PlanterTomato Vegetable Gardening

Puntarelle & Italian Sausage Pasta

This is a quick gourmet pasta dish that is a nice change from traditional tomato or cream based pasta dishes.

Earlier this year, a gardening friend visited and brought me some Puntarelle plants for my garden.  Puntarelle is a type of dandelion and a member of the chicory family.  It's easy to grow, very cold tolerant (zone 4) and has an upright growth habit.

The name "Puntarelle" means "little tips" in Italian and Puntarelle in various forms are classic Roman dishes that are eaten from November through February.  While Puntarelle are often eaten as a cooked salad, we used ours to make a pasta dish with Italian sausage.  To make this recipe, you'll need two pots of water and a skillet going at the same time, but the good news is that by juggling between burners, you can prepare the whole dish in about 20 minutes.  That makes it great for evenings when you don't have lots of time to cook and don't want to eat out or do take-out food.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 1 pound of dry linguine, spaghetti, or shaped pasta of your choice.
  
• 4 Italian pork sausages (about 12 ounces) - I use packaged, fully cooked sausages and find they work well and speed cooking time.
  
• 8 ounces of puntarelle leaves
• Olive oil
• Parmesan cheese

Recipe

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil to cook your pasta and a do the same for a second smaller pot ( 4 cups water) in which you will par boil the puntarelle.
2. While the water is coming to a boil, slice the italian sausage into pieces that are about 1/4 inch long and wash the puntarelle leaves.
3. When the puntarelle water has come to a boil, drop the leaves into the pot and par boil for 3 minutes.  This will both cook the puntarelle and also reduce some of the bitterness of the greens.
4. Remove the puntarelle and rinse under cold water.  Pat dry them with a paper towel or dry using a salad spinner.
5. Cut the puntarelle leaves into 1 inch pieces.
6. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan and add the sausage links that you have already cut into 1/4 inch pieces.
7. Cook the sausage over medium heat until they are cooked through and have caramelized on the outside. 
8. Add the puntarelle to the pan of sausages and cook over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes, stirring periodically to prevent burning.  Remove from burner and set aside.
   
9. By now, the pasta water should have come to a full, rolling boil. Add two tablespoons of salt and the pasta to the water and cook per the instructions on the package - generally about 10 minutes.
10. When the pasta is done, drain and transfer it to a large bowl.
11. Add the sausage and puntarelle and some additional olive oil and toss together.
12. Serve immediately.  If you like, add grated parmesan cheese or salt and pepper to taste.
    

Mizuna: Hardy Japanese Green

Here's a cold tolerant green that makes a nice change of pace in your salads.

Mizuna is a member of the brassica family (kale, broccoli, cabbage etc.) that is as cold tolerant as the other members of the same clan.  It is originally from Japan, where it is generally eaten in soups and other cooked dishes.

We like Mizuna as an ingredient in a mix of salad greens.   It tastes like mustard with a peppery note that is reminiscent of arugula.  There are a number of varieties on the market and they vary considerably in their spiciness.  Most varieties sold at Asian markets are fairly mild, but the variety in my garden has a very hot and sharp flavor that is similar to wasabi in flavor and in kick.

The mizuna in my garden was a late addition and a complete impulse purchase.  I saw it at my local garden center in seedling trays and purchased a small plastic flat that I then planted in an open space in my garden.  I had no real expectation of harvesting past the late Fall, but my mizuna has now survived many Winter frosts.

If you live in a colder area and want to add mizuna to your garden, you will need to provide protection such as growing it in a greenhouse, cold frame or tunnel.

Simple Recipe Idea: Crab Cakes on a Bed of Mizuna

This is so simple, it's an overstatement to say its a recipe.

• Make crab cakes using a favorite recipe.  Our favorite is Mark Bittman's Crabby Crab Cake recipe
• Then place the crab cakes on a bed of mizuna that you've drizzled with olive oil
• The sharp, mustardy flavor of the mizuna makes a good contrast with the sweet/salty flavor of the crab.

