Our two hives struggled this summer with a swarm, mites and robbing each other of honey, yet they still managed in their first summer to draw comb for two hives, both with two deeps (the lower boxes) and one super (the upper box.) While we were able to harvest only a disappointing pint… total, it [...]
This is a simple way to use all those greens you are finding at your local Farmers Market and are ready for harvesting in your own garden. Sometimes there is nothing better than sautéed greens with little or no embellishment. Other times I’ll boost the flavor with Parmesan or feta cheese, roasted nuts, and/or diced [...]
“Mama, WHY are we the only ones who take care of the chickens?” say the girls one morning. (They aren’t but who’s counting.) “I tell you what, I’ll do the chickens both morning and evening if you cook dinner tonight,” I say with complete certainty that they’ll choose chickens. “DEAL!” they say. So then goes [...]
Less than a week before we sail! Can’t believe we are there already. This has been the best outfitting season of our career with the perfect mix of good crew and weather and a healthy dose of experience on our part about how to do this well. The Portland Press ran the column last week [...]
I have yet to see one stalk of asparagus come up in my garden, but I’m waiting, albeit impatiently, and it’s warm enough for me to have a serious craving. At our recent Easter dinner, India, a friend and chef, brought asparagus cooked in a new way. And it was du-lish-ous, as Chloe says. While [...]
There are some years where it stays so cold and snowy all the way up to June that I can’t bring myself to bundle up and trudge outside to prune the apple trees. This year, however, we’ve had such a warm spell that it was a treat to spend several hours outside without my head [...]
This stuff really works. I just dug up half a bucket of carrots that have been resting in the ground under a mountain of straw. The ground isn’t frozen and the carrots are gorgeous. I’m thinking about a recipe with carrots, kale and red onions. Maybe with brown rice and/or a soy seared halibut…. Hmm…. [...]
Yesterday, just to prove to Rebecca, our very organized onsite gardener of Gabriella’s Gardens, that I could do it, I filed last year’s seeds. Not alphabetically as she was hinting I should, but by category – greens, heat loving plants like tomatoes, sprawlers like cucs and squash, flowers, herbs and lastly, bushy things. You know, [...]
The rosemary plants are safely in the house, tucked snugly in their terra cotta pots. The piney scent of them is still all over my hands and is wafting around me as I type. Rebecca, our onsite gardener, helped me pull the plants in before the weather got too cold because this time of year [...]
Parsley can sometimes get a bad rap as the overused and poorly thought of garnish on the side of a plate. It carries a clean, bright taste, that holds up to the heavier lentil in this dish. So full of nutrients, Italian flat parsley especially, is a wonderful way to insert color, nutrition and flavor [...]
