Home Brew

Home brew in January and have a great St Patrick day, green food coloring not required, but not restricted ether!!!

WINTER LEEKS

   Early January and the leek crop is still providing for us. I left the pitchfork in the patch before the snow and all I had to do is pry. The soil wasn't frozen more than an inch and the leeks came right out, the snow acts to insulate the crop. These are self-sowing leeks that we grow as yearlings and use them when they are the size of your pinky. Every year we allow 5 or 6 to get large and flower so they can sow seeds that we dig up and move around the garden to where we want them. The allium family includes leeks, onions, and garlic all have the wonderful ability to deter animals and insects from eating them and ofter other plants around them so we use them as natural defense for our garden.
   I wanted leek dip for a get-together and the little scallion like leeks chop up great and have a mild sweet taste from the freezing they endured.






















A littel leverage and leek dip comming up.

LEEK DIP post to come....

KALE SO GOOD

KALE SO GOOD

Kale, frilly like petticoats and brilliant in colors. How is it a cabbage can fascinate me so entirely?

These tough plants are a boon to any fall landscape, and the ones I've planted here in New England show color well into January. Not only are they beautiful but they're edible too, and very good for you, in case you haven't heard. These I spied on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, two varieties nestled among the ivy in concrete planters.

 A member of the brasica family makes these a cold season crop and therefore great for fall and early spring planting. With last winter's mildness ours overwintered well and reseeded new babies.

They aren't without pests though. Slugs, snails and the Colorado Bean beetles all ate ours this summer.

These little Zebra caterpillars love my organic kale.
Check them out in Garden Insects Of North America
by Whitney Cranshaw. Great reference for what is eating your plants.

KALE CHIPS

There are varieties that are for eating, and varieties for looking at. Get the culinary one for this recipe. 

Pick and wash kale in a bucket of water, (the frills tend to hold the dirt)

Rip the stems out and dry leaves with a paper towel.

Lay on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons good olive oil

Toss to coat.

Lightly salt.(Kosher salt seemed too big and heavy, I pulverized it and put it on thin)

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes until crispy.

Eat them like potatoes chips, kids love em too!