Drycreek Blog

Abundant, Happy and Beautiful Potato Plants

2012-06-23T15:11:00-04:00

This is the second year we've grown potatoes in the Reno garden. After reading several stories on the sorry plight of the commercial potato, we decided to improve our health by organically growing some varieties. So, early this past spring, after hearing that the potatoes had arrived, we stopped by Dry Creek and picked up a couple bags of potato starts.

After talking to John Strickland about last year's harvest, he suggested that we plant the potatoes in trenches. Since they are nightshades, like tomatoes, you can bury the main stem deeper than intuition tells you, which helps grow more roots, and with the potatoes, helps grow more potatoes.

So, we dug trenches in the raised bed two feet or so apart, placed the potato starts at the bottom, covering them with a few inches of top soil. Once growing, as the stems emerged, we kept filling the trench, little by little until they were completely filled in to regular ground level. Since then the main stems have grown several feet. We added bamboo cane tripod supports to help the plants stand tall.

The flowers have been developing through June and should start to open in the next week or so. The greenery and the delicate white flowers make potatoes a nice ornamental feature for the garden, as well as a good producer of food for the table.

In the photo you might be able to pick out some collard leaves. The collards this year have been wonderful, too. There has been very little insect damage, and the leaves grew broad and tender and delicious. We've been sautéing them with turkey bacon and onions. Delicious!

Cold Nigh Time Temperatures Again This Week

2012-04-09T18:28:00-04:00

Another late winter/spring storm is predicted for later this week through the weekend, and even if snow doesn't reach the valley floor, cold night time temperatures dipping down into the high 20s, low 30s are predicted.

This time of year is always iffy for many of our most cherished plants just waking up to the spring -- fruit trees, grape vines and early vegetable sprouts. The best gardening tip for these erratic events is to either bring your vulnerable plants indoors, or add protective wraps and water walls.

Dry Creek has various sized plant wraps, water walls and other protective products to help us get through the late storms that seem to inevitably threaten a smooth transition between winter and spring. If you haven't already, stop in and see what might be done to protect your plants from yet another approaching cold snap.

Get a Head Start with Cool Weather Vegetable Starts

2012-04-01T20:17:26-04:00

Even if you plan to grow lettuce and cabbage from seed, it's always fun to plant a few six packs of beautiful spring lettuces and cabbages to set the garden in motion right away. In just a few days, the plants establish themselves and begin responding to the spring sunshine, and especially with lettuce, the leaves are delicious when young and tender and are ready to eat pretty much as soon as you put the plants in the ground.

Early April is the time. Setting these cool weather plants into the ground early gives a quick sense of accomplishment, and inspires even more planting as the days grow longer and the nights warmer.

Onions and potatoes, too, can be planted now. It's time!

Happy April!

Finding Ways To Celebrate Basil

2011-09-13T22:58:48-04:00

Caprese

The name of the recipe means a salad in the style of Capri. This year we have a climate that must be similar to southern Italy as the tomatoes are abundant and delicious and the basil is vibrant and prolific.

On a large platter, place thin slices of sourdough bread, place medium thick slices of fresh tomatoes on the bread; on the tomato slices place a thin slice of fresh mozzarella cheese and top the cheese with one or two leaves of freshly picked green and/or purple basil; lightly drizzle organic extra virgin olive oil over each stack. Finish with cracked black pepper and cracked sea salt to taste.

These were served at a small dinner party recently as one of the appetizers. The entire meal was a series of appetizers. The Caprese went fast and everyone loved the summer flavors.

A note about fresh mozzarella: once opened, the cheese needs to be consumed pretty much right away. The mozzarella should be all gone by the end of the next day's meals.

The Garden is Wonderful. Magical. Vibrant and Productive. An Oasis.

2011-09-11T21:44:00-04:00

Tomatoes are ripening more rapidly this week. So far we've stored away twelve dozen plump cherry tomatoes in the deep freeze. The small group of plants are producing between one and two dozen ripe tomatoes a day now. No sign of stopping as we look into the near future hoping for more constant perfect growing weather such as we've had all summer.

The larger tomatoes are also ripening. Delicious.

These next few weeks will be full of great food celebrating the tomato.

Chicken Soup with Tomatoes and a Thousand Cloves of Garlic.

