Tag: edibles

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Herb Mustard and Edible Publications

herbs-for-mustard-nov-21-08

Text and photos ©Nancy J. Ondra

Granted, writing about food that isn’t still attached to roots is a bit of a stretch for me. Those of you who have been reading here a while know that I’ve mentioned a few (hundred) times that I’m not much of a cook. It’s not that I lack the basic skills: I can cook when the mood strikes, but it doesn’t happen often. I put a great deal of thought and time into preparing feed for my animals, but for myself…well, it seems like a poor use of time I could use to garden or read or play Neopets. But I do have a few things I enjoy making, mostly because Mom likes them too: granola, roasted root vegetables, and onion soup. And once a year, a batch of herb mustard. Continue reading Herb Mustard and Edible Publications

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Hayefield Happenings

Hayefield House from orchard path June 8 08

Text and photos ©Nancy J. Ondra

Wow, I can’t believe how fast the weeks are passing. So much for the days of blogging every day or two! Besides the usual busy-ness of this time of year in my own garden, I’ve been working every other day at a friend’s nursery/garden center for the past month, installing and maintaining some huge new gardens, so I’ve been gloriously immersed in extended hours of hands-on gardening every single day.

In many ways, it brings back the days when I used to be a professional gardener. I enjoyed it then, but I remember it being pretty tough physically. Getting back into it 20 years later, I find it’s actually easier now, maybe because I have a lot more experience, and a good selection of time-tested tools as well. Still, dealing with the intense heat we’re experiencing now in PA is tough at any age, so I’m grateful to be indoors for today. Continue reading Hayefield Happenings

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Non-Green Greens and Perennial Potatoes

Mustard Ruby Streaks and Golden Streaks

Text and photos ©Nancy J. Ondra

Late spring is prime time for picking great salad fixings from the garden. We generally refer to them as “greens,” but there are many intriguing options to choose from that are anything but plain old green. One of my new favorites is a mustard variety called ‘Ruby Streaks’; it’s the jagged purple foliage shown above. The other variety shown is ‘Golden Streaks’. It’s even more frilly, and it makes a great contrast to ‘Ruby Streaks’, but it doesn’t appear nearly as golden next to other greens. Continue reading Non-Green Greens and Perennial Potatoes