Garden Fuss

Backyard Foraged Salad Foraging was a topic my elderly neighbor who was also a retired science teacher and botanist spoke about constantly. Friends thought my brother and I were crazy when we stopped mid game (football) to pick and eat a juicy looking patch of wood sorrel we spotted on the other side of the fence. I can't remember all of the lessons she taught but I remember her passion for eating local and not overlooking the simplest of plants. It's because of her that I jumped at an opportunity to learn some foraging here in the city. I've participated in some monthly classes that have helped me and by proxy my family, become more of an adventurous eaters. Below is a  picture of a salad foraged from our backyard. We paired it with our baked chicken [no pictured] and this meal was more than a hit!  The greens included lambs quarters, Orach (purple mountain spinach), Plantain, Egyptian walking onions, Wood Sorrel, Flat leaf Parsley, Raspberries, and Purslane. All b

Have you ever driven by a garden space in the city and seen multiple people digging, pulling weeds while socializing and wondered; "What's up with that?". Community Gardens are popping up a to feed individuals and families and as a way to build community all over the Twin Cities. If you have an interest in or have ever had questions about community gardens check out the map of gardens participating in Community Garden Day Saturday August 10th. Get all of your questions answered and participate in various activities ranging from skill shares, children's activities, tastings, and even live music. You never know you may even sign up for your own space for next year!   More information can be found at http:// www.gardeningmatters.org/ events/cgday2013

In may we dug up 190 bare root strawberry plants. The majority of them were for a friend of mine who is getting rid of the grass in the front and sides of his home and putting in an edible landscape. I have nothing against strawberries they are one of my most favorite fruits ever; but there were four varieties battling it out in the space I needed for the blueberry plants I had pined for all winter (then received from the Friends School Plant Sale). I kept thirty of the plants my beautiful assistant dug up with the help of her brother. I then soaked, wrapped, and bundled them so that they would be so overwhelming to plant in their new homes. After dropping off the bountiful berry root stock we were gifted with two types of cherry trees. One is a Balaton Cherry and the other is a Dogwood called a Cornelian Cherry. If you live in the state you know that this spring was cold and hella wet... That being said after putting it in it's new home the Balaton developed a b

Spring sprung after winter went out like a lion... Fighting and roaring all the way. I have so many updates for you all I don't know where to begin. Back tracking a little I am several steps closer to having my technology up to date so that I can do this blog. An integral piece to my work in the past has been my cell phone a what I thought was a decent camera, and a pretty reliable PC. The camera started to develop issues first, taking a while to come on then after a battery change refusing to come on at all. The PC developed so many problems it had to be re-imaged and every program restored which required way too much time.  This spring was not just hard on my technology it was also hard on my body. I was able to teach a couple classes and then able to get a bit of my own winter sowing done; but not hardly enough. There are still blank spots in my garden today but I'll get to that later. I can't remember if I posted about my bum knee or not, but a December knee injury ke

Spicy Italian Polish From Tollefson Family Pork - MPLS Farmers Market It's officially spring when the  Farmers Markets  start opening one by one. Each market around the city has their own distinctive personality. The treats, treasures, and specialties vary so widely that you have to visit more than just one to find your staple vendor(s). Minnesotans by and large are a hardy bunch. We have our own brand of crazy and creative. If there is something new to experience we will come out en  masse  rain or shine, sleet or snow with shovel in hand to support the arts, good food, community, and a plethora of causes.  I've gotten so caught up in trying to do it all that I have not left enough time in the day to update you all on the going- ons  around town. That is until now....  For starters, today the Midtown Farmers Market opened up and I have to say that the food trucks are a very welcome sight to my near-sighted eyes. Two of the vendors that helped fill my and my so

Slowly but surely I am getting caught up on all things green here at home and around town. Today I want to again promote and spread the word about the Local Food Resource Hubs , an initiative of Gardening Matters, the Minneapolis Health Department, Homegrown Minneapolis and many other neighborhood and gardening organizations throughout Minneapolis and St. Paul. Here’s how it works:   Hubs are organized by neighborhoods. You sign up as a member of your neighborhood (southside, northside, st.paul, etc.) and select a small, medium, or large garden package . There is a sliding scale for each size, and scholarships are available.  You get seeds and starter plants of your choice, free gardening classes and (starting this year) potential access to a tool lending library. Starting this year, it is also possible to purchase strawberry and raspberry plants at a steep discoun t. Seeds are purchased in bulk from Johnny’s Selected Seeds (non GMO!) and repackaged by voluntee

