Page 29 - Blog

There is nothing better than the sweet velvety goodness of Sweet Potatoes. Until we started making these roasted "coins", we only enjoyed baked Sweet Potatoes on nights when dinner prep could manage an hour and a half baking time. These delicious coins take just 30 minutes!

On Sunday afternoons, we love to assemble as many fresh vegetables as possible for a big vegetable roast that we can reheat for dinners through the week. The trick is to cut each vegetable into similarly sized nuggets and to wash them and dry them very well so that they roast rather than steam. In ‘The Vineyard Kitchen: Menus Inspired by the Seasons’, Maria Helm Sinskey adds black seedless grapes into a roasted vegetable mélange and we have done so ever since our first read. If you haven’t read her cookbook, it is an absolute joy and the seasonal recipes are just wonderful. Roasting vegetables intensifies and elevates their flavor.

Roselle Sowing Instructions
Planting Depth:1/2”
Seed Spacing:36”
Plant Spacing:60”
Days to Germination: 10-21 days
Germination Temperature:75°-90°F

Hibiscus sabdariffa. Roselle plants love heat and sun, and they need a long season to produce flowers and calyxes. The farther north you live, the earlier you should start seeds indoors. In New England, for example, begin in late January or February. Nick or soak seeds before sowing. Provide warmth and even moisture. As the seedlings grow, transplant them into larger pots.
After all threat of frost has passed, slowly introduce the seedlings to the outdoors over a span of a week. Traansplant seedlings into the garden or into large containers only when the soil is reliably above 70°F. Water regularly and fertilize sparingly. Plants will begin flowering and forming calyzes in late summer or early fall, as they require shorter days to do so.

Rosemary Sowing Instructions
Planting Depth:1/8”-1/4”
Row Spacing:18”-24”
Plant Spacing:8”-24”
Days to Germination:14-28 days
Germination Temperature:70°-75°F

Rosemary is a bit tricky and slow, but can be grown with these instructions. Start indoors in late winter. Sow seed in a light, sterilized, well-draining soil mix. Provide warmth, strong light and even moisture. Cover the soil with plastic to retain moisture, but remove it when the seedlings emerge. Do not let the soil get too soggy or too dry. Germination could take up to 28 days. Once plants have several sets of true leaves, transplant to individual 6" pots for full rooting. Set out after all danger of frost is past in full sun and well-draining soil. Developing slowly the first year, Rosemary will not survive heavy frost but can be dug up, potted, cut back and grown in containers inside over the winter. Place in a cool, well-lit area and water sparingly. Replant again next spring, or move the containers outside once all danger

“At sixteen years old, growing herbs is a hobby of mine and I also love to bake. When I found a recipe for Rosemary Cookies in a magazine one day, I decided to try them. However, the recipe called for lemon zest and since I didn’t have a lemon, I decided to try fresh lemon balm instead. The cookies turned out wonderfully and everyone said that they tasted like they were fresh from the bakery.” We think so too, Alissa. Thank you!

Runner Bean Sowing Instructions
Planting Depth:1”
Row Spacing:18”-36”
Plant Spacing:3”-4”
Days to Germination:6-10 days
Germination Temperature:60°-80°F

Phaseolus coccineus. Floriferous Runner Beans love sun and well-draining, fertile soil. Plant Runner Beans when the soil has warmed to 60°F and all danger of frost has passed. Amend soil as needed with organic fertilizer, compost and/or well-aged manure. Cool wet weather may necessitate a second planting: Runner Bean seeds rot in cold, damp soil. After planting, do not water until the sprouts emerge, unless it is very hot and dry. After emergence, and throughout the season, avoid watering the foliage. Water as needed by soaking the soil around the base of the plant and fertilize with fish or kelp emulsion as needed. Provide Runner Beans with a supportive structure on which to grow, such as a fence, rough poles, teepees, netting or a trellis. A prized heirloom, its gorgeous, pendulous flowers appear in tiers of salmon-scarlet and white

Rutabaga Sowing Instructions
Planting Depth:1/2”
Row Spacing:15”-20”
Seed Spacing:2”-3”
Days to Germination:7-10 days
Germination Temperature:45°-75°F

