Author Archives: diary of a tomato

7.23.12 Sunday to Sunday

A kitchen garden has a rhythm of its own, and this is the time of year when the garden needs to be picked daily. And the more you pick, the more the plants will produce. Here’s a week’s worth of … Continue reading

Posted in garden | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 27 Comments

Mastering Food Preservation: Jams & Jellies

I came away from our first hands-on lab with a new-found appreciation for homemade jams and jellies, the topic of our next class in the Master Food Preserver Program. Timed to coincide with strawberry season, flats of fragrantly ripe strawberries … Continue reading

Posted in preserving | Tagged , , , , | 17 Comments

Local Food Report: Gardening For Good

You can’t get any more local than growing your own. Combined with the desire to give to others, Denny Chasteen maintains over 20 raised beds at his home in Lee, NH, with the majority of the produce going to the … Continue reading

Posted in local food | 2 Comments

7.16.12 Baby carrots, summer squash and tomatoes

It was time for the carrots to be thinned, giving us a harvest of stubby Red Core Chantenay and slender Napoli baby carrots attached to a mane of greens. The Napoli is known as Eliot Coleman’s favorite for winter, and seems … Continue reading

Posted in garden | Tagged , , , , , | 21 Comments

Mastering Food Preservation: An Introduction

Here in Maine, eating locally year round requires some familiarity with the art of preserving food. Through experience — mostly trial and error — I’ve built up a working knowledge of canning, drying, freezing and storing these past few years, … Continue reading

Posted in preserving | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

7.12.12 Hosta blooms

Though not usually known for their blooms, the hostas have benefitted from the warm weather and are flowering in a most spectacular way this year.

Posted in garden | Tagged | Leave a comment

Barndiva: Eat the View

Part of my work involves advising chefs on sourcing local food. They, much like the rest of us, appreciate knowing the people behind the ingredients. There’s an element of trust, respect, and joy in the exchange that, in a sort … Continue reading

Posted in interlude | Leave a comment