Run for the Roses

The first Saturday in May is here already and we all know what happens on that day.
The Kentucky Derby.  The Run for the Roses.

Trying to pick the winner among all those beautiful powerful horses is hard. Very hard.
This year I'll have none of that hard mental work.
This year it is not about the horses or the roses. It is about the mint.
The mint in the Julep. My homegrown mint with a splash of KY distilled bourbon.
A great drink, once-a-year, LOL.




Mint Julep, a happy drink for happy times.

 Remember darling, its about the plants.
A BIG hint if you ever decide to grow your own mint- put it in a big pot,
or grow it by itself away from other plants or grow the mint with other
evasive plants and see who wins. The running mint will probably win. My bet.
You need not have green thumb to grow mint.


Cheers.
my pick is Oxbow and Java for the Derby.

Thoroughbreds
wanting their treats.

Diversity

To embrace diversity is to embrace God.
I saw this statement on a road sign and thought about it.


This statement may have many meanings.
Accept all, respect all and appreciate all, as diversity means variety, in people and in plants.
I'd say that definition includes the most popular plant found here: WEEDS.


Diversity, to a gardener, means including many different plants: from the germination of seeds to planting bulbs, shrubs, trees, annuals, perennials, new varieties and heirloom.



new variety of sunflower



heirloom corn



Garden diversity can also be applied by incorporating water, art, companion plantings and animals, along with all the plants into the design of the garden.

This is Earth Week.

Here is to a more diverse Earth and Gardens
and Peace among us.

Timing is everything

Timing is everything in Gardening.
I just finished reading a gardening book about Thomas Jefferson's Monticello garden,
and he new timing, gardening, growing, marketing and selling veggies. He was a Master.

He kept journals: gardening journals that were detailed, thorough and complete with drawings.
He wrote he started tomatoes in February!
February 22nd to be exact. Yes, he violated standard gardening practices, but he had early tomatoes.

You don't have to be a gardener to know that tomatoes like heat and lettuce likes cool.
How do you grow tomatoes in February in 1800?

In a Hotbox, with lots of fresh dung used to create heat.

With knowledge from books and a few years gardening experience, hotbox heirloom tomatoes
by the 4th of July could happen. Timing is everything to have freshly picked warm thick sliced salted
tomatoes for the 4th BBQ.



a box of heirloom tomatoes



Jefferson called tomatoes  "love apples"

Earth to Table season has arrived.

Jars of garden food are almost gone
Cool weather is hanging around
Garden needs to be plowed, disked and planted
Seeds have been sowed in hopes of reaping
the beginning of the season of food keeping

Lettuce, arugula, leeks, sorrel, onions and rhubarb are ready to go to the table.
Fresh salted greens with a bit of vinaigrette means another year of Fresh Food has arrived.
Yes, another summer to enjoy, pasta salads to eat, sun tea to drink, veggie pizza's to grill
and putting food by is upon us.




The Beginnings of Earth to Table days.



Lets all try a few new farm fresh seasonal dishes.

A few ideas I hope to complete this season:  Jars of fresh fruit and rhubarb compote, growing garlic,
planting heirloom corn and pole beans.

The Grain of the Year is.........

QUINOA is the winner this year.

A beautiful field of Quinoa.

This rice like grain is special because unlike all other grains, Quinoa has all 8 essential Amino Acids,
meaning it is a complete protein, like animal proteins.

A 1/2 cup of quinoa has 12 grams protein, compared to rice, which has only 2 grams protein.

Quinoa is a super-food!



Just made a dish using Quinoa and leftover chicken, sauted garlic, added chicken stock, peas, roasted peppers, like a paella, the Spanish rice dish, and it is delicious and very nutritious.

Quinoa, like pasta, can be served hot or in the summer, cold, with lots of roasted garden veggies on top.

A quick paella with chicken, venison salami and quinoa
makes a high protein dish.