The past two weeks were much quieter and I was able to get a lot done.
Of course, having 2 long weekends in a row didn’t hurt either.

Mandolin scored a nice new rain barrel for what the store paid for it –he’s getting good at getting deals:

let it rain!

two 1/2 gallon jars and counting

I must have dropped a bean

no weeding here for a while

seeds 10/$1 ...who could resist?

the end of the summer squash

fresh food dirt cheap

what makes it all worthwhile

Being a Master Gardener doesn’t mean you know everything about gardening.

In reality, it means you are just crazy enough about gardening that you are willing to use your free time and most likely some of your money to help others garden. It means you will try to find the answers you don’t already have, and in the process, you learn -a lot.

So recently I was asked for tips on growing radishes. I have never actually had a lot of success with radishes myself, and whether I did or didn’t, I never knew why. I searched the internet and recommended a good site to answer the questions.
In the meantime I learned:
1. Just because they grow fast does not mean they are easy to grow.
2. Radishes want even watering, about an inch per week.
3. Radishes want even temperatures, not too hot.
4. Radishes don’t like to be left in the ground too long, they get ‘hot’ when they are.
5. They are way too temperamental for a vegetable so small.

That being said, the pictures below are from radishes planted at the same time and grown in the same bed. Go figure.

Our temps this summer were above normal and the rainfall below…guess this one didn’t like my watering:

uneven watering causes radishes to split

I don’t even know what caused this:

gnarly and nasty

At least this one has an excuse:

the varmint ate my radish

Of course I take all the credit for these two beauties:

nice French Breakfast radish

Oh, you may be wondering about the title?
Well, if you read my most recent confession, you’ll understand.
This may help:
George Thorogood
Rock on!

I’m the only one in our house that eats cantaloupe, so I usually don’t bother to grow it. Every so often I feed the need and toss a few seeds in the ground. What to do with it though?
Previously I have made Spiced Melon Balls, which look cool but again I was the only one to eat them.
Mostly I carted my cantaloupes off to work where I shared, happy to do so – but always wishing there was another way.

homegrown cantaloupe

This year I found the answer…again in my Ball Canning Book. I was actually looking for the recipe for the melon balls (it’s not in this year) and found one for “Golden Nectar.”
Really? Did I read that right???
Quick to the page and there it is! Scan the ingredients: cantaloupe, peaches, orange juice…mmmm!!!
And it can be steam/water bath canned.
WooHoo!
That’s when it happened, again. The song-worm.

Why?

Why must everything have a song attached to it?

My life’s a musical but the soundtrack is only in my head.

Well this time I’m sharing. I won’t pass it on just yet; it’s at the end of the post (look at your own risk).

gather your ingredients

Golden Nectar
2 quarts sliced peaches
6 cups cantaloupe (about 1 melon)
1 quart water
7 cups orange juice
1 ½ cups honey
1 cup pineapple juice
½ cup lemon juice
Yields 6 quarts

Cook sliced peaches and cubed cantaloupe in water until fruit is soft. Puree fruit and liquid using a food processor or food mill. Return to pot and add remaining ingredients to nectar. Bring to a boil, stirring to prevent sticking. Ladle hot into hot jars, leaving ¼” headspace. Remove air bubbles, adjust caps. Process quarts or pints 20 minutes in water bath canner.

tastes as good as it looks

I did make one change; I put mine through the juicer instead of the food mill. This left me with a little less juice, but the byproduct was a fruit mash the consistency of applesauce. I froze that in 1 cup measures to use this fall in my Pumpkin Muffins to replace the oil.

sunshine sauce

My daughter, Mrs. Jones-Ninja, said once that she thought it would be sooo cool if our lives really were musicals.
I didn’t tell her – mine already is.

So …are you ready for the song-worm? Can you guess what it is?
Another musical track Look at the end of the blog
Yet another

Recipe reprinted with permission
Recipes provided by BALL BLUE BOOK(r) OF PRESERVING. Copyright (c) 2009,
Jarden Home Brands, marketer of Ball(r) and Kerr(r) fresh preserving
products.
Jarden Home Brands is a division of Jarden Corporation (NYSE: JAH).

Welcome back!
First I would like to say Thank You to all who have sent me links and helped me understand what GMO’s are all about.
It was just a few months ago I started trying to get a grip on it all, the information seemed overwhelming. You have helped me wade through and I appreciate it.
I did email my Congressman last week (did you?) but have not heard back yet. I am asking him to help get non-GMO foods so labeled. I want it to be easier to know what I am eating.
I will wait another week, I’m sure he’s very busy. I intend to email him every 2 weeks until I hear back. When I do, I’ll let you know what his message is. I encourage you to so the same.

we want to know

In the meantime there a few other things we can do. Some we’ve already talked about; like buying organic whenever possible, avoiding high fructose corn syrup, not purchasing from companies that are linked to Monsanto or are known to use GMO’s in their products.
Of course one of the best things you can do you most likely already are, since you are here reading this. Grow your own food.
Buy organic seeds. Even companies that are not exclusively organic often will use a OG or similar symbol to let you know which of their seeds are organic.
Buy heirloom seeds-then you can even save your own seeds and share with friends.

just a simple label is all we need

The single most important thing is to stay informed.
As Gandhi said:
“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”
Your final assignment: Pledge to yourself that you will do what you can to fight the use of GMO’s
–with your wallet, with your voice and with your backyard.

