Happy Acres Blog

Harvest Monday October 31, 2016

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Dave @ HappyAcres

Welcome to Harvest Monday, where we celebrate all things harvest related. It’s hard to believe, but it’s the last day of October and we haven’t had our first frost yet. Not only that, but it has been warmer than usual, with a high temperature yesterday over 80°F, and similar temps forecast for the next few days. That has kept the summer veggies going even as the cool season crops start coming in too. I made the first cutting of fall lettuce last week, from plants growing in a salad box in the greenhouse. I also have one whole cold frame bed of lettuce that is ready, so we should be set for salads for a while. It’s a mix of varieties in the below photo, and I do see Tall Oaks and Jester leaves among the types in the bowl.

mixed lettuces

I also made cuttings from the micro greens I have growing in a window box in the greenhouse. These went in a stir fry my wife cooked up last week. I plucked a few leaves of Vivid Choi for the stir fry too. This non heading pac choi has mild, tender leaves and pinkish purple stems.

cutting of micro greens

Vivid Choi

From the main garden, I got a second cutting of the White Russian Kale plants. My wife braised it for a dinner side dish. The aphids are starting to multiply on the kale, but they are pretty easy to wash off on the relative smooth leaves of this kale. I will likely not spray for the aphids unless they get a whole lot worse. A good freeze will slow them down too, whenever we get one. On to the warm weather veggies now!

White Russian kale

It has been a great year for peppers here, probably one of the best I’ve ever had. Part of that is selecting varieties that do well here, and part of that is favorable weather, especially our balmy fall temps. My lone Pepperoncini plant continues to produce loads of peppers. I started out picking them when they were green and pickling them, but I quickly fell behind and many ripened on me. Then I discovered they were also tasty when pickled that way. Those in the below photo filled a quart jar, and should keep us supplied for some time to come.

Pepperoncini peppers

I also broke down and pickled a few of the Turkish cherry peppers called Sanliurfa Kiraz. These are a bit hotter and smaller than I prefer, but they were too pretty not to do something with them, and pickling was the best idea I could come up with. I’ve not canned any of these pickled peppers, so the refrigerator is starting to fill up with them!

Sanliurfa Kiraz pepper

The spice peppers are still coming on as well. In the below photo, we have the paprika pepper Dulce Rojo, which I smoked and dried. This is my favorite pepper for sweet paprika.

Dulce Rojo peppers

Then we have the 2015 AAS winner Flaming Flare, which is a mild Fresno type pepper that matures around 1000 on the Scoville heat scale instead of the usual 2500-10000 that most Fresno types register. These also got smoked, and I will see how they compare to the jalapenos I have smoked to make chipotle peppers. The thinner walls of Flaming Flare should dry more quickly than the smoked jalapenos, but then they will also yield less powder.

Flaming Flare peppers

I’m excited to get a decent harvest of Guajillo peppers this year. I dried all these to turn into chile powder. Last year I got a small harvest, but this year I tried a different seed source/cultivar and it did a lot better for me. I also grew Minero this year, which is a hybrid Guajillo type. I will do taste tests later between these two similar looking peppers. Minero has certainly been more productive, but I would like to compare the heat and flavor of the two.

Guajillo peppers

Last but not least of the pepper harvests, I got over two pounds of ripe peppers from the overwintered Malawi Piquante plant. This was the baccatum plant that was almost as tall as I am back in August, and was truly loaded with peppers. These got pickled too, using the same sweet brine I use for a lot of our peppers. I plan on digging up this plant and overwintering it inside to see if I can get a third year out of it. I have another baccatum pepper plant, Aji Angelo, that is on its third season and it is loaded with peppers too. I am waiting to harvest them and make a batch of hot sauce.

Malawi Piquante peppers

closeup of peppers

But some of the best news came when I found a few more ripe slicing tomatoes. I picked two more of the red Garden Treasure tomatoes one day, and then I found a lone Captain Lucky the next. These were a very pleasant surprise for sure!

