Page 13 - Blog

At a New Haven Arts & Ideas Festival concert on the green, my friend Ellen made an amazing potato salad with fresh Dill, sliced Radishes, chopped green Onions and Hellmann’s mayonnaise (our favorite when homemade is simply not possible). The addition of Radishes was stunningly flavorful, causing us to look at potato salad in a completely different light.

Direct-Sow Basics

Endive-Escarole Sowing Instructions
Planting Depth:1/8”-1/4”
Row Spacing:12”-18”
Plant Spacing:10”-12”
Days to Germination:5-12 days
Germination Temperature:45°-60°F

Endive\Escarole is easily grown in cool weather. Sow directly in the garden as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring. Endive\Escarole may also be started as transplants 5 to 8 weeks before setting out. Sow thinly using sterilized seed starter mix, cover lightly and water. Provide light, moderate warmth and good ventilation. A second crop may be sown in late summer to early fall. Grow Endive\Escarole quickly with plenty of moisture for the most pleasing taste. Most will bolt (go to seed) and taste a bit unpleasant in hot weather. Amend the soil with moderate amounts of compost and a sprinkling of organic fertilizer. To blanch the tender centers (pale hearts) of Endive\Escarole, place a clay flower pot over the plant 2 weeks prior to harvesting. Harvest by cutting the entire head at soil level.

Blanching

English Daisy Sowing Instructions
Planting Depth:1/16”
Seed Spacing:1”-2”
Plant Spacing:6”
Days to Germination:10-15 days
Germination Temperature:70°-75°F

Bellis perennis. English Daisies have long been beloved in European gardens. The pompon flowers hover on leafless stems just 6" over a spreading mat of semi-evergreen foliage. Tuck them into stone walls and beneath daffodils and tulips to add a dash of charm to your spring plantings. English Daisies abhor heat. In warmer climates, afternoon shade is a must, while in cooler climates full sun is best. Direct-sow seeds in the garden on top of the soil in late winter or early spring. Keep the seeds evenly moist until germination. When the seedlings are 2" to 3" tall, thin them to 6" apart. Supply them with plenty of moisture until they’re established, and then mulch to conserve soil moisture and restrain their rampant reseeding tendencies. Treat English Daisies as annuals in Horticultural Zones 8 to 10. Biennial to Perennial. Late winter

We all love growing herbs in our gardens. It's wonderful to have them at hand when cooking, and it's so nice to enjoy their good looks, scents and flavors while wandering the garden, too. But there are really only so much herbs you can use while cooking on a day to day basis. Why not use up your herbal surplus by making herbal teas? Most herbs that are commonly grown for tea, like Rosemary, Lemongrass, Lemon Balm and Spearmint, can be steeped both fresh and dried, so be sure to plant enough to store for the colder months, when a hot cup of tea will warm you up and remind you of your garden while it's covered in snow.

Euphorbia Sowing Instructions
Planting Depth:1/8”
Seed Spacing:6”-8”
Plant Spacing:12”
Days to Germination:10-21 days
Germination Temperature:65°-75°F

Euphorbia marginata, Snow on the Mountain. Start transplants indoors 6 to 8 weeks before setting out after the last frost date. Sow seeds in sterile seed starter mix. Pamper with 70°F temperatures, good air circulation, strong light and even moisture. Cover with plastic wrap until sprouts emerge: then discard plastic. Harden off seedlings by gradually acclimating them to the outdoors for 1 to 2 weeks. Carefully transplant out into rich, well-draining soil in full sunlight spaced 8" to 12" apart. In warmer climates, direct sow after the threat of frost has passed. Prized for its top-branching white and green variegated foliage, Euphorbia’s milky juice is toxic and is a skin and eye irritant. Cut flower ends should be flame seared or dipped in boiling water. Summer leafing. Height: 12".

Shade Tolerance

It's so nice to have a couple of salad dressing recipes that you can whip together on Sunday, to use through the busy work week. This is one of ours.

Exotic Love Vine Sowing Instructions
Planting Depth:1/4”
Seed Spacing:2”-3”
Plant Spacing:12”
Days to Germination:16 days
Germination Temperature:70°F

Mina lobata. This classic vine’s long, upright flowering stems stand out proudly from the twining vines of 3-lobed, heart-shaped, dark green leaves and attract butterflies and hummingbirds in droves. Soak the seeds overnight or nick the hard seed coat, and then sow them directly in the garden after all danger of frost has passed, or start seeds in individual pots indoors, 5 to 6 weeks earlier. Keep the seeds evenly moist until germination, which can take up to 16 days. Once all danger of frost has passed, harden off the seedlings by slowly introducing them to the outdoors over the span of a week. Thin or transplant to 12" apart in full sun and moist, rich, well-drained soil. Provide the sturdy support of a trellis or tuteur. Over fertilizing will result in lush foliage but fewer flowers. Annual. Summer flowering. Height: 15'.

Fairytale Panna Cotta with Calvados Sauce is an exquisite, light and not too tricky way to top off an adult Halloween party.

Faith Ohms helped her husband, Jan, start the Van Engelen flower bulb company some 35 years ago as she raised four daughters and taught painting classes. An acrylic artist specializing in large, trompe l’oeil paintings of vegetables, flowers and more recently, animals, Faith whips together meals without recipes, letting her creative spirit move her in (and out of) the kitchen.

False Indigo Sowing Instructions
Planting Depth:1/4”
Seed Spacing:3”-4”
Plant Spacing:18”
Days to Germination:10-14 days
Germination Temperature:65°-75°F

Baptisia australis. Start transplants indoors 2 weeks before the last frost date. Prior to planting, carefully nick the hard seed coat with a file and/or soak the seeds overnight in lukewarm water to assist germination. Pamper with 65°-75°F temperatures, good air circulation and even moisture. Avoid overwatering. Once seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant them into larger, deeper pots for full root system development. After all danger of frost has passed and seedlings are 4" tall, harden them off by gradually acclimating them to the outdoors over 7 to 10 days. Transplant out 18" apart in rich, well-draining soil and full to partial sunlight. Water regularly. Mulch to deter weeds and retain ground moisture. It will probably not bloom until the second spring. Established, it grows into thick clusters. Early summer flowering.

Direct-Sow Basics

Fennel Sowing Instructions
Planting Depth:1/2”
Row Spacing:12”
Plant Spacing:8”-10”
Days to Germination:7-14 days
Germination Temperature:65°F

To raise Fennel transplants, sow seed sparingly in pots, provide good sunlight, good air ventilation and warm conditions (but not overly hot). Prepare the Fennel bed in moderately fertile, loamy, well-draining soil. Accustom seedlings gradually to the outdoors, moving them into the garden after the danger of frost has passed. Disturbing the roots of the seedlings may impair bulb formation, causing only leafy growth, so be careful when handling the seedlings. Incorporate organic fertilizer around each transplant and water well. Or, direct-sow when the danger of frost has passed. Thin out when seedlings are 2" tall. Fennel likes neutral pH soil. Keep the soil moist and fertilize as needed. Pinch off flower stalks to keep the plant’s energy directed into the bulb. Harvest round, plump bulbs by cutting to the soil level – tiny

F O R K Restaurant
San Anselmo, California

Marvelous restaurant famous for its special "little plates" and sumptuous wine tastings, you may call F O R K for reservations at (415) 453-9898.