The Scourge of Scurvy: Belle Isle Upland Cress

Belle Isle Cress is not just for the starving and scurvy plagued.  Here's another cool loving salad green to consider for your winter garden.

Readers of this blog know that I like the peppery taste of watercress, so I was intrigued to learn about another salad green called Upland Cress that is reputed to have a similar flavor, but more delicate foliage.

There are a number of varieties of Upland Cress and the plant goes by many names including: Bank Cress, Belle Isle Cress, Herb of St. Barbara, Normandy Cress, Spring Cress, and Treacle Mustard.  Confusing, eh!

I purchased seeds for Belle Isle Cress from Wild Garden Seed.  According to their web site, the plant has been eaten since colonial times to ward off scurvy and was taken back to Europe by 17th century Portuguese sailors.  Apparently, these unfortunate sea lads became shipwrecked on Belle Isle after a harsh Nor'Easter and survived by eating the cress.

Sadly, Wild Garden Seeds does not mention where Belle Isle is located.  An internet search turns up a "Belle Isle" in several places, the most prominent of which is Belle Isle, Florida.  But none of these locations seems like the probable location of a Nor'Easter.    I presume a sailor marooned in Florida would have had more to eat than just cress, even if it meant dodging alligators and cotton mouth pit vipers.

How To Grow Belle Isle Cress

This cress grows well in moist soil in full sun but will tolerate partial shade as well.    Belle Isle cress likes cool weather so plant it in the Spring and harvest before hot weather sets in as warmer weather causes the plant to become quite bitter.  The cress takes 50 days to reach full maturity, but you can harvest the shoots earlier than that if you wish.

I live in Northern California where the temperatures rarely go below freezing so I'm able to plant this cress in the Fall and harvest in the Fall and Winter.  I currently have it growing hydroponically in my greenhouse and it's thriving.

Belle Isle Cress is high in both vitamin A and C.  So if you are a Portuguese Seadog you can grow it on deck in containers and fend off potential bouts of scurvy.  By the way, if you know where Belle Isle is located, please enlighten me.

 

Fall 2010 Photo Essay

In September, I planted vegetables for my Fall and Winter Garden.  This posting is a photo essay showing the growth progress of this seasons crop.  Most of the plants are in my greenhouse.

Lacinato Kale - a wrinkled kale variety that is a favorite of Italian cooks.  We saute kale in a little olive oil to make a quick warm salad and also use it as an ingredient in hardy winter soups.  Kale is one of the most nutritious vegetables around and so easy to grow in winter that it's a shame most gardeners don't know, or grow, this vegetable.

Miner's Lettuce - a native of the Pacific Northwest U.S., this cold tolerant edible grows wild in forests.  It is reputed to have a high vitamin C content.  It is crunchy and has a slight lemon flavor.  My kids love it.

 
Baby Pak Choi - This vegetable is also called Bok Choi and there are probably more spelling variants of this vegetable name than any other variety in the garden.  Pak choi is a staple of Asian cooking and is used in stir-fry and soup dishes.  It is quite crunchy and the baby varieties grow to about 6 inches.  They have a beautiful green color and are quite cute.

Radicchio - A bitter green that adds some red color to winter salads.

Swiss Chard - Another very hard vegetable that can be used in all sorts of cooked dishes.  Chard leaves are deep green but the stalks come in a rainbow of colors such as white, red, yellow, and pink.  Warm colors for cold days.

Upland Cress - similar in flavor to water cress but a member of the mustard family. 

Mache - Prounounced like "mosh," this is a very common vegetable in Europe.  Unlike many of the other winter greens, mache is very mild tasting, similar to bibb lettuce in my opinion.  If you don't like the bitter stuff, mache is the way to go.

Arugula & Red Russian Kale - Arugula is a very peppery green.  This is my wife's favorite and so we grow quite a bit of arugula.  Despite its name, Red Russian Kale is very different than other kale varieties.  And there's a good reason for this, its a different specie altogether.  Red Russian is a very soft kale.  You don't need to cook it very much and you can even eat it uncooked if you like.

