I planted garlic for the first time this year! As well as onion starts, and some lovely native perennials: native anemone, California Lilac, currants, and huckleberries. I may get another order of them in at the beginning of December, if finances allow.
Oct 26, 2023Liked by Anthony C Valterra, Lisa Brunette
LOVE this post :) Your little porch is so cute. We also have a tiny garden but manage to pack things in. We just planted asparagus in a raised bed. To our joy and surprise it's coming up, (although we realise it will be at least another two years before we can consume it!) I've always planted garlic at this time of year after being taught how to do it by a very forward thinking primary teacher. As it happens, I'm just finishing a post about the wonders of fermenting the bulbs, so I see that great minds think alike :) (Note to self to try the horse radish!) Beautiful post, I thoroughly enjoyed the read x
Thank you so much, Sarah! I really appreciate the praise. As you no doubt know, writing can be a lonely pursuit, so it's nice when someone lets you know something you penned hits them just right. And I'm humbled by your porch compliment.
Coincidentally, I've got my first pot of fermented garlic paste percolating as we speak, and it smells so good, I'm getting ready to make a couple more for my mother and neighbor. Do you ferment them whole, or as a paste? I'm using Kirsten Shockey's recipe for this.
Also, gratitude for that primary teacher, and I'm so excited for your asparagus. You're going to be so glad you have them!
Oct 26, 2023·edited Oct 26, 2023Liked by Lisa Brunette
Yes writing does sometimes feel like a solitary pursuit, but I do love the connections formed on this platform, which is a really inspiring place to be :) I used a recipe I found in @markdiacono (The imperfect umbrella) book "Fermented From Scratch." My one tip is not to make too much. I fermented the bulbs which went a bit woody after a few weeks, and so the five or so jars I made were past their best by the time I got to the end of them. It was a good thing that both myself and my husband like garlic as our house was quite potent for a while! I look forward to reading more of your posts and enjoying your photos. Have a great day!
Thanks for sharing that bit of caution on Mark's recipe... the paste one I used is in Shockey's book Fermented Vegetables. She just agreed to be our giveaway host next spring, so readers will have a chance to win the book! So that's my way of agreeing with you on the connections formed on this platform. As a bit of a dissident foodie myself, I like being able to set my own course here, which is very different from mainstream food writing. I just signed up for your Substack, by the way. I see my buddy Judson Carroll has recommended you. Looking forward to checking out your content. From one garlic lover to another, happy fall!
It is, isn't it! I love watching them at dusk here. I've also seen them on my walks in a little strip of woods, even though this is a pretty well-developed area.
Oct 26, 2023Liked by Anthony C Valterra, Lisa Brunette
Here I tend to get my garlic in the ground at the beginning of October, while the soil is still warm. But I do agree on autumn planting - so much better than in spring, though I do have to use very Hardy varieties to withstand our wet, clay soil. I hope your grows as well as mine seems to be doing!
We can plant all the way up until mid-November, and possibly now even later. We have dry, clay soil, so I feel ya on that point! I was just talking to the farmer from whom I buy raw goat milk, and she swears by her rabbit poop. I might buy some from her.
I planted garlic for the first time this year! As well as onion starts, and some lovely native perennials: native anemone, California Lilac, currants, and huckleberries. I may get another order of them in at the beginning of December, if finances allow.
Congrats on getting on the allium wagon! You won't regret it. Your natives sound lovely.
LOVE this post :) Your little porch is so cute. We also have a tiny garden but manage to pack things in. We just planted asparagus in a raised bed. To our joy and surprise it's coming up, (although we realise it will be at least another two years before we can consume it!) I've always planted garlic at this time of year after being taught how to do it by a very forward thinking primary teacher. As it happens, I'm just finishing a post about the wonders of fermenting the bulbs, so I see that great minds think alike :) (Note to self to try the horse radish!) Beautiful post, I thoroughly enjoyed the read x
Thank you so much, Sarah! I really appreciate the praise. As you no doubt know, writing can be a lonely pursuit, so it's nice when someone lets you know something you penned hits them just right. And I'm humbled by your porch compliment.
Coincidentally, I've got my first pot of fermented garlic paste percolating as we speak, and it smells so good, I'm getting ready to make a couple more for my mother and neighbor. Do you ferment them whole, or as a paste? I'm using Kirsten Shockey's recipe for this.
Also, gratitude for that primary teacher, and I'm so excited for your asparagus. You're going to be so glad you have them!
Yes writing does sometimes feel like a solitary pursuit, but I do love the connections formed on this platform, which is a really inspiring place to be :) I used a recipe I found in @markdiacono (The imperfect umbrella) book "Fermented From Scratch." My one tip is not to make too much. I fermented the bulbs which went a bit woody after a few weeks, and so the five or so jars I made were past their best by the time I got to the end of them. It was a good thing that both myself and my husband like garlic as our house was quite potent for a while! I look forward to reading more of your posts and enjoying your photos. Have a great day!
Thanks for sharing that bit of caution on Mark's recipe... the paste one I used is in Shockey's book Fermented Vegetables. She just agreed to be our giveaway host next spring, so readers will have a chance to win the book! So that's my way of agreeing with you on the connections formed on this platform. As a bit of a dissident foodie myself, I like being able to set my own course here, which is very different from mainstream food writing. I just signed up for your Substack, by the way. I see my buddy Judson Carroll has recommended you. Looking forward to checking out your content. From one garlic lover to another, happy fall!
Interesting about bats!
It is, isn't it! I love watching them at dusk here. I've also seen them on my walks in a little strip of woods, even though this is a pretty well-developed area.
Here I tend to get my garlic in the ground at the beginning of October, while the soil is still warm. But I do agree on autumn planting - so much better than in spring, though I do have to use very Hardy varieties to withstand our wet, clay soil. I hope your grows as well as mine seems to be doing!
We can plant all the way up until mid-November, and possibly now even later. We have dry, clay soil, so I feel ya on that point! I was just talking to the farmer from whom I buy raw goat milk, and she swears by her rabbit poop. I might buy some from her.
I use horse manure, excellent stuff and this year's garlic crop was top notch. You can't beat manure, whatever kind it is.
Poop and dead things are the keys to good soil health!