Ask Your Senators to adopt certain amendments to the Farm BIll

Dear Folks,

There are some amendments which are / will be considered this week or soon that will aid GMO labeling efforts and small farmers.  Below are a list of the amendments (provided by Farm To Consumer Defense League).  Please consider calling your Senators on these.

Also yesterday I sent out a google newsletter listing the facebook page of some of the major grocer chains.  If Congress can't or won't act to require GMO labeling, maybe we consumers can get the corporate stores to do it for us.  Whole Foods has committed to requiring GMO labeling by 2018 (it takes time to ramp up).  This can be done, and has been before when Krogers was one of the first to require rBHT dairy products be labeled even with the threat of lawsuits from suppliers.

Ask your favorite store to require GMO labeling

1. YES on Senator King's Amendment #1042 that helps protect more small-scale, direct-marketing farmers from burdensome new federal regulations. The FDA has undermined the original intent of the Tester-Hagan amendment to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) by basing farmers' qualifications on all the food they sell, rather than the food subject to FSMA. Senator King's Amendment restores the original intent and brings more farmers within the protections of the Tester-Hagan provision, preventing them from being driven out of business by new federal regulations.

2. YES on Senator King's Amendment #1033: The FDA's proposed rules under FSMA are not based on sound science. Instead, they assume the worst of every situation and force farmers to find science on their own to prove that their farming methods are safe. Many traditional and sustainable methods of cultivation will be guilty until proven innocent. Senator King's amendment would require the agency to do an analysis of the scientific information used to develop the proposed rules, as well as analysis of the rules' economic impacts. The analysis would specifically include the impact on local food systems and the availability of local food.

3. YES on Senator Tester's Classical Breeding Amendment #972 to provide alternatives to genetically engineered crops. Senator Tester's amendment prioritizes public cultivar and breed development through classical breeding. The amendment doesn't call for any new expenditure by the government, nor does it stop all funding for GMO research. It's a modest approach that allocates some existing research funds for non-GMO research.

4. YES on Senator Merkley's Amendment #978 to repeal the Monsanto Protection Act. In the last continuing budget resolution, pro-biotech forces inserted a provision that allows companies like Monsanto and DuPont to continue to sell genetically modified (GMO) seeds for planting even when a court of law has found they were approved illegally. The provision forces USDA to grant temporary permits and deregulate GMO crops even if a Federal court has ruled that USDA hadn't adequately considered the environmental or economic risks to farmers. Senator Merkley's amendment repeals the provision and restores judicial review of GMO crops.

5. YES on Senator Begich's Amendment #934 to ban GMO salmon. The FDA continues to consider the application for AquaBounty's genetically engineered salmon, and it appears likely to approve it despite objections from hundreds of thousands of Americans and many scientists. Since it will not be labeled, people will have no way of choosing to avoid genetically engineered salmon in the stores if this fish is approved.

In addition, the GMO salmon poses a threat to those who wish to eat wild salmon or other seafood; scientists have predicted that escaped GMO salmon would likely wipe out wild salmon populations, which will destroy the livelihood of coastal communities that depend on fishing. Senator Begich's amendment protects both consumers and our important wild fish populations.

6. YES on Senator Boxer's Amendment #1025 that expresses support for labeling of GMOs, although it does not directly mandate labeling. "It is the sense of the Senate that the United States should join the 64 other countries that have given consumers the right to know if the foods purchased to feed their families have been genetically engineered or contain genetically engineered ingredients."

7. YES on Senator Wyden's Amendment #952 that allows American farmers to once again grow hemp to the extent that it is allowed under state laws. Industrial hemp is the non-psychoactive, low-THC, oilseed and fiber varieties of the Cannabis sativa plant. Hemp has absolutely no use as a recreational drug.

Hemp is planted in many countries, and it is legal to use in the U.S. - but it is not legal to plant it in the U.S. The seed is known for its healthy protein and rich oil. The outer fiber from the stalk can be used for clothing, canvas and rope; the inner core fiber can be used for construction and paper production. This crop provides excellent opportunities for farmers for a sustainable, profitable crop. 

 

8. YES on Senator Boxer's Amendment #1027 to protect honeybees and other pollinators. Senator Boxer's amendment would require the USDA, the Department of Interior, and the Environmental Protection Agency to protect the long-term viability of honeybees and other pollinators. Honeybees are disappearing at an alarming rate, and the federal agencies have been just sitting by and watching it happen. This poses a threat to all food production and we cannot afford to let it continue.

9. YES on Grassley's Amendment #969 to create a USDA special counsel on consolidation and fight back against the corporate takeover of our food system. A small handful of companies control the vast majority of our agricultural system. This unprecedented level of consolidation has gone almost entirely unchallenged, allowing these companies to squeeze out farmers. For consumers, this means lower quality food at higher prices. Senator Grassley has filed an amendment that would create a USDA special counsel to monitor consolidation in agriculture. The counsel would coordinate antitrust enforcement and efforts to improve competition in the industry.

10. YES on Cruz's Amendment #1083 to prohibit mandatory check-offs. Under the current "check-off" programs, anytime a farmer sells a cow or a gallon of milk or any other covered commodity, the farmer is required to pay a fee to industry-run organizations. These funds are used to pay for things such as the "Got Milk?" and "Pork, the other white meat" advertising campaigns. The problem is that these advertising campaigns benefit primarily the retailers and grocery stores, not the farmers, but the farmers are stuck paying the bills.

When it comes to raw milk, the industry adds insult to injury by promoting only pasteurized milk products and running ads against raw milk - yet raw milk farmers are still required to pay into the check-off to support those ads. And now there is a proposal for an organic check-off, to tax even more farmers. The Cruz Amendment would bar any check-off program from being mandatory. If producers wish to fund a joint advertising campaign, they still could, but they would no longer be coerced to support advertising efforts that are not in their interest.

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Greening - Did Monsanto Know -- that their testing of unapproved GMO wheat would be made public -- Eventually?

Dear Folks,

I am outraged as are others over the revelation that GMO wheat was found in an Oregon Field.  I have been urging the labeling of GMO to give consumers a choice.

This is about more than voluntary choices by consumers -- this is about Monsanto's total desire to do whatever they want, when they want.

