Christmas hasn't even passed and I'm already getting twitchy for the seed catalogs to start arriving in the mail so that I can start my planning for 2009's garden(s).
I've been very inspired by beautiful coffee table books showing gorgeous French country gardens that are a mix of slate flagstones, lovely flowers and lots of vegetables. I want the whole back yard to be crazy paths, growing food and herbs dotted with a mix of flowers. Orderly disorder, you know?
So that's one goal.
Secondly, I really need to wrap my head around small wheat production for single family use. There's one book on it out there that's this 1970s Rodale Press book that is out of print and very expensive (~$100) to get used. Honestly, you'd think there'd be more updated books on this topic. I've definitely noticed the surge of DIY green living and sustainability books over the past year. Our library always seems to have least 3 new ones every time I visit. If anyone has any tips on back yard wheat, send it my way!
And lastly, one goal I have for 2009 is to become less dependent on condiments. El over at Fast Grow the Weeds recently posted about this. I certainly noticed all the store-bought bottles of condiments in the door of the fridge all this local year. I didn't buy anything new (my mother gave us a bohemoth container of ketchup from Sam's Club at the beginning of summer and I bought some Bragg's), but you know how those bottles of various sauces seem to last forever.
As a start, I found this great book, 100 Great Dressings at the library.
However, I can't help but to think of that line from National Lampoon's Vacation (which I've seen well over 100 times, I'm sure), where the Griswald's are visiting yahoo Cousin Eddie, and Clark asks as he slops a jar of red ooze on the picnic table, "Real tomato ketchup, Eddie?"
"Nuttin' but the best, Clark!"
Will that be me next summer? Am I shootin' for Cousin Eddie status? Does real tomato ketchup taste like shite? Time will tell. Will have to wait for next summer's tomatoes!
3 comments:
That's what I have been aiming for in our yard as well, and "orderly disorder" is a good description. Not sure I am even close yet, but hope springs eternal right! :)
"Real" tomato ketchup ROCKS!! A friend got me into it last year and there is really no comparision. I think the trick is not to look for it to be like the store stuff, but rather as something totally different with its own special flavor, if that makes sense. And as always, your goals on the small-scale wheat production has me in awe.
Real tomato ketchup does rock! I still buy a fair amount of food at the grocery store but not condiments! I am using up old mustard but made some myself that is ageing. I made ketchup (and blogged about it) but need to tweak the recipe. I use sour cream with oil and vinegar instead of mayonaise and haven't bought salad dressing in years. And hot sauce - oh the hot sauce I've made :) Fan-freakin-tastic.
Google "homemade ketchup recipe" and stand back. You'll never eat store/high fructose corn syrup ketchup again!
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