King Arthur would have known just what to do. My heftiest chef knife was plunged to the hilt in a blue Hubbard squash twice the size of a Thanksgiving turkey and only a heroic effort would remove it. I found that by drawing the handle toward me as far as it would go, then thrusting …
Of all our national holidays, Thanksgiving holds a special place. It’s apolitical and nondenominational. It brings families together. It conjures up a brief moment when we were not trying to dominate or extirpate the people who arrived before us on this continent. And it’s all about food. We know very little about that “First Thanksgiving” …
This year November arrived, and the tomatoes refused to depart. Even after a few mild nips of frost, some of the vines soldiered on in protected locations. In a greenhouse, the vines would have remained vigorous long after it was time to pull them down and make way for winter spinach. Why is this so …
I love the first frost. I’ve never joined the chorus of gardeners who view it as a disaster to be lamented. Sure, half the garden has been obliterated. High time! By then I’m tired of picking beans, finding homes for the extra squash, and feeling I need to can every last tomato. Besides, frost is …
It’s often said that making compost is like cooking. You assemble your ingredients — in this case, a combination of dry, high-carbon organic materials such as dead bean vines and straw, mixed with moist, high-nitrogen ones such as kitchen scraps and manure. Then you use heat to break the ingredients down. With cooking you use …
There’s a red-stemmed collard in my garden right now that is taller than I am — impressive for a member of the brassica family. It’s a magnificent creature, with huge blue-green leaves that get smaller as they ascend the magenta stalks. The top is crowned with abundant sprays of pale yellow blossoms, presently enjoyed by …
Summer is by no means over and plans are already underway for next year’s garden. You’re not the one making them, though. It will be months before the new seed catalogs arrive, and what with weeding and watering you might not have had a chance to come up with a scheme for next year. But …
Some recipes seem perfectly written for the garden, but it’s the other way around. The garden writes the recipes. Nobody ever said, “Beans and corn would taste great together. Let’s grow some.” The Native Americans planted them together, the beans climbing up the cornstalks for support. They were then reunited as succotash. All the world’s …
“The Green Leaves of Summer” was the theme from the 1960 film “The Alamo” and became a pop standard. Its nostalgic lyrics celebrate both the green time of the year and youth, the green time of life. They’re about abundance and green fields. But when it comes to salads, I’ll take the green leaves of …
“House proud” is a nice old-fashioned phrase. It describes the feeling you have when everything is reasonably clean and in order. It reflects the fact that while we all may befoul our nests to some degree, we like visitors to feel comfortable and welcomed when they walk through our door, not assaulted by our mess. …
In an eruption of patriotic cheer, mojitos are suddenly on the menu at our house for a family get-together. Neither my husband nor I are cocktail experts, but the mint in our ever-moist “mint ditch” is a lush green. So we’ll be muddling together mint leaves and ice cubes in tall glasses, replacing the traditional …
If there were a prize for the most versatile vegetable, the scarlet runner bean would be a serious contender, even though it’s hardly a garden staple. It may be best known as a children’s plant. Kids are often encouraged to make a tepee out of bean poles and sow scarlet runners at the base of …