Garden Treasure tomatoes

Captain Lucky tomato

Harvest Monday is a day to show off your harvests, how you are saving your harvest, or how you are using your harvest. If you have a harvest you want to share, add your name and blog link to Mr Linky below. And be sure and check out what everyone is harvesting!

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Posted in Harvest Monday | Tagged hot peppers, kale, lettuce, micro greens, paprika, peppers, tomatoes | 12 Comments

Harvest Monday October 24, 2016

Posted on October 24, 2016 by Dave @ HappyAcres

Welcome to Harvest Monday, where we celebrate all things harvest related. The big harvest for me this week was sweet potatoes. I dug around 2/3 of the plants, leaving those that were planted a bit later. I’m pretty happy with the results, though it’s not going to be a bumper harvest like last year. I wound up with 38 pounds from this dig, and the sweet potatoes are now curing in the basement. I’ll do a complete recap on them when I have dug the rest. I am also pleased that I have seen no sign of vole or insect damage so far. There were a couple that had minor fork damage, but thankfully none were mortal wounds! That’s Beauregard and Red Japanese in the below photo.

sweet potatoes curing

Besides the sweet potatoes, I got a couple of cuttings of kale last week, the first from one called Madeley. It’s an heirloom Brassica oleracea kale from England with large, flat bluish-green leaves. I grew this one last year as part of the Coalition Mix from Adaptive Seeds, and it was tasty and productive then and now. This cutting wound up in a batch of kale and potato hash I cooked up. A few aphids were starting to take up residence on the backside of the big leaves, but it was nothing that couldn’t be rinsed off pretty easily. I got the seeds for Madeley from Adaptive too.

Madeley kale

The other kale I cut is Improved Siberian, which I have growing in one of the cold frame beds. It’s a shorter kale, much like Dwarf Siberian (if not the same), so I thought it was a good candidate for overwintering under the protection of the cold frame. I used this kale as part of the filling for a batch of Butternut Lasagna Rolls, and I blanched and chopped the kale before mixing with ricotta and Pecorino Romano cheese and an egg. I think I actually preferred the kale filling to my usual spinach one. It just didn’t make much sense to me to thaw a package of spinach from the freezer when I have fresh kale. I’ll save the frozen spinach for another dish, since kale is much more plentiful here than spinach, and also easier to grow. There’s a couple of I’itio onions with the kale, and I used them in the butternut sauce for the lasagna.

Improved Siberian kale and I’itoi onions

In other news, I cut my biggest head of broccoli so far this fall. It lacked the perfectly rounded dome you see in the seed catalogs, but at 15 ounces it was all good after it was steamed and eaten! This was Imperial, which usually does well for me in the fall.

Imperial broccoli

I also got a few of the Topepo Rosso sweet peppers. This pepper is not a real heavy producer for me, but it’s one of the best pimento type peppers I have grown. I usually pickle these thick walled peppers, though they would be good for stuffing as well. There’s a few snow peas in the below photo too, and the Oregon Giant and Corne de Belier vines have been keeping us supplied with modest amounts of pods the last few weeks.

snow peas and Topepo Rosso peppers

And last but not least, I harvested all the ripe fruit from a Turkish pepper called Maras (or Marash). In Turkey this pepper is usually sun dried and ground into flakes to be used as a table seasoning, often with a bit of salt and oil added. I dried these peppers in the dehydrator, which is a more reliable way to dry them in our climate.

Maras peppers

After drying, I ground them up into coarse flakes. I used the electric spice grinder first, then finished them off by hand in the mortar and pestle. They did not have the dark red color or depth of flavor of ones I have bought in the past, but they will make a tasty medium-hot seasoning in the kitchen and at the table.