Crapaudine Beet - I posted about this earlier this week.  This variety dates back over 1000 years.  It has a nice flavor and is a good addition to your heirloom garden.

Savoy Cabbage - a more delicate cabbage that has a less sulfur flavor than other varieties.  This cabbage is great for cooked dishes and is considered the king of cabbage by foodies.  I tried using this variety for sauerkraut earlier this year but was not happy with the results.  Use more common varieties of green cabbage to make good kraut.

Saxa Radish - Fast and easy to grow.  Makes a nice addition to salads or pickled and thrown into a Martini.

Inchelium Red Garlic - A hardneck variety planted now that I will harvest in the spring.  Originally discovered on the Colville Indian reservation in Washington State, this variety has a robust flavor and is listed as an "Arc of Taste" variety by the folks at Slow Food.

Henderson Baby Lima - These baby lima beans mature in about 65 days.  I planted them in September with the hope of getting a harvest before the cold weather kills off the plants.  It's going to be close; the pods have formed, but the beans are not ready yet and we are now past the official first frost date for our area.  If the weather stays mild, I may be able to squeak in one last harvest of beans.  If not, I know to plant them in late August next year.

Russian Roulette: A Kale I Know You'll Love

A different variety of kale that will win you over.

In the past, I've posted about Siberian Kale, a winter hardy Brassica (Member of the cabbage/broccoli family) that is a big favorite in our house.  We love this veggie because it is packed with nutrients, is so cold tolerant it can be grown during the winter, and is a great ingredient in soups and stir fry dishes.  Oh and did I mention, it's incredibly easy to grow and resistant to most pests!

You may also be familiar with some other varieties of kale such as Lacinato, which also goes by the name Toscano or Dinosaur kale, Dwarf Blue kale, a dark curly leafed variety, and Redbor a finely curled almost magenta colored kale.  All are winter hardy and all generally require cooking as they can be a bit woody.  They are also all varieties from the same specie -- Brassica Olaracea.

Red Russian Kale

This spring, I tried a a new type of kale called Red Russian.  This kale is very different from the all of the previously mentioned varieties, including it's Siberian namesake, because it is a different specie of kale -- Brassica Napus (versus Brassica Oleracea for all the other varieties).  What I really like about this type of kale is that it is so soft that it does not really need to be cooked.  You can eat it raw as a salad green or toss it into soup during the last minute of cooking.  

Red Russian kale has a broad flat leaf and a silver-green color.  The stems and veins of the leaves are light to dark purple, giving this kale an almost ornamental appearance.  In fact, I think this would make an excellent addition for gardeners that are engaged in "Edible Landscaping," creating gardens that are beautiful to the eye, but made with edible, rather than ornamental, plants.

I like Red Russian kale so much, I will probably grow it as the primary type of kale I put into my garden in the future.

If you have not grown kale before, consider adding Red Russian kale to your garden this fall.  I know you will really enjoy it.

Rare And Unusual Lettuce

Four Rare & Unusual Lettuces

This year I'm growing a variety of heirloom lettuces that are not your typical fare.  I wanted to compare these to see if I could find a new favorite in the mix.

Brune d'hiver -  Introduced in 1855 it has green leaves tinged with a reddish-brown blush.  Brune d'hiver, which means "Winter Brown" in French, is a bibb or butterhead-type lettuce that is often planted in the fall because it is cold tolerant, but I started it early in the spring and it has done quite well (We are having an unusually cold, wet spring and it's been a benefit to this lettuce). I found it to be a very soft lettuce with a bitter finish but not as bitter as Forellenschluss.

Forellenschluss - This is an Austrian heirloom romaine-type lettuce with mottled red spots.  The name means "spotted like a trout" and indeed the lettuce has markings similar to that of a trout.  It too is a very cold tolerant variety.  The leaves were a little tougher than the other varieties and it was also little more bitter.  What makes this variety a standout is the unusual coloration and I think it add great visual appeal to a salad.

