Plateau Gardening--高地の畑つくり

Foraging for Nettles

2012-04-06T22:57:00.002-07:00

My good friend, Kristine Farley of Herbal Momma, offered to take me foraging for Stinging Nettles (Urtica diotica). She watched and waited and finally they were up! A group of us went to a wooded and damp area, and gathered basketful's of the very healthy weed. I forgot my gloves, but was told if I hold the very outside of the leaf, then cut the stem with scissors, I wouldn't get stung (the stingers are on the underside of the leaves). Well, I got stung anyway, so I must not have been doing it right.

Stinging nettles need to be harvested while they are still young. Anything taller than your knee is too tall and the stalks will be woody and tough. It's better to cut them rather than pinch or pull them up, and always leave several leaves on the plant so it can continue growing.

We each gathered several baskets/bags/containers of nettles, then headed home to process them.

I guess most people use rubber gloves to handle nettles in the kitchen, but I used my favorite cooking hashi (very long chopsticks). Rinsed them well in cool water, then blanched the nettles for 30 seconds to remove the "sting".

A quick dip into ice water after blanching and I ended up with quite a batch of nettles. (Don't throw the water out! Drink it or give it to your houseplants.) Blanched nettles can easily be kept in the refrigerator or freezer until you are ready to use them.

Even after all this, I was left with three bags of fresh nettles. One bag went to #1 Son who was actually excited to experiment in the kitchen with them. I decided to leave the other two bags to dry, shaking them a couple of times each day. If you use this method of drying, be sure the bags are only half-full to ensure good air circulation.

I have used the nettles in several dishes so far (I will post about these soon), and I love the taste! A lot like spinach, but earthier and fuller. Nettles have more protein than soybeans and more iron than spinach. Naturopathic physicians prescribe nettle tablets for those with allergies to help ease the symptoms and strengthen the immune system. Nettle tubers are said to assist with prostate issues. It's a terribly invasive weed, and hard to get rid of, but perhaps we should change the way we look at nettles and embrace it's goodness instead.

Making Compost Tea

2012-04-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

Compost tea is liquid gold in the garden, and I have wanted to make it for quite awhile now. But I didn't have all the equipment that "they" say I needed, and it seemed like such a hassle with the pumps, tubing, aeriators, strainers, bubblers, etc., etc. I readily admit that I am a lazy gardener--if there is a quick and easy way to do something, I want to know about it.

Enter Marjorie Wildcraft of Backyard Food Productions. She interviewed Peter Paul about his compost/worm bin and how he makes compost tea. He calls it "worm juice" and it is incredibly easy to make once the set up is done. You can watch the eight-minute interview here.

Peter used a water trough, so I watched Craigslist for a water trough. I found a couple for a good price, but someone else got them first. The others were too expensive or too big (my car will only hold so much).

After three weeks of lurking on Craigslist, I finally gave up and bought two plastic bins on sale at Fred Meyer.

I drilled holes in the bottom of ONE of the bins. This will be the top bin.

I put four one-gallon pots in the bottom bin.

Then stacked the top bin (the one with the holes) on top.

Since I have an abundance of shredded paper (the joys of having a home office), used that instead of leaves for the first layer. The worms from our compost bin were then moved to the new bin on top of the shredded paper.

I have a friend with rabbits, and she gives be manure, so I layered the Bunny Berries and worms with grass clippings, leaves and other yard waste. Put the lid on loosely, and in the corner it goes. Now I just have to wait.

After about four days, I wondered how the worms were doing. I checked the bottom bin, and there was already compost tea! I need a little bit more before I can start using it, but I am really looking forward to big, healthy plants in the garden this year!

The Power of Fresh Eggs 新鮮な卵の力

2012-03-28T22:13:00.002-07:00

I love having fresh eggs every day! Our chickens give us 4-6 eggs a day, and we share the eggs between my cousin's family and our family. Not only are they absolutely delicious, I have found they are great bartering and bargaining tools.

毎日、新鮮な卵を食べるのが大好きになりました。わたしたちの鶏は一日に卵を４－６コ産みますので、いとこの家族とわたしの家族に分けて使っています。もちろんこの卵はおいしいし、しかもお礼返しにもなります。

For example, I ran out of brown sugar right in the middle of a recipe. I know my friend down the road always has brown sugar, so I send #2 son to ask for two cups of sugar. But one cannot go empty handed--what would make an appropriate trade? Two eggs, of course!

たとえば、料理中にお砂糖がなくなってしまいました。買い物に行く時間もなく、こまってしまいました。近くの友達からお砂糖を借りたいですが、手ぶらはいけませんので卵と交換しました。

#1 son now lives in Seattle and we don't get to see him as often as I'd like. With school and work, I understand he's busy, but I still want him to come visit. How to ~~bribe~~ encourage him to come visit his mom? A dozen eggs (and some gas money) works wonders!

長男は今シアトルに住んでいますので、なかなか帰って来る時間がありません。大学やバイトで忙しいのは分かるけれども、会いたいので、「卵をあげるから、遊びにおいで」と言うと帰って来ます。（ガソリン代も払いますが。）

Our next door neighbor is a bit OCD about mowing his lawn. So much so, that he just keeps mowing over to our front lawn. I don't think we've mowed our front lawn in the five years he's been our neighbor. How to repay his kindness? We weed his front flower beds and give him fresh eggs.

すぐとなりの近状の人は芝刈りが大好きですので、わたしたちの芝の分まで刈ってくれます。代わりにわたしたちは草取りをしてあげて、卵をあげます。

Fresh eggs have "paid" for tools, epoxy glue for a shed (we ran out just before the shed was done), house sitting, halibut, and has helped make friends and repay the kindness of others. I love repaying others with something that is genuinely appreciated! This alone makes taking care of those ridiculously silly chickens so worth it.

このように新鮮な卵はいろんな働きをして、皆を喜ばせます。ですから、あまり賢くない鶏たちですが、世話のし甲斐はありますよ。

Planting Strawberry Crowns いちごの植え方

2012-03-27T23:46:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't like a big bowl of fresh strawberries? They are one of the easiest fruit to grow, and if conditions are ideal, one plant can produce at least one quart (one liter) of berries in a season. If you order strawberry crowns, you probably received something looking like this:

So, now that you have your strawberry crowns, how do you plant them? Well, first you need to make sure their new home is ready. Plan to plant your crowns after all danger of freezing is past and the soil can be worked, but not waterlogged. Strawberries are big eaters, and love lots of nitrogen. If you have poor soil, add compost or manure to add nutrients. Also, don't plant where potatoes, tomatoes, peppers or eggplant have grown the last three years (there is a risk of Verticillium Rot). For those of you who want the nitty gritty details, the soil should be a sandy loam with a pH between 5.8 and 6.2. They also benefit from a raised bed, but that doesn't mean you have to go out and buy lumber and nails. Here is what we did:

As you can see, we just piled up the soil and raked it flat. Hills also work well. They need lots of sunshine, too, so plan your strawberry patch in a sunny spot.

Plan to plant your strawberries about 18 inches (40cm) apart, with rows about 3 feet (1 meter) apart. Place the crowns approximately where they need to go (on top of the soil) and dig a hole. Place the roots in the hole, with most of them going straight down to the bottom the hole. Sometimes you'll get roots that are very long--they don't need to be completely straight, but mostly straight. You don't want to plant a root ball or have them going to one side.

As you fill the soil back in the hole, be sure the crown doesn't get covered. The crown is the little "knob" of green right at the beginning of the roots. These will grow to become leaves, and it's important that they be above the soil level.

The diehards will tell you to pick all the blossoms the first year to prevent any fruit from forming. This will supposedly result in stronger plants and bigger fruit the second year. I, however, have never been able to do that and enjoy the fruit the very first year. Remember to give them 1-2 inches (2-5cm) of water each week if it doesn't rain, especially the first year, and get ready for the best strawberries you've ever tasted!

My favorite variety of strawberry is SeaScape. They produce big, sweet berries from June til September!

(I used the board so I wouldn't stomp the soil)

Do you have strawberries in your yard or garden? What is your favorite variety?

Planting Raspberry Canes 木いちごの植え方

2012-03-22T21:34:00.000-07:00

from VegTalk.org

A good friend of mine exchanged pruning for some raspberry canes--I helped her and her husband prune their Buckley Giant apple tree and an Asian pear tree, and I went home the happy owner of five raspberry canes. I know these raspberries are delicious, because she shared a frozen bag full of them with me last fall when I really, really wanted to make raspberry jam. I love friends like these!

先週、友達の家に行って、りんごとなしの木を剪定しました。かわりに、彼女から木いちごを6本もらって帰りました。わたしは木いちごが大好きなので、とても嬉しかったです。

Anyway, it's been raining more than usual here in the Seattle area (hard to believe, I know), plus we've had more snow, then hail, sleet and wind storms, so it hasn't exactly been the best weather to go out and plant. There was a break in the downpour a couple of days ago, so I bundled up and went outside.