Organic Consumers Association on Facebook Find them and Friend them-they post a lot of great info
Monsanto owned companies You decide
Johnny’s Seeds Rebuttal (my favorite seed company)
Living Natural First
Previous GMO classes

This is Mandolin’s other favorite way to enjoy eggplant.

gather your ingredients

You will need:
2 Tbl. olive oil
3 cups diced eggplant

2 cups chopped onion
4 Tbl. Minced garlic
1.5 cups chopped celery
3 cups chopped tomatoes
1 chopped hot pepper –or- ½ tsp. dry cayenne

½ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup chopped capers
½ cup sliced green onions
2 cups marinated mushrooms
1 Tbl. sugar
2 oz. drained, chopped anchovies (opt.)

saute

In a skillet, add olive oil. Saute eggplant until tender.

more freshness

Add the rest of the fresh veggies and cook until soft.

all the vegs happy together

looks can be deceiving

in the garden

I bought some dry Roman beans at the grocery store and planted them this past spring.
I just let them grow until I saw the leaves beginning to turn yellow, and that most of the beans were a nice mottled color.

stages of bean development

The green beans are underipe, and at the farther end are some that should have been picked sooner.

levels of dryness

Here are the just shelled beans from underipe to fully ripe.

before

Left alone, one week later they are all dried.

after

Even ignored this way (and I unintentionally shared with the local wildlife) the yield was 7:1.

Homegrown Dry Roman Beans

The Planting

Welcome back!
I hope we are finding our way through all the information out there, and finding it easier to get a hold on.
What do we know?
We know that GMO’s are already in about 80% of our food; and labeling that amount of product would be difficult and costly to us (we know the cost would be passed on to us).
We also know that we don’t know whether GMO’s are necessarily bad, but we do know that the amount of pesticide that is dumped on a lot of it can’t be good for us.

So what can we do?
1. We can avoid buying products with GMO’s. I know buying all organic is expensive and probably not even possible. So buy organic where it counts the most.
We know that most of the GMO’s are in the form of corn, wheat and soy.
High fructose corn syrup is probably the way most of us are consuming GMO’s. Even without pesticides, it’s bad for you. Try to avoid it. For example, we use Natural Directions Organic Peanut Butter. It doesn’t have the high fructose corn syrup and it tastes great. If organic costs more, use less. You’ll take off a few pounds in the process.
This does involve reading labels where you cannot just pick up the organic product. That annoys me that we have to do that for this reason.
So I suggest:
2. Contact your Congressman/Congresswoman…now hold on, it’s easier than you think and it is the best way for us to get our point across.
I went to an anti-GMO website and there was a form letter there regarding the labeling of GMO foods; all I had to do was enter my locality and name and hit enter. And I did, but I did a little more.
A local elected official told me once:
‘If 500 people sign a petition, I take it with a grain of salt; and if 50 people send me a form letter, I’ll look it over; but if 5 people take the time to write to me on their own, then I pay attention.’
Okay, so maybe he’s a bit of a loser…but you get the idea.
So instead of just sending the form letter, I added a personal touch to the beginning.
Here’s the response I got from my congressman:

“Thank you for your message supporting the Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act. Hearing from the people of (Pennsylvania) is an integral part of my job in Congress. I appreciate you taking the time to contact me.

As you know, the Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act would have amended the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA), and the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) to deem a food misbranded if it contains or was produced with genetically engineered materials unless its labeling contains statements meeting specified requirements. It was introduced as H.R. 6636 during the 110th Congress and was referred to both the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The House of Representatives, however, did not consider this legislation during the 110th Congress. Thus far, the Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act has not been introduced during the 111th Congress. I will be sure to keep your opinion in mind, however, if this issue comes to the House floor for a vote.

Thank you again for contacting me and please keep in touch.”

Our Congress is not even considering this bill anymore. I understand why, it was too much and too hard to decide what the proper labeling would be, etc.
So here’s what I’m proposing:
Why can’t they label food that doesn’t contain GMO’s? I know some of the big companies fought against this, but if We The People want it bad enough, we can make it happen.

this would be so simple, right?

