Garden Seed Starting Class

Presented by Home Grown New Mexico and the Railyard Stewards

DESCRIPTION AND BIO:
Jannine Cabossel, a Master Gardener and ‘The Tomato Lady’ at the Santa Fe Farmers Market will teach a class on how to start seeds for your garden. Jannine has extensive experience in growing vegetables organically on her 2000 square foot garden using all organic methods. Follow her blog. COST: Suggested $10 donation

LOCATION: This event will take place in the Railyard Park.  Meet at the community room behind SITE Santa Fe, off of Paseo de Peralta.  It is a metal corrugated building.

QUESTIONS: Contact homegrownnewmexico@gmail.com or call 473-1403.  Visit homegrownnewmexico.org for details of other community homesteading classes this year.

Seed Exchange and Monthly Potluck
Tuesday, February 28th 6:30pm
Santa Fe Complex

• We will have a Seed Exchange Table so bring  any seeds to share with others, envelopes or small baggies and a marking pen. You can come to pick up seeds and talk with the people that saved them. Everyone is excited to share their seeds.
• Earth Care’s Food Cadre will talk about their year working on local food and with school gardens. Hear about volunteer opportunities this summer.
• The Community Farm will introduce their new team and talk about volunteer opportunities this spring.  The farm raises fruits and vegetables for those in need.

10 Things to Do in February

From Giant Veggie Gardener Blog by Jannine Cabossel

Well February is upon us and although for most of us gardeners it is a quieter time of year, there are still things we can start to do to prepare for this coming season. Here are 10 things you can do in February.

1. We haven’t gotten a lot of moisture, so on a nice warm day, water your trees and bushes this February. Don’t forget to empty your hose of the water so it will be ready to water again. (Nothing worse than a frozen hose). If we don’t get significant moisture, we should water once a month for established trees and plants and more for those we planted last fall. Of course if the ground is frozen where they are-don’t worry about watering frozen ground.

2. Go over your seed catalogs, make your lists of what you want to plant this coming season (go ahead-go wild-order more than you need-I do!))

3. Order your seeds so you will be ready to start planting. Cool season crops can be started later in March outside.

4. You can start some seeds inside-spinach, chard, peas and arugula to be ready to transplant outside next month.

5. How about cleaning, sharpening, and oiling your garden tools (after you find them)

6. If you do start seeds inside, clean all your containers with 10% bleach/water to disinfect them.

7. Turn your compost pile if it isn’t frozen.

8. Check your vermicomposting red wrigglers. Have you fed them recently?

9. If you haven’t cleaned up your old garden be sure you do. Bad bugs hang out in dead leaves and plants and diseases can stay on your soil in dead leaves.

10. Read some good books-gardening and otherwise!

Next event is Tuesday, January 31st at 6:30pm
NEW LOCATION: The Santa Fe Complex moved to 1807 Second Street, Suite 107. Turn in at Backroad Pizza and it is in the middle section of buildings.

• Speaker: Want local vegetables & fruit in the winter? Meet the CSA Manager Dena Aquilina from Beneficial Farms CSA and ask questions about the food, gardening support and recipe blog. Join Beneficial Farms CSA and have a weekly pickup at convenient locations in Santa Fe and ABQ.

• Discussion: Are you ready to plan your garden? Doug Conwell will lead a discussion about the planning process for your spring garden and questions about your winter gardens. We will have some seed catalogs to review during the potluck. Look for our early seed exchange at the February 28 potluck.

The goal of our potlucks is to bring individuals together and organically create an environment of education between the different levels of experience. Come if you are a novice, an expert, or anything in between in the topics of gardening, beekeeping, backyard chicken coops and urban farming.

Bring a dish to share with the group. We want this to be a zero waste event so please bring a plate, silverware and a cup.  You could even bring your dish or drink in a reusable container.

Home Grown New Mexico hopes to continue to communicate these events and add more speakers and activities to our calendar. To facilitate this there is a suggested donation of $5 or more. The Santa Fe Complex moved to 1807 Second Street, Suite 107. Turn in at Backroad Pizza and it is in the middle section of buildings and visit http://sfcomplex.org/ for more detailed directions. For more information on the potlucks, email homegrownnewmexico@gmail.com or call 473-1403.

Buying spices is easy in Santa Fe.  There are a few speciality shops like Ziggy’s International Market on Cerrillos or The Spice Lady on Cordova that offer spices and ingredients.  The Spice Lady also sells dried spices in bulk so that you can try a smaller amount.  The Coop and Whole Foods Grocery Stores sell spices in bulk as well. Buying in bulk allows you to buy a small amount for a recipe or try a spice with your family. One of the best deals for spices is at Natural Grocers on Cerrillos. They have a huge selection and some of the more difficult whole spices to find.

Store spices in a sealed container.  Small glass canning jars work the best. Try to buy the seed or whole spice so that it will last longer than the dried powder. If the spice is whole, it can also be toasted in a dry pan for a few minutes to bring out the aroma and flavor in your kitchen.

Once you have the whole spices that you enjoy, you can make spice mixes with a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle. Many cookbooks will list spice blends for their recipe.  Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything devotes a chapter to spices and sauces. It has everything from a pickling spice to curries. Curry is a useful spice mix for vegetables.  Simple ingredients like lentils, potatoes, carrots and spinach can be transformed.  Cut the vegetables into the same size pieces and saute in olive oil with the spice mix.  Add crushed tomatoes and coconut milk for a nice dinner over rice. Visit the Local Organic Meals on a Budget blog for the hot curry spice mix recipe.