今年は雨が多いです！そして、雪がもう一度たくさん降って、アラレも、雹も、みぞれも降って、なかなか畑の仕事ができません。でも、昨日、雨が少し軽くなりましたので、外に行って、木いちごを植えました。

Raspberries do not like wet feet, so they need to be planted in well-drained soil. Several years ago, we planted raspberries along our east fence line, but they all died within two years. I figured out that it was too wet there for them there, and planted blueberries instead. The blues love the wet soil! Our west fence line has been built up and since the strawberries do very well there, I think the raspberries will, too. They also like slightly acidic soil, and do not do well in clay or heavy soils. If you have heavy soil, adding manure or compost will lighten it.

木いちごはよく排水土壌が好きです。数万年前に、木いちご植えましたが、二年以内に全部死んでしまいました。後で考えるとあそこの土壌があまりにも排水がよくなかったのです。かわりにブルーベリーを植えて、順調に大きくなっています。今回はいちごの近くに植えるつもりです。木いちごはわずかに酸性の土壌に植えるとよく成長します。土壌がかたいなら、コヤシまたは堆肥を入れればいいです。

I didn't shake the soil off the roots before I planted the canes. They're used to this soil and it will make moving house a little bit easier for them. If you've ordered canes from a nursery, be sure the roots are kept damp. If you think they might be dehydrated, place them in a bucket of water for a couple of hours before you plant them outside.

Set your canes on top of the soil where you want them. Space them 18 inches to 3 feet (0.5-1.0 meter) apart. If you have enough for more than one row, space the rows at least 6 feet (2 meters) apart--you want to be sure you have enough room to walk between the rows, otherwise picking the berries will become a nightmare.

植えるときは、木と木の間は0.5から1.0メーターにすればいいです。たくさん植える場合、列と列の間が3メーターぐらい空けるといちご取りが楽です。

Dig a hole a little bigger than the root ball. On any other day, I would have filled the hole with water, but since the soil was waterlogged and it was still raining, I figured it was OK not to water. (It does have good drainage, as soon as the rain decides to stop...) Place the root ball in the hole and encourage the roots outward.

Fill the soil back in around the roots. It's OK to cover the cane a little bit more than before, but not more than an inch or two (3-5 cm). Pat the soil with your hands to make sure there are no air pockets. Don't stomp in it with your boot, just a good pat with your hands will do.

穴を掘って、木いちごを植えました。（雨が降っていたので、水は入れませんでした。）

I planted all five of them--wait, SIX of them--along the west fence line, behind the strawberries. When I first saw them in my friend's garden, I told her she needed to prune them. To which she promptly replied, "Oh no, not this variety. The berries grow on the second year canes, so you're not supposed to prune them." She couldn't remember the specific variety, but she knows her berries better than I do, so I'll take her word for it.

初めて友達の木いちごを見たとき、「小さく切った方がいいですよ」と友達に言いましたが、友達は「いいえ。この種類を切らない方がいいです」と教えてくれました。何の種類か覚えていませんが、信頼しましょう。

These will need to be trellised so they will grow up and not along the ground (a couple of them already got bent during transport). But by the time I got them planted, I was pretty wet, so I'll trellis them another day. Oh, and that board in the background? I used that to stand on while I planted so I wouldn't have to walk directly on the soil and make a muddy mess around the strawberries. It also kept my boots just a tad cleaner.

植えた当日は雨が降っていて、ずいぶんと濡れてしまったので、ワイヤー張りは後でする…

Choosing a Top Bar Beehive

2012-03-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'm comfortable with the animal population on our small lot and on our cousin's property--time for a new challenge. You may remember my sister, HoneyHolli, and her fourth generation Mr. Beekeeper hubby. Well, I've watched them with envy for many years now and finally decided to do something about it. I have joined the local Beekeeping Society, watched several videos, bought a book and am ready to try my hand at beekeeping. #2 Son has agreed to help, since he has worked with his uncle a little bit and knows more about bees than I do. I'm also counting on sister HoneyHolli to be at the other end of the phone when I have questions.
Instead of the usual Langstroth or upright hives, I've decided to use a top bar hive. Specifially, the Kenyan Top Bar Hive (as opposed to the Tanzanian Top Bar Hive, which has straight sides). It's easier to manage, and apparently easier on the bees. It's not a production hive, so I'll get more wax and less honey as I would with an upright hive, but I don't itend on selling my honey as a profession, so lower volume is just fine with me.
Here is the hive I'd love to buy, if I had the extra cash:

Isn't it a beauty? Almost garden art in and of itself. I love the observation window! Beethinking sells these at www.beethinking.com, but I would be out over $300 if I were to purchase this hive.

TJ Carr shares his plans and a narrative for a very fancy top bar hive (similar to the hive above), but my woodworking skills are so lacking that I can't make heads or tails of his plans. Hubby-san was totally lost as well, so we won't be making this any time soon. Sad.

Here's a site that teaches you how to make your own top bar hives.
McCartney Taylor has several videos that show a very simple top bar hive that is used in Africa. He uses Les Crowder's plans to make his hives. I like it's simplicity, but I think we need a bottom here in Seattle due to the cool weather, and a sturdier roof due to the rain.

Les with his top bar hives

The Barefoot Beekeeper also shares his top bar hive plans with the public here. I like the roof and I can understand his plans. I also found a couple of people who posted videos of their construction of this particular hive here (2-part series) and here (6-part series, nice and detailed so I can follow).

Hives at the Barefoot Beekeeper

So I've decided to follow the Barefoot Beekeeper's plans for the hive, and McCartney Taylor's plans for the actual top bars. We've got a pile of scrap wood that I think will be sufficient for the hive, so all I'll need to buy will be the screws and wire mesh. I'm excited to be moving forward with this new adventure--I've been thinking about it for several years now. I'll let you know how the hive turns out!

Air Potato 空中イモ

2012-03-14T11:29:00.000-07:00

from highlandsswcd.org

In my quest for perennial edibles, I found Dioscorea bulbifera, or Air Potato, which is a yam species. They are native to Africa and Asia, but seem to do well in the southeastern part of this country. So well, in fact, that Florida has declared it a noxious weed.

さいきん、多年生植物について非常に興味を持っています。調べると、面白いヤマイモ属のものを見つけました。ラテン語ではDioscorea bulbifera　と言って、英語ではＡＩＲ・ＰＯＴＡＴＯ（空中イモ）と言います。アジアとアフリカの熱帯地方から来て、日本の南の方にもあるそうです。

Like yams, the air potato is a vine and creates underground tubers. They also produce small bulbs, called bulbils, on the vines themselves. Both the underground tuber and the aerial bulbils are edible, but I've read they are bitter until boiled. One author described the air potato tasting a little like a water chestnut, another said it tasted like kudzu. It seems to go well with rice, so it should fit right in with our diet here!

ヤマイモやサツマイモと同じように、地下で塊茎ができ、しかも、つるには球根ができます。この塊茎と球根が食べれるのでラッキー。ある人は味が栗と似ていると書いていました。別の人はクズの味と似ていると。しかし、ゆでるまでは苦いそうです。

from davesgarden.com

Last year I looked and looked for a place that sells air potatoes, but had no luck. So this year I found a seller on eBay (are we seeing a pattern here?), and I now have four healthy bulbils to plant as soon as all danger of frost has passed. My kids are actually excited about having potatoes without all the digging!

わたしたちはイモが大好きですから、ぜひ手に入れたいと思いました。ＥＢＡＹで買って4つの球根が来ました。霜がもうおりなくなると植えるつもりです。土を掘らずにイモができるといいですね！

About the 'noxious' bit. Even though it creates underground tubers, the air potato's main method of reproduction are the bulbils. They eventually will fall to the ground, and given the right climate, even a tiny bulbil will sprout and create a new vine. Apparently, these vines can grow 60 feet and overtake trees. Air potatoes like warm climates, especially tropical weather where they can really take off. I don't think anyone would equate Seattle with the tropics, or even sub-tropics, so I am comfortable that I am not planting a noxious weed that will overtake the neighborhood. I plan on keeping the area clear of dropped potatoes, but the seller's instructions stated that any frost will kill the bulbils, so I think our frosty winters will help with control. I'm not even sure it's warm enough here for the underground bulbs to overwinter, but I'm going to try it.

暖かい所ではかなり広がって有害な雑草になるみたいですが、シアトルの天気は涼しいので、近所めいわくにはならないと思います。ただ、涼しすぎて死んでしまうのは困りが。とにかく、がんばって作ってみます！

from millerlegg.com

I also learned it's other common name--Tater Vine. I like that! I think I'll call it Tater Vine in a nod to my Texas and Oklahoma grandparents.

もし、このＡＩＲ・ＰＯＴＡＴＯの日本語名は何か知っている人がいれば、ぜひ教えてください。熊野のＨ君、読んでいますか？お父さんはご存知かもしれませんので聞いてみてください。教えてくださいね！

Salvaging Native Plants

2012-03-08T20:27:00.001-08:00

Have you ever wished you could have ferns, vine maples and native berry bushes in your yard? They're hard to find in any nursery, aren't they? Well, now you can have native plants in your yard, just for the digging. The Native Plant Salvage Alliance is based in Pierce County and has frequent salvaging events open to the public.