This week’s assignment:
1. Contact your local representative easily at this site using your zip code.
Tell them how you feel. For me, I am going to tell him that regardless of HR6636, I want to know whether my food contains GMO’s or not. I am going to ask him why a bill can’t be proposed that would allow foods made without GMO’s to be so labeled. These products may not be organic, but may still be what I would want to buy. And I’m going to ask him how we can work together to handle this issue.
2. Tell at least 3 other people you know to do the same. If enough of us get our congress moving, there can be another bill that will then be discussed.

Do it for your self and for the environment.
Mother Nature doesn’t want all those pesticides either.

The other GMO-101 classes
The Non-GMO project

The past two weeks in the garden have been intense and exciting.
I filmed a segment on gardening with kids for Yoga Journeys.

planting some heirloom seeds

Johnny Braz and Phil Jevin

Opened my new pressure canner only to get a free chuckle:

don't know why, but I found this funny

first of the season

Could not help but think of tuning my ukulele to ‘my dog saves seeds’.
Yes, the mind is the first thing to go.

the dog ate my cucumber

Bean Mania

just the tip of the bean-berg

Did not get the powdery mildew in time.

orphaned squash

time to start thinning

organic weed killers

the veggie that keeps on giving

down but not out

aww, babies are soo cute

mmm... goodness

Vegetable Juice is far away my favorite juice each morning, homemade especially! Although it takes a little extra work, there is a delightful byproduct. (Just wait-you’ll see)

This is not any official recipe, just what I made with what was in the garden:
Garden Blend Vegetable Juice
15 pounds tomatoes
1 colander-full swiss chard and spinach
15 med. ribs and leaves celery
2 handfuls dried parsley
1 pound carrots
1 cup onion
1/2 cup green pepper
2 tsp. salt
1 shot lemon juice per quart jar

juice the juice

Wash veggies, chop into chunks. Combine all ingredients except lemon juice in a pot and simmer about 1/2 hour.
Remove from heat. Juice in a juicer or food processor. Heat back up.
Add 1 shot of lemon juice to each quart jar. Fill the jars to within 1/4 inch head space.
Process in a water bath canner about 45 minutes.

simmer

give 'em a shot

home canned healthiness

Now here’s the good part. Take the stuff that is left in the juicer or strainer and put it into a sauce pot. Add water and simmer for a while.
Strain.
Now you have some wonderful vegetarian soup base!

strain the pulp for soup base

Pack into freezer jars and freeze. Use as you would any soup base.

the aftermath

Now clean up your mess!

I am always excited to get a new edition of The Ball Blue Book – guide to preserving. This year especially so as it is their 100th Anniversary Edition!

Now, one thing I have learned over the years is that although I might get excited to try a new recipe, it does not mean anyone is going to eat it.
So now Mandolin and I go though the recipes and ‘flag’ what we would like to try.

I am so excited to be able to share with you!

I made the Spiced Red Cabbage, and boasted a bit online… and was hit with requests for the recipe. Duh!
Of course I would never infringe on copyrighted materials, so I redirected all inquires to purchase the book (a good idea anyway if you love trying new things!).
Then the best thing happened – I got permission to reprint and share on the blog. Woohoo!
So here is the first recipe I was asked for:
Spiced Red Cabbage
12 pounds red cabbage (about 3 big heads)
½ cup canning salt
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup mustard seed
¼ cup mace
2 quarts red wine vinegar
¼ cup cloves
¼ cup whole allspice
¼ cup peppercorns
¼ cup celery seed
2 sticks cinnamon

Note: I used Apple Cider Vinegar with some Balsamic Vinegar added, that is what I had on hand.

Remove outer leaves of cabbage, core and shred. Layer with salt in a large bowl. Cover, let stand 24 hours.
Drain thoroughly on paper-towel lined trays, about 6 hours. NOTE: I didn’t have that much time what with work and all (and I’m impatient) so I drained about 2 hours then put in a barely warm oven for an hour. Plus I was making a smaller batch, so there is some wiggle room here if you need it.

drain the cabbage well

Combine sugar, mustard seed, mace and vinegar in a large saucepot. Tie whole spices in a spice bag, add spice bag to vinegar. Boil 5 minutes.

just the right spices

Remove spice bag. Pack cabbage into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Ladle hot liquid over cabbage, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles (use a rubber spatula).
Adjust 2-piece caps. Process 20 minutes in a boiling water bath canner.

bagged spices simmering

Mandolin came home that night and said (sniffing the air) “Mmmm…whatcha making?”

Raspberry Vinaigarette, Mixed Pepper Salsa, Spiced Red Cabbage

Recipe reprinted with permission (woo hoo!)
Recipes provided by BALL BLUE BOOK(r) OF PRESERVING. Copyright (c) 2009,
Jarden Home Brands, marketer of Ball(r) and Kerr(r) fresh preserving
products.
Jarden Home Brands is a division of Jarden Corporation (NYSE: JAH).

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How-to Home Preserve (Ball Corporation)
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