Morning Glory

I posted about morning glory in 2007 and 2010. I haven't planted morning glory in years, but it reseeds itself easily so it comes back year after year. It's vines will grab anything it can and wrap around stems and flowers to climb and spread.

Here are some pictures of morning glory trying to hide in a clump of chives, running through some sage and strangling some black eyed susans.

Aster

In 2009, I posted about growing asters for the first time. This year, we planted a lot more asters than usual. We put asters in the flower beds, but also in containers on the patio.

Asters are popular because of their bright colors and star shaped blooms. I also like them because they bloom at the end of the August and into September and October when a lot of other flowers have fizzled.

Purple Basil

Last year I posted about purple basil and how it can take over an area. This year, I didn't let the purple basil take root in the path from the herb garden and patio to the back yard. Instead, I allowed it to take over the north side of the herb garden. As you can see from the picture, it surely did take over. These plants are easily 30' tall, if not taller. What I like best about this area, besides the beautiful color of the the purple basil, is that it does a good job of hiding the compost bin, which is barely visible in this picture.

Purple basil is an ornamental, but also has culinary uses. Puprle basil has a different flavor than traditional basil. It's anise aroma and taste make for unique dishes like purple basil pesto and salsa. You can also use purple basil in drinks. It is nice in lemonade and you can muddle it and add some rum for a tasty cocktail.

Berm

About ten years ago, Karen's brother made an off the cuff remark that we should build a berm in our backyard. We took his advice and trucked in 120 yards of topsoild and planted trees, herbs and ornamentals. It took a couple of years to fill out, but now it's the centerpiece of our landscape, providing privacy for our brick patio (which Karen's brother helped me build) and year round beauty and interest.

In the past, I've posted about the plants on the berm many times. Here are links to some of those posts about plants like mountain laurel, creeping phlox, lupine, roses, columbine, dianthus, weeping cherry, and other blooms. The picture above is an area of the berm on the other side of the patio where rose of sharon, black eyed susan and russian sage are all blooming like crazy right now.

Butterflies

Everyone likes having butterflies in their garden, but most people don't realize that they are also a beneficial insect. Butterflies are the second most important pollinators in the garden (after honeybees).

As they land on each flower, they extend their proboscis and drink nectar. By doing this, pollen attaches to their bodies which they take to other flowers. So, the next time you admire the beauty of butterflies in your backyard, remember that they are also doing an important job.

Stuffed Peppers

We grow several types of peppers of One Love Farm. Some of the hot peppers (like cayenne and Anaheim) we use for our Chili Powder. But, we also grow a lot of sweet peppers.

Peppers can be used in so many ways besides slicing them in salads and sauteeing them for a stir fry.

You can use serve fresh sliced peppers with hummus or any other dip. You can stuff them with veggies and rice and roast them in the oven. You can use them in salsas and sauces. You can also put them on a skewer with veggie kabobs.

But, I think my favorite way to prepare peppers is to roast them on the grill. The top picture shows peppers being charred on my grill. Use any pepper you like, as long as it has a thick wall (cayennes don't do well because of their thin walls) and put it on a hot grill. After the skin is charred, but not the whole wall of the pepper, turn the pepper and char the whole pepper.

Take the pepper from the grill and run it under cold water and remove the charred skin. In the middle picture, you can see what the peppers look like after the skin has been removed. Next, I remove the stem and seeds from the pepper.

Then, I stuff the pepper with cheese or rice or veggies. In the last picture, I stuffed this pepper with some cheese and roasted eggplant, topped with with marinara and bread crumbs and cooked in the oven until hot.

Russian Sage

In early July I posted about Russian Sage and said that it would be blooming soon. And, the lavender colored blooms have been going strong for a couple of weeks. The Russian Sage will continue blooming well into the fall.

Rose of Sharon

Rose of Sharon in bloom.

Limelight Hydrangea

There are dozens of varieties of hydrangea, but the most popular is the blue variety. While we don't grow blue hydrangea at One Love Farm, we do grow several types including lacecap and, pictured here, limelight.

Limelight hydrangea has always been Karen's favorite variety, so when we saw a couple of small ones we snapped them up and planted them. As you can see from these pictures, they have thrived in their spot on the northeast side of the house, protected from the wind.

The hydrangea blooms last from summer well into the fall. The best part of the limelight variety is its flower color. They change from white to pale pink in the fall. If you look closely, you can see some blooms beginning to turn color.

Dragonfly

Dragonflies are beneficial insects. Most importantly, they eat lots of mosquitoes, so I'm glad to see tons of dragonflies at One Love Farm. This picture is of a dragonfly sitting on some grass in my water garden.

Roses

I late June I posted about the rose bush at One Love Farm. It's now late August and the plant is still producing blooms!

Cucumbers

I made some roasted red pepper hummus, but instead of spreading it on pita bread, I used sliced cucumbers. This would make a great snack for a party, too.

Tomatillo Salsa

Tomatillos ready to go in the oven for roasting.