There are all sorts of conspiracy theories in this day an age.  Most of the time they are nothing but repeats of no-source verbiage.

Well I have a conspiracy theory to consider:

Did Monsanto know their unapproved testing of GMO wheat would be made public?

(GMO wheat is NOT approved for planting, sale or otherwise in the US.)

Is that why they got Congress to pass the so-called "Monsanto Protection Act" which allows the sale and planting of any GMO or GE product whether it has been approved or not?

(Only a lawsuit demonstrating damage would supersede this law.)


Senator Roy Blunt (R-Missouri) said the Monsanto Protection Act was made law to protect farmers.  Baloney!! It was put in place by Monsanto, through Congress, to protect Monsanto.

The Japan and the European Union have now entered the controversy with Japan halting all wheat shipments from the US until testing is done.

How did that protection for the American Farmers work out Senator Blunt?  You and Congress just gave the American Wheat farmer a black-eye and a double-cross.

The rest of the world is trying to tell us the United States of America has a problem with GMO regulation and we have not been listening.  Maybe this will be the real wake up call.

Unapproved GMO Wheat in an Oregon Field and Monsanto has no idea how it got there!?!!!??!

Here are some current articles on this mess:

Unapproved GMO Monsanto Wheat found in Oregon

Senator Blunt defends protecting Monsanto

Japan halts shipments of American wheat imports.

Our Senator John McCain just voted AGAINST allowing states to make their own mandatory GMO labeling laws, along with 70 other Senators.

What did your Senators do to AGAIN aid Monsanto?  Here is a link to see who voted against this amendment to the farm bill.

I am asking you all to:

1)  Please share this blog post.
2) Let your Congressional Representatives and Senators know you are the consumer and voter and you have a right to KNOW and a right to CHOOSE.

"If you put a label on genetically engineered food you might as well put a skull and crossbones on it." - Norman Braksick, president of Asgrow Seed Co., a subsidiary of Monsanto, quoted in the Kansas City Star, March 7, 1994

The above quote is why Monsanto is bank-rolling every fight it can muster to avoid labeling and pre-approval of GMO / GE products.  They know the more the public (you and me) know the more we will be worried.

Their argument is they do not want to confuse the buying public.

I think it is time to let our elected officials know we are perfectly clear - we want labeling, we want all the testing required of any pharm-chemical, creature or seed before one unit of it is put in our food and lives.

There - got that off my chest.

. . .

Be safe this weekend, folks -- many parts of the country are under severe weather conditions.  Take care of your family and pets and be sure they are safe.


-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Farm Bill GMO Labeling Amendments NEED to added

Dear Folks,

This is so important - whether you care about GMOs or not - we as consumers should have a choice and labeling is what will give us that choice.


Monsanto just won one in the US Supreme Court - make sure they don't get these amendments deleted.


Please share this with everyone.


Catherine, The Herb Lady

. . .

The full U.S. Senate is debating the Farm Bill, S.954, this week.

Like the last several Farm Bills, the proposed Farm Bill will generally support the large consolidated corporate agriculture system.

 There are several potentially significant amendments on specific topics that affect sustainable farmers and local food consumers.


Please take action--call your U.S. Senators about the amendments listed below!


Your calls really do make a difference!

Please share this alert with friends and family.

Action to Take Call BOTH of Your U.S. Senators

Here are Arizona Senators' Flake and McCain Telephone numbers:

Senator Flake:
By phone:
Phoenix - 602-840-1891
Washington - 202-224-452

Senator McCain:
Phoenix - 602-952-2410
Washington - 202-224-2235

Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121, tell them your State and
ask to be connected to your Senators' offices. You can also find your
Senators and their contact information at www.senate.gov.

When you reach the each Senator's office, ask to speak to the staffer
who handles agricultural issues.

Convey this Message:

"I am a constituent from ____ (state) calling about the Farm Bill and
I urge Senator _______ to:

1) Vote YES on King's Amendment #1042 to clarify the exemption for
small farmers under the Food Safety Modernization Act;

2) Vote YES on the Tester "Seeds & Breeds" Amendment #972 to dedicate
a portion of USDA's research to classical breeding;

3) Vote YES on all of the amendments protecting farmers and consumers
from GMOs:

Merkley's Amendment #978 to repeal the biotech rider, aka "Monsanto
Protection Act";

Begich's Amendment #934 to ban GMO salmon;

Boxer's Amendment # 1025 to support labeling of GMOs;

Sanders' Amendment #965 recognizing states' right to adopt GMO
labeling requirements at the state level;

4) Vote YES on King's Amendment #1033 to require FDA to do an analysis
of the science and costs imposed by its proposed regulations under the
Food Safety Modernization Act;

5) Vote YES on Boxer's Amendment #1027 to protect honeybees and other
pollinators;

6) Vote YES on Grassley's Amendment #969 to improve enforcement of
antitrust laws and address consolidation of our agricultural system;

7) Vote YES on Wyden's Amendment #952 to remove the prohibition on
planting hemp;

8) Vote NO on Johanns' amendment to eliminate Country of Origin
Labeling (COOL).



-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Pink Brandywine Tomato harvest

Dear Folks,

This is for those who want a 'beefsteak' tomato from the desert garden, and do not think we can grow them.  Generally that is true.  Folks usually have the most success with short maturity varieties (70 days and under).  I am won over on this one.  The plant set bunches of fruit and there are still many in various ripening stages, so I'm looking for more fruit to set before the 80+ night time temps stop that process.

Farmer Phil had some extra tomato plants I was selling for him at the Mesa Farmers Market and he raved about the Pink Brandywine, an heirloom with various origin stories.  So I bought one and planted it approximately February 15/16th (I did not mark the exact date).  On February 20th we had that incredible day of snow, rain, hail and grapple!!!  I did cover the plant with a chicken wire hat and towel - no damage.