Maras pepper flakes

Posted in Harvest Monday | Tagged broccoli, hot peppers, kale, onions, pimento peppers, sweet potatoes | 15 Comments

October This and That

Posted on October 21, 2016 by Dave @ HappyAcres

I have a few odds and ends I’ve been wanting to share, so I decided to lump them all together here today. First up – I have several non-hardy plants growing behind the greenhouse. I have a two year old clump of lemongrass I dug up last winter and brought inside, then planted back out this spring. And I have a three year old lemon verbena plant that I treat the same way. Both plants have gotten huge, and have kept me supplied with leaves for tea and cooking. The lemongrass started with a couple of stalks I got at the grocery, and you can read how I start it here: Lemongrass. I put bird netting around the area to keep the deer from eating the pepper and tomato plants also behind the greenhouse

lemongrass and other plants

I’m also experimenting with growing ginger and turmeric. I started both of these in late winter from roots I got at a local Asian market. The edible part of both is technically a rhizome, and the tropical plants are definitely not hardy in our area. The sheltered spot behind the greenhouse gets some morning sun and afternoon shade, which are growing conditions these plants are supposed to like. Since setting out in spring, the ginger has grown to about three feet tall, and I can see new rhizomes forming at the soil line.

ginger roots

The turmeric is about two feet tall, with broad leaves that sort of resemble cannas to me. The rhizomes are not visible on this plant, but hopefully there will be some new growth below ground. I plan on digging and potting up both the ginger and turmeric and bringing indoors for the winter, much like I do the lemongrass. I think the turmeric makes a lovely plant, and could easily be grown as an ornamental.

turmeric plants

Inside the greenhouse itself there is a lot going on. I have several plug flats of lettuce and other greens growing. They will find a home in the cold frame and greenhouse beds soon. I will use any extras to cut as micro greens, perhaps straight from the plug flats.

plug flat with lettuce seedlings

I also have a window box planted with a micro green seed mix I got from Johnny’s Selected Seeds, and they are ready to harvest right about now. It’s a blend of kale, kohlrabi, cabbage and mizuna. I have other micro green mixes I hope to try in the coming months. I will likely grow some of these inside under lights, but for now this one is in the greenhouse.

micro greens

Also in the greenhouse, I have three salad boxes planted with arugula and one with lettuce. I’m growing Adagio, Apollo and Speedy arugula, and all are ready to begin cutting. Some of the arugula will be starring on a pizza here soon!

Arugula in salad boxes

I’m also experimenting with growing radishes in containers. I have one pot planted with Alpine, a hybrid Korean type daikon radish. I’m also growing Alpine in a bed in front of the greenhouse, and we will see how they both do.

Alpine radish in container

Also near the greenhouse, my Captain Lucky tomato plant is putting on tomatoes again. I doubt there will be time for any to ripen, but I would be happy to enjoy these as fried green tomatoes. We haven’t had any this year, and that would be a nice treat before the frosts come and fresh tomatoes are just a fond memory.

Captain Lucky tomatoes

It was Tuesday afternoon before it was available online, so for those who may have missed it, here’s a link to my WEHT Local Lifestyles appearance from last Friday: Happy Acres Hot Sauce. I had a lot of fun doing the show, and we all had some fun tasting the hot sauce!

Posted in Gardening | Tagged arugula, containers, Daikon radishes, ginger, lemongrass, microgreens, tomatoes, turmeric | 2 Comments

Harvest Monday October 17, 2016

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Dave @ HappyAcres

Welcome to Harvest Monday, where we celebrate all things harvest related. The fall veggies are starting to come in now. I got a nice cutting of a Japanese turnip called Nozawana that is grown primarily for the greens. Mine is all greens right now, and after cooking them my wife and I both gave them two thumbs up. They were tender and mild-flavored, and I imagine they will be even sweeter after a frost – not that I am in a hurry for any frosts! The seed for this one came from Kitazawa Seed.

Nozawana turnip greens

I cut two heads of Diplomat broccoli last week, and side shoots from Artwork brockali. The heads of Diplomat were pretty much the same size as the Goliath I cut last week, about a half pound each.

Diplomat broccoli

The Artwork has been making lots of side shoots, and the fall planting has outperformed Apollo by far. I used these in a stir fry, leaves and all.