I just learned of their next even this Saturday (March 10) in Bonney Lake. To quote their website:

At this location, registered participants may salvage the following shrubs and trees: big leaf maple (Acer macrophyllum), vine maple (Acer circinatum), red alder (Alnus rubra), cascara (Rhamnus purshiana), poplars (Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa), Doug fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), Western red cedar (Thuja plicata), willows (Salix spp.), ocean spray (Holodiscus discolor), osoberry/Indian plum (Oemleria cerasiformis), sword ferns (Polystichum munitum), bracken ferns (Pteridium aquilinum), wild roses (Rosa spp.), black-cap raspberries and salmonberries (Rubus spectabilis), hardhack spirea (Spiraea douglasii), snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus), and shade-loving mosses. If you're feeling lucky, you can also dig for salal (Gaultheria shallon), red huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium), evergreen huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum), and grape hollies (Berberis/Mahonia spp.).

It's also possible that you'll also find special forest perennials including Vanilla Leaf (Achlys triphylla), Deer Ferns (Blechnum spicant), Fairy Bells (Disporum spp.), Roemer's fescue (Festuca roemeri), vining Honeysuckles (Lonicera spp.), Solomon's Seal (Mianthemum spp.), Licorice Ferns (Polypodium glycyrrhiza), Fringecup (Tellima grandiflora), Piggy-back Plants (Tolmiea menziesii), Trillium (Trillium ovatum), Nettles (Urtica Dioica), Violets (Viola spp.), mosses and other specialty natives.

There are several plants on my wish list that are also on the above list, so I have registered for Saturday's event. It's even supposed to be good weather this weekend! Go to their website to register for the event, or to be put on their event announcement list.

For those of you outside of western Washington, I encourage you to search out your area's salvaging alliance for opportunities. And plese post any contact information in the comments below for future reference.

Miso Soup & Rice for Breakfast みそ汁

2012-03-08T00:23:00.000-08:00

Today is National Breakfast Day, so I thought I'd celebrate the occasion by sharing our breakfasts with you. But first, a little background.
今日はＵＳＡで「朝飯の日」ですから、わたしの経験について少しお話しようと思いました。
I grew up in a Cheerios and Wheaties family. Every morning we had cold cereal before going off to school. I was a Wheaties girl, while others of my many siblings were Cheerios kids.

ご存知のように、アメリカと日本の食べ物はずいぶん違います。わたしは子供の時、毎朝コーンフレークのようなものを食べました。毎朝、かならず、コーンレークでした。

On the other side of the planet, Hubby-san was growing up in a farming family. They ate miso soup (soy bean paste added to a clear vegetable soup) and rice for breakfast. When they had it, they also ate a little fish or pork with their soup, and always veggies from the garden.

その一方で、だんな様が子供のころ、みそ汁とご飯を毎日食べました。毎日、かならず。

So 'Wheaties Girl' marries 'Soup Boy' and they begin their life together. Now, I knew about miso soup and rice for breakfast. I had been a missionary in Hiroshima and had many Japanese companions who introduced me to miso.

時間がたつとコーンフレークの女の子とみそ汁の男の子が結婚して、新しい人生を歩み始めました。じつは、わたしはみそ汁のことを前から知っていました。18ヶ月間宣教師でボランティア活動を日本でしました。日本人のルームメートや友達がみそ汁の作り方を教えてくれました。結婚してもだいじょぶと思いました。

結婚する少し前の話ですが、アメリカから引っ越して来て、将来のだんな様の家族と一緒に住んでいました。家族は、お母さん、お父さん、双子のお兄さん、お兄さんの奥さんと2歳の子供でした。お兄さんはいつも朝早く仕事に行きました。少しでも手伝おうと思って、朝ごはんを作りました。みそ汁のためにお湯をわかして、野菜を切るとお母さんが台所に入て来ました。お鍋を見て、何も言わずにいりこを採ってさっとお湯に入れました。「え、魚を入れるんですか？」イリコと言う単語が知りませんでした。「そう。入れるとおいしくなるから。」とお母さんが言て台所から出ました。一生懸命野菜を切って、ゆでて、みそを入れて、みそ汁を作りました。お兄さんが食べるから、本当に緊張していました。彼がやっと台所に入て、お姉さんも入りました。ご飯をついで、おかずを出して、最後にあついみそ汁を出しました。お兄さんが飲むと、「ああ！イリコが入っている」と。「そうです。お母さんは入れるとおいしくなると言いました。」そこでお姉さんがちゃわんをお兄さんから素早く取って、「イリコは採るんですよ！」と言いました。あ～、、、はずかしかった。

I dutifully made my new Hubby-san miso soup and rice on some mornings, and also made oatmeal, pancakes or (when I was really feeling domestic) eggs and bacon. I would have killed for a box of Wheaties, but since we lived in the countryside, there were no boxes of cold cereal--not even one--in ANY of the grocery stores for miles around (and I checked every one of them). Hubby-san ate whatever I put before him, but after only two weeks, he informed me that he really didn't like western breakfasts, and would I just stick to Japanese breakfasts for him please. And that was that.

結婚してから、みそ汁を作って、洋食も作りました。2週間たつとだんな様が「おれは洋食があまり好きではないから、朝はみそ汁を作ってください」と頼みました。

Other than the ocacasional pancake breakfast, we have had miso soup and rice nearly every morning for the past 25 years, and I have become an ardent fan of a hearty hot breakfast. When we moved to the States in 1997, I had visions of making bacon and eggs, oatmeal and other western-style breakfasts for my kids, but--alas!--moving to a different country does not change children's tastes. In fact, their tastes seemed to strengthen. Being in a new culture increased their need for Japanese food. Just the mere suggestion of pancakes would send them into a near panic. "No, mom, please! We want miso soup for breakfast!" Even guests who stay the night or kids who are being babysat get miso soup for breakfast--we call it "Cloud Soup" since the miso gathers in the center of the bowl.
その時から、25年間みそ汁をほとんど毎日作ってきました。わたしはみそ汁が大好きになって、それからあきてしまいました。しかし、子供はあきません。アメリカに引っ越す時はもうみそ汁は作らなくてもいいでしょうと思いましたが、、、違いました。アメリカで子供は和食がより食べたくなりました。ホットケーキは？と言うだけで子供はパニックをしました。「だめ！みそ汁が食べたい！」と言ましたから、づつけて作りました。

子供はもう大きくなって、二人は今大学生です。家に帰て来ると「お母さん、みそ汁を作ってね」とよく頼みます。みそ汁はいいですね.

(アメリカ人もみそ汁を食べるように作り方を英語で紹介します。)

Miso soup and rice every morning, with leftover meat and veggies from last night's dinner. It warms the soul on cold winter days, it is the ultimate in comfort food, and I can make the soup in about the same amount of time it takes me to make a pot of non-instant oatmeal. My kids seldom catch cold or get sick, and all have done well in school--I attribute this in part to healthy eating, starting with real food (especially veggies) for breakfast. And so, my friends, I share the recipe for miso soup with you and encourage you to try it. It will add more vegetables and fiber to your diet, and get your day off to a wonderful start!

1. Bring a medium pot of water to boil. The Japanese will add a square of kombu seaweed for flavor; you may add a pinch of chicken boullion, or not.
2. While waiting for the water to boil, chop your veggies of choice. Only two or three different veggies are needed, our favorites are: onions (always!), potato, sweet potato, carrots, broccoli, squash, zucchini, pumpkin, celery, corn and peas. Anything you would put into a stew pot can go into miso soup. Again, only two or three kinds of veggies are needed.
3. After the water is boiling remove the kombu (if you added it), and add the veggies. Boil until tender.
4. To fancy it up a bit, you can add tofu cut into cubes, or beat an egg and then slowly pour it into the soup.
5. After everything is cooked to your liking, turn the tempurature down to a low simmer and add the miso. Miso can be purchased at most grocery stores (it's in town at QFC), and all Asian stores. There is regular miso, milder white miso and stronger red miso. To add it, scoop out a spoonful and put it in your ladle. Then dip your ladle into the soup and mash the miso with the spoon, letting the miso dissolve into the soup. Every family is different, but the general rule of thumb is one tablespoon of miso to one cup of soup. Adjust to your liking (I like weaker soup, Hubby-san likes it stronger).

After you add the miso, do not boil the soup. There is live acidophilus in miso, and boiling it will kill the cultures. Miso is easily digested, making it ideal for small children, older folks and those who are ill. Since it is made from soy, it is an excellent source of protein. It goes well with rice, of course, but if you don't have rice available, it also is very good with bread. Serve it hot and drink (or slurp) it straight from your bowl. Really.

What is your favorite breakfast?

Where is the Osceola Plateau?オシオラ高地はどこですか

2012-03-05T11:29:00.000-08:00

My profile says we live on the Osceola Plateau, but where IS that? Here is a YouTube video that shows one of the towns on the plateau, Enumclaw. There's also Buckley and Bonnie Lake that share the place at the foot of Mt. Rainier, Washington State. I went to Junior High School and High School here, left for 15 years, then came back. It is a beautiful place!

わたしたちはオシオラ高地に住んでいますが、それはいったいどこですか？このビデオを見ると、どんな所か少し分かると思います。ワシントン州のレーニヤ山の近くで、ここが大好きで～す！

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_GoC1oeDck&feature=share

Tree Kale 木のキャベツ

2012-03-02T22:13:00.001-08:00

from flikr.com

Tree Kale, Tree Collard, Perpetual Kale, Branching Bush Kale, Brassica oleracea ramosa has many names. We love kale and just the idea of a perennial kale plant started me salivating--I had never seen anything like it!

