Category Archives: garden

12.23.13 Solstice Harvest

Posted on December 23, 2013 by diary of a tomato

One last harvest before the end of the year — a basketful of winter celeriac and leeks. After two back-to-back snowstorms, a week-end thaw allowed us to pull up the row covers and check on the beds after weeks of … Continue reading →

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12.16.13 Snowbound

Posted on December 17, 2013 by diary of a tomato

Unscientific as it may be, we gauge the amount of snowfall by our deck accumulation.  As for our cats, they relish the chance to play in whatever drifts into the screened-in porch. They pad about until their paws freeze, come … Continue reading →

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12.9.13 Rosette Tatsoi

Posted on December 9, 2013 by diary of a tomato

Tatsoi goes by several names, such as spoon mustard or spinach mustard. It’s only during the colder part of the season and you see the plant in its entirety that the name rosette bok choy makes sense. It’s rumored that … Continue reading →

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11.18.13 Planting Garlic

Posted on November 18, 2013 by diary of a tomato

Planting garlic is one of the most hopeful acts in the garden, a commitment to the next season. It’s the last to go in the ground and, when spring returns, the first to come up. We patiently peel back the … Continue reading →

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Putting Up: Red Pepper Ristras

Posted on November 13, 2013 by diary of a tomato

We often keep strands of dried peppers, called ristras, hanging in the kitchen, however, it wasn’t until we were faced with a bushel of them that we had the chance to make our own. Beyond the cultural mash-up of making … Continue reading →

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11.11.13 Under Cover

Posted on November 11, 2013 by diary of a tomato

The garden beds are now readied for winter, a sign of quieter days ahead. To the rear, one of the hoop-covered beds holds hardy carrots, celeriac, and leeks. The other one contains kale, chard and salad greens snug under an … Continue reading →

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11.4.13 Fennel Flowers, Bulbs & Seeds

Posted on November 4, 2013 by diary of a tomato

When harvesting fennel, we’ve learned to leave the taproots in place, which sprout again for a second and sometimes third harvest. These baby bulbs went immediately into a pot of chicken braised in milk, along with their fronds and a handful … Continue reading →

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