tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90566369323159583762024-03-13T09:01:39.400-07:00Organic Sustainable NaturalLife on the farmCindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15241193956953339401noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9056636932315958376.post-37404925280063562992015-07-15T18:50:00.000-07:002015-07-15T18:51:07.889-07:00
We've Moved!
Find us at:
www.organic-sustainable-natural.com
Cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15241193956953339401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9056636932315958376.post-48889489821618526042014-10-01T08:11:00.002-07:002014-10-01T08:13:52.787-07:00The Garlic Chronicles - October is garlic planting time!
Fresh, organic garlic.
Pineywoods Herb Farm has been growing organic garlic for seven or eight years now, and each year the heads are bigger and better than the year before. Last summer we finally had enough large heads to sell... about 20 pounds... for our customers to eat and plant at the proper time.
In mid-to-late October, once the daytime temperature stays below 80, it is Cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15241193956953339401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9056636932315958376.post-55547081584463342372014-09-28T20:12:00.000-07:002014-09-28T20:12:05.244-07:00My Nut Grinder
My old, reliable, pretty, comforting nut grinder. There are many adjectives I could use to describe my little nut grinder but these are the first that come to mind.
My nut grinder is old. The only thing in my life that has been with me longer is my 82-year-old father (of which I am grateful). I remember using this nut grinder when I was a very young girl helping my Cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15241193956953339401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9056636932315958376.post-22276404601315403392014-07-26T17:30:00.000-07:002014-07-26T17:30:48.425-07:00Cucumber Vine SupportsA number of you have been curious about the supporting structure of my cucumber vines shown in the last post. This is an easy way to save valuable garden space when growing something like cucumbers that have many long vines that can quickly overtake a large area in the garden.
The supporting structure is a 16-foot-long cattle panel. My husband cut one section of horizontal Cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15241193956953339401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9056636932315958376.post-91196232817461513452014-07-06T14:22:00.000-07:002014-07-06T14:24:52.091-07:00The Power of Beneficial Insects An organic and sustainable garden/landscape/farming operation can take care of itself. Mother Nature has crime fighters that are ready, willing, and very much able to take bad bugs down.
It is extremely rare for me to have any type of pest or disease problem. I've been gardening organically since the late 1980's, and here at the herb farm since 1996 when we bought the Cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15241193956953339401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9056636932315958376.post-33339139177405106472014-05-31T19:24:00.000-07:002014-06-01T08:19:14.951-07:00Leeks - after the harvest. And a great recipe.In the previous post I mentioned that leeks don't get the culinary respect they deserve, which is unfortunate because they are a great addition to many dishes. Their subtle sweetness really shines when sauteed in butter or olive oil, without the bite or sharpness typically found in onions.
Leeks need to be thoroughly rinsed to eliminate all of the grit (dirt) that may hide out within the Cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15241193956953339401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9056636932315958376.post-84485083606137042572014-05-22T15:03:00.000-07:002014-05-22T15:03:12.966-07:00Allium Harvest
Alliums - Leeks and Onions
The last post detailed our recent garlic harvest. Today I harvested the first batch of leeks and purple onions. Still more in the garden that will be ready over the next couple of weeks.
It doesn't seem like many people grow leeks. Not as popular as garlic and onions, they are nonetheless an important part of my spring and fall garden. &Cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15241193956953339401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9056636932315958376.post-306534277324304372014-05-20T15:43:00.000-07:002014-05-20T15:43:10.312-07:00The Garlic ChroniclesGarlic is in the air... literally. Over 200 heads of garlic are hanging/curing in the breezeway of our barn and the fresh garlic aroma wafting through the air is definitely not something typically associated with barns. But if you're a garlic lover that wonderful aroma is a promise of good things to come!
First batch just pulled, ready to be hung in breezeway
Large, Cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15241193956953339401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9056636932315958376.post-14552150373268340682014-04-10T10:42:00.000-07:002014-04-10T10:42:29.244-07:00In Memory of Shane
Donkey Shane and Simone
If you have been out to Pineywoods Herb Farm within the past couple of years you may have seen little Donkey Shane. Shane just showed up here one day, running through the gate straight down to the barn like she knew just where she was going. I likened it to the saying, "I wasn't born in Texas but got here as fast as I could." Shane wasn't born Cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15241193956953339401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9056636932315958376.post-46176379360656655892014-03-19T09:02:00.002-07:002014-03-19T09:02:47.160-07:00Cilantro - Love it or leave itOver the years I have found that people either love the taste of cilantro or hate it. There rarely seems to be a middle ground. I have served cilantro pesto several times here at the herb farm and most people love it. Cilantro pesto contains a few other ingredients that are strongly-flavored... fresh garlic, Parmesan cheese, extra-virgin olive oil... which help temper the Cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15241193956953339401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9056636932315958376.post-75891032400851347102014-02-19T13:21:00.000-08:002014-02-19T13:21:34.910-08:00Organic? Something to think about.Growing organically is the only way to go, as far as I'm concerned. Not using chemical pesticides, herbicides or fungicides is usually the first step for most people but it is only the beginning. There are other things to think about when you want to keep harmful chemicals out of your food and out of your yard.
The February/March 2014 issue of Mother Earth News has a very Cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15241193956953339401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9056636932315958376.post-42120665398085638482014-02-06T08:40:00.001-08:002014-02-06T09:55:46.147-08:00Garden's Bounty in WinterOne would think that with all the sub-freezing temperatures we've been having lately nothing would be growing in an East Texas garden. Quite the contrary is true. My broccoli plants are making lots of little broccoli heads, the strawberry plants that went into the ground in October are busy beneath the soil surface putting down a good root structure in preparation for spring fruit. &Cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15241193956953339401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9056636932315958376.post-45285363013908933922014-01-29T09:07:00.001-08:002014-01-29T09:07:11.627-08:00Chili - The BestI've been making this chili for years - fifteen at least, maybe closer to twenty. I don't pay attention to any other chili recipe because this one is perfect. And the vegetarian version is great for those times you feel the need to take a beef break, as I sometimes do. Try both versions. You'll thank me.
Mmmm... hot chili on a cold day!
Chili - The Best
About 1 Cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15241193956953339401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9056636932315958376.post-5799532992646543812014-01-19T15:27:00.000-08:002014-01-19T15:49:51.377-08:00Time FliesThe year - 1983. I was wandering among the plants of a small nursery situated on the grounds of a large, stately, two-story home on Main Street in League City, Texas. And they had herb plants! Of course rosemary, but also thyme, chives, oregano, parsley, sage, and probably others as well. I had been to my fair share of plant nurseries over the years but had never Cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15241193956953339401noreply@blogger.com0