January 2011 – Sustainable Garden Design

Quinoa

Posted on January 4, 2011October 20, 2011 by jeanmariemorelli.com

I wrote this for the Abundant Life Seed Foundation Newsletter back in 1999 when I worked there.

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) known to the Incas of the Andes as “Mother Grain” is an attractive plant, nutritious crop, and a delicious food. If you have ever cooked this psuedograin you have seen the funny little squiggle or partial spiral of the seed’s germ. Let’s take a look at this interesting crop.

The plant grows high in the mountains of South America, in an area known as the altiplano, where it withstands extremes of climate– not only freezing temperatures and poor soil but also high intensity of sunlight. The Queche Indians, heirs to the Inca legacy, have grown the “mother grain” for 3,000 to 5,000 years and developed many varieties adapted to various conditions.

It is not a true grain from the grass or cereal family, but a member of the Goosefoot family. Quinoa is related to spinach, orach, and beets, but most closely linked to the weedy edible lamb’s quarters and epazote the pungent, culinary herb from Mexico. Like them, Quinoa has leaves with toothed margins and a powdery texture. The plants grown at the Abundant Life trials garden grow 3 to 5 feet tall. As the autumn air turns crisp, the foliage turns a stunning array of yellows and purples. The flowers have no petals–they look like tiny green balls with dense, pyramid shaped clusters of seeds, that mature into an attractive golden color.

The individual millet-sized seeds are flat on two sides. You may recall washing the “grain” before preparing it. That’s because the seed coat has saponins, a bitter property that protects it from the intense sunlight and repels insects and birds.

Most quinoa exported from South America has been mechanically buffed to remove the saponins in the outermost edge of the kernel, (thus is nonviable as seed stock) in a process known as pearling. Some seeds bypass the machines, so it is still advisable to rinse it before cooking.

The embryo of quinoa takes up a greater portion of the seed than normal cereal grains, so the protein content is higher. The National Academy of Sciences calls it “one of the best sources of vegetable protein in the vegetable kingdom”. It is also high in calcium and iron.

Quinoa is prepared by simply boiling but traditionally it was used as flour or dry roasted. Try this recipe next time instead of plain rice: Place 4 cups of water in a pot with 1/4 c wild rice and a piece of dried kombu or other sea vegetable (for flavor and nutritious trace elements). Bring to a boil and after 10 minutes add 1c short grain brown rice. Lower heat and cook another 25 minutes Add 3/4 c of rinsed quinoa. Let it simmer 15-20 minutes Enjoy the nutty, nutritious flavor of quinoa as a regular part of your diet.

Dryland Farming Project

Posted on January 4, 2011April 27, 2012 by jeanmariemorelli.com

This is an exciting project that I wrote about two years ago for the PT Co-op Newsletter. You can see it on their website.

The early morning sunlight illuminates the heads of grain: golden barley, blue-green triticale, and vibrant green wheat. Walk along the public trail near Collinwood Farm and you will see a hand painted sign announcing the Dryland Farming Project, a trial plot for staple crops. This is an exciting experiment, not only in growing crops, but also in community involvement.

For many years the idea has been a handful of seeds in the mind of Tinker Cavallero. She has an uncanny knack for being right ahead of the curve in sustainable living. Now she’s exploring the limits of what staples can be grown locally with little inputs, especially without irrigation. “We need to research ways that we can locally and sustainably grow staple crops such as grains, legumes, and seed crops,” she said. Tinker is proposing selecting strains of wheat, beans, and other staples through the old-fashioned technique of seed saving.

The Quimper Peninsula receives very little rain, about seventeen inches on average. We are also learning that the Chimacum aquifer is at risk of being overdrawn. And of course, more development means more wells, and there’s a limit to the water held in the aquifer. Additionally, sandy soils low in organic matter are common in our region.

The seeds of an idea were just waiting for a time and place to germinate. Ian Keith, owner of five acres of land lacking the infrastructure for water, wanted to see the land farmed. The land is located above Collinwood Farm and has been fallow for many years. Community organizer and member of Local 2020’s Food Self-Sufficiency group, Judy Alexander, believed in the idea and wanted to be part of the project; she encouraged people to invest in a cooperative to share the initial expense and the harvest. Tinker contributes her five years of experience at Abundant Life Seed Foundation as garden co-manager, her three years experience running a CSA at Collinwood Farm, and her experience co-managing a seed farm in New Zealand for a year. She was also co-manager at Frog Hill Farm where she experimented in spinach seed trails in conjunction with the Organic Seed Alliance.