Last night we had Chicken Soup that's based on a WeightWatchers recipe called Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic. This recipe doesn't actually call for that much garlic; it's less than forty, more like twenty or thirty, separated with the skins on. Get the garlic ready, Then heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan or dutch oven. Brown all sides of two chicken breasts cut into four pieces in the olive oil. It takes a few minutes. A nice brown crispiness gives it good flavor. Once the chicken is browned, remove it to a plate. Drain the pan of excess oil. Put the pan back on the stove. Over medium heat add between half and one cup of delicious wine left over from the last dinner party. Add the garlic along with two or three cups of homemade chicken stock. Bring that to a simmer as you add a couple sage leaves, a bay leaf, about a cup of basil leaves and stems, one or two stems of marjoram leaves, and stems of leaves from three types of oregano. (If you only have one type of oregano, use that and make a note to buy more varieties next spring at Dry Creek, because it's great to have several types of oregano for delicious summer cooking.) Then take two large fresh garden tomatoes -- we used Red Krim, which were amazing -- dip the tomatoes into boiling water for just a few seconds, remove the skins, chop the tomatoes into large chunks, about an inch square (use large 'Beefsteak' sized tomatoes). Add that to the broth. In a 3 qt oven safe casserole pan that has a lid, place the chicken into the pan, pour the broth over the chicken. Bake with lid on for 1.5 hours. Check occasionally to see how it's doing, but until your house is filled with that delicious aroma that comes from cooking garlic, let it simmer. Once out of the oven, remove all herbs, shred the chicken into the soup. When served, instruct your guests to remove the garlic from their soup bowls. Put it on a bread plate. The cooked garlic cloves easily come away from their skins and make a great companion to fresh baked bread.

Pumpkin Flowers Become Delicious Food

2011-09-08T20:12:00-04:00

This year the nine pumpkin vines have only produced two tiny pumpkins. We know not why, except that the soil needs to be reworked from several seasons of vegetable growing. Maybe a lack of bees to pollinate the flowers, but even hand pollination has only taken twice.

And yet, all is not lost; the plants have produced an abundance of flowers -- more than enough to create several delicious meals this summer.

There are many ways to bring squash blossoms to the table. You can find recipes online for "Battered Squash Blossoms," or "Stuffed Squash Blossoms," or "Squash Blossom Pizza," or "Squash Blossom Frittata." You can add them to soups and omelets. Make everyone wonder what on earth you've done to grandma's famous hush puppy recipe by adding squash blossoms to the potatoes.

Enjoy these remaining great days of summer weather and may your cold sensitive vegetables ripen before the killing frost.

Lots of Heirloom Summer Vegetables In Stock

2011-05-30T20:50:00-04:00

We woke up this morning to frost on the roofs in downtown Reno. At 6:30 the temperature read 32 degrees at the Reno / Sparks Convention Center. Higher up the mountain there were even more severe conditions. New snow on Peavine makes it look like early April rather than late May. But the afternoon proved wonderful. People are eager to get their plants all in a row and ready for the inevitable warmth coming in June.

Drycreek came to the rescue for many gardeners this week with their supply of reusable protective covers -- they still have a good supply and it's always a good idea to have protection at hand. And for those that missed the opportunity to add cover, Drycreek's green house was full this morning with all sorts of heirloom tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and many other healthy and happy vegetables, kept safe from the low temperatures last night.

Everyone is waiting for that moment -- any day now -- when "all danger of frost is past" and it's safe to put everything in the ground for this year's growing season. Is it tomorrow? It's only one more day till June; three weeks till Summer.

Cold Holiday Weekend With More Snow On The Way

2011-05-28T11:30:04-04:00

This morning the National Weather Service is predicting the possibility of snow this holiday weekend down to the valley level with temperatures to the freezing level. The low temperatures, they say, will allow up to an inch of snow in the Truckee Meadows. The western mountains are in a Winter Weather Advisory. With gusty winds, snow and a cold night, conditions could definitely do some damage to delicate annuals like tomatoes, eggplant and peppers.

If you've already planted summer vegetables, it's probably a good idea to devise some protection for the weekend. Drycreek still has in stock Gardener's Season Starter Early Season Plant Protectors. The plant protectors safeguard plants like tomato starts, eggplant, squash, pepper starts, cucumbers, melons, herbs and other annuals, shielding them from damage. They carry Wall of Water protectors, too, that will protect plants down to 16 degrees Fahrenheit.

This time of year everyone is anxious to plant their summer garden plants, gambling to win more time in our typically short growing season, but as the saying goes, the snow isn't off Peavine yet, and this weekend we just might see more rather than less.

Growing Cabbage And Other Greens

2011-05-25T12:16:00-04:00

In spring and autumn Drycreek offers six packs of vegetable greens for cool weather gardening. Several varieties of cabbage and lettuce are available, plus mustard greens, kale, collard greens and others. These foods are easy to grow and good for you. The plants don't mind the late cool weather snaps, and in fact, thrive on them. Just give them good soil, lots of sun and plenty of water and you'll be eating some of nature's super foods grown from your own garden.

