Independence Days Update #2
Sharon May 11th, 2009
Short one today - internet access is intermittent at best, and I’m tired, tired, tired - besides the demands of the garden, had a big (and wonderful) party yesterday and guests stayed over so I was up until 1 am socializing. Plus we’re going bike shopping for Eli and Isaiah today. So just the facts…
Plant something: Tomatoes (a bit early but the pots and self-watering containers can be brought in and the few others will either live or not - I’ve got more 
), lettuce, chinese cabbage, collards, kale, scallions, onions, leeks, sweet peas, malva, broccoli, brussels sprouts, bok choy, arugula, radishes, carrots, snap peas, beets, dianthus, hollyhocks, mint, agastache, rosemary, geraniums, begonias, cranesbill, catnip
Harvest something - nettles, raspberry leaves, asparagus, dandelion, rhubarb, good king henry, lettuce, chives
Preserve something: dried nettles, raspberry leaves, made rhubarb juice, dehydrated onions
Reduced Waste: Sorted out the onion bin, composted the icky ones, planted some of the sprouted ones for early greens, dehydrated remaining onions. Told people who were going to compost 40 concord grape vines that they could move to our place, and happily!
Preparation and storage: Dug out bikes and got them ready for spring (I have hopes that this may be our first year with four actual riders - Asher is ready to begin with training wheels, and I’m hoping Eli will go to bike camp for kids with disabilities, and maybe we’ll be able to get him up and riding), determined new (to us anyway) bikes are needed by Isaiah and Eli, began hunting. Sought suitable dog - so far no luck. Sorted out winter coat situation, which resulted in much more closet space when out of size coats were removed.
6. Build community food systems. Aaron may have found a way to get a copy of _A Nation of Farmers_ to Michelle Obama - does that count? Otherwise, not much here.
7. Eat the food - nettles, nettles, nettles. My kids are wildly in love with the whole idea of nettles, and being able to eat those prickly things. We’ve eaten a lot of miso broth with soba or udon, nettles, and egg or tofu. A big hit here. Also, thanks to Chile over at Chile chews www.chilechews.blogspot.com, I was reminded that bi bim bap could be a staple. I hadn’t made it in a few years regularly because it was too spicy for the kids, so I made it only when we were eating alone. But recently I had an inspiration, and substituted hoisin sauce for the red pepper paste for the small people - eureka! I realize this is a kind of a “duh” thing, but now bi bim bap, if imperfectly authentic, is regularly back on the menu. And since I’d eat the sauce with a paper towel, it means that all leftover cold vegetables are fair game if there’s any sauce that happens to be lying around . I’ve had cold leftover veggies that way three days running for lunch. Yay!
So how about you? Remember, if you didn’t sign up before, there’s no deadline - just join in as you go!
Sharon