Carolee’s January E-Newsletter
     Old Man Winter is having his way with us this month.  He’s been puffing and blowing and shedding his white flaky dandruff until it is piled in drifts and covering the garden beds.  We’ve had snow on the ground almost every day this year.  It’s a nice background, making the scarlet cardinals stand out, but I’m really getting tired of white, white, white.   The only exceptions were a couple of dreary, rainy days earlier which didn’t improve my mindset.  I dislike gray, gray, gray even more.  We’ve barely seen the sun so far in 201l, and that makes thinking of beginning a new season difficult.  However, it is January and time to be making decisions and plans for the months ahead, so I’m beginning to fill in the schedule.   I’m really excited about the speakers we have coming to the farm!  It’s going to be sensational!
     January is also National Hot Tea Month, National Mail-Order Gardening Month, and National Oatmeal Month!  I plan to celebrate with a cup of hot rosemary & mint tea, some oatmeal cookies, and a stack of seed catalogs to read later today!  And, I’ll pick a salad from the tub of mixed lettuces growing by my patio doors.  Those green leaves make me smile every time I walk by!  Today’s mail brought a free packet of “Wine Country Mesclun” from Renee Shepherd of Renee’s Garden Seeds.  I’ll plant those tomorrow.  Thank goodness I’m a gardener.  I wonder how non-gardening folks make it through a bleak winter without being surrounded by friendly plants and the planning and dreaming of the garden that is just a few weeks away.

Next speaking engagement:

     I’ll be presenting a program on growing and using lavender at the Master Gardener Conference at Lincoln Trail College in Robinson, Illinois this weekend.  We’ll have a booth filled with lots of lavender products, our lavender wreaths, great herbal items, and copies of “Herbal Beginnings” and “Herbal Choices.” 

2011 Color of the Year
     Pantone, the professional color standards provider, announced that Honeysuckle is the 2011 color of the year.  Described as a “captivating, stimulating color that gets the adrenaline going—perfect to ward off the blues” by executive director Leatrice Esseman, honeysuckle appears to be a strong rose-red.
     Trend spotters predict earth tones and colors found at the farmers’ market will be strong, because they fill a current emotional need for simplicity, down-to-earth, “real” things.  Consumers are also looking for cheerful, uplifting colors to help relieve economic doldrums.

2011 Crops of the Year
     The National Garden Bureau has selected the Tomato as the vegetable crop of the year, and the zinnia as the flower garden crop.  For pretty pictures and growing info, click on www.slideshare.net/nationalgardenbureau. 

The Purpose-Driven Gardener
     Continuing the discussion of trend-watching, Garden Media Group says gardeners are moving toward more eco-friendly products & containers, increased interest in growing safe food, reducing chemical and water usage, and vertical gardening.   There is also an increased interest in community gardens and converting parking and lawn areas into wildlife-friendly greenspace.
     Americans are weary of worrying about oil spills, floods, and other tragedies they can’t personally control.  However, you can transform parts of your lawn into food production for your family or the local food bank, control run-off with a rain garden, convert gas-guzzling lawn areas into wildlife plantings, and help neighborhood children learn the connection between plants and the food on their plate!

Mints
The mint plants I grow in hanging baskets are beginning to show new growth!  That’s always exciting; because it tells me that the plants have had a little dormant period, and are now getting enough light in the lengthening days to grow.  I’ll begin trimming some stems to put into the teapot while I work in the greenhouse.  I keep an electric teapot there, and nothing is better than a mug of mint tea while I’m transplanting pansies and violas.  You don’t have to dry herbs to make tea.  Just put 1-2 T. of fresh herb (that has not been sprayed with chemicals) into a pot and add 1 c. boiling water. Cover, allow to steep 2-3 minutes and its ready.  I also use scented geranium leaves, pieces of lemon grass, sprigs of thyme, or even basil leaves.  It’s fun to experiment with combinations.  Tiny blossoms are covering all the rosemary plants, and I like to add those to tea or salads this time of year.  They are really tasty sprinkled over fruit or steamed vegetables, too. 
     My particular favorite is lime mint.  There are a couple of different “lime” mints, but the one I prefer is the darker, rounded leaf variety.  It has a more intense flavor than the lighter green variety with hairy leaves.   I appreciate lime mint in tea, but also in frostings, fruit salads, and cocktails.

