Spring IS Coming!

It’s time to start late winter/early spring flowers & veggie’s

You still have time in zones 9/10 to get another round of onions, carrots, potatoes, beets, turnips, and radish in. Don’t forget to plant more lettuce, kale etc. Need a salad garden design? Email me

[email protected]

Plant your early spring flowering seeds and bulbs, Dahlias (tubers or seeds), sweet peas, tulips, narcissus, & ranunculus,
visit the bulb shop at your local nursery.

Even though you can pick up some tomato plants I’m waiting a week or two to start mine, it’s pretty cold out there right now, even if they go in later this month or next they’ll easily catch up to plants that go in now.

When the soil is too cool the roots just sit there until they get warmer weather.

If you’re shopping for tomato plants remember to choose plants that have thick stalks (like the size of a pencil) with no fruit or flowers. When you first plant them you want the roots to grow and grow to get big & strong to support heavy loads of super juicy fruit! Be sure to stake or tie up early.

More Organic Edible Gardening & Flower Classes coming in 2023
Starting tomatoes from seed soon

For vegetables and fruits to plant now and mid-month visit

Debs Kitchen
and for more reading click below
Edible Gardening

NOW Booking for Vegetable & Flower Garden consult & Design

[email protected]

Ojai Pixie Tangerines

For now, citrus picking has been going strong when it dries out for a little while. They won’t pick when the trees are wet and can’t get into the muddy fields. Our tangerine favorites this time of year are the Ojai Pixie tangerines and the trees are loaded with fruit & should be readily available at your supermarket or from Melissa’s Produce! New crop just picked.

Cranberry-Apple Salad with Walnuts

9 / 26 / 19

Winter Green Salad with Apples, Cranberries & Walnuts With French Vinaigrette

Fresh Autumn-Winter Salad with seasonal fruit, walnuts and feta cheese.

Serves: 4-6

Vinaigrette
¼ cup pomegranate vinegar, any vinegar can be
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 small shallot, minced
1 sprig Italian parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
¾ cup vegetable, olive or canola oil, approximately
salt and pepper, to taste
Salad
6 cups mixed greens
2 organic apples*
1 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
⅓ cup dried cranberries

In a medium bowl make the vinaigrette by whisking together all the ingredients except the oil. While constantly whisking, drizzle in some of the oil, stopping to taste occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

Bring to room temperature before serving.

For a creamier dressing add 1 Tb. mayonnaise

Core and chop apples (thin slices or 1 inch chunks). Toss lettuce, apples, walnuts, feta, and cranberries together in a large bowl. Add a little dressing and toss, taste for seasoning and adjust.

*If conventional apples are used, peel first.

How to Cook Barley

1 / 5 / 18

Barley Basics

There are several types of barley, flaked, flour, grits, hulled, pearl and more. Most of the barley you’ll find in the supermarket is pearl barley or polished barley, which has had its hull removed, and most of the nutrients that go with that, but also reduces the cooking time (slightly). An un-hulled barley can take up to 20 minutes longer to cook but it’s an excellent source of fiber and keeps you fuller longer. Bob’s Red Mill has a great ‘hull-less’ barley that still contains the bran. It’s an ancient variety that grows in a loose hull thus saving much of the nutrition but it does take as long to cook as the un-hulled barley. Use 3 parts water or stock to 1 cup of barley; if using pearl barley start checking after about 20 minutes of cooking, barley can take up to 1 hour to cook. Try using a pressure cooker making a larger batch than you need and freezing the cooked barley in 1 or 2 cup packets for later use in soups or salads or as a side dish.

Some people like to soak their barley overnight or even for just a few hours. It doesn’t cut down much on cooking time and may alter the appearance or color of the grain but if you have trouble digesting whole grains this may work for you. Whole grains contain an anti-nutrient called phytic acid which binds with certain minerals (e.g. zinc, phosphorous, calcium and iron) and prevents them from being absorbed by the body. Phytic acid is also very hard on the digestive system. Most of the phytic acid is contained in the exterior bran and germ layers of the grain. Ironically, whole grains are much higher in minerals than polished or refined grains, but we won’t receive those benefits unless we neutralize the phytic acid. Soaking your grains before cooking them will neutralize the phytic acid and release the enzyme inhibitors, making them easier to digest and the nutrients easier to absorb. Soak overnight with a little squeeze of lemon juice or other acidic liquid (apple cider vinegar etc.), drain and rinse before using.

Barley Basics

To make in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot check the manufacturer’s instructions or try this website for info, https://instantpot.com/instantpot-cooking-time/

3 cups water or stock
1 cup barley
1 generous pinch of salt, optional

Combine the barley and water or stock in the saucepan. Add the salt if using.

Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat, cover and simmer, checking at 20 minutes for pearl or polished barley. Keep an eye on the pot as barley will give off a lot of foam at first and can cause the pot to boil over, for hulled barley, start checking at 40 minutes. The barley is done when it has tripled in volume and is soft yet chewy. Add more water if the pan becomes dry before the barley has finished cooking; check every 5 minutes until desired chewiness is reached.

When the barley is done, it will have absorbed most of the water. If there is a little water still left in the pot, just leave the barley to sit for 10 minutes, covered, until it has all been absorbed. If there is a lot of water left, drain the barley. If you want to cool it quickly to freeze, spread it out on a half sheet pan until cool, then measure and freeze.

Ojai Pixie Tangerines

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There is nothing as sweet and juicy as an Ojai Pixie Tangerine! Unfortunately they are in season for such a short time, you’ll find them available only until the end of April, if you’re lucky!
Sometimes Pixie tangerines can be difficult to find but you can order direct from Melissa’s Produce website (click here).

Here is a great winter salad featuring the best of the Ojai Pixie’s, enjoy during this short season.

Blue Cheese Tangerine-Apple Walnut Salad with
Dried Cranberries

Serves 4
¼ cup pomegranate vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

1 bunch baby spinach leaves
1 apple, peeled, cored and diced into large chunks
2 tablespoons dried cranberries
2 tablespoons toasted walnuts
3 tangerines — peeled and sectioned

For the dressing:
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard and olive oil; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Lightly toss the spinach with enough dressing to coat leaves; place onto individual plates or a platter. Garnish with apples, cranberries, nuts and tangerine sections. Serve extra dressing on the side.