|
|
By feral, on November 3rd, 2011%
Let them eat kale!
Is that what Marie Antoinette’s real programme was for fixing the world? And an unfortunate hiccup made it sound like “cake” leading to all sorts of misunderstandings?
Alright, alright I make joke… But seriously, how many times have you heard lately that kale is a new miracle-food? It has been a staple of German cuisine for ages, braised with bacon, onions and/or ham (see Grünkohlessen) – delicious! — but now it has become ubiquitous. There are even kale smoothies… Is there literally no wrong way to eat it? I can think of at least 2 such ways, both found at your local WholeFoods. One is the tasteless and unchewable version presented in the prepared foods section as “steamed” or “wilted” kale, and the other manifests itself in the magnificent assortment of kale chips which are, I’m sure, delicious but for some reason all cost $8.99 a pack… Unless kale is subject to the New York City cigarette tax, I cannot find a good explanation for this price!
Alright, now I joked and I ranted — and am finally ready to move on to the essence of this post.
My latest favorite way to eat . . . CONTINUE READING → Raw Kale, Carrot & Kohlrabi Salad
By feral, on September 25th, 2011%
Last time I lamented that half of my rainbow chard was consumed by an unknown wild beast. Guess what: yesterday, while we were either sleeping or touring the County Fair at the neighboring Hancock Shaker Village (which was great and I’ll post a photo report shortly), the intruder(s) returned and cleaned out the rest.
 We still don’t know who did it but judging by dental imprints (and occasional hoof prints around the garden), I suspect the deer.
 It might be time for a fresh bar of Irish Spring soap! (Last year, local professional gardeners recommended hanging a bar of fragrant soap as an effective deer deterrent. You’re supposed to hang it on a string, unpacked, in the box. According to them, deer have a special aversion to Irish Spring brand, for some reason…) The old one that’s been hanging there for over a year has, evidently, worn off.
 Here’s the same bed of my beautiful and delicious rainbow chard back in . . . CONTINUE READING → The End of a Rainbow: Chard Crop Devastated, Culprit Remains at Large
By feral, on September 24th, 2011%
 As Persephone (or Proserpina, as she is known to the Romans) made her upsetting but carefully negotiated (six pomegranate seeds and all) return to Hades today, following the Autumnal Equinox and accompanied by the pouring-rain tears of her mother Demeter (who cried a lot in New York today), I made my return to the garden, after another two-week-long absence.
Main item on the agenda — harvesting the rest of the potatoes — proved unattainable today due to heavy precipitation, and therefore I took to the internets to celebrate the Atumnal Equinox and embrace the spirit of the Eleusinian Mysteries in a less muddy fashion.
Before retreating to cyberspace, I only had a few rain-free minutes to quickly inspect the garden. What I found (in addition to a few more tomatoes and quite a few butternut squashes) was a really disturbing crime scene!!! Someone ate half of my rainbow chard and sorrel! But wait, the most mysterious discovery was waiting for me at the bottom of the garden: a medium-size beet, pulled out of the ground, dragged downhill a few yards from its original location and left for . . . CONTINUE READING → Autumnal Equinox and a Not-So-Eleusinian Mystery
By feral, on August 10th, 2011%
To say that I’m impressed with *husband*, the winner of my previous photo ID challenge, would be a gross understatement. How did he do it? I still don’t know. But yes, it was indeed Oka Hijiki (also spelled Okahijiki), aka Seaweed Mustard, aka Saltwort, aka Salsola Komarovii — a close relative of common tumbleweed. Have you not heard of it? Neither have I, until my Japanese seed shopping spree this year. When read its description on Kitazawa Seed website, I knew I had to have it:
Also known as “seaweed on land,” this variety is considered to be one of the healthiest greens eaten in Japan. Loaded with vitamins, it is usually sold in Japanese markets in very small packets. Oka hijiki is used in many Japanese dishes and is excellent simply steamed for a few minutes and eaten with mustard or vinegar.
I’ll dedicate a separate post to it soon but now let’s turn our attention to the new quiz:
What am I?
|
Sign Up For Feral Updates
|
email feralgardener@gmail.com
|
recent comments