Redlands. 08:00a.m. 27 July. Get ready for thunderstorms

We have some good and not so good [depending on the way you look at it] news to share.

For the not so good news, you probably will not be seeing us at the farmers market on Saturday morning until September. This time is year, as the cool season seeds are germinating in their cell trays , before we transfer them to larger containers [which take up a heck of a lot more room], we are busy graveling under the racks [yeah, no more mud!], rearranging the rows to allow more space in between and revamping the irrigation just a bit.

This is not a small task but oh,  is it so necessary. Let’s add to that an edible landscape that is really going crazy, producing an amazing amount of heirloom veggies, herbs [basil, summer savory, fennel & arugula galore!] melons [coming in well] . Let’s not forget while all of this good stuff is going on, we are growing nursery stock  again [yep, cool season edibles are just a few weeks out!] and well…..something had to be put on hold.  Yep, farmers market.

Now before you get too sad, this is not terrible news. In anticipation of  a bountiful harvest and time needed here on the home-front, my brilliant husband has built us a produce stand [complete with a fabric shade cover he stitched together]. This is even better than visiting us at the farmers market. How can this be, you ask? Because we have a lot more to offer you than we can take to market! and you can swing by when it best fits your schedule!

Let’s talk heirloom produce. Corno di Torro peppers. German Johnson tomatoes. Fin de Meaux cucumbers. Italian sweet basil. Lemon basil. Summer savory. And this is just what is fresh this week. The 9 other tomato varieties, 4 other pepper & melon, 2 other cucumber, all the delicious leafy greens, edible flowers + countless other perennial herbs [rosemary skewers, lemon thyme, balm & verbena, mints, oregano, sages, bay, curry plant, etc] are either on their way or already here!

And how does tarragon butter for your roasted corn on the cob sound? Or maybe a jar of basil pesto? With all the bounty in the garden, our passion for combining herbs with seasonal produce is at an all-time high! Having seasonal produce stand allows us to showcase the goodness of heirlooms and herbs [creating until our hearts are content] &  share the bounty with you  – all the while taking care of business here on the home front!

So let’s get to it [finally, I know!]. Look for an email from us each week of what we have available, email us with your wish list [include amounts , day & approximate time you will be by] and we will have your goodies waiting for you on the stand.Remember, our focus is variety & quality, not pure volume. Supplies are limited.

Fresh this weekend:

Heirloom German Johnson tomatoes   $3 lb

Heirloom German Strawberry tomatoes    $3lb

Heirloom Fin de Meaux cucumbers    $4 a basket

Heirloom Mizuna $ 3 a bunch

Heirloom Arugula [baby] $ 3 a bunch

Heirloom Summer Savory    $3 a bunch

Heirloom Italian Basil    $3 a bunch

Heirloom Lemon Basil $3 a bunch

Tarragon Butter   $5 ea [1/2 cup]

Spearmint or Chocolate Mint    $3 a bunch

Lemon Verbena    $4 a bunch

Purple & Golden Sage    $3 a bunch

Stevia    $4.00 a bunch

Thyme: French, Lemon & Caraway  $3.50 a bunch

Rosemary skewers $ 4.00 [5 skewers]

1 gallon heirloom tomato plants [Red Pear, Yellow Brandywine, Jaune Flamme, Roman Candle] $7 ea

4in Lavender plants [Goodwin Creek, in bloom/Grosso & Provence] $7 ea

We thank you all for your continued  support of local agriculture!

Redlands.  28 July. 7:46.  86 degrees

As you may [or may not ] have noticed, we have been a bit irregular in our attendance at the Saturday morning farmers market in Redlands. While we would like to say we have been traveling to far off exotic places, feasting on their local cuisine and dancing into the wee hours, we have not. 

Nope, we have been taking this time in between growing  seasons to do some major rennovations in the nursery. Gravel is going down under the racks, racks are being raised up higher off the ground, irrigation is being moved and in a few weeks, we are building a seed starting house  [yes, now we are dancing!].

Our edible garden is keeping us very busy as well! Tomatoes are starting to really come in, as are peppers and cucumbers. Fruits on our nectarine tree are appearing daily [I swear they are not there the night before!]and the heirloom melon patch is growing in very nicely. 

Arugula and borage have resurfaced, having reseeded themselves quite nicely from last fall/early spring plantings. The heirloom pumpkins and buttercup winter squash starters are growing so fast it is a little scary! From one day to the next [and with the help of fish emulsion and descent irrigation], they seem to grow not by inches but by feet.

