Late fall and early winter have always been the saddest time of year for me. This is the furthest point in the calendar year from tending to growing fruits and vegetables. I think this must be why somebody bunched so many holidays together at this time…to help us forget the bleak frozen dirt outside our doors.

But I’m never one to give up easily. Which is why I keep planting well into fall, and make sure that at least a few of our 52 garden beds have something hardy and green in them for as long as mother nature-ly possible.

We’ve had many frosts this year, but luckily they’ve been fairly shallow. We were able to harvest a full range of garden fresh vegetables for the Thanksgiving table. And we hope to continue through Christmas with a little sun and continued luck.

Then in January, the seed catalogs start coming…and I can spot the light at the end of the tunnel.

Take a look at our garden as of the end of November in the slide show below. (Captions below pictures.) Maybe you’ll get some ideas to extend your own garden next winter:

Pig Compost

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Part of the reason we raised our pigs this year was to help compost the years of brush and branches that had been dumped into our old silo foundation (which served as their pen.) Porky and Bess did their job well, and we just scooped a large pile of lovely black pig manure/compost from their home. We're using it to top-off any garden beds which have lost some dirt.

For the final event of America’s Oldest, Largest Garden Party, we asked all of the party “guests” to submit the best recipes their gardens inspired.

There’s a lot of culinary talent out there!  Who are we to judge?!

We enlisted the help of Chez Panisse chef extraordinaire and celebrity gardener Alice Waters to help us choose the winner.

We don’t know how she did it, but she was able to whittle all of the submissions down to one.

And the winner is…

Susan Loube and her succulent Lamb Stew.

Alice said:

“I chose Susan Loube’s Lamb Stew.  Here at Chez Panisse, we do a similar dish in the café with braised lamb shoulders along with other Moroccan spices including toasted cardamom, cumin, and coriander.  I really enjoyed reading through all of these recipes–it was an honor to be the guest judge!”

See how we made Susan’s Lamb Stew at Beekman 1802

and

Check out all of the other recipes submitted by our talented readers.

Alice Waters

September Contest: The Best Recipe from Your Garden

Celebrity Garden Judge: Alice Waters

Prize: A full set of tools from OXO that will take you all the way from the garden to the dining room table

When we first conceptualized America’s Oldest Largest Garden Party, the idea was to inspire as many backyard gardeners as we could.  We had know idea that the little monthly contests originating from the kitchen table at The Beekman Farm would reach so many people in so many different places.

Of course, this success was really dependent on two things:  the amazing tips submitted by all of our readers and the white hot star power of our panel of celebrity gardening judges.

As you know, the Garden Party contests have followed the growing season.  The first contest was about getting your seeds started, then getting the plants in the ground, then controlling for weeds and so forth.  It seemed fitting that just as we are making final preparations for our first annual Harvest Feast (click here for ticket information), that the final contest this season was all about the best recipes you’ve created from your own garden.

How excited were we when one of the gardeners (and chefs) who inspires us the most agreed to step up to judge the contest?

One of America’s most influential chefs, Alice Waters created a revolution in 1971 when she introduced local, organic fare at her Berkeley, California restaurant, Chez Panisse. Credited for helping change the food landscape in America, Chez Panisse was named best restaurant in the United States by Gourmet Magazine in 2001. Waters has championed sustainable farms and ranches for more than three decades  (our hero!), and brought her vision to public schools through the Chez Panisse Foundation (www.chezpanissefoundation.org). The Foundation operates The Edible Schoolyard at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School in Berkeley, where students plant, harvest, and prepare fresh food as part of the academic curriculum. Waters is the Founder of the Yale Sustainable Food Project, and Vice President of Slow Food International. She is the recipient of the Natural Resources Defense Council Force for Nature Award, 2004 and the Harvard Global Environmental Citizen Award alongside Kofi Annan, in 2008.

Having such a farm-to-table pioneer as a judge meant that we had to make this month’s prize extra special, so we went back to our friends at OXO and look what they provided:

Not only all of this...

...but ALSO all of this!

It’s everything you need to work the garden and whip the harvest into something amazing.

To enter the contest, all you have to do is submit your best original recipe.  Alice won’t be able to prepare each and every recipe (she has a restaurant and foundation to run!), but she’ll base her decision on creativity, originality and the ingredients used.

Submit your recipe in the comments section below and be sure to tell us which ingredients  you grew in your garden.

Good luck!!

