Finally Morels

Unexpectedly, as I was leading a group of students down a trail to a waterfall, I found what I have been wanting to find for a long time.  Morels.  Edible mushrooms that could be black and yellow, growing in deciduous or coniferous forests in mid Spring. They could also be found in burned apple orchards, or so I hear/read.  We ate them in pizza and they were delicious. I love finding wild edibles. The whole idea of being fed by nature without human intervention and dedicated expectation leads to a great feeling of connection with the Earth.  

Seeding and cooking

Starting seeds in the presence of others is a great way to start the day.  I keep a compost bin full of worms and food scraps the whole year.  I later sift the mixture to get the rich soil full of worm castings. I use seeds from HIGH MOWING ORGANIC SEEDS in Hardwick, VT.  I am not trying anything different from other years. I learned that onions and leeks are very hard to grow by a windowsill. It is better to get onion sets later in the season at the nearby Coop. They also need loose soil and lots of water to grow.  Also, I remember growing peas in containers during my first year as a gardener. Big mistake. Peas are not meant to be transplanted or manhandled. Tomatoes and Peppers are the other heavy feeders and needy plants that I don't start from seed anymore. I get them from Jinny Cleland, at Four Springs Farm. She gets her potting mix from Vermont Compost, then she takes samples for nutrient analysis and then amends the soil as necessary. Therefore, her plants grow in a perfect medium and in a greenhouse. I love working inside a green house. It is warm, the soil smells great and the plants bring you a kind of bliss that in terms of spring, is irreplaceable. 

Week by Week

Yesterday marked the beginning of the countdown for the anticipated growing season of '12.  Keeping in mind that Memorial Day weekend is the last day of frost, I counted 11 weeks till then.  The weather has been unusually nice and I started to work outside.  First, I used the garden hose to wash all the goat and chicken poop from the front lawn.  The grass in that area started to turn green and the chickens are starting to scratch all over the yard,  leaving huge holes in the ground.

Sprouting and singing

Officially spring is here but not in full swing. The days up here are still cold and the snow is keeping a strong hold on the landscape. I have notes from last year and at this time we were driving our car down the driveway and working outside doing miscellaneous projects. Not this weekend. We are happy relaxing with Fugee under a sunny and cloud free day. 

I checked on our seeds from last weekend and they are happily coming to life. Since I am growing them in a window sill I have to rotate the trays so that the seedlings grown somewhat straight up rather than tilted sideways. 

I have heard Red Winged Black Birds in the swampy field by our house and at night we are starting to hear the territory hoots of Barred Owls. I have also seen Turkey vultures and chipping sparrows. Soon we will hear more birds move in this area. Can't wait. 

I recommend this quarterly issue of Mother Earth News. It has an article on tips to increase the yields of produce in the garden. For example; 1) Growing perennials like asparagus, rhubarb, sorrel and mint. 2) Growing variety crops rather than quantity of one type of crop. 3) Growing vertical gardens like cucumbers, squash and beans to maximize space among others.

We had pancakes this morning. Here is the recipe from King Arthur.

Simple Perfect Pancakes  2 large eggs 1 1/4 cups milk 3 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil 1 1/2 cups All purpose flour  3/4 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 tablespoons sugar OR 2 Tablespoons of Malt Barley  chocolate chips and/or shredded coconut Directions 1. Beat the eggs and milk until light and foamy, about 3 minutes at high speed of a stand or hand mixer. Stir in the butter or vegetable oil. 2. Whisk the dry ingredients together to evenly distribute the salt, baking powder and sweetener. 3. Gently and quickly mix into the egg and milk mixture. Let the batter rest for at least 15 minutes, while the griddle is heating; it"ll thicken slightly. 4. Heat a heavy frying pan over medium heat, or set an electric griddle to 350°F. Lightly grease frying pan or griddle. The pan or griddle is ready if a drop of water will skitter across the surface, evaporating immediately. 5. Drop 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the lightly greased griddle. Bake on one side until bubbles begin to form and break, then turn the pancakes and cook the other side till brown. Turn over only once. Serve immediately.