日本で見たことがありませんが、このおいしいそうな野菜は多年生です。

from visionofasale.com

In his book, Perennial Vegetables, Eric Toensmeier writes, "This is the true queen of perennial brassicas. Pliny described what is thought to be this plant as 'Tritan Kale' in AD70 [more than 1900 years ago!], which indicates that it had already had a long history of cultivation."
アメリカでもわたしは見たことがありませんけれども、本を読んで発見しました。アブラナ属の女王と言われて、紀元70年「1,900年前」、プリニウスがこの植物の説明を記録しました。

from DavesGarden.com

In the Netherlands, it can grow as tall as 9 feet (3 meters). Since we have a mild climate here, too, I'm hoping it will grow tall for us. It prefers cool temperatures and mild winters (that's us!), and since it is a Brassica, it loves rich soil and is a heavy feeder. It is suseptible to the diseases and bugs of other Brassicas like broccoli, cabbage, mustard greens, chinese cabbage, tat tsoi, mizuna, etc., and can cross pollinate with other family members as well.

アブラナ属ですから、白菜、小松菜、ほうれんそう、キャベツ、ブロッコリー、みずな、などの仲間で、オランダでは高さが３メーターになるそうです。しかも味は小松菜に似ていると書いていました。

I decided I definitely wanted this plant in our garden, and set out to find who sells seeds or cuttings. Wow--nothing to be found anywhere. I looked harder and after several hours finally found two sources. Bountiful Gardens sells cuttings in June, and KPR in Europe sells seeds. Impatient soul that I am, I tried to find something closer and therefore quicker. eBay came to the rescue once again with a generous gardener offering cuttings from her own well established plant. I received my healthy cutting in less than a week, and proceeded to plant it on February 10.

わたしたちはブロッコリーや白菜や小松菜が大好きですから、ぜひ手に入れたいと思いました。問題が種はどこで見つけられるかということです、、、いろんなウェブサイトで調べましたが、なかなか見つられませんでした。づつけて調べて、やっと見つけました。カリフォニヤのBOUNTIFUL GARDENSとヨーロッパのＫＰＲは木のキャベツ(Brassica oleracea ramosa)を売っていますが、わたしは忍耐がないので、eBayで探しました。あたり！一週間で郵便で来て、わたしはすぐ植えました。

He sure isn't much to look at now, but according to the seller's instructions, it should start to show a few leaves in 3-6 weeks.

まだまだ小さいですけど、３－６週間ぐらいたつと葉っぱが出るそうです。とても楽しみにしています！

Great Book!--Growing Veggies West of the Cascades

2012-02-29T11:38:00.001-08:00

I keep thinking Spring is on it's way, but we had another light snow and the wind howled all night last night (the joys of living on a plateau at the foot of Mt. Rainier). When the weather is not conducive to gardening, I will pull out a good book for inspiration. Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades is one I go back to frequently. It is written by the wonderfully opinionated Steve Solomon who founded Territorial Seed Company. There are six editions in all, I have both his 1989 edition and the new 2007 edition. Here is a couple of paragraphs from his introduction:

My intention behind writing every one of these six versions has been that fresh, homegrown vegetables will become a major part of your family's food supply. You're about to learn how to grow a full array of vegetables, not only during the heat of midsummer, but all year round.

Twenty-nine years ago I homesteaded in Oregon because I believed in self-sufficient living. Self-sufficiency is still a personal solution to a lot of the world's problems and many of my own. It seems to me that as people become more responsible for their physical survival--and there is nothing more essential to surviving than eating--they begin to have a more positive attitude about life in general. They're less dependent on a complex system that is entirely out of their control.

A self-sufficient person becomes "independent minded". The Oregon countryside is still dotted with large vegetable gardens; consequently, independence-minded is how many old-time Oregonians describe both themselves and the unique culture of the state.

Washington State isn't much different.

Although independence-minded is a spiritual state, I'd also like you to enjoy a higher level of physical well-being, because I find it far more pleasant to be among healthy people. Having a feeling of well-being lets us throw back our shoulders, move confidently through life, and assert our independence. To enjoy solid health, we need to make a substantial part of our total food intake fresh vegetable food. But most North Americans have neither great vegetables nor strong health. The best way to change your diet in the direction of health is not to force yourself because someone told you to change, and certainly not to change by fighting your own bad habits and cravings. The best way to reform yourself is simple--experience the pleasures and wonderful tastes of fresh garden vegetables. Given a few years to work on a person, the garden will effortlessly change the gardener's preferences. I know this works because I've been through this change myself.

OK, so it ended up being a little more than two paragraphs, but I wanted you to get a feel for his attitude. I love it! His book covers the following topics:

1. The Basics (done medium-rare)
2. Soil (what cool-climate vegetables need)
3. Composting (both strong and weak compost)
4. Planning (creating a 12-month-a-year harvest)
5. Water (prinkler irrigation or very little irrigation)
6. Seeds (an insider's look at the vegetable seed trade)
7. Transplants (how to buy seedlings that will grow well)
8. Predators (what bugs us here in the PNW, how to handle them)
9. How to Grow It (a species-by-species guide tailored to the PNW culture)

It is this last chapter that I keep going back to. It is grouped by family, then species and is very easy to use. He starts with general information about that family of plants, then gets into the specifics of culture, garden planning, insects and disease, harvest, saving seed, varieties and dry gardening for each species. As I grow new veggies, I have a ready reference for my back yard. When I spot an unfamiliar bug munching on my bok choy, I can usually find out what to do about it in this chapter. Since I will be saving seed for the first time this year, I have re-read all of his seed saving advice. I appreciate his candor regarding the seed industry and also his advice as to how to deal with it. I will never be the Gardening Guru that he is, but I can imagine myself one when I read his book.

If you are looking for a colorful, glossy, coffee table book, this is not it. There are no photographs in the book (color or otherwise), but it is chock full of solid information with line drawings, graphs and diagrams as visual aids. All in all, it is a very well-written book, an excellent reference and one that I think everyone gardening in a cool-weather climate needs to have on their shelf.

For those gardeners not living in the Pacific Northwest, Steve Solomon also wrote the book, Gardening When It Counts, Growing Food in Hard Times. I will be reviewing this book soon, but in short, it is applicable to most areas in the English-speaking world except the tropics and hot deserts.

Homemade, Homecanned Chili 手作りのチリ

2012-02-25T23:17:00.000-08:00

There's nothing like a warm pot of chili on a cold winter day! I got this recipe from a college roommate, Nancy, and have enjoyed it for many years.

寒い冬の間はあたたかい食事が食べたいですね。寒い日に、わたしはチリが食べたくなります。次のレシピは大学時代のルームメートから教えてもらいました。おいしいですよ！

1 lb (450g) of ground beef/mince    ミンチ　450ｇ
1 medium onion, finely chopped      たまねぎ　1個　（みじんぎり）
3 stalks celery, chopped                    セロリー　3本　（みじんぎり）
1 30-oz (850g) can whole tomatoes 缶詰のトマト　４５０ｇ
1 30-oz (850g) can kidney beans      缶詰のインゲン豆　　４５０ｇ
1 teaspoon salt                                  しお　小さじ１こ
1 teaspoon pepper                             こしょう　小さじ１こ
1-2 teaspoons chili power (or more) 唐辛子　こさじ１－２こ
1/2 cup ketchup                                  ケッチャップ　1/2コップ

Brown ground beef, add onion and celery and simmer until somewhat tender. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until tender.

フライパンでミンチを炒め、油を捨てます。たまねぎとセロリーを入れて、やわらかくなるまでに炒めます。次の材料を入れて、弱火で約20分間煮込みます。

If there is any left over, it makes great canned chili: add hot chili to hot sterilised canning jars, leaving a one-inch headspace. Wipe rims clean with a bit of vinegar (it helps get all the oils off the rim for a good seal), cover with cleaned and warm lids, then screw on the rings until "finger tight" (no need to strain to get it super tight). Process in a pressure canner, 1 hour and 15 minutes for pints, or 1 hour and 30 minutes for quarts, at 10 pounds pressure.

あまれば、缶詰にするといいです。熱いチリを熱くてきれいにした缶詰用ガラスビンに入れて、きれいにしたふたとリングをかけます。圧力鍋に1リットルのビンを1時間30分、 500ｇのビンを1時間15分ゆでます。圧力は10ポンド（4.5キロ）です。

Serve warm with chili sauce and cornbread--delicious!チリはご飯と食べてもパンと食べてもおいしいですよ。

What's your favorite cold-weather meal?

寒い時に、何が食べたいですか？

Oregon Grape オレゴンのぶどう

2012-02-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

In my quest to find edibles that do well in shade, I found Oregon Grape (Mahonia nervosa). Oregon Grape is also a perennial edible, making it that much more desireable in my back yard. I knew it grew wild in the foothills and mountains around the Pacific Northwest, but I have learned to appreciate this little plant much more.

Oregon Grape got its name by being good for food and medicine along the Oregon Trail. There are actually three varieties of Mahonia. M. repens is a creeping Oregon Grape found in dry places such as Ponderosa Pine ecosystems; M. aquafolia which grows 3-5 feet tall; and M. nervosa, the shorter 2 foot plant with holly-like leaves. It is a member of the Barberry (Berberidaceae) family and all varieties are used medicinally.

