Steven Spurrier: "Wine is sunlight, held together by water." The poetic wisdom of the Italian physicist, philosopher, and stargazer, Galileo Galilei. It all begins with the soil, the vine, the grape. The smell of the vineyard - like inhaling birth. It awakens some ancestral, some primordial... anyway, some deeply imprinted, and probably subconscious place in my soul.

This quote is from the movie, Bottle Shock, an all time favorite.  I love the history, that it's about wine, the characters and the soundtrack.  Well, and really that little riff between scenes.  If you've seen it, you'll know what I am talking about.

This quote reminds me of a perfect summer day, similar to those we've been having.  Early September in the Black Hills is AMAZING.  Here's a shot from my garden.  Going gangbusters.

Herbs a muck

When we moved to South Dakota, I assumed whatever I planted would simply die because it SNOWED here.  Well, not so much.  Mint NEVER dies.  I started with one each small 4" spearmint, peppermint and chocolate mint plants and hello, I have now have an 8 x 15 foot mint garden (and it's moving into the neighbors garden which, fortunately, she is cool with).  That's a lot of mint friends.  So I've been drying it along with the lemon balm and lemon verbena and making tea.  Cute little tea bags filled with herbs.  More to come this winter :-)

Cosmos grows beautifully in the Black Hills and is so easy by seed.  I am big seed saver so am always collecting seeds from all of my flowers.  One note, the seeds of Cosmos as very pointy so I suggest using gloves when you harvest.  Pointy to the point of, dang, that's painful!

What I do, is have a bunch of empty old jars in the garage, one for each kind of plant seed and then, periodically, head to the garden and gather seeds.  Every year, I plant marigolds, cosmos, green lettuce, morning glories, peas and beans this way.  It's very simple and I'd like to try more seed saving. It's just a smart thing to do!

Every year, I like to try something new in the garden.  This year, its cabbage.  I LOVE cole slaw so what better way to get the very freshest cabbage but to grow it!  I planted four of these from seedlings and they are such a pretty addition to the garden.  The new visitor I don't like are those white moths that lay about a zillion eggs on cabbage.  Yuck!  Not doing pesticide, I just hosed off all the gross green and brown eggs which has worked pretty good so far.  I almost have to wash them off daily.  Being an organic gardener, it takes more time to ward off the bugs and disease.  However, I have no issues eating my tomatoes right off the plant without washing them either. 

Here's the best IMHO (and easiest) way to make great slaw:

1. Core the cabbage and cut in very thing slices. Put in a big bowl and add a lot of cracked black pepper and about 1/4 tsp of salt.  Mix all together.
2. Mix together (for a full head of cabbage ... which makes A LOT of slaw BTW): 1/2 cup canola oil, 1/2 cup blue cheese dressing (We use Toby's which is all natural and soooo good), 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper about about a 1/4 cup black mustard seeds.
3. Pour the mixture on the cabbage and really mix it together.
4. Cover and put in the fridge for about 3-4 hours.


Yum!

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy

Sunflowers are sooo South Dakota.  These are in my garden and I love them. They make me smile.  The bees and birds love them too which makes me happy.  I simply let them go to seed each year and then see where they pop up.  I am continually amazed that they are always perfectly placed.  Viva la sunflower!

Spearfish Community Garden

Welcome to the Spearfish Community Garden!  I am so excited to be participating this year.  When we lived in Fair Oaks, CA, I had a plot in the community garden and loved going there.  There was always other gardeners there, milling about.  It was so fun talking with them, sharing the bounty and just digging in the dirt.  There are about 10 plots taken now and, even though I go at least ever other day, I've only seen one other gardener.  It's a new thing so I look forward to it growing and becoming a vibrant part of our community.  You can find out more here.

I've always hung baskets of flowers from trees.  Not sure where this idea came from, maybe early Martha?  It really brightens up your yard.  I usually do petunias and these hot pink guys did great this year.  Usually in each basket is a 6-pack.  Consider the cost of reusing your baskets and just planting a sixer instead of purchasing new flower baskets every year.  Beautiful color at a fraction of the price!