Our raised box full of basil is too amazing for words. Oh, how we love fresh basil. I have been having a lot of fun tucking basil in to flat bread veggie wraps, soda water and even into plum preserves. For dinner, we simply topped pasta  with diced tomatoes,  garlic and lots of basil. Summertime herbs make eating [cooking] during the heat possible.

With all of the goodness the edible landscape is offering, we have built a self-serve produce stand. Each week,we will send  out an  update letting you all know what is available. All you need to do is simply send us an email letting us know what you would like, how much and when you plan on picking it up. By harvesting only what we know is going to be used, we can minimize waste. Nothing is more sad than wasted produce – all of the time and energy spent caring for and growing delicious food only to see it go unused. Don’t even get me started on taking cuttings from perennial herb & edible plants that don’t get used. This is heart-breaking.

On a lighter and happier note, we have been informally offering one-on-one gardening classesfor those interested in growing their own food. Sometimes the  instruction has been here in our garden, a few times we have visited fellow neighbors gardens.  It is so good to see how well everyone is doing!  We love your determination, your commitment, your passion. We love your spirit of resilience and we love your success.

So, as the next season [and the far easier one] of growing approaches and while our warm season gardens are in full swing [along with lots of pests and questions] we have decided to host workshops[ now through the end of August ,Saturday mornings - 9ish, here in our gardens , with a small group - no more than 4, for about an hour. Fee is $45] . 

 There’s a quote that says , “Reading is good but the garden is the best teacher”. We would add that the garden is also the best classroom. No, there will be no tests, no note-taking. Just bring along your gloves, questions and your sense of adventure. Together, we will explore topics such as  planting a year round edible garden [with focus on the  season we arecurrently in ], successive planting [planting reguarly so that we extend the harvest], pest identification & management, square-foot gardening [planting/care and maitenance], harvesting, biodynamics adapted for the  home garden, growing & cooking with herbs, herbal remedies [including homeopathic preperations from the home garden], the aromatherapy garden, and connecting with the nature to soothe the senses.

So what are you doing this Saturday morning? Interested in some hand-on question and answer time in the garden? Let us know! Which brings us back to where this post started -  Saturday morning farmers market. Look for us to return to market just in time for the cool season planting to begin, September. In the meantime, know that our produce stand is here ready and waiting for you – full of all the fresh cut  herbs you love, heirloom produce that peaked your interest when you saw them as plants earlier in the year, our signature herb salts, preserves, butters & tea.

Looking for our heirloom plants? You can find them 7 days a week at both Olive Ave Market in Redlands & Cherry Valley Nursery. If you would like to pick up some plants along with your heirloom produce and other fresh goodies off the produce stand,  simply let us know.

Enjoy the day an thank you in advance for your continued support!

Redlands, 12 July, 07:22 hr, cool [for a nice change]

Are you doing the same happy dance we are? Woke up to a cooler morning to start the week with and it’s fore-casted to stay this way [for at least the next several days]. Great timing, because we have begun seeding some of the longer day cool season crops for fall [germination is way harder if not impossible in high temps] and because my family is getting tired of my cooking hiatus – hot weather does that!

Last weekend, my husband and I enjoyed our first weekend off since March. Saturday morning began with a trip to the farmers market to do our weekly produce shopping. Peaches, apricots, plums,  garlic, onions, asparagus, Gouda cheese & strawberries were the finds of the day – all are absolutely fabulous!

The afternoon was spent in our home edible garden, moving the split-rail fence back several feet to give the olive trees more space and to allow for more planting of perennial herbs this fall. It was time to rotate the compost bin, too. The bottom layer was ready and so we spread thickly in an area of the garden  that dries out way too fast – trying to hold in moisture for the sage, thyme, geranium and rose bush that call that area home.

As to the evening , we joined friends for dinner – a BBQ, Santa Maria style. For those of you who have never heard of this amazing style of BBQ, don’t feel alone. The first time we had ever heard or tasted this style of BBQ was several months back when these same friends [who happen move to Redlands from Santa Maria several years ago] invited us to join them for dinner.

Santa Maria style  BBQ originates here in California – from our neighbors to the north [making it a shoe in for "Sunday Supper" where we bring you dinner ideas showcasing products from California's rich agricultural  bounty,  in support of  the “Eat Local, Buy California Grown Day initiative  a byproduct of Assembly Concurrent Resolution 42, recently approved by the Assembly and Senate. where proponents contend that California’s economy could be boosted by more than $15 billion annually if Californians pledged to eat all locally grown foods just one day a week.]

