Category Archives: Blog

Harvesting Edamame

Posted on July 3, 2012 by Christy

In spring, we experimented with planting edamame (soybeans) and, despite having to re-seed 3 times (with only 7 out of 20 seeds surviving in the
end), the plants have yielded excellent results. Today we began harvesting the plump pods.

We’ve grown edamame from seedlings once before, but never from seed. Trial, and plenty of error, lead us to discover that soaking the seeds before planting is a bad idea when it comes to Sayamusume
soybeans. We did inoculate …
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As American as Apple Pie: Ideas for Your 4th of July

Posted on July 1, 2012 by Christy

The latest Mar Vista’s Bounty Hunter article is posted on Patch.com. Discover this great local source for delicious pies made from family-farmed
ingredients:

Celebrate the Fourth of July with Marcie’s
Pies
 …
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Planting Forage Mix (or good techniques for growing wheat grass)

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Christy

It’s well-known that free-range chickens produce healthier eggs with darker yolks and higher nutrient values. Our hens forage around the yard,
but their yolks are still somewhat pale. Could it be that they only have mulch for them to scratch through? 

What, no greens?  Don’t get  me wrong. We feed them kitchen and garden scraps, but they still need more greens in their diet. Enter Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply’s Chicken …
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In Season: Blackberry Ice Cream

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Christy

There they were, just sitting in the refrigerator, waiting for something to happen. Those freshly picked blackberries weren’t going to last
long, and since nothing captures the taste of summer fruits like freezing them into ice cream, we decided to make up a recipe on the spot.

Here begins the lazy-person’s blackberry ice cream recipe. No cooking, no straining, just combine a few ready ingredients and you’re done. To start, gather your supplies:

…
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Edible Westside: Summer 2012 Sow, Plant, Eat Guide

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Christy

The newest Edible Westside Magazine just hit the news stands, and
Gardenerd’s Sow, Plant Eat Guide is included. Pick up your copy at Whole Foods and other find food locations around Los Angeles, or take a gander at the digital copy here. (Note: the link works
best in Chrome):

Sow, Plant, Eat – Edible Westside Summer
2012

…
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Home Grown Meal: Poached Eggs with Asparagus

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Christy

Have you ever tried to replicate a restaurant meal at home?  It’s part adventure, part science project around here. In our effort to eat
from the garden as much as possible, we attempted to re-create, or at least give a nod to, the Poached Eggs and Asparagus dish on Venice Beach’s GJelina brunch menu. Here’s how that went.

Let me start by saying that I’ve never poached an egg …
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Ask Gardenerd: Why Won’t My Plants Grow?

Posted on June 13, 2012 by Christy

A familiar question arrived in the Ask Gardenerd Inbox this week:

“Hi Gardenerd!  It’s been slow getting started with my garden because my life has been chaotic for a while. Anyway, I started some seedlings
inside and potted them in small pots outside and some in a long box but they haven’t grown, they still look like seedlings for two months now, and my broccoli raab, red kale, and red romaine wouldn’t
grow past four or five inches. I’m so discouraged but my sister …

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New Organic Farmers at MV Farmers’ Market

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Christy

This one is for you locals out there. We’ve got three new vendors at the Mar Vista Farmers’ Market. Learn about each one and what they have to
offer.

New Farmers Come to Mar Vista Farmers’
Market
 …
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Ask Gardenerd: Save Seeds …then what?

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Christy

I love these kinds of questions:

“I was unable to attend to my garden for a few weeks and some of my chard, salad greens and cilantro plants shot up and are close to flowering. I’ve never collected seeds before, but I’ll try.
What do I do with the plants afterwards? Keep or remove them?  Thanks, Nazie”

Nazie, thanks for writing in. Before we talk about what to do with the plants, let’s start with a few seed saving tips. …
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Basil in Abundance

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Christy

Summer has arrived early it seems, with the first clear indicator being the garden’s bountiful offering of basil. This year we planted more
(varieties and quantities) than usual, and the results are in. Basil is here to stay (at least for the summer), so it’s time to start using it.

We planted a test round of Salad Leaf Basil from Renee’s Garden Seeds, along with our old
stand-by Lettuce Leaf and
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