Starting Seeds!

Feb. 4th was a good root day according to the BD calendar, moon in virgo. It would have been better had the moon been waxing, but nothing's perfect! I planted two kinds of leeks, King Richard which is a big one that holds well in cold weather, and Tadorna, a summer leek with a nice long stem that matures early. We sell lots of these at the market. For onions, we love the Sierra Blanca white sweet onion. (It used to be called Superstar). It's wonderfully mild and sweet, large and beautiful and it keeps quite well too. It also matures early, and we sell oodles of them all summer. We grow Copra yellow onions, a very good keeper, and as for red, we switch around according to what's available. We're tried Mars, Mercury, and this year we're trying Red Bull. The red onion sprouts tend to damp off easily, so water with care and give plenty of air circulation. We also have problems some years with root maggots. The tiny fly lays eggs in the flats, and the larva, very small white grubs, eat the bulb and stem almost as soon as it germinates. The last few years I've been sprinkling generous amounts of diatomaceous earth on the soil in the flats before I plant, then put the seeds right on top of it, cover with a sprinkling of more soil and water it all in. I believe it helps. Giving onion seeds a loose, sandy mix also helps with damping off.

Fishing at the Slough

The slough is a deep, long, spring fed pool running at least 600 feet at the base of a bluff before it feeds into the Bryant Creek near where we live in southern Missouri. It's banks are overgrown with cane and brush, but there are a few spots you can get through and throw in a line. Turtles live here, and fish and snakes, sometimes you might see a beaver or otter. It's savage and wild and mysterious. There are always weird noises that make you start, and the sound of water trickling down the bluff. Deer snort from the ridge top. Huge old sycamores sprouting moss, grass and mushrooms line the water. Yesterday when we fished, a woodchuck poked up out of his/her hole in the bank, assessed us, and, deciding we posed no threat, ambled out to get a bite to eat in the bottom field. We caught bluegills, sunfish and one bass. We ate some and I have a pot of fish stock (heads included) simmering on the stove. Another batch got cut up, mixed with salt, lemon rind, garlic, peppercorns water and whey and put into a jar to ferment for fish sauce. Now, this is a daunting activity for even the most stalwort meat eater. For me, a 30+ year vegetarian just now changing her diet, it was pretty major. But it's done, we're fed, and I've decided that if I'm going to eat meat, I need to participate in the whole process. Being a vegetarian is a kinder, gentler, easier, cheaper way to live, but for many reasons, the main one being health, I have decided to change. I have never questioned the rightness of animals being on the land. The interaction of plants, animals, humans and the stars makes a sacred circle. I struggle often with my part in that circle; I'm still working on it.

Fermenting Daikons

Daikons (winter radishes) are good subjects for fermentation. Here is a quote from Sally Fallon's book: "The daikon radish is greatly prized as a digestive aid in the Orient where it is eaten in a great variety of ways - fresh or preserved, dried, salted and added to soup or meat dishes. Fermented dailon radish, or 'takuan', is commonly served with macrobiotic food. Tests have shown it to be especially high in lactobacilli. It is also valued as a diuretic, as a decongestant and as a source of substances that inhibit cancer. Folk wisdom claims the daikon rids the body of accumulated fats. The root is an excellent source of vitamin C."

Here is a simple recipe:

3 pounds daikon radish, peeled and grated

1 tablespoon sea salt

4 tablespoons whey (optional, but it helps speed fermentation. You can get whey by draining good quality, plain yogurt through cheese cloth or a dish towel.)

Place all ingredients in a bowl, mix well and let sit awhile till the juices separate out. Press into a wide mouth quart jar, letting the juice cover the radish mixture. Leave 2" at the top of the jar. Cover tightly and let stand at room temperature for 3 - 7 days before transferring to the fridge.

If you want a spicier mix, add 6 - 8 cloves minced garlic, a sliced onion or some chopped scallions and two tsps. of chili flakes,

I made one jar of plain daikon in thick cubes and some spicy ones, one with fancy crinkle slices and some shredded.

