Chocolate Chili, Photo by David Humphreys

Chocolate Chili

In sixth-grade English, our class read a story about a Native American tribe in the Southwest. I’ve forgotten all but one fascinating detail of that story: the family ate meat cooked with chocolate. Thanks to my dad’s rule that we must at least try everything once, I ate a lot of weird stuff as a kid—raw lamb in kibbeh, sweetbreads, capers—but this was something I simply couldn’t fathom. Chocolate! With meat! Now, I’m a sucker for anything that’s sweetly savory, and every time I reach for the cocoa, I smile at the memory of 11-year-old me. This chili is spicy but not hot. Reminiscent of mole, the flavors are rich, mellow, and deep.

PREP
20 minutes

COOK
2-3 hours

SERVES
6-8

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 medium onions, diced (about 2 cups)
4 cloves garlic, minced (about 4 teaspoons)
2 pounds ground beef
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon salt
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 can (14.5 ounces) fire-roasted, chopped tomatoes
1 can (14.5 ounces) beef broth
1 cup water

DIRECTIONS

Heat a large, deep pot over medium-high heat, then add the coconut oil. When the oil is melted, add onions, stir with a wooden spoon and cook until they’re translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and as soon as it’s fragrant, about 30 seconds, crumble the ground meat into the pan with your hands, mixing with the wooden spoon to combine. Continue to cook the meat, stirring often, until it’s no longer pink.

In a small bowl, crush the oregano between your palms to release its flavor, then add the chili powder, cumin, cocoa, allspice, and salt. Combine with a fork, then add to the pot, stirring like you mean it. Add tomato paste and stir until combined, about 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes with their juice, beef broth, and water to the pot. Stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat so the chili enjoys a gentle simmer. Simmer uncovered for at least two hours. Do not skimp on the simmer!

Serve in deep bowls with big spoons.

Curly Kale, Photo by: Nick Saltmarsh

Another of those glorious cool season dark leafy greens, kale holds the promise of a happy palate, full stomach and good health.

Kale leaves are deep green to gray blue and broad with curly edges (sometimes VERY curly), which is what most of us know as kale. Not my favorite kale because icky things hide in those tight little ruffles, inducing vicious bugs (an exaggeration, perhaps) and dirt. (absolutely true).

You can also find kale that’s an extremely dark green, upright, and sturdy with a rough texture. That is an Italian heirloom which goes by many names, including: Locianato, cavolo nero, dinosaur, and black.

Cold climate cultivators who till soil that doesn’t fully thaw until late April, may want to get a jump start on the season by starting seeds indoors about a month or two before the last frost date, setting out the plants when they have at least two true leaves. If you garden in a mild or warm climate you can skip this step, unless you just like starting flats of seeds in advance. You folks have a mythic quality about you–like unicorns.

Optimum soil temperature for kale seeds to germinate is between 45°F and 75°F, with 65°F being very comfy. The seeds will sprout fairly quickly when soil is at the optimum temperature; it may take as little as five days up to eight to see sprouts poke through the surface of the soil. As the ambient air temperature and soil heat up to 80°F and beyond, your kale will grow, but it’s going to end up like an old naked guy getting some steam in a sauna—flaccid, bitter and just not that appetizing.

Site: Rich, well-drained soil—need I say more? That’s the mantra for just about anything you are going to grow and eat. Something that varies though is soil pH. In this case, kale prefers slightly acidic soil pH between 5.5 and 6.8. Full sun will do a plant well, but for folks living in hot sunny areas, a little shade might be just what the garden doctor ordered.

Dinosaur Kale, Photo: Tuscanycious

When to plant: When it comes to dark leafy greens, they usually fare best in cool weather. Did I say cool? kale has been known to tolerate temperatures as low as 20°F (on those days when the meteorologist didn’t see that cold front coming).

Folks living in warm and hot climates direct seed (or transplant if you must) so that the vegetable comes to harvest before day time temperatures exceed 80°F. That usually means planting in late summer or early fall for harvest beginning in winter and running through mid to late spring.

In parts of the country and world where summer barely breaks a sweat, and seldom sees temperatures above 80°F, plant your kale in early spring for a summer to early fall harvest.

Kale thrives in cool weather and requires a good two months of sweater weather to reach harvest.

Planting and spacing: For row planting, sow kale seed 1/2-inch deep spaced 3 inches apart, and then thin plants to 12 inches apart when they are 4 to 5 inches tall, and throw those tender young leaves into a soup of stir fry. Space rows 12 to 18 inches apart. However, for less waste, the Square Foot Gardening method is ideal. In every square food of garden where you want kale, plant just four seeds distributed evenly.