This hardy purple cabbage along with kale and collard greens was planted last fall and spent much of the winter under a layer of snow. The collards and kale have been recently harvested, cooked and deliciously eaten. The cabbage remains and is now beginning to form heads. This spring, another set of cabbage has been planted to replace these as they mature. The spring planted cabbage will form large, firm heads, hopefully by late June, as they did last year.

It's exciting to grow your own food. Plus, not only is cabbage beautiful, but it contains substantial amounts of vitamin B2, vitamin C, glutamine, and amino acid, all of which are essential for human health. Cabbage is also a great diet food since it is very low in calories and can be prepared in a variety of interesting ways. You can eat it raw or cook it, ferment it, can it, freeze it. Even the outer leaves and stems can be used as an ingredient in soup stocks. Try making sauerkraut and coleslaw. Your friends and neighbors will be amazed. More than once someone will say, "You grew that in the desert?"

Note: Be sure to prepare the soil. Make it rich and well-drained with lots of organic material. If you can, grow your garden vegetables in a raised bed for better protection from typical garden insects. They can also be grown in containers. Just make sure the pots are large enough to allow for proper root growth.

Beginning And Continuing In May

2011-05-10T14:08:00-04:00

It's time to plant and what a wonderful time it is. It's such a beautiful day for gardening. The morning light coming from the window wakes us to cool morning springtime air. It's such a draw to the out of doors. Hot coffee. Sierra morning light. Plants waiting to be planted. You can feel the day's warmth beginning. The unstable weather is exciting. May is that way.

These containers are on a backyard deck that receives excellent sun throughout the growing season. The larger pots are tomato and eggplant sized capacity for over twenty plants. The smaller containers in the background are pepper sized, enough for sixteen different type peppers. Tomatoes and peppers combine for a traditional recipe, tending enough plants to fulfill the famous Barbarella's Hot Pepper Salsa (12 out of fourteen peppers picked randomly, fresh off the plants. That combined with cilantro and any number of some twenty different tomato types, enough to temper the peppers and achieve the perfect hotness).

With new soil comes the question of water. Watering routines begin to be revived in May. Late autumn and over winter, watering had ceased, but now the warm winds are blowing and it's time to take an assessment of your garden's water needs. The air can turn hot and dry in May, so check the soil. It might be time to start a regulated watering schedule.

Garden vegetables to plant in May include beans, beets, brocolli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, collards, kale, leeks, lettuce, peas, potatoes, radishes, onions. Most herbs can be potted in May as well. Oh and don't forget to process and rededicate compost production.

Each year Drycreek offers great vegetables, and to elaborate on the list above, Drycreek supplies Reno backyard gardens with delicious Wala Wala Onion sets. There are at least fifty little onions in each set, ready to grow. One or two sets will insure great tasting onions all summer long, into autumn and winter. It's a great feeling to be able to offer home grown, freshly picked onions to the visiting summer chef. Definitely, growing your own food conjures up a feeling of being in place, where plants you tend give back nourishment, besides pure beauty, bringing us closer to ourselves where the place of the self becomes the garden.

Cold Weather - Freezing Temperatures Tonight!

2011-04-28T13:05:00-04:00

The National Weather Service in Reno predicts cold temperatures with a chance of snow in the valleys tonight. Downtown Reno will dip to the freezing point while higher areas of the city like Somerset, Caughlin Ranch, Arrowcreek, Galena Forest Estates and Montreaux might see temperatures in the high 20s. Gardeners who have braved the odds with warm weather plantings should be wary.

Drycreek has in stock Gardeneer's Season Starter Early Season Plant Protectors for situations just like the one we now face. The plant protectors will safeguard plants like tomato starts, eggplant, squash, pepper starts, cucumbers, melons, herbs and other annuals, shielding them from damage. The Wall of Water type protectors will protect plants down to 16 degrees Fahrenheit. Made in the USA, these reusable protectors shelter your young plants from wind and frost that would otherwise damage and even destroy them.

Using plant protectors in our area can add several weeks to the growing season. Some gardeners set them up in March to extend the season for vegetables by six to eight weeks. With the Wall of Water insulator, the sun heats the water surrounding the plant during the day which provides a more favorable growing environment during the colder days of spring. At night, the heat collected during the day slowly releases from the wall, protecting the plant as the outside temperature drops.

