Growing your own takes patience and knowledge. You’re on your own for the patience, but we can help you with a few tips to supplement your knowledge base.
In Central Texas, fall and winter are better times to grow food crops because of better weather and lower incidence of pests. However, spring is when gardeners feel the most intense excitement and anticipation.
Cathy Slaughter always had a love of plants, going back to her childhood days of helping her parents with gardening and other relatives with farming duties. And now she does it full-time and loves it. In fact, if you live in Central Texas, and you use organic herb and vegetable transplants from retail nurseries in your food garden, Cathy probably grew them.
When I discovered that Sagra Trattoria in Austin, Texas grows the majority of the tomatoes and herbs that Chef/Owner Gabriel Pellegrini uses in the rustic Italian dishes he prepares, I knew I had to visit.
Like any distinctive cuisine, to cook with a Texas flair, you have to have the proper ingredients, gear and know-how to make flavors come to life. In this case, to speak with a Texas–and even TxMex–accent.
