dfrostnh's Profile
Just planted garden this past weekend in Jersey
Looking good Jersey Girl. Also agree on the parsley. It's a biennial so this year it will go to seed. You can still use it until then.
My herb garden looks wonderful except I think I lost the Greek oregano and I don't see any evidence of self sown calendula. This year I have tons of an annual poppy sprouting everywhere.
Here is NH, Tyee spinach over-wintered beautifully without any kind of protection. Right now it is starting to bolt. We've been eating it sparingly before I was away for 11 days, but I came back to a lush row of it. Finished parsnips long ago and wish I had planted more. Will do, this year. Garlic looks great. I think it will be a few more weeks before we see the scapes corksrewing up. I check my notes and discovered I didn't do my garden plan. Not sure what I will plant where the garlic is since we harvest sometime in July (I think!).
My husband picked up my tomato and pepper order so the plants have been hardening off during the week. We are lucky to have a local backyard grower who takes orders and I only have to order one each of the plants I want. My husband also built me a light stand to use this winter so I did start a few things. Really good luck with some, none with others. I like to have lemon gem marigolds to put in the herb garden for color and I love the lemon fragrance. I guess my seed from last year is too old. I know I'll have a tough time finding these because they aren't a popular plant.
After being away, I'm looking forward to getting in the garden this weekend. Sugar snap peas are up about 2'. Things I seeded when it was so dry had poor germination. I didn't water enough. When will I learn???
My husband had to replace the garden fabric on the low tunnel since the high winds blew it across the yard and ruined it. Originally I planned to do an early planting of green bush beans but ran out of time. Now I will use it to protect summer squash from bugs. Later in the summer, I will put it over a late planting of bush beans. It gives just enough protection so the plants make it thru a light frost in mid-Sept and we can have beans.
Trying ground cherries this year. Tried some samples at the farmers market last year and thought they were tasty.
Love the see the seedlings of dill and borage from last year's plants!
square foot gardening and companion planting
Karen makes a good point about sprawling. I planted borage around a single eggplant and the borage smothered the eggplant. I like to use some of the square foot principles. Better spacing of seeds means less thinning later. I also like the idea of not walking on beds. The ground stays in nice condition. I plan to try planting marigolds next to squash and cucumber plants to try to prevent so much squash bug damage this year.
No knead pizza dough question
I like the dough recipe in Bittman's Cooking Matters Cookbook. 2 cups whole wheat flour and 1 cup white bread flour. I use King Arthur. He says flavors become more complex if you let sit for up to 12 hours. I thought it was too wheat-y tasting so I decreased the whole wheat to 1 1/2 cups and added 1/2 cup semolina flour from King Arthur. The crust seems a little bit crunchier now.
I call it a graduation garden party, kids call it a kegger...
since you mentioned a fire pit ... perhaps the fixings for so'mores. Even big kids still like to roast marshmallows.
We usually have sliced watermelon at our outdoor parties. Our crowd doesn't seem to go much for salads but cookies are always a hit. Cupcakes are probably even better.
We collected keys to be on the safe side. The guests were told to plan on staying the night if they drank anything. It worked out fine.
Humble Kitchen Food Truck - Brattleboro
When is it parked in the lot? I would love to try it out but it's a long drive for us. Would be perfect though for a road trip for garden supplies/plants.
A Change from the ordinary...different salad ideas?
My favorite is Winter Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing. Basically it is romaine with cashews, Craisins, shredded Swiss cheese, cubes of apples and pear. Choose an apple variety that doesn't quickly brown when cut or splash the apple pieces with lemon juice.
I like to use leftover cooked vegetables as a salad. Typically it is thinly sliced onions, green beans and cherry tomatoes.
Easiest low calorie dressing = 2 T orange juice, 1 T EVO, 1 T red wine vinegar and salt.
Another favorite is 2 T EVO, 1 T red wine vinegar and 1 T balsamic vinegar.
(the above is just for one or two servings.)