Another way to extend the growing season is to build a cold frame. If you have or if your neighbor is getting rid of some old windows, utilize them for this DIY project. Measure the window, then build a box with 2 x 6 or 2 x 8 pieces that will sit under the window. It's easy. If you are even more dedicated to extending the growing season, Drycreek also sells very fancy, high quality backyard greenhouses.

Plan for Tomato Pies

2011-03-26T11:38:00-04:00

Homemade Friday night pizza is always threatening to become a tradition, a delicious delight, made with miniature yellow pear tomatoes that were grown in 12 inch containers on a sunny deck in the Old Southwest section of Reno. There were plenty of yellow pears for summer salads and kabobs, and plenty to freeze for many winter evenings when comfort food seems to make the fires glow brighter.

Plan for some space for tomatoes. We do contend with a short season, so John and Nancy make it a yearly goal to provide several short seasoned heirloom tomatoes. Several varieties do very well here.

Yes, it's always fun and usually very productive to grow tomatoes. Some years are better than others, and some plants enjoy our climate more than others, but they can do quite well, especially if you give them the basic, loving attention they deserve.

It's not too early to start dreaming about tomato plants. It's not too early to sketch them into the garden plan. Be sure to come visit the nursery when the tomatoes begin their arrival. It will be soon. Dry Creek always has a divergent selection of heirloom and short season varieties. Get the plan ready. The tomatoes go fast like the pizza.

Wala Wala Onion Sets & Asparagus Crowns

2010-04-15T14:37:00-04:00

Each year we get in a limited supply of Wala Wala sweet onion sets and first or second year old asparagus crowns. We have both in stock this week, but both are very popular, so don't wait if you want some for this year.

Wala Wala onions are now the official state vegetable of Washington. The onion has a long history with growers in the state, with major efforts to produce an outstandingly sweet, delicious tasting onion -- so sweet, in fact, that people claim to enjoy them freshly picked, raw "like an apple." They are truly delicious and the best onion for appetizers, salads, salsas, soups, grilling, etc. The onions enjoy a rich soil, with plenty of humus. We add some organic chicken manure or some organic Dr. Earth fertilizer formulated especially for vegetable gardening. You'll want to plant them about four or five inches apart.

Last year we tried growing first year asparagus crowns in containers, but without much success. Out of a six pack of young crowns, only one is returning this year. Asparagus roots grow to depths of up to ten feet, so it makes sense that growing them in containers wouldn't be very smart, but we thought we'd give it a try anyway just to see. Some gardeners claim success growing asparagus in containers, and our experiment wasn't a complete failure. In the ground, the asparagus crowns will spread, so you can plant them 18 to 24 inches apart in a bed especially prepared for your asparagus crop.

If you've never grown asparagus, you'll need to allow the crowns to grow at least another season before you decide to harvest them for your recipes. Normally, the first year is for crown development, the second year, the crown establishes itself with deeper roots and becomes a fern. The third year is usually considered the first harvest year. The plant will be fully and abundantly productive in its sixth year. If you love asparagus, you'll love asparagus fresh from your vegetable garden.

The crowns we have are second year crowns, so you might be able to harvest them this year!

Baby Asparagus in the Snow

2010-03-25T11:39:00-04:00

Last night late we heard the wind howling. This morning there's a little bit of snow on the ground, reminding us that we do live in close proximity to the high Sierra. With a 40% chance of snow today in the mountains and a 60% chance tonight, skiers will be happy and hopeful for a few extended days of fun on the slopes. Gardeners, happy about the recent warmth, will be worried about their budding fruit trees and tender garden sprouts. It's that time of year.

This young asparagus crown sits in the snow this morning. The young tips are definitely susceptible to a killing frost, but no such thing took place last night. This little crown is enduring its second spring here in Reno. We look forward to its long life.

Asparagus actually has a life expectancy of 15 or so years. They grow easily in most soils, but they will do better in a phosphorus rich soil, and they need excellent drainage or else their roots will rot.

It's best to buy second year crowns. They can be grown from seed, of course, but planting year old crowns advances the first harvest by at least an entire year. Plant the crowns in furrows about six inches deep about a foot apart. If you plan on having more than one furrow, give plenty of space -- five feet is a good rule -- since asparagus spreads. When you place the crowns into the furrows, you don't need to worry about whether the crowns are right side up. They will right themselves. Once you have the crowns set in the furrows, fill them completely with light soil. You don't want the furrow to compact. Don't over water your asparagus either; the plant is very drought-tolerant. They will send their roots deep, seeking moisture.

We won't harvest this young crown for at least another year, but its fun to watch them grow and they're beautiful as an ornamental when their tips open.

