South Shore and Madrona!

December 5, 2012!

Harvesting Brussel Sprouts!

Freshly harvested leeks

Beautiful cauliflower, ready to pick!

IslandWood welcomed South Shore and Madrona Elementary this week! With the help of their fabulous students, we harvested and made a delicious snack with Chef Chris using the following home grown ingredients:

• Brussel sprouts
• Leeks
• Kale
• Cauliflower
• Parsley
• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Peppermint
• Lemon Balm
• Lemon Verbena

 We made a delicious vegetable saute, fresh tea, and garnish of herbs and fresh grated cheese...yum!

Prepping our veggies

Saute it up!

 

Decorate our plates, and enjoy!

December 4th, 2012

What are we still able to harvest outside in the garden this week?

Leeks, Kale, and Celery

• Leeks 
• Celery
• Kale
• Chard
• Artichokes
• Potatoes
• Brussel Sprouts
• Broccoli
• Sorrel
• Chives
• Herbs: rosemary, oregano, peppermint, lemon balm, thyme, sage, parsley
• Sunchokes
• Collards
• Turnips
• Parsnips

Fresh Sorrel in our Garden! After a fresh rain, the sorrel (Rumex acetosa) a perennial herb, looks so green, and happy. As always, it is delicious right out of the garden. Have you tried sorrel before?



 

Colder weather is on the horizon, and we are getting prepared in the garden! Some plants do poorly in cold weather (around or below freezing), but what to do if they live outside? We can put some remay on them!

Remay is a spun-bonded polyester fabric that acts as a "plant blanket" if you will. It comes in different sizes and weights, just like blankets we use. The thicker the fabric, the more protection it offers. It allows for rain and water to penetrate to the plants, although it can shade some light. Remay also protects plants from pests and wind, and is used to shelter baby plants while they first take hold. Overall, when other plants freeze in the open air, the remay-ed plants have no frost and have a better chance of making it through the cold temperatures.

This is what the garden looks like this week.....some beautiful crops like leeks, celery, and kale doing great in the colder weather. We put remay on the chard, and over some of our herbs. Hopefully, they will stay nice and warm!

Cozy Chard