January is Seed Season
by Birgitt Evans, Master Gardener and ABG Board Member It’s the most wonderful time of the year! No, not the holidays, silly. Seed season. All your seed catalogs have arrived, the nurseries are chock-full of seeds and it’s time to get out some Post-its and start making your choices. This January, I have harvested broccoli,...Continue reading→
Planting Bare Root Fruit Trees — January is the Time!
Alameda Sun – Thursday, January 13 2022 by Linda Carloni, Board member of Alameda Backyard Growers and Master Gardener Fruit trees can be planted in fall, winter, or spring, but only in winter are bare root trees available. Back in the day, bare root fruit trees were the only way to purchase and plant fruit...Continue reading→
Wreath Making – Fun All Year Round
Alameda Sun – December 9, 2021 by Alison Limoges, Board member of Alameda Backyard Growers, Master Gardener There are many ways to make attractive, decorative wreaths year-round. The variety of possible shapes, sizes, backings, decorations, and attachment methods allow for great creativity. Wreath making provides excellent opportunities to recycle and reuse man-made items and natural...Continue reading→
Sunset Magazine’s Whole Orange Cake
(via Food 52) Marla Koss suggested this recipe as well – it’s a revelation, as well as filled with Vitamin C! Ingredients: 2 sticks (225g) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan 1 1/4 cups (250g) sugar 3 large eggs 2 oranges (about 1 pound/450g), ends trimmed, then cut into chunks and seeds removed...Continue reading→
Persimmon Pumpkin Pie
Marla Koss brings us this delicious twist on a holiday favorite. The recipe has a great depth of flavor from the fruit and is a great way to use up a ripe persimmon or two. Yields enough filling for a single-crust 10-inch pie or a 9-inch pie + 2 oven-safe custard ramekins. Use your own...Continue reading→
Spiced Apple Cider
by Birgitt Evans A delicious beverage for a gathering, and a great start to a festive meal! Ingredients: 1 gallon Apple Juice Peel from 1/2 Orange or 1 Mandarin 10 Whole Cloves 6 Cardamom Pods 2 or 3 3 inch Pieces of Cinnamon Stick Add everything to a heavy bottomed pan and bring just to...Continue reading→
Roasted Delicata Squash and Kale Salad
from Recipes by Love and Lemons Alison Limoges recommends this salad, which was a big success at her Thanksgiving feast. Ingredients: (Serves 2 as a main dish and 4 as a side dish) 1 delicata squash, washed, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced into 1/2 inch segments 1 small red onion, sliced into wedges 1 (15-ounce)...Continue reading→
Lentil Or Split Pea Soup with Greens
by Marla Koss Serves 4 A warming winter soup from Marla Koss, with both vegan and not vegan options! A cozy and yummy way to fit a lot of vegetables. Note: This is a vegan recipe, but to make it unvegan, you can toss a couple boneless, skinless frozen chicken thighs into the pot when...Continue reading→
Pumpkin and Kale Pie
by Margie Siegal What a great idea – a savory main dish squash and greens pie! This pie keeps in the fridge for a week, so if there are only one or two of you, you can get several meals out of one pie. Many of the ingredients in this recipe can be found in...Continue reading→
Broccoli and Bok Choy in October
by Linda Carloni, ABG Board Member Many experts recommend that broccoli and bok choy (as well as other cruciferous vegetables) be planted in the inner East Bay in February/March or from July through September. But I plant mine from seedlings in October. Planting in October risks slow growth if the autumn is cool. But I...Continue reading→