Each year we try to carry six packs of baby asparagus (we have some in stock right now) as well as clusters of second crowns. Supplies are limited.

Progress on the Raised Bed Continues...

2010-03-22T12:05:00-04:00

It's just not true what some local gardeners will tell you about not planting anything until Peavine Peak is free of snow. It's a confused notion because while it might be true that tomatoes and eggplant and peppers should wait, nevertheless, there are lots of plants and starts that can go into the ground right now.

It all depends upon where you plant and the degree of protection you provide. Some plants will need to harden a bit before spending a chilly night out. With these starts, we hardened them by first letting them feel the cool evening air until bedtime, then we brought them in. Then we let them spend a few nights on an open air, though covered porch. Then we planted them in the raised bed, covering them at night with a clear plastic frame.

Lettuces, beets, cabbage, kale, collards, Brussels sprouts, brocolli spinach, onions, leeks, chives, parsley and other hardy herbs and vegetables can take some cold at night. We cover the box as a precaution until the roots have settled in and the leaves get used to the microclimate of the backyard. During the day we remove the plastic cover to let the sun shine in and to make sure they new plants don't overheat.

It's all fun. And in the high desert, each season is different; each planting is experimental. It gives for good writing in the garden journal.

Right now we have in stock all the vegetable and herb starts mentioned above. This week, too, we've received shipments of hardy perennials that can also be planted before the snow leaves Peavine Peak. Some are early flowering natives. This is also a great time to plant shade trees like the Norway maple and the honey locust. Certainly, if you're itching to start work on the garden, turn your back on Peavine Peak and drive down to the Reno nursery. We're in the gardening mode already; we'll show you what can be planted today.

Celebrating the Vernal Equinox

2010-03-21T11:06:00-04:00

Yesterday was the Vernal Equinox! And if we couldn't actually feel the intersection of the equinoctial points or the fact that night and day were almost equal in length and that the center of the sun passed vertically across an exact point on the Equator, it sure did feel like a day for planting!

This year, our plan for this raised bed is to grow salad vegetables. We will get a head start by planting some six packs of various lettuces, cabbage, beets, leeks and onions. We will at the same time plant seeds of lettuce, kale, spinach and carrot.

To stay organized, it's easy to mark the rows with a straight edge, then place a yardstick next to the line drawn for spacing the plants and seeds. The straight edge and ruler combination can also serve to draw the seed lines to their proper depth.

As we plant the seeds, of course the local song birds watch from nearby branches and ledges as if this yearly springtime ritual is for them. But, we will cover the frame to allow the seeds to sprout and to protect the starts from any sudden dips in nighttime temperatures.

Happy Spring!

Preparing the Soil

2010-03-20T10:33:00-04:00

Today in downtown Reno the daytime temperature is expected to reach 68 degrees. This is an iffy time for planting non-hardy plants, of course, since the city is actually perched on the edge of the Sierra. We're at an elevation of around 4500 feet, so night temperatures will dip and a cold snap won't come as much of a surprise. Plus, there is still snow on the mythic Peavine. Still, this is a good time to make sure the soil is ready for planting and soil work is a great excuse to get out in the garden with this welcomed daytime warmth.

The soil pictured here in this raised bed has been turned and mixed with last year's compost, which, thanks to the mighty earthworms, was dark, rich, luscious and sweet. In addition, Dry Creek recently received a new shipment of organic chicken manure, so we added a good dose of that as well. After raking and leveling, the box was treated to a nice deep watering.

At this time of year, this box acts as a cold frame for cold hardy vegetables like lettuce, onions, beets, cabbage, kale, spinach, leeks, garlic, collards, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. In the upper right of the photo you can see the clear plastic covers we use to protect from any unexpected hard frosts. The cover intensifies the daytime temperatures, too. And it keeps out any wandering cottontails and the neighbor's sweet kitty that likes to use the freshly turned soil as its own private cat box.

Happy Spring!

Veggie Flats

2010-03-18T00:00:00-04:00

To get things started, early orders of beautiful vegetable six packs have arrived. Several types of lettuce, beets, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, Broccoli, onions, leeks, parsley, cilantro and more! We also have beautiful pansies and violas.

For those who love to grow early plants from seed, we've received a shipment of many types, a wide assortment of wildflowers and many types of organic vegetable seeds.

To welcome the wild local songbirds, we have some beautiful bird baths this year. And we've received some unique containers for patio gardening.

Happy Spring!

