Dickles

"You can always pickle a cucumber but you can't cucumber a pickle"

Growing up my great aunt and uncle had a cucumber crop behind their house and we were in charge of picking the best little cucumbers unbeknownst to our little child hands that the cukes had prickles. At least that's how I remember it...

When we last visited the garden we found out that some of the cucumbers got out of hand and grew quite large. We picked about eight of them along with some dill heads with the hopes to try making our own pickles. My wonderfully talented friend Rebecca from Replicca Clothing came over to help with the whole process as well as take these awesome pictures.

I got  a few boxes of jars from a great second hand store called Bibles for Missions Thrift Store for under $20.

We began packing the cukes, dill heads, and garlic into the jars

We didn't boil it first either. I just love the bright greens in these pictures.

We used a very basic brine of vinegar, kosher salt, and water.

Anethum Graveolens

I can confidently say that dill is one of the most delicious herbs in the entire world. The plant itself is a feathery stalk with tiny yellow flowers. Dill has a very distinctive aroma that has been described as a faint aniseed. The taste is complex and it's similar to that of caraway, but has a tangy, grassy flavour to it along with a hint of lemon, pine and fennel.

 The name Dill is derived from the Norse "dylla", meaning to lull or soothe. It has been used as a culinary and medicinal herb from the beginning of civilisation.

Dill has been known for it's medicinal properties and was used in ancient Egypt, first described in the Ebers papyrus (c. 1500 BCE), where it was an ingredient in a pain-killing mixture. The ancient Greeks are believed to have covered their eyes with the herb to induce sleep and Hippocrates wrote of a recipe for cleaning the mouth in which you rinsed with dill seed which had been boiled in white wine. 
Ancient Romans considered dill good luck and believed that it had fortifying qualities. They thought it was an effective stimulant for gladiators who were given food covered with dill. They also used dill as part of wreaths and garlands to be worn about the head by their victorious heroes.

Lowering the jars in for the hot water bath

 Now we just have to patiently wait for the pickles to... pickle !

Spudtacular !

When we ventured out to Tregunno Seeds we purchased 4 purple seed potatoes and planted them in the garden. I have never grown potatoes but I thought it would be nice to give it a try since my father's family grew potatoes on their farm in Drummondville, NB.

Potatoes are a mysterious crop because all the action is happening underground and you don't really know how you are doing until harvest time. You know when to harvest them because the tops of the plants yellow and die off.

They can be a tricky crop to grow because they are heavy feeders and have many pests. We chose the purple potato because I personally have never eaten one and they are a pretty hardy plant.

Our plants haven't shown any signs of blight (black mold) or pests so it's looking good. The plants have already flowered and are about 2-3 feet tall.

We dug trenches and put the whole potatoes in the ground instead of halving them first as a preventative measure as the soil is pretty wet and we didn't want to lose our precious little tubers to rot.
As the plants grew we "earthed up" the dirt so it made mounds at the base of the plant slowly burying it. We stopped once the plants flowered about a foot or so deep. The reason for "earthing up" is to keep the tubers protected during the cooler months as well as making sure they don't turn green. Green potatoes are inedible.
If you've never seen a purple potato check it out !

If you aren't sure when to plant your potatoes according to phenology it is said that as soon as you see your first dandelion bloom it's potato time !

Organic vs. regular

Are Organic Foods Worth The Money? By Gerald Fitz

Food prices have risen faster in recent years than ever before. As many of us are feeling the pinch, it is time to reevaluate some of our food purchases. The term "organic" has been thrown around in the shopping aisles like sprinkles on the jelly donut you're trying to avoid. It seems like hundreds of new "organic" products have emerged, all with a price tag about 30% higher than the regular option. Is it really worth the extra money, or are we all being duped with a clever marketing campaign to get us to buy essentially the same thing for a lot more?

