Scattering Seed Heads
As warmer weather arrives and summer approaches, the flowers of spring begin to dry up and die. You can lengthen their lives by and ensure they will re-seed again by following these tips.
(Clockwise from top left) Orach Mountain Spinach, cilantro, Roc D'Or yellow wax beans, Dragon Tongue beans, Ronde de Nice zucchini, Bennings Green Tint patty pan squash.
After-Vacation Harvesting
There's a point at which every garden hits autopilot. With a little planning and adequate irrigation it can happen while you're on vacation. During my trip to Italy my garden took off, and when I got back it was time to harvest the first fruits of the season. (My apologies to those still covered in snow out there. Your time is coming 
)
Some may recall that our community garden plot was going through some hard times last year - excessive zinc in the soil, nematodes - things were just ...
I added some of the whey back in to make it a little thinner, since I "helped" by squeezing too much whey out of the yogurt as it was draining.
Trials and Tribulations of Making Yogurt
It happens every once in a while, probably every few months. Some people go on a bender. I go on a cooking jag.
The latest cooking jag involved making bread from a new book (more on this later), finding new ways to use a mountain of freshly harvested kale, and making the seemingly simple recipe for home made yogurt in a Thermos. It seems like every newsletter and magazine I opened in May featured home made yogurt, so the time had come to try it out.
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Apricots are in Season at the Farmers’ Market
This week Mar Vista's Bounty Hunter found apricots and fava beans to delight customers at the Mar Vista Farmer's Market. Find out what you can do with both of these in your kitchen:
Do Me a Fava and Eat an Apricot This Memorial Day
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When to Pick Corn
Growing corn can be fun for the home gardener, but knowing when to pick it can take a little practice. This tip of the week will show you how!
Italy Travelogue: Farmers’ Markets Abroad
In the last few years, Los Angeles has seen an abundance of Farmers' Markets popping up all over town. People are longing to get back to the way things used to be, by buying fresh local produce straight from the farmer. Well, in Italy it still is the way it used to be, and nothing proves it more than a visit to a Farmers' Market.
There are many towns, even cities, in Italy where supermarkets do not exist. Instead the locals get their food needs met by stopping at the baker on the ...
Cherry Season is Here!
Don't you love it when new fruits pop up at the Farmers' Market? This week's Mar Vista Bounty Hunter is all about cherries and what to do with them:
It's a Cherry Jubilee at the Farmers' Market
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Italy Travelogue: Umbria’s Beauty and Hotel Montali
I've just returned from 12 days in Italy filled with gelato, pasta, cheese and beautiful countryside. May is a wonderful time to be there - just before the stifling heat, but just after gardens have been planted. If there's one thing you see a lot of in Italy, it's front yard gardens. They are not obsessed with the idea of a grassy front lawn like we Americans. They use their land to grow food - lots of food.
Driving through the green rolling hills of Umbria, we saw small Medieval towns dotting the ...
Local Organic Blueberries – Get ’em at the Patch
Here's the most recent post from our forages through the Mar Vista Farmers' Market:
Organic Blueberries Give Kids a Sweet Snack Alternative
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Squash Pollination
When it comes to squash and squash blossoms, I leave nothing to chance – I hand pollinate. Listen to this week's tip of the week for tips to apply to your garden.