The garden is planted!  And really it's the expanded garden.  Each year, I convince Mike that we need a BIGGER garden.  He's not always so convinced but he's a good sport.  This year, we added another 10 x 20 section to the sun garden.  Look towards the back and you will see mint, tarragon, oregano, sage and a bench.  When we first moved to the Black Hills, I thought that since it snowed, anything I planted in the ground would of course die because of the snow.  Obviously, I have never lived in a place where it snows!  Anywho, the mint didn't die and has thus multiplied.  It's sooo pretty though and smells heavenly.  Last year I dried a ton of it and made tea bags.  Just mint leaves are do good as a tea.  Again, this year I planted more lemon verbena which is amazing herb that every garden should have.  It smells like a lemon drop!  It doesn't make it through our winter but it's so worth it to plant every year.  I buy mine at Gage's on Evan's Lane in Spearfish.

Boozy Fruit

The New York Times gets it right! I've been dunking local goodies in booze for years. In my cupboard now is a cherry, sugar, vodka concoction that I envision drinking as a cordial and using the cherries themselves over vanilla ice cream or Naked Coconut Bliss. Of course I still a bit of my two years ago, lemon verbena infused vodka which is a perfect, lemony after dinner drink.

Reading this article makes me want to try other recipes. What do you think about mint infused vodka? Sort of like a local Rumple Minze? I could be on to something!

Garden Bounty!

Although it only got to the high 40's today in the Black Hills, there is still much garden harvesting to do today! Lots of cherry tomatoes, lemon cucumbers, gypsy peppers, hot cayenne peppers and many, many green beans. I absolutely love this time of year!

Yarrow

Native in my Spearfish garden is yellow yarrow and I love it. It's bright yellow and such a happy plant. I know it's more like a weed but I plan to move it around in a few places. I infused some of the yarrow blossoms in distilled water and am using it like a face tonic. It's more drying so better for oily skin and I like it! It's really refreshing. Yarrow has a distinct fragrance and you either love it or hate it. Love it!

Red poppies run amok

My garden is doing so well this year. I think it's because of all the moisture but man, I am enjoying the bounty. When you let your garden to go seed, you get quite a display the next year. Sometimes good, usually packed! These red poppies are prolific and so pretty. I am saving seeds to share and letting just a few have their way. Right behind the red poppies is the sunflower forest, perfectly planted by the birds. Love the wild range of color!

Geranium seeds bring a big surprise!

Each fall my garden is full of long seed pods, crunchy plants and weird spikes coming from previously beautiful flowers and vegetables. That's what happens when you let nature take over and your plants go to seed. I save the seeds and use them in next year's garden.

This summer, I had bought a flat of red geranium and they did so well. I planted the bright, happy flowers in pots on the deck and interspersed in my herb and veggie garden.

As I was clearing out the garden this fall, I noticed that they had actually gone to seed! The photo is what the seeds look like. Little twisty spirals with a circular white plum around the end. Amazing. I had never seen a germanium seed and plan to plant them in the spring.

Food Not Lawns

What a great book I am reading! Food not lawns - How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden and Your Neighborhood into a Community by H.C. Flores. I picked this book up at the Rapid City Library today and dove right in. Tons of great information. The author asks, "How can human beings thrive together, in peace and perpetuity, without destroying the ecology that we depend upon?" There are no easy answers to that question since it's up to each of us to 'design our own life' but, as the authors explains, it doesn't mean to don a loincloth and live on grub worms and roadkill, it's about finding your own niche and work toward a long and natural life. (This is very paraphrased but you get the idea).

How this applies to me is my own backyard garden. I was already planning to expand but I can take it a step further and share plants and seeds with others. So guess what everyone is getting for Christmas? A Black Hills Garden basket of seeds from this year's garden, dried herbs and herbal tea packets. I think I am on to something here!

Hummus and Tabouli - It finally feels like summer in the Black Hills!

One day, two boys named Hummus and Tabouli set off for a great adventure...

This is good summer eating. From my garden came spearmint, chives and tomatoes. Here's an early shot of the chives.

