Rock Bottom Happenings

Peas, Onions, Carrots, Beets, and Potatoes are in! Yay, Spring! (Alright, not all of the potatoes are in – I have too many, as usual, mostly in the fingerling department so we’ll be doing those in bags and buckets). I’d like to find a good permanent bed for the parsnips and get the smaller raised kitchen bed together so I can get some smaller (Parisienne) carrots and snow peas in.
Meanwhile, Josh planted the white grapes and expanded the small beds (essentially combining them into bigger beds, that broadfork is amazing – Thank you!!). I’ve amended the tomato bed with banana peel and compost, I’ll add crushed eggshell this week for the next turn (turning keeps the weeds from setting too). Duende has weeded and hayed the current strawberry beds and we will be adding three more this week.
Josh is also expanding the Northern Concord grape and adding another arbor. They will trail lazily from one hidey nook to another and proliferate like the wild monsters they are (but boy, do they make great jam, we’ll try some wine this year).
The old chicken coop is effectively dismantled (thank you Josh and Cameron!) and now the new coop can be built from some of the lumber (chicks are coming in a month!) but we did have to dissuade the poor Phoebe who were desperately trying to build their little mud nest in the door overhang of the old coop. Josh put up a shelf on the back of the garage, under the eaves, so hopefully they find that and put it to good use.
The Blackberries are being further shaped into more accessible (and therefore hopefully more productive) rows, the leaves are starting to unfold – we will have grape and berry canes available for sale next year- start thinking now in what sunny spot you might want these beauties!
And you asked, so we complied – Spicy Kimchi is available. Because this is the first batch, you must let me know how spicy you like it, think it is, etc. The chilis I put in are from the ReVision Energy gardens last summer, pickled, and then blended into this very purple kimchi. Keep your eye out for seasonal changes and additions (I will be integrating some foraging into the Kimchi – I’m thinking cattail and daylily shoots, dandelions, fiddleheads, ramps, primrose leaf and root, daisy leaves right now). We had to get an additional crock to keep up (oh darn!) and to try out some other fermented pickling.
Tuesdays are bagel dough making, cracker baking (I’m forever trying to convince Josh of new flavors – speaking of pickles, how about pickle flavored crackers?) and order form organization day.
Now that the flowers have started blooming, keep your eye out for seasonal simple syrups – pine, violet, dandelion, forsythia to start, not far behind will be lilac and honeysuckle, then rose, wild strawberry, lavender…oh, I love syrup season! Summer cocktails and mocktails for everyone!!