Food gardening is harder than ornamental gardening, in my
opinion. There is little leeway as to when to plant something for a successful
harvest. And then you have to be ready to use or prepare for storage the fruits
and vegetables at the exact moment they are ready to harvest. Each year I get
better at it, but there’s a lot more for me to learn.
To help me along the learning curve is a recently published
book by authors Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman called The Four Season FarmGardener’s Cookbook: From the Garden to the Table in 120 Recipes
(Workman Publishing). Like collecting
plants, I find books irresistible. Admittedly, I haven’t read every
gardening-related book on my bookshelves, but that doesn’t stop me from
acquiring more. This book was given to me to review and I’m pleased with the practical
content, the photos and the tone of the book, which is helpful for the blossoming
“farmer” I hope to become.
Starting with how to create good soil, the authors help the
reader nourish the Earth and subsequently the themselves. There’s advice on what
crops to grow (Note: in the maritime Northwest, The Maritime Northwest Garden Guide by Seattle Tilth is
indispensible for choosing appropriate crops); how to layout the garden to maximize crop production, whether
you have space for a small or larger garden; and how to care for your crops.
Then—and this is the really fun part—there are recipes for using your freshly
picked crops!
With the cooler than normal weather we’re having at the moment,
the Fish Soup with Tomatoes and Fennel sounds so fantastic I am going to give
it a try this weekend (even though I didn’t plant any fennel and it’s way too
early to have home-grown tomatoes).
To learn more, co-author Barbara
Damrosch will be speaking at Powell’s Books at the Cedar Hills Crossing store
(3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd., Beaverton) on Thursday, May 30 at 7 p.m.
I made the Fish Soup from the book and it is excellent. I bumped up the seasoning a bit to add more flavor. It was even better the next day! Can't wait to try more.
ReplyDeleteI used their recipe for a tomato tart with great success! Roasted plum tomatoes + caramelized onions + buttery crust + YUMMMMMMM! A perfect summer meal.
ReplyDelete