HERBS for DIETS
    January is the month most people start diets!  Remember that using herbs to replace salt, sugar and extra oils in food is a great way to add flavor and lower calories at the same time!   Grind dried herbs with sea salt and you’ll use less and lower sodium levels.  Mix herbs, such as lemon balm or cinnamon basil with sugar or stevia and then measure before making puddings or other desserts.  Scented geraniums are also terrific and come in many useful “flavors.”
    While you have a bit of time, go through the herb containers on your spice shelves to see which ones are getting old or empty.   Most herbs lose their peak flavor after a year, but if they are ground or chopped that can happen more quickly so you may need to replace them more often.  I store mine whole leaf so they retain their flavor as long as possible, only releasing the oils from their microscopic sacks the moment they erupt during cooking or grinding in my palm.  Make a list of the herbs you’ll need to plant and preserve next year.  Growing your own herbs puts high-impact flavor at your fingertips all summer into autumn, and by drying or freezing the harvest you’ll have herbs to use all winter & early spring as well.  You’ll find that herbs you dry or freeze yourself will have more flavor than those you purchase at the grocery, and cost only pennies!  For more information on preserving herbs, check out my website.

Carolee’s Hand-sewing
     Many readers responded to my last newsletter with a request to see the herbal jackets and potholders I’ve been making, so here they are.  One reader suggested that folding a potholder in half and then stitching two edges makes a great eyeglass case, so I may convert a couple for that use, too.  Once they are gone, they are gone since I can no longer get any of the herb-designed fabric I used.  And, fabric prices have already risen since I began sewing due to the shortage of cotton harvested.

Close up of herbal fabric used in jacket

IL HERB DAY RECAP
We had a fun, information-packed day in Champaign, IL at Herb Day, sponsored by the University of Illinois.   The speakers were inspiring, the buffet luncheon was bountiful, and the conference attendees were upbeat and excited to be surrounded by other herb lovers, fragrant plants, and lots of vendor booths.  If it didn’t get the gardening juices flowing, something was truly wrong!  If you didn’t attend this year, mark your calendar now to keep the 3rd Saturday in January free in 2012.  And look for a recipe from the buffet at the end of this newsletter!

Home-Grown Microgreens

     Nancy Momsen, a talented herb grower from Wisconsin, spoke at IL Herb Day on growing microgreens at home.  While this is something I do often this time of year, she made a few excellent points that I had not considered.
     Microgreens are simply salad greens that are harvested at a tiny stage.  They are highly nutritious since they are  rich in vitamins A, B, C, E and K.  Many are good sources of calcium, lecithin, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, amino acids & other trace minerals.  They contain enzymes and proteins. 
     Nancy pointed out that microgreens are as nutritious as sprouts, but much safer since there is little chance of e-coli or salmonella, two nasties that love the dark, wet conditions that are required for sprouting.  Microgreens grow in soil, in bright light.  Growing time is usually fast, only 1-2 weeks for most varieties.   They can be harvested at any time after the first true leaves are formed.  The flavor is very concentrated at that state.  There is no waste, since unharvested greens simply continue to grow.  As the plants mature, the flavors may mellow a bit.
     Unlike sprouts, which require draining & rinsing multiple times a day, microgreen seeds are simply sprinkled on soil, watered & allowed to grow.  Since they are usually harvested very quickly, a shallow container only 1-2” deep will suffice.  I often use the containers that mushrooms come in and since they don’t take much space,  I can have several varieties going at a time.  Do punch a drainage hole in the bottom.  I place several on a tray, so I can easily move them from the sunny table where they grow to the kitchen counter for watering.  Use clean potting soil, usually the soil-less potting mix often used for houseplants or container growing.  I generally cover the container loosely with plastic wrap until the seeds germinate.  Simply place the container in a well-lighted or sunny location & watch them grow.  Check every couple of days to see if additional water is needed.  Since they are harvested so quickly, no fertilizer is required.  Different varieties will grow at different rates so keep them separate.  Once a variety is finished, simply refill the container and plant again for a continual supply of nutritious greens. 
    When the plants are about 1” tall, harvest can begin.   One can snip the plants off with scissors but I generally just pull out the tiny plants, rinse them, and toss them into salads, onto sandwiches, or into stir fry at the very end.   They make a nutritious garnish, add flavor to omelets or scrambled eggs, steamed vegetables, potatoes or rice.  I stir them into cream cheese, mayonnaise, or butter for luscious spreads, or toss them with pasta. 
     Some great seeds to try are arugula, spinach, lettuce, beets, radish, cabbage, kale, sorrel, dill, chives, cress, anise hyssop, lemon balm, or broccoli.  I especially like to grow basil—the Italian types or lemon.  The flavor is so concentrated that just a small sprinkle of tiny greens will bring a dish to life!

