Where is the Eggplant?





My family and I took a mini vacation. Our destination was built around an auction my hubby wanted to attend. As we traveled whining roads, with a breathtaking rural backdrop of large white square farmhouses, my children’s excitement grew. The first sighting of a black carriage being pulled by a single horse was amazing.  The game started of counting how many we passed before we arrived at the hotel. Sighs were long and loud as we entered a small town, only to be replaced with shouts of glee when we exited and came across more. As much as I will cherish these memories, none will mean more to me than “Where is the Eggplant?”.

We had spent the day traveling the area and enjoying Amish Country, when we stopped at a farm supply store. As we started to walk thru the aisles, two of my yahoos went missing. I called them and followed the tiny voices to a seed display.  I rounded the front of the display and my oldest is standing there holding two seed packets and asked “Where is the eggplant?”.  Now I know this doesn’t seem like much, but my little man is living with autism. At that moment, my eyes welling with tears, my heart about to split, all the hard work was justified. Why you might ask? Four years ago, Shag Bark Hickory Farms didn’t exist. There was just a stay at home mom who fought tooth, nail and stick to help give her son those words. If we couldn’t afford the therapy, I researched and then used it with him. The local library was my best friend.  And if the library was my best friend, the garden was my sanity. After a pretty rough time, I read an article about programing being dropped for young adults pertaining to work assistance. Thankfully Michigan is still one of the states with assistance past the age of 18, but who knows how long that will last. I want my sons to be productive members of society, able to support themselves and a family if God is willing. We were already generations of a farming family and I love…. No NEED… to garden.   So that is how SBHF came about. It was not easy. My time was now divided, and it became the subject of a few disagreements. Blame it on my Irish ancestry and the inherited stubbornness, but this was it. The one thing that makes work, well NOT work.  But last year when we moved to the five acre plot, self-doubt ran wild. I don’t know how many times I heard “I don’t wanna pick the tomatoes”…. Lol.   It became a family joke and made my stomach hurt at the same time. Was all this going to be worthless in the end?

As I write this, just days later, the moment still brings tears to my eyes.  My hubby is just shaking his head, giving me a look that clearly states I am certifiable. But he was holding two seed packets he had already chosen. One was carrots, understandable since his 4H project is rabbits. The other packet being his favorite fruit, was watermelon. He picked them out, with a desire to GROW seeds. Maybe..... I AM doing this right. Eggplant is a mystery to me,  on the whys. We couldn’t find a single packet on the racks that day, so he was disappointed when we left the store. But mom has that wonderful bucket full of seeds and will make darn sure he has some come planting time.

 

Let's Talk Squash

The middle of winter has arrived with blistery northern winds and subzero temperatures.   Apparently, 20 degrees was too warm of us here in Michigan. Mother Nature has turned down the thermostat and delivered an old fashion winter.  It has been a while since a true Michigan winter was upon us. Plans for a high tunnel have been postponed. Who wants to be out in 5 degree weather trying to hammer support rods into a frozen snow covered landscape. While I might be in love with winter, I do not LOVE the 5 degrees. I am very grateful for our corn furnace, chugging along keeping us toasty warm. With the cooler weather, my hands have been itching to create warm cozy creations. Quilting and Crocheting are my top choices, although felting is a skill I desire to learn. I have been earnestly working on my hubby to let me get a small flock of sheep. “It would be a great learning experience” has been my line of reasoning. I co-lead a 4H group with two of my children enrolled. When, in fact I just want to learn how to spin wool.  But on to the subject I had already promised. Let's talk squash.

I have to confess that squash is just not inspiring me at this moment. Lol. It might be the months of eating squash and trying to find new ways to cook with it. Stuffed squash, cubed squash, squash with brown sugar and marshmallow, breads, cakes, roasted squash, you name… I probably have cooked it. My Favorite Recipes board on Pinterest is loaded with squash recipes.  But I do have to say I love to grow squash. There are so many varieties out there.  There is summer squash and winter squash (think zucchini vs. pumpkins).  What most people do not know is there are four main squash species. You can grow one of each and not worry about cross pollination. Meaning, you can save seeds from each, and they will grow “true” to seed or produce the same squash again. For someone with limited space this is great news. For those who would like to learn more on the subject, I highly recommend “The Complete Squash” by Amy Goldman.  Squash is part of the Cucurbita family. I will abbreviate with C.

C. Pepo: Think summer squash. They are quick growing. Zucchini and Scallop varieties would be in this group. Although I grow them every year for the market, I love other varieties more. Pick a new zucchini this year, not the standard green or yellow. There are many more in a rainbow of hues.  Think French or Italian.

Fordhook Acorn: Small, tan, and ribbed. These cuties are 1 ½ lbs. with grainy mildly sweet flesh. Great shelf life.  Perfect for stuffing and individual servings.  Introduced in 1890 by Burpee.

Winter Luxury: I was impressed with this little baking pumpkin. Not only was it prolific (with very long reach), but it was covered with a web like netting. Very striking and unique. The flesh is smooth, sweet, and fiber – free. I liked it better than Amish Paste. The only down side is that it is not the best keeper.

Patisson Strie Melange: A French Scallop mix that is striped, warted, and sports many colors. Pick young to eat or let age to use as fall decorations. One of my favorites and receives a lot of attention at the market.

C. Maxima: These come in all shape and sizes. Hubbard, Buttercup, Mammoth and Turban are examples of this species of squash. I always have a hard time in this variety just selecting a few.

Galeux D’Ensines : A French baking pumpkin with gorgeous salmon colored skin covered in tan warts.  A true beauty that has become popular for fall decorations.  One of my favorites.

