So I learned something new recently. As I have mentioned in past posts, I live in an apartment, and have a small container garden out in back behind our place. And as I mentioned we tried to grow tomatoes there this summer. We got one, and then nothing until the end of the summer when we had an explosion of tomatoes. I didn't think they were going to get ripe before they all froze; that is how late they all came on. So, while talking to one of the farmers at the Sugar House Farmers Market I mentioned our tomato troubles. He asked if we had a couple of tomatoes, then nothing, and then an explosion of tomatoes. I was blown away that he knew exactly what I was talking about. Apparently I wasn't the only one with that problem this year. What happens is that there is a build up...
I have about a billion green tomatoes and Mother Nature isn’t exactly co-operating with me. Over the course of the next couple days it will become time to clear out the summer bed and put it to rest with a good helping of compost.
I have two options. Feed the green tomatoes to my chickens {which they will love and isn’t exactly terrible because I will still enjoy them in egg form} or use them up quickly.
Honestly, feeding them to the chickens sounds easier, but the Six Chicks will still love to peck the plants I tear out, so I really should get on it and make something delicious with those little green girls.
[caption id="attachment_574" align="alignleft" width="182"] Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe By ezrapoundcake.com
My first thought was, of course, Fried Green Tomatoes, but there’s only so much frying this family can handle. Plus, I wanted to get adventurous and... 
I am not talking about a garden grown under a cloche or in a green house; I’m talking about a garden grown totally exposed to the elements! Of course, if you plan to “eat” food during the winter, then you will have to protect the plants from the cold. But, if you only intend to get a huge head start on everyone else, including the bugs, then starting a early spring garden this fall is worth a try. Every year I start a garden plot of cold hardy veggies for harvest in the late winter or early spring. Oh sure, occasionally that plot will fail, but most often it works great. Last year’s early bed was outstanding! By the time everyone else was just starting to plant their spring veggies my early bed was completely packed tight with veggie leaves growing over a foot high. Most gardeners think that it is... 
No matter how many hours of time you've generously given to Wasatch Community Gardens in 2010, be it 30 minutes or 300 hours, we want to see your lovely face at our Annual Volunteer Banquet to say thank you! Come in costume (or not) and bring a friend (or just yourself) to the annual volunteer banquet on October 28th at 7:00pm at the First Unitarian Church on 596 S 1300 E. We will have prepared some amazing soups, an epic slide show and will have lots of fun (we always do, don't we?). If you didn't know already, it's due to your help that all of our events run smoothly, our programs are possible and our gardens are beautiful. Seriously! There is only so much a small staff of a humble non-profit can do, and with your help we are able to teach more, weed more, harvest more, empower more, and... 
Some of you know I inherited a chicken a few months ago. She and all her egg-mates got attacked by a vicious wiener dog and she was the only survivor. Her owner, my cousin, decided one bird wasn't worth keeping around so I offered to take her under my wing. At first she got along just fine with my other girls, but I think they became jealous {or hormonal} because they started attacking her when they began laying. Anyway, when she first came home we thought she was a leghorn. But then she kept growing and growing and growing and didn't lay any eggs. Turns out she was a Cornish Cross and at over 10lbs, she was getting dangerously large for her legs. Long story short, {and sparing all the details} I learned how to transition her from eating my garden and lounging around the yard to the dinner table.... 
The last time I went to the Tomato Sandwich Party, I was 8 or 9 years old. There's not a lot I remember about that afternoon 17 years ago...but I do remember the first time I tasted a tomato straight off the vine. At that time, I wasn't "into" tomatoes. Regardless of this fact, my mother guaranteed me that this garden-fresh tomato straight off the vine would be better than anything I could imagine. Believing my mother, I pulled the little yellow pear tomato off the vine, put it straight in my mouth and bit down. As the little pear tomato popped in my mouth, all I could think about was just how much it tasted like a tomato! There, in the middle of the Grateful Tomato Garden, I spit out that little tomato immediately...and then made gagging noises...and then continued to spit. All my mother could say was "how rude"... 
Just when you think it is safe to rifle through your vegetable garden, another massive zucchini makes its appearance. This prolific squash takes no prisoners. It is the bully of the vegetable garden, growing atop any delicate tomato or herb plant that dares to grow in its path. I am doing my best to keep ahead of this year's crop by including zucchini in every stir-fry or salad that hits our plates, baking them on puff pastry, grilling and rolling them with goat cheese, and pureeing them with coconut milk for a silky soup. The battle is on. This version of stuffed zucchini is purely vegetarian and functions well as a side dish. However, it could easily be made into an entree with the addition of beans, sausage, or ground turkey or beef. The use of brown rice in the stuffing increases the fiber count and health benefits of the... 
Week 1 is nearly over. I've been hungry. Don't worry, I'm not going all fundamentalist on the Eat Local Challenge. When I get hungry and can't think of, or find, anything local, I cave and eat non-local food. The problem comes mostly from not thinking about food enough. It takes some preparation and a time commitment. I can't just run to the store and grab something 10 minutes before it's time to start dinner. I have to plan ahead for the next Farmer's Market. Or wander the local grocery store, searching for local food. I have to keep on eye on the bread and plan when I need to make another loaf. I have to carefully observe the garden and guess how quickly various items will ripen. Or at least get close enough to ripe that I can swipe them early. Thank goodness zucchini has the good sense to grow exponentially and... 
In The Omnivore's Dilemma, Michael Pollan depicts the start of the Organic Movement as a group of people who were opting-out of society. The choice to eat organic was rebellious. Subversive. It was a statement against the collective social order. Maybe Organic has been normed in 40 years, or maybe Organic has cashed in some of its values to make a buck, but either way, "Organic" is hardly viewed as subversive and rebellious these days. In the explosive growth of the Organic Movement, much of the ideals and hard definitions of organic have been lost. or simply tossed aside. Perhaps that's why phrases like "Eat Local" and "Sustainable Farming" are popping up now. The thing is, eating local and supporting sustainable farming practices doesn't feel like opting-out to me. Supporting local farmers and producers makes me feel more connected to society. I'm thinking about the family who raises pigs on a...