As Local As It Gets

I have always loved to grow things. It's amazing to me how much can happen by simply giving plants the few things they need, and how many different beautiful shapes and colors can burst out of tiny seeds. The time I spend out in the garden (even when tedious, hot, and buggy) is some of the most peaceful and focused that I have. So, this year, after learning so much about the benefits of eating locally and seasonally, it made sense to try and grow as much of our own food as possible. We don't have a lot of space, nor a lot of time to tend a large garden, but I was intrigued by Mel Bartholomew's book Square Foot Gardening, and thought I would try the method out this year. The basic premise is to maximize your space by planning your garden in square foot increments, and optimize your soil by building raised beds and filling them with a mixture of compost, vermiculite, and peat moss (which keeps your plants healthier, reduces the need for weeding and watering, and is relatively maintenance-free). Anyone can do it, even on a rooftop or along the side of your house, and you can grow a surprising amount of food in a small space. Sean and I built three raised beds this year (with a total of 32 square feet of growing space), complete with trellises for climbing veggies, and gave it a try (to learn more about SFG, visit http://www.squarefootgardening.com/). I had a fantastic time ordering heirloom variety seeds from catalogs this winter (my favorite seed company is Seed Savers Exchange, a great organization that is dedicated to reviving and preserving heirloom plant varieties among its members), and started seedlings inside starting in early February. I decided to grow fairly standard (yet heirloom) varieties of vegetables this year, and branch out into some exotic varieties next year if the project was successful. Fast-forwarding to the present, our most successful crops so far have been our peas (Amish Snap), bush beans (Empress), cucumbers (Japanese Climbing), lettuces (Bronze Arrowhead, Buttercrunch, and Australian Yellowleaf), tomatoes (Brandywine, Sweet 100, and Viva Italia), and various herbs. A tad too optimistic, we did not put up any fencing this year, and subsequently have lost all of our kale, most of our swiss chard, our broccoli, our cilantro, and all of my lovingly tended sweet peppers to rabbits, groundhogs, and (we think?) wild turkeys. I would definitely recommend square foot gardening to anyone, even if you have a lot of space for a traditional garden, as it's easy to maintain and looks very pretty all laid out. It's SO satisfying to go outside, pick something ripe and delicious, and cook with it moments later (knowing exactly where it came from, and how it was grown). Just make sure you put up a fence of some kind so that YOU are the one who gets to eat that food, and not your fellow woodland creatures.

To celebrate the bounty you can grow easily from your very own garden (or that you can find at your very own farmer's market), here is a quick pasta sauce recipe that makes the most of the delicious cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and herbs that are at their best right now. Enjoy!

Garden of Eden Pasta Sauce (from Cook's Country)

Makes enough to sauce 1 pound of pasta (suggested varieties: penne, campanelle, and farfalle).

Ingredients:

• 2 large tomatoes, cored and chopped
• 1 yellow or orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 2 scallions, sliced thin
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
• 1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water

Directions:

1. Combine tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber, cheese, scallions, basil, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk oil, vinegar, garlic, cumin, and oregano in a rsmall bowl. Pour oil mixture over tomato mixture and toss to coat. Cover and let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
2. Toss tomato mixture with cooked pasta and reserved pasta cooking water, if necessary to thin sauce. Serve.