Artwork broccoli

I harvested two heads of cabbage last week, one of Farao that weighed around a pound and one of KY Cross that weighed in at 2.5 pounds. I used all of the Farao and some of the KY Cross to start a batch of sauerkraut, and I used some of the KY Cross in a stir fry. The cabbage had only minor caterpillar damage on the outer leaves, so apparently I have been keeping up with my Bt and neem oil applications. And there were no hidden snails inside – at least none that I know about!

Farao(L) and KY Cross(R) cabbage

Speaking of a stir fry, I got the first batch of the fall snow peas, and it was enough to go in the same stir fry with the cabbage and the Stocky Red Roaster peppers you see in the below photo.

snow peas and Stocky Red Roaster peppers

I got a little over a pound total of Aji Angelo and Aji Golden peppers last week, enough to fill two dehydrator sheets. Both these baccatum peppers have mild heat and a fruity flavor. Aji Angelo is such a useful pepper in the kitchen, and I use the dried ones to add to various pickles, kimchi, and for making into pepper flakes. The Aji Golden should be useful in much the same ways. After drying I packed the peppers in a quart jar and used the FoodSaver jar attachment to seal them up.

Aji Angelo and Aji Golden peppers

I got a few each of the sweet peppers Stocky Red Roaster, Corno di Toro Rosso and Jimmy Nardello. Those wound up on the grill, as a side dish for lunch one day. The Stocky Red Roasters took a long time to ripen this year, but I think they are a tasty pepper. Too bad they have been a shy producer for me the last couple of years, and I doubt they will be back next year. I think Cornito Rosso will be their replacement.

Stocky Red Roaster, Corno di Toro Rosso, and Jimmy Nardello peppers

I found another batch of hot peppers for smoking last week. I got quite a few of the green Not Celia Dulce peppers, plus some green and red Senorita jalapenos and four of the Fooled You jalapenos. The Fooled You peppers were a disappointment, having not only no heat but also no particular jalapeno flavor to them. I guess if you take away the heat then they’re just another sweet pepper. The Senorita peppers have been great though, a bit less heat than the usual jalapeno and plenty of flavor. After smoking I dehydrated the peppers, and most will be ground up later into chile and chipotle powder.

peppers ready for smoking

I harvested four Seminole pumpkins last week, the last winter squash alive out in the garden. They averaged about 1.5 pounds each, a little less than last year but still a lot of pumpkin. These are good keepers and I probably save them for use after some of the other winter squash are cooked up. There’s one more on the vine which I will leave a bit longer.

Seminole pumpkins

I had a great time Friday talking about homemade hot sauce on the WEHT Local Lifestyles show, while my wife did a segment on printing with leaves.. One of the other guests was a local farmer, Clint Kern from Aficionado Farms, who was on to talk about his CSA operation plus the Indiana Grown initiative. We had a nice chat before and after the show, and I picked up a few ideas from him for next year. He was packing Sun Gold, Supersweet 100, Black Cherry, Yellow Pear and Sunpeach tomatoes in a clamshell package for his customers, and I think he sold me on giving Sunpeach a try next year. It is a hybrid pink grape tomato that is a sister variety to Sun Gold. It was fun to hear all the things they are growing on the farm, which is about a mile from Happy Acres as the crow flies.

me and Lynda before the show

I wasn’t sure who would be game for tasting hot sauce on camera, but I managed to get host Ange and her meteorologist sidekick Ron Rhodes to join me in the tasting. I had cut up some homemade whole wheat bread cubes and stuck toothpicks in them so we could dip the cubes in the sauce. We were also joined by anchor Greg Parker and both the camera operators before it was all over. I left several bottles of my hot sauce for folks to take home with them. The video clip of the show is not yet available online, but I will post it here if and when it’s published. Meanwhile, my wife and I are booked to come back on November 4th, where I plan on talking about growing pumpkins and making pumpkin puree. I see pumpkin pie in my near future!