Tinker has the experience to carry the project forward and the support of several experts. Kevin Murphy, PhD (remember his CSA at Collinwood Farm 10 years ago?) and Steve Jones from the WSU Extension in Mount Vernon will help with different wheat varieties. Several farmers are on board to consult about dried beans and corn.

The project has presented an opportunity for a real exploration in the dynamics of leadership. There is no hierarchy. Participants have self-selected for different responsibilities by communicating through an online Google group, from locating seed sources, to directing work parties, to bringing snacks and organizing potlucks. Tinker’s daughter, Kia Ochun, got so involved in the project she ended up researching the different grains and staples for her high school senior thesis. You can read her crop descriptions posted on signs at the field.

Every Friday and Saturday from five to ten people have shown up to participate in preparing the ground, sowing seed, and weeding the quack grass. The atmosphere on Friday morning is vibrant with people working together. Bob Aoili, a farmer who managed the market garden at Corona Farm, says, “I love the organic-ness of the group, that we can do something without too much structure. And also that each person has a different insight about farming that inspires them.” Another member added, “Here is a group of people who didn’t know each other before we came together and we vary in age from under 10- years-old to over 60. And we have so much fun together!”

“It is my hope,” Tinker said, “that through our trials we can start to create crops that will produce reasonably well and in the process learn methods and varieties best suited for our conditions.” She continued, “I can imagine trials of flax, rape seed, soup peas, fava beans, spelt, barley, buckwheat, oats, quinoa, millet, as well as naked seeded pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.” At this point an acre of staple crops are vigorously growing. The first crop to harvest will be the barley. Come by and see the first stages of a dream for dryland farm crops.

Other farmers are involved in similar projects. Finn River Farm is currently doing wheat trials and their winter wheat is growing strong. Stay posted for further developments of the Dryland Farming Project in the Port Townsend area.

Vibrant Salad Greens

Posted on January 3, 2011 by jeanmariemorelli.com

I was asked to write this for the Port Townsend Farmer’s Market in 2004.

Here at the Farmer’s Market the day’s harvest is arranged–bunches of arugula and flat leaf spinach, undulating leafy heads of butter lettuce, and salad mix. The basket is full of perfect miniature leaves–frilly or rippled, green and white, or maroon tinted. So many shapes–spoon like or narrow, round to oblong–they delight the senses.

Traditional mesclun includes several lettuces, chicories, and arugula. Oriental salad greens include several mustards and other members of the brassica family. Today’s salad mix may also include a variety of herbs, wild greens, spinach, Swiss chard and edible flowers, but these are beyond the scope of this article.

Mesclun ( pronounced mes-CLOON), is the Nicoise dialect word for a mixture of tender, young salad greens. Renee Shepherd, who used to eat her way through southern Europe, tasting vegetables to include in her seed catalog, says “In France, big baskets of these mixed baby leaves are offered at every greengrocer’s stall, to buy by the kilo for instant no-work salads”. If the price puts you off, consider this– you can add several handfuls of this zesty mix to a regular green salad.

SALAD PREP

For those of you who would rather prepare a salad with heads and bunches of greens to create your own combination, here are a few tips on salad preparation. Wash leaves in a bowl of water to let the dirt settle out. Dry salad greens to keep them crisp. There’s nothing worse than a soggy salad.

There are several ways to dry greens:1) Place a linen towel in a colander and wrap the greens; let them drip.2) Open a towel and wrap greens lengthwise hold the folded end and whirl. The excess water will spray out in all directions, especially on you. I learned this the hard way as a teenage ‘salad girl’ at a restaurant.3)salad spinners– wire salad baskets with handles can be used but they often bruise the greens. Instead choose a plastic one.

These spinners always bring out the kid in me. I love to twirl the handle as fast as can be and let go to watch it spin wildly.

Small inner leaves can be kept whole. Tear large lettuce leaves or cut them with a non-corrosive knife. Handle them gently as the delicate leaves bruise easily. Toss the salad by hand. Most people add the dressing directly to the salad. Be careful not to overdo it, as the purpose of a vinaigrette is to enhance the greens.

See the bullet for a description of some of the most popular salad greens.

Create your own salad dressing by adding 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar and then adjust it to taste after adding herbs and seasoning. Lemon, lime and orange juices are acidic and add a fresh spark. Consider combining olive oil with flaxseed, walnut or hazelnut oil. Different dressings highlight different greens. Remember that the essence of dressing is to bring forth the salad’s flavor and add a touch of piquancy. Below is a recipe for a salad with spicy Oriental Greens.

Island Delight Salad Dressing: Recipes From a Kitchen Garden–Shepherd’s Garden Seeds. My sister used to garden for Renee and this is her favorite recipe.

Dressing:

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons honey

4 teaspoons soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

1 small clove of garlic, finely chopped

large pinch of white pepper

1/2 cup canola oil.

