One of my 'three little birds' that let me know it's time to get busy in the garden, 'wake up & live!' they sing. Our spring is early after a very mild winter. The perfect day to spend in the community garden, get things cleaned up and make a plan.
Check these roots--one of my leeks. I love to grow leeks because: they're scrumptious to cook with, and storage is not a problem, these have been in the ground all winter here. I dug them as needed. I planted them last spring. This one is huge, and I love it that these leeks have absorbed all that winter energy, survived those freezing rains and winds and come through even more strong and beautiful---now their nature becomes a part of us. That's some good eatin.
Look at the size of my oregano, jus now wakin up from a nice winter slumber. I fed and cultivated it today.
Wow, these chives have doubled in size since last fall. You can eat the flower buds and flowers too later.
Lookin down the bed---garlic is on the left, about 8" high, planted on time (for a change) last October. It'll be ready by June. You can see that I've added some amendments to the soil---I added my favorite chicken manure, a nice organic compost, and some lime.
Look at the size of my oregano, jus now wakin up from a nice winter slumber. I fed and cultivated it today.
Wow, these chives have doubled in size since last fall. You can eat the flower buds and flowers too later.
Lookin down the bed---garlic is on the left, about 8" high, planted on time (for a change) last October. It'll be ready by June. You can see that I've added some amendments to the soil---I added my favorite chicken manure, a nice organic compost, and some lime.
Here's the recipe I started with. I used 2 dry hot peppas and 5 peppercorns per jar.
You can use any shape of bean, just trim both ends---make yourself one as a ruler for the rest to fit in the jar, leaving 1/2" at the top.
Get all your spices ready, peel and crush the garlic ( I used what I grew), dry hot peppers, peppercorns and fresh dill heads, with seeds or flowers.
Oh, and I used 1 fresh grape leaf at the bottom of each jar, it's supposed to keep them crispy. I laid everything in before the beans, so it'll look nice and show everything.
With the beans loaded, see the grape leaf, the dill and hot peppa peppa.
I usually do one jar at a time, pack, pour in brine and seal, but if you work quickly, and keep those jars and brine hot, you can do it like this.
After 10 minutes in the boiling water bath, here are the beauties coolin on the counter, snappin their lids with that sound of success. This took one hour and I got 7 pints of gourmet, organic, local, artisan, yeah well you get the idea---we're makin our own food to eat and lovin it. Try it, you'll love it too.
