Special Seedling Edition, #2!

More seedlings are out and about! Some took off like crazy, others are still getting their groove on but many are ready. You should be getting ready at this point to get these babies in your windows, coldframes, greenhouses and gardens (I’m running out of room – ha!). Contact us directly: rockbottommaine@gmail.com to be added to the order form to get your seedlings and plants.

All of our seeds are responsibly sourced, many organic or in the 1-2 Fedco range (never more than 3), and grown with Coast of Maine organic potting or seedling soil. All of our seedlings have moved on to their ‘true leaves’ and are partially hardened. I try to give you the correct names of the particular seed so you can look it up further if you like, but please don’t hesitate to ask questions about plant care, vegetable size or taste, companion planting, etc, either in the comments below or use the email above.

Seedlings are bigger and heartier now in 3″ Jiffy pots or 4.5″ plastic pots (depending on their root needs): $3.00
Right now we have tons of Winter Squash ready to go: Jarrahdale, Acorn, Kabocha, Spaghetti, Delicata, Wee Be Mini Pumpkins, Aunt Ruby’s German Green Heirloom Tomatoes, Vernissage Black Cherry Tomatoes, Lemon Cucumbers, National Pickling Cucumbers, Orange Bell Peppers, Chocolate Mini Bell Peppers, Summer Squashes: Pattypan, Bennings Green Tint, Lemon Yellow, Zucchini, Tondo Scuro (like 8 ball), Celery, Melons: Blacktail Watermelon, Honey White Honeydew, Cream of Saskatchewan (yellow) Watermelon, Flowers/Herbs: Borage, Black Prince Snapdragons, Black Hollyhock, Johnny Jump Ups, Marigolds, and Calendula (Resina)

Plantlings are in 1/2 gallon pots: $6.00
Currently we have Aunt Ruby’s German Green Heirloom Tomatoes, Vernissage (black/red striped) Cherry Tomatoes, Zucchini and Tondo Scuro (8ball), Pattypan Squash, Acorn and Jarrahdale Winter Squash, Wee Be Little Pumpkin, Cream of Saskatchewan (yellow) Watermelon and White Honey Honeydew Melon (both in pots of 3), Lemon Balm, Hyssop, are all available in big pots.

Seed Packets are also still available – $6.00 for a whole gardens worth of seeds, see our earlier post on the Garden combinations (subject to availability and substitutable only by us) – Free Seed Gift with every Seed Packet purchase! And a new Succession planting packet is available (ask for details).

And keep your eye out for companion marigolds, more heirloom tomatoes and yellow cherry tomatoes, eggplants of different colors and sizes, phlox, herbs such as oregano/marjoram/thyme/cilantro/basil and more of the above as they get to readiness.

Happy Planting and Growing!

Recipe Thursday: Rhabarberkuchen

Translated: Rhubarb Cake!!

But it’s more exciting if you take it into consideration of the German ‘kuchen’ time, which is essentially high tea or afternoon cake and coffee.

Many years ago now, my lovely friend Vanessa took me as her date to a wedding in Germany for her International Exchange friend that she met in Brazil. The bride housed us with an older couple (friends enough with the family) who spoke English in Buchen, Schleswig-Holstein (near the home of Gunter Grass, not far from Hamburg where we spent a couple of days, and easy to train to Lubeck, ‘marzipan capital’ where we visited) and they loved us. They stole us from the wedding party and stodgy garden parties to tour us around – we went and saw a giant canal bridge with an elevator, to a checkpoint between ‘East’ and ‘West’ Germany, we went to ‘an’ oldest pub in Europe (how many of those, are there? ha!) – they were lovely, we had such a good time. One day, we went to the stunning tiny town of Molln to shop around (and rub the foot of the statue of Till Eulenspiegel, notorious medieval trickster) and happened to be there during this miraculous time of day – around 3pm. Time for cake!

Huddled into the upstairs of a cafe easily built around the time of the trickster, black beams hung low around the stone work – we each ordered rich cake and coffee or tea and relaxed. Easily the best civilized tradition ever…this cake would be perfect for that kind of moment but is also super delicious for breakfast or dessert, or dinner, or snack…

Enjoy Kuchen-time!

Rhabarberkuchen

Serves 9

1/2 cup Half & Half (or mix of heavy cream and water/milk/whey) or Buttermilk
1 tsp Lemon (unless using buttermilk or lemoned whey)
1 stick unsalted Butter, room temperature (if salted, use less salt in recipe)
1 cup Cane Sugar (plus 2-3 tsp more for sprinkling on top)
1 Large Egg, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
2 cups All-Purpose Flour (leaving out 1 Tbsp to toss with rhubarb)
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
2 cups thinly chopped Rhubarb (fresh or frozen)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9×9 baking dish. Add lemon to half & half and set aside (unless using lemoned whey in the mix or buttermilk). Toss rhubarb with 1 Tbsp flour and set aside. In another bowl, whisk remaining flour, baking powder, and salt, set  aside.