The roots of the Santa Maria style BBQ date back to the mid-19th century, when the rancheros gathered to help each other brand their calves each spring. The host would prepare a Spanish-style barbecue as a thank you for his vaqueros (America’s first cowboys), family and friends. Under the oaks of the serene, little coastal valley, they would enjoy a traditional feast that included beef barbecued over a red oak fire, served with Pinquito beans, bread, salsa and homemade desserts.

It all starts with a tri-tip cut of beef, seasoned [garlic powder, fresh ground pepper & kosher salt] and prepared on a grill that lowers and raises above the fire. Wood chips fill the fire pit [mesquite or hickory are commonly used  but you could also  use  maple, cherry or the traditional oak] which  gives the  meat  a slightly smoky flavor and cooking it  faster time than if  using indirect heat.

Our host used the same seasoning and grilling methods to prepare chicken – using both breast and thighs. If you are not a huge fan of beef [which I am not but do make an exception for this], know that chicken is splendid when prepared in this BBQ style. When the meats were complete, he  grilled two loaves of hearty bread that had been prepared with butter and  herb seasoning.

Heirloom Boothby Blonde Cucumber

As the grill master was working his magic, our hostess [a brilliant cook and all around awesome lady] started us off with a cool and refreshing variation of both the traditional salsa served at a Santa Maria style BBQ and a shrimp cocktail. Using some  heirloom  cucumbers from her garden in place of celery, she mixed Clamato brand juice, lime juice, cooked shrimp, fresh diced heirloom tomatoes, diced avocado [added just before serving], cilantro &  1/2 a Serrano chili  with a bit of catchup, salt and pepper.  It was amazing to experience all of the fresh, ripe seasonal produce that one simple dish had -  everything melding together to create a sensory bonanza of both taste and refreshment  for the palette.  

RH Strawberry Lavender Jam

For our part of the dinner, we were asked to bring our strawberry lavender vinaigrette.  A few weeks back, we combined fresh local strawberries with our own English lavender to create a pretty tasty jam. A few weeks later, having been asked  to bring a salad to brunch [decided on an arugula salad with fennel & blood orange segments]  I got the idea to play with the strawberry jam as a base to a vinaigrette dressing.  Mixing a couple tablespoons of strawberry lavender jam with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a little water, salt, pepper & a hint of cayenne – voila, a fresh, delicious, easy vinaigrette emerged.

The vinaigrette complimented the salad brought by fellow guests of the BBQ [soap box moment - food really does bring people together! For the most part, meeting new people may not  always be on the top of our  favorite life moments, but when you do so over a home cooked meal, with mutual friends, the world opens up. As if by magic, you end the evening feeling like people who were strangers in the beginning who now feel like dear old friends. Where there is good food, there are more opportunities for good experiences!]

Keeping with the Santa Maria sytle of BBQ, the meal was completed by homemade banana and zucchini bread [yep, heirloom Cotesca Romaneca zucchini].  Even a pitcher of simple  iced water was made fabulous by the addition of fresh cut spearmint [do pick up your fresh cut, naturally grown herbs this weekend at our farmers market booth] & heirloom cucumber slices [Boothby Blonde which we have plenty of here at our produce stand].

Santa Maria BBQ Sunday Supper Menu:

BBQ Tri-Tip [Here is a  link to step by step preperation for the meat and grill [ Ignore the bad words and enjoy at the pictures!] Do remember to look for beef raised here in our Golden state.

Savory Pink Beans [great additional information about our states dry bean industry]

Shrimp salsa with avocado [here's a link to historical information about the shrimp industry in California & Clamato tomato cocktail which began in California in 1969]

heirloom salad greens with strawberry lavender vinegrette [we offer a fabulous heirloom salad blend - from our garden to yours @ our produce stand  & the strawberry lavender jam we used as a base is available at Olive Ave Market] .

Grilled rustic bead [local source, both Redlands farmers markets]

Zucchini bread 

Here’s your  Santa Maria BBQ Shopping List, an easy reference  to take with to farmers market and later when  you do your grocery shopping. Remember, it’s only a guide – do remember to browse the recipes for any other ingredients you may not have on hand.

See you this Saturday morning at the farmers market!

Redlands, 07 July,08:00hr, hot, humid and yucky!