De Morges Braun - A Swiss heirloom romaine-type lettuce with green leaves and slight reddish tinging in areas.  Leaves are soft and the flavor was mild.  This was the least distinct tasting of the four lettuces in this sample.

Little Gem - An English romaine-type lettuce with a compact growth habit and light green leaves.  This was the sweetest of the lettuces of the group and even the stems are quite sweet.  This is probably the most kid-friendly of the four lettuces, followed by De Morges Braun.

All of the lettuces were easy to grow and I believe most were ready for harvest in about 50-60 days.  I've noted some of the taste and texture differences between these lettuces, but in candor, the Little Gem is probably the one that is most distinctly different.  In a salad, with other ingredients and dressing, I think it would be hard to distinguish one from another.  I would recommend any of these to you.

If I had to choose a favorite, I personally would go with the Forellenschluss for it's beautiful color.  I have to admit, I'm also drawn to it because I like the name "Spotted like A Trout."  It reminds me of the beautiful paintings of trout by author and artist James Prosek (see photo)

Bertie Wooster's Watercress Sandwiches

Watercress & Watercress Sandwiches.

I like watercress, but I have to admit that whenever I eat it it, I can't help but think of Bertie Wooster,  the affable and eccentric twit featured in a series of stories by author P.G. Wodehouse. 

As you may already know, Wooster is a caricature of the idle rich British aristocrat who spends his days getting into trouble, avoiding his overbearing aunt Agatha, and eating finger sandwiches  served to him at tea time by his loyal butler, Jeeves.

So what's the association between Bertie Wooster and watercress?  Well, it's those darned finger sandwiches which Wooster was always eating -- these are often made with watercress as a key ingredient.  Now I just can't think of tea sandwiches without thinking of Wooster and watercress.

Sadly this connection is an unfortunate one for me since it paints watercress with a patina of snobbish foppery that it frankly does not deserve. Watercress is a nutrient dense veggie which adds a peppery flavor to soups, salads and, of course, finger sandwiches. 

It's a semi-aquatic member of the Brassica family with dark green leaves and a fast growth habit.  It's not hard to grow and is one of the things you can harvest early in the year.

How To Grow Watercress

Watercress generally makes its home adjacent to streams, but you don't need to live near water to grow it.  I grew my watercress this year using Autopot hydroponic containers which work brilliantly for this water-loving veggie.  However, you can easily grow watercress  in traditional containers if you keep the soil wet enough.

According to eHow.com, one trick is to plant your watercress in a traditional pot but then place that pot into another container that is filled with water, thereby creating a miniature island in a pond. 

To plant watercress, directly sow your seeds at a depth of 1/4 inch in the early spring.  Place your container in an area where it is in partial shade.  Watercress germinates in 3-15 days, and you can begin to harvest in about 60 days.  It does best when the air temperature is 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit, so plant based on your local conditions.  

Benefits of Watercress

Watercress is a super food -- high in Vitamins A and C and iron.  In fact, it has more vitamin C than oranges and more calcium than milk.  As an herbal remedy, watercress is thought to cleanse the blood and also to prevent scurvy (makes sense given that it's high in vitamin C)

Watercress Sandwiches for Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea is an English tradition of a bygone era; it's a light meal enjoyed between 3:00-5:00 pm where, small crustless sandwiches made of smoked salmon, cucumber, watercress and other goodies are served along with scones and tea. 

If you want to have the full English tea experience, you can still sometimes find it offered in some hotels in the UK and Canada.  But if you'd like to just try it at home, it's easy to pull together and many of these sandwiches are a good showcase for you watercress.

If you would like to try making finger sandwiches, here are links to a few sandwich recipes that use watercress as a key ingredient:

• Cucumber, Watercress, Salmon Sandwich
• Watercress Sandwich with Chili Lime Butter
• Goat Cheese & Watercress Sandwich

Now all you need is a Jeeves to serve them.

 

A Dwarf Chinese Cabbage That's Convenient For Recipes

I really like the dwarf forms of Chinese cabbage.  These are cute little veggies that grow to a height of just 2 to 4 inches.