After much deliberation (and after we told her there simply couldn’t be a tie), Suzy has chosen the winner of our Month of August contest.

There were many wonderful ideas for giving gifts from the garden (some of which we’ve already used ourselves), but we forced Suzy to choose only one (sometimes we are just sticklers for the rules)

And the winner is…

Laurie!!!

Laurie said:

With an overabundance of tomatoes and bar-b-q season still in full force, I gather up a big batch of tomatoes, de-seed them, remove their skins and slow cook them until they are soft. After cooling them, they get pureed in my blender, with an added bit of sea salt, basil, roasted onions and red bell peppers from the garden. When all is nice and smooth, I bottle up my home made “ketsup” and send the bottles to friends, in a basket, along with some fresh, unhusked corn, a bbq utensil or two and fresh baked goodies like bread rolls. I include a few recipes for burgers, pork and steak. My ketsup goes great on top of bar-b-qed foodstuffs!

Suzy is REALLY hoping that Laurie will share her ketsup recipe (and we are, too!)

Congratulations, Laurie!!!

Suzy Bales

August Contest: The Best Ideas for Giving Gifts from The Garden

Celebrity Garden Judge: Suzy Bales

Prize: Signed copies of Suzy’s last three books!

August is the time of year when all of that work in the garden finally starts to pay off.

If you are anything like us, you always have more than enough to go around after the harvest, even accounting for all the freezing, canning and pickling.

And, if you are anything like us you’ve learned that giving some of what you’ve grown to friends or family (or, in the case of zucchini, perfect strangers) can be equally as thrilling.  Maybe it’s because it makes you feel generous but it also helps you brag a little in a very furtive way:  Look what I did!!

We love to come up with creative ideas for giving gift from the garden and we’re sure you have some great share.

We couldn’t think of a better person to take a look at your ideas than Suzy Bales.

Suzy delights in sharing her garden with friends and family. In her book, Garden Parties she inspires fancifully fun parties that transform outdoor spaces into enchanting playgrounds for the senses—the plants, the décor, and the food intermingle to create truly memorable themes.

Suzy had her own weekly gardening column in Newsday for two years before joining Family Circle as their contributing garden editor for twelve years. She wrote a column for The New York Times for a year before joining Better Homes & Gardens as the Senior Editor for Gardening and Outdoor Living from 2004 until early 2007.  She has been featured in Ladies Home Journal, House Beautiful, Better Homes and Gardens, Horticulture, Beautiful Gardens, and Easy Gardening.

Get inspired for your own garden gifts (and contest entries) by taking a browse through Suzy’s own website.

Submit your ideas for giving gifts from the garden in the comments section below.

Submit any photos to:  beekman1802@beekman1802.com

Win these!!

July's Winning Tip

The July gardeners were out in full-force with a bevy of great tips for keeping weeds out of the garden.

Lucky for us we didn’t have to judge.  We left that up to celebrity gardening judge, Jerry Baker.

Drum roll, please…

Tess submitted the following tip:

I shred EVERY paper item I can get my hands on! From cereal boxes to junk mail…it all goes through the shredder and into the garden. Believe it or not, layers of this works better than anything else I have ever tried at keeping weeds OUT of my garden! The plus plus side is I know that by re-cycling in this manner I am doing my share of being “Green” and that feels good!!

What Jerry said:
” The ideas submitted  for controlling weeds were all terrific, but I chose Tess’s for its earth-friendly approach. She’s a gardener whose thumb is really green.”

Congratulations, Tess!!

Want your chance to win big?  Check out our MONTH OF AUGUST contest with guest judge, gardening guru Suzy Bales

Radish Seed Pods

Maybe the tastiest joys of early summer are baby turnips. Most of us associate turnips as one of the stoic, tough, hard-boiled root staples that get us through a long hard winter. But when planted and harvested earlier in the year, they’re like little amethyst jewels which can either be steamed, roasted, or even grated raw into a slaw.

Baby Turnips are an early garden treat.

If there’s one thing you’ve probably learned about us, it’s that we really don’t like to waste anything – especially food.  So what makes harvesting “premature” turnips even more wonderful is that their greens are also at a great stage for eating. They’re not yet at that hafta-boil-the-hell-outta-em stage.

Below is one of our favorite recipes using baby turnips, their greens, and a few other great leaves of summer. You’d be hardpressed to find a healthier salad anywhere, and this one can be served either hot or room temperature.

3-GREEN BABY TURNIP SALAD with Honey Mustard Dressing.