Harvest Time

2009-10-03T21:43:00-04:00

This week has been spent harvesting the vegetable plants, grape vines and fruit trees. We made jelly with ten and a half pounds of white concord grapes which yielded thirteen 12 ounce jars of jelly. This year we added calcium water to the pectin which allowed us to cut the sugar almost in half.

The jelly making inspired me to harvest some little peaches from a tree that's been trying really hard to produce a nice crop this year. The tree was loaded with small peaches just beginning to ripen up. So the first night the valley was threatened with a killing frost, I picked about 25 pounds of peaches, brought them in and am letting them ripen indoors. The taste of the peaches isn't that good, but the tree put out such an effort that it seems the least we can do is make some peach jelly. I'll add a little peach nectar to the juice for a flavor boost.

The tomato crop was not nearly as large as recent years past. Not nearly. Usually the day before the frost we bring in enough green tomatoes to line all the window sills in the house several layers thick. This year we'll be lucky to fill two sills with a single layer.

We also brought in all the house plants that live out of doors in the summer, but must come back in to escape the winter cold.

We then made baba ganoush with several small eggplant, baked some pita bread, then went to see the Nevada Opera's production of Carmen. It was an excellent show.

The Tomato As Companion Plant

2009-09-21T13:54:00-04:00

Tomatoes are beautiful this year. Many are on the vine, ripening now. Our extended warm, sunny weather has been good to them. The plants themselves are looking autumn like, yellowing leaves showing off the reddening nightshade berries.

People used to be afraid of tomatoes, thinking them to be an equivalent to Sleeping Beauty's poisoned apple. Some people claim real life allergies related to eating not only the tomato, but food of all the nightshades. Still others define the tomato as a superfood.

It does seem, for this table anyway, that tomatoes are an essential human food, if not for its super nutritional qualities, then because of its flavor. From a Beefsteak on a (veggie) burger to fresh mozzarella and basil, to sweet and savory pies, the tomato has definitely become a companion plant.

This year's weather shows, too, how gardeners use tomatoes as signal plants for defining the season. "The tomatoes are slow this year." "The tomatoes are waiting for the warmer days to come." "The tomatoes are reacting to a month of steady warmth and sun."

These tomatoes joyfully offered themselves to became sauce for a thin crusted pizza.

Reciprocal Food Sharing

2009-09-10T14:22:00-04:00

These home grown avocados were a gift from gardening friends from northeastern California. Here close to the border, reciprocal food sharing across state lines encounters an obstacle, that of the agricultural inspection stations Nevada gardeners encounter at nearly every entrance into California. But gifts and trades move east to west in other ways, especially during canning season.

There is something fascinating about food sharing amongst the humans. Of course, it's an ancient practice, described in detail by the cultural anthropologists. Humans share food in times of plenty, but also in times of extreme scarcity. The trick seems to be the great art of social cohesiveness and commutual respect, even across deep cultural divides. There are descriptions and studies, too, of the many ways in which cultural stability is achieved as well as lost. Much about cultural preservation, of course, centers around agriculture.

But food sharing is a good sign when it comes to prospects of peace amongst the factions. Grapes for avocados Tomatoes for honey. Philosophers bring up questions of balance and reciprocity. It becomes an ethical debate about the dynamics of material exchange and the age old question of payment. Who does the work? Who gets paid? Who gets fed? What is fair?

Guacamole anyone?

At least two large ripe avocados or several small ones, remove seeds and scoop out flesh.
One small Walawala onion
1/4 sweet red onion
1 freshly picked jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup freshly picked cilantro, finely chopped
a little salt to taste
black pepper to taste
outer flesh of 1 freshly picked medium sized tomato, cut in small chunks
1 freshly picked cucumber, peeled and sliced into rounds

Mix together everything but the cucumber. Serve immediately with chips. Serve the cucumber rounds as an alternative to chips.

Summer Warmth Lingers

2009-09-08T20:24:00-04:00

With the lingering perfect weather this summer, you might want to fertilize annuals one more time. Who knows, we might be in for warm days lasting well into October.

Hopefully, too, the warm days and mild nights will continue long enough to allow many green tomatoes on the vine to ripen. For many, the tomato plants were slow to produce, but are now loaded with still green tomatoes.

Other nightshades are doing well this summer, too. Several varieties of eggplant are showing beautiful, deep green foliage with little insect damage. And the plants are sagging, full of eatable fruit. As was planned, there are five different types of eggplant ready and waiting for the roasting flames.

Delightful also this year are the cucumber vines. They've been very productive, although now winding down. This season the long vines were prodded to wind their way through the tomato support poles. That way, here and there the hanging cucumbers added variety to the tomato and eggplant shapes. The cucumbers have been sweet, juicy and delicious this season.

