Planting, Part II

We have planted every square inch of available space in the green house and hoop houses, now the real work begins. A crew of volunteers, good friends willing to crawl around in the dirt, is on standby. After a glorious day of sunshine the soil is still too wet to work but the tension is mounting and the maestro declares we will plant tomorrow morning. I assemble the troops and make cake!

RT, aka the big boss with the hot sauce, drops the plugs in place for proper spacing and we set them in.

Planting in the field is just like planting in the green house except that the plants are much more spread out. RT cultivates each row then lays two rows of underground drip tape. Then we pull a roller over each row compressing the soil just a bit. Running water through the drip lines prior to planting revels each drip and we plant the seedlings accordingly.

Field planting is low dirty work. We are fortunate to have good friends who enjoy being outside crawling around in the dirt. We call it Bindweed yoga, each practitioner develops their own unique postures. RT demonstrates the squat and drop while Carey and Kath practice the one knee planting stance.

Carrie, good friend, talented musician and first year volunteer, demonstrates the two-kneed sideways pose--difficult to maintain, a rookie mistake.

Kath opts for the open leg frog squat, easier to maintain and allows more freedom of movement--truly a seasoned professional.

The rows outside are very long and seem to stretch out forever...
breathe, plant, stretch, breathe, plant, stretch, and move a foot, repeat. This is our planting mantra.
Just focus and breathe (and remember there is cake at the end of the day.)

Namaste

Planting

We have such a short growing window that instead of direct seeding all of our plants we order seedlings in plug trays. This gives us a six week jump on some tender annuals and a good head start for perennials. Our plants need to be seeded and started weeks before we plant and there is a high demand for seedlings each spring so we must make our orders in the fall. Second guessing the weather is the real challenge, we check the long term weather forecast (ha--may as well consult the Tarot deck), look at prior years, pick a shipping date and hope for the best. This year has been a real crap shoot and seedlings have been arriving daily in the pouring rain. UPS and FedEx trucks roll up and down the drive leaving boxes and boxes of plants--seedlings, annuals, perennials and shrubs.

A new shipment of seedlings from Bluebird Nursery.

Upon arrival I unpack the boxes, water the trays and hope for a break in the weather. The forecast is good, but the ground is so saturated we cannot work it.

Unpacking nursery shipments is always exciting--I'm challenged by some of the creative packaging, thrilled with the contents of each box and curious to where it will all go!


Plug trays--plastic trays filled with seedlings packed in finger-sized plugs of soil--watered and waiting to be planted. As you can see by the shadows, we have sunlight!

RT, the maestro, gets creative, re-purposing space in the green house and hoop house for some of the new seedlings. Planting plugs is low work--I crawl, squat and duck-walk down the rows planting seedlings in the support netting. (As the plants grow rows of netting support the stems and prevent the plants from foundering.) Carey, our new wonder woman helper, makes the work go much faster. We start out stiff and chilly but soon the sun has warmed the hoop house and the work goes quickly.

An excellent shot of the support netting, the plug trays and Carey, our new wonder woman!

Carey and I are planting snap dragons. The seedlings are very small and the plugs themselves are only the size of the tip of my finger. They must be pulled gently from the tray and then set into the soil. The snap trays hold 250 seedlings. In no time we have set out planted several trays-whew!

The Portneuf Project, Part II

Just over a week ago we attended the VIP Gala to celebrate the opening of the Portneuf Medical center and I am still a little star struck. I had hoped there would be some sort of open house at the new hospital but the event Friday night far exceeded all expectation. It was off the hook! From the valet escort on the red carpet to the last champange toast we were treated like celebrities.

RT in his perfect tux

As soon as we received our invitation to this "black tie" affair we found just the right tuxedo for RT. One brief stop and he has the perfect tux--the perfect style, the perfect fit and the perfect shoes--men are so easy.

My little blue dress

Finding something suitable for me was a little more difficult but we managed. Poor Ralph declared he was becoming my gay boyfriend as we made the rounds to find the perfect dress and shoes. He was actually very helpful, has excellent taste and gave very good advice. But I knew this shopping thing needed to end when he commented that the only thing left to buy was just the right "bling"!