There are a number of dwarf varieties on the market.  This year, I tried one called Extra Dwarf Pak Choy sold by Baker Creek Seed Company.  It's a lovely little cabbage with wrinkled dark green leaves and a bone-china white stem.  It's mild tasting and finishes with a slight mustard-like flavor.

Why I Like Dwarf Varieties

The dwarf varieties offer a number of advantages:

1. They mature in a short period of time -- generally about 30 days.
2. Kids love them because they are mini-sized vegetables.
3. It's easy to cook with them because they don't require much chopping; just make one cut at the base of the stem, and the cabbage separates into individual leaves that are bite sized and ready for cooking. 
   

Chinese cabbage is part of the Brassica family that includes broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and kale.  There are two forms of Chinese cabbage:

• Brassica Rapa Chinensis - This is the style featured in this post.  It looks similar to celery in that the leaves grow on a stalk.  The English spelling of this form of cabbage varies widely, so you may need to try several spellings if you are looking for it in seed catalogs or online.  Common variant spellings for Boc Choi or Pac Choi, include versions of both the first and second part of the name such as: Bok, Boc, Pac, Pak, Choi, and Choy.  If you do the math, you'll see there are 8 possible combinations of the above and I'm sure someone really creative might be using Bach (like the composer) or Bock (like the beer from Germany).  You get the idea; it's confusing, so try several spelling variations before giving up on any particular seed company catalog or online merchant.
  
• Brassica Rapa Pekenensis - This looks more like a traditional cabbage and often is sold as "Napa Style" cabbage.  A very good cabbage as well,l but my preference is for the the Brassica Rapa Chinensis, particularly the dwarf varieties.
  

Nutritional Information:

Spell it any way you like, Chinese cabbage is tasty and is high in Vitamin C and Calcium.  For those interested, below is the full nutritional information provided by the US Department of Agriculture.  The serving size is 1 cup, uncooked:

The Bitter End

In prior postings, I've described a number of vegetables that can be grown and harvested during the winter months.  These included greens like chicory, arugula, and kale.

While I like these veggies, they are strongly flavored and rather spicy or bitter.  In truth, they're not going to be everyone's cup of tea.

So I want to introduce you to a winter vegetable you can grow all winter long that is mild and sweet.  It's called Mache (pronounced like "mosh") but it goes by other names including Vit, Corn Salad, and Lamb's Lettuce. (not to be confused with lamb's quarters which are a totally different green)

Although not currently well known in the U.S., Mache is popular in France, where it has been a staple of winter gardeners for generations.

Mache is a low growing, leafy-green veggie with a very mild, almost sweet flavor.  I'm hard pressed to think of a similar tasting vegetable, so I'm just going to say, I think you'll like it if you like things like Bibb lettuce.

I plant Mache in raised beds in the fall and then harvest it periodically during the winter.  It can be grown in hardiness zones 5 and higher.  Here in Northern California (zone 9) I don't bother to use a cold frame or tunnel, but in colder climates you will need to provide some extra protection.

I recommend that you plant in the fall to give your Mache a head start, but it will continue to grow all winter long.  As you might expect, it's not well suited to grow during the summer and will bolt.

You can eat Mache by itself or with other greens of your choosing. 

Seeds can be purchased from Baker Creek, Territorial Seed, Johnny's and other seed companies.

Mache - not the bitter end, but the end of bitter.

From Russia with Love

Siberia conjures up images of cold and isolation.  It's not a positive image.  People go to Siberia, but they don't come back.  Think Gulag.

This year, I've been growing a variety of heirloom Kale called Siberian Dwarf.  I have this planted in containers and growing in my greenhouse. 

When writing this post, I hoped to find detailed information about this particularly variety, that I coud share with you.  But when I searched, I turned up a blank.  Yes, I learned that kale originated in Asia Minor (Turkey), but I couldn't find anything specific about the intriguingly named Siberian kale.

The Wikipedia mentions that the Romans ate kale and called it "Sabellian", so it seemed plausible that "Siberian" is just a derivative of the old Roman word. 