Guatemalan Blue Banana: This was a trial squash last year and my customers raved about it. The Banana group is noted for their fine table quality. Dark “Blue” with light stripes, thick firm golden flesh.  Can be sliced to bake or roast.

Blue Hubbard: This one comes large or mini. Either way they are unique. “Blue” with warted skin and the shape of what makes a Hubbard stand out. Fine grained yellow sweet flesh. Excellent quality.

C. Moschata: These would be your cheese pumpkins, butternuts, and other necked varieties. They tend to harvest later in my experience, but still well worth the wait.

Musquee De Provence: A cheese pumpkin for the South of France. Shaped like a wheel of cheese ripening from green to burnt sienna. Deep orange flesh is dense and of superb quality.

Seminole: I know I listed this in the previous blog, but it is that good.

Yokohama: The skin of this reminded me of black velvet. While the texture wasn’t there, the color was that amazing. Very flat, ribbed and dark-green with tan skin. Has a dry, fine-grained and sweet flesh. Another trial from last year that did great.

C. Mixta: With a limited seed list, this group has some interesting varieties including Cushaw. I have not ventured into this group much. I will strive to plant at least one new variety this year. Lol. There has also be a name change for this group, although not all the seed catalogs are reflecting it. C. Argyrosperma is the correct species.

Tennessee Sweet Potato: Beautiful pear-shaped fruit with white skin and faint green stripes.  Old descriptions in seed catalogs compare it to a sweet potato, but I think more like a regular potato.

Well, that just about covers the ins and outs for the squash world. All the listed varieties can be found in either the Seed Savors Exchange or Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds websites or catalogs. Thanks for stopping by for a visit.

Until next time,

Christi Kotus

As the Snow Flies

As the snow flies, the mercury drops and we huddle in our cozy sweaters. It is winter in my little corner of Michigan. There is a white blanket of frozen-ness covering the world out my window. Yes, frozen-ness. Everything is frozen, waiting to be awakened in spring, snuggly blanketed by white fluffy insulation. Some might find this dreary, and wish for this season to pass. Not I! Blame it on my Canadian ancestry or my love of gardening, but winter is enchanting to me. The quiet stillness of a landscape washed anew with a gentle snow fall. The nose pressed to the glass anticipation of waiting for the mailman to deliver small bundles of wonder containing thousands of seeds. Curling up in my favorite spot with a cup of hot tea, dreaming of spring. And it's when I plan my garden for the next year.

For those who are just getting to know me.... my garden is five acres. Five acres of dirt stomping, vine growing, bug exploring, soul soothing GOODNESS. And it falls under the name of Shag Bark Hickory Farms. I am already excited about the 2013 year. My seed bucket is FULL of those little packets of miracles and my wish list is still to many pages long. lol. I mean..... I ONLY have 5 acres. That's not a whole lot for a lady like me. See, I have a love affair with them all. The squash, tomatoes, melons, beans (fresh and dry)... you name it. But they all have one thing in common. They are heirloom seeds. What is an heirloom? The long and short of it: It is what your grandma would of grown in her garden. And her mother, and her mother.... and so on. I am not going to get on a soap box about the benefits verses hybrid seeds, but I will share that it is personal. I have three beautiful children and two have Autism. My way of coping with the first diagnoses was to research, research, research. There are some real concerns about our food supply. I was unaware. So imagine my surprise the first summer I planted a heirloom tomato. I fell in love. There is nothing like the mouth watering goodness of a vine ripend heirloom tomato, still warm from the sun. The love grew from there to squash, then to melons. This year I am fascinated with radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, and anything French. Let me share with you some of my favorite varieties.

Purple Tomatoes: Smoky with a hint of citrus, wonderful. Nyagous was my favorite last year. Roasted, it was absolutely heaven. Made such sweet sauce, my oldest was caught eating it out of the pot.

Currant Tomatoes: These little bits of pure flavor burst in your mouth. There are thousands of them on a single plant.

Ancho Peppers: Also smoky. Wonderful in chili or any dish you would like to spice up.

Seminole Pumpkin: (C.moschata) Sweet dry flesh in a small package. Prolific with great pest resistance. A must grow. Wild in the Everglades.

Butternut Rogosa Violina "Gioia": (C. moschata) Italian type, violin shaped with wrinkled tan skin. Deep sweet orange flesh, great for baking. This one surprised me. I didn't expect it to be 3 ft. long. Late, but well worth the wait.

Dwarf Blue Curled Leaf Kale: Hearty deep blue green leaves with a mounding habit. Gorgeous for an edible garden as a boarder plant. Still going in our 20 degree Michigan weather.

Plum Granny or Queen Anne's Pocket Melon: Bland in flavor but makes up for it in fragrance! Beautiful ornamental with history as being used in pockets for perfume. Tigger and Rich Sweetness are similar with flavorful sweet flesh.

Prescott Ford Blanc Melon: Unique French Melon. Ribbed with warts, bumps and grey-green skin that ripens to straw. First mentioned in 1860's, but probably older. Nothing like it when picked at perfection.

Rotonda Bianca Sfumata Di Rosa Eggplant: Mild and delicious large Italian. Round with rose-pink blush. Beautiful.

I could go on and on. Did I mention my seed bucket was full? But there will be other blogs and lots of weeks before planting to tell you about them. My most ear-tagged seed catalogs are:

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company

www.rareseeds.com

Seed Savors Exchange

www.seedsavorsexchange.org

Next week: The different classifications of squash with a few of our favorites of each. Check out Shag Bark Hickory Farms on facebook. We have weekly recipes, specials, and market information. Find me on Pinteret with boards for the Farmer's Market, Shag Bark Hickory Farms and many others. Not only do I love gardening, but I like to craft and refurbish.

Until next time,

Christi Kotus