Archive | October, 2013

Plant some lettuce on Sunday!

26 Oct

UPDATE:  We’ll be outside from about 3:30 to 4:30 today!  Hope to see you there!

 

That’s right, it’s almost November and we’re going to plant some lettuce and see if we can grow it into December.  Dennis is going to re-install the top of his cold frame Sunday (read our early thoughts here), and we’ll plant some lettuce seeds late in the afternoon.  If it works, the cold frame will keep the cool season leafy greens warm enough, and they’ll grow to mid-size for an early December planting.

It’s an experiment.  Let’s take a poll!

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Sunday Garden Happenings

20 Oct

Sunday Garden Happenings

Benji, Deb and I worked on a new planting area yesterday–with help from Josh and Gabriele.

Anyone doing any end-of-season work today? The garlic bags arrived, so I may try to do something with them this afternoon (130pm or later). In the meantime, I will leave them outside for inspection. They’re bright orange, so you can’t miss them.
https://cvearthlab.com/2013/10/15/incoming-garlic-grow-bags/

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Incoming Garlic Grow Bags

15 Oct

Incoming Garlic Grow Bags

I bought a couple of these to use for garlic this year. But I’m having trouble finding seed garlic to plant before the ground freezes. Everywhere is sold out, because growing garlic is “hot.” I’ll use what’s left from this year’s crop, but ideally I’d like to do a more varied selection of hard-neck garlics –and I’m not sure what exactly we have…   –Denise

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Beautiful Late Bloomers

13 Oct

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Look at the progress in our problem corner!

This purple-flowering late bloomer is a Smooth Aster “bluebird” –one of the butterfly plants I planted earlier this year. It’s a host for migrating monarchs, who tend to pass through this area later in the season.  (October does seem very late, though)

 

 

I love the contrast of the goldenrod next to the other flowering plants we got from a donor.  -Denise

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Cashew Cheese Spread Recipe

7 Oct
Many of you commented on how much you enjoyed the Cashew Cheese Spread from Judy – she shared the recipe with us!
 
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Cashew Cheese Spread
 
TOOLS
High-powered blender or Food processor
Knife
Cutting board
 
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ cups raw, organic cashews
1-2 cloves organic garlic
¼ cup pure water (if you make your own, or have access to it, I highly recommend using rejuvelac instead of water for nutrition, digestion and an even stronger “cheese” taste)
2 tbsp fresh, organic lemon juice 
½ tsp fine ground sea salt
 
STEPS
1. Soak your cashews for 1-2 hours.
2. Rinse cashews well.
3. Place all ingredients in the blender
until ultra creamy.
4. That’s it! Now enjoy.
5. Store in an airtight glass container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
 

Adaptation suggestions:
Here are some fun ideas to change the flavor of this spread. Just add to the blender, to taste.

Chipotle pepper
Pink peppercorn, sumac and honey
Wild-harvested raw honey
Honey and chili pepper
Herbes de Provence
Fresh herbs like dill and/or parsley
Raw or roasted onion
Liquid smoke and maple syrup
Red pepper
Sundried tomato

 

Thank You

7 Oct

Thanks to all the Concord Village residents who participated in Sunday’s Harvest Potluck Garden Fundraiser. It was a huge success!

Over 60 people came out and feasted on dozens of delicious dishes inspired by (and including some) seasonal garden ingredients.  Lucky potluck winners include:

-Butterfly plants, arugula and lettuces, cucumbers, herbs and garlic got the most votes for best parts of the garden 2013.  (See poll results here)

-Sal Brienza, who won the 50/50 raffle!

-The entire CVEarthlab garden community, which raised an impressive $345. dollars from the fundraising event. (Funds include Sal Brienza’s winnings, which he promptly donated. 🙂 )

Stay tuned for recipes and photos of tasty dishes. Big thanks again to everyone who made this event possible.

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7pm, Tonight Only!

6 Oct

We’ll do the 50/50 raffle drawing at 7pm during the Harvest Potluck Fundraiser. (Party is 5-8pm in the community room.) Don’t forget to bring extra cash for raffle tickets:

$2 = 1 ticket; $5= 5 tickets; $10= 12 tickets; $20. = 25 tickets

Fundraising Goal: The harvest party marks the season’s end but also the beginning of our next one. Thanks in advance for helping the garden budget grow with your donations for the 2014 season. Each year, we need about $500. for soil, seeds and other materials. Cash donations or checks payable to CVOI may be brought to the event or left to the attention of Donna Chaiet (230 Jay St). Checks can also be submitted to the office. Thank you.

Last minute change of plans?  You can still come to the potluck.  Bring bread, fruit salad or a bottle of wine to the community room at 5pm. (We hope to head outside if the weather clears) Thanks!

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Wanted: Photos of Your Kid In the Garden

3 Oct

Shari kindly offered to do a slideshow to present during Sunday’s potluck fundraiser. The kids love seeing themselves up on the big screen, so we’ll make a real effort to make sure the kids in attendance are represented in the slideshow. However, we need to know who will be there. The RSVP deadline is today, please send the names of your family members who will attend to cvearthlab@gmail.com (Note: Several volunteers are not parents and may not know your child’s name- please specify who is coming.)

Another fun bit the kids will want in on: voting for their favorite garden product so we can bring it back next year. (Apologies– the last link I sent was broken) This one works–vote here. We’ll announce the winners at the party.

We’d love to include more garden photos from 2013 in the slideshow. Send your photos via dropbox or attachment to cvearthlab@gmail.com no later than 7pm on Friday. Thanks.

What NOT to Forget to Do This Week

2 Oct

Vote for your favorite garden produce here, everyday (kids love to vote–let one click each day!) The winning veggies will be revealed at the Potluck Fundraiser this Sunday at 5pm, and all the results will inform next year’s planting plans and budget.

RSVP to cvearthlab@gmail.com if you think you’re attending the potluck fundraiser by the EOD Thursday, October 3rd.  There will be food, drinks, neighbors, and a 50/50 raffle! Thank you.

What’s Cookin’ for Sunday’s Potluck?

1 Oct

DSCN0290Do you know what you’re making for the harvest potluck?  Sunday’s party is quickly approaching. If you’d like to incorporate some super-local flavor into your dish, there’s garlic, basil, lemon balm and other herbs available in the garden. Feel free to post your planned dish in the comments.

Need inspiration?  Popular past dishes: pasta, herb-infused olive oil for dipping, mint-flavored drinks, and salsa. Not sure if you can cook, but want to make a contribution? Consider bringing a staple such as French baguettes, fruit salad, tortilla chips or crudité. Or a drink. Wine counts as fruit!

What it Take To Keep The Garden Going The harvest party marks the season’s end but also the beginning of our next one. Thanks in advance for helping the garden budget grow with your donations. We need soil, seeds and a drink-safe hose, among other things. Cash donations or checks payable to CVOI may be brought to the event or left to the attention of Donna Chaiet (230 Jay St). Checks can also be submitted to the office. Thank you.

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