Another spice mix to make in advance and store for recipes is Chinese five-spice powder. This is available in a pre-mixed jar at most grocery stores, but you can make it, customize it and save money if you make it yourself. It can be used in place of other spice mixes in baking recipes for nut breads, muffins and cookies. This spice mixture has a warm character and can be in savory dishes like stir-fry, vegetable side dishes and even home made veggie burgers. Here is an adaptation.

Five-Spice Powder Recipe
1/2 Cinnamon Stick
6 Whole Cloves
1 Tblsp Corriander Seeds
2 Tblsp Fennel Seeds
2 Tsp Ground Ginger

Place the whole spices in a dry pan and heat on low for a few minutes. They will become fragrant quickly. Remove from the stove and transfer to a spice grinder (or coffee grinder) or mortar and pestle.  Allow to cool. Grind the spices. Store in a sealed container for up to three months. This makes about a 1/2 cup of spice mix.

2012 will be a great year to continue the successful events and add additional resources, classes and tours.  Look for Education Events to start in the spring and the Kitchen Garden & Coop Tour in July.  Potlucks will be the last Tuesday of the month at the Santa Fe Complex on 2nd Street.  We hope you can join us on Tuesday, January 31 at 6:30.

The oil can be used to spice up dishes, make salad dressings and add a beautiful red color to the tops of dips and dishes. Make an egg scramble with it for breakfast, roast potatoes and vegetables in it for lunch, top hummus with it for a snack and serve it with bread for dinner.

Here are a few simple steps:

1. Select a bottle- Find one with a lid. It can be a recycled bottle from a vinegar or oil.  There are bottles in kitchen stores or online. Find an interesting shape that will be enjoyed on the person’s counter this winter.

2. Sterilize the bottle- Wash the bottle.  Boil hot water. Insert the bottle in the hot water for at least two minutes and remove with tongs.  Let the bottle dry completely before filling with chile oil.

3. Prepare oil- Dried red chile is available now or you may have grown it and dried it yourself this fall.  Use three dried chiles per 1/2 cup of olive oil.  It will depend on the bottle size for how much you make.  Crush the chile with a mortar and pestal (using your fingers can leave you with spicy fingers).  Add a little water to rehydrate the chile.  Simmer the chile and oil for 15 minutes. Let cool

4. Fill Bottle- Strain through cheese cloth and into the bottle.  A funnel is helpful.  Collapsable funnels are available at Las Cosas and kitchen shops in Santa Fe.

5. Enjoy!- Tie a big red bow around the bottle as wrapping for the present. This can be stored on the counter or in the refrigerator for a month.

Patricia Foreman is also the co-author of Chicken Tractor, Backyard Market Gardening, Day Range Poultry and the Co-Host of the Chicken Whisperer Backyard Poultry and Sustainable Lifestyles Talk Show.

Home Grown New Mexico met many chickens in Santa Fe this year as we searched for the six homes in the Kitchen Garden & Coop Tour.  We hope to see you and anyone that is interested in raising hens next year at this event. Contact us at homegrownnewmexico@gmail.com, 473-1403 or the event sponsor below.

Book Signing and Presentation
Saturday, December 17th
9:00am-1:00pm
Santa Fe Farmers Market: 1607 Paseo De Peralta

DESCRIPTION:
Meet City Chicks author Patricia Foreman. 
The book discusses keeping chickens as garden helpers, compost makers, bio-recyclers and local food suppliers.

Contacts: Dorothy and Mary 505-988-4226
Sponsored by: Collected Works Book Store, www.cwbookstore.com

NEW LOCATION: The Santa Fe Complex moved to 1807 Second Street, Suite 107. Turn in at Backroad Pizza and it is in the middle section of buildings.

There will not be a December potluck.  Join us in 2012 on the last Tuesday of each month and watch our website for details.

• Author Maggie Macnab will discuss her new book “Design By Nature” with permaculture concepts to describe design.  Buy the book and have it signed at the event for the discounted price of $35. $5 of each book sold will go towards supporting Home Grown New Mexico and Beneficial Farms.
• Feedback on the potlucks, education events and garden tour.  We will have a discussion to help us plan for 2012. You can also email me at homegrownnewmexico@gmail.com or call 473-1403.  We want to hear from you!

The goal of our potlucks is to bring individuals together and organically create an environment of education between the different levels of experience. Come if you are a novice, an expert, or anything in between in the topics of gardening, beekeeping, backyard chicken coops and urban farming.

Bring a dish to share with the group. We want this to be a zero waste event so please bring a plate, silverware and a cup.  You could even bring your dish or drink in a reusable container.

Home Grown New Mexico hopes to continue to communicate these events and add more speakers and activities to our calendar. To facilitate this there is a suggested donation of $5 or more. The Santa Fe Complex moved to 1807 Second Street, Suite 107. Turn in at Backroad Pizza and it is in the middle section of buildings and visit http://sfcomplex.org/ for more detailed directions. For more information on the potlucks, email homegrownnewmexico@gmail.com or call 473-1403.