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Black Coco Beans – An Heirloom Surprise

The Three Sisters garden is a Native American planting technique that consists of beans, corn and squash. The corn is planted first, and when it reaches 2 feet tall, pole beans are planted around the
corn. The beans use the corn as a trellis to climb. Then squash (usually pumpkins) are planted around the base of the corn and beans to provide shade so the sun won’t dry out the soil. It’s been done
for centuries… let’s see how I can screw it up.

The corn part went well. It’s the beans that …

Tomato Tasting Party – Everybody Wins!

We have a tradition with a longtime friend in which we gather together, bringing our best tomatoes each season, to share in the bounty of the summer harvest. We slice them with care and taste each
variety to determine our favorites. There is olive oil and salt, a little basil, and very good bread on hand. Each time we’ve done a tasting we have come away with a new favorite. This year was no
exception.

We gathered in the garden with our contributions and began with show and tell. My husband and …

Mid-Summer Task List

From tomatoes to blackberries, you're probably experiencing peak summer growth. Now is the time to give your garden a little extra TLC to ensure the same (or better) harvest next…

Cucumbers Become Mom Jo’s Dill Pickles

Last week’s Tip of the Week podcast introduced you to my mother’s delicious dill pickle
recipe. This week we tried our hands at making them with home grown Lemon Cucumbers. Tension mounted at the thought of doing it for the first time without Mom there to guide, but a few phone
calls along the way made it easy.

We started with freshly picked Lemon Cucumbers (and an Early Russian straggler). We soaked them over night in cold water.
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Garlic Braiding

One of the best ways to store your garlic and onions is to braid the harvest and hang it up in the kitchen.

Growing Lemon Cucumbers

They may look like lemons, but they taste just like cucumbers. That’s because they are cucumbers – lemon cucumbers. These little unusual beauties are one of my favorite heirlooms to grow, and in
recent years, we’re starting to see them become more popular – to the point that the plants are being sold at nurseries. Oh lemon cuc, you’ve made it to the big time!

I have to admit, my first few years trying to grow lemon cucumbers, or any cucumber at all, were disastrous. The coastal weather would stunt the growth, then powdery …

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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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 …