Dwarf Grey Sugar Asian Vegetable Pea seeds
Wants full sun. Plant in early spring, 2 weeks later & late summer, 2 weeks later. Plant 1/2-1 in. deep. 7-14 days for germination. ~65 days maturity. Do not plant in the same spot 2 years in a row.

Bloomsdale Spinach, Long Standing seeds
Goes to seed in heat. Sow 3/4 in deep. Germinates in 6-14 days; 42 days to maturity. Wants full sun. Plant early spring & for every 2 weeks until 50 days before ‘hot’ weather. Harvest entire plant, not just leaves. Sow again in July-Aug for fall crop.

Bright Lights Swiss Chard seeds
(Beta vulgaris cicla) Wants full sun. Plant 1 in. deep. Germinates in 7-10 days;55 days to maturity. Begin cutting at 6″; cut outer leaves & leave 1-2″ above ground; new leaves will continually appear.

White Half Runner II Bush Beans seeds
(Phaseolus vulgaris) Wants full sun. After last frost, sow 1.5 in. deep. 6-14 days for germination; 60 days to maturity. Plant in 2 week intervals.

Chinese Mustard seeds
(大 芥 菜 Da4 Jie4 Cai4) Transplant seedling when it has 3-4 leaves. Can harvest whole plant or individual leaves—will grow back. Becomes more pungent with maturity; does not like heat.

Eureka Hybrid Cucumber seeds
Plant 1 in. deep, place 4-5 seeds in a hill (this does actually make a difference!). Germinating takes 6-10 days. 57 days to maturity.

Dill seeds
Wants full sun. Can use both the seeds and the leaves for flavoring. Plant in cool weather. Sow every 10 days or so. WIll grow to 3 feet tall! Thus you may wish to plant in back of your garden. Plant close together so they can support eachother. Don’t plant near caraway, fennel, or angelica. Cut dill often to keep it from going to seed. Can dry in microwave, on paper towel, high 3 minutes. Discard stems, crumple leaves and store in airtight dark place. Once seedheads begin to form, it’s time to stop cutting dill for fresh use. Allow the seedheads to develop and dry completely, then cut them. You’ll be able to remove the seeds easily with your fingers.

Dwarf Choi Sum seeds
(矮 腳 白 菜 芯 Ai3 Jiao3 Bai2 Cai4 Xin4) Sow 1/4 in. deep. 7-10 days to germination;30-40 days to maturity. Sow in early spring, mid summer, and fall. Eat the stems, flowering shoots, and leaves. Harvest at 4 in. tall. Cabbage moth might be an issue—plant mint, peppermint, dill, rosemary, sage, and/or thyme near/surrounding it to ward them off.

Garlic Chives seeds
Wants full to partial sun. In the early spring, plant 1/4 in. deep. Will germinate in 8-12 days; taking 60 days for maturity. Harvest when leaves big enough to chop. In fall, strip off all remaining leaves and freeze or dry for later use.

Tangy Mesclun seeds
[2 parts Salad Bowl lettuce and 1 pair each of Black-Seeded Simpson, Simpson Elite and Oakleaf lettuce, Arugula Rocket, radicchio and chervil] This mix hates heat. Sow indoors; preferably near a cool, sunny window. Sow 1/2 in. deep. Germination is 4-10 days. 45 days to maturity. Plant in 10 day intervals. Plant again in late August for autumn crops. Harvest larger leaves to the ground.

Tendergreen Mustard seeds
(Brassica junec) Sow in early spring 1/2 in. deep. Germinates in 6-8 days; 35 days to maturity. Plant every week until hot weather; start again ~august 15th and go until month before hard frost. Snap off larger leaves when 4″ tall. New leaves appear on cut plants. Harvest the seedpods in late summer before they dry, and allow the seed to ripen in the pods. Store the seed in airtight jars, away form strong light.