A cool weather root vegetable, Rutabagas are much like giant Turnips with distinctive, leafy necks and smooth, waxy leaves. In mid-summer, about 3 months before the first fall frost, deeply dig a rich, well-draining bed in full sunlight. Amend well with compost and/or well-rotted manure. Sow seeds 1⁄2" deep and 2" to 3" apart. Keep the seed bed moist while germinating. Once the seedlings are 3" tall, thin to 6" to 8" apart. Keep well watered, cultivated and mulched to deter weeds and retain ground moisture: Rutabagas don’t like competition. Once the purple-shouldered, golden roots reach the size of softballs or before a severe frost, harvest by removing the entire plant; cut off tops within 1" of the crown and store. Rutabagas can be stored for long periods in a cool, humid place. A member of the Brassica family, Rutabagas should not

Safflower Sowing Instructions
Planting Depth:1/4”
Seed Spacing:1”
Plant Spacing:12”
Days to Germination:10-14 days
Germination Temperature:70°F

Carthamus tinctorius. False Saffron has tufted, thistle-like, glowing orange and yellow flowers with dark green foliage on strong, well-branching stems. Good for fresh and dried bouquets, this decorative edible may be direct sown outdoors as soon as the ground may be worked in the spring. Press the seeds firmly 1 ⁄4" deep in well-draining, fertile loamy soil in full sunlight.

Keep uniformly moist until the seedlings emerge, in 1 to 2 weeks. To raise as transplants, sow the seeds 5 weeks before the last frost date in a good seed starting medium, provide even moisture and a consistent 70˚F temperature until the seedlings emerge in 2 weeks. Once established, thin plants to 2" to 3" apart. Prior to transplanting when 3" tall, acclimate the seedlings by gradually exposing them to outside conditions for 1 to 2 weeks. Space plants 12" apart in the

Restaurant Nora
2132 Florida Ave NW
Washington, DC
Featuring organic, multi-ethnic cuisine, the internationally-known Nora opened in 1979 and has been praised for its delicious, high quality food and healthy approach to eating. In April 1999, Nora became the first certified organic restaurant in the country: this is living proof that one can successfully run an upscale restaurant that is good for you and for the environment.

Sage Sowing Instructions
Planting Depth:1/4”-1/2”
Row Spacing:12”-18”
Seed Spacing:3”-6”
Plant Spacing: 12”

Herbs may be either direct-sown outdoors after the threat of frost has passed, or started indoors for transplanting or container gardening. Herbs require moderately rich, well-draining soil with at least 5 hours of bright sunlight. To start indoors: sow lightly in sterilized seed mix, lightly moisten and cover with plastic wrap until germination takes place. Do not water again until sprouts emerge. Remove plastic wrap once sprouted. Transplant outdoors when the threat of frost has passed. Some perennials like Lavender, Catnip or Savory prefer to be started indoors. Others such as Chives, Sage or Fennel prefer to be direct-sown outside once the soil has warmed. Most herbs dislike chemicals or over-fertilization. Feed lightly with kelp or fish emulsion once seedlings are well established. Keep lightly moist: never wet. Pinch back the plants to avoid flowering and to encourage leaf

Direct-Sow Basics

Salad Greens Sowing Instructions
Planting Depth:1/8”-1/4”
Row Spacing:12”-18”
Seed Spacing:2””
Days to Germination: 5-14 days
Germination Temperature:45°-70°F

Salad Greens yield the tastiest and most tender leaves when grown quickly in cool weather. Sow directly as soon as the soil may be worked in the spring and/or in the fall, about 6 weeks before the first fall frost. Follow the spacing on the chart above or broadcast seed in a well-dug bed in moderately fertile soil amended with compost and/or well-rotted manure. A light sprinkling of soil over the seed is sufficient, tamp down lightly and water well. For larger plants, thin seedlings to 10" to 12" apart. To harvest in the “cut and come again” method, you don’t need to thin them out. Just give them a haircut when they are 3" to 4" tall. Weed scrupulously and keep soil evenly moist. Feed with kelp or fish emulsion. Make successive sowings at 2 week intervals until hot summer weather sets in for a steady crop. Hot