Pink Brandywine is listed with 80-100 day mature range.  This is an interesting 'potato-leaf' variety with leaves quite different from standard tomatoes.  I have been letting the plant sprawl - planted in the same well as one of our small citrus trees - in full sun. We have been out of town for exactly 2 weeks and they were just getting to this size right before we left.  As you can see - "someone" was sampling them - could have been birds, bunnies or squirrels.  I will cut the damaged part off and harvest the seeds from the damage area.  I'm thinking BLTs for dinner :-)

So how did they do -- In the picture, you can see 4 huge fruit, harvested this morning and placed on a 9 inch paper plate for the photo.  I took the largest one (with the longest stem) and measured and weighed it.  4 inches wide and 11 ounces on my kitchen (non-digital) scale.  We sampled another damaged one yesterday when we got back from our trip and the taste is pure, lovely tomato.

Thanks, Phil, you were right - these are great.  (Phil is or will be selling his heirloom tomatoes at the Mesa Farmers Market (Fridays) until they stop fruiting.)

In the same well I am also experimenting with San Marzano plum tomato (got the plant from Phil also and planted it the next week) to see if I can get great paste tomatoes for sauce.  This was one of those 'gauntlet' thrown down when my friend Marcello said you can't grow good tasting San Marzanos in the US - I'm going to see how they turn out :-)  I love a garden challenge.  The plant has set fruit and some of it is starting to color - yeah!

. . .
With Memorial Day Weekend coming up think about using your herbs to enhance food on the grill.  Kabab skewers made from the woody parts of herbs like rosemary.  Herb infused oils for basting.  And layers of herbs to envelope filets of chicken or fish.

Have a wonderful and safe holiday.


-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Books -- my books are available in either print or digital versions.

find them at Amazon.

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There are available in ibookstore

https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/catherine-crowley/id372564893?mt=11

Or through my publisher either as print or ebook

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/herbs2u

Garlic Harvest and "Made Over" Artichoke Stalks, plus a Lavender Festival.

Dear Folks,

This morning I harvested my garlic.  This year (actually October 1st last year) I decided to try elephant garlic for 'real' (I've grown it sporadically in the past).  I had picked up several heads while in California last year and through them into the crisper with the saved garlic from last year's harvest.

I think they did pretty good.  I was also surprised by the 'bulbets' semi-attached or attached to the main sides of the elephant garlic.

In the picture from left to right as you look at it is:  purple glazer regular garlic, the elephant garlic 'bulbets' in the container and the elephant garlic.

Some background on garlic, what I planted and elephant garlic.

The purple glazer is my favorite - I like the flavor, nice without being fire-starter spicey.  I saved mostly small heads for replanting and decided on a new bed with more sun this growing season so most of the heads are smallish.  Besides the starting size, I think some of the up/down heat/cool of last fall may have had something to do with the size.  I'm going to sun dry some of the smallest ones so I have dried garlic for grinding and using.

The little bulbets of the elephant garlic are new to me, but not completely surprising.  I've saved the flower-produced bulbets of the purple glazer and replanted.  They need 2 years to get to head producing growth pattern so I will leave them in the ground and hope for nice sized heads next year.

Both regular garlic (Allium sativum) and elephant garlic (Allium empeloprasum) are members of the onion family.  Elephant garlic is not actually a "garlic" but rather a Leek on Steriods, and has a milder (some think too mild) garlic flavor.  You can't see the leaves in the picture, but they are 'strappy' like leek and could be used to flavor foods.  In fact, even the stalk and leaves of either plant, which are generally disposed of after harvest, can be used to flavor soup, stews, and broths.

Hang your garlic to dry in the shade until the outside is papery - they will store will for a couple of months in your kitchen,  For longer term storage, place in a cardboard box in the crisper drawer of the frig.  This is also the way I store the heads I plant to split and re-plant next October 1st.  Do not store moisture containing vegetables in the same crisper - the moisture will case the bulbs to rot.

. . .

Next Up Artichoke Plants - all those leaves and edible flower heads. - "Made Over Artichoke Stalks.

Made Over is an old fashioned term for using left overs.  Now a days it refers to lowering the calorie content of a popular dish.

I like the old fashioned version because I'm always trying to find ways to use as much of a plant as possible.  I compost every paring from garden/produce that I can, but I would like to find ways to use as much of the 'parings' as food.  I save celery bottoms (when I don't replant them) and carrot bottom and tops, the peels of onions, woody parts of herbs etc. for making broths to make soups.

I've been busy harvesting the artichoke flowers and boiling and then marinating (like the marinated hearts you buy in the stores).  I also just froze some after boiling for use later in the year.

I've wondered about those huge artichoke leaves - until some wonderful person on the Valley Permaculture Alliance made mention of using artichoke leaves like cardoon leaves (the artichoke is related).  Then one wonderful cook posted on the subject about taking the celery looking artichoke leaf stalk and cleaning, dicing and cooking it up and voila - a wonderful addition to salads, soups and stews.  I am sharing the link below so you can see what she made.

I went right out and cut some stalks.  I pared the leaves from the stalks (some of them are 3 feet long even after you pare the leaves off.  I used the peeler to get any particularly stringy areas of the back of the rib (it really does look like a giant celery stalk) and then diced them up.  I tasted them - the notes said they were bitter raw - oh yes, quite bitter.  Filled a pot with salted water brought it to a rolling boil, dropped them in and cooked for 10-15 minutes (I done a couple of batches now - you want still crunchy not soggy), drained, cooled and tasted and was very, very pleased with the taste.  I call it "delicate" artichoke heart flavor.  It has been described as nutty maybe hazelnut - bottom line I call it wonderful.  I've added it to many salads now.  I may trying freezing some of the next batch just to see how well they stand up to freeze/thaw conditions.  I'm hooked on the "made over" artichoke stalk food.

The picture shows some leaves some trimmed stalk, some pared stalk and the diced stalk ready for boiling.  The color changes very little after boiling.

I did try even more made over by trying to create a green broth base from all the parings, but it came out bitter so I have to figure out what I did wrong.  Some folks were able to take more of the parings and create a flavorful vegetable broth base, so I'm assuming it was how I did mine.  More research needed :-)

Here is the link for the discussion on the Valley Permaculture Alliance site.  You can read any posts on the site, but if you want to participate in the discussions you need to join (free and easy) and become a member - I strongly encourage any of you in the valley (or similar desert climates) to join the discussions on gardening and cooking.

http://www.phoenixpermaculture.org/group/growinggourmet/forum/topics/artichoke-ribs

. . .