To check this, I sent an e-mail to Red Russian Kale, a seed company in the United Kingdom, that specializes in in kale.   Chris Molyneux of Red Russian Kale was kind enough to reply.  According to Chris, the variety was brought to the U.S. Pacific Northwest by Russian immigrants --perhaps from Siberia, perhaps not.

Origins aside, Siberian kale is true to its name -- it grows very well even in the coldest climates.  I've been harvesting it from my greenhouse all winter.  The plants are a bit leggy right now, but that's to be expected given how little sun light there is at this time of year.

As you know from previous posts, I really like kale; it's delicious, easy to grow, resists pests like aphids and is very nutritious.  It was also a favorite of Thomas Jefferson, who enthusiastically grew kale in his garden at Monticello.  Jefferson liked kale for all the reasons mentioned above.

Well, anything good enough for comrade Jefferson, is good enough for me.  Kale from Russia with love.

Sugarloaf With No Lift Tickets

Mention the word Sugarloaf to most people and they think of a ski resort in Maine.  But there's another Sugar Loaf that also deserves to be known for its goodness in winter.

The latter Sugar Loaf, is a member of the chicory family and looks similar to romaine lettuce.  I have some growing in a pot in my greenhouse.  As you can see from the attached photo, it's doing very well, even in February.  If you are thinking about winter gardening, this is another heirloom vegetable to add to your list.

Despite its name, Sugar Loaf isn't sweet.  It's actually on the bitter side, more in taste like arugula than lettuce.  Sugar Loaf is one of a group of 3 leaf chicories, the other two being Belgian endive and radicchio.

For your information, there's yet another form of chicory, the roots of which are roasted and made into a coffee-like beverage.  According to the Wikipedia, "In the United States, chicory root has long been used as a substitute coffee in prisons."  (Apparently, being locked up isn't punishment enough.  They take away your coffee as well) 

I'll take a pass on the root chicory, but I give the leaf chicories a thumbs-up as salad greens.

Savoy for the "Hoi Polloi"

I  don't know how I got it into my head that Savoy cabbage is more aristocratic than other varieties.  Maybe the name just reminds me of the Savoy Hotel in London that has a reputation for elegance and sophistication.

Well regal or not, the Savoy cabbage is very tasty and a nice heirloom vegetable to have in your garden.  The leaves are soft and Savoy doesn't have that sulfur-like flavor of other varieties of cabbage. 

You can certainly cook with Savoy, but it's also tender enough to eat raw in a salad.  We tried the Savoy Cabbage & Arugula Salad recipe featured at Epicurious.com and liked it.  It is very easy to make if you want to give it a try.

I planted cabbage in a raised bed last fall and left the cabbage in the ground to over-winter.  When we need cabbage, we just harvest the outer leaves.  

Eatin' Weeds

You’d pay big bucks for Miner’s Lettuce (see photo) if you could even find it in a store like Whole Foods or similar upscale grocery.  Eating “wild foods” is trendy right now and folks are shelling out $9 per pound for things like dandelion greens.

Well Miner’s Lettuce (Claytonia Perfolita) tastes a whole lot better than dandelion greens and the good news is that it’s very easy to grow in pots and is winter hardy.  And yes, it is a weed;  It’s a low growing one that originates in the Pacific Northwest and Southwest Canada.  The leaves are round or heart shaped.  Apparently, the plant is named "Miner’s Lettuce" because during the gold rush miners ate it to ward off scurvy.  (Or perhaps, having a nice salad was a pleasant change from a lifestyle of drunken hooliganism and gold-panning.)

Anyway, you can buy Miner’s Lettuce seeds at Territorial Seed Company.   Plant the seeds in containers at a depth of ¼” and they will germinate in 2-15 days.  The leaves are very succulent and taste like bib lettuce to me.  Miner’s Lettuce is said to be high in vitamin C, but I can’t find a source to confirm this or provide other nutritional information.

For fun, please respond to this post by letting me know if you would consider trying Miner's Lettuce, or not, and your reasons.