Scented Geraniums
I've only made geranium sugar. Herbal jellies are nice in thumbprint cookies. I tend to get too many each spring and never winter them over. Rober's Lemon Rose is one of my favorites but the leaves aren't as pretty - more like a tomato leaf.
Rice - How did you experience it today?
I don't care for all the work required to make risottos but for some reason had a small bag of aborio rice. I decided to make rice with caramelized onions and spinach which was marked in my recipe folder as 'very good'. Apparently, that's why I bought aborio rice in the first place.
chowin' from Manchester, NH to Norwich, VT
Glad you found Dan & Whit's. We had to visit last year. DH's father used to deliver apples there. I bought some Carhartt socks for my DIL. Whoopie pie taste tests are the #3 reason to visit New England after lobster and clams. Although homemade ice cream is up there.
Foodie Weekend Suggestions in Portsmouth NH - or should we go somewhere else?
Visit the farmers market http://www.seacoastgrowers.org/portsmouth-farmers-market/
We haven't been to Flag Hill Winery and Distillery in several years but it's not far to drive. Visit When Pigs Fly bakery outlet in Kittery Maine. Also the Stonewall Kitchens store. Go on the inland rivers cruise. If you need some Asian ingredients, Lo's Oriental Market on Woodbury Ave (near Fox Run Mall). I think they get a fresh prepared food delivery on the weekend but not sure when. Fresh produce prices are usually very reasonable plus I've found things like galangal that I can't find elsewhere.
Portland ME should also be on your list. Last fall we enjoyed the culinary tour of the Old Port Area.
chowin' from Manchester, NH to Norwich, VT
There's a good Korean restaurant, Yama, in West Lebanon (also a branch in Hanover). You might want to explore the Food Coop. Follow the directions to Dartmouth Hitchcock hospital. The Coop is a shopping plaza on the opposite side of the hwy from where you turn for the hospital. So heading east, you would turn right for the coop instead of left for the hospital. Good selection of local cheeses.
Starting in Manchester, if you need Asian ingredients, Saigon Asia is a pretty good supermarket. There are also some small ethnic groceries in Manchester but I haven't explored them. Perhaps someone else can advise.
You can make a slight detour to Concord but staying on I93 instead of making the turn for I89. You can get homemade ice cream at both Arnie's on Loudon Rd and in the downtown area, Granite State Candy. If it's lunch time, I would opt for In a Pinch Cafe for their home made soup, sandwiches and/or salad. Great European style bakery on S Main St is Bread and Chocolate. Across the street is the Concord Food Coop. Great place to buy bulk herbs and spices (they provide the plastic bags) and grains. Also pick up a copy of Hippo Press (there's a free news box just north of Gibson's Book Store/Bread and Chocolate) which contains info about wine tastings, food events, restaurants, etc. It covers mostly Concord, Manchester, Nashua and Portsmouth.
Don't forget, wine and hard liquor is sold at NH State Liquor stores and may be a lot cheaper than at home.
If you go to downtown Concord area, from Main St you can go west on Pleasant St and when you get to the hospital, turn left onto Langley Parkway then right onto Clinton St and you can get on I89 there.
Fried Clams in or around Manchester NH?
I think the clams were good at Cremeland but it's a drive-in. It's been a couple of years since we've been but we like the fried seafood at the Lobster Boat in Merrimack NH. My husband likes to get the fried lobster tail.
Since we live north of Concord we like to go to the Dipsy Doodle in Northfield. If we go to Concord for fried clams we go to Beefside on Manchester St.
I'm a newbie gardener in N.J. (7a, not a parkway exit but our zone)
jnk, you can still direct seed beans and other vegetables. Since I in a colder zone, I'm not familiar with the planting schedule in yours. You might try one of the websites where you can put in your last frost free date. I think Johnny's seeds has one. Right now it's still too cold for me to plant warm weather vegetables like summer squash and beans. I'm very happy with a local grower as my source of tomato and pepper plants (you only have to buy one of each).
