes.  We spent all day last Sunday working outside in the beautiful sunshine.  (One week earlier, there was three inches of snow on the ground.)

We've thought out a new system that should work better here in the south where water is scarce lately...  and while providing better moisture retention should also double our plantable area!

-  We will have two rows of garden fabric side by side, with a soaker hose that runs underneath, then one "walking row," and so on.  The old way was to have one vegetable row, then a walking row, etc.  With the new method we are cutting the number of walking rows in half.  (In this pic I am just realizing how terribly sunburned my neck is.)  

(A little music blaring from the hatchback always seems to make the work go faster.)

-  We are planting on either side of the hose this time, instead of one row down the middle of the fabric-  potentially doubling our total number of plants.

-  We also added a mulch "lane" inside the perimeter of the fence line-  with wide lanes also between the planting rows.  (This time we will be able to bring in a trailer to help with the harvest!)

Lastly, we did a soil test before starting...   We had slightly alkaline soil that needed fertilizer, which we added before planting.

SPRING IS COMING!

So, we're going to get the ball rolling this weekend-  the weather has been a little crazy as usual- it just snowed three inches here in Atlanta, and it is going to be 75 degrees this Saturday, less than a week later!

Dad and I are so excited you would think it was Christmas Eve.  We both placed our orders with Burpee and have seeds on the way...  I mainly focused on seeds to start indoors for the Summer garden, while dad picked up the things we will need for Spring.  (Our Spring garden plan above.)

Things will be so much better this year, because the garden is no longer a whim-  we're planning ahead this time and won't have to just be happy with the varieties we can find at Home Depot...  I'm able to pour over reviews and descriptions, choosing exactly what I think will be the mooost delicious.  

I placed a separate order from tomatofest.com for most of our tomatoes-  I LOVE heirlooms, and as difficult as they can be, the flavor is worth it.  

So, here's what I have on the way (sorry it is long):

Beet "Chioggia"

Beet "Golden Globe"

Beet "Detroit Red"

Carrot "Danvers Half Long"

Georgia Collards

Zucchini "Butterstick"

Zuchinni "Sweet Zuke"

Spaghetti Squash "Hasta La Pasta"

Summer Squash "Pic-N-Pic"

Summer Squash "Sweet Gourmet"

Acorn Squash

Butternut Squash

Bush Bean "Tenderpick"

Bush Bean "Heavyweight II"

Brussels Sprouts "Tasty Nuggets Hybrid"

Melon "Honey Girl"

Cantaloupe "Ambrosia Hybrid"

Watermelon "Sugar Baby"

Watermelon "Million Bucks Hybrid"

Artichoke "Imperial Star Hybrid"

Hot Pepper Mix - Hungarian Wax, Anaheim, Large Cherry, Long Red Cayenne, & Jalapeno

Pepper "Sweet Banana"

Pepper "Rainbow Bell"

Eggplant "Black Beauty"

Radish "Watermelon"

Radish "Cherry Belle"

And the Tomatoes....

"Tomande", "Brandy Boy Hybrid", "Kellogs Breakfast", "Box Car Willie", "Brandywine OTV", "Costoluo Genovese", "Garden Peach", "Hillbilly", "Julia Child", "Orange Strawberry", and "Martino's Roma"

Dad ordered cabbage, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, and arugula.

We're going to try a few things that may not work in the GA heat-  Artichokes, Asparagus, Brussels Sprouts...  we'll see what happens!

Inspiration from the Past

This is a photo of my mom's parents' garden-  (Ann and Howard (Bumpa) Todd.)  It was most likely taken sometime in the 80's, but I can't say for sure.

My grandparents on both sides were fantastic gardeners / preservers, and always provided for anyone who wanted to share in their bounty.  We were so lucky to grow up eating fresh, home-grown vegetables...  I always thought of what they were doing as such hard work, but now that I am older with a garden of my own-  I simply picture them out among the plants, enjoying themselves as much as I do today. 

