garden update 3

yesterday was earth day, and what better than to post than a garden update?  i took these photos a week ago, but totally got too lazy forgot to post them!  guess that happens when you are working out every. freaking. day. at 7 am.  

i swear everything is growing so fast, i'm kinda amazed every time i go to the garden!  or i'm just amazed that i haven't actually killed any of my plants yet.   

cilantro

oregano

curly kale

carmello, sungold, big boy tomato varieties 

little sungold cherry tomatoes

more sungold tomatoes growing

i can't wait till those little tomatoes are ripe!  nothing is better than a homegrown tomato right off the vine. i'm hoping to have enough tomatoes to can them for the next winter!

garden update (rip eggplant)

sad news in garden update this week, my eggplant was killed (roots eaten) by an evil beast (gopher).  but the rest of my plants are doing well!

cilantro seedlings popping up.

curly kale is getting bigger!

more sunflowers sprouting

tomatoes keep growing!  a bunch of tomatos are growing on the sungold!

i will have to replace the eggplant (or plant something else that gophers don't like).  crossing my fingers the gopher was just passing through and won't be back!  

the (community) garden plot

this year i've joined the community garden in eagle rock.  i've lived in my house for 3 years, and have tried and failed to grow an edible garden in my yard.  i'm pretty sure my failure has to do with the massive black walnut tree that is growing in my neighbors yard, and the black walnut seedlings that pop up all over my yard.  its a long story, but basically most veggies won't grown near a black walnut tree.  even a seed or a leave can ruin the soil.  it only took me 3 years to figure out why my tomatoes kept dying.

now i've got a nice little plot at the community garden.  during the fall/winter i planted a cover crop, and now i've planted in the plot!

this is my plot just after planting for spring.

2 weeks after planting.  everything is looking good!

3 types of tomatoes: carmello, sun cherry (3 little tomatoes already growing), big boy 

there are cilantro seeds in this planter

parsley and curly kale

japanese eggplant

in the strip of dirt along the edge i planted 4 different kinds of sunflowers.

i'm crossing my fingers for success this year.  it's been 3 weeks and so far everything is looking good!  my plants have grown, the sunflowers and cilantro is starting to sprout!  i also planted some japanese mustard greens.  i am planning on planting something else, maybe some chard.  maybe some strawberries.  maybe a zucchini?  i'll be posting weekly updates on the garden!  

and let the record show - fashion people can do things that don't involve fashion!   

roasting a whole chicken

i did something scary on sunday night.  i roasted a whole chicken.  by myself.  as in, no one helped me.  i had some doubts.  i mean, i'm a pretty good cook if i do say so myself, but i don't cook a lot of meat.  so cooking an entire chicken was kinda daunting.

roasted chicken with rosemary & lemon

ingredients:

1 whole chicken - i don't know how much mine weighed, but it was basically organic and free range and raised locally.

one lemon, zested & then sliced - from my lemon tree.

3 sprigs of rosemary, chop the leaves from two, keep one whole - from my yard.

about 2 tablespoons olive oil

salt pepper

step 1: let the chicken sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.  remove the giblets from the inside of the chicken (my chicken didn't have them, thankfully) and rinse the chicken.  pat dry with a paper towel.  

step 2: while the chicken is sitting out, zest the lemon and chop up the rosemary.  in a small bowl (or mason jar) combine the zest and rosemary with about two tablespoons, i didn't measure.  you don't want the rub too runny.    

step 3:  preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  put the chicken breast side up in a baking dish (or roasting pan if you happen to have one).  pull the skin off the meat and put the rub between the skin and meat (this is the grossest part).

step 4: slice the zested lemon, stick the slices and one sprig of rosemary into the cavity of the chicken.  

step 5: tie the legs together, tuck the wings up and under.  i used 100% cotton, white embroidery thread.  pull the wings up and tuck them under.   

step 6:  cook the chicken for somewhere between 40 - 60 minutes, until a meat thermometer says 165 degrees.  

step 7: remove the chicken & let sit for 10 - 15 minutes on the cutting board.  carve.    

success!  chicken was pretty much perfect, plus i have enough leftovers for a few lunches & dinners!