Seed Starting 2013

Last year, I started my seeds in Feb. but the weather started to really warm up earlier than expected and my early Spring planting didn't happen.  So I decided to start some of my seeds now.  Today I started my onion flats, Thai eggplants and Swiss chard.  I also direct sowed red beet seeds in the raised beds.

Happy New Year!

2013. The year seems to have flown by.  I would've posted earlier but I spent most of the holidays with a chest cold.  I'm finally better and I'm glad that I didn't get the flu.  Anyway, I am so not going to make a list of things to do this year since I seem to suck at completing the list. I do hope that this year will be better than last year, though.

Well, I know the growing season has already surprised me....

Korean Pepper Paste (GoChujang) Part 1

I decided to make Korean pepper paste today.  I'm sick of buying the stuff and finding out that the store bought pepper paste has MSG or some other unsavory preservative.  I like to know what I'm eating even more so these days since it seems like food sensitivity is on the rise.  I found this recipe on Maangchi but instead of making the whole recipe, I made half.  It still made a ton, more than enough for 2 people. 

Gardening: What I Have Learned + Sketchy Seeds

Gardening has been a real learning experience.  I've learned that I still need to work on my timing when it comes to planting, that bad insects are really bad, that I usually over-water and that most plants can survive with a lot less water.  I've also learned that I can grow lettuce.

I can definitely grow watermelons, and that no matter how abusive you are to Vates (the collard variety I'm growing) they will survive.

Thai Red Curry Soup

The weather has been getting colder and I wanted a spicy, coconutty Thai curry soup for dinner tonight.  This recipe is pretty easy and delicious!

The Weekend: Final Winter Prep + Bachelor Radish Kimchi!

This weekend has been a busy one so far.  Winter is upon us now and the temps. have been dipping in the evenings to somewhere around 35 to 40 degrees for the past couple of nights.  Most of my veggies can withstand a bit of cold but I still wanted to get ready for the freeze.  Earlier on, I had built hoops out of PVC pipes.  They seem to be o.k. but wobbly.  I'm going to see how they do this winter and if it turns out the hoops aren't stable enough, I'll clamp them down to the sides of the beds. The "sand worms" were a total FAIL!!  They tended to leak sand if it rained and weren't heavy enough to hold the plastic sheeting down.  The good thing was that putting up the plastic when I did was premature anyway; it got really warm again, which gave me a chance to rethink the whole plastic situation.  In the meantime, the sand worms that I had made, I've been using to secure my tulle netting.

R.I.P. Orangeglo Watermelons + First Fall Harvest

Yesterday,  I went to check the last watermlon...

My other watermelon had been attacked by some critter and became worm food.  Well, there is a reason why they tell you to keep your melons off the ground because my last watermelon became worm food, too.  :-(  Oh well. It was time to kill the plant anyway.