Water, feeding and care: Kale likes the wet stuff, but not too well. Just don’t let them get overly dry or the leaves will will end up tough, like some punk kid smoking unfiltered cigarettes outside of the mall.  Add well aged compost into the planting bed before  adding seeds or transplants, and then side dress the plants with aged compost every 6 weeks, or water them with compost tea. Also a good idea if you ‘re planting the curly kale and you do not use a drip irrigation system, is to surround the plants with a layer of straw to keep muddy water from splashing onto the leaves and into those tight little ruffles.

Container growing. If you don’t want to dig up the yard for a garden, you can plant kale in containers.  Direct seed or use transplants. You can comfortably grow about five plants in a 20-inch pot. The advantage of container growing is the ability to move the containers into shade or out of the cold when necessary to extend the season.

Pests. Kale is a super food, and that may be why so many garden pests love it. Cutworms, cabbage loopers, and imported cabbage worms all vie for a place at the table when kale is on the menu. For wormy and caterpillary  critters, you can achieve control by hand picking or by spraying Bacillus thuringiensis. Bt–that’s short for Bacillus thuringiensis– may also be applied as a powder onto leaves.

Diseases. Kale, like Honey Badger, don’t care. It’s a tough plant and not bothered by much. It’s badass.

Delicious Kale Chips, Photo by: Joyosity

Harvest. If you start kale from see and transplant it into the garden, you’ll be harvesting mature leaves in 55 days, add another 15 to 20 days to that if you start by seed.

However, you can start harvesting really at any time for very young and tender leaves. If you are careful about not yanking up the entire plant, you may get new growth.

If you prefer to wait until the plants are  eight to 12 inches tall,  then use a sharp pair of garden shears or a knife, and start with the outside leaves from the plant first. Cut about two-inches from the soil.  When you cut at this height, you’ll get new growth from the plant in about a week or two.

Storing and preserving. Kale is one of those vegetables that taste better when hit by frost.  It seems to get sweeter, unlike people in Chicago waiting on an L platform in the dead of winter. Kale will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. In the cold months, kale is a great addition to soups and stews. You can also freeze the vegetable after a quick balancing; you may also can or even season and dry the kale into tasty, tasty chips.

Spinach, Photo: Flickr, katerha

If you have your heart set on growing spinach—either flat leafed or crinkled (savoyed)—so you can be big and strong like Popeye the Sailor Man, then plant this cool season annual when it’s…well…cool outside. Actual planting dates vary depending on where you live.

Here’s what doesn’t vary: You may direct seed this tasty and healthy green into the garden when the soil temperature is at least 35°F. The optimal range for germination is 45° to 75°F with 70°F being the sweet spot. Folks living in colder climes may wish to start seeds indoors about 6 to 8 weeks before the last freeze date putting them into the garden. As long as the seedlings have two true leaves when transplanted, they have a fighting chance.

Ready for prime time: Speaking of a fighting chance, consider “priming” the seeds before planting. This jump-starts the germination process. To prime spinach seeds, soak them in filtered water (chlorine in tap water can inhibit germination) overnight or up to 24 hours. This hydrates the seed and stirs the life within. You are not trying to sprout them. Remove the seeds from the water after their soak, and spread them out on a towel to absorb excess moisture. At this point you can plant them or store them in a covered jar for one to two days in the refrigerator before planting. Spinach seeds that have been primed, once planted, will germinate in half the time of none primed seeds.

Plant succession crops of spinach every 2 to 3 weeks.

Once the soil temperature reaches 85°F, spinach will bolt or go to seed. At this point you’ll want to harvest what you can and compost the rest and then wait until it gets cool again to plant. Or, you can try a spinach alternative like Malabar or New Zealand Spinach, which can take the heat.

Site: Spinach likes its soil the way some men like their women—rich and loose. Plant spinach in well-drained soil that’s rich in organic matter. Spinach can be persnickety, as it is one of the only vegetables that insist on a nearly neutral pH, which in this case is 6.0 to 6.8. Grow spinach in full sun or if you live in Texas as I do, or another blazingly hot and sunny locale, it can take partial shade, and may demand it.

How to plant: Plant spinach seed 1/2- inch deep and 2 to 4 inches apart; if you are planting in rows, put nine inches between them. Once they sprout, thin to the strongest plants and throw the culls into a salad or stir fry. However, if you prefer the Square Foot gardening method, you can grow nine plants in one square foot. You can also grow spinach in containers if you wish. Because the plant is shallow-rooted, you won’t need a deep pot. You can grow them in one of those long rectangular planters or window boxes very nicely. If you do grow in containers, you have to monitor water and heat more closely as containers dry out faster than soil and they heat up faster, too.

