Penelope's Blog (17)

Pesto

I just made a wonderful batch of fresh pesto with Genovese basil from my garden, pine nuts, freshly graded parmesan cheese, extra virgin olive oil and garlic. I grew garlic this year for the first time and it formed large lovely bulbs, the kind with the hard stem in the center. The basil perfumed the whole house -- not only does good food taste delicious, but pleasant aromas add greatly to the pleasure and contentment of a household. Continue

Added by Penelope on September 16, 2009 at 3:52pm — 9 Comments

Juggling the Jungle

I was out of town for three days and returned to my garden feeling overwhelmed. Everything looks overgrown, going to seed, full of weeds, completely unmanageable. I know all this didn't happen in three days; my perception shifted is all, and I've drifted into my annual midsummer panic. I dug in, picked the snowpeas and snap peas hanging on the drooping vines and found a few green beans as well. Tomatoes are barely setting on. Nothing on the pepper plants even though they've been blooming. The b… Continue

Added by Penelope on July 19, 2009 at 11:24am — 3 Comments

Juggling the Jungle

Added by Penelope on July 19, 2009 at 11:21am — No Comments

Wilted Lettuce, Wilted Life

Today, at long last, my leaf lettuces are big enough to harvest to make a bowl of my grandmother's wilted lettuce recipe. The leaves are washed and draining in a colander along with a handful of scallions. For lunch, I will finely chop some bacon ends and pieces and cook them crisp in my 4 or 5-inch cast iron skillet, add fresh ground pepper, a teaspoon of sugar and a healthy amount of red wine vinegar (sometimes I use cider vinegar). When the vinegar boils, I pour it immediately over a bowl of… Continue

Added by Penelope on May 24, 2009 at 2:02pm — 4 Comments

Sunshine in Pocatello and a bit about Onions

Today, April 5, isn't particularly warm, but the sun is shining and I've once again been puttering in my small garden. These past weeks we've been inundated with wild snowstorms nearly every day. It snows, then melts; we get our hopes up, then it snows again. We are tired of winter and anxious about getting our gardens started. Today, I raked caked up leaves off my gravel area and piled them where I want to suppress some weeds. I exposed the chives that I separated last year and replanted; they… Continue

Added by Penelope on April 5, 2009 at 2:14pm — 4 Comments

Privately in Pocatello, Spring 2009

It was warm Saturday afternoon, so I puttered in the garden. I planted two chokecherry bushes friends gave me two years ago -- they were still alive after living in their buckets that long. For two seasons, I stared at the buckets, but could not bring myself to dig two holes and plant them. Why? A dear friend came by for tea (which turned into a couple glasses of sparkling wine), and she mentioned how she didn't realize she was depressed until the depression went away. I think that has somethin… Continue

Added by Penelope on March 22, 2009 at 10:51am — 6 Comments

The Deep Throes of Winter

For the 61st time, I am living within the throes of deep winter. Temperatures hover above and blow zero; days are grey, overcast and short, and nights are much too dark and long. I have time on my hands; I’m alone in my house straining to figure out how to cook casseroles and prepare salads for one; student papers aren’t due for another couple of weeks, but somehow I just glance at my looms, my books, the dirty dishes in the sink, and choose, instead of production, to play solitaire or watch rea… Continue

Added by Penelope on January 28, 2009 at 12:17pm — 2 Comments

A Day With Seed Catalogs

A few days of deep December snows inspired me to get out the seed catalogs, graph paper and pencils. Unfortunately, I've only received a fraction of catalogs I usually receive by this time, and those I have received seem to be abreviated versions inspiring shoppers to go online. But I managed to thumb through a couple with bright photos of unreal, colorful, vibrating vegetables, but I actually ordered from the pulpy paper catalogs with few photos. It's psychological, I guess, but they seem more… Continue

Added by Penelope on January 7, 2009 at 11:11am — 4 Comments

My Private Pocatello V

My second seed catalog arrived today. I expect more before New Year's. I love getting them. I love sitting at my dining table with pen and paper drawing garden diagrams, deciding what varieties I want to grow, what seeds I've saved, what seeds I will order. I've noticed a difference in the catalogs this year, however. So far, these two arrivals are much smaller than usual, smaller in dimension and fewer pages. Although I applaud less waste and am certain Internet ordering is responsible for the… Continue

Added by Penelope on November 25, 2008 at 2:33pm — 1 Comment

My Private Pocatello VI-Visions

I don't know if it's a daydream or an actual vision, but the imagery keeps surfacing whenever I have a quiet moment. I see a garden, a large garden, surrounded by trees and browse. There are several people working in the garden, the sun is shining, there's a gentle breeze making the leaves talk, and a feeling of well-being. I'm standing in an open air cook shack made of post and pole construction with a cedar shake roof like ones my father and I used to split the shakes for from downed cedar in… Continue