I like the lasagna method of gardening which I might still use in the bed where you plant something like tomatoes or summer squash. You build layers of composting materials starting with a layer of wet newspapers (I did this right on sod). I top my beds every year with a few inches of composted horse manure. I prefer to start a bed in the fall to be ready in spring but my two new beds don't look like they have composted well due to the dry winter. I'll make a planting hole for each tomato plant and fill with composted manure. I always water new transplants with a fish emulsion solution and try to transplant on an overcast day or late in the day if it's sunny and water well.
Perennial herbs will spread but you can always move them around as they get bigger.My sage has gotten enormous in 3 years while tarragon grows at a slower rate.
Also, read up on fall planting. Maybe it's too late for you to plant spinach but you might be able to plant in August for a fall crop. The seed packets never give enough information. Find out which things prefer cool weather and which will do ok during the heat of summer.
Enjoy the adventure and good eating.
what are you planning to put in your vegetable garden this year?
I'm trying brussel sprouts for the first time. Wanted to try celeriac but the seed seller was out of stock and I didn't want to place an order with someone else. I'm trying ground cherries for the first time after liking them at the farmers market.
Here in zone 5ish, I'm trying to use strategy for a longer growing season. A high tunnel is in construction (going to be wood framed). The ground is finally dry enough for the tractor. Got a delivery of my favorite composted horse manure yesterday. Starting a lot of seeds indoors this year thanks to new seed starting set up. So far onions and leeks don't look all that great but I'm learning. Fertilized with fish emulsion yesterday. It's almost time to transplant some things into larger cells.
But a local grower has a fantastic variety of tomatoes and peppers for sale by pre-order and lets you buy just one each so I go for a variety.
pizza
I like the dough recipe from Bittman's Food Matters Cookbook. It's part whole wheat and part white bread flour. It's best to let it rest for 6-12 hours so I like the timing. I mix a batch in the morning and make pizza at night. I think the hardest part is rolling it out. I finally decide to just use a rolling pin but I worry that I'm overworking the dough.
H Mart - Burlington
Darn, I completely skipped the bakery section (do you mean the one in the food court?) and I love pastries filled with bean paste.
Thanks for the replies. I hope to make this more than a once a year visit.
help....sunday evening in Concord NH....WHERE TO GO FOR DINNER?
lexpatti, where did you end up?
I was going to suggest Siam Orchid on N Main St but we haven't had dinner there in a long time since we like Asian Delight in Franklin.
How is Wright's Chicken Farm?
I was one of several business associates taken to dinner there, hosted by a salesman who had gone to school in RI and had many happy memories of the place. I think he really wanted an excuse to visit the place. I was disappointed. If you want a lot of food at a good price, it's probably a good choice. If you want to discuss business, sitting in a huge dining room at long buffet tables, it's not a good choice.
H Mart - Burlington
Thanks to Chowhound, I found H Mart and was able to make a second visit Saturday evening. Silly me thought 6pm on a Saturday night might be a good time to go. I joined the procession looking for a parking spot which was extra difficult because I was driving my husband's pickup. I was determined, however, to enjoy the food court for the first time before a quick trip around the store.
Question - my timing was great for food samples. There must have been at least 12 stations. How often are these held? I would definitely like to enjoy them on my next visit.
Question - is there ever a time when the store is not crowded?
Thanks to the food sample, I purchased some pork belly to use in some recipe that I may have looked at in the past 6 months. It's in the freezer until I need it. But my question, in general, do you have any meat, poultry or fish that you like to get at this store? Does the fresh chicken taste any better than what is available at my regular supermarket (usually Market Basket)?
I can't believe I came home without buying some kimchee. Do you have a favorite prepared food that you buy from HMart?
Thanks for your help. It's a long way to go so I have to carefully plan my next trip. Was delighted to spot a Trader Joe's nearby, too.
