Community Gardening

Community gardening is a wonderful thing. You can grow yourself some veg, help out the environment, and hopefully make a few new friends all at the same time.

My good friend Emily recently called me up, and said, “Nathan, I want a plot at the local garden this year, but I need a partner to keep me motivated and help split the work. Are you interested?” Well, anything to do with food, of course I’m interested, so here we are, sharing a double-plot at the Curtis Park Community Garden in our neighborhood.

When I say you'll make a few friends, I mean that it’s inevitable that you’ll run into a other people at the garden during the season only to swap some friendly advice or just share in the camaraderie. Just on my first weekend alone I met Jeff, Aaron, and Meredith. Jeff was kind enough to tell me that Pacific Mercantile, a local Asian food store, had a number of seedlings on sale for $.89 each. Naturally I had to rush over to pick up a few jalapeño and Anaheim plants.

I should tell you that I don’t have a lot of gardening experience, so the opportunity to share the load with someone who does have experience is a great way to work through my first real gardening season. There are a load of online resources, but sharing the work with a friend is preferable, even if neither of you have a clue as to what’s going on.

Though we’re starting a little late in the season (planting three weeks ago might have been ideal), we’ll still yield hundred of dollars of produce, even with a few hundred invested in our elaborate set up (willow wigwams, bamboo fencing, etc). Dismiss our frivolities and Keep in mind that this can be simply done with just minimal start up costs.

Most if not all community gardens will charge a fee for your plot, usually based on the size. If you’re just starting out, you should ask for a starter plot just to get a feel for how this all works out. Most vegetables can be grown from seeds or seedlings, without much more investment. Things like peas, squash, tomatoes and such might need some specialty items like trellises to grow. Even given all that, you’re still spending far less for the late-summer early fall harvest than what you would probably spend at the grocery store.

Because we have a double-plot and can share the work, we’re growing a lot:

• ·     Two different eggplant varieties
  
• ·     Two peppers
  
• ·     Two chilies
  
• ·     Two different thyme varieties
  
• ·     Three mint varieties
  
• ·     Two basil varieties
  
• ·     Marjoram
  
• ·     Fennel
  
• ·      Four lettuce varieties, with two more in a second planting (red leaf, green leaf, mixed Asian greens, bok choy, chard, kale, etc)
  
• ·      Snap peas and English shelling peas
  
• ·      Lemon and English cucumbers
  
• ·      A variety of squash
  
• ·      Carrots
  

Many of these plants will mature in about 60 days. If you happen to get a plot with healthy soil, your upfront costs really are relatively low. Even if you need to buy a few bags of compost, you’re still saving money in the long run.

For the most part you can follow the directions on the seed packets or on the sticks in the seedlings. It’s not too late. If you’re local garden or backyard still has space, consider grown a few items, easing yourself into the process. It’s easier than you think. Really!

I’ll continue to update you throughout our growing season, and in the meantime, good luck with your own crops!

Stocking Your Pantry

Becoming a good cook relies on three important components: the knowledge, the equipment, and the ingredients.

Having several basic ingredients on hand is critical to help create impromptu meals, or to be prepared for planned meals. Many people find it expensive to cook a great meal because they must buy many ingredients, like vinegars and oils, which might otherwise be found in a well-stocked pantry.

There are some great ways to save money on pantry items such as buying from specialty stores in your area. I have a local spice shop where I can buy hundreds of dried herbs and spices in bulk ranging from an eighth of an ounce up to several pounds. This way I can buy a very small amount of something I don’t use often, like cardamom, or larger amounts of my favorites like cumin or thyme. I save a bundle this way instead of buying the herb and spice bottles from the grocery store.

Nearly everything has a limited shelf life so it’s important to think about how much of an ingredient you might use before time runs out. Most herbs, spices, and oils for example are best used within one year. I try to visit my entire pantry about every six months to replace old ingredients or to make note of items that I need to use quickly.

It goes without saying that your food is only as good as your ingredients. I always try to buy the best quality items that I can afford. A cheap olive oil doesn’t taste as good as a quality extra virgin does, but this doesn’t mean that you have to mortgage the ol’ homestead just to buy a bottle either. Do what feels most comfortable to you.

Another great way to save a little money on some ingredients is to buy whole spices and grind them yourself. You can pick up a mortar and pestle at many kitchen stores or spice shops. It really adds just a little time to grind things like pepper, cloves, or cardamom just before cooking with them. For most spices this not only greatly adds to their shelf life, but also yields a richer flavor from them. Whole nutmeg has an amazing flavor when it’s grated on a micro grater – give it a try next time!

I’m not suggesting that anyone run out to buy all these ingredients immediately to have on hand, but I find that it helps to refer to a list like this when thinking about the things that I like to keep in my pantry.  Knowing the kind of food that you like to cook helps with building a pantry. A person who cooks primarily Italian dishes would have a very different pantry from someone who cooks Vietnamese dishes. I’ve included some basic ingredients, but then you’ll also find some pantry ideas for specific cuisines too. Try building your own list to help build your pantry and keep it organized!

 

Herbs and Spices Kosher salt Coarse sea salt Fine sea salt Specialty salts (grey, red algae, smoked, Murray River, etc.) Black peppercorns Green pepper corns Pink peppercorns Basil Bay leaves Cardamom Cayenne Ceylon Cinnamon Chipotle, ground or whole Coriander Cumin Curry powders (yellow, green, etc.) Dill weed Fennel seeds Garam masala Ginger, ground Herbes de Provence blend Marjoram Mustard seed, yellow and brown Nutmeg, whole Oregano Paprika (sweet, hot, smoked, etc.) Red pepper  flakes Rosemary Star anise Tarragon Thyme

Oils and Vinegars Extra virgin olive oil Canola oil Cooking spray White vinegar Apple cider vinegar White wine vinegar Red wine vinegar Rice vinegar   Other ingredients Baking powder Baking soda Cane sugar Brown sugar Confectioner’s sugar Cornstarch Vanilla extract  (NOT imitation!) Various fruit/nut extracts Honey Soy sauce Worcestershire sauce Hot sauce(s) Dijon mustard Yellow mustard Pasta Rice (white, brown,  arborio, etc.) Oats (rolled, quick,  steel cut) Canned beans Canned tomatoes Fruit preserves Stocks (chicken,  beef, veg) Onions (white, yellow,  red, shallot) Garlic Potatoes (russet,  Yukon Gold, red, purple)