living | the organic gardeners bookshelf

decades of knowledge right on your shelves... As an admitted book collector, one of my ever-growing libraries is my gardener's reference collection. Now splaying onto a third shelf, these books are my go-to guides for everything gardening. The latest addition will have to be Helen and Scott Nearing's The Maple Sugar Book. We recently borrowed this book from the library and opened the cover to find that not only was this book first checked out before I was even born, but that it was signed by the Nearings themselves in blue ball point pen. How cool is that? Though, we will have to return this particular book, we found enough great info in it to add it to our reference must-haves. So I will definitely be on the hunt for a copy at the next library book sale.

Some of our favorite gardening reference books are the ones written in the 1930s-60s. They made do with the simplest of inventions made of the most practical materials. So much of it can still be applied today with great success.

The books listed here would be great additions to every gardener's bookshelf:

Best Ideas for Organic Vegetable Growing by the editors of Organic Gardening

The Basic Book of Organic Gardening from Rodale Press

Rodale's All New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening (companion book to PBS's Your Organic Garden)

Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening by Louise Riotte

Root Cellaring by Mike and Nancy Bubel

The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live it by John Seymour

Four Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from your Home Garden all Year Long by Eliot Coleman

garden | succession planting timing

sow and sow again... One of the keys to my success in four season gardening will lie in succession planting. I often promise myself each summer that I will commit to succession planting, but I often fail in getting around to sowing all that I promised. Ever the optimist, I am hoping that this year will be be different. So, in an effort to help achieve my goal, I have plotted out on my calender my weekly seeding to-dos. I know right now that on June 19th, I will be reseeding my carrots and bush beans. Let's just hope that when that Saturday comes around, I actually do it.

A gardener's must-have is to compile a list of their crop's succession planting dates. Below is a list that Eliot Coleman scripted in his book Four-Season Harvest. Happy seeding!

beans — every two weeks

beets — every two weeks

carrots — every two weeks

celery — twice: early spring and three months before fall frost

cucumbers — a 2nd and 3rd planting at monthly intervals will keep fruit quality high

lettuce & other salad greens — sow every week or two during the growing season

peas — twice: early summer and midsummer

radishes — sow every week

spinach — sow short rows every week during spring and late summer.

summer squash — 2nd and 3rd planting at monthly intervals will keep fruit quality high

recipe | neiman marcus chocolate chip cookies

of myth or cookie... One of my favorite urban myths is of course food oriented, it is the legend of the Neiman Marcus chocolate chip cookie. The rumor that circulated for years and years was that a customer asked the famed store for their chocolate chip cookie recipe and the store charged her $250 for it. Of course, no one knows where this story exactly generated, but it definitely is an urban myth. Neiman Marcus even pays homage to the tale on their website.

The real reason why I finally am getting around to testing this recipe is because it contains espresso powder and I have been looking for reasons to use this fun ingredient in many of my recipes. Hot chocolate? Add espresso powder. Making brownies? Add espresso powder. Basically I'm trying to say is that I need to work my way through the jar before it expires. But I was pretty pleased with the results. Honestly, is there a bad chocolate chip cookie recipe out there? Probably not, but the espresso powder adds a nice depth and body to this cookie. It is subtle enough to go unnoticed by my boys, but I definitely picked up on it.

Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies

yield: 2 dozen cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 cup light brown sugar

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1-3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder

1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300ºF. Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract for another 30 seconds.

In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture at low speed for about 15 seconds. Stir in the espresso coffee powder and chocolate chips.

Using a 1 ounce scoop or a 2 tablespoon measure, drop cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into a 2 inch circle. Bake for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned around the edges. Bake a little longer for a crispier cookie.

weekly wine walk | February 18

weekly wine walk... Now that it isn't pitch black anymore by 5pm, I am able to find a couple of minutes to sneak out after work to snap a few shots in the gorgeous pre-dusk light. The setting sun basks our woods with the warmest, welcoming amber rays. All I have to do is chase the light with my lens before it hides behind the horizon. This gives hope that spring really is just around the corner.

wishlist | ModCloth

ModCloth must-haves... When I originally was introduced to ModCloth, I went there for their fun frocks. Soon after, their apartment wares were catching my eye. Filled with color and undeniable personality, they were way too fun not to... I mean just look at those little Taterpot faces above. How can you resist?

(shown clockwise from top left: follow the lea doormat, $28;

bird bath soap dish, $14; the better to brew you with teacup, $30;

dining miss daisy serving set, $35; truffle shuffle shakers, $8)

So, needless to say, it was very cool when Angela, one of their fashion writers, contacted me the other day in search of a good pancake recipe for National Pancake Day (which is today by the way... so Happy National Pancake Day!) Check out today's ModLife blog posting and catch Angela's take on my Sour Cream Pancakes.

Sour Cream Pancakes

1c flour

2T sugar

2t baking powder

1/2t salt

8oz sour cream

1/4c milk

3T butter, melted

1 large egg

In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and set aside. In a smaller bowl, mix together the sour cream, milk, melted butter, and egg. Slowly fold the sour cream mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until moistened. Do not over mix. Let batter sit for 10 minutes.