Two couple traveling 1st week of April - want Lobster
From Rutland, if you head to Concord NH and then take I93 to I393 to Rt 4 to the Seacoast, you will go almost right by Newick's. It used to be the most popular seafood restaurant in the area but I think it's only popular now with tourists. But, this is the prettiest route to the seacoast and then you can head to Petey's in Rye NH which is open year round and is a typical older restaurant - the floors are kind of uneven. My husband has decided it has the best lobster roll for a day trip.
Maine is right across the bridge. Don't miss Portland ME for some local goodies like DuckFat's french fries, whoopie pies, etc. Sorry, can't help you with lodging. We really liked the Dunes in Ogunquit (like an old-fashioned cottage colony) but they won't be open that early.
Edible Heirlooms in Small Pots...
I used to grow tomatoes in pots. Get the biggest plastic pot you can find. The ones I grew still needed a cage so the diameter of the pot had to be large enough to fit a tomato cage. They might need daily watering and a liquid fertilizer. I used to have a pot of cherry tomatoes by the porch so it was easy to grab some.
I have had poor luck with container grown cucumbers. They grow, but not well.
Please help me improve this cookie recipe
Thanks for the suggestions. I think it will be fun to perfect this recipe.
Anyone doing a fall/winter crop?
danna, I garden in a colder climate so I don't know for sure what the problem is. Here in New England, we are told to get seeds in the ground no later than mid-September in a high tunnel. They need to grow to a good size before the short days of winter put them into dormancy. Probably the best thing to do is check with your cooperative extension service for your county.
Please help me improve this cookie recipe
I had to make cookies for a combined meeting of a book club and Eat Local group. I thought I would honor the Eat Local folks by making parsnip cookies using parsnips from my garden.
There are only about three parsnip cookie recipes on the internet. This is the one I chose
http://heathertirrell.com/2010/04/20/spring-parsnip-cookies/#comment-147
Problem: the recipe doesn't contain any baking soda or baking powder. I had already started mixing ingredients when I decided the recipe must be wrong.
I added 1 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp baking soda because it seemed like a good idea.
I also added about 1/2 cup of oatmeal and 3/4 cup of raisins.
6 minutes at 350 deg was not long enough. I baked for 10 minutes.
I had two requests for the recipe. People thought the shredded parsnip was coconut but if you pay attention, there is a parsnip flavor. I used 1 tsp of "fresh" ginger from a jar, the kind that's pretty much a puree but the flavor didn't overwhelm the other ingredients.
I used a scoop for the cookies and they didn't spread at all. While the cookies had a nice cake-like texture, I think I would prefer them to spread and be more chewy. How do I accomplish that? Add another egg? More butter? A little liquid?
Is anyone else already seeing Tarragon start to grow?
Funny, I've been growing tarragon for a lot of years. My herb garden is now in a perfect location by the kitchen door. But I've always considered tarragon as the one herb that takes its time (tarries) showing up in the spring. I'm in central NH so we've had snow up until a week ago. I see sorrel, salad burnet, a few leaves of sage, chives up about 6". But that's it.
Can I Salvage My Asparagus Plants?
That's an interesting article. I usually trust university fact sheets.
Here's the growing sheet from Johnny's. Note the warning to keep roots moist if you can't plant right away. If the OP bought roots late in the planting season, the roots could have been dried out/dead. But, maybe you'll see something this year.
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/Assets/Information/asparagus.pdf
Can I Salvage My Asparagus Plants?
I think your roots died. Read a good article on starting an asparagus bed. You need to dig trenches, set roots and fill in gradually. I would not harvest any stalk that isn't at least the thickness of a pencil. Let the stalks develop into tall fronds to feed the roots.
Paper and Cardboard Under My Raised Bed?
I agree with sparrowgrass. You don't need to rough up the soil first. I made my beds lasagna style on top of thick sod (old meadow) and also cover paths with a thick layer of newspaper covered with grass clippings. When I dig, I find lots of earthworms. We accumulate a lot of newspapers so I think it's also a good way to use them. If I change a bed to remove a path, I fork the old newspaper/clippings into the beds. Usually they are well decomposed.