Next Up A trip to a Lavender Festival in June.

Folks, Promenade Travel out of Sun City has put together an over-night bus trip to the Lavender Festival at Red Rock Ranch in Concho, Arizona.  I am scheduled to go and provide some Q&A on the trip up.  I've been trying to make this trip for the last couple of years and something always came up.  Registration and payment are required ahead of time (as with most events they need a certain number to make it a 'go' and also can only accommodate a certain number on the bus).

Promenade has been doing these kinds of bus excursions for quite a while - I went on a day trip to Southern AZ wine country a couple of years ago and the whole trip was handle very well.

For all questions and registration use the contact info on the flyer - I am not involved in putting this together - I get to enjoy the trip and answer lavender questions :-)

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bz6z-WrYdnebZzQ0TF9BbkhETXM/edit?usp=sharing

Have a great day!




-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Harvest Time - Late March - Early April

Dear Folks,

There is nothing like 'grocery shopping' in your own backyard.  Here are some pictures of the harvest for the last couple of weeks.

I harvested this batch for Easter dinner and salads this week.  The strange looking spirals are 'scapes' from my garlic which I used as a bed for the roasted chicken.  Also in the picture are sugar peas (I made a pasta dish with orzo and the sugar peas), the asparagus I sauteed with a tiny amount of a fat combination of olive oil, butter and natural bacon fat.  The carrots I poached in our blood orange juice.

Next is purple cauliflower - I do not usually grow 'head' veggies because they take up so much room, but I couldn't pass up a tiny transplant from Vilardi Gardens when I was at Root Phoenix in January and look what it did!  The purple and orange cauliflowers have more antioxidants than their white relative.  Going to be part of dinner this coming Sunday - on the grill they get some amazing taste going.

This morning (April 3rd) I harvested some artichokes and a bunch of my white and red alpine strawberries.

I am going to cook up the artichokes and marinate the babies and use the 'parings' for a broth - I finally found a use for the tough leaves etc. through a tread on the Valley Permaculture Alliance, to make a broth base for soup and I can't wait to try it out.  I so hate to just compost 'leavings' when I could 'make over' into something - before composting anything but meat and fat - recycling at its absolute best!!

And finally, a picture of the Johnny Jump-Ups in the lawn.  I seed these in during the winter to give us something to look at while the lawn is dead - and of course they are edible so I can add them to salads or even the strawberries for additional visual delight.







I hope you enjoy this pictorial harvest.  Those new to gardening in the desert often think we can't grow things here either because of the heat or because of the chilly winters.  Even with the hard freeze we had this year the strawberries and lettuces were surviving just fine - thank you very much - and the artichokes and asparagus took off like green rockets as soon as the freezes were over.

Enjoy Spring!

P.S.  The wildflower season this year is great - we probably have another 2-3 weeks of spectacular blooms to see, so head out and catch the color.

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Seed Cracker Recipe and Frost Survivor

Dear Folks,

This recipe is one I know I tried out last year some time and for the life of me I can't find my notes, so I decided to give it another try and came up with this recipe for a Seed Cheese Cracker - it is also gluten free.

I first thought about this when one of the nice raw foods vendors was at the farmers market (they had a seed/nut cracker), then I found recipe ideas on the internet, some noted as gluten free others focusing on using good-for-you seeds and nuts, others on the low-carb forums.

The nice thing about this recipe is you can change out the seeds, nuts and cheeses or leave the cheese out altogether.  You can add any herbs of your choice.

A couple of points:  most of these come out like a 'mash' so you want to create a baking form that is even all the way around and the same depth all the way through so they bake evenly.  And you need to watch them so they don't burn.  It may help to turn the pan around half way through to more evenly bake.  They crisp up more as they cool and dry, so don't over-bake thinking they need to be bone dry at the end of the baking cycle.

Just a note of caution - these are addictive!  :-)

I've given the link for the original recipe that I modified mine from below the recipe.

SEED CHEESE CRACKER
1/2 cup of flax seed meal
1/2 cup of sunflower seeds (dried raw but not toasted), ground
1/3 cup of grated Parmesan Cheese*
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup of water
Optional:  Any herbs of your choice either dried or fresh - if using fresh mince very finely.

Nuts/Seeds - use combinations that are appealing to you.  Stronger tasting seeds and nuts can be balanced with mild.  I think I might try a walnut/sunflower/basil/Parmesan next time.


Heat oven to 350.

I have a bullet grinder but you can use any kind of grinder you need to grind the seeds if not already ground.

Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir, then add water and mix well so everything is moistened.

Spread on aluminum foil or silpat.  Cover with a piece of wax paper and roll out to even depth - about 1/8 - 1/4 inch, and even up the sides a bit by squaring off.  Use a long straight blade to score - you don't have to cut all the way through - it just makes it easier to break up after they cool.

Bake 15-18 minutes and watch carefully - if they start to brown too much remove and let cool.

This made 42 crackers for a total of approximately 771 calories, 37.45 grams of protein and 22 grams of fiber.  I have used a formula I came up with to measure the nutrient density of a product.  The formula is  20 or less is nutrient dense.  These crackers came out at 12.97.  The formula is grams of protein and fiber added then divided into the calories.  Try it out the next time you are in the store staring at a snack item.  The primary cracker I buy is Triscuit because it comes out to 20 - every other cracker is a far higher number and therefore not as nutritious for the calories.

*  I'm pretty sure I used cheddar cheese in the recipe I tried last year.  If you go with a nice cheddar or any hard cheese use the fine holes on your grater, to get an even mix of cheese to ground seeds.

Original Recipe Link is here.

. . .

IN THE GARDEN.

I was delighted to discover that my orange bell pepper survived the killer freeze - I pulled away the leaves I mounded around the base and low and behold -- new growth.

I have some seedlings of these saved from last year but this larger root system will give me a jump start - I hope - on harvesting peppers sooner.

I'm just now beginning to remove dead top growth on shrubs and plants like the pepper.  While we are supposed to go down in temps this weekend I don't expect major frost damage in most of the valley, but if you know you are in a colder basin - plan on covering your tender plants like tomatoes, basil and peppers.  I recommend being prepared to cover whenever the night time temperature predictions are 40 or lower - just to be on the safe side.