Water and feeding: Consistency is critical to a good crop of spinach. Keep the soil evenly moist. This is where having a timed drip irrigation system comes in very handy. Drip irrigation will also keep soil from splashing muddy water onto the leaves, thus reducing potential pathogen problems. Cleaner leaves means it’s easier to prep them before eating easier, too. Spinach isn’t a greedy feeder. Once a month during the growing season water this vegetable with compost tea, or simply side dress with aged compost about mid-season.

Maintenance: Vegetables perform better when you keep weeds out of the bed. If your spinach bed has weedy invaders, don’t pull them up; cut them to the soil level. Why? Spinach roots are shallow, and if you start yanking weeds from around your plants you could damage your crop’s roots.

Garden Pests: Your kids may not like spinach, but aphids sure do. Aphids are small soft-bodied pests that congregate in large numbers on the undersides of leaves and suck the life out of your plants, leaving behind distorted foliage and a sticky substance called honeydew, which can encourage the growth of sooty mold. Use insecticidal soap on these invaders or—better yet—bring in beneficial insects like ladybugs to do the killing for you. Not very ladylike, but someone’s got to do it.

Diseases: Spinach, like vehicles in the upper Midwest, is susceptible to rust. Keep the garden clean of debris. Remove and destroy diseased plants.

Harvest: You can begin harvesting spinach at any time, but generally the leaves are mature and ready for harvest 40 to 52 days after sowing. Cut, don’t pull or twist the leaves from the plant, or you could dislodge them from the soil. With garden shears of a very sharp knife, you can cut a spinach plant about 3 inches above the soil, and they will grow on for a second harvest. Wash spinach thoroughly to eliminate the grit that sometimes sticks to crinkled leaves.

Storing and preserving: Spinach will maintain good flavor and texture for up to a week in the refrigerator. You can freeze blanched spinach, can or even dry the leaves.

Using Spinach: Spinach can be eaten raw or cooked. Wash the leaves by soaking them in a large bowl of water to remove any dirt or grit that may be on the leaves; swish the leaves around in the bowl and the debris will sink to the bottom. If the spinach is particularly gritty you may need to dump the water and rise again. Use leaves whole or as a chiffonade. When adding to cooked dishes, do so late in the cooking process.

Sack of Potatoes image courtesy of Peter Grima

Americans love potatoes and consume about 126 pounds of them annually.

While potatoes are plentiful and inexpensive to buy at the grocery store, they’re also among the top 20 commercially produced fruit and vegetable crops exposed to a wide array of pesticides.

Lucky for you they’re easy to grow, making them a prime candidate for home production using organic methods.

Contrary to popular belief, potatoes don’t have to take up a lot of space in the garden. If you grow them vertically in wire cages they take up very little space, but deliver outstanding yields.

Advantages to Growing Spuds Vertically

• Takes up very little space
• Can grow them anywhere there’s a sunny spot (including a balcony)
• No back-breaking labor digging trenches
• No rocks or hard soil that can cause misshapen tubers
• Easy to water and fertilize
• More and bigger potatoes
• To harvest, just open or lift up cage for perfect potatoes

What Potatoes Want

• Sunny location that receives 6 to 8 hours of full sun a day
• Loose, well-draining, slightly acidic soil
• pH level between 6.0 and 6.5.
• Good moisture retention without getting soggy

When to Plant Potatoes

When you plant potatoes depends on where you live. In my Central Texas garden, I can plant Irish potatoes (generic term for white or non-sweet potatoes) in late January through mid to late February, and again for a short time in August.  The window for planting sweet potatoes in my area runs April through July.

Check with your County Extension Service about the best time to plant spuds where you live.

What You Need to Cage Potatoes

• 10 feet of sturdy gauge wire fencing or hardware cloth, 36 inches wide
• Additional hardware cloth (optional)
• Twine or zip ties
• Shovel (optional)
• Wire mesh (optional)
• Old newspapers (optional)
• Straw (optional)
• Light, rich soil
• Compost
• Peat
• Certified organic seed potatoes

Now What?

Because the wind is very strong where I live, and topples everything I put in cages, I’ve found that sinking the cages in the ground slightly helps to anchor them, but this is optional.

1. Take your wire mesh or fencing and create a cylinder; attach the short ends together with twine or zip ties. Your cylinder will be approximately 36-inches in diameter. You can reduce the diameter simply by overlapping the fencing or mesh on itself more.
2. If you need to anchor your cage, dig a hole that’s about 8 to 10 inches deep and slightly greater in diameter than your wire cage. If you have issues with burrowing critters like gophers where you live, you can line the hole with the extra wire mesh, bringing it up the sides of the hole, placing the cage on top of it.
3. If not anchoring your potato cage in this way, and even if you are, it’s advisable to remove all grass and weeds from the planting area and out from the area about a foot all around, and cover with several layers of newsprint to suppress weeds and grass; dampen well. If you want a more “finished” look, you can cover the newsprint that’s around the cylinder with straw or mulch.
4. Fill the hole level with the surrounding ground, using a soil blend of  65% soil, 25% finished compost and 10% peat.
5. Take your certified seed potatoes and place them on top of the planting mixture, eyes out, about 6 to 8 inches apart, and then gently cover them with about 3 to 4 inches of your soil blend, and water them in.