One of my most vivid memories from childhood is my grandparents' creamed corn-  beautiful, sweet, golden yellow...  it gave us a taste of summer all through the colder months, right out of our freezer.

I often wish I could go back in time to one of those busy summer days-  I would follow them around asking lots of questions and love every minute of being there with them, digging in the dirt.

Holidays...

Wow.  I am such a bad blogger!  I had all these ideas for posts over the holidays, and never made time to sit at the computer.  Now the holidays are long gone! 

We've been eating food from the the garden all through the winter...  We haven't had a day without something there to eat since we picked the first morsel.  I just LOVE that idea-  that you can, with a few seeds, create your own supermarket year round.  

So, anyway, one of the posts I've been saving about all this time was about my mom and I canning together-  I took apples up to Virginia for Thanksgiving that I'd picked up in Ellijay on a "apple drive" in the fall with my Dad and Michael.  Mom and I decided to can some apple pie filling-  it was so fun to work on it together.

Being honest I don't love the filling...  it turned out a little sour because of the lemon juice we added I think...  but, I am challenged to try it again.

We're ordering seeds now and getting ready to plant the spring garden...  more on that soon.  :)

Fall Harvest

It has been way too long since my last post...  I bet you were on pins and needles wondering how the lettuce was shaping up!  Well, I'm here to tell you that the Fall garden is just as amazing and fruitful as the Summer garden-  and with our new garden fabric, even prettier to look at.  Props go to Dad farmer for tending the crops while I've been otherwise occupied...  so happy that we have this project to share in together.

Here are the most recent photos, taken this past Sunday-  what a perfect day.

Beautiful Pumpkins...

My new birthday overalls-  yayyyyy!!  My husband sure knows how to make me happy...  (also in photo, giant cabbage plants-  notice the difference in the ones planted with fabric compared to the ones just in dirt at the end of the row. )

Red Leaf Lettuce-  as delicious as it looks.

Buttercrunch Lettuce-  probably the best lettuce I've ever tasted.

Romaine Lettuce-  so crunchy!

Iceberg Head Lettuce-  this is NOT that bland white stuff you're used to.

Row of Iceberg

Dad & Ash

The first glimpse of the Broccoli

Turnip Greens!

Turnip & Eggplant

Savoy Cabbage

Red Cabbage

November WATERMELONS!  (Dad won the bet!)

Nice shot of me, my overalls, and a beautiful head of Iceberg.

We also drove up to Ellijay and visited several apple houses-  returning with tons of fresh orchard apples and fruit pies.  We had a GREAT day, and we are eating like kings this week! 

Fresh New Plants for Fall

Out with the old, in with the new!  The fall is here, and so are the delicious fall crops that go along with the cooler season.  We took some time this past weekend to clear out the old vines and plants that worked so hard for us all summer and put in some fresh new things.

We decided to try some planting fabric this go around-  to keep weeds down, water and heat in.  Hopefully it will be successful for us, I'll let you know.  

Final look at the Summer garden-  here comes the tractor.

This okra plant is still producing-  and reaching for the sky!

Last little bits of summer.

These watermelon vines came from broken watermelons we threw over the fence!  There are so many, and they are blooming-  dad is betting we get more watermelons, I am not so sure we'll make it before frost...  it would be cool if we did!

The new planting fabric, and a row of lettuce!

Lettuce plants ready to go into their new homes.

All our new plants-  

cauliflower

broccoli

lettuce (Romaine, Iceberg, Bibb)

cabbage (Green, Red, and Savoy)

collard greens

Rodney's Six Hour Clean-Out

Sorry I've been away for a while!  

I have two updates, which I'll post separately for you to enjoy...  the first are photos of my Brother-in-Law Rodney's vist to the garden a few weeks back, he was picking and weeding one Sunday for SIX HOURS to come up with the following trailer full-  it was the last of the tomatoes, etc...  and he really saw the most melons of the year.  A beautiful bounty.  Thanks for all your hard work Rodney!  

Also, there are a few things just starting at this time-  more corn, and... pumpkins!

Picking corn...

Last big haul!

Pumpkin vines coming up!