Oregon Grape produces a small purplish berry which is good for making jam and jelly. It shares the chemical berberine with Goldenseal (a well-known antibacterial plant) and Barberry, and the root is used to kill germs and treat infections (including yeast infections), parasites, ulcers, diarrhea and skin problems. The root bark is used to make a tincture, and the whole root is used in compresses, ointments and creams. [from Herbal Healing, by Phyllis Balch] Native tribes used Oregon Grape for food, and also as a blood remedy, general tonic, used to treat nosebleeds and as a laxative. They also used it as a yellow dye for their baskets. [from Native American Ethnobotany, by Daniel E. Moerman] And here is the obligatory disclaimer: I am not a doctor, I am not an herbalist. If you have a medical disorder, please consult a healthcare professional.

So now I knew I wanted Oregon Grape in my garden, but how do I get it? It wouldn't be ethical (or even legal) to just traipse out to the State Park and start digging them up. I remembered eBay and took a look. Bingo! A gardener in Port Orchard was thinning their Oregon Grape and offering cuttings to the public for just $5. In just a few days I was the proud owner of several healthy starts. I potted them up and put them outside so they could enjoy their favorite cool, rainy weather.

from healthyhomegarden.com

I'll keep them in their pots until we get more shady edibles. Then it will be time to decide what goes where. This is going to be so much fun!

from summitpost.org

Shady Edibles日陰を好む植物

2012-02-22T21:28:00.000-08:00

Problem Number One: We live in the Pacific Northwest corner of the USA. Just the mere location subjects us to all kinds of rain jokes. For example, did you know that Seattle has a yearly Rain Festival? Yes, they do. It's from January 1 through December 31. We use Mount Rainier as our weather guide, too--if you can't see The Mountain, it's raining. If you *can* see The Mountain, it's gonna rain. We kid newcomers that they will grow webbed feet or moss on their backs if they live here longer than six months. Every movie with a Seattle scene always shoots it with pouring rain, even though it seldom really pours here. (Rainy season in Japan--now that is SERIOUSLY pouring rain!) We have rain, drizzle and overcast weather eight months out of the year.

問題第１：シアトルの近くに住んでいますので、ご存知のように雨が多いのです。いろんな冗談がありますよ。たとえば、シアトルの雨祭りを聞いたことがありますか？毎年1月1日から１２月31日までです。　シアトルに長く住む人は水かきのある足ができ、あるいわせなかにはコケができるとよく言われています。日本の梅雨と違って、ジャージャー降りませんが、にわか雨や曇りが一年間の内に8ヶ月間あります。

Problem Number Two: We live on a standard city lot (0.24 acres) which isn't bad in and of itself (three times the size of any 'yard' we had in Japan), but the larger back yard faces north and the front yard gets all of the south sunshine. Since we have a two-story house, most of the back yard is in shade all winter. Even in the middle of summer, we get shadows of both neighbors' and then our roof line travelling over most of our garden beds.

問題第２：わたしたちの裏庭は北向きです。前庭が南向きですので、日当たりがとてもいいですが残念ながら、アメリカ人は畑を裏庭で作ります。わたしたちの家は2階立てので、夏でも裏庭は日陰が多いのです。

Problem Number Three: Most of the food we like requires sunshine to grow. And some of it requires a lot of sunshine. Think tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant and okra. Even fruit like peaches, pears, plums and cherries require quite a bit of sunshine and tend to drop their fruit if it's too cold.

問題第３：好きな野菜は日当たりがないと大きくなりません。トマト、きゅうり、ピーマン、なすび、オクラなどは日当たりが必要です。桃、チェリー、なしなども日当たりがないと甘くなりません。困ったな～

I could go on, but I think you get the idea--I was beginning to feel pretty sorry for myself and our predicament here. But then I started thinking straight, and thought there must be SOMEthing that grows well in shade. I mean, the local Native populations survived and thrived for generations on what Mother Earth provided them. I needed to learn more. So I studied shady edibles and was absolutely amazed at what I found! I then looked for perennial shady edibles and found quite a few--surprise again! Here are a few perennial shady edibles that grow well, sometimes better, in shade that I have decided need to be in my back yard (the Latin name is in parentheses):

Oregon Grape (Mahonia nervosa)
Evergreen Huckleberries (Vaccinium ovatum)
Thimble Berries (Rubus parviflorus)
Salmon Berries (Rubus spectabilis)
Salal (Gaultheria shallon)
Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens)
Kinikinik/Kinnickinnick (Arctostaphylos uvaursi)
Mint (Lamiaceae)
Tree Kale (Brassica oleracea ramosa)
Perpetual Broccoli (Brassica oleracea botrytis)
Alpine Strawberries (Fragaria vesca)
Ramps (Allium tricoccum)

でも、昔の人は食べ物があったはず。ヨーロッパ人が来る前にここに住んだ人々は何を食べたのかしら？少し勉強しなくちゃ。勉強して、びっくりしました。日陰が好きな植物がたくさんあります！しかも食べれる植物もたくさんあります。たとえば、
オレゴンのぶどう
ハックルベリー（山のブルーベリー）
ミント
鮭ベリー、指ぬきベリー　（山の木いちご類）
木のキャベツ
山ネギ
山いちご

There are so many shady edibles out there that now I'm actually wishing for more shade. Huckleberries, thimbleberries and salmonberries--oh my! I will highlite them individually as I add them to my back yard.

いろいろ裏庭に植えたいから一つずつ紹介します。お楽しみに！

Freezing Onions 冷凍したたまねぎ

2012-02-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

I've had trouble keeping onions through the winter, even though we grow Copra, a suposedly excellent storage onion. They usually mold and rot before we can eat them all--and we eat a lot of onions! Cousin E hung them in panty hose in her barn a few years ago, but they either rotted or turned to dust there, too. With all of the autumn rain we have here, it's difficult to cure them before we store them, so I'm always looking for better ways to store our onions. Someone posted that they froze all of their onions, so I thought I'd give that a try last fall. Hubby-san is the proud owner of a Food Saver (vacuum packer), and since no one else is allowed to touch his baby, he bagged and packed all of our onions. It was definitely quick and easy!

わたしたちのたまねぎは長く保存できなのです。カビが来たり腐ったりしますので困ります。たまねぎが大好きので、いっぱい作りますが、ここは雨が多くて、腐るともったいなくて、とても残念です。ある人はたまげぎを冷凍すればいいと書いていましたので、昨年は作ったたまねぎを全部冷凍しました。まあ、、、だんなさまが切って、準備して冷凍してくれました。早くてとても簡単にできました。

Using those frozen onions, however, was a different story. They were noticeably "soggy". Not good at all for stir fry, so we had to use them in soups. The bag above was our last bag, and I really, really wanted sauteed onions, so they went into the frying pan after I cooked the fish.

しかし、冷凍したたまねぎを食べるのは別の話です。ベタベタであまり美味しくなかったです。スープには使えましたが、フライにはよくなかったです。上の写真のたまねぎは最後の袋で、どうしてもたまねぎの「いため」が食べたかったから、魚を焼いた後はたまねぎをフライパンに入れました。

It wasn't too bad (red pepper made it better), but disappointing nonetheless. This year I think we'll avoid freezing ALL of our onions, just enough for some good winter soups. I still need to figure out what I'm going to do with the rest of the onions so they don't go bad. Dehydrate, perhaps?

赤い唐辛子をかけて、まあまあ美味しかったですが、満足しませんでした。今年は全部を冷凍しないように決めました。スープ分だけするつもりですけれども、のこりは腐らないようにどうしたらよいでしょうか。乾燥すればいいかしら、、、

Planting Onion Seeds ネギの種まき

2012-02-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

When we lived in Japan, the common greeting among the gardening/farming folk right before New Years was, "Did you plant your onions yet?" With all the stress of getting ready for New Years (much like Christmas in the western world), planting onions was just one more thing on my ever expanding To-Do list. I really didn't see the difference in waiting just one week longer and then plant them after the celebrations died down, but even O-tousan (Father) insisted that onions are best when planted just before New Years. I hear in England, Boxing Day is considered the best day for planting onions. Well, here it is February, and I'm just now planting my onion seeds (good thing O-tousan is still back in Japan and can't see my American laziness!)

日本に住む時に、年末のあいさつをよく聞きました：「たまねぎを植えた？」お正月がもう少しで来るのに、わたしは忙しくしているのに、たまねぎも植えないといけないのとぐずぐず思いましたが。お正月が終わってからでもいいんじゃないか、、、と思いましたがお父さんは、「いや、お正月の前に植えた方がいいよ」と言いました。イギリスではクリスマスの次の日が祭日ので、その日にたまねぎを植えるそうです。はずかしいけれど、もう二月になってしまい、たまねぎを植えたばかりです。（お父さんは日本に住んでいて、わたしの遅延が見えなくてよかったです。）

But seriously, why the rush to plant onions? Well, onions are daylight sensitive and they know when the summer solstice is. Each variety is pre-programmed to stop top growth and start bulb growth at a certain day length. Here in the north, storage onions (also called long-day variety) need to be planted after the winter solstice (December 21--they know when that is, too) in order for them to have enough time to grow upwards. Once the days start getting shorter, top leaf growth stops and bulb growth begins. The leaves send nutrients to the bulb, then wither away when bulb growth is mostly done. The taller the leaves grow, the larger the bulb will be.