Earlier this summer, I posted about the hardiness of tomatillos. A link to that page is here. I also posted about tomatillos in 2011 and included a link to the New York Times recipe for Tomatillo Salsa.

While the New York Times recipe used fresh tomatillos, I prefer roasting them to bring out their amazing sweetness.

In a hot oven roast tomatillos, a quartered onion, a clove or garlic and (if desired) two jalapeno peppers. Make sure you put a dab of oil in the pan, just enough to cover the bottom and salt the veggies. Once soft (25 minutes or so) remove the pan and allow the veggies to cool. Place veggies in a blender and process until smooth. That's it! So incredibly easy.

You can keep your salsa in the fridge for a week, or heat it back up and jar it.

A few variations on the theme...You can omit the peppers altogether or use a pablano pepper or any hot pepper you like. You can also use any sweet pepper in this recipe. Add more onions and garlic for a more pungent salsa or omit the garlic altogether. You can also combine your roasted tomatillos with a couple fresh tomatillos for a sweet and tart combination.

Tomatillo salsa is a perfect condiment for any meal. On top of your omlette for breakfast, on a quesadilla for lunch, with roasted veggies for dinner or with chips for dipping for a snack.

Salsa

A huge batch of fresh salsa from One Love Farm.

First, I took red onions and finely chopped them. Then, I took a variety of green peppers and finely chopped them. For tomatoes, I used a mixture of red and orange tomatoes. I cored the tomatoes and squeezed out the juice and seeds. This fresh salsa is already wet, so you want to get out juice. Then, I added some chile powder for heat, white wine vinegar and a teaspoon of salt. I put the salsa in a strainer to get rid of more juice.

After a couple of hours, the salsa is ready to go. Of course you can dip chips in the salsa, but it is so much more versatile than that. I use it in omlettes and add it to beans and rice or serve it with tacos and quesadillas.

Basil and Dill

Almost five pounds of basil, ready for the Richmond Farmers' Market (plus some dill).

Peppers

We grow quite a few peppers at One Love Farm. Some are hot peppers like the Cayenne we grow for our chili powder. But most of them are sweet peppers and frying peppers.

The first question I get when I am at the Richmond Farmers' Market is "Are those peppers hot?" The answer is no. They look like they should be hot, but they are not. I like using them in fresh salsa, but my favorite preperation method is to stuff them with rice and veggies and roast them in the oven. Stop by the market tomorrow and sample some for yourself!

Basil

It's been a great year for growing basil. The plants are big a healthy, perfect for pesto. Check out other posts about basil here and here.

Fall Seedlings

Most gardeners think of the growing season in terms of a linear process of prepping beds, planting seeds or plants, caring for those plants, and harvesting. But, as I have been preaching for years, this process is not linear, but continuous. While planting early spring beets and lettuce, I am prepping beds for tomatoes and peppers. While planting eggplant and cucumbers, I'm harvesting beets and carrots.

By summer, you're probably so busy harvesting tomatoes and peppers (and making sauce and salsa, perhaps), you don't think you have time for anything else. But, now is the time to plant fall crops. Cool weather crops like letutuce will mature in mid September and beets will be ready to pick in October. I'm also planting some late zucchini and cucumber, just for fun.

Tomatoberry

Last week I posted about heirloom tomatoes. Unlike a lot of people, I am not dogmatic when it comes to heirloom tomatoes. The reason is this: almost all heirloom tomatoes were hybrids at some point. Farmers have been cross breeding tomatoes to get the best flavor and texture for generations. For example, one of the most famous heirlooms, Mortgage Lifter, was the result of years of crossbreeding by a West Virginia man.

I do draw the line at genetic modification. Breeding for characteristics is ok in my view, splicing the gene of a fish or pesticide into the plant is crime against nature.

The Tomatoberry is a recent hybrid. It is a true tomato, but gets its name from its heart shape, or strawberry shape. Tomatoberry is a prolific producer and the fruit stands up well to roasting and grilling, unlike some heirlooms that disinigrate under high heat.

Shallots

I have grown onions on and off for years and garlic every year for as long as I can remember. But, this is the first year we've tried to grow shallots at One Love Farm.

Shallots are planted in early spring, the same time as onions. While shallots are related to onions, I think they are more similar to garlic in their growing habit. Shallots form clusters like garlic. Unlike garlic, however, shallot cloves will seperate from eachother and half the bulb will mature above the soil.

Shallots are used the same way as garlic and onions in culinary dishes. Sautee them in olive oil and add them to marinade or roasted veggies. You can also use a little raw shallot in your salad dressing.

Considering the ease of growing shallots and the reward when harvested, we will definately be growing shallots again.

Husk Cherry Tomatoes

Last year I posted about Husk Cherry Tomatoes. This plant is in the same family as Tomatillos, another plant that has husks growing around the fruit.

Husk Cherry Tomatoes grow on vines that run along the ground. So, when you harvest them, you have to get down on hands and knees get them. But, once you have picked them, you are in for a surprising treat. Husk Cherry Tomatoes have a sweet, tropical flavor like a mango or pineapple.