UPDATE: Here’s a link to the video from the show: Happy Acres Hot Sauce.

hot sauce tasting

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Posted in Harvest Monday | Tagged broccoli peppers, cabbage, hot peppers, hot sauce, snow peas, turnip greens, WEHT Local Lifestyles, winter squash | 22 Comments

Homemade Hot Sauce, Three Ways

Posted on October 13, 2016 by Dave @ HappyAcres

A few few weeks ago I wrote about how to make a Fermented Pepper Mash. It’s fun and easy to do, and all you need are hot peppers and salt. I get my peppers from our garden, but you can certainly use peppers from farmers markets and the grocery store as well. I fermented several pint jars of them the last couple of weeks, and now it’s time to talk about how to turn them into hot sauce.

peppers for fermenting

I use a mix of different hot peppers to make hot sauce, including cayenne, serrano, and jalapeno. I generally use ripe ones, but green ones can also be used, and green jalapenos make a distinctive and tasty hot sauce. In the above photo I am getting ready to ferment a mix that includes red cayenne, the orange Aji Golden, and a red ‘mystery’ hot pepper I grew from seed this year that didn’t turn out true to type.

hot sauces made from fermented pepper mash

There are three hot sauces that I like to make from the fermented pepper mash. The first is a chili garlic sauce that uses the fermented peppers plus garlic, vinegar and a pinch of sugar. The ingredients are chopped together in a food processor, and result is a chunky sauce that has both the heat from the peppers and garlicky overtones. You can find my recipe for it here: No-Rooster Chili Garlic Sauce. It makes a great addition to stir-fries and soups, and I also like to put a spoonful (or two) on baked potatoes and burritos. Kept refrigerated, this sauce should keep for several months.

pressing pepper mash to get all the juice out

The second hot sauce is similar to many popular commercial brands like Tabasco, Crystal and Frank’s RedHot. To make it, you add about 1 tbsp of vinegar to each cup of fermented peppers, then process in a food processor or blender until the peppers are finely chopped. Next, set a fine-mesh metal strainer over a mixing bowl and add the pepper/vinegar mix. Press the pepper mash with a spoon against the sides of the strainer to extract the juice. Keep pressing the mash to extract as much juice as possible, adding a little additional vinegar if necessary. One cup of pepper mash should make about a half pint (4 oz). of finished sauce. The juice can then be bottled and should keep in the refrigerator for about a year.

bottling hot sauce

The third hot sauce is a Sriracha-style sauce. It has a thicker consistency than the Tabasco-style sauce, more like ketchup. To make it, mix 1 tbsp of brown sugar and 3 tbsp of vinegar in a blender, then add 1 clove of garlic and 1/2 cup of the fermented pepper mash. I like to use a rice vinegar, but other vinegar will work as well. Puree until smooth, adding additional vinegar as needed to get the consistency you like. Bottled and refrigerated, this sauce should keep for several months.

If local readers want to tune in, I will be on WEHT Local Lifestyles on Friday to talk about making homemade hot sauce, and doing some taste-testing. I’ll post a link to the video as it is available. My wife will also be on the show talking about using leaves for printing on fabric.

For more information and recipes for making your own hot sauce:

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Posted in Food, Recipes | Tagged cayenne, hot sauce, jalapeno, lacto-fermentation, peppers, Sriracha | 5 Comments

Happy Acres Blog

Harvest Monday October 31, 2016

Harvest Monday October 24, 2016

October This and That

Harvest Monday October 17, 2016

Homemade Hot Sauce, Three Ways

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Harvest Monday October 31, 2016

Harvest Monday October 24, 2016

October This and That

Harvest Monday October 17, 2016

Homemade Hot Sauce, Three Ways

SEARCH THIS SITE

Welcome to Happy Acres!

Happy Acres Weather Station

Recent Posts

Categories

Archives

Recent Comments

NOW READING

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SOME OF THE BLOGS I FOLLOW