たまねぎは日の長さにとてもびんかんです。ここは北の方ですので冬至がすんでから種を植えます。夏至までは葉っぱを一生懸命作り、一日が短くなると玉を作り始めます。葉っぱが多いと、玉が大きくなります。

(Territorial Seed Co. photo)

Sweet onions (intermediate-day-length) are a little harder to grow here and do better in norther California and Utah. But if planted indoors early enough, they will grow enough leaves once transplanted outside to have a decent bulb.

On February 11, I planted the following:
Copra--a good basic onion that is supposed to keep longer than the rest.
WallaWalla--who can be from Washington and not plant these sweet beauties?
Negi--Japanese long onions.
Ne-Shi-Ko--a new one for us, another Asian long onion.
Purplettes--a small-bulbed onion that I'll use for pickles.
Pacific Pearl--another small-bulbed white onion.
Shimonita--a short, stocky Japanese salad onion.

2月11日、次のを植えました。
たまねぎ、、辛い方と甘いたまねぎの二つの種類。
ミニたまねぎ、、白とむらさきの2つの種類。これは「らっきょう」の変わりになります。日本でらっきょうをよく付けましたが、ここではなかなからっきょうをそだてられません。しかも、種が信じられないぐらい高いのです。三回植えて見て、三回死んでしまいました。長男は日本から種を持って帰って、大切に大切に植えましたが、その種も死んでしまいました。もうあきられました。ここに住んでいる日系人はミニたまねぎがらっきょうの味に似いていると言っているので、作ってみます。らっきょうの漬物が大好きなので、美味しくできたらいいですね。
日本のネギ、、ここも二つの種類。
シモニタ、、日本のサラダ用ネギ。

Since it is too wet and cold to plant them outside, I planted them in 4" (9cm) pots with sterile potting soil. I say "planted", but onion seeds are so small that I just sprinkle about 10 tiny seeds on top of the well-watered soil, then water again and barely cover them with a thin layer of soil. I keep the soil moist, but not water logged or even very wet. Just moist. There is no need to put a heat mat under them and as long as they are near the window, they don't need a grow light either. Easy!
外はまだまだ寒くて雨が多いので、種は家の中で植えました。植えると言うより、水をかけた土の上にかけるのが本当です。だいたいひとつのポットに十個の種をまきました。もう一度水撒きをして、それから土をすこしだけ種の上にかけました。

I noticed yesterday that the Negi were just beginning to pop up. Since onions can take up to two weeks to germinate, I'm sure the others will soon follow suit.

日本のネギはもう芽が出ました。

So why plant seeds when one can buy onion sets? One, you're in control of the quality and you know you won't be getting three week old sets that will just dry up and die in your garden. Two, there is so many more varieties of seeds than there are sets! I have yet to find sets of Negi or Shimonita, farmers only grow the varieties with the most demand to sell as sets. We like our Asian onions, so we grow them from seed. And three, it's vastly cheaper to buy seed than it is to buy sets.

種からネギを作るのにはタイミングが少しややこしいけれど、お店で買えないものが手に入るのでがんばるかちがあります！

Grandmother's ChocoChip Cookiesおばあさんのチョコチップクッキー

2012-02-18T22:44:00.000-08:00

My Dad's mother baked amazing cookies! She would always have the cookie jar filled for her grandchildren when we came to visit (and there were 30+ of us), plus extras in the red Folger's coffee cans that Grandpa used. Mom was a healthfood "enthusiast", so we kids were only allowed one cookie per visit. I always chose her chocolate chip cookies. My cousins tell me she made snicker doodles, chocolate cookies and sugar cookies, but I only remember her chocolate chip cookies. I also remember the year Dad bought Grandmother a ten pound bag of chocolate chips for her birthday. She laughed and asked him if the present was for her or for him. She also told him to buy a bigger mouse trap, as there was a hole in her bag of chocolate chips. Dad just smiled.

These are not the flat gooey chocolate chip cookies; they are what Grandmother called "cake cookies", and they are delicious.

わたしのおばあさん（父の母）はとても美味しいチョコチップクッキーを作りました！フワフワでケーキのようです。作って見てください。

1 cup margarine (or butter) 1コップ　マーガリン、又はバーター
1 cup brown sugar (firmly packed) 1コップ黒砂糖
1 cup granulated sugar 1コップ砂糖
2 eggs, unbeaten (to be added one at a time) 2個　たまご
3 and 1/2 cup flour 3.5コップこむぎこ
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 小さじ1/2杯　炭酸
1/2 cup sour milk 1/2コップ　すっぱい牛乳（酢を少し入れて、5分間待つ）
1 teaspoon vanilla 小さじ1杯　バニラ
[Grandmother would always put the milk out the night before so it would sour by the time she needed it. I can never remember that far in advance--a teaspoon of vinegar will sour the milk nicely in just five minutes.]

Method: Cream the butter and sugars, add the eggs one at a time and beat again. In a second bowl, combine the flour and baking soda. Add 1/4 of the four mixture to the butter and sugar, mix well. Next add 1/4 of the sour milk and mix well. Alternate adding the flour and the milk, continually mixing. Add the vanilla last and mix well. [As you can see in the photo below, she forgot to include the chocolate chips. I usually add four or five handfuls.]
Put on ungreased cookie sheet by teaspoons about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake in 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.

バターと黒砂糖と砂糖をよくまぜます。卵を1個づつ入れ、よくまぜます。べつのボールに小麦粉と炭酸をまぜます。まぜながら、小麦粉と牛乳をこうたいごうたいにバターに入れます。バニラを入れて、それからこのみによってチョコチップスを入れます。玉を作ってかたにのせます。190度で8－10分間焼きます。

My sister lived with Grandmother for several months, and she said Grandmother would set the timer for 4 minutes, then turn the cookie sheet around for another 4 or 5 minutes. It apparently made for more uniform cookies. My cookies aren't quite as good as hers, but they come awfully close--close enough to bring back some good memories!

このクッキーを食べると、いつもなずかしく思います。おいしく食べてくださいね！

Hybrid Seeds vs. Open Pollinated Seeds

2012-02-18T11:02:00.000-08:00

There is so much interest in open pollinated seeds lately! There's the organic group, always intensely interested in the health benefits of fresh and unadulterated food. There are the preppers who want to be able to save seed for TEOTWAWKI. There are those who remember their grandparents' garden and want to replicate the huge, delicious tomatoes of their youth. And there are the new gardeners who are being told that open pollinated seeds are the only way to go. With the open pollinated and heirloom seeds getting all the attention, is there a place in our gardens for the hybrid?

My answer is YES, and I'll tell you why.

1. We live in the Pacific Northwest. While it is a gorgeous place to live, it does present it's unique gardening challenges. Namely: wet and cold for most of the year, short winter days, short and dry summer growing season, and acidic soil. While we all love tomatoes, they don't naturally grow here. By planting hybrids that have been bred to grow in cooler climates and/or ripen earlier than usual, I can not only grow tomatoes, I can grow cucumbers, peppers, eggplant and even ocra. My cousin even got a little hybrid watermelon to grow here.

2. Hybrids are easier to grow. They have been bred to be pest resistant, disease resistant, poor soil resistant and just about everything else resistant. If you are just getting started, it is always nice to have your plant survive and thrive. If you don't have time to coddle your plants, it's nice to know they're on the tough side.

3. Hybrids usually (but not always) out produce the open pollinated varieties. If I'm going to make the effort to grow something, I certainly want a lot of it!

If you are a beginning gardener, start with a good hybrid variety that is proven in your area. (A good seed catalog will always tell you if the seed is hybrid or open pollinated.) Once you have several seasons of growing hybrid veggies, then you can move over to the open pollinated seeds and stand a fighting chance of sweet success. Open pollinated varieties are pickier, but they taste so much better than the hybrids!

There is a myth that one cannot save seeds from a hybrid plant. This is not true. Hybrid seeds can be saved and they will grow the following season, but (and this is a huge but), they will not be the same plants you planted last season. See, a hybrid is a cross between two different parent plants. Plant scientists may have taken a broccoli plant that has shown itself to be bug resistant by being bitter, but it matures too late in the season, and cross pollinated it with another broccoli plant that matures a earlier than the standard and is sweet. They create a new broccoli plant that is bug resistant, sweet and matures early. The seeds, however, will have some of the traits of the parent plants, but not all. If you were to plant 10 seeds that the hybrid produces, you may get five plants that are bitter and early, three that are early and sweet but buggy, two that are sweet but late and maybe one that is sweet, bugless and early. It's a huge gamble, one that most of us do not have the space in our gardens to experiment with. My mother thought hybrids were GMOs, and I will say it here: No, that's yet another type of seed, one that we all want to stay away from.

Open pollinated seeds are those that have not been crossed and the seeds will produce plants identical to the parent plant. If you want to go to the trouble of saving seeds, be sure the parent plant is open pollinated.

Heirloom seeds are open pollinated seeds that have been around for a long time, usually 50+ years.