1 bunch of baby turnips, with greens (each turnip 1-3 inches in diameter.)

1 bunch swiss chard

1 bunch early mustard greens

(any type of early cooking green can be substituted – baby kale, baby collards…)

2 T olive oil

zest of one lemon

For Dressing

2 t honey

1 t white wine vinegar

1 t lemon juice

1 t dry mustard

2 t olive oil

salt, pepper to taste

First separate turnips from greens, remove root. Be sure to leave 1/4 of stems left on turnips. (Never slice root top off any root vegetables before cooking – beets, turnips, rutabagas, etc. The flavor and vitamins will drain while cooking.)

Always leave a little of the tops on when roasting root vegetables.

Place turnip bulbs in shallow pan, coat with oil, cover, and place in 400 degree oven for approx 20 – 30 minutes. They’re done when easily pierced with knife.

L to R.: Ruby Red Swiss Chard, Lucullus Chard, Osaka Purple Mustard, Purple Top turnip greens.

While turnips are roasting, wash all greens. This sounds simpler than it really is. Chard, mustard, and turnip leaves have deep ridges that hold a lot of sand, dirt, and bugs. The easiest way to thoroughly wash these greens is to submerge in a sink full of cold water then rinse each one separately as you remove them. No need to dry them. They’ll be boiled. Slice away and discard any tough stems on anything other than the chard. On the chard, slice away the beautiful stems and cut into one inch segments.

Chop remaining greens coarsely.

Bring pot of water to boil, add chard stems first, then three minutes later add chopped greens. Cover. Boil until just tender – only about 10 minutes, tops. You’ll want them to retain a little more texture than the more familiar wintertime boiled collards.

Combine ingredients for dressing, and shake vigorously.

Drain greens (save juice for soups or even drinking,) and allow to cool with finished turnips. Then arrange in bowl or plate, top with turnips, sprinkle with lemon zest, and drizzle with dressing.

Sweet, earthy, sharp and a little bitter...like ourselves!

Enjoy this dish on a rainy summer day…maybe one with a slight chill. The earthy, warm taste of the greens and turnips might be a little reminiscent of cooler seasons, but the surprising brightness of their younger flavors will remind you to celebrate summer even more.

Soft spinach leaves are complimented by the peppery bite of nasturtium (they’re also pretty nice to look at!). Grapes add a touch of sweetness without being overpowering and the chives, oniony and crisp, add yet another dimension. Whether you serve it with the cheese or without, is entirely up to you.

Makes 4 servings
Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 cups packed (8 ounces) washed and well-dried spinach, preferably flat leaf or baby
2 cups loosely packed nasturtium flowers and leaves (leaves torn if large)
1 cup seedless red grapes, halved lengthwise
3 flowering chives, greens thinly sliced, flowers torn
4 ounces goat feta, crumbled, optional

Preparation

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, honey, and salt until well combined. Add the spinach, nasturtium flowers and leaves, grapes, and chives and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Each week this summer, we’re working with our friend, Sandy Gluck, to develop original recipes fresh from the garden. Next week, the carrots should be ready

July's judge: Jerry Baker

THE CONTEST: Tell us your tips for controlling weeds in the garden

THE PRIZE: The OXO Good Grips Gardening Tool Kit

CELEBRITY JUDGE: Jerry Baker

Leave your best tip for controlling weeds in your garden (the all-natural way of course) in the comment section below.  At the end of the month, Jerry will choose his favorite tip.

Last year when a violent wind storm split our cherry-laden tree in half, we knew exactly to whom to turn to save it.

In his younger days, Jerry Baker was an undercover cop in Detroit, Michigan, posing as a gardener, tree trimmer, landscaper, and seed salesman. While recovering from a job-related injury, he decided to turn to the more tranquil pursuit of gardening. Through a lot of hard work, Jerry eventually became America’s #1 expert on lawn, garden, and plant care. Jerry’s folksy humor, practical know-how, and homespun philosophy are in part derived from his Grandma Putnam, a Native American who first taught him to talk to plants. Jerry lived with her for several of his most formative years, and it was she who instilled in him a deep respect for Mother Nature, Mother Earth, and all things green and growing.

Since his days with Grandma Putt, Jerry’s been on a mission to spread the gardening gospel, along with many thousands of tips, tricks, and tonics he’s developed along the way.