Preheat griddle on medium heat. Lightly coat griddle with butter. Pour batter in batches onto griddle. Cook until bubbles form on the service of each pancake. Flip when a few of the bubbles pop and then lightly brown the other side.

recipe | roasted garlic and onion soup

stinkin' good soup... Now, I must preface this with this little disclaimer that this soup is for true garlic lovers. It has a fabulous full body flavor that is undoubtly 100% garlic. It is quite different than my previous garlic soup posting in that this soup focuses on the deep, roasted, carmalized flavor of garlic, rather than garlic's spicy side. The only thing missing to make this a perfect lunch was a big, hunk of peasant bread.

Roasted Garlic & Onion Soup

serves 6

4 medium sized garlic head

4T extra virgin olive oil

1T unsalted butter

2 large onions, chopped

1/3c flour

1/2c sherry

4c chicken, turkey or vegetable stock

2T fresh lemon juice

1/2c half and half

1/2c milk

sprigs of fresh thyme

Remove outer skin of garlic heads, trim off the top and drizzle with one teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil. Roast in a 325ºF oven for one hour. Remove from oven and let sit until cooled. Once cool, squeeze garlic into a bowl and mash with a fork.

In a large saucepan, heat two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil with the unsalted butter. Add the roasted garlic and chopped onions and saute over medium low heat for ten minutes until onions are golden brown. Add flour and stir constantly over medium heat for five minutes. Stir in the sherry. Slowly stir in the stock in small batches. Add lemon juice. Bring to a boil and then simmer covered over low heat for 15 minutes. Add the half and half and milk. Cook until heated. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh thyme.

daily photo | stark pinecone

february 11, 2010 | stark pinecone

do-it-yourself | garden vases

image courtesy of atwestend.com

simple elegance... I was flipping through the recent At West End catalog when I came across their Bottle Yard Stakes. I was immediately smitten. But, though quite lovely, I couldn't see paying $48 for one of these when I could seemingly easily enough make one myself with a branch, a bottle and some raffia. This quick little craft could definitely add whimsy and fun to our garden and would be the perfect garden party decoration for our many summer birthdays.

living | penobscot

a downeast weekend... A few friends and I went for a weekend escape to my friends camp in Penobscot. The beauty of the downeast coast offered a much needed respite. I won't lie, it was frigid up there. But when bundled up enough, walking along the coast with good friends and great dogs in the middle of winter was a blast. By the way, that's my new friend Maddie above.

I was in sore need of some time outside. I haven't been out with my camera in a while, so I was completely psych to reconnect via my lens. Once again, the subtle nuances of nature were the ones that photographed so poetically.

Getaways like this always make me fall in love with Maine that much more. The rugged, rocky coast is a reassuring beauty that definitely soothes the soul.

daily photo | rogosa rose in winter

february 7, 2010 | rogosa rose in winter

living | maple syrup season

just around the corner... Probably one of my favorite things about living in Maine is the constant act of preparation from one season to another. We're still shoveling through the snow, yet we're also starting seeds, checking garden tools, and thinking syrup. It's just a few more weeks until maple syrup season begins, and frankly, I can't wait!

This will be our third year, and with each year we learn so much more of what works and what doesn't. Our first year's lesson led us to know that you need to burn a lot of wood to cook down the syrup, I mean lots and lots of wood. Then last year we learned that we needed a better pot. We still on the hunt for that. In the meantime, we're busy prepping the taps, collecting pails and bottles, and stacking up on wood.

As you can see from the shot above, our stove is pretty basic, but it definitely does the job. And when you think about it, it's not too bad of a gig when it's your turn to "watch the syrup". Basically, you hang outside in a chair for a few hours and stoke the fire every so often. Really not that taxing.

Last year we ran out of our syrup around October, so we're hoping to tap a few more trees and double up on our efforts this season to try to get at least one year's supply. It's a long process for a relatively small return, but it is so, so worth it.

recipe | homemade gnocchi

potato pleasing pasta... I have always loved gnocchi. As a kid, I'd always pronounce it "no-chi". My Italian mother would cringe as she corrected me "n-yoh-kee". Now and days my boys are quite familiar with the name, not because of the pasta, but because of the cat on Curious George. Hey, whatever works to get them to try these delicate potato pasta puffs.

I highly recommend making these at home rather than buying store bought. Too often the store bought kind are dense and chewy. This homemade recipe creates happy, airy, palette pleasing puffs that work great with almost any sauce imaginable. It is pretty easy to make, and you can even make it ahead and freeze for later usage. The key to a lighter gnocchi is to use a drier potato like a russet.

Gnocchi

makes 4-6 servings

4 medium sized russet potatoes, scrubbed

1c all purpose flour

1 large egg yolk

kosher salt

cracked black pepper

olive oil

Bake the potatoes for one hour at 400ºF. Let cool on rack for 15 minutes. Slice in half and scoop potato into a food mill or ricer. Over a cookie sheet, rice the potatoes into one layer. Allow to cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, toss the riced potatoes with the flour until granular and coated. Make a well and add the egg yolk and salt and pepper. Mix until well coated. On a lightly floured surface, place the mixture and knead until a dough is formed. Do not over knead. Just knead until a ball can be easily formed. Cut the ball into four pieces. Roll out each piece into a 3/4" rope. Cut the rope into 3/4" pieces. Using the back of a fork, gently roll the gnocchi piece to create a slight indentation. (At this point, use fresh or refrigerate this dough for up to two days or freeze for up to two months.)

To cook: cook in boiling water until the gnocchi floats to the surface. Continue to simmer for another 4 minutes until tender.