Thursday, January 19, 2012
Welcome back!
This post is mostly directed to those who have just come aboard. Welcome!
Help us achieve a strong village by exchanging your ideas, questions, tips, requests, etc. regarding Veggie Village gardening. Recipes are welcome too!
Help us achieve a strong village by exchanging your ideas, questions, tips, requests, etc. regarding Veggie Village gardening. Recipes are welcome too!
Friday, October 28, 2011
Savory Swiss Chard Tart
What to do with all the swiss chard. Patricia Wells, author of the cookbook Bistro Cooking, suggests putting it in a tart. Its wonderful!
Pastry
1 cup (140 g) unbleached flour
1/4 teas salt
1/4 cup (6 cl) extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup (6 cl) water
Filling
1 pound (500 g) swiss chard leaves (or substitute spinach)
salt and freshly ground pepper
3 large eggs
1 cup (100 g) freshly grated parmesan cheese
1. Preheat oven to 400 F (205 C)
2. Prepare the pastry: Combine the flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium size bowl. Stir in 1/4 cup (6 cl) water and then the oil, mixing until thoroughly blended. Knead briefly. The dough will be very moist, much like a cookie dough. Press the dough into a 10 1/2 inch (27 cm) loosely bottomed metal tart tin.
3. Prepare the filling: Wash and dry the green leafy portion of the chard, discarding the center white stem. Break up the leaves and coarsely chop them, in several batches in the food processer.
4. Place the chard in a large, shallow skillet and season with salt and pepper to taste. Over low heat, wilt the chard and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
5. Combine the eggs and the cheese in a medium size bowl; mix until thoroughly blended. Stir in the chard and mix well. Pour the vegetable mixture into the prepared pastry shell.
6. Bake until the crust is golden and the chard mixture is firm and browned about 40 minutes. Serve at room temperature.
Yield 8 Servings.
Pastry
1 cup (140 g) unbleached flour
1/4 teas salt
1/4 cup (6 cl) extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup (6 cl) water
Filling
1 pound (500 g) swiss chard leaves (or substitute spinach)
salt and freshly ground pepper
3 large eggs
1 cup (100 g) freshly grated parmesan cheese
1. Preheat oven to 400 F (205 C)
2. Prepare the pastry: Combine the flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium size bowl. Stir in 1/4 cup (6 cl) water and then the oil, mixing until thoroughly blended. Knead briefly. The dough will be very moist, much like a cookie dough. Press the dough into a 10 1/2 inch (27 cm) loosely bottomed metal tart tin.
3. Prepare the filling: Wash and dry the green leafy portion of the chard, discarding the center white stem. Break up the leaves and coarsely chop them, in several batches in the food processer.
4. Place the chard in a large, shallow skillet and season with salt and pepper to taste. Over low heat, wilt the chard and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
5. Combine the eggs and the cheese in a medium size bowl; mix until thoroughly blended. Stir in the chard and mix well. Pour the vegetable mixture into the prepared pastry shell.
6. Bake until the crust is golden and the chard mixture is firm and browned about 40 minutes. Serve at room temperature.
Yield 8 Servings.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Week of 10/24
Dear Gardeners,
Thanks to all who came out to the picnic- we had a great turnout and I hope you all had a nice time.
Updates/reminders/observations:
1) This Saturday is the tour to Nature's Way. You may go to the garden first, work a little and then follow the Garden Advisor(Barbara Stave) to Nature's Way or go straight to NW. The tour starts at 9 am sharp. You may want to dress in your "gardening" clothes and shoes as it might be dusty/muddy.
2) It would be good to fertilize with a foliar spray. I will be dropping off Liquid Seaweed and Fish Emulsion (as soon as I buy it) to spray your plants. Combined, these two organic fertilizers not only act as a supplement between dry fertilizer application (Microlife) but also controls insect and fungus problems. Greens particularly love the extra TLC. I'll notify you when I drop off the fertilizer. You may combine it with molasses (which will feed the micro-organisms in the soil). If you don't feel confident doing it yourself, ask a Garden Advisor to help you.
3) The leak on E5 has been repaired! Those around E5 should see a great improvement on the paths.
4) Please read through the two documents that were sent late last week (Best Garden Practices and Harvesting)...I hope you find them helpful.
5) If you notice that a particular crop is not growing as strongly as a neighbor's crop, check the drip line and make sure that the line is over the plant. If it's too far away (even a foot for the smaller transplants), then the drip won't do it's job.
Later,
K
Thanks to all who came out to the picnic- we had a great turnout and I hope you all had a nice time.
Updates/reminders/observations:
1) This Saturday is the tour to Nature's Way. You may go to the garden first, work a little and then follow the Garden Advisor(Barbara Stave) to Nature's Way or go straight to NW. The tour starts at 9 am sharp. You may want to dress in your "gardening" clothes and shoes as it might be dusty/muddy.
2) It would be good to fertilize with a foliar spray. I will be dropping off Liquid Seaweed and Fish Emulsion (as soon as I buy it) to spray your plants. Combined, these two organic fertilizers not only act as a supplement between dry fertilizer application (Microlife) but also controls insect and fungus problems. Greens particularly love the extra TLC. I'll notify you when I drop off the fertilizer. You may combine it with molasses (which will feed the micro-organisms in the soil). If you don't feel confident doing it yourself, ask a Garden Advisor to help you.
3) The leak on E5 has been repaired! Those around E5 should see a great improvement on the paths.
4) Please read through the two documents that were sent late last week (Best Garden Practices and Harvesting)...I hope you find them helpful.
5) If you notice that a particular crop is not growing as strongly as a neighbor's crop, check the drip line and make sure that the line is over the plant. If it's too far away (even a foot for the smaller transplants), then the drip won't do it's job.
Later,
K
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Gate
Hi everyone,
Just wanted to let you know the gate lock is fixed!
A quick note on the picnic: we're trying to make it as environmentally friendly as possible. We'd love to hear your ideas!
Just wanted to let you know the gate lock is fixed!
A quick note on the picnic: we're trying to make it as environmentally friendly as possible. We'd love to hear your ideas!
Lettuce Question
I have planted lettuce (salad bowl) and was wondering about the best way to get it to the food pantry. I seems to me like it is going to wilt rather quickly once cut.
Along those lines I heard it mentioned somewhere that you can let it "Go to Head" my question on this is 2 part. For food pantry purposes would it be better to let it go to head and then take it that way, or harvest it as it matures and let it keep producing.....Oh and by the way, how do you make it form a head?
Thanks!
Matt
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Welcome!!
Hi there fellow Veggie Villagers!
Please feel free to post your questions, comments, doubts, news, etc. that pertain to your gardening experience at Veggie Village of Interfaith of the Woodlands. This is blog is only open to fellow Gardeners and Garden Advisors...if you wish to invite someone to join please consult with me first.
Please feel free to post your questions, comments, doubts, news, etc. that pertain to your gardening experience at Veggie Village of Interfaith of the Woodlands. This is blog is only open to fellow Gardeners and Garden Advisors...if you wish to invite someone to join please consult with me first.
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