2013 Tank Garden I have put off using this method for a few years because of the success I've had with winter sowing  my plants. Then around Christmas I started having conversations about the 2013 gardening season and what my plans were. The topic of onions came up and I quickly threw out the fact that I wasn't an authority on growing them successfully. In the past I have shared onion sets with my sister in-law and we just couldn't figure out why we only end up with tiny bulbs. However, after some research and further discussions with professionals [ie.. a Master Gardener and the U of Minnesota extension service] I found out that onions in a zone 4a can be grown from sets successfully and we should have pre-ordered because we were getting and planting them too late. Also, there may have been an issue of not providing enough high phosphorus fertilizer and something about side dressing with urea. So far this year the onions look great! I've started them indoors

Already I am full on into my 2013 garden planning. I have sketches in no less than (3) notebooks and random scratch paper that I will undoubtedly lose just before I need them the most (Early to mid May). I'm trying to not repeat this cycle from years past but life has a way of taking over and gremlins have a way of moving my cherished plans before I can put them into action.... So besides my nutty professor gardening planning antics I have been watching the previously full freezer decline in all things summer veggie and fruit related. Including our stores of: raspberries, strawberries, collards, kale , Swiss chard , green tomatoes, tomato sauce, edamame, pesto, and so on and so forth. Besides surmising our vanishing nom noms, a fellow bloggers pondering kale post jump started me on a kale talk today. Inspired would be more accurate! There are few vegetables that both intimidate and give mental pause to so called adventurous eaters than greens. Everyone has an o

My mother, brother, husband, children, best friend, and anyone else who spends a little time with me know full well how much I love yogurt, cheese, fermented foods and drinks. I try not to be pushy with it, but sometimes I just get so darn excited about a "new" (to me) find that I just want to pass on something good. Just so you know, today is one of those days! My daughter and I have had all out stomp down arguments because previous attempts at making the aforementioned yogurt failed big time. We bought the fancy "starters", we tried crock pots, pricey milks, and heating pads. We searched for the best yogurt machines which only led to more arguing resulting in creating a loose smelly mess.  I now know that the problem we had is a problem many others have; we over think things. Yogurt has been made and consumed for eons, or at least as far back as 2000 BCE [according to Wikipedia]. Yogurt or Yoghurt is a Turkish word meaning " curdled or coagulated; to thi

The T.V. networks have been running this Ashley furniture ad lately where one neighbor starts questioning the other about whether or not his family has won the lottery , gotten a raise , or an inheritance because a delivery truck is parked in front of their house full of new furniture. Of course around the holidays they would start airing these types of commercials to inspire self conscious hosts to "jazz" up their space with something new and improved. Anyone with a busy home life can attest to the wear and tear every day living has on their space. Having lived several years in our active home with both children and pets has surely taken a toll on the furniture. I would love to win the lottery, a home makeover from the DIY network, or a mega gift from Ellen to spruce up our abode. However, I just don't see any of those things in the cards we hold at this time. The poor economy hasn't helped to improve my attitude about buying new anytime soon either. I am not b

The new year has just begun and I am meeting new people and participating in projects that a year or two ago hadn’t even crossed my mind. Who could have known that chronicling my gardening, DIY, and Foodie exploits could put me in touch with so many great people? Well, I am especially excited today to touch on some of the activities within the city of Minneapolis this year that have to do with access to good nutritious food, engaging residents in conversations about urban agriculture, and improving the health and resiliency of our entire community. Whether it be through the Gardening Matters’   “Local Food Resource Hubs”, a citywide initiative like Homegrown Minneapolis, or the Chard your Yard initiative that Transition Longfellow is kicking off this year; Minneapolis residents have an opportunity to fellowship with their neighbors and friends in embracing a healthier and maybe even a sustainable way of living with each other. The 1 st Saturday of this month I was able to engag