Summer has hit and with a vengeance. Temps over 100, thunder storms and humidity. Getting out into the garden is a task when it is this hot and yet, the garden needs our care more then ever. Plants are parched, many even look a bit limp and sad. Some have called it a day thanks to the heat [cilantro/spring lettuce greens] while others like tomato, cucumber, zucchini and bean plants are coming into their prime!

So as you sip on your cold glass of iced green tea with our English  lavender, here are some simple guidelines for optimal edible gardening in the month of July.  

 What to plant:

In our home garden, we continue to successively plant heirloom basil, lettuce , kale, dill, fennel &  arugula – the crops we are eating the most of.  Once a week we add about 3-4 new transplants into the raised beds.  By adding fresh plants, we are able to extend our harvest , not relying on only one or two plants for the food we love to eat. In addition, young leafy greens tend to be more sweet than the greens from older plants [especially the ones that have been in the heat for weeks now]. 

We have decided to give cilantro a rest, just can’t keep it going long enough during this heat. We have added heirloom Jarrahdale, Long Island, Futsu pumpkins, along with Buttercup, Table Queen & Spaghetti squash. All of these are referred to as “winter squashes” and well, they will be coming in from mid October through winter. 

Speaking of winter squashes &  the beloved pumpkin, this year, we are offering many more heirloom varieties for you to choose from:  Buttercup squash [has a sweet and creamy orange flesh, sweeter than other winter varieties- can be baked, mashed, pureed, steamed, simmered, or stuffed and can replace sweet potatoes]Long Island Pumpkin[preferred variety of many for homemade pumpkin pie] , Turks Cap Squash[use as a pumpkin in recipes, as harvest decor or as a soup bowl],Delicata squash[one of the tastier winter squashes, with creamy pulp that tastes a bit like corn and sweet potatoes, can be baked or steamed-skin is also edible],  Jarrahdale pumpkin [fairytale variety,  silvery bluish-grey color,  mild, nutty, sweet flavor for cooking], Table Queen squash[acorn type, early maturing winter,great used in  fresh soup, baked or  steamed] & Spaghetti Squash[larger ones are sweeter, when cooked flesh resembles spaghetti pasta].

Our winter squashes and pumpkins are the last of our warm season heirloom crops- having filled the racks of Cherry Valley Nursery with them along with 1 gallon heirloom tomato plants and all of your favorite herb starter plants. It is best to get both the winter squashes and tomato plants in by the first week of August [at the very latest] and know that both of these are very limited in quantity. Once they are gone, look for them again next year.

So while we are looking a few weeks down the road – past the bounty of  tomatoes, cucumbers, summer squash & peppers, lets take a moment to talk about growing food year round.  Here in sunny Southern California, we are fortunate enough to be able to grow food through all the four seasons.  Sure, the type of foods we can grow does change each season, but how awesome is it that we can have right outside our front or backdoor a bounty of fresh, nutritious, delicious foods all the time!

We bring this up now because right around the corner, it  will be time to add [or start] your cool season garden. Friends, growing in the summertime is far harder than the growing in the cooler fall temperatures. Keep this in mind as you begin to enjoy the bounty of your warm season garden, knowing you made this seasons garden possible – yes you, who said you had a black thumb! You  CAN grow food and now, we are encouraging you to grow year-round! How exciting to know you will never be without the heirloom goodness that is now a part of your daily diet! How cool is it to know that you are growing more self sufficient while simply growing vegetables and herbs.

He is a good guy in the home garden!

Okay, back to July in the garden. Pest watch is critical! Spider mites, aphids, white-flies, earwigs, ants & caterpillars are out and about. The problem with pests is that they can spread disease [like mosaic virus to cucumbers & zucchini], damage or inhabit the plants produce, rendering it non-edible [or at the very least too gross to even bring inside].  Pests can not only eat our plants but can literally damage the plants tissues causing it to slowly fail  or even worse, die.  Not good.

When it comes to pests, perhaps the best course of action is to spend time in your garden, with your plants daily. By doing this, you can spot pests earlier, before major infestation or damage has occurred. If you see pests localized on a leaf or two, remove whole leaf. If you see many, consider using a OMRI approved pesticide, marking the calender and reapplying every 7-10 days [or as directed]. Many kitchen gardeners like to use an insecticidal soap during the summer months as a preventative – before pests appear.

