Giant cabbage earns Holden boy $1,000 February 16, 2018 by Staff on Home & garden, Lifestyle ELLSWORTH — They just grow up so fast — cabbage and kids, that is. Holden Elementary School student Aidan Howe grew a giant cabbage and won himself a $1,000 savings bond from Bonnie Plants. Aidan was one of 4,086 Maine children to participate in the National Bonnie Plants Third Grade Cabbage Program. He was randomly …
Preparing for this year’s garden January 30, 2018 by Barbara Damrosch on Columnists, Home & garden, Kitchen Garden, Lifestyle The stack of mail was heavy with seed catalogs throughout December and January. Now it’s noisy with the swish and rattle of seeds. Seductive little envelopes whisper “Plant me” to the winter-weary gardener. Yet it’s still too early for most spring planting, outdoors or in. Resist those voices. Seedlings sown prematurely grow tall and spindly …
Touting tatsoi greens in winter January 15, 2018 by Barbara Damrosch on Columnists, Home & garden, Kitchen Garden, Lifestyle New ethnic vegetables enter the culinary scene all the time, and the best become multicultural, eventually. Tatsoi, for instance, may not be a household word yet in your kitchen, but in mine it refers to an Asian green, international in scope. When I overwinter it in our unheated greenhouse, I use it almost every day. …
For the love of leeks January 1, 2018 by Barbara Damrosch on Columnists, Home & garden, Kitchen Garden, Lifestyle “Oh, oh, oh…,” our dinner guest murmured. “Where did you get these lovely little leeks?” In June it would have been a compliment, but that November, thanks to a delayed planting, my leeks were a pitiful size, lovely or not. With winter varieties, size counts. You want a beefy leek, a stouthearted leek to hold …
Take heart: the darkest day has passed December 21, 2017 by Barbara Damrosch on Columnists, Home & garden, Kitchen Garden, Lifestyle If you are reading this after 11:28 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Thursday, Dec. 21, an important moment has occurred and you should pause to observe it. It’s the Winter Solstice when the days stop shortening, reverse direction, and begin to grow long again. If you pay attention to these things, you’ll notice a lag …
Mighty Hubbard squash is worth cutting December 4, 2017 by Barbara Damrosch on Columnists, Home & garden, Kitchen Garden, Lifestyle 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 …
Ritual still strong this Thanksgiving Day November 20, 2017 by Barbara Damrosch on Columnists, Home & garden, Kitchen Garden, Lifestyle One year, a while back, some friends declined a Thanksgiving invitation because of “the fixation on the turkey” that the holiday entails. Because they were vegetarians, I understood and respected their wishes. But it got me pondering about Thanksgiving, a holiday I love but one whose meaning has often shifted over time. Thanksgiving’s connection with …
In praise of parsley November 6, 2017 by Barbara Damrosch on Columnists, Food, Home & garden, Kitchen Garden, Lifestyle In the 1989 film “The Fabulous Baker Boys,” Michelle Pfeiffer’s character is trying to demonstrate the utter banality of the song “Feelings.” “It’s like parsley,” she says, holding up a sprig from her plate. “Take it away and no one would know the difference.” That’s certainly the common view of parsley — a frilly tuft …
Herbs hardy enough to survive winter October 23, 2017 by Barbara Damrosch on Columnists, Home & garden, Kitchen Garden, Lifestyle Their leaves are rough or leathery, in shades of gray or blue-green. They thrive among sand and rocks and gravel. Though often woody, they’re kept low and scrubby by the nibbling of goats, and by occasional fires, fueled by the volatile oils from their aromatic leaves. These are the classic garden herbs, celebrated in kitchens …
Serving up summer in antipasto August 28, 2017 by Barbara Damrosch on Columnists, Food, Home & garden, Kitchen Garden, Lifestyle The summer table is all about medleys. With so much ripening in the garden, a vegetable isn’t just a side dish to accompany a carb-and-protein meal. Fresh produce inspires the meal, often stepping forth as the main event. Few leafy greens tolerate hot weather, so summer salads are a more solid affair, with cucumbers, tomatoes, …