Cream the soft butter and sugar in a stand mixer, or with electric beaters, until fluffy and pale yellow. Beat in the egg and vanilla, scraping down the bowl as necessary.

Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl and blend in. Add all of the half and half, and blend in. Finally, add the rest of the flour and blend just until combined, don’t over mix. Fold in the rhubarb. Note: the batter is on the thick side, like cookie dough -no worries though – the cake is light.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the top evenly with a little sugar. Bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until the cake is turning golden and a toothpick in the center comes out without wet batter clinging to it (moist crumbs are fine).

Let cool a bit before cutting into 9 squares (this is delicious warm or cool). Serve with Maple Whipped Cream!

Maple Whipped Cream

In a stand mixer or with beaters, whip 2 cups (1 pint) heavy or whipping cream, adding 2 Tbsp Maple Syrup (or fine cane sugar with 1 tsp Vanilla) until just stiff and whipped (be careful not to overwhip or it will separate and turn to butter). Voila!

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Duendesday

{a day to check in with a 9 yr old’s doings}

Hot lazy days right now, for an almost 10-year-old. Sure, she has a list of chores she likes shirk – like watering plants, hanging (or taking down) the laundry on the line, the dishwasher, the cat box…but they all get done eventually. But the activity lately is all in La Petite Jardin (the little garden under the big Silver Maple tree) – with her swing and the hammock and climbing rope.

Early on, when we first hung her swing (that was Josh’s 5th Birthday present for her) they called her play area ‘Colonial Flippity’ – it had a sign and everything. Now we are building the bed beside it into an herb garden and the other side will be the extension of the grape fence with a new arbor (I can only imagine that means sledding trails are going to be even better this Winter!).

LPJ (as we like to call that space) has nice cooling shade and is surrounded by honeysuckle, forsythia, and growing lilac…it’s truly a lovely place to be in the Summer. Swing away my little peach, swing away!

It’s Tuesday, right?

My schedule is a bit off this week. I keep missing or losing some days in there somewhere. It is lush and green up here right now. There have been some apple blossoms (it’s an off year, so sparingly on the old trees and a few of the youngbloods are trying out their petal power).

We’ve been busy making up cocktail syrups (Josh has decided his drag name is ‘Forsythia Syrup’ – brilliant!) – so far yes – forsythia, violet, and pine (for those of you who want something a little spicier/less floral, it’s quite fun!), and soon to be lilac and honeysuckle. Also the new baguettes are rolling out, and the fresh ricotta has been a solid gold hit! I, myself, am a big fan of the fresh ricotta – fold a little chopped fresh basil into it and it’s a luscious dip for a picnic. Rhubarb jam and fiddlehead pickles might be available soon!

We’re managing some other little projekts, too. I’m digging into a furniture update exercise (a deconstructed upholstery on a couple of chairs, a lacquered buffet, new cushions for a glider…). Josh is making fences out of foraged trees/saplings – we are riding that line between crazy hippie homestead and country DIY – ha!

Meanwhile, the garden is progressing – never before have I made it to have the potatoes, the peas, AND the corn in before June. I planted the latter with purple podded pole beans and acorn squash and wee-be-little-pumpkins. The fingerlings and sweet potatoes are in grow bags (we upgraded this year to actual grow bags instead of saved feed bags since we didn’t have winter chickens). And the new chicks come in another week or so for the new brooder space that Josh is working on. The new elderberry hedge has been put in and will hopefully grown big and gorgeous and full of berries in no time.

It looks particularly ‘homesteady’ here right now – the kitchen island has multiple projekts: salted kimchi base, exploding sourdough starter, cracker making, cooling flower jelly, boiling bone broth – I can see the clothes drying on the line, the cold frame is opened for the day, the child is out picking flowers, and we’ve all had breakfast rhubarb cake that we made last night. It’s a lovely day. I hope you are having a lovely day, too. It’s a busy season and we need it. It’s good to be distracted by the hustle and bustle of life and care. Stay safe and sane.

Recipe Thursday: Spring Gnudi

A few years ago, when I was in NYC for skool, I desperately wanted to go to The Spotted Pig restaurant because I heard about these gnudi. Sadly, I didn’t make it. But I have the recipe (mwa ha ha) and have been dying to try it out. Thanks to some inspiration to whip up some ricotta for sale (with a little left for us!) I am going to try this today.

They take an overnight to set so keep that in mind. And do look up a picture online, they are gorgeous little enriched pasta balls made of fresh ricotta, egg, parmesan, AP flour, rolled in semolina…then flavored with sauteed veg and cream sauce – I’m drooling already. My Earth to Table cookbook pairs them with ramps, morels, and blanched fiddleheads. Foraging is highly recommended…splendid!

