THE GRUB REPORT: Grow your own
I'm a firm believer in the idea that eating more foods grown close to home can have a positive environmental effect.
(Surely the reduction in shipping-related pollution would be exponential if everyone bought only a little more of the fruits and vegetables they ate were produced by area farmers and gardeners.)
I have yet to find a farmers' market here that offers much in the way of good or interesting produce from the local area, though. The closest market I know of that I've been impressed with is in Muncie, at the Minnetrista Cultural Center. But the nature of a farmers' market -- that you have to get there quite early in the morning to get the best stuff -- pretty much precludes me from making it there more than once a year or so. My mom shops there often, though, and sometimes picks things up that she thinks I might be interested in. (If you know of any good markets in the region, let us know!)
(Surely the reduction in shipping-related pollution would be exponential if everyone bought only a little more of the fruits and vegetables they ate were produced by area farmers and gardeners.)
I have yet to find a farmers' market here that offers much in the way of good or interesting produce from the local area, though. The closest market I know of that I've been impressed with is in Muncie, at the Minnetrista Cultural Center. But the nature of a farmers' market -- that you have to get there quite early in the morning to get the best stuff -- pretty much precludes me from making it there more than once a year or so. My mom shops there often, though, and sometimes picks things up that she thinks I might be interested in. (If you know of any good markets in the region, let us know!)
I also am fond of the idea of growing my own food. My grandfather was a prolific gardener. It seemed that anything he touched grew wild and produced amazing fruits and vegetables. It's a trait one of my uncles, especially, seems to have inherited. But it's a trait I seem to have pretty much missed out on.
I've tried various types of tomatoes. Chile peppers. Stuff that's supposed to be fairly easy to grow. But I get nothing. (I understand I probably just have a lot to learn. But I've come to be dubious of investing in plants only to get nothing in return.)
One thing that produces immediate results, though, is herb plants. That's what I find myself buying year after year. There's no waiting months for them to flower, then produce fruit or vegetables. There's really very little work involved, actually, with herb plants. The leaves and stems themselves are the prize. The day you bring them home, you can snip pieces off and add them to your plate.
We're trying to stretch our budget, just like everyone else these days, so this year I brought home a trio of my favorites. I might buy more as the season progresses, but for now, I stuck with what I know I'll use:
Cilantro. This is a staple in Asian and Mexican foods. You can usually get it at local groceries, and even when I grow my own I sometimes have to supplement with store-bought if I need a large quantity. But the spicy, clean flavor is one of my favorites (and smells great!), so I buy this every year.
Tarragon. This herb with long, slender leaves is a recently discovered favorite of mine. The taste is vaguely licorice-like. One of my favorite things to do with tarragon is mix it with butter and seasonings to serve with charcoal-grilled steak. Summer at its finest!
Flat-leaf parsley. I like to buy this herb plant because you often can't get the flat-leaf variety of parsley in local groceries. I don't much care for the grassy flavor or inexplicably dry texture of the more common curly variety. But the flat-leaf is a quite different experience. It's fresh, sometimes faintly spicy, and it adds a unique taste to dishes.
And so far this year, we're growing one more edible plant this year: horseradish. A friend passed along the leafy top from one of their home-grown horseradish roots, and it's now
happily rooting at our house. Steve was given the advice, upon receiving the gift, that when it comes time to use it, it's best to prepare it outside because it's so potent! Can't wait to see how it turns out. (And it seems very easy to propagate, which is a huge plus in my book!)
Are you growing anything interesting in the garden or containers this year? We'd love to hear about it. Share your experiences in the comment section below.
Originally posted to The Grub Report by Patricia Gibson on Wednesday, October 29, 2008 4:30 PM EDT
I've tried various types of tomatoes. Chile peppers. Stuff that's supposed to be fairly easy to grow. But I get nothing. (I understand I probably just have a lot to learn. But I've come to be dubious of investing in plants only to get nothing in return.)
One thing that produces immediate results, though, is herb plants. That's what I find myself buying year after year. There's no waiting months for them to flower, then produce fruit or vegetables. There's really very little work involved, actually, with herb plants. The leaves and stems themselves are the prize. The day you bring them home, you can snip pieces off and add them to your plate.
We're trying to stretch our budget, just like everyone else these days, so this year I brought home a trio of my favorites. I might buy more as the season progresses, but for now, I stuck with what I know I'll use:
Cilantro. This is a staple in Asian and Mexican foods. You can usually get it at local groceries, and even when I grow my own I sometimes have to supplement with store-bought if I need a large quantity. But the spicy, clean flavor is one of my favorites (and smells great!), so I buy this every year.
Tarragon. This herb with long, slender leaves is a recently discovered favorite of mine. The taste is vaguely licorice-like. One of my favorite things to do with tarragon is mix it with butter and seasonings to serve with charcoal-grilled steak. Summer at its finest!
Flat-leaf parsley. I like to buy this herb plant because you often can't get the flat-leaf variety of parsley in local groceries. I don't much care for the grassy flavor or inexplicably dry texture of the more common curly variety. But the flat-leaf is a quite different experience. It's fresh, sometimes faintly spicy, and it adds a unique taste to dishes.
And so far this year, we're growing one more edible plant this year: horseradish. A friend passed along the leafy top from one of their home-grown horseradish roots, and it's now
happily rooting at our house. Steve was given the advice, upon receiving the gift, that when it comes time to use it, it's best to prepare it outside because it's so potent! Can't wait to see how it turns out. (And it seems very easy to propagate, which is a huge plus in my book!)
Are you growing anything interesting in the garden or containers this year? We'd love to hear about it. Share your experiences in the comment section below.
Originally posted to The Grub Report by Patricia Gibson on Wednesday, October 29, 2008 4:30 PM EDT
Labels: food, grubreport
posted by Tricia at
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