And, once you plant them, you will never have to plant them again. Husk Cherry Tomatoes easily reseed and you will see new plants sprout up in late spring/early summer. Let them grow and you'll be rewarded in August and September.

La Strada Wood Fired Pizza

One of my favorite places on the planet is La Strada Wood Fired Pizza in Matunick. The pizza is THE BEST. Plus, they are diligent about using only the best local ingredients. And, they have the coolest atmosphere. They play the coolest music on their vintage turntable (Bowie and Dr. John last night). Outdoor seating and a portable wood fired oven! Plus they are steps from the beach. Could anything be better?

Nick and Jenny (the owners of La Strada) have lots of creative pizzas. The picture here is the Come To Jesus, with sun dried tomato pesto, feta cheese from Narragansett Creamery and garlic. Perfect with the Newport Storm Amber Ale on tap.

Last night while I was enjoying my Come To Jesus with a magically disappearing Amber Ale, Nick showed me a review of La Strada in the Providence Phoenix. The review itself is pretty spot on and an unqualified rave. Best of all, they have a quick mention of One Love Farm as one of places that La Strada sources ingredients from locally.

Onions

Earlier this week, I posted about curing onions for storage. Here is a picture of the onions after they have been cured and the leaves have been cut off. These onions can be used now or stored for later use.

Stuffed Tomatoes

Dinner tonight: stuffed toatoes

I took three Black Krim tomatoes and hollowed them out. Then, I sauteed zucchini, onion, broccoli and mushrooms in skillet with olive oil and a pinch of salt. I spooned the sautee mixture into the hollowed out tomatoes and put them in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Cheese on top is optional.

Curing Onions

In June, I posted about the onions I planted in the spring. Check out this link to see how much the onions have grown in the past six weeks.

People often ask me how to tell when to harvest onions. The best way is to wait until the leaves start to fall over. If you plant in early spring, this will happen in August and September and even into October. Pull up the onions being careful to that the leaves are intact. Then cure them for two to three weeks. Most people recommend that you cure your onions in a shed or garage, but I am curing them in the garden beds. I will then cut the dried leaves within an inch of the onion and wipe off the dirt from the skin. Store your onions in a cool dry place with lots of air circulation. Here is a post about me storing 50 pounds of onions in my garage last winter!

Keep in mind that when you store onions, you should check on them every week or so. Be prepared to lose 10-25% of your onions to rot. If you feel an onion getting soft, remove it immediately from the rest of the onions or they will get soft and rot as well. Either discard the soft onion, or if it is not too damaged, use it right away.

Black Krim tomato

The Black Krim is an heirloom tomato that traces its origins to the Isle of Krim in the Black Sea. It is thought to be first cultivated in the late 1800s.

A few words about heirloom tomatoes. Heirlooms are defined as tomatoes whose cultivation can be traced back at least 50 years and have not been genetically modified. Note that I don't say they have not been hybridized. That is because almost all tomatoes were hybrids at some point.

In this context hyrbidizing tomatoes simply means that people have cross bred these plants to get more of the characteristics they want. The most important characteristic they bred for was flavor.

Today companies don't breed plants for flavor, but instead for characteristics like shelf life, shape and color. These plants are also often genetically modified for disease and pest resistance.

Heirloom tomatoes are so popular because of their excellent flavor. However, they don't ship well, so you don't often see them in supermarkets. They also tend to ripen unevenly, which is why you see heirloom tomatoes with green shoulders, but ripe on the bottom. And, without disease resistance bred into the plant, you have to watch out for blight and other tomato diseases.

Why go to all this trouble? One word: taste.

Cherry Tomatoes

This year I've posted several times about how veggies, fruits and perennial flowers are early this year. The exception has been tomatoes. In 2010 we had Brandywine and Valencia tomatoes coming out of our ears by August 1st. This year, we have tons of green tomatoes, but they have been very slow to ripen.

Cherry tomatoes are ripening, though. This year we are growing two of my favorites. Black Cherry is probably the tastiest cherry tomato (along with Matt's Wild Cherry). And, Tomatobery is a straberry shaped tomato with great flavor that holds up on the grill.

Parsley

Pasley is one of my favorite herbs, so we grow a lot at One Love Farm. The reason I like it so much is because of its versatility. You can use it fresh in salads to add a zingy green flavor to your lettuce. Or you can make a pesto out of it by adding olive oil and salt to your parsley and running it in your food processor until smooth. If you only use the leaves, be sure to save the stems. They are good to use in a vegetable broth.

I also like to dry parsley in my dehydrator. That way I have parsley all year round. I also use parsley in my recipe for chili powder. Check out my post about chili powder from 2010 here.

Mini Zinnias

Mini Zinnias in bloom.

Sunflowers

I've posted about sunflowers a couple of times before in 2007 and 2011. Even though I only posted about sunflowers twice, I do grow them every year.

Everyone knows about the big yellow sunflowers, but sunflowers come in a ton of colors and sizes. My favorite kind is Ring of Fire, a sunflower with a red center and yellow outer pedals.