Author Archives: zack

All Today’s Peppers

Posted on September 18, 2011 by

The season is changing around here.  Nighttime temps in the fifties, slanted sunlight, and light breezes all herald the return of autumn. It’s been a terrible year for tomatoes, but the peppers seem happy to pick up the slack.  Pictured … Continue reading →

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Mindful Meal

Posted on September 5, 2011 by

After fasting for 26 hours or so, today I decided to prepare a meal consisting entirely of things from the garden – sort of a mindfulness meal.  I made soup using a bunch of vegetables that I harvested today, including … Continue reading →

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This Garlic is Bananas

Posted on September 5, 2011 by

Actually, it’s a leek. Allium ampeloprasum var. ampeloprasum, or Elephant Garlic, to be exact. This is a single “clove,” and it’s comically huge. I picked up a pound of it, which amounts to about six or so cloves, at Peaceful … Continue reading →

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UPDATE: Of Butterflies and Bulbils

Posted on September 4, 2011 by

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a picture of a beautiful butterfly sitting upon shallot bulbils.  Fellow El Dorado County MG and butterfly expert Kathy got back to me with the ID, and the winner is….. Mylitta Crescent (Phyciodes … Continue reading →

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Grape Juice the Color of a Jewel

Posted on August 29, 2011 by

This season has been terrible for most summer annuals – tomatoes, peppers, squash, and the like – but fantastic for the small fruits in the garden.  Blueberries, gooseberries, lingonberries, and currants have all been ridiculously productive, and I even harvested … Continue reading →

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Ramps Probably Won’t Grow Here

Posted on August 28, 2011 by

New seeds arrived in the mail yesterday from Seedman.com.  Chinese Hackberry (Celtis sinensis),Chinese Leeks (Allium tuberosum rottler), Juneberry (Amelanchier alnifolia), and Ramps (Allium tricoccum).  I believe I’m way outside the natural range of ramps, and I have no doubt that … Continue reading →

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Of Claimers and Disclaimers and Wild Plants

Posted on August 24, 2011 by

I’m reading Samuel Thayer’s excellent guide to edible wild plants, Nature’s Garden.  Not only is it a lovely book, full of wonderful photos and informative text, but the very first pages, consisting of a Warning followed by a Claimer (as … Continue reading →

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Seeding Fall and Winter Vegetables

Posted on August 21, 2011 by

Seeds planted today: Broccoli (Calabrese) Mustard (Gai Choy/Giant Red Mustard) Collards (Georgia) Kohlrabi (Early White Vienna) Arugula (Rocket Salad/Coltivata Do Orto) Egyptian Spinach – Molokheiya (Corchorus olitorius) Lettuce (Black Seeded Simpson, Paris Island Cos, Bibb and Red Oak Leaf) Ruby … Continue reading →

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Foraging vs. Harvesting

Posted on August 20, 2011 by

I like foraging (which here I’ll define as wandering around the garden, picking this and that and eating it) much better than I like harvesting, which usually is usually a hot, mosquito-ridden endeavor that involves a bowl, bucket or some … Continue reading →

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Of Butterflies and Bulbils

Posted on August 16, 2011 by

Instead of making seeds, shallots, like some other Alliums, produce bulbils – essentially tiny little shallots – at the end of their flower stalks.  The heavy cluster of bulbils at the end of the long flower stalk will eventually fall … Continue reading →

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