Who needs candy when Hood strawberries are in season? As we were out running errands yesterday, I stopped by my favorite farmstand and picked up a half flat of fresh berries. I passed back one pint to my little half-pints. Between the two of them, they polished off the berries in record time. I always feel this surge of motherly pride when my kids happily eat things that are good for them. Now if only I could convince them on the merits of spinach…
As you know, Hoods start going bad if you just look at them wrong. Flash freezing or making jam are great ways to preserve those sweet berries.
If you are looking for U-Pick fields in your area, click over to Pick Your Own or Local Harvest. I am planning to head out to the fields with friends next week. Are you picking with kids? Check out this post for some tips.
Have you ever opened a container of storebought ricotta cheese and thought, “This looks so smooth and creamy and delicious. I am going to smear it on a piece of bread and devour it right now.” No? Yeah, me neither.
Homemade ricotta, however, is a different story entirely. It is super simple to make and delicious to eat: the perfect combo for summertime. I made ricotta for the second time last night; this time using Smitten Kitchen’s new recipe. We ate it on slices of bread with slow roasted tomatoes. It was good. Crazy good. SK’s recipe gives you this rich, citrus-y cheese. Next week, I am going to walk you through the steps to make ricotta cheese in your own kitchen. This recipe will still be tangy, but from buttermilk instead of lemons. Stay tuned.
Speaking of lemons, this simple tool (Amazon) has become one of my favorite kitchen gadgets. I have a fancy juicing attachment for my KitchenAid mixer, but it rarely sees the light of day. This lemon squeezer, on the other hand, is pulled out multiple times a week. I use it for both lemons and limes. Love it.
And last but not least, gardening. With all of the wet, cool weather we have had this June, I am so happy that I put in a spring garden this year. The cool weather crops (kale, chard, spinach, and lettuce) are producing like crazy. The peas, leeks, and beets are not too far behind. My raised beds are a happy, green jungle right now.
It’s almost July, and I still haven’t planted any of my heat-loving plants yet. They are sitting sadly in their little black pots, begging to be tucked into the soil. Maybe tomorrow (Guess how long I have been saying that?). I am hoping for a heat wave so they can catch up.
Along with planting a spring garden for the first time, I also made it my goal to start a gardening journal to take the place of my unreliable memory. I have been keeping track of my expenses and my yield, among other things, because I am just that nerdy. So far, I have harvested 6 pounds of kale, 3 pounds of spinach, and 3 pounds of chard on an $8 initial investment. That may not sound like much produce, but we’re not talking hefty apples and oranges here. Greens are super light, and this humble harvest has been more than my little family of four can eat.
I lost quite a few greens to garden pests. I’m not talking about my toddler. She actually joins me in daily rampages against hungry slugs, cabbage worms, and leaf miners. Ugh. Anyone have advice on organic methods to get rid of these pests?
Finally, did you plant garlic last fall? The tops should just be starting to die back. I will probably pick my stalks around the middle of July. Which is in two weeks. How is that even possible?!
Leave a comment! What’s going on in your kitchen/garden/home this week?
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Hi there!
I can’t find the follow-up post where you taught everyone to make homemade ricotta. I used the search function on your web site. Any chance you can post the link? Thanks!
Hi, Juli – Here’s the recipe I use: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2011/06/rich-homemade-ricotta/
I like the suggestions on egg and nut shells to deter the slugs. Will have to remember that one. My two tomato plants are growing like weeds. Quadrupled in size in the last month. Lots of yellow flowers, and hopefully some real live tomatoes in another few weeks. It’s supposed to warm up again so I have my fingers crossed for summer gardening weather!
I have only gardened two years and am surprised my punky looking tomatoes plants have little baby green tomatoes already..raised beds of course but I thought the plant itself would be big an leafy..but nope..the are little… with tons of yellow flowers..lots of them..please someone tell me will they really produce or peter out..
Did you dig a good size hole to plant them in? Also starting them with fertilizer and lots of water helps.
My plants usually get huge. I have heard the advice to cut back on the extra green foliage, though, so the plant puts more energy into developing the fruit. Yours might make it! Mine are tiny with no flowers yet so I’m farther behind than you. 🙂
Your garden looks wonderful! I’m not sure what I did wrong this year. I thought it was the weather but I see your garden in this weather looks fabulous. I have a raised bed with compost and my lettuce that I planted in April is about 1/2″ high. My beets and spinach planted 2 weeks prior to the lettuce are also lame looking. I didn’t have any trouble last year even though we had similar weather. I haven’t seen any pests in the garden. I’m at a loss!
Some of my spinach was lame, too. And the radishes I planted were a joke. They were these tiny, spindly things. I don’t know why. Sometimes things just don’t take. Have you amended your soil with compost?
To help with slugs, put nut shells in your garden, the slugs will stay away because the shells rip up their bottoms. Put marigold flowers mixed in with your crop, for some odd reason bugs don’t like the scent of them. You can then harvest the seeds from the marigolds and plant them next year
I save my egg shells – crush them up and sprinkle them around the base of my most tender plants. The shells are sharp enough to cut up the slugs – so they avoid them. As they disintegrate, they add nutrients to the soil. No Corry’s to flavor my sweet peas!
Brilliant! We go through eggs like they’re going out of style. I’m going to start keeping the shells in a separate container. Thanks for the tip!
I don’t know about chard, but you can send your kale and spinach through the food processor, then freeze it to use in future soups and dishes. In fact, I’ve been adding a bunch of chopped spinach to mashed potatoes. It makes the potatoes green, obviously, but you can’t taste the spinach at all. 🙂
You can put diatomaceous earth around your plants and that will kill off the slugs and snails. I just bought a huge bag at Concentrates NW in Portland, OR. $20 for 50lb. It will last you a long time, so you could share with someone…
Caffeine is also an excellent slug/snail repellant. You can either mix your old coffee grounds into your soil, sprinkle them around the borders of your plants, or spray some directly onto your plants. Here is a research article on the subject: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1465&context=icwdm_usdanwrc&sei-redir=1#search=%22Robert+Hollingsworth+testing+caffeine+spray%22
I have also heard that if you crumble up egg shells and put around the border of your plants, they won’t go across that either. And both methods are good for your soil and plants as well, they provide additional nutrients. And, as Amanda mentions above, use the old can of beer to catch them, too.
You can also find other pest control methods at the Dirt Doctor site. There are articles and information, as well as ways to shop for products. I also “liked” his Facebook page, and I learn more from going there and looking at questions people post on his wall about specific issues they have with their gardens. http://www.dirtdoctor.com/Organic-Guides_vq1575.htm
We have had a problem with slugs and beetles for the first time this year. We cut off the tops of soda cans, bury them almost flush to the ground next to our crops and fill with beer. We have caught a ton is pests that way.
I was JUST telling my friend this morning how my lemon squeezer (same one as above) is my favorite tool in my kitchen right now!! That sucker gets every last drop out of each piece of fruit with just a squeeze! Love it!
LOVE FRESH berries!!
Events like your berry incident is why I called my two small granddaughters my little Fruit Bats!!! They LOVED nothing better than munching on fresh fruit!!!!
We are running a Flat Sale on our Strawberries while Supplies Last! We are offering $5 off which makes it $19.99 per flat for Hoods, Bentons, & Shuksans which are all wonderful Berries. It’s a great deal, plus you don’t even have to do the work, since we already hand-picked and sorted them for you!!
How many pounds are in a flat? Is that the same quantity as a crate — the BIG boxes at the fruit stands?