The catnip around the base of this pepper plant was not damaged by the frosts at all.  Likewise your lettuces and kales will be fine.

Next year if we have frost potential with killer freeze possibilities I am going to do the leaf mounding with all my tender plants.  Worked like a dream with one of my tomatoes and this pepper plant.  Make a note for yourselves to have a plan for using the leaves.  I like my chicken wire cages/hats which I use normally to keep the birds, bunnies and squirrels away from young plants, but encircling a tender plant with the chicken wire and filling with leaves then draping a towel or cardboard over it all keep one of my tomatoes lush and green even though it was covered for 5 days.

Have a great time in the garden!

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

My books can be purchased via ibooks, Amazon, Barnes & Noble or the publisher's site in either print or ebook form.   There are also some links here on the blog on the side bar.

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Volunteer Carrots and corning the beef

Dear Folks,

So, last year I planted carrots and let one of the plants go to seed - well okay, I forgot about it and it went to flower and seed before I pulled up last summer to prepare for fall planting.

The seeds randomly planted themselves, including in the pathway beside the bed, which is separated by bricks.  The carrots in the path came up this winter as a 'lawn' of green and I figured - what the heck - I will see what happens.  So periodically I would pull soil away to see if there was any appreciable growth.  Also the path is not watered directly - there is a little moisture spread from the actual growing bed, and of course we have had a lot of rain.  So yesterday I decided to poke around in the carrot lawn and guess what I found?

I carefully dug these out after softening the soil with some water, and there are still more to "grow" wider now that they more wiggle room.

You can see that the roots got kind of creative in working down into the harder soil.  I have not prepared these yet, but they may be a the heirloom short carrot Chantanay red core - you can't really see it in the picture but they have red "shoulders" -- anyway I'm delighted to have these volunteers to cook up.  There may be more ready that I can use for St. Patrick's day corned beef dinner.

One of the recommendations I give to folks about growing carrots here in the desert is very loose deep soil and choose short maturity varieties - you will have faster and better success, particularly if you successive sow them beginning in late summer/early fall.

So on to corning beef.  I tried it for the first time last year because I wanted to control the ingredients and I was completely pleased with the results - see link below for last year's post.

Last year I used Red Mountain Cattle grass fed brisket and it was great but I thought I would try a 'better' cut this year.  This year we purchased grass fed from Farmer Goose out on the west side and I decided to go with a roast.  I started the brining yesterday so it will be ready to go into the crock pot the morning of St. Patty's day.

About corning beef - my first post

The finished corned beef

Now that the weather is finally getting a bit warmer - don't forget to get your warm weather garden transplanting and sowing done ASAP so the plants have sufficient time to get good roots going before the heat hits.

Have a great week,

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Avocado Bean Salad/Dip-Oh Boy!

Dear Folks,

While paging through various food recipes/blogs I tripped across an Avocado-Bean Salad recipe on a vegan site that I just had to try out.  Got to use some of the celery from the garden too!

I went for a very simplified version of it, but you can just experiment with what you and your family/friends would enjoy.  Meat eaters and vegetarian / vegans will love this equally -- part hummus and part guacamole I think I just found my best go-to snack/lunch/appetizer when avocados are in season.

The link to the original recipe is below.

AVOCADO/BEAN SALAD/DIP

2 small/medium avocados or 1 really large one
1 can of white beans drained and rinsed well (I used Northern White but cannellini or garbanzos would work great too)
1/4 cup of celery finely chopped
1/2 small white onion finely chopped
1 small carrot finely shredded
juice of 1 lemon
1 clove of garlic put threw garlic press
OPTIONAL:
1-2 Tablespoons of finely chopped spearmint, rosemary, basil or whatever your favorite leaf herb is
1/4 cup of shredded arugula, spinach or kale

Peel, pit and rough dice the avocado.  Pour lemon juice over the avocado then add drained beans, add the garlic, and mash all together - I was looking for something the consistency of mashed potatoes myself but you could go for a more textured mix.  Fold in all the veggies and herbs to mix well but not 'mushy'.

For maximum complimentary protein serve on wheat crackers or breads.  Cucumber or tomato cups would be wonderful.  Vegetable chips/sticks would work.  I wound up slicing up some of my turnips from the garden and using them to dip this great tasting spread in addition to the crackers.  (BTW - I use Triscuits because they are some of the best protein/fiber options out there.)

Consider the avocado, lemon juice (necessary to keep the avocado from darkening and mellow the beans), and beans as your basic platform.  From there add any crunch, texture and flavoring elements you like.  So salt or pepper was needed to my taste.

About Beans: 
If you have 'issues' with beans - add some finely chopped Epazote to the mix and you should be fine :-)

I am one of those people who enjoy bean recipes as long as they do not taste 'beany' - I like the nutiness of edamame for example (may try that in this dish too), and the white beans have a mild flavor to blend in with this kind of dip.  If you like the robust flavor of colored beans but all means try them out.


Original recipe: veggie-loaded-avocado-white-bean-salad


Enjoy!


-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Got Citrus? What to do with the peels.

Dear Folks,

I like to recycle as much as I can - and that includes food.  Using left overs use to be called "Made Over" - a nice old fashioned phrase.

It is citrus season in the valley and there is nothing better than peeling a sweet navel orange and enjoying it outside in the garden.  Then you have the peel left over.  What to do?  I toss some peels in the dish water in the sink (the essential oil helps the detergent work better).  I'm making up a batch of peel soaking in vinegar to make a cleaning solution (beside being edible orange essential oil is quite caustic so it needs to diluted in something), I chop some up smaller and toss them in the compost pile (they can take a LONG time to break down if you leave them in large chunks) and then I thought "candied orange peel" - a made over to really recycle this food!

The picture shows the candied orange peel and some which I dipped in chocolate.  Not the lowest calorie snack or desert option but really nice for a change.  You can candy any of the citrus.

4 good size oranges (you can use grapefruit, lemon or any citrus really).  I had about 3-4 cups of loosely packed sliced peel.
2 cups of organic cane sugar* for syrup
2 cups of water for syrup
1 cup of organic sugar for rolling

Rinse the peels well, and slice into about 1/2 inch thicknesses (this is really up to you as to how thin you want them.  I did NOT scrape the pith away.  The navels peel fairly easily.