Added by Penelope on November 21, 2008 at 1:36pm — No Comments

My Private Pocatello V

I got a letter from my 85 year old mother today, a real letter, paper and ink. In my last letter to her, I asked if her savings were doing OK amid the current economic crisis. She says she's doing fine; everything is insured. But in her delicate, lovely handwriting, she also recalled the Great Depression and how her family pulled through. They were lucky enough to live on a small farm where they grew much of their own food and my grandfather maintained a job in a lumber mill in Everett, Washingt… Continue

Added by Penelope on November 14, 2008 at 1:53pm — 4 Comments

My Private Pocatello IV

It's never happened before. Oh, I've let spinach and lettuce go to seed in my garden nearly every year, but it's never replanted itself and grew a second crop all on its own during the same season. If if does come up again, it traditionally waits until spring. This year, however, I got a second crop. Here it is November 2 and I can still pick fresh spinach. Is this a result of global warming here in this nearly mile high Idaho desert? A friend came for dinner last night. I made pork chops in a… Continue

Added by Penelope on November 2, 2008 at 10:06am — 5 Comments

End of the garden -- almost

It froze this morning, October 10. The temperature at my house registered 30 F degrees. The gardening season in southern Idaho is pretty much over. I harvested all my ripe tomatoes, and last night a friend gave me a large basket of grapefruit-sized red fruit which I will preserve in quart jars this evening. All of the tomatoes from my own patch, (yellow pear, an orange cherry type, Marzano, Brandywine and Big Boy) I've managed to use up as they ripened. I've put thick slices on hamburgers and B… Continue

Added by Penelope on October 10, 2008 at 12:54pm — No Comments

Working my way through cookbooks: #1 Quick Pickles

My cookbook collection exceeds 150 volumes -- that's how many I had the last time I bothered to count them. They make great reading on rainy days when I feel like holing up and cooking, or when I feel like exploring another culture. I learn about the world through food and fiber -- I cook, and I spin and weave. I've been tying up loose garden ends. The growing season has lasted quite a bit longer than usual. We haven't yet, at least in my backyard, had a killing frost, although the temperatures… Continue

Added by Penelope on September 28, 2008 at 2:25pm — No Comments

Autumn in the air already.

It seems summer just gets going and whammo! Fall begins to bite the air. Even though afternoons are hot, in the 90s, nights are cooling dramatically, and some leaves are beginning to turn, and the garden bugs are gaining ground. I had to pull up my broccoli. I was out of town for a week and the white flies took over, not to mention the weeds. What a mess! I didn't compost the broccoli, but sent it to the city's landfill. My tomatoes are just beginning to ripen. Two of the plants are not the var… Continue

Added by Penelope on August 25, 2008 at 1:51pm — No Comments

My Private Pocatello III

It's the morning after -- no, not after an alcoholic bash, but the morning after a hot afternoon cooking spree. I feel spent. I made a Mexican-style pork mole with peppers, tomatoes, sultanas, ground almonds, ground peanuts, fresh garden herbs, etc. It smells and tastes great. I'll refrigerate it for a few days so flavors blend, then make tamales with the meat and heat and serve the sauce over them. I made a pasta salad with sweet pickles and kalamata olives with imported Italian medium sized s… Continue

Added by Penelope on August 2, 2008 at 9:03am — 2 Comments

My Private Pocatello

Here it is the end of July and not a sign of a ripe tomato. Friends tell me they're eating theirs. I guess I'll have to be patient. I'm not teaching for a few weeks which means all my time is my own. The days stretch out before me like clean slates. I love it and I hate it. I go for days without talking to a soul except the occasional recorded telemarketer, "Hello, hello?" click. I don't want a satellite dish nor another warrantee on my car nor aluminum siding. I guess friends aren't hit as ha… Continue

Added by Penelope on July 29, 2008 at 9:45am — No Comments

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Amanda Williams and Georg Strafella joined Kitchen Gardeners

3 hours ago

amna mufti commented on Salma Kamal's blog post 'Pakistan: “Home Kitchen gardening to crush hunger”.'

........So the story is that this land is under the unlawful use of big wigs.No body dares to touch them.As they are usually in govt.or are the relatives of those in power.That is why I was telling Salma,problem is not simple.It is so intricate,it...

12 hours ago

amna mufti commented on Salma Kamal's blog post 'Pakistan: “Home Kitchen gardening to crush hunger”.'

Glenn! we also have the same allotment system.In which about 550 square feet ,(if I am not mistaken) or so is alloted to a family to grow fuel wood on it .Govt. only plants the trees and then the family looks it aftern grow what everthey want alon...

12 hours ago

Mussarat Nadeem is now friends with Kathryn and amna mufti

15 hours ago

Everett H. Scott joined Chris Bocchino's group

Wild Edible Hunters

DIscussion group for people who hunt wild edibles.

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Everett H. Scott left a comment for amy

15 hours ago

Kathryn commented on Glenn Fletcher's blog post 'What is an Allotment'

I would love to have an allotment, there needs to be more of them.

