Bumblebee Blog

Bzzzz July 1st, 2007

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The potager garden is humming along, requiring little in the way of daily care except watering and some weed pulling here and there.

Happily, I also need to wander through with my gathering basket to pick ready vegetables. I can usually count on cucumbers, zucchini, squash, bush beans, chard and, of course, herbs. I also still have lettuce, although it is ready to bolt.

I tried to purchase some summer lettuce seed mix from the Cook’s Garden. I received an email about this amazing mix that is supposed to grow even in the heat of the summer. Not five minutes after receiving the email I tried to order some, only to later learn that they were out of stock.

Is that right? I mean, if I tried to order it FIVE MINUTES after they sent the email, what is that about? Surely there weren’t MILLIONS of lettuce lovers just waiting for their emails about these seeds, who then hopped online with their credit cards to purchase in bulk. Surely there could be one or two seed packets left for someone who waited FIVE MINUTES to order.

Oh, yes, I understand that the creative for these HTML emails must be done ahead of time. But if you’re running low on these amazing seeds, why feature it in an email, just to get the hopes of your customers dashed?

(Deep breath.)

Day lily bed

I’m very curious about this day lily bed. I put these flowers in about three years ago. The first year after they were planted, they bloomed gloriously and all were a bright orange. This year, for the first time, I notice that most of the flowers are coming up in other colors–fuschia, deep purple, even yellow. I’m curious about why this is the case. Ideas anyone?

Slicemaster cucumbers bloom with Morning Glories

I have grown Slicemaster cucumbers in the past. But I never before noticed purple blooms on the plants. All the other cucumbers I have grown have yellow blooms. At first glance I thought these were cucumber blossoms. But no. They are invasive morning glories twining among the cucumbers.

Garden gate

Here’s a developing problem–my garden gate. I have a soft heart and haven’t been able to bring myself to make a tough decision. One one side I have wisteria growing. On the other side is clematis. They are starting to touch and it will be a plant war. What to do?

Black eyed susan vines creeping through the fence

Another dilemma: How do I get my delicate black eyed susan vines to climb the fence? They are vigorous climbers when in a pot with a trellis. But the fence slats seem to be too much for the vines to grab onto to climb up. Perhaps some twisties? Some twine?

Bee balm

Do you sprout?It’s not just for hippies anymore.

I have been sprouting for years. Radish sprouts. Broccoli sprouts. Onion sprouts. These are mung bean sprouts.

There are many beauties to sprouting:

– No weeds.

– You can sprout any time of the year, even in a snowstorm.

– It takes up very little space.

– It’s WAY fast. You can get a harvest in as little as two days.

– The sprouts taste yummy and can be used in a wide variety of cooking.

– It’s very inexpensive.

– They are really good for you.

As you can see, I don’t have one of those fancy sprouters advertised in the magazines. This is just a mayonnaise jar that is fitted with a lid that I found about a hundred years ago at a health food store. You can accomplish the same thing with a bit of screen or even cheesecloth and a rubber band.

Here’s what you do.

1) Find the sprout seeds. This, I’m afraid, is the hard part. You can look in health food stores but even they, I’m afraid, are often deficient on this score. Surfing the web helps. I recently got two FIVE POUND BAGS of mung beans from the wife of the fellow who owns the wine shop (did you follow that) because they shop at an Indian grocery store near their home about an hour from here.

2) Measure out a modest portion of the seeds into your sprouter. They will expand like mad, so don’t fill it very much. For this mayo jar you see here, I only had about 1/2 cup of mung beans.

3) Soak the seeds in tepid water overnight in a dark location. I put them in the cabinet where we keep our glasses. This way, I always am reminded of it because that’s the cabinet I visit most frequently.

4) Each day, rinse the seeds in tepid water. I rinse in the morning and in the evening. Allow to drain upside down, giving the jar a little air space. I prop my jar sideways in the aforementioned cabinet, still allowing the drops of water to run out on a paper towel.

5) Eat when ready or save in the refrigerator. Sprouts will keep up to 1-2 weeks refrigerated.

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Mung bean sprout, tomato, cucumber and goat cheese salad. Oh, and Ben’s grilled filets with lemon butter topping. (Ben says thanks for the book, Vennie!)

Each seed type has its own unique flavor. I particularly like mung beans for their earthy and nutty flavor. I use them in salads of all types. They can also be mixed with tuna, chicken or other meats.

Onion and radish sprouts have a zesty flavor that I adore. Broccoli sprouts taste a bit like broccoli. You can, of course, mix sprouts too for a mix of flavors.

So there you go! A very easy way to garden in your kitchen cabinet. No experience required!

Ciao!

Posted In: Food and Recipes