Of course, don't forget that your perennials might need some fertilizer in the weeks to come.

Labor Day Cabbage Harvest

2009-09-07T00:00:00-04:00

Who said you can't grow excellent cabbage in Reno? This beauty was harvested for the Labor Day holiday weekend. It was grown without chemical pesticides or chemical fertilizers in a raised bed in Reno's famed 'Banana Belt' with morning and early to mid-afternoon sun. The soil was prepared with last year's potting soil, a really good crop of humus from the family compost bin, a good dose of organic chicken manure, and a once a month dry or tea feeding with a high grade, organic vegetable fertilizer.

The cool, wet spring seems to have been very conducive to growing cool weather vegetables this season. This box produced beautiful patchs of Collard Greens, Purple Kale, Leeks and Walawala Onions.

Plants that did not do well in this particular box this season were tomatoes, eggplant, pumpkin, and beans. In past years those plant types have done very well in this space.

Autumn plans are already set for greatly improving the soil of this box for next year's use.

Dishes prepared from this single cabbage plant:

Magic Vegetable Soup Stock
Cabbage Leaves Stuffed with Turkey, Fresh Herbs and Organic Quinoa
Bob's Spicy Coleslaw (Mayonnaise free)
Steamed Cabbage with Fennel Seeds and Butter

As far as insects are concerned, this cabbage was relatively free from pest damage. There were a few holes in the outeer leaves, but not many. Also found were two small happy and healthy slugs tucked down in the outer leaves of the head. The slugs were served with a fresh lemon side, but there were no takers. Finally, we found a small, disoriented earthworm inside the head. The small earthworm was celebrated and verbally thanked for helping produce such fine humus, then promptly returned to its compost home with a cabbage leaf to eat and lounge on.

Patio Tomato A Trusted Standby

2009-08-25T19:25:00-04:00

This summer the deck has 22 tomato plants growing among cucumbers and several types of peppers. Four tomato plants are experimental heirloom tomatoes, planted from Dry Creek starts in May. They have developed mostly large tomatoes, some ripening last month, but most just now beginning to show color. Also on the deck are seven Cherry Tomatoes grown from organic seed. The cherry tomatoes are now rapidly turning red. Ten more containers hold the mighty Big Beef and Beefsteak plants.

But this year, there's only one container that's home to a Patio Tomato (pictured).

In a way, growing tomatoes in Northwestern Nevada is always an experimental venture. This is so because it's fairly impossible to predict how the weather will fare each season. We never know if the season will be long or short and whether the springtime months will be sunny and warm or cold and gray.

But while some tomato plants will be intimidated by our local weather patterns, the lowly Patio Tomato is usually certain to come through with results. They usually begin producing fruit in early June, offering daily ripeness by late June. The tomato size is just right for a variety of uses. Not overly huge like the Big Beef and Beefsteak, but not tiny like a cherry, the Patio Tomato offers a perfect size for quartering for salads and vegetable platters. Their flesh lends itself to chopping and pureeing for sauces, providing flavor on the good side of delicious. The plant is bush-like, staying compact often without the need for extensive caging. For this reason, alone, they are exceptionally suited to containers.

Colony Collapse Disorder

2009-08-20T13:32:00-04:00

Cocktail party conversation recently touched upon the steady and disturbing decline in local, nationwide and even worldwide bee populations. Historically, it's not the first time something like this has happened, but it seems scientists are wondering whether this event -- especially the pollinating season of 2007 -- is the most dramatic die-off to date.

Two years ago several theories debating the cause of the die-off emerged. Is it manipulation of DNA to produce bees more interested in pollinating plants than making honey? Is it new chemicals meant to pollinate plants without the help of bees? Is it new and more deadly pesticides for farms and gardens? Is it the invasion of new parasites as well as the chemicals used to fight the parasites? Is it a virus? Is it the 30 year drought? Global warming? Is it confusion and bewilderment produced by continual shipping from place to place? Is it radiation produced by the ever increasing number of cell phone towers?

From gay marriage to the coming apocalypse, other not so very scientific theories were discussed as well. Still, the question of chemicals returned to the center of conversation more than once. As we sipped our summer cocktails, someone suggested that a pesticide- and chemical-free garden would be a godsend for the troubled bees. "Like an island in a sea of poison. If only we could convince enough people to stop using harmful chemicals, the island could grow." A retort was inevitable: "But, what if chemicals and poisons aren't the only problems? What if it's a disease produced by an accumulation of conditions? No one knows where to begin." A very reasonable suggestion was returned: "Well, maybe we should begin eliminating those conditions one by one. We can start with what we ourselves can control, start with the chemicals closest to us."

