Posts from the ‘Potager’ Category

Sep 30

Veggie Garden from Kitchen Window

View from My Kitchen Window

This is the view from my kitchen window. From here I can see my dahlia garden and veggie garden. These once empty raised beds are now full of tomatoes, carrots, green beans, sunflowers, pumpkins and random herbs. Because of the raised beds, drip irrigation, manurer and all the sunshine, this garden is very happy.

This picture was taken just a couple days ago and as you can see, the rainy season is here.

Sep 22

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Drying Tomatoes in the Oven – The Impatient Way

Just recently I heard about drying tomatoes in the oven and when looking for a recipe to borrow, I found that everyone does it different. Most people skin the tomatoes first and cook at a really low temperature (200°) for many, many hours. This is for patient people – not for me.

I got a recipe from my friend & co-worker Barb and found it was perfect for me with a couple slight modifications. To start, I LEFT THE SKINS ON. After making BBQ sauce a couple weeks ago, I will never remove tomato skins again.

As you can see by the picture, I cut the larger tomatoes into chunks, cut smaller ones in half and left the cherry tomatoes whole.

I drizzled olive oil over the tomatoes and made sure the surface of the pan was covered as well. Then sprinkled with a little course ground sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Since I left the skins on, I made sure the skin side was down when possible. Then placed the pan in the cold oven.

Next, I turned the oven to 450° and waited until the oven was preheated. This caused a real stink in my house – literally. It got pretty smokey, so if you’re like me and don’t clean your oven, you’ve been warned.

Once your oven is preheated, turn it down to 325° for about an hour and a half. Since I like mine a little softer, I turned it down to 200° for another hour and a half (three hours total). If you like them crispy, keep it at 325° for a full two-three hours. During the last hour, I checked the tomatoes often and pulled the smaller pieces off as they were crispy and dark.

You can tell when they’re done based on if they’re crispy, dark and taste wonderful. When mine were done, I put them on a cooling rack for about an hour and then put whatever I didn’t eat in the freezer.

I love how the dried tomatoes tasted sweet, zippy and then spicy. I wasn’t expecting that. Even though I put mine in the freezer, some folks put theirs in olive oil and store in the fridge (they do spoil faster this way).

Thanks Barb for the great recipe!

— Posted from the road

Jun 29

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Veggie Garden Late June

June has been very good to us. Our veggie garden has made great progress this year – much better than the cold soggy garden we had this time last year.

We have a dahlia cutting garden and herbs (picture on left) and a total of three raised beds for veggies (picture on right).

Below we have pictures of our almost ripe Beafsteak tomatoes, our yellow and purple potato patch, three basil plants, our cinderella pumpkin, our corn/bush beans/volunteer tomato/volunteer sunflower patch, dill, our row of mammoth sunflowers, lettuce and peas.

May 3

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My Trip to the Master Gardener Plant Sale

My treasures

This was my first year attending the Snohomish County Master Gardener Plant Sale in Mill Creek. It was well worth the trip. Not only did it have plant starts and a vast selection of tomato plants but it also had a couple specialized nurseries selling unique plants.

I found two real treasures today: Aeonium Arboreum (plant in front) and Heuchera Marmalade (orange/pink plant in back)! Loved both of theses the second I saw them.

For the garden I also picked up Aeonium Pinwheel; Aconitum; and 2 Hostas (both big leaf one blue one green variegated)

For the herbs I purchased Berggarten Sage; Salvia Microphylla ‘Hot Lips’; Golden Sage; Rosemary; Cilantro; Italian Parsley; Dill; French Thyme; 2 Sweet Basil; and Mammoth Sweet Basil. Since I don’t have room in the new herb raised bed, I guess I’ll have to dig up some pots – that should be pretty cute.

For the vegetable garden I picked up some peppers, including Blockbuster Bell; California Wonder Bell; 2 Jalapenos; and a mystery pepper with a poorly written name. I also got six tomatoes: Ildi (yellow cherry); Gardener’s Delight (cherry); Big Beef; Stupice; Big Rainbow; and Ensalada (Roma).

This was my last big plant buying trip of the year. I still need to cover up that pesky fence and get some bamboo to shade the chicken coop.

There were a couple nurseries there that had amazing plants, including White Picket Gardens from Stanwood and the Desert Northwest from Sequim. Desert Northwest is were I picked up the Aeonium. He also had a great selection of eucalyptus plants; and some day I will have a eucalyptus tree in my yard. He did mention that he can ship plants if needed so check them out.

Apr 29

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Our New Raised Bed & Planted Dahlias

New Dahlia Bed

It all started this fall when I decided to dig up the Pampas Grass. Ever since then I knew it was the perfect spot for a new Dahlia bed!

On the first warm day this winter, I painfully dug up the large grass mass and pawned the chunks off on my friends.

Once the smaller new bed was built, I moved the herbs into their smaller home and got to work planting my new and old Dahlias in one location.

I dug up a handful of Dahlias from around the yard and planted into the new bed; leaving maybe six plants scattered around the yard that I couldn’t quite fit. Not bad.

I also planted a bunch of new tubers I purchased this winter, including: Walter Hardisty; Bride To Be; Bliss; Crazy Legs; Tropic Sun; Matchmaker; Touche; Star Child; Serkan; White Onesta; and Pink Accent.

I’m feeling pretty good about getting all my well loved tubers in the ground. Now, I only need to wait 2+ months and I’ll have an endless supply of fresh cut flowers.

Beyond new Dahlia bed are our veggie beds

Here is a full picture of all our raised beds in the back yard.
Notice, the smaller/lighter bed past the Dahlia bed – that’s the new bed – where I was supposed to plant my tubers until I moved the herbs.

Three of the beds are for our veggies, including along the back fence and behind the herb garden. We also have raspberries and blueberries planted along the driveway, a strawberry bed and various fruit trees scattered about.

So far, for veggies, we have peas, carrots, garlic, spinach, lettuce, and radishes sprouting.

We just planted corn, Cinderella pumpkins, and bush beans.

We still have pole beans, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and random herbs to plant in a couple more weeks.

So, this is where we’re at with the vegetable garden so far this year. I’ll continue to share progress along the way.