Vibrant Greens for Salad

LETTUCE

Romaine/ Cos leaves upright, oblong ,prominent rib, full flavored hearts.

Butterhead/Bibb undulating exquisite leaves have a butter flavor.

French Crisp/ Batavia loose young plants become more dense as they mature–like people. Compact crunchy crispness of the romaine with the shape of the butterhead.

Looseleaf very popular; for its eye appeal with colorful, tender, crumpled leaves. Delicate and sweet flavor.

CHICORY

Curly Endive/Frisee/French Escarole finely cut leaves, have a frilly appearance, mildly bitter and sometimes nutty flavor.

Raddichio/Belgian Endive tangy flavor, heading chicory. Red varieties deep crimson colored with white ribs.

MUSTARD GREENS

Arugula/Rouquette dark green leaves with a strong distinctive flavor, anyone who knows this vegetable either loves it or hates it. I won’t tell you my opinion, I’ll let you try it and decide for yourself.

Pak-choy well known for its succulent white leaf stems and dark green leaves.

Giant Red Mustard flavor both pungent and sweet, leaves have purple-red overlay.

Mizuna mildest mustard green with only a hint of spicy flavor. Finely divided margins create a feathery effect. Attractive white veins and thin juicy stalks.

Red Russian Kale deeply ruffled gray-green leaves. with a purple veins, the sweetest and most tender variety of kale.

Tat-soi small, spoon shaped leaves, crunchy and sweet. leaves grow in flat rosettes.

I had a Rendevous with a Tropical Beach

Posted on January 3, 2011 by jeanmariemorelli.com

Here is something I wrote in January 2003. I always have urges to head south of the border this time of year…

I had a rendezvous with a tropical, sunlit beach that I had to let go. Instead, I am here on the western rim of the Olympic Peninsula; where the Pacific surf pounds at La Push. Expecting rain, or at least heavy clouds dragging across tall conifers; I am stunned by this clear blue February sky. The sun shines so brightly on the water that it hurts my eyes. I believe I can find the solitude and inspiration that drove me here. Walking beaches has long been my solace.

Eagerly I make my way over the jumbled array of giant downed trees dashed against the shore. Gingerly I jump log to log. The tide is high, with very little beach exposed, and yet I need to walk. Pausing at the water’s edge, I wait and watch the sets of waves and eye a tree trunk that juts into the surf. The tide recedes. I race around the log before the powerful rush returns. The brute force of crashing waves roils and roll nearby giant tree trunks. La Push is an Indian reservation. I remember the Quileute story about high tide being caused by the “kelp-haired, child snatcher from the sea”. I lose my nerve.

Back up the beach I retreat to the strewn, stable logs of the high-tide mark. There are old, gray weathered trunks and wet, raw ones. Bright red catches my eye as I climb around one. The color is bright red. Cedar? No, a portion of the bark remains; the texture lacks the long flaking strips along vertical grooves. What tree could be so red? It’s a red alder! The bark has been scraped off, bleeding pigment into the wood. I pause; so this is the dye that comes from Alder.

Stepping back from the water’s edge, I take in the surroundings. The view to the south includes new luxury cabins built to remind us of ancient longhouses, with lean-to rooftops. Beyond the settlement, the crescent of beach gives way to rocks, rising to cliffs. The surf throws itself at these rocks, and crashes back to the sea. Further south stand jagged remains of sea stacks, reminders of the sea’s power.

The northern edge of the beach abruptly stops at a heavy rock jetty that shields the Bogachiel River. Past here the town of La Push is gathered along the mouth of the river. (The name La Push is a variation of the French “la bouche” ) Directly across from the Bougachiel stands James Island, a fist of rock with sharp conifers silhouetted against the sky. This is the fortress where the people retreated when the Nuu cha nulth (Nooka) of Vancouver Island came raiding. This is the place where they buried their chiefs. Now it is attached to the shore by a necklace of power-lines highlighted by orange balls.

Hours later, I return to the shore as the sun sets. I stand where I can see it slip into the Pacific beside the island. The orange disc expands and flattens as it reaches the sea. Minutes stretch as the sun pauses before sinking into its own wake of fire on the water. Together they slide below the horizon. The colors that follow are suffused with golden light; above is the palest green, while many shades of salmon streak the western sky. In the silence that follows, I feel calmness settling my busy mind.

Then I realize the quiet I sense is full of sound. A distant fog horn blows in the stillness between the pounding of shore breaks. That pounding will be my soothing companion as I drift in and out of sleep throughout the night. Perhaps tomorrow the coast might be shrouded in fog, but for now, all is golden clear on First Beach.