You’ll need to keep an eye in the moisture content of the soil over the course of the season, because caged potatoes dry out more quickly than trenched potatoes.

After the potato sprouts poke through the soil’s surface, allow them to grow about 6 to 8 inches and develop a few leaves, before gently filling around them with more of the soil mixture, and water well . Do not compact the soil around the plants or you’ll affect the yield.

If you want, you can place straw around the inside of the cylinder before each soil addition to help keep the mixture from spilling out, but if you use wire mesh with small enough openings, that’s not a big problem.

Some folks choose to skip the addition of soil once the plants start growing. Instead, they fill in and around the plants with straw. This works, but I find that the cylinder is too lightweight for my windy environment–but you may wish to try it.

Continue this process of allowing the plants to grow, and then filling in around the plants, and watering, until the container is three-quarters full and then stop. This will take a number of weeks.

At this point, water and fertilize as needed, and keep an eye on pest and pathogen problems. Depending on whether you planted early, mid, or late season potatoes, you’ll harvest spuds between 60 and 130 days.

When you see blooms on the plants, that means potatoes are forming. When the foliage turns brown and dies–provided it’s not a potato pest or pathogen problem–it’s time to harvest.

How many potatoes will you get? For every one pound of see potatoes you plant, you can easily end up with ten pounds of eating potatoes.

Before you store your potatoes, they need to be cured for 10 days to two weeks in a dark, cool place with relatively high humidity. After the curing period, Texas A & M Horticulturists say your potatoes will last longest in a cool environment with 85% humidity.

Of course, those are ideal conditions for long-term storage. If you can’t swing that, just be glad you like potatoes–because you’re going to be eating a lot of them.

And when you’re ready to use some of your gorgeous homegrown potatoes, perhaps you’d like to make Creamy Potato Leek Soup, or Roasted Potato and Fennel Soup.

Or just maybe Sir Paul McCartney can inspire you with his favorite mashed potato recipe.

Photo of stacked fennel buls by Summer Tomato

Garden and food blogger, Renee Studebaker, is in love with fennel, and her affection for the plant has made her a bit of an expert in growing it in the Central Texas area.

Fennel is a gorgeous Mediterranean perennial herb that does well in winter and early spring gardens in moderate climates. It attracts beneficial insects and butterflies to the garden.

The fennel bulb is used like a vegetable and adds nuanced flavoring to all kinds of foods such as roasted fowl, vegetables, and soups.

Nevertheless, Renee says it can be a challenge to grow in warmer climates. It needs about 70 days to produce a good size bulb and it grows best in cool (50s and 60s) weather. Once the bulb has started growing, a few days of temperatures in the high 70s can cause it to bolt, or start producing seed instead of bulbs and stems, so good timing is the key.

After a few years of experimenting with different approaches to growing fennel, here is what Renee Studebaker decided works (at least some of the time):

• If planting from seed, sow the seeds in late fall. Be sure to keep them moist until they germinate and watch that soil doesn’t dry out completely during hot spells. Regular moisture and lots of compost is vital to good bulb production from fall-planted fennel seeds.
• Fennel transplants set out in late October have a good chance of producing decent bulbs. Well established fennel plants can withstand freezing temperatures, usually down to the 20s.  During hard freezes, some of mature fennel plants may sustain damage to their outer bulb layers. Carefully peeled away the dead layers, and trim the damaged fronds, and changes are good they will start growing and look good again.
• Renee said she has also set out seeds in December and January during mild winters. But one hard freeze will kill baby seedlings, so be ready with row cover or other warming devices if you decide to try this.
• When your fennel plants flower and start producing seed in warm weather, some of those seeds may plant themselves for your next winter garden, so keep an eye out for volunteers seedlings in the fall.
• Sometimes well established fennel plants will act like the perennials they are. After your plants have flowered and gone to seed in summer, try this: Cut the worn out stems to a couple of inches above the ground, water enough through the hot months to keep plants alive, and then come fall, look for new baby plants to shoot up from the base. When the shoots appear, side dress the plant with compost and/or organic fertilizer, mulch, and water once or twice a week, or enough so that soil maintains some moisture.

And finally, fennel is a host plant for swallowtail butterflies, so don’t kill the larvae you’re sure to find chowing down on the leafy fronds. The leaves will grow back.