A bit more relaxed after a little sushi and wine

We toured the hospital as a progressive dinner--following arrows and our noses through out the building, discovering a multi-course meal. Winding through the halls and up and down the elevators we were treated to fabulous food and drink.

We encountered beautiful art and photographs through out the entire building. The hospital itself is a work of art, beautifully appointed, showcasing fine art from many local artisans. One of the highlights was finding my piece, gorgeously framed in a lovely location. It is on the second level on the east side, opposite the balcony overlooking the stunning two story waterfall.

Obviously I am very happy, but so very proud and grateful for this opportunity.

After finding my piece we continued the tour, meeting people--old and new--and discovering Bindweed tulips. Two sides of Bindweed creativity were represented this evening--my artwork and our tulips. Our good friend and long time client, LD of Flowers by LD, did all the flowers for the event.

Besides the dreamlike quality to the evening, okay, and maybe a little wine haze, I was completely distracted and need to return for another tour. I was very preoccupied by the artwork, the food and drink, the flowers and people-watching! It was a feast of color, texture and style. We should all dress up more often. I loved the jewelry and the shoes--so expressive. I was very clever and got good shoes and was able to wear them ALL evening--many ladies gave up and were carrying their shoes way before champange and dancing.

Me and my sweetie

It was a magical evening, one we will long remember in many ways. I loved making this painting so this event was really icing on the cake. As a working artist I usually sell my best work but as I was finishing this piece it struck me that though it was sold I would always have access to it. And not only that, it is part of my personal legacy, something public that I am able to share. It pleases me to think that something beautiful I have tried to express might bring cheer to those in need.

Tulips

Each fall we plant tulips for the following spring. Our first year we planted 2000 bulbs and that spring had such success we planted 4000 the following fall. In the following spring we sold every tulip and could have sold more so again we doubled our planting to 8000 bulbs. This pattern continued and so last fall we planted 36,000 bulbs. It's a big job but with a lot of prep work and some organization we can do it in less than three days.

Tulip bulbs ready for planting.

After the last delivery of the season we clean out the green houses and dig trenches down their entire length. The trenches are three feet wide, six inches deep and about 100 feet long. Space is very limited in a green houses so the trenches must be dug by hand, for the past few years we have been fortunate to have a much younger employee to do this task.

Roger planting bulbs. Kohl reading the next pit with fresh soil.

The tulips are shipped from Holland to a port in the northwest and then trucked to us. As soon as the bulbs arrive and are unloaded we start planting. Now the real physical work begins--it is not hard, just very uncomfortable. We climb into the pits and set the bulbs into the soil about a half an inch apart in row upon row. The bulbs come in crates of 500; I can plant a crate in about fifteen minutes, but I am the fastest bulb setter on this farm.

RT, the maestro, in the tulip pit.

After the pits are filled with tulip bulbs they are covered with a layer of soil and top coat of sand. When the entire row is planted we lay lines of drip tape and give them a good watering.

KT and Miguel planting crates of bulbs.

We are fortunate to have good friends that enjoy grubbing around on their hands and knees for hours at a time, which is asking a lot as we are all over fifty! Kath has been on the tulips crew for years and is our number one non-employee. (There have been times when we could not have operated with out her--thanks again honey.)

Kath, our number one non-employee and dear friend

After the tulips are planted we put the farm to bed and things really wind down. The first day of February we fire up the heat in the green house and wait for the tulips to emerge. In six weeks the tulips are ready for delivery.

My Sprinter loaded and ready to go!

"As a Complement to Wine"

Risotto

First of all a huge thank you to everyone that joined me for my initial series of cooking classes. Grazie, grazie, mille grazie! I am sorry to have to call a brief hiatus but if you continue to cook with me through this blog I think I can be helpful and keep you inspired. As we move deeper and deeper into the farming season I have less and less time in the kitchen but we still need to eat and I keep a bountiful garden so I will post new ideas and recipes. As always I am posting the recipes from our risotto class.