. Pausing at the water’s edge, I wait and watch the sets of waves and eye a tree trunk that juts into the surf. The tide recedes. I race around the log before the powerful rush returns. The brute force of crashing waves roils and rolls nearby giant tree trunks. La Push is an Indian reservation. I remember the Quileute story about high tide being caused by the “kelp-haired, child snatcher from the sea”. I lose my nerve.

low tide and walking the beach, reflecting

questions about direction…thoughts drifting

the thunder of waves crashing and bringing me to the present

examining one wave as it moves, watching how it begins to crest and how the offshore breeze flings the crest back until it billows bright white against the translucent green of the wave curling and tumbling headlong foaming

Creating Wild hedgerows

Posted on January 3, 2011October 20, 2011 by jeanmariemorelli.com

Here is an article I wrote in the early 1990’s for the Port Townsend Leader. Read it and go outside. Plan now and soon you can plant bare root native trees and shrubs.

One of my favorite sights in Jefferson County is the hedgerows of deciduous shrubs. Driving along the roads, I see thickets of oceanspray and snowberry and feel glad to live here. Hedgerows are distinctly rural; woody native plants that grew up along the margins of fields, escaping the tractor mowers because they root close to the fences. Over time the old barbed wire fences fall in disrepair. The mowed strip along the roadside also creates a habitat.

The old pastures and woods give way as new houses are constructed. We bulldoze hedgerows to make way for lawns. The wild plants can be too vigorous for a tidy little garden, but they really have a charm that marks this as distinctly the Pacific Northwest. Look closer and the vegetation will tell if it’s of the rainforest or native to the rainshadow.

Hedgerows are always changing with the seasons: Indian Plum and red flowering currant herald spring, followed by serviceberry and later roses. Midsummer calls forth the oceanspray’s frothy bloom while hummingbirds sip the orange honeysuckle. The golden hues of cascara and Scoulers Willows in autumn mix with the scarlet and orange hues of choke cherry and vine maple. Snowberries; plump and white, and the shiny black fruit of twinberry feed the birds in winter, and the seasons go round.

I want to establish hedgerows along the margins of my property. They make good windbreaks and privacy screens, and are natural birdfeeders. In two, maybe three years they are established; native plants take little effort to maintain – they hold their own against the invasive weeds and they survive on rainwater.

What made me start thinking about this was the flyer I got in the mail from the Jefferson County Conservation District.

Every year they sell bare-root seedlings. Native trees and shrubs are sold in bundles of ten for only $7.50. They offer plants for areas with low rainfall such as ocean spray and for wetter areas they offer cascara.

Order the plants now; then go outside to take a critical look around and decide on your strategy. You have a month before they arrive.

There are two basic ways to work with the bare-root seedlings; plant them in their permanent home or plant them all together so they are easier to tend. Restoration planting on a large scale relies on planting many and risking the odds that enough will survive on their own with little maintenance. Home landscaping on the other hand, implies fewer plants receiving more individual attention. Remember, these plants are only the size of a pencil when they arrive.

What works best for me is planting the trees and shrubs in rows to create a nursery bed. Since they are all in one place, it is easier to weed and water them for a few years. I started my nursery about five years ago and each winter, when the shrubs are dormant, I dig some more and plant them around my property. Right now I have willows, serviceberry, and red twig dogwoods that need to be moved.

When we get a warm spell in winter, I like to tackle some of the overgrown grass around my place and create new planting areas. I can work with the mattock rooting up clumps of grass and thistle, knowing that in a week the ground will still be dormant. That way I can take it slow and enjoy the process rather than feel overwhelmed and rushed by rapidly growing weeds.

An even easier way to deal with the weeds or sod is to lay cardboard, old carpet, or plywood over the area. Cover this with a layer of hay, leaves, or brush as a mulch. This organic material will slowly decompose and can go into the compost or garden when you are ready to dig up the dead sod.

A permaculture technique, that I have yet to try, is a no dig approach. Lay down cardboard, then place a thick layer of organic mulch -up to eight inches and leave it for a year. When the sod is dead spade right through to the ground and make a wedge for the bare-root plant.

” Grow Your Own Native Landscape” is an excellent guide to help you choose the right plants and learn their characteristics and growth requirements. It is available for $5.50 from W.S.U. Cooperative Extension. I called Al Latham at the Conservation District. Even though the deadline is passed, he said there is still time to order the seedlings. Call them at 385-4105. Enjoy creating your own wild thickets.

What made me start thinking about this was the flyer I got in the mail from the Jefferson County Conservation District.

Order the plants now; then go outside to take a critical look around and decide on your strategy. You have a month before they arrive.

Month: January 2011