Another course of action is to place praying mantis cocoons in your garden [we have some hung on tomato cages]. Each cocoon has between 200-400 mantis, plenty of “good pests” to help take out the “bad ones”. Mantis are not picky, they dine on a large variety of other pests – great for when you really don’t know which pest is attacking your garden. Mantis will stay in the garden provided there is enough food and the best part, at the end of their life cycle,  they will leave cocoons full of  future generations in your garden. talk about safe, effective & cost saving pest management!

Continue to deep water your garden at least three times a week.

Continue to feed your plants regularly so that they have the nutrients necessary to produce the food they are growing.

Continue to pull a handful [or two] of unwanted weeds daily as you visit your garden.

Continue to apply mulch [straw works well - look for it at local feed stores] around plants to help keep water in the soil and to discourage weeds.

Apply shade cloth over leafy greens [a sheet will work in a pinch] to help them not become as bitter.

Move container plants to more shaded location. These guys really can suffer in the heat, drying out so much faster than their relatives that  are planted in the Earth. Do add GreenAll Soil Booster as a mulch and feed. Deep water – daily!

Growing a square-foot garden with tomatoes? Take a look at this  way of growing lots of tomatoes in such a small space – single stem method. As you are noticing, when tomato plants are left to bush out, they can take up to 9 feet of space – not good for the other plants trying to live in the same space. This video should help.

Zucchini, melons or cucumbers taking up too much space? Vertical growing!

Interested in incorporating biodynamic principals to your home garden? Here in our home garden and nursery, we are using 5 Flower Formula or a combination of Self-Heal, Wild Rose & Love-Lies-Bleeding [these are Flower Essences produced by Flower Essence Society of Nevada City - each are certified biodynamic] and they are  working  well  to assist the garden during this harsh transition into the  warm summer months.

Do continue to enjoy the coolness of the evening in your garden – a great time to deep water and to connect with your living space.

What to harvest:

Cucumbers- Cut the fruits with some stalk remaining on each. Of course you can harvest large ones but smaller, younger ones are even more delicious. Pick daily since they really don’t keep well. If you do have too many, you can always pickle them or simply slice them into a bowl of salted water with a drop of vinegar. Cover, refrigerate and enjoy within a few days of harvest.

Tomatoes -Pick [and feed] regularly to encourage prolonged crops. Too many, we like to oven dry them adding a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and diced garlic.

Beans – The secret with both runner and snap beans is to pick them often. For the most tasty, tender beans, harvest the pods when they are smaller. Too many? Whole beans freeze well! [up to 3 months  or longer if you blanch them]Do leave some on the vine to ripen as seed for another season.

Basil- How can you ever have too much? Harvest regularly, cutting straight across and leaving at least 1/3 of the plant. Allow several weeks to lapse before harvesting again [time to regrow]. Do make pesto [and freeze it! - will last up to 6 months frozen].

Herbs – From summer savory to mint, finely chop them and freeze what you will not immediately use in ice cube trays [then transfer to freezer safe container] to extend their yummy goodness.

Final words- Fresh batches of strawberry jam with our English Lavender & Sencha green tea with you guessed it, our English Lavender is waiting for you @ Olive Ave Market!  We are loving the jam made into a balsamic vinaigrette added to arugula/fennel salad or on fresh grilled veggie sandwiches!

Farmers Market – Look for lots of naturally grown fresh cut herbs at our booth this summer [we are not at every market in the summer and off seasons]. The last of our pumpkin and winter squash starter plants will be at market through the end of July [and that's it!] along with some 1 gallon tomato plants. Look for new containers planted with single and multiple herbs – perfect for the kitchen gardener, as a hostess , housewarming  or anytime gift [they are also available @ OAM 7 days a week - inside the market]. Last but not least, look for our seasonal herb/salt blends to hit farmers markets in the weeks to come – perfect for summertime grilling or used fresh on yummy yeggies!

Sunday Supper – Are you on board? Look for our blog posts full of inspiring recipes featuring garden [or farmers market] fresh seasonal produce along with agricultural products from our Golden state! Let’s do our part to support local and state agriculture!

Heirloom cool season crops- Yep, this is the month we are starting them. What are they? Broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce[ lots of these], onions, garlic, specialty greens [edible chrysanthemum, savoy, mizuna...] artichokes, kale, chard, spinach, etc.  Do let us know what you are going to grow - we love to have just what you are looking for!

Home produce stand is OPEN! Like you, our gardens are giving us more than we can use. Look for weekly updates of what heirlooms are fresh and ready for you to take along to the beach, poolside, or to make into a delicious meal! From our garden to you- enjoy the heirloom goodness.