The "pasta mafia", my adopted Italian mammas would roll their eyes and cover their heads with their aprons if they ever read this recipe! They would scold and tut, and cry"mamma mia" until they tried it and then, even though it breaks with all tradition I think they would love it. It is simple and delicious and I have never met an Italian yet that wasted anything, so I think they would appreciate the economy of time and effort. Whip up a batch of this risotto and while it is in the oven finishing you can enjoy a glass of wine with your loved ones--now that's Italian!

Baked Mushroom Risotto

2 Tbs EVOO

1 sm. Onion, finely diced

1 c. Arborio rice

½ c. dry white wine

2 ½ c. chicken stock, warmed to the boiling point

½ c. cream

2 Tbs butter

2 Tbs EVOO

8 oz. assorted mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

Pinch of thyme

1 bay leaf

¼ - ½ c. dry white wine

1 Tbs truffle oil (truffle oil is totally optional)

½ c. Parmesan, freshly grated

2-3 Tbs Italian parsley, freshly minced

Preheat oven 425.

Film the bottom of a large stock pot with a tight fitting lid with EVOO. Sauté the onion until it is soft and translucent, taking care not to let it brown. Add the rice and stir to coat all the grains with oil, keep cooking and stirring until the grains become translucent. Add the wine and stir, cook until the wine is almost completely absorbed. Add 2 c. of the stock and stir, heat to the boiling point. At this point cover the pot and slip it into the oven. Bake for 12-15 min.

While the rice is cooking film the bottom of a large sauté pan with 2 Tbs EVOO and 1 Tbs of the butter. Add the mushrooms and a bit of salt and sauté over med. high heat. When the mushrooms have softened and browned a bit add the thyme and bay leaf, cook a bit more and deglaze the pan with ¼ c. wine. Continue cooking until the wine is nearly absorbed then add the stock. Heat the pan just to a high simmer lowering the heat just before the boiling point. Add the truffle oil and hold this pan at a low, low simmer.

Check the rice, it should be “al dente”, soft but with a firm middle. When it is al dente remove the stock pot from the oven. Add the warm mushroom mixture, 1 Tbs butter, cream and Parmesan and stir, adjusting the liquid level as needed. (Risotto is perfect when the rice is al dente nestled in a silky sauce.) Serve immediately in warm bowl finished with fresh parsley.

Since we were exploring the Italian side of rice I opened class with some grown-up rice crispy treats. (Actually I have been dying to make this recipe but was afraid to have an entire batch in the house for very long--they are lethal!) Another classic Italian recipe transforming simple ingredients into a rich and exciting treat--that's Italian, no?

Browned Butter Rice Crispy Treats

1 stick butter

10 oz. marshmallows

1/4 t. coarse salt

6 cups crispy rice cereal

1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Melt the butter in a large heavy bottomed pan over medium low heat. The butter will foam and bubble and then start to turn brown and smell nutty. (This is the only tricky part, do not leave the stove, butter can burn quickly and then you must start over.) Stir occasionally and keep an eye on the butter. As soon as it is golden and fragrant turn off the heat and add the marshmallows. When the marshmallows are melted gradually stir in the cereal, sprinkling in a bit of salt and a few chocolate chips with each turn of the spoon until everything is incorporated.

Press into the bottom of a 9 in. x 13 in. pan, let cool and then BEWARE! This is so good.

Spring at Last

We spotted a robin Sunday morning along the river, yesterday there was a robin just out the kitchen window on the pergola, today I watched robins play in the puddles all day. The cats are happy to get out and play. It must be spring.

The tulips in the greenhouse have been slowly blooming for a couple of weeks and we have been cutting a few bunches everyday. Saturday we woke to sunshine and the first real warmth of the season and harvested four hundred tulips! My long respite is over and I start deliveries Monday.


We ordered from a new supplier and have some beautiful new tulip varieties, including these gorgeous White Parrot tulips.


We are experimenting with a new way of planting some of the tulips and hyacinths. Rather than planting directly in the ground, the bulbs are planted in crates, covered with a soil and sand mixture and left on top of the soil in the greenhouse.

The hyacinths look and smell fantastic and we are able to easily harvest the flowers with bulbs intact.

Freshly harvested hyacinths--dreamy colors, heavenly scents!