August 2020

Watermelon wedges

Watermelon Wedges I first discovered it at a restaurant called the “Red Tavern” in Chico Ca. I was able to pretty quickly deconstruct and recreate it. Watermelon wedges rinds removed or not, a pinch of salt, a dash of a ginger sesame vinaigrette (homemade is best but you can use store-bought too), a chiffonade of spearmint leaves, and some quality, freshly grated, Pecorino Romano cheese. If your watermelon was not already cold from the fridge, plate it and put it in the fridge for 20 minutes. Simple and delicious.

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One Straw Revolution

One Straw Revolution

In many years of gardening, as well as writing about and teaching classes on horticulture, I’ve always attempted to incorporate self sufficiency and permaculture techniques.I am deeply indebted to the knowledge and skill of those who have come before me, especially one of the earliest and most revolutionary proponents of self-sufficient, natural and permaculture farming practices, the late Masanobu Fukuoka. There have been many good books written on the topic, but in my opinion, none as straight forward, simple and engaging as The One-Straw Revolution.The following is from the back jacket of my copy: “Few books written in our soulless times have

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Pink stem Cardoon ‘Rouge de Algiers’

Cardoons and a recipe for Cardoon Potato Gratin

Pink stem Cardoon ‘Rouge de Algiers’ A ‘Food Forest’ or ‘Forest Garden’ is a design practice that falls under the broader heading of ‘Permaculture’. (The term Agro-forest is also used but I tend to avoid using it as it lends itself to a more commercial connotation)Within such a design plan one tries to establish layers of mostly perennial plants that will provide an abundance of food, medicine, and sometimes utilitarian uses.One such plant that I love to grow is the cardoon, which will grow wherever its cousin the artichoke thrives. And like the artichoke, cardoons are loaded with Silymarin.At first

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Macademia tree flowering

On gardening and patience

Patience is one of the greatest lessons working with plants and gardening has had to offer me. It is a lesson I don’t particularly enjoy. I am, by anyone’s standard, not a patient man (just ask my poor wife!).It’s not that I am in need of instant gratification for everything I do in the garden (come on you tomatoes grow some damn fruit, I planted you last week for freakin sakes, what’s the hold-up?!).Nor am I ignorant to the wisdom of great thinkers and prophets: “All things come to one of patience”.It’s just something about linear time that bugs me.

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