Squash Blossoms Delight the Tastebuds

2009-08-01T03:21:00-04:00

For some, using the big yellow-orange squash and pumpkin flowers for food seems a bit strange, but there are long and varied culinary traditions surrounding the squash blossom. The taste is so subtle that it lends itself to many, many delicious ways of preparing this wonderful flower.

Squash and pumpkins can do quite well in Reno, too, and one or two plants can be enough to provide plenty of flowers for delicious meals.

Whether Italian, Mexican, Thai or simply experimental, there are a thousand ways to prepare summer squash blossom treats:

Put them on Pizza hot out of the oven.
Put them on Quesadillas on top of melted white chedder.
Grill them lightly, then serve them with corn on the cob sprinkled with a little cumin.
Batter them and fry them like the Italians love to do.
Put them in salads with a nice fat free sweet fig dressing.
Coat them with flour, pan fry and serve with your favorite hot pepper sauce.
Batter them, fry them and serve them with spicy fish sauce and white rice.

Even if you didn't have room in your garden for a squash plant, next year you can easily grow one in a pot on your patio. That way you'll have plenty of squash blossoms to experiment with.

Walla Walla Sweet Onions

2009-07-09T23:02:00-04:00

Early this spring the nursery had sets of Walla Walla sweet onions for sale (50 per set). They went into the ground in late April. Now they are ready to begin pulling. Begin by thinning. This onion went into a barbaque sauce flavored with dark roasted chili peppers, hot dried pepper flakes and Asian Five Spice. The sauce was drizzled over grilled chicken strips. Freshly picked and sauteed Kale was served as a side dish with dill onion rye bread hot out of the oven. The rye bread recipe called for dried onion, but the Walla Walla onion greens were used instead to excellent results.

The people of Walla Walla, Washington, each year honor the Walla Walla onion with the Walla Walla Sweet Onion Festival. This year will the the 29th year of the festival, but growing sweet onions in Washington has been a tradition for over a century. According to sweetonions.org, this delicious onion was the result of several generations' effort in selective cultivation.

Even though regular onions are plentiful in supermarkets and grocery stores, rarely do you find Walla Walla sweet onions available locally. If you didn't plant any Walla Walla sweet onions this year, put it on your list for next year's vegetable garden. Dry Creek usually carries Walla Walla onions each spring. Supplies are always limited and they go fast because they are exceptional onions, both in flavor, color, shape and ease of growing.

Collard Harvest Recipe

2009-07-07T14:27:00-04:00

Tonight is a perfect night for harvesting Collard Greens by the full moon. The plants have grown well this year, due to the cool, wet spring we've had.

Collard is a non-heading member of the cabbage family (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) and a very popular garden vegetable in certain parts of the world, especially the Southern states of the US, but also in parts of Europe and South America. The leaves are tender and delicious, especially when prepared southern style.

Here's a recipe, tested just last night.

Collard Greens

Harvest a bunch of collard leaves (up to 2 pounds), wash them and inspect them for insects. If the insects are beneficial, thank them for protecting your plants and return them to the garden; if they're pests, squish them or feed them to your hungry praying mantis. In a bowl, combine 1 large chopped white onion, about 6 to 8 cloves of fresh garlic, minced or pressed, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of dark paprika, 1/2 cup of unfiltered apple cider vinegar, a pinch of dried hot red pepper flakes, two or three drops of liquid smoke, a single slice of bacon (vegetarians can leave out the bacon), and a small, chopped freshly picked sweet banana pepper. Remove the stems from the collard leaves, then cut the tender leaves into 1 inch slices. In a large pot, bring 3 cups of chicken broth (vegetarians can use vegetable stock) to boil. Add all the ingredients. Cover, allow the liquid to boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for about an hour. Make sure the greens are nice and tender. Serve hot in a small bowl with some of the liquid and hot freshly baked corn bread.

Local Vegetable Growing

2009-07-02T11:23:00-04:00

Reno certainly isn't known for its cool crop vegetable growing, but that doesn't mean it's impossible to grow spring-fresh greens.

This week this cabbage began forming its head by curling in its inner leaves. The seed sprouted in a raised bed, in the old southwest part of Reno, in April. It's growth has been slow due to afternoon shade. But the shade does it good, too, in that with weather now in the 90s during the day, the afternoon shade cools the cabbage enough to allow it to develop its head.

Cabbage is beautiful to look at, too. It isn't uncommon for gardeners to grow cabbage as an ornamental.