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- July 14, 2020
- John Scheepers
Bantam, CT
We love meat loaf, particularly when paired with fluffy mashed Potatoes and steamed Broccoli. In particular, we love the kind of meat loaf that has a light, fluffy, smooth texture, not coarse, heavy or dry. -
- August 13, 2020Sorrel 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 -
- February 23, 2021If you have a veggie garden on the small side, or if you're just starting out in the world of veggie gardening, there are certain crops you might hesitate to grow because they take up too much real estate. If you're feeling hemmed in by the constraints of your garden, try these smaller versions of normally-space-hogging veggies. They'll help you make the most of your garden's square footage, and make summertime dinners so much more interesting and delicious.
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- July 14, 2020
Our Spiced Carrot Cake with Creamy Mascarpone Frosting makes dessert feel like a birthday party any day of the year. The diced crystallized ginger and nutmeg give the cake a rich, complex flavor and the mascarpone frosting is so delicious that you will want to eat it by the spoonful (but do try to save it for the cake). It will be everyone’s favorite!
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- July 14, 2020
- After years of making Olivia’s Buttermilk Pie (courtesy of Paula Deen, available at www.foodnetwork.com), I branched out and adapted her recipe into this easy and incredibly delicious Pumpkin version. It’s so easy to make your own Pumpkin purée from Pumpkins, or Squash purée from just about any variety of Winter Squash. Take a look at our easy Pumpkin Purée recipe. I love to make several batches of purée and freeze them in airtight freezer bags for use over the winter. It’s perfect for quick breads, cakes, cheesecakes, pasta
dishes, and this amazing buttermilk pie. (I like using Madagascar vanilla paste because it’s thicker than extract and has more flavorful vanilla bean seeds in it.)
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- August 13, 2020Spider Flowers Sowing Instructions
Planting Depth:1/4”-1/2”
Seed Spacing:2”-3”
Plant Spacing:12”-18”
Days to Germination:10-14 days
Germination Temperature:70°-80°F
Cleome spinosa, Spider Plant. It is best to plant Cleome seeds directly in the garden after the last frost date. They may also be started indoors in a sterile soil mix, 6 to 8 weeks before planting outside. Cleome needs alternating day and night temperatures. Sow thinly and shallowly as light improves germination. Keep soil evenly moist until seedlings emerge. When seedlings are large enough to transplant, be sure to “harden them off” by gradually exposing the plants to the outdoors over a period of 7 to 10 days. Cleome appreciates full sun but tolerates partial shade; the garden bed should be rich, fertile, well-draining soil. Thin or transplant seedlings to 12" to 18" apart and keep the seedlings well-watered and weeded. Mature plants will tolerate heat and drought conditions.
Shade Tolerance
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- July 14, 2020
The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone is the only center in the world dedicated to continuing education and career development in the food, wine, health and hospitality fields. The CIA's West Coast campus, in the heart of Napa Valley, is housed in an historic, 1888 stone winery complete with teaching kitchens, a cooking demonstration auditorium, terraced kitchen gardens and the exquisite Wine Spectator Greystone restaurant. For courses, special events and visitor information, visit or call them at www.ciachef.edu or (707) 967-1100. Once the mysteries of making a soufflé are revealed, soufflés will become a part of your weekly repertoire. The base of this soufflé, the béchamel sauce, can be made two days in advance and kept refrigerated.
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- July 14, 2020
- John Scheepers
Bantam, CT
As much as we love our Favorite Basil Pesto, there are times when its flavor is a tad overpowering. That's when we turn to our new Spinach Pesto. Use it as a base for other recipes because it is really thick. To serve it with pasta, I thin it out with hot pasta water. I use it on sandwiches after I've mixed some with an equal amount of mayonnaise. I spread a thick pesto coat all over a pork tenderloin, seared it on all sides in a skillet, applied more pesto and roasted it to 145ºF perfection. Freeze it flat in airtight freezer bags: snap off chunks for impromptu use all winter. For a quick hors d'oeuvres, spread soft goat cheese in a little baking dish, top it with a thin layer of spinach pesto and heat it until bubbly and fragrant. Serve with crostini. -
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- August 13, 2020Spinach Sowing Instructions
Planting Depth:1/2”
Row Spacing:12”-18”
Seed Spacing:1/2”
Days to Germination:10-14 days
Germination Temperature:45°-85°F
Vitamin-rich Spinach likes it cool, so you may direct-sow in the spring as soon as you can work the soil. You may also sow in the late summer or early fall for fall and early winter harvest. Spinach thrives in rich soil, so amend beds with organic fertilizer, compost and/or well-rotted manure as needed. Keep soil evenly moist. When seedlings are 2" tall, thin to 4" to 5" apart. (Thinnings are great tossed into salads.) If you plant Spinach in warm weather, sow seeds deeper and in partial shade with frequent watering to help it avoid bolting. In cool climates, direct-sow Spinach seed every 2 to 3 weeks for constant harvest. To harvest, either use a few outer leaves from each plant or cut the plant off at the base, after which the plants will likely regrow a second crop of leaves. Make sure to wash thoroughly in cool water before use. Pat -
- August 13, 2020
There are many commercial sprouters out there, but the old jar method works just fine. You can fit mason jars with a special screen or simply use cheese cloth stretched and held in place over the jar mouth with an elastic. Measure out the appropriate amount of seed to sprout (if you have a sprouter, follow the directions that came with it. If using the jar method, add enough seed to just cover the bottom of the jar). Clean, cull (throw out non seeds) and rinse seeds with tepid water before soaking. To soak, add tepid, non-chlorinated water, (3 parts water to 1 part seed) and let soak for the appropriate amount of time for the seed you are sprouting. Discard any non-seed material that floats up. After soaking, drain out the water: the seed should be damp but not wet. Put the jar out of direct sunlight, which could cook the seeds. Every 8 to 12 hours add enough water to cover the seeds and swish around to get all the seeds wet. Drain the water out, leaving the seeds damp but not wet. All -
- August 13, 2020St John's Wort 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