Bring about 4 cups of water to a rolling boil, dump peels in count to 60 and drain.  Repeat twice.  This removes bitterness.

Bring the 2 cups each of the sugar and water to a rolling boil and dump in the peels. Stir, and drop to a low simmer.  It will take about 2 hours and the syrup will reduce down about half.  The peels should look a little translucent.  Remove from heat and let cool in syrup.

Arrange a rack or a large tray and a large container with the final 1 cup of sugar in it.  I air dried my peels over 2 days - inside.  You have the option of drying in the oven at 200 degrees until they loose most of their limpness.

Once the peels are cool in the syrup drain - reserving the syrup for another use.

I laid out syran wrap on a big tray and using 2 forks dumped bunches at once in the sugar, stirred and then moved to the tray repeating until all the peels were coated nicely.  Try for single layer but you can gently move them around during the drying to ensure all are dried.

Chocolate dipping is optional.  I used a good quality of dark chocolate (I'm going to try making my own in the near future with a recipe from my friend Kathy).

I saved the left syrup and am going to make orange chicken one night this week.

Store in a covered container for 2-3 weeks (if they last that long).  I did see that some people have frozen them with success.

*organic cane sugar is different from your typical white.  I don't use sugar much except around the holidays.  The organic is pressed, filtered and evaporated (less processing than white) and retains some of the molasses taste and color.

Hope you enjoy this 'food recycling' idea!

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Valley Permaculture Alliance Programs - Plus a video recipe

Dear Folks,

Weather Report -- UGH!!!! as in Ugly -- just a quick FYI note DO NOT REMOVE any frost damage from permanent plantings like trees and shrubs until all danger of frost is over, except where danger from falling plant parts is possible.  You risk losing the plant completely.  Last frost danger is late Feb/Early March so just ignore the ugly and you may save some of your plants.

Things to do this Friday and weekend, see near the end of the post.

. . .

The VPA is offering more programs coming up.  Check out the new information here.

. . .

Home made Shrimp Scampi.

This easy method is demonstrated by Deane's Sister-in Law Mary and her hubby Doug wielding his new iPad3 to perform the videoing - a little humor as videographer figures out where to stand :-)

Scamp Video

. . .

Back to gardening -- consider re-sowing seasonal greens, roots and herbs as the freeze (may be a major one for the history books - even exceeding the massive one in the late 1980s) most likely damaged some of them.

If you have citrus - cut one or two fruit and determine if there is 'cell' damage - if so, juice quickly.

A great way to produce concentrate juice was posted on the VPA.  Takes a little time, but space-saving-wise it is worth it.

Make your own frozen juice concentrate

Things to do - if you are in the east valley:

Friday - January 18th - free seed share at the Mesa Farmers Market (I'm hosting) 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Saturday/Sunday at the Superstition Mountain Museum (if you have never been - you need to check it out).

My friend Alice Nelson will be one of the vendors selling her creative earwraps and pressed flower items.

Superstition Mountain Museum


Stay warm and have a great week.


-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Recipes - Eggs in a Bread Bowl and a Two Flower Side Dish

Dear Folks,

I have been wanting to do something like baked eggs and just recently saw a great idea of baked eggs in a bread bowl!  Perfect (in fact I added to my pinterest board).  I wanted to add a shredded green to the bowl also, so I was able to use my arugula growing in the garden.


Baked Eggs in Bread Bowl

Per person
1 roll (about 3 1/3 to 4 inches wide)
1 egg - Fresh - I would not use older eggs for this - we used large/jumbo
1 heaping tablespoon shredded arugula (or any green)
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon (about) Fresh or dried herbs (I used some home dried rosemary and garlic chives) 
Sprinkle of  Parmesan Cheese (shredded or grated)
3 Slivered salami "chips"*

The ingredients on this are very flexible except for the egg and roll, so go with ratios that suit you.

* Salami or pepperoni chips were the new "chip" for the high-protein phase and it is still a good way to make a low-fat snack/condiment.  In the microwave on paper towels (and covered with a paper towel to avoid splatters - lay out single layer salami slices, microwave for 30-40 seconds, watch them carefully.  Let cool and you have Salami Chips.

Pre-Heat oven to 350.  Use a cookie sheet or pan to hold the rolls.  I like to use our toaster oven for a dish like this.

Slice the top off the roll (reserve top) and carefully remove most of the soft bread, leaving a shell (save the soft bread to make toasted bread crumbs or feed to the birds :-)

Place the shredded greens in bowl, add cracked egg, season with S&P, add herbs, slivered salami and top with cheese.  Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.  Ours cooked for 25 and the egg cooked through.  Shorten the time for soft eggs.  At the 15-20 minute mark place the roll tops on the sheet to crisp up.

This is a great way to try different combinations of greens, herbs and cheeses.

Enjoy!

Next is a recipe I developed in 2005 after reading about the "new" pasta for the low-carb folks -- Cauliflower.  And, cauliflower and chamomile are seasonally available now at your farmers market or other grocery stores (maybe in your own backyard :-)


Two Flower Side Dish (sorry no picture for this one)
    Cauliflower is the new "pasta substitute" for the low-carb folks.   

I meant this recipe to be a soup originally, and you can still puree this into a smooth soup, but we liked it as a side dish. Have everything cut, to keep the dish moving along. (Originally published in my newsletter November, 2005.)

3 cups water
3 tablespoons Fresh ( or 3 teaspoons, dried) chamomile flowers, crushed
3 cups of cauliflower cut, or shred, into very small flowers (no stalks)
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 tablespoon, plus 1 thin slice of butter
Salt and Pepper to taste
    Bring water to boil with chamomile, simmer for 5 minutes and then add cauliflower, stir, reduce heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
    Meanwhile melt 1 tablespoon butter in pan add onion, celery, salt and pepper, and saute while cauliflower is cooking.
    Remove cauliflower, celery and onion to a bowl, keep warm - reserve cooking water.  Add 1/2 cup of chamomile/cauliflower water to saute pan, bring up to boil and reduce by half. Add thin slice of butter, melt, stir and pour over vegetables, toss to coat and serve.