It is true that organic growing practices are a lot better for the environment. So if you're swayed by that fact alone, go organic. You actually are supporting practices that benefit the environment. If you want to go deeper into the nutritional value of organic vs. regular foods, research is mixed on that topic. Some studies suggest a higher level of anti-oxidants in organic foods. But other studies have failed to find a significant difference in anti-oxidant levels. The nutritional quality of fruits and vegetables goes down as soon as it is picked. You could argue that a cucumber that was picked yesterday and sold at a farmer's market has more nutritional value than one that was picked 3 weeks ago and flown across the country to your local supermarket. Overall, it is hard to make a case for organic fruits and vegetables containing higher nutrient levels. Both organic and regular varieties offer similar nutrient content and health benefits.

One argument that does hold some weight is the fact that regular fruits and vegetables are grown with pesticides and herbicides. There is residue from these toxic substances that can build up in the body over time. This increases the risk of cancer and can cause other health complications like fertility problems.

Apples, peaches, and bell peppers have consistently shown the highest herbicide and pesticide residue. The lowest on the list are onions, avocados, and frozen corn.

If you avoid the top 12 on the list of foods that have the highest pesticide residue, you can actually reduce your herbicide and pesticide exposure by 90%.

Here are the top 12 to avoid:

• Peaches
• Apples
• Bell Peppers
• Celery
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Pears
• Imported Grapes
• Spinach
• Lettuce
• Potatoes

The best way to eat healthy without breaking the bank is to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and to be smart about the balance between organic and regular. Try to buy them in season in the location where you live because they will be fresher. If the organic is close to the price of the regular option, picking organic is better for you and better for the environment. In the case that the organic option is just far too expensive, try to avoid the top 12 with consistently high levels of herbicides and pesticides and you should be in great shape.

Another important diet tip for protection against unwanted diseases is to take a daily multivitamin. Combined with lots of fruits and vegetables every day, a multivitamin will insure you're getting plenty of all of the essential vitamins and minerals that you need to feel healthy and invigorated every day.

This article is free for republishing.

Salad Slaves

This is and interesting video about where your veggies are coming from and who is responsible for growing them. It's mainly for the UK but I'm searching around to find something similar on Canada and US. If you know of any information or links please leave us a comment !
I hope this video inspires you to want a garden of your own. I think it's important to reflect on what you're eating and who are the real "farmers".

Crazy Cucumbers

Thankfully Ian was able to go up and fashion a support for the cucumber vines which have begun to take over the lawn behind the garden. Judging by the looks of the cucumbers during the last harvest we needed to create some thing for them to hang from so that  they are more visible as we plan on trying our hand at pickling this year.

I love dill pickles !

We definitely got lazy about building trellis' so perhaps early next spring we can look up different designs and decide what style we would like to go for.
























Cucumbers have so many nutrients in them (silica, collagen, vitamin C) to name a few. I just love the crisp fresh taste of a garden cuke. Have you ever made cucumber water ? here's a recipe for a refreshing drink on a hot summer day.

How to make it

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• Cut a clean, unwaxed small cucumber into slices.
• Place cucumber, a handful of mint leaves in a large pitcher.
• Fill pitcher with water.
• Cover and chill several hours or up to 3 days.
• Strain mixture; discard solids.
• Pour water into tall glasses over ice.
• If desired, garnish with additional fresh mint.

First Harvest

Our first harvest was in the first week of august because we suffered through an extremely dry July. Although it was funny to see the garden keep it's bright green colour and the lawn surrounding it was yellowing and brown.

Tracie is securing the tomato vines that are doing great and getting taller.

 We harvested some collard greens, kale, lettuce, dill heads, calendula flower tops, and the flowers from the multiplier shallots.

Here we have some neglected over sized pickling cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and we poked around the multiplier shallots to see where they were at.

Cilantro gnome
























July was a tough month for us but we'll be back updating the blog regularly. Here is a sneak peak of our wildflower garden that have been going crazy despite the intense heat ~

Secrets

Over the course of the summer we are discovering an incredible amount of plants that already exist in the backyard left by the previous owners.

Wild ginger !

 Evening primrose