This is gratuitous and delicious with extra bread (garlic bread, hmmm?) to dip in the extra creamy sauce and a vinegar-y side salad (to cut the creamy a bit and make you feel healthier – these are scrumptious but not skinny making). They are little dumplings that ooze out cheese like magick.

Spring Gnudi

Serves 4

Gnudi Ingredients:
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
1 cup fresh Ricotta Cheese (find at Rock Bottom Homestead!)
2 Lg Eggs + 1 yolk
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
2 Tbsp minced fresh chives or wild garlic
Sea Salt & Black Pepper to taste
2 cups Semolina Flour (or more to cover if you need, though 2 was more than enough for this batch in a 9 x 13 casserole dish, covered with foil and refrigerated overnight)

To prepare the day before: In a large bowl, combine cheeses, eggs/yolk, and nutmeg. Whisk until smooth and airy. Fold in AP flour and chives. Season to taste with S&P.

With floured hands, roll gnudi into 1″ balls, place in clean bowl or casserole (spread a layer of semolina on bottom of dish first). Cover gnudi balls completely with semolina, cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, bring a large pot of water to a boil (and start your vegetables below). Add gnudi and reduce heat to simmer. Working in batches, poach gnudi until they float to the top, about 3-4 minutes.

Spring Vegetable:
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Butter (or Ghee)
2 cups Mushrooms (local mushroom farms have lovely blue oyster mushrooms this time of year, or even just crimini if you are unable to get the wild goodies), or foraged morels
1 cup chopped Scallions (or shallots), or foraged ramps
1 cup chopped (1-2″) & blanched thin Asparagus (or pea shoots), or other foraged shoots such as fiddleheads, hosta, milkweed, lily)

While boiling gnudi, heat oil and butter in a large skillet. Add vegetables and saute until soft and golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from pan, drain fat if necessary and use pan with juices for next step.

Cream Sauce:
3 cups Whipping/Heavy Cream
2 cups freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
a pinch of Nutmeg, and S&P to taste

Add cream to pan juices in skillet and heat over high, cooking until reduced by half (about 5 minutes). Turn off heat and stir in Parmesan until well combined.

To Serve: Divide gnudi evenly among 6 bowls, top with cream sauce, then vegetables.

Sounds amazing…I’ll be setting up mine shortly…

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Duendesday

{a day to check in with a 9 yr old’s doings}

Another typical day for this sunshine kid – cold homemade cheese and black olive pizza for breakfast, maybe a little Odd Squad or Wild Kratts, then some chores; clean the litter box, open the cold frame/water plants, hang laundry, and then a lot of play. These warm days we’re having right now involve a lot of mud and pails of water, sticks, grass. Swinging. Hammering. Playing in the creek. Or helping Josh do whatever it is he’s doing-especially if it involves the riding mower with the wagon or the wheelbarrow (she’s bound to get a ride), cleaning out the brush, building fences, planting trees.

Big hits: she’s learning to drive the riding mower with supervision (Josh has fantasies that someone else will mow someday), foraging for flowers and soon wild strawberry, cartwheels for days, and more Kiwi/Tinker crates.

Soon we’ll bust out the croquet and bocce (free range bocce is the best). And then there will be baby chicks! They always entertain. And then 2-3 weeks later – more baby chicks! (The layers come first, our new ladies of the homestead, and then the meatbirds). And then Ms. Bloo turns 10! We’ll see what excitement that brings!

Wishing you many beautiful days!

Busy Busy Busy Beeeees…

And just like that we move into Tuesday Happenings…I know, we’re pretty blog sporadic lately – lots of stuff going on. The weather has been kind to us lately and much is getting done. A new cold frame built, fencing for the espaliered white grapes, blackberry lanes, a new elderberry patch cleaned out and planted and a mess of other stuff. Flower foraging is in full swing – I love the real deep foraging aspects of solomon’s seal shoots, milky oats tops, and wintergreen berry but I also love the ‘weedy’ aspect. Eating the things that we’ve always been familiar with and treat as weeds or forgotten greenery (as herbs and food) are a particular favorite of mine – white and red clover, dandelion, wild carrot (Queen Anne’s Lace), yarrow, chicory, violet, pine, forsythia, daisy, the sorrells/docks, raspberry leaf, wild strawberry, milkweed, daylily, bergamot, lilac – the list goes on and I learn new bits everday. Sometimes I learn to eat new parts of the plant, as well, or new ways to eat the bits I already knew.

And Duende learns well, too – whenever she gets bored waiting somewhere outside (like at the horse barn or in a parking lot) we play ‘what’s edible around here on the ground’ and she can generally come up with at least 5 or 6 things right off the bat. She knows some differences, too, between what is edible/good and what is ‘apocalypse food’ (only edible if you need to eat it). Today she helped me forage for fresh violets for our Summer Syrup series and in a few days she will help me forage and clean out dandelions to set up for Dandelion Wine (which won’t be ready until at least September – but I might hold a few bottles back for Winter to see how they age). I made it a few years ago and we drank it young (we drank it all – it was pretty good).