-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

My Friend Jim's Pre-Order CD

Hi Folks,

I want to share with you some fun stuff from a friend of mine who has written and released several of his wonderful Americana music CD's.

Coming up is his release concert March 2, 2013 at Higley Center for Performing Arts for his brand new CD "Rollin' The Dice".

Visit Jim's Site 

Read about the new CD Project on Jim's Facebook event page on Pipkin's Porch

To listen to the track Tinted Windows from the album - click here.

You can pre-order Jim's Rollin' The Dice CD using this paypal button.  Don't forget to list your address for shipment.  Includes shipping and handling within the Continental USA.



Pre-Ordered CDs will be personally signed by Jim and mailed as soon as available.

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Gardening Help Coming Up in January/Early February

Dear Folks,

It is gratifying to me to see stories on the "growing" interest in backyard (or front yard) gardening with edibles.  Yeah Folks!  Coming up I'm hosting a SEED SHARE and conducting 2 classes to help desert gardeners get a jump start on seasonal gardening.  See the link below to my google irregular newsletter with details on the activities.  Seed share in Mesa, 1 class in Phoenix and 1 class in Far East Valley.

I don't know the artist behind this great poster (if anyone does I certainly want to give credit), but I truly love the message.  If there was ever a time to keep some calmness and perspective in our lives it is now.

I'm sure I am not alone in heading out to the garden when it is a bad day or bad news shocks me.  If I do nothing but stand out there where things are growing it comforts me.  To get my hands dirty putting in new seeds or starting new plants (I just put my potatoes in their beds) I can keep one form of the cycle of life thriving or at least trying to thrive.

And when I harvest I can make a meal, share with my darling and neighbors and feel satisfied that some of the basic elements of life are ongoing, despite frustration with ... (fill in the blank).

So here is my recipe for going forward:
1 big helping of family (including extended family of friends)
1 really large portion of respect and tolerance
A goodly amount of using things around you
A dose of caring about others

Mix well and be creative (we are all creative, some of us are traditional and some of us (me) are not).

And above all Keep Calm and Garden On!

If you do not (yet) have a garden of your own there are several areas in the Valley that are truly rejuvenating to visit:  Desert Botanical Garden, Reparian Preserve in Gilbert and Boyce Thompson Arboretum.


Seed Share and Classes

"Time Spent In the Garden, Does Not Reduce Our Allotted Time On Earth." -- Catherine, The Herb Lady

On The Third Day of Christmas . . .

Dear Folks,

Actually I made the candy tray on the 20th - 5 days before Christmas, but I could not resist showing you this cool project and it is very easy to do.

We tried both waxpaper and parchment paper and both worked but the parchment paper pulled off easier.  My plan is to break the dish up January 1st and use the pieces to flavor hot cocoa or coffee through the rest of the cool days :-)

That day my friends Julie and Jodie and I got together for holiday candy and cooking making and decided to try these and we were delighted with the way they turned out.  Each of us did a different design using candy canes.  Jodie gave us a great idea for the next time (year).  Make mini plates to use as the base for edible gifts, depending on your cookie sheet size you can make several at once.

It is REALLY important to keep an eye on them and do NOT touch the hot dish until it cools completely.  Heated sugar can cause 2nd degree or worse burns.

Directions here:

This nice site also shows how to turn the tray into a bowl - we did not see that at the time we went looking for directions so definitely one I want to try next time too.

. . .

So back to days of Christmas.  I posted to my google group irregular site a complete list of the 12 days of Christmas blog posts (found here on this site, but an easy to find list).

What if you do not celebrate Christmas?  There was a lovely message in an article in the paper the other day by a Jewish writer who suggested if there is a holiday you do not celebrate, take the opportunity to do family things.  Many holidays and Holy Days among various religions and beliefs are family centered, so even if you do not 'celebrate' - consider finding family-centered activities to celebrate your family.
 
Catherine's 12 Days of Christmas Past Blog Posts.

Have a safe and wonderful New Year!

Remember those less fortunate or who are alone, the simplest of gestures can bring a smile!

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

January Planting

Dear Folks,

Save this for after the rush of holiday preparation and enjoyment.

January and February is the time to get the last of the winter veggies, herbs and edible flowers in, and to start planning for spring sowing and transplanting.

As much as I love the holidays I look forward to January 1st DAY to plant my potatoes and look forward to the longer days returning, so that is my tradition - I plant my potatoes on New Year's Day.

Have a joyous and safe holiday season, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year too!

P. S.  Re-kindle the practice of "Random Acts of Kindness" -- the opportunities are sometimes right in front of you {{hugs}}

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

JANUARY Planting Guide

Edible Flowers:
Carnation (Dianthus Caryophyllus)
English Daisy (Bellis Perennis)
Nasturtium (Tropaeolum Majus)
Pansies (Viola X Wittrockiana)
Primrose (Primula Vulgaris)
Scented Geranium
Snapdragon (Antirrhinum Majus)
Stock (Matthiola Incana)
Sweet William Aka Pinks (Dianthus Barbatus)
Herbs & Other Edibles
Artichoke
Asparagus
Beets
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Chard
Fruit, Bare Root
Fruit Trees
Green Onions
Greens 
Herbs, Hardy Perennials
Jerusalem Artichoke
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Lettuce
Mustard
Peas
Potatoes
Radishes
Spinach
Strawberry
Turnips

Desert Gardening in January — besides anything the Chamber of Commerce has to say about Valley winters, gardeners are devouring the seed catalogues and gearing up to hit the plant nurseries for January and February gardening - once the holidays are over gardeners can’t wait to get their hands dirty.  If you are a basil, tomato, pepper and/or eggplant lover, now is the time to start your seedlings for transplanting by mid-February.  In the case of tomatoes, these tender perennials need the sufficient time to grow, bloom and flower before really hot summer nights hit.  The peppers and eggplant seem to thrive along side basil in the hot weather, but they still need time to set down a good root system.
    For herbs, there is still time to seed in dill, cilantro, fennel, anise, chervil and parsley.  Here is a tip: seed these cool weather herbs in the garden where they will have some shade come March, and you will be able to harvest into the warming weather before they bloom and go to seed.
    Cool weather edible flowers such as pansies, dianthus, calendula, nasturtium, stock, snap dragon, and chamomile can also be seeded or planted with an eye to some shade in March, extending their glorious display later into spring.