Hummus

2 large (or to taste – we like garlic) cloves garlic, peeled and sliced in half
1 TBL EVOO (ala Rachael Ray)
14oz can of chick peas, drained and rinsed
6 TBL lemon juice — about 2-3 lemons
1/2 cup EVOO
2 TSP ground cumin
1/2 TSP cayenne (or more to taste)

Heat 1 TBL EVOO, add garlic and sauté for about one minute. Don’t let the garlic get brown. If it does, toss and start over. Have ready in a food processor or blender all other ingredients and pour the hot EVOO and garlic in. Blend to a soft paste. Pour into a bowl, sprinkle with more cayenne and serve with fresh veggies and / or warm pita bread.
P.S. I usually make a double batch of hummus. It goes fast.

Tabouli

1-1/3 cups bulgur
5 TBL lemon juice (about two lemons)
2 cloves (or to taste) garlic through garlic press
1/2 TSP ground cumin
Sea salt to taste (maybe 1/4 tsp)
1/2 cup EVOO
2 large tomatoes chopped
1 cup chopped fresh parley (just the leaves)
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped finely
6 TBL minced green onions or chives (or a mix)
4 TBL fresh mint (I like spearmint)

Place bulgur in a bowl and pour about three times its volume of water. Let soak an hour or so until soft. Place a tea towel in a colander and drain bulgur. Squeeze out the extra moisture in towel and place bulgur in bowl. This is important to get all the moisture out. The grains should be sort of fluffy and dry.

In a small bowl, mix together lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt. Stir in EVOO and blend well. Pour this over bulgur. Then toss in chopped tom’s, parsley, cucumber, green onions and mint with bulgur and mix well.

Serve as a salad by itself or on top of fresh spinach. Here’s the best way: Stand next to your kitchen counter, take pita bread and spread a lot of hummus on it and then top with tabouli. Yum!

Glorious greens from seed

There is something to be said for annuals that come back the next year, especially in South Dakota! I am thrilled that I have green leaf lettuce coming up. Last year, I let the green leaf go to seed and now I must have at least 25 heads of lettuce in a 8' x 8' foot square. Fantastic!

In addition, arugula, spinach, carrots, chard and basil are peaking out from our black, Black Hills soil. The daily South Dakota green salad is a ritual!

The first salad of the summer

The fruits of the garden! It's so nice to be able to enjoy the bounty. Here we have green leaf lettuce (that I had let go to seed and came back), chives and chive blossoms, tarragon, mint and the first few strawberries. This is summer...

The rolling greenhouse

This rolling greenhouse has come in very handy! There is a vinyl zip around cover that has kept the seedlings quite toasty. It's more like a test run this year. There are several herbs starting from seed as well as flowers from last years garden. I purchased some tomato seedlings as well as thyme and lemon verbena so just working on hardening them off and they'll go in this week.

The old timers say to plant your garden when there is no snow on Crow Peak. There are a few very small patches up there so with the nice weather this week, I should be ready.

Permaculture Gardening in the Black Hills

A great story in the Rapid City Journal today.

Imagine digging a hole three feet deep and filling it with newspaper and uncoated cardboard. Then adding manure and maybe some fireplace ash. After that you cover everything with dirt and plant your veggies and herbs. That's what a family in the Black Hills is doing and they call it permaculture gardening.

I am ready to give the concept a try!

The Baby Bounty and Getting Back on Track

So here I am, back on track. This was my very small bounty picked from my garden before Spearfish got four inches of snow! This weekend I will be cleaning up the remains and see what survived. We were in the Los Altos, CA and I was re-energized in my quest to be a Black Hills Locavore. Of course, in the Bay Area, being a locavore would be much easier.

Today for lunch I made tacos. Corn tortillas from Dan Diego Tortillas, ground beef from the Butcher Shop, tomatoes and green onions from my garden (they made it through snow!), peppers I had frozen last year and a sweet onion from Gage's Garden. Oh and cheese, Romaine and ketchup from Safeway but overall a Locavore success!

We tried for a few weeks only purchasing organic milk and cream but it really hit the pocketbook at almost double the price of 'regular' milk. I need to do some research on the true benefits of organic dairy products. I get the idea but are the cows treated any more humanely? I don't know. Still need that local dairy option...

So we will try this again as I reflect back to my 'rules'.