I have been gardening for a goodly number of years now. Most (but not all) of what I grow is now open pollinated, but I have never attempted to save seed. This year I am planting everything I can open pollinated, even tomatoes and cucumbers (just for the challenge) and am going to start saving seed. I love organic, I like being prepared, and I have very fond memories of Grandmas's giant, mouth-watering tomatoes. I also noticed the price of seeds were higher this year. Time to be a little more self sufficient!

Organising Your Seeds 種の整理

2012-02-17T23:21:00.000-08:00

I had computer problems after that last storm, and for some reason just couldn't bring myself to post on Hubby-san's computer. His computer is just fine, but it just wasn't mine. So I waited until my ol' guy (he's only two years old, but the shop called him 'old') came back from the hospital and get up and running again. So...let's get caught up!

この前の嵐のせいで、わたしのコンピューターが壊れてしまいました。だんな様のコンピューターを使ってもよかったですが、自分のものではないからなんか使いにくいですね。とにかく、コンピューターが直されて、返って来ましたので、ポストをしましょう！

With all of the seed catalogues stacking up on the kitchen table, it was time to take my yearly stock of what I had and what I needed. After one has been gardening for a couple of years, a pleasant problem always crops up: how to organise and store all of the seed packets. I thought I'd show you how I attempt to stay organised.

I have managed to gather quite a collection of seeds from different companies, as you can see above. We have carried seeds back with us from our visits to Japan (for some things, there just is no substitute), and people have given me seeds. I stacked them up on the table by family so I can really see just what I have. I also keep empty seed packs from the previous year--this tells me that the variety was a keeper and that I need to order it again. I was pleasantly surprised at how many seeds I had this year! It is not unusual for me to spend about $100 each February for seeds, but it was clear that I wouldn't need to dig as deep into our piggy bank this year. I also have been ordering extra for the next year, as well, and recommend you do the same. We don't know what the next year will bring. A drought in Texas can wipe out leterally tons of onion seed, for example. Or personal situations may severely limit a seed budget. For several years I have been buying a little extra each year, so that I would always have something for the next year, and it has really paid off.

毎年二月に種の注文をします。注文する前に、何があるとか何がないとかを確認しなければなりません。持っている種袋を全部テーブルの上に出しました。思ったよりありました！畑を作っていると種がドンドンふえます。どのように貯蔵するのか、どのように整理するのか考えなければなりません。

Anyway, after seeing what I need, and making my order, where do I keep all of these packets? I've tried shoe boxes and plastic containers, but several years ago my brother gave me his seed saver box, and I love it!
わたしはお店からもらった靴箱やタッパーを使ったことがありますが、何年前に弟が「種箱」をくれて、いまはそれを喜んで使っています。

It was made for hanging plastic pouches, and you can see one of the pouches to the left in the photo. But the pouches were much too small for ALL of my seeds, so I stopped using them. I made a divider instead and it has worked much better. I have divided my seeds by season (all the early Spring seeds together, then the late Spring seeds, Summer seeds, Fall seeds, etc), by continent (Western veggies together, Asian veggies together), and by family, but I finally decided to do it the very boring way of alphabetical order this year.

厚紙で仕切り版を作って、100以上の種袋が入ります。前は時期で整理したり（春の種、夏の種、など）、大陸で整理したり（日本の種、ヨーロッパの種、など）しましたが、今はただのＡＢＣの順番で整理しています。弟からこの箱を貰わなければ、魚の道具箱を使うつもりでしたが、それでもよかったと思います。

I have over 100 seed packets in here, and I can find what I'm looking for fairly quickly. If little brother hadn't given me his box, I would have used a tackle box, which I suspect would have worked just as well.

So where does one store all of her seeds? Not in the kitchen! Not in the living room and most definitely not in a green house. Seeds are living organisms. Too much heat or humidity will kill the embryos. Ideal condtions are less than 8% humidity and under 40 degrees Farenheit (5 degrees Celcius). If your seed box is small enough, you can store it in your refrigerator, or in your freezer. Don't store seeds in the crisper drawer of your fridge, as there is too much humidity there. My box is too big for the fridge, so I keep it in the garage. It is very cool there in the winter, and does not get hot in the summer (although it does get over 40 degrees in the summer). I have also kept it in the chest freezer, and in the crawl space under our house during the summer, but that was a little bit of a pain to retrieve every time I needed some seeds. Seeds will keep for many years if kept cool and dry. The "average storage time" you will see in print is assuming the gardener is keeping them in a shoe box in the main living area of the house (i.e., warm). Find a cool spot for them year round and they will give you many years of germination.

じゃあ、種はどこで貯蔵したらいいでしょうか？台所はよくないですよ！種は生きているものですから、熱や湿度が高いと種が死んでしまいます。湿度が8％以下、そして温度が5度以下のが一番いい状態と言われています。種箱が十分小さいなら冷蔵庫、あるわ冷凍室の中がいいですね。わたしの種箱は冷蔵庫に入りませんのでガレージで貯蔵します。夏が暑くなると冷凍庫か家の地下に入れます。（ここはシアトルなので、家の床下がいつも涼しいです。日本の家の床下はいつも蒸し暑かったのは今でも覚えています。）

涼しい所に種を貯蔵すると何年間使えますよ。

How do you organise and store your seeds?

どのように種を整理しますか？

After the Storm 嵐が過ぎ去って

2012-01-22T11:55:00.000-08:00

Now that we have power again, life is starting to go back to normal. It snowed, then rained, then froze, then we had freezing rain. Trees and bushes were encased in ice, which looked beautiful, but was deadly for many of the trees. Branches came crashing down, broke power lines, or the power lines were so weighed down with ice that they snapped. Transformers were blowing up. Hubby-san and I drove around town, and there are downed trees and branches strewn all over town. I hear other neighboring towns are even worse, and it will be many days before it is all cleaned up.

雪の嵐がやっと終わって、停電も終わりました。雪が降って、それから雨が降って、その雨が凍って、また雪が降り、けっこう大変でした。木々は氷結し、見るときれいですが、その重みで倒れた木々が非常に多いです。隣の町の方がひどいと聞きますが、片付くまでは時間がかかるでしょう。

So, how did we fare? Pretty good, actually. We have a wood stove, so we kept warm and had a flat top to cook on. We had plenty of food and water, lots of blankets, lanterns and candles. #2 son and #3 son (especially #3 son) weren't sure what to do without their laptops or cell phones after the batteries ran down, but we played board games and I taught them how to sew on a button (much to their chagrin). I love sitting around the fire in the evening with nothing but candle light. People have lived like that for thousands of years. It's good to remember just how spoiled we have become.

停電になってもわたしたちは大丈夫でした。我が家には暖炉がありますので、家の中は暖かいし料理もできます。こちらではほとんどの家は電気で暖房し、電気で料理もします。停電になるとけっこう大変ですよ。次男と三男は携帯電話やパソコンがないとどうすればいいのか少し困りましたが、一緒にボードゲームをしたり、ボタンの縫い方を教えてあげました。（息子たちわ文句を言いましたが、する事がなかったので、しかたがなくてボタンを縫いました。男の子もボタンの縫い方を知った方がいいと思いませんか？）夜は暖炉の前に座って、ろうそくと非常用の電燈で照明を確保しました。わたしはこんな明るさで時間を過ごすのが大好きです。キャンプみたいでしょう！何千年もの間、人間はこのように生きていて来たんだから、ときどきこのような経験を通してそのことを思い出すといいと思います。現在のわたしたちは便利な物質で本当に甘やかされていますから。

The chickens and other animals fared just fine, but we did have one human accident. Hubby-san offered to walk down to Cousin E's house and feed the chickens while I went in the back yard and whacked the ice off of the peach tree. I hadn't been out long, when he appeared at the kitchen window, asking me to come inside. He had not seen the ice on the front steps, and had slipped and landed hard on his side. Poor guy--he was in a lot of pain. We had everything I needed at home to doctor him up, but when the power went out, I realized I did not have a hot water bottle. I made do with a couple of canning jars, but as soon as the roads were clear, I went and bought a hot water bottle.

ペットの動物や鶏は大丈夫でしたが、一つの事故がありました。だんな様が私の代わりに鶏の世話をしてくれると言って、外に出ました。しかし、階段が凍っていて、ひどく転倒してしまいました。めぐまれて、頭は打ちませんでしたが、あばら骨から落ち、強く打ちました。とてもいたくて、かわいそうです。

After the second day without power, I began to wish for a generator. I love camping and was perfectly OK with our wood stove and lanterns, but I am a business owner and I work from home. It was Friday, and I found myself wanting to check emails, and check in with clients and associates to wrap up the week. A friend offered his small generator, and I accepted. After getting everything plugged in, I fired up the computer—but the internet was down, so I still could not check in with work. So I’m not sure if a generator would really help, but I still think we should get one for extended outages. (The many neighbors who fire up their generators 10 minutes after any power outage somehow annoys me. Where is their sense of adventure??　Not to mention the noise all night long...)

わたしは家で働いていますので、電気がないと仕事ができないです。一日は休んでもいいけれども二日目になるとちょっと心配になりました。友達は家庭用発電気を貸してくれましたが、インターネットが接続できなかったので、結局それで仕事ができませんでした。しょうがなかったです、、、

Before, during and after the storm, friends and family called to make sure we were OK, and we called friends and family to make sure they were OK. It's comforting--and important--to have a network of people during times like these.