New Herb Dishes!
     

The UPS truck is beginning to bring boxes of new inventory.  The first to arrive are cartons of gorgeous new dishes with an herbal design.  There are teapots, salt & pepper shakers, covered butter dishes, pitchers, canister sets, spice jars and baking dishes.  If I can bear to part with any of them, they’ll be in the Big Barn Gift Shop when we open on April 1.  Still to come are matching toast racks, which remind me of lovely breakfasts in England, Scotland & Ireland, ramekins, and cups.

News in the HORT Industry
     Mega-plant grower Monrovia is struggling to stay alive.  It has sent letters to garden center to plead for orders so that they can forestall bankruptcy.  This is just another valuable company that may not survive the extending economic downturn.  Scotts Miracle-Gro’s Global Professional line is being sold to an Israeli company.  Carolina Nurseries was sold to an industrial conglomerate that has no interest in plants, so it is closed.
     BFN, the nation’s largest wholesale perennial & woody ornamental grower has been purchased by a Dallas-based private equity fund.  Bet they have green fingers?
     22% of Americans report they spent more time food gardening last season.  19% increased flower growing; 19% grew more containers; 14% spent more time on lawn care.
     Purdue University just received a $4.88 million grant to research LED lighting for crop growth in greenhouses.

This month’s RECIPE:
      The most popular dish at Illinois Herb Day was this delicious Eggplant Parmesan dish.  Here’s the recipe, which comes from the book “Essentials of Healthful Cooking” by Mary Abbott Hess, et al.
Eggplant with Tomatoes, Ricotta, and Parmigiano-Reggiano
     Cut off the stem end of 1 globe eggplant (about 1 ½ lb.)  Stand it on the cut end, cut the eggplant vertically into 8 slices, each about ½” thick.  Finely chop the outer slices, which are mostly skin, and reserve.  Sprinkle both sides of the 8 slices lightly with kosher salt and layer them in a colander set over a plate.  Place a second plate on top to weigh them down and let stand for 1-2 hours.  Rinse the slices well and pat dry with paper towels.
     Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
     Lightly brush both sides of each eggplant slice, using a total of 2 tsp. of olive oil for all of the slices.  Arrange slices in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Bake them until the bottoms are lightly browned, about 15 min.  Remove from the oven.
     While eggplant is baking, warm 2 tsp. olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat.  Add 2 T. chopped onion and reserved chopped eggplant.  Sauté until tender, about 15 min.  Add ½ tsp. minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute.  Add 14 ½ oz. can whole or diced plum tomatoes with juice and 2 T. torn fresh basil leaves.  Bring to boil, breaking up tomatoes if whole.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring, for about 10 min.  Add ¼ tsp. salt and some freshly ground pepper.
     While sauce cooks, mix ½ c. ricotta cheese, 2 T. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and some freshly ground pepper in a small bowl, stirring to blend.
     In a shallow 1 ½ qt. baking dish, place 4 eggplant slices in a single layer.  Sprinkle the slices with the ricotta mixture.  Top with ½ of the tomato mixture, keeping the mix on the slices.  Top each slice with another slice of eggplant.  Spoon the remaining tomato mixture evenly over the top of each slice.  Sprinkle all of the tops with shredded mozzarella cheese, using 2 T. in total.
     Cover the dish the aluminum foil.  Bake 25 min., until sauce is bubbly and the eggplant is heated through.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining basil.  Serves 4.

That’s the frozen news for January.  Hopefully, my fingers will thaw enough again to write next month.  In the meantime, keep those birdfeeders filled during these frigid days, and keep dreaming of next year’s bountiful garden!

Carolee