Plant Markers - Home Made

Dear Folks,

One of the running jokes in our garden is "What did I plant there?" - I either forget to mark, the marker fades or some critter dislodges it.

The "fading" thing is really the most annoying to me.  I make a perfectly good note, on a popsicle stick, in permanent marker or ball-point pen ink and it is faded to nothing within a month.

I love the look of the tin/copper markers, however, 1) they are a bit out of my price range for all the things I need marked, and 2) they don't come in "Turnip, Yellow".

So I got to thinking of punched tin, and wound up at the junction of aluminum foil and ball point pen!

I hope you can make out the letters - "Turnip - Yellow" - it is difficult to get a photo of it.

I used the stick as the back while writing, firmly, on the foil.  The ink may fade shortly but the impression will stay.  I could probably make these really fancy, and may do that, but I am really thrilled I figured out an economical way of keeping track of things in the garden.

Now if I can just remember to make them when I plant something new I have it covered - except for the critter relocation efforts. :-)

Have a time in the winter garden,

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Pineapple Guava - Fruit and Flower

Dear Folks,

For quite a number of years I have been telling folks about the incredible taste of the pineapple guava flower - like eating a piece of candy.  I am so fond of it - I featured it on the cover of my "Edible Landscaping..." book.

We have gotten so much into the habit of eating the flowers in May and ignoring the ripe fruit in November I decided to "try" and pay attention this year to the fruit.  The trick is to catch it when it is just ripe - literally when it starts falling from the tree.

This slightly acidic kiwi tasting fruit is a real treat when you catch them just right, the fruit does have a 'pineapple' taste.  While the rind might be edible it really is not tasty.  We frequently just pick up the fruit, wipe it off and break or cut open and scape out the fruit with our teeth.  I decided to make up a bowl of it the morning of November 16th (when the cut fruit in the photo was done).  Slice open the fruit and a spoon easily scoops out the ripen fruit center.

The fruit on the right of the plate has a 'bloom' on it - yeast similar to that found on apples or grapes, the one to the left of it I had already wiped off.  I need to do some research and find out if anyone ferments the fruit for whatevers :-)

The flower picture was taken in 2005 when my book came out.

This is really a lovely shrub and does very well in the desert garden with proper culture.  It can easily be pruned to shape like a tree or left as we do as a large specimen shrub.

There is a magnificent example of 'trained-to-tree' at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum beside the herb garden, near the stone cottage.  Until it flowers in the spring the BTA tree looks like any other tree.

This is an evergreen with green glossy finish on top of the leaves and a gray downy underside.

All-round lovely plant with edible flowers and fruit.  What is not to love!

Be safe as you go through this holiday season, and whatever your beliefs, be kind to one another,


-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Check out my books - available as print or ebook at the publisher's site.

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/herbs2u

Also available for iPad

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/edible-landscaping-in-desert/id372564892?mt=11

Jerusalem Artichoke Harvest - November 22, 2012

Dear Folks,

The morning of Thanksgiving we dug the best performing (at least by size of plants) location of my Jerusalem Artichoke experiment.  I planted a single tuber there this winter (February).  Several weeks ago I did a post on the other location and showed 'a few' smallish tubers.

For you gardeners who want to try these, the other location was watered less and that obviously made a difference.  They survived and did "okay" but not robustly.

The ones harvested in the picture here are a testament to the possibilities, given they came from a single tuber.  The plants themselves were well over 7 feet tall and had to be tied up to the nearby fig tree.  They were watered every 4 days in the summer and are back to every 5 days now.  As the temperatures go down the bed will be watered less - back to every 6-7 days.

I took what I wanted to use Thanksgiving day and put the rest back in a hole to 'hold' -- I tried to find information on the ones that were green (you can see them to the side).  I could not find totally informative info on them and chose not to use them.  I will replant when I finish using up the nice white ones.  A rough estimate would be the total roots available and usable would have filled my gallon mixing bowl - from one tuber.  I know I keep repeating that, but it is important.  The invasiveness of these members of the sunflower family  are well documented elsewhere but now I know they could take over a desert garden too.

For this reason I will grow them only in this one garden area where I can control them.  But I look forward to multiple harvests during the year and fun experimenting with using them.

They are a nice crunchy taste raw and can be cooked in a number of ways.

The flowers do not put out the typical seed, but I took some anyway and will see if they sprout.  The pollinators liked the flowers so even if the seed is not viable the flowers did double duty with their happy sunflower faces and nectar for the flutter-bys :-)

Have a nice day in the garden,

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Around The Garden - November 24, 2012

Dear Folks,

I've been trying to do more seeding in of carrots, turnips, radishes, sugar peas and lettuces.  I have some onions just starting to sprout also along with the radishes - always reliable speedy germination.  I'm also trying 'yard long beans' a type of green bean with reportedly wonderful long and tasty edible pods.

Some of the prior plants and my garlic are going strong.

One of my Lacinto (dinosaur) Kale 'summered' over and the funny thing still has usable leaves, and sprouting along the stem.  I'm going to harvest the rest of the leaves today or tomorrow and cut back to the new growth and should get more usable leaves later on.

Meanwhile my sweet orange bell pepper got really going as the summer high heat started to reduce and has some lovely large fruit.  I've been picking some off but am really gratified that some of the fruit still on the plant are nice 'grocery-store' size.

I changed the garlic bed to this location this year and planted not only my regular purple glazer that I like so much but also elephant garlic (on the left side of the picture) which I purchased this summer in the Gilroy area of California.  I keep my garlic in the crisper until planting out on or about October 1st and that chilling gets the bulbs growing fast once in the ground.  This picture of the sweet bell and garlic was taken November 8th (the Kale was photoed on September 29th).  The garlic grew this much in about 37 days.

Next post I'm going to show the terrific production I got out of my Jerusalem Artichoke (aka Sunchokes).

Garden Tip:  Temps are going to start going down so have your frost protection ready for tender plants.

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady