To everything, turn, turn

In gardening world, there's little time to cry and mourn over fallen crops. because new life is always springing up! i was pleased as punch just yesterday to note the fantastic blooms on my gandul (perhaps you know it as pigeon pea). i planted several rows of the round chickpea-esque seeds way back in November, knowing that despite a long growing period (average of 8 months 'til harvest), they were prolific producers.

Gandul, Pigeon Pea, Cajanus cajan

Celebrated in permaculture circles for its multi-purposes--cover crop, animal fodder, living fence, nitrogen-fixer, on and on--gandul is a legume commonly grown and chowed in India. The seeds can be harvested green and eaten like peas, or allowed to dry in the pod. Out of the 12 or so gandul i planted, only 2 or 3 are flowering right now, which is still a happy surprise as only 5 months have passed since planting. and by the way i have given these guys no attention, no water, no fertilizer, nada. Low Maintenance certainly being another reason they are a permaculture favorite.

A brand spanking new crop has sprouted, tiny and elegant and full of potential--can you guess?

this little beauty will grow up to yield ears and ears of sweet corn! yahooooo!

And now that i've got your wheels turning, may i present the true MYSTERY seedlings, in hopes that you may be able to help identify these poor jane does of the plant kingdom:

My gardening habits mimic my unorthodox kitchen habits, wherein i mix various recipes, never measure anything, and tend to create smallish messes all about me. In my fervor to germinate every fruta nueva that i try (and through the inadvertent encouragement of one Richard W. Langer in his The After-Dinner Gardening Book), i have been dropping seeds into plastic bags and Coke bottles left and right. Our backyard has transformed into the science lab of my agricultural experimentos, save one vital science-experimenty detail: labeling?
I hypothesize, ahem, that these seedlings could be 1) the jocotes i am so enamoured with, 2) a tasty fruit called manzana de agua that is not really an apple, or..... 3)something i forgot i planted.
DOES ANYONE RECOGNIZE THESE PLANTS?

A final flower featured in my garden right now, one deserving mucho respect for its pest-detering properties, not to mention its beauty: Marigold, Calendula officinalis

Supposedly one of the easiest and "most rewarding" flowers from which to save seed, i did just that for the very first time ever.


I studied up first, of course. then carefully dissected two dried French Sparky marigolds, to my delight discovering a wealth of wispy light seeds, ¡que bonita!

A time to reap, a time to sow.

Unplugged

While the nutrient cycle claims the has-beens of my first garden crop, only several feet away la casita has been growing up up UP!


Seen here she looks much like a castle, no? and strikingly similar to the plans we drew up mere months ago, our vision of home a scribbled circle, little squares labeled dormitorio and bodega. Look at her now, ¡Increíble!

Below you are looking into half of the kitchen (envision me washing dishes under that window, glancing up every few minutes as a ripe avocado plops from a high branch); and the large opening is our backdoor, with a sweeping vista of mi jardin; (that protruding lower wall is actually a bar/counter--picture me there mixing a mojito with fresh-picked menta).


We've decided to go ahead and have our contractor put up all the interior walls, opting for this convenience over experimenting with cobb inside the house. Fear not! playing and constructing with mud will happen for another structure nearby, possibly a workshop/tool shed.

With our goal to reduce energy use and to rely primarily on alternative sources (wind, solar), I am burdened with finding non-electric substitutes for many of our energy-sucking appliances. Unfortunately, the trend these days in kitchen gadgets seems to be plug it in and push the button, whereas the hand-powered egg beater and hand-crank coffee grinder that i seek were apparently retired with the final publication of Sears-Roebuck back in 1922.

I did, however, discover a solar oven here in the garage. FUN! so far i've only cooked rice, but seriously it worked! The little box heats up to over 250 degrees F, supposedly i can bake whatever in there. Photos and documentation to come.

Catharsis

Correction from last post: farming so far has been trial by error. Yes, error, ok? i'm being honest here. Deep breath,,,here's to learning from one's mistakes.
The blossom end rot was a bummer for many of my tomates y ayote; there was an unfortunate pest attack on the potatoes (though i did manage to salvage a couple tiny taters and they were GOOD); i've already gone on about the cacao (see Feb 28); i already went on about the wind? And another sad story is the tale of compost. Before any seed sprouted or blossom bloomed, when the farm was nothing more than a lemon forest, I faithfully hauled our household compost to a designated spot, layered appropriately (greens + browns), and encouraged Mother Nature to do her thing. Some people send out pics of their kids, some their pets, even a shot of a well-manicured flower garden might pass without raising eyebrows. I, however, shared with my nearest and dearest an intimate photo of my very own rotting pile of discarded organic waste mixed with yard clippings, seen here:

Looks great, eh? Gracias, but la problema presented itself in the form of this adorable, starving, and to top it all off pregnant, farm dog, who was delighted by the loads of yummy-smelling edible treats I generously dumped for her each week.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

The owner of Niña, who is actually the mandador of our farm, has more important mouths to feed than poor hungry Niña's and those of her then developing 4 puppies (who subsequently all died, surely of malnutrition). Entonces,,,, compost hasn't happened. seriously, what would you do?

Bitching and Moaning Part 2: Live and Learn
Tomato Season Round 1 is winding down, thankfully, because the tomatoes were not good. (Like i said, honest). In this case, I feel comfortable blaming the tomato variety, as this same square-ish flavorless mealy fruit is the only type to be found in the markets here. Boiled down and carefully seasoned they yield a decent sauce, but i would never ever choose to eat one in my ensalada. Upon researching, we discovered that the tomato variety we so despise is a hybrid known as UC 82, probably cultivated for its ability to ship long distances and maintain a vibrant red. How did this tasteless excuse for a tomato infiltrate the Nicaraguan vegetable market?
I prefer to showcase them here in my toaster oven, broiling handsomely, where they maintain some shred of culinary integrity, rather than naked and so glaringly inadequate.

Anyway,,,lessons learned. Not all tomatoes are created equal. And,the UC 82 is a determinate variety of tomato, in which all the fruit comes in and ripens at once. I am now armed with several different seed varieties, including an indeterminate heirloom seed that touts superb FLAVOR with no mention of the tomato's shape--hallelujah!
Tearing out the tomatoes' withered brown stems today was cathartic, bidding adios to my first crop as a Nica farmer and heaping the leftover nutrients into the compost pile--one down, many to go.

Trial by Fire

There is an expression here about gardening--that if you're good at it, you have a cool hand. En esto momento, I am not sure what temperature my hands are. I admit that a LOT of what is going on here is experimentation. a prime example is the cacao.
Last July we planted 50 cacao saplings in a open area of the farm, fantasizing about our future chocolate business. We would process it ourselves! create new sensational flavors! make a small fortune on the side because of the popularity of our deliciously decadent new hobby! We even spent time at a bonafide chocolate farm, learning the ropes!
Here we are studying up at La Iguana Chocolate in Mastatal, Costa Rica




The cold hard truth (Tristan, Paige: lo siento) is that neither excitement nor ambition, not even LOVE OF CHOCOLATE could have substituted for Skill or Experience.





that's right, cacao saplings need shade. Oops? who would've thought? Fifty dry cacao carcasses later, I concede.
Hence, in December I started several new cacao babies in the backyard, where they luxury in ample shade and water. The kicker is, these guys don't look completely happy either.

My thought is, when you're farming trial-by-fire style, how cool can your hands be?

(not just) For the Birds

One everyday part of life that I did not forsee adjusting has been my SNACK selection. In Nica stores and roadside stands there are loads of msg-laden chips and sugary fake-creamy cookies, but i of course am always on the lookout for tasty healthy bocaditos. I am excited to introduce un favorito nuevo of mine, not to mention the hummingbirds'....
¡JOCOTES!


Jocotes, Spondias purpurea, supposedly known as "hog plums" in some parts, do not taste like hogs or plums. These juicy little fruits have a unique sweet yet sour tang. Nicas prefer them mostly green and still tart; though if you wait, they will ripen reddish and sweet. The secret to unlocking jocotes' flavor potential, however, is SALT. Toss them in a bag with a pinch or two of salt and munch away! Watch out for the large seed in the middle. Tostitos: eat your heart out.

