Month: May 2015

What Are Chilling Hours and Why Are They Important?

What Are Chilling Hours and Why Are They Important?

Chill hours are the total number of hours below 45 degrees F that a plant is exposed to during their dormant period to produce properly developed fruit. Some deciduous fruit trees (fruit trees that loose their leaves seasonally) must go through a certain minimum number of chill hours to release their dormancy, go into bloom, and 

Deep Frying Veggies with Amanda Cohen

Deep Frying Veggies with Amanda Cohen

Deep frying some vegetables from the garden today and don’t know where to start? Amanda Cohen gives a great deep fat cooked veggie primer via Vice and Munchies. She deep fries in three different ways: her vodka batter, a panko or crumb crust using the standard breading procedure, and simple cornstarch toss.

Her vodka batter recipe from the video is below. If you want the full recipe for her Korean Fried Broccoli, mosey on over to Munchies where she shares her sauce, too.

Vodka Batter Recipe

Amanda Cohen says by using vodka in the batter it makes for a much more flaky outside coating – the vodka prevents the gluten from forming. She says buy the cheap vodka for this recipe, and don’t worry about the flavor of it – it doesn’t come through after its fried.

Vodka Batter Recipe
A great batter for fried veggies. Amanda Cohen says vodka is necessary to keep the gluten from forming in the batter.
Author: Renee Shelton
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup seltzer water
  • Cheap vodka as needed
Instructions
  1. Stir the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
  2. Add in the seltzer and stir, then the vodka to desire consistency.
  3. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes, then use for deep frying vegetables.
Organic Farming and the “Organic Checkoff”

Organic Farming and the “Organic Checkoff”

While national marketing campaigns would certainly get the word out about organic foods, the idea of ‘organic checkoff’ programs doesn’t set well with organic farmers. What are checkoff programs? Think of the national campaigns for milk (Got Milk?), eggs (The Incredible Edible Egg), and beef 

10 Great Vegetarian Grilling Ideas

10 Great Vegetarian Grilling Ideas

Grilled Vegetables | Cultivate to Plate

 

Planting Asparagus Crowns in Raised Beds

Planting Asparagus Crowns in Raised Beds

Planting asparagus is neither difficult nor complicated, especially when planted out in raised garden beds.

How to Plant Asparagus Crowns in Raised Beds

A good all-purpose planting soil for planting asparagus crowns in is 1 part peat moss and 1 part quality compost. Make sure you amend the soil with additional nitrogen since asparagus is a nitrogen-loving plant.

    1. Remove the crowns from the package. Presoak them in water before planting, up to a couple of hours.
    2. Mark your holes and your desired spacing. Dig a spot and insert the crowns.
    3. Cover with soil. Repeat with remaining crowns.

Below is a video that shows these steps.