Some Notes on Fermentation

Here are a few good books on fermenting:

Making Sauerkraut and pickled vegetables at home, by Klaus Kaufmann and Annelies Schoneck

Wild Fermentation, by Sandor Ellix Katz

Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon. This one is a veritable encyclopedia of recipes of all kinds, prepared in the way our ancestors often prepared their foods, by soaking, sprouting, fermenting, culturing. The many quotes in this book from doctors, researchers and studies will challenge the way you think about diet.

My latest batch of kraut is bubbling away in a small room that's been staying at 62 degrees, right where I want it. I said in my recipe to leave about 1" space at the top of the jar, but this last batch is fermenting so vigorously I would suggest you leave 2 or 3 inches, and be sure to put newspapers or a towel under the jars in case they leak.

I am also trying turnips, called sauerruben, and will soon try daikons. Later, if my chinese wong bok cabbage heads up, I'll make kimchee, or something like it. Fermenting is a reliable, easy way to preserve food. Once you understand the basics, you can experiment to the hilt. And the results will provide you with some of the most nutritious foods available, filled with enzymes, probiotics, vitamins and minerals, to say nothing of taste!

My Kraut Recipe

5 pounds shredded cabbage

1 - 2 cups shredded carrots
two medium onions, finely sliced

5 cloves garlic (or more), sliced

1 Tbs. fresh or dried oregano

3 Tbs. salt (rock, pickling, or sea salt, un-iodized)

Fresh, organically grown cabbage is best because the leaves contain more of the beneficial bacteria that start the fermentation process. Don't pick immediately after a rain, as water will wash away some of the bacteria. I use a mandoline for shredding, though you can buy a wooden kraut shredder, or just use a sharp knife.

Mix the salt into the vegetables thoroughly. Have your canning jars and lids clean and ready. This recipe makes three quarts. Pack the kraut very tightly into the jars. Use your fist or some other implement that will fit in the jar. Keep adding cabbage a little at a time and tamping it down. This is an anaerobic proceedure, so you want all the air bubbles out.

You can see how the cabbage juice is rising over the cabbage. Leave about one inch of air space at the top of the jar. A piece of whole cabbage leaf can be fitted over the top to help keep the bits of vegetables under the brine. Seal the jar tightly.

Let the jars sit at room temperature, about 68 to 75 degrees for two days, then lower the temp to about 64 degrees. You can use an ice chest or other insulated container to help keep the temp in the right range. Leave the jars in the dark, undisturbed for two - three weeks, then transfer to the fridge. Letting the jars sit 10 days or so before openingis good, though sometimes I can't wait and open them right away! Enjoy your healthy, nutritious kraut. It will keep for months under refrigeration.

Making Kraut

It's time to make fall sauerkraut. Most people don't realize you don't need a big crock to make kraut. You can make it in small batches, one quart at a time, in canning jars, and man oh man, is it good for you. Here are a few facts about sauerkraut from Sally Fallon's book, Nourishing Traditions. Lacto-fermented foods normalize the acidity of the stomach, help break down proteins and aid in their assimilation, activate the secretions of the pancreas, which is particularly important for diabetics. Sauerkraut contains large quantities of choline, a substance that lowers blood pressure and regulates the passage of nutrients into the blood, and aids the body in the metabolism of fats. Sauerkraut also contains acetylcholine which has a powerful effect on the parasypathetic nervous system. It helps reduce blood pressure, slows down the rate of heartbeat, and promotes calmness and sleep. Lactic acid producing bacteria can prevent the growth of coliform bacteria, so not only do they aid digestion, they also help us resist infection. But the kraut must be eaten raw; the beneficial substances are destroyed by cooking. Are you ready to make some kraut now?

Alien invades On The Wind

The trouble with writing a garden blog is, during gardening season you never have time to write in your blog. We had enough rain, coolish temps, many tense moments watching the weather. Crops got harvested, sold, dried, frozen, canned and stored.

Got a good corn harvest, thanks to Ms. Scarecrow who kept the crows from eating all the sprouting corn, though Ready wasn't quite sure if the intruder should be there.

Many other happenings will be told about in the coming weeks, so stay tuned........!!