15 hours ago

Kathryn commented on Glenn Fletcher's photo 'My Allotment'

great shot, yours seem to have the most on it.

16 hours ago

amna mufti commented on amna mufti's photo 'Flight of fancy'

Thanx!

16 hours ago

Muhammad Nadeem Iqbal commented on amna mufti's photo 'Red bugs.'

Your Organic Friends...

17 hours ago

Muhammad Nadeem Iqbal commented on amna mufti's photo 'Flight of fancy'

BRILLIANT...

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Muhammad Nadeem Iqbal added 4 photos to the album 'TURKY'

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Muhammad Nadeem Iqbal updated their profile photo

17 hours ago

Glenn Fletcher commented on Glenn Fletcher's blog post 'What is an Allotment'

I pay £50 pounds a year approximately for my allotment. This amount has doubled in the last few years as their popularity has increased. Mine is 300 square yards, although there are smaller ones. The trend nowadays is to split them in two, so they...

20 hours ago

Glenn Fletcher added a blog post

What is an Allotment

Allotments are now very popular in the UK. I used to have empty ones around mine for years. This site describes what an allotment is. The main advantage of an allotment is that it does not have to be too tidy, so is ideal for trying out different ...

20 hours ago

Glenn Fletcher commented on Salma Kamal's blog post 'Pakistan: “Home Kitchen gardening to crush hunger”.'

I believe the British allotment system was developed in the late 19th & early 20th centuries to feed the urban poor mainly in the north of the country. Areas of land in urban areas were owned by local government and small parcels [300 square yards...

20 hours ago

Glenn Fletcher added a photo

My Allotment

20 hours ago

Kathryn left a comment for Mussarat Nadeem

22 hours ago

Kathryn commented on Salma Kamal's blog post 'Pakistan: “Home Kitchen gardening to crush hunger”.'

I am not in Pakistan as you know but there are very many similarities. The populace is very poor with the basic wage being given to most and usually without health insurance included, even though that is illegal here. The basic wage is not enough ...

23 hours ago

amna mufti added 6 photos to the album 'My farm'

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yesterday

From the KGI Main Site

Gardeners Have the Power!

Braised brussels sprouts with pine nuts

Garden Q & A: extending the salad season

New White House kitchen garden videos

KGI is going to the White House (and we want to take you with us)

Optimal timing for your garlic harvest

Garden Q & A: Harvesting tomatoloons

Roasted potatoes with basil vinaigrette

Garden Q & A: Organic pest controls

Paella with tomatoes

More…

Notes

HOW TO - ADD A LINK

Several people have experienced difficulty putting working links into comments and blogs etc and I know it is clumsy.... so here is how you do it.....

First type the text you want to appear.... ie IAN'S PAGE

Then go back and highlight the link text.

Then hit the hyperlink button...a pictogram of a chain link.

Your browser may intervene and request permission to allow temporary scripting or some similar message. Allow it and go back and highlight the text again

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Created by Ian Jun 7, 2009 at 7:28pm. Last updated by Ian Jun 8.

Forum Policy

Hi, I'm starting to put together a few guidlines on using the discussion forum on here.

I would be happy to hear any comments you may have. This is very much a work in progress so plese feel free to ask me to add anything you think is needed.

I don't want to make our community hide bound by rules and regulations but I think that, as the community has grown, some explanation of what is expected is needed.

Administration

You can refer any que

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Created by Ian May 23, 2009 at 1:55am. Last updated by Ian May 25.

Climate maps

Hi following recent discussion I have put climate maps of the USA, Australia and Europe on here for reference..

Climate map of the USA

Climate map of Australia

Climate map of Europe

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Created by Ian Sep 12, 2008 at 6:20pm. Last updated by Ian Apr 14.

Recipes, Recipes, Recipes

Hi Everyone, I've started to collect together recipes from various posts on the site and put them all together here.

If you have a recipe you want to add on here, just post it on the site and leave a comment on my page telling me where it is and I'll go and fetch it back here.

They are organised in Contributor Order but I'm open to better suggestions!

BEVA'S RECIPES

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Created by Ian Jun 2, 2008 at 9:54am. Last updated by Ian Apr 13.

US STATES ABBREVIATIONS

US STATE ABBREVIATIONS

AK - Alaska               AL - Alabama              AR - Arkansas
AZ - Arizona              CA - California           CO - Colorado
CT - Connecticut          DC - Dist of Columbia *   DE - Delaware
FL - Florida              GA - Georgia              GU

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Created by Ian Jan 27, 2009 at 4:27pm. Last updated by Ian Jan 27.

HOW TO - MAKE COMPOST

Recently there was an excellent discussion about composting. I’ve pulled together all the various comments here. You can also watch KGI's video on composting here.

KATE’S ADVICE

I used to have a tumbler that we made from a wine-barrel but

1 you have to fill it up all at once

2. it seemed mostly

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Created by Ian May 30, 2008 at 5:29am. Last updated by Roger Jan 15.