Sugar Ann Snap Pea seeds
(Pisum sativum) Wants full sun. Sow in early spring 1.5 in. deep. Germinates in 6-10 days;matures in 56 days. Plant again in 2 weeks, 2 weeks, late summer, 2 weeks, etc. Produces 2.5 foot vines—would like staking. Harvest when seeds have just begun to swell in pods. Do not plant same spot 2 years in a row [at least].

Tyee Hybrid Spinach seeds
Tends to go to seed in heat. Sow 3/4 in. deep. Germinates in 6-14 days; 37 days to maturity. Wants full sun. Plant early & for every 2 weeks until 50 days before ‘hot’ weather. Harvest entire plant to ground, not just leaves. Sow again in July-Aug for fall crop.

Oregon Sugar Pod II Snow Pea seeds
Wants full sun. In early spring, sow 1.5 in. deep. Will germinate in 6-10 days; matures in 68 days. Plant again in 2 weeks, 2 weeks, late summer, 2 weeks, etc. Grows to 24-30 in. tall; does not require staking. Harvest when seeds have just begun to swell in pods. Can be frozen happily. Do not plant again 2 years in a row in same spot.

Lavender seeds
Wants full sun. Plant in early spring, 1/4 in. deep. 21 days to germination. Harvest sprays of branches just before or after flowering/opening and spread on a screen in the shade or hang in upside-down bunches until fully dry. Propagate by cuttings in the spring or summer. Prune severely in Fall. Lavender generally transplant well but will usually not flower much during the first summer following transplanting. The best times to transplant are late autumn/early winter and very early spring. Water plants well before moving them to a new position. Cut back and trim damaged roots and remove any flowering material if still present. If the plant is tall or spindly, cut back to encourage more lateral growth. Using sand for mulch around the plant keeps the plant clean, promotes good drainage, and reflects light back up into the plant, thus creating more heat. Heat creates more fragrant blooms.

]]> http://delectablesustainability.wordpress.com/2008/03/18/how-does-your-garden-grow-seeds-seeds-and-more-seeds/feed/ 0 delectablesustainability New Zealand Spinach seeds Heirloom Coriander seeds Heirloom Opal Basil seeds Heirloom Miniature Bell Pepper & Buran Pepper seeds Heirloom Black From Tula Tomato seeds Heirloom Flame Lettuce & Sunset Lettuce seeds Asian Vegetable Pea seeds Long Standing Bloomsdale Spinach seeds Bright Lights Swiss Chard seeds Bush Beans seeds Chinese mustard seeds Eureka Hybrid Cucumber seeds Dill seeds Dwarf Choi Sum seeds Garlic Chives seeds Tangy Mesclun seeds Tendergreen Mustard seeds Snap Pea seeds Tyee Hybrid Spinach seeds Oregon Sugar Pod II Snow Pea seeds Lavender seeds http://delectablesustainability.wordpress.com/2008/02/19/marinated-feta-cheese/ http://delectablesustainability.wordpress.com/2008/02/19/marinated-feta-cheese/#comments Tue, 19 Feb 2008 17:54:47 +0000 delectablesustainability http://delectablesustainability.wordpress.com/?p=9 ]]>

Feta cheese is not something that is very often found in our household. My partner finds its taste too salty for him in raw form, and I have not had occasion to explore it too much in the last few years. However lately I’ve found myself craving it.
This week’s circular for a supermarket near me showed there was a sale on feta, and while it was not the lowest price I could imagine, it was low enough that I decided to indulge myself a bit.

I went out and brought home a 1/2 lb of the little white chunky cubes.

Anticipating the payoff for my week of dreaming, I popped one in my mouth.
Hmmmm. I can see why these were on sale. While fresh and firm, it nevertheless was lacking any robust flavors or the tingly creamy oomph I associate with feta cheese.

At first I was sad, but then I began to think of ways I could use this feta that would mask its inherent lackluster. But all of my thoughts left me thinking that in the end, the slightly raunchy feta-ness would be lacking, and it would sadden me.

So I says to myself, says I, why not recreate it? Without a goat on hand, I most likely could not give it back everything that it should be, but with the proper spices and herbs, and a bit of the magic that is soaking in olive oil, I could marinate these, and make of their blandness a canvas for my art.