Jerry first gained a measure of fame and notoriety with the publication of his runaway bestseller, Plants Are Like People, in 1972. He was also the guy who started the national craze of talking to your plants with the publication of a book by the same title. Since then, Jerry has written more than 50 books, and more than twenty million copies of his books have been sold, including his bestsellers Grandma Putt’s Old-Time Vinegar, Garlic, Baking Soda, and 101 More Problem Solvers; Terrific Garden Tonics; and Oddball Ointments, Powerful Potions, and Fabulous Folk Remedies.

And in the late 1990s, he had his own gardening specials that aired on Public Television stations across the country. These shows featured his timely tips, tricks, and tonics on such topics as lawn, flower, tree, shrub, and evergreen care. They were very successful, and were among the most popular programs on PBS at the time.

Jerry entered the 21st century by going online (www.jerrybaker.com) in February 1998. His website features a Bookstore, Health Store, and Garden Store, as well as “Grandma Putt’s Daily Wisdom,” archived articles that’ll answer your FAQs, and Jerry’s weekly blog. That means he can bring you even more of his great garden tips, tricks, and tonics; household hints; and fast fixes and quick cures at the click of a mouse.

Gardening isn’t what it used to be, but after all of these years, Jerry still longingly looks back to those days he spent with his Grandma Putt, who said that all a fellow (or gal) needs is the good earth, a handful of seeds, a little “grow-how,” and a desire to get back to basics. It was that simple back in her day, and it’s still that simple today.

Win this!

Leave your best tip for controlling weeds in your garden (the all-natural way of course) in the comment section below.  At the end of the month, Jerry will choose his favorite tip.

June's best tip

Our celebrity gardening judge for the Month of June had a hard time choosing the best tip for controlling pests in the garden the all-natural way.  In fact, her exact words were “they’re all winners”!  But we told her we only had one fabulous OXO prize to give away this month, so she had to narrow it down to just one.

She chose reader Kenn’s tip because it was both “smart and kind”

Kenn wrote:

My biggest issue is rabbits. Cute as they may be, they tend to enjoy the plants I love most. Fencing is ugly, and I’m not about to do anything inhumane.. so I give them something else to munch on.. borders made of lettuce. Throughout the season, I plant a variety of lettuces at the borders edge of my flower garden. They seem to never get further than the border for their feast! They hop off well fed, and I’m happy that there are no destroyed plants.

Congratulations, Kenn!!

Annie also shared with  us some of her own genius tips for controlling pests in the garden.

THE HAND’S ON APPROACH
–Pick bugs off the plant.
–Place paper collars around plant stems.
–Wrap tree trunks in heavy paper such as poster board and then brushwith a sticky substance like honey. The bugs will get stuck.
–Broken eggshells are a deterrent to many bugs who don’t like to walk through them.
–Vacuum bugs off with a vacuum cleaner.

SOAP IT UP

Soap is one of the all-time best folk formulas for a pesticide. It disrupts the insect’s cell membranes, killing the pest through dehydration.

1-2 tablespoons liquid soap
1 gallon water

Combine ingredients in a pan. Transfer 2 cups to a spray bottle. Spray infested areas. Do not use more than 2 tablespoons of soap; too much can kill the leaves.  Note: Detergent will not work, so make sure what you’re using is real soap. Liquid vegetable-oil soap called castile soap sold at health food stores is best.

GARLIC SPRAY

Garlic has amazing pest repellent qualities, keeping many different kinds of insects and other pests that can destroy your favorite plants at bay.

1 head garlic
2 cups boiling water
2 cups room temperature water

Peel and mash the garlic. Place it in a pint mason jar and cover with boiling water. Screw on the lid and let set overnight. Strain. Freeze 1 cup of the infusion to use another time; put the rest in a spray bottle with 1 more cup of water. Spray on infested areas.

Variations
Soapy: Add 2 teaspoons vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon liquid soap to the garlic infusion before dividing the batch in two.
Spicy: Combine any of the following in the garlic infusion — scallions and onions, horseradish root, ginger, rhubarb leaves, cayenne and other hot peppers. Add 1 teaspoon liquid soap.
Oniony: Combine an onion and a few hot peppers with the head of garlic in a blender with enough water to cover. Strain. Freeze what you don’t use.

VEGETABLE OIL SPRAY
This is a popular spray for orchards. The oil suffocates insects.

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon liquid soap
2 quarts water

Combine ingredients in a pail. Transfer 2 cups to a spray bottle. Spray infected areas.

Don’t forget to submit your best tips for managing weeds in the garden in our Month of July contest.  The next winner could be you!