What are the Summer Syrups good on/with? They are great in cocktails (vodka or gin, especially), good on biscuits or pancakes, lovely on ice cream or pound cake. Anything you put syrup on! There will be an everchanging seasonal supply as different foraged bits come into their own. Enjoy!

Special Seedling Edition

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

Seedlings are out and about! Some took off like crazy, others are still getting their groove on but many are ready. I know you’re not quite ready but getting these babies in your windows, coldframes, greenhouses have got to be better than keeping them in mine (I’m running out of room – ha!). Contact us directly: rockbottommaine@gmail.com to be added to the order form to get your seedlings and plants.

All of our seeds are responsibly sourced, many organic or in the 1-2 Fedco range (never more than 3), and grown with Coast of Maine organic potting or seedling soil. All of our seedlings have moved on to their ‘true leaves’ and are partially hardened. I try to give you the correct names of the particular seed so you can look it up further, if you like, but please don’t hesitate to ask questions about plant care, vegetable size or taste, companion planting, etc, either in the comments below or use the email above.

Seedlings are in 3″ Jiffy pots: $3.00
Right now we have tons of Winter Squash ready to go: Jarrahdale, Acorn, Kabocha, Spaghetti, Delicata, Wee Be Mini Pumpkins, Aunt Ruby’s German Green Heirloom Tomatoes, Vernissage Black Cherry Tomatoes, Lemon Cucumbers, National Pickling Cucumbers, White Cauliflower, Red Cabbage, Orange Bell Peppers, Chocolate Mini Bell Peppers, Summer Squashes: Pattypan, Bennings Green Tint, Lemon Yellow, Zucchini, Tondo Scuro (like 8 ball), Celery, Melons: Blacktail Watermelon, Honey White Honeydew, Cream of Saskatchewan (yellow) Watermelon, Flowers/Herbs: Borage, Black Prince Snapdragons, Black Hollyhock, Johnny Jump Ups

Plantlings are in 1/2 gallon pots: $6.00
Currently we just have Aunt Ruby’s German Green Heirloom Tomatoes and Zucchini available in big pots.

Seed Packets are also still available – $6.00 for a whole gardens worth of seeds, see our earlier post on the Garden combinations (subject to availability and substitutable only by us) – Free Seed Gift with every Seed Packet purchase!

And keep your eye out for companion marigolds, more heirloom tomatoes and yellow cherry tomatoes, eggplants of different colors and sizes, phlox, herbs such as oregano/marjoram/thyme/cilantro/basil and more of the above as they get to readiness.

Happy Planting and Growing!

Plantlings

Tuesday Happenings

What is happening on this little plot of land? Mostly, our list of things to get done outpaces our getting things actually done but such is this life. I’m getting excited about setting up some Dandelion Wine, Flower Syrups, and Foraged Kimchi. I’m getting seedlings ready for sale and ready to plant. Josh is building a cold-frame, cleaning out and shaping the blackberry rows, and trying to edge closer to the creek. We’re hoping to clean out the seasonal swamp it creates and make it an enjoyable babbling brook (doesn’t it seem more charming to have a little place for frogs and toads to visit than a mosquito cesspool?), I envision little waterside irises and a bench and a bridge, maybe water lillies…with a backdrop of ferns and maples. Dreamy. I wanted to put some gingko’s out there as a sweet little canopy but Josh got it into his head that they are ‘stinknuts’ and is less fond of the idea. My homestead dreams want ducks, too, but I hear they are stinknuts in themselves…hmmm…

But things are blooming nicely here – always a little later on our northside but blooming nonetheless. We’re trying out narcissus and garlic bulbs throughout the orchard as companion plants to ward off foes and invite friends. Their little yellow faces are starting to appear at the same time the tips of the apple flower buds are pinking up! The bees have already arrived for the azalea, dandelion, and creeping charlie. And the garden churns up the midges, and the foraging delivers the ticks (my biggest foe). Let the bug battle begin!

Big D has taken her hand at yard photography this week, and you will be entertained. I think soon we will start doing Black & White film photography & developing together. She’ll love it, I’m sure.

I had a lovely Mother’s Day – my people made me waffles with our new classic waffle maker (thank you JB!), and new apothecary shelves made from the drawers we took out of the laundry room – so cool! And fits perfect! ❤

This week expect seedlings and some healthy plants (some tomatoe and zucchini took off like gangbusters!) for sale, but there are still plenty of seed packet gardens, too. You still have time to plant! I hope you like the spicy kimchi, another varied batch will go in this week. Keep your eye out for the foraged variety. Happy Mid-May!