And thus, I did.

Marinated Feta

Ingredients:
1/2 pound cubed feta
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon poppy seeds, heaping*
1/4 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper, heaping
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, heaping
1/4 teaspoon dark brown mustard seeds, whole, heaping [can use the more common lighter variety, but I often like to use these for their milder, slightly nuttier flavor]
1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, heaping
5 mint leaves, dried & crumbled
5 spearmint leaves, dried & crumbled
1/2 bulb of peeled garlic, sliced into thirds lengthwise
Quantity of olive oil [I used extra virgin olive oil] enough to cover the feta and spices in the vessel of your choice

*Let’s be honest–I always think more is more when it comes to spicing things, so it is a safe bet that all of my measurements are heaping!

I first placed the feta cubes into my chosen vessel [an old clean salsa glass jar that had retained its lid] to verify there would be enough space, then I began to add the spices. I looked at what I had in my spice cupboard and grabbed things a bit less randomly than has been my wont in the past, with an eye to creating a flavor I think would be reminiscent of the velvety tangy feta of my imagination, with a bit of play thrown in.

The garlic was a given, because there are very few things I do not put garlic, loving it, and I happen to know that olive oil soaked garlic is one of the most wonderful, sweet, nutty, softest things you can do to garlic….mmmm…

Carrying on, then. I do not recommend chopping the garlic up finer simply because while there would be more surface area, it would then become more difficult to fish out the garlic pieces for a heavenly treat once your patience has come to an end–cough–the marinade has had a chance to well blend and mingle together.

When my eyes fell on the mint and spearmint [harvested from my garden before the first frost, and allowed to air dry in little saucers near a window in my living room months ago, and had not yet used up] I thought they would be an interesting addition, lending a different flavor than one usually finds in marinated cheeses, and perhaps a hint of the depth I usually associate with feta.

The crushed red pepper, peppercorns, and lemon juice were put in for the tangy bite I look for in good feta. The oregano got included to give the mixture a good base herby flavor.

For the mustard, I had first reached for the light yellow seeds, before my hand strayed instead to the darker, brown and purple blended mustard seeds I have. I find these should be used in a greater abundance, perhaps, than one would use light mustard seeds, but they reward the taste buds with a gentle, subtler flavor and I thought it would be interesting to see how they went into the mix. I was thinking of using more than the heaping 1/4 teaspoon, but decided in the end if I thought it needed more tomorrow when I tasted it, I could always add more then.

And the poppy seeds I added for a quick burst of sweet nuttiness to complement the other slightly nutty mustard choice as well as the hotter spices.

I then placed the lid on the jar, and shook the mixture together. Once I was content that it was somewhat evenly spread over the clingy, moist feta, I opened it and poured the olive oil in until it covered everything in a healthy 1/4 inch layer of oil. I then sealed the jar and left it on my windowsill. Being winter this window does not get much in the way of sun, but it will still move into the cupboard tomorrow morning when I found space for it. You can store this in the refrigerator as well, and the oil will become a harder thing, forming a solid around the feta. If you wish to do this, I would recommend at least 48 hours outside of the fridge, in a dark, cool place. After that, if there are concerns about bacteria, the fridge should be cool enough to stop them in their tracks.

I plan on coming back to the feta tomorrow evening and tasting a piece to see how well its taking the flavors as well as if I want to add more of anything. I do not expect this to be ready for actual consumption for at least a week (but more likely three) to fully meld and mature. In the past I have not had any problems with bacteria growing in these kinds of situations [being covered with garlic and olive oil]…but obviously, anything you do is yours to judge its safety or not. If something looks or smells or tastes off, do not eat it. If you are very sensitive or concerned about such things, keep it in the fridge. It’s actually much easier and cleaner to measure out a spoonful of the flavorful and excellent for cooking (or dipping) olive oil when its a solid thing than when its in its lovely liquid form. I just occasionally need my fridge space for other things–also, I know I will use up the tasty contents faster than things would have a chance to consider growing.