While they do not grow on the farm yet, (trying to germinate seeds right now) somebody is growing jocote trees/shrubs in abundance around here, as they are readily available en el mercado.

And now for an easy snack that we ARE growing on the farm:
:
¡GIRASOL!
How incredible to watch this gorgeous blossom age into a gorgeous bed of seeds...

If you like salty snacks, a little trick I learned is to soak the raw seeds in salty water before toasting. sometimes i add a dash of red pepper. Protein-to-go

¡ACHIOTE! bless you?

Achiote Seeds: nothing to sneeze at.


This beautiful red seed grows in abundance on our farm and is a staple in many latin american dishes. Here's a link to the seed pod on the achiote bush: http://people.tribe.net/transkryptome/photos/fa1a507c-f243-4599-b724-581987f03f27
The fantastic bright color of achiote (pronounced AHH-CHO-TAY) is easily recognized in a paste sold here in el mercado, to be used as a starting point in preparing various meat dishes. A paste is created by grinding the achiote seeds with black pepper, garlic, spicy peppers, maybe vinegar, etc. and is then rubbed into fish, pork, or at our house, even carne de soya.
Achiote has an unusual aroma, kinda spicy, warm, but not the eye-stinging sharp scent of a hot pepper. That's what confuses me. The color is gorgeous, no doubt about it. The flavor? weelll, it's subtle. it doesn't live up to the vibrancy its color announces. And yet in the market, little squishy bags of achiote paste are referred to as "chile." For my first foray with the stuff, I donned gloves and protective eye wear, hyperconscious of the possibility of burning my skin with this powerful, potent, PASTE OF PUNGENCY! Turns out, it's a little bland. ok, there, i said it. but it's PRETTY?
Nicas are not big on spicy. In lieu of chile- or tomatillo-based salsas that liven the hell out of mexican cuisine, Nicas opt for a pickled cabbage ensalada, with maybe a couple of jalapeños tossed in. It's good, i like it. very tangy. just not.... spicy.
However, with 4 billion pounds of the stuff sitting patiently in our kitchen, I am more than willing to incorporate achiote into some recipes. Primeramente,
Hummus de Achiote!!


With color like this, how could I go wrong?
Granted, my blender now sports a red badge of courage that insinuates an unfortunate run-in with Chester Cheetah....but the hummus was a hit!

Stuffed Ayote Squash

My first official garden to table entree!!
After monitoring this ayote squash's growth the past 3 weeks, I deemed it harvestable at about 5pm today, picked it, and by 7pm it was featured in my Sunday night dinner! there's lots of ways to stuff a squash, i went with whatever was on hand. In addition to the squash, i proudly incorporated my homegrown tomates and oregano!
BAKED STUFFED AYOTE SQUASH FOR 2
Ingredients:
1 big squash--ayote is the most common squash around here, though any winter squash will do
1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 lb tofu
1/2 onion, diced
1 tomato, diced
3 or 4 garlic cloves, diced or pressed
oregano, basil, rosemary, or other italian spices
1/4 cup chopped cashews, opt.
shredded mozzerella cheese, opt.

First step, cut squash in half, scoop out seeds, and bake in a dish filled 1/2 with water at about 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. (until squash meat is tender).



Meanwhile, start quinoa--add 1/2 cup of dry quinoa to 1 cup of boiling water; simmer 10-12 minutes, until all water is absorbed. While quinoa cooks, in a skillet sautee onion and garlic; add tofu and spices--cook 5 more minutes.

When squash is cooked, remove from oven, scoop out soft meat, and add to skillet. (You want the squash to keep it's shape, so go easy on the scooping, leaving the shells in the baking dish.) Once quinoa is ready, add that to skillet too, along with tomatoes.

Stir the quinoa/squash filling over low heat for few minutes before spooning it into awaiting squash "bowls."


I topped mine with chopped cashews and mozzerella cheese. To veganize, simply substitute cheese for nutritional yeast, or other vegan gravy. Bake 15 more minutes.

Dinner!