For all of you in the storm's path, I hope you were warm and safe. Please let us know how you fared.

嵐の前に友達や親戚からいろんな電話をもらいました。わたしたちも友達や親戚に電話しました。この時はおたがいにしなければなりませんね。友達や親戚に感謝しています！

What and How Much to Plant

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

(2 fav's)

As the snow falls, the seed catalogs continue to arrive in my mailbox and online. I find myself circling way too many varieties of tomatoes, and wishing I had a large enough back yard so I could plant persimmons, kiwi, hazelnut, fifteen varieties of blueberries, eight varieties of potatoes and a partridge in three varieties of peach trees. But, alas! We have the standard city plot of 0.24 acres with a two-story house to work around (and a hubby that insists persimmons will not grow here). How does one figure out what and how much to plant? As you receive your yearly dose of seed catalogs and go about your garden planning, keep in mind a few guidelines.

1. What does your family eat? It makes no sense to buy a packet of eggplant seeds if your family absolutely detests eggplant. While I am an advocate of trying new things in the garden, start with family favorites.

2. How much space do you have for a garden? Do you have one bed or 20? When you read your catalogs, it will tell you how far apart to plant the seeds, and also how far apart the rows need to be for maximum production. Measure your garden beds so you know how much space you have to work with.

3. Who is going to help you in the garden? You may have 10 acres, but if it's just you who will be working in the garden, you might not want to plant it all. It's much better to have a small garden that you can manage than to have a large garden that gets away from you and you end up dreading it. If you are just starting out and suspect that it will be mostly you doing the work, a 4'x 4' (1.5m x 1.5m) space is small enough to manage, and large enough for variety. If you have children who will (be bribed to) help, start with a 4' x 6' space.

4. Know how much one plant produces. I know I don't need six zucchini plants, but Hubby-san did not know that at first. Zucchini are prolific producers! On the other hand, I wished I had planted more kabocha pumpkin, since one vine only produces 3-4 little pumpkins. Read the details on the seed pack if you are at the store. A good catalog will also give you that information.

5. Are you going to eat fresh, or do some canning? A few tomato plants will give you plenty of 'maters for fresh eating, but you will need more of you want to can sauce or salsa. On the other hand, if you DON'T want to can tomatoes, don't plant 10 plants (unless you plan on donating to the local food bank).

I have tried keeping charts and spreadsheets, but my brain does not work that way. I have a handwritten list and I know about how much we need of each. That said, we've had years when the cabbage all died, and others where the pumpkins did so well we actually got tired of eating them. However, there are other gardeners who are really in to charts and planners. Annette Cottrell is one of those gardeners. You can see and download her wonderful charts and lists here.

If you'd like to plan your garden electronically, Territorial Seed Company has an online garden planner.

If you'd like a book or two to get you started, Square Foot Gardening and The Urban Farm Handbook are great. Gardening West of the Cascades is my favorite for our particular area.

Happy planning!

Snow in the Garden

2012-01-18T11:49:00.000-08:00

We actually have a decent amount of snow on the ground! Mr. Weatherman predicted "Snowmageddon", but it's definitely not that bad. Seattle area drivers aren't used to driving in the snow, and we don't have enough snow plows to go around, so most of the area is shut down today. Kids are happy there is no school, and even Hubby-san is home today. I went outside to feed the chickens and check around the yard and garden. Snow is nothing for a garden to fear, but there are a few things to be aware of.

I walked the quarter mile to my cousin's house this morning. The chickens seem to be getting used to the snow, now that we're in the third day. The first day I found them all crowded around the door, looking outside and up at the falling flakes. They were all nervously clucking away, and it reminded me of Chicken Little--the sky is falling! I only put a little of the bread outside for them, the rest went inside the coop. They ate a LOT of grain yesterday, so they apparently didn't get outside much. Their water was frozen, so I broke the ice for them. The heat lamp is on, Henry is strutting around, and they seem to be happy.

Our fruit trees are still fairly young, and I don't want too much snow piling up on the branches. A good shake dropped most of the snow on our Italian plum tree (no, I haven't pruned him yet), peach and pear trees. I also potted my Bay Laurel tree and brought him inside to the garage several weeks ago. He hasn't done well being outside for the past two winters, so I thought I'd spare him this winter. He is very happy and content consorting with the recycle bin and tools in the garage.

Since we are building new garden beds, we don't have any garden space under row covers or cloches. If I did, I would make sure the snow didn't pile up on top of these. Snow is a good insulator, but too much snow will collapse the plastic on the row covers and leave you with a mess, not to mention cold veggie plants. The overwintering garlic, strawberries, blueberries, rhubarb and asparagus should be just fine.

The snow has stopped falling, but Hubby-san just informed me that it looks like another snow cloud is coming in (he's checking out the online weather station). We've got firewood on the porch and a big pot of chili on the stove--no worries here!

The 'hood

Winter O-Nabe お鍋

2012-01-15T21:28:00.000-08:00

It snowed last night! Here in the Pacific Northwest corner of USA, we don't get a lot of snow, so it's exciting when we have a layer of white over the back yard. And since it was snowy and cold, it put everyone in the mood for a nice hot pot of Japanese O-nabe (pronounced Oh-NAH-beh).
雪が降りました！　シアトルであまり雪は降らないから、降るとワクワクします。外が寒かったので、暖かいお鍋が食べたくなりました。こたつに座って、いっしょうに食べて、とてもおいしかったです。

毎日が忙しくてなかなか家族で食べるきかいが少ないです。だんな様は朝早く仕事に行き、子供はスポーツやクラブ活動などをやっていますので帰りが遅いし、なかかな皆が集まっていしょに食べるのが難しくなりました。　でも、毎週日曜日にはかならず美味しい食事を作って、家族で食べます。子供は日曜日の晩御飯を楽しみしていて、いい習慣となっています。家族で時間をすごすのは大切ですね。

友達は作り方が知りたいと言いましたので、写真を見ながら英語で説明します。

We have a clay pot, but you can use any stew pot for o-nabe. Add a square or two of Kombu (kelp) to your water, or you just happen to be out of kombu, you may add a bit of chicken bouillon.

While the water heats to a boil, it's time to chop your veggies. Chinese cabbage, long onions, carrots and daikon (icicle radish) are the favorite standbys, but consider any winter vegetable--broccoli, mushrooms (shiitake is especially good), carrots, leeks, etc. Chop into sizes that will be easy to pick out of the pot when cooked. For example, sliced carrots are a little small, so you might want to cut them into large, thin chunks. Cubed tofu is also delicious and I was sad we didn't have any tonight.

You will also want meat to go into your o-nabe. Chicken, fish, lamb or pork are the usual, beef tends to have a strong flavor and creates scum on the top of the pot, so it is not generally used in o-nabe. We used cubed chicken and salmon tonight, and par boiled the salmon before putting it into the o-nabe.

The fun of o-nabe is sitting around the table together, picking your favorite foods right out of the pot and eating it hot. In order to do this, you will need a single burner to put on your table. We use a gas burner (above left), but I would think any burner would work. We bring the water to a boil on the kitchen stove, then remove the kombu and move the pot to the table. Add some meat and veggies and bring it to a boil again until cooked. It's now time to dig in!

O-nabe is eaten in a bowl with a tablespoon or so of ponzu sauce. If you are out of ponzu, it is fairly easy to make: 1/3 cup of soysauce, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of vinegar (preferrably rice vinegar) and 1/3 cup of dashi or water. Mix the ingredients together and then add a tablespoon or so of sauce to each bowl, then ladle some of the broth into the bowl as well. Each person then dips into the pot and takes what he wants, and puts it into his bowl. When the pot runs low, add more meat and veggies. When your ponzu runs low, add more. Oh, and don't forget to serve rice, too. All good Japanese meals must have rice.

It was soooo good!

Woolly Apple Aphids 羊毛アブラムシ

2012-01-11T06:30:00.000-08:00

We're slowly working our way through the apple trees behind our home. In deciding which trees to prune, we looked at the health of the tree--many of them have woolly aphids.

(Photo by E. Beers)

Woolly aphids are a bit different than plain aphids. Besides being hairy, woolly aphids feed on roots and tender bark, whereas aphids feed on leaves. An old pruning scar is a perfect place for woolly aphids to start infesting, especially if the branch was pruned too close. Nothing much happens the first year of infestation, but the second year one can see a gall (swollen enlargement) forming. These galls can get very large and ugly!

Woolly aphids can kill a young apple tree, especially if they infest the roots . In an older tree, they will weaken the tree and stunt growth--and prevent fruit production from what I have observed in these trees. My sister and her hubby had two ancient apple trees, beautiful tall patriarchs of the farm, but they became infested with woolly aphids and their production dropped drastically within just a few years.

So what can you do to prevent woolly aphid infestation? Start looking for the fuzzy insects in mid-summer. If you don't have too many trees, a good blast of water can wash many of them off, as will squishing them with your gloved fingers. Ladybugs and earwigs prey on aphids, so don't get rid of these beneficial insects. If you need more control, insecticidal soap can be applied during the dormant period (winter in the Pacific Northwest). I never recommend chemicals, if you want to use them you'll need to consult your state's extension office for specific guidelines.