Welcome Spring

I may be just starting this blog, but spring at the Ranch is well underway.  For us that means thinking about working on the garden, particularly planning a kitchen garden.  We have a raised bed that was build by my father-in-law that is right off the patio, next to the french doors coming out from the kitchen.  Last spring, that raised bed seemed like the perfect place to get our feet wet (and muddy!) as we began a journey of transformation in our front yard.  I should mention that the term "front yard" is a bit of a misnomer when you have no direct neighbors and your overall property is 160 acres.

Back to the raised bed - we cleared it out and designed a layout for a kitchen garden.  The plan was to have it look something like this: Fenced Vegetable Garden from This Old House.  Unfortunately, last year we did not yet have the yard completely enclosed, so the cows were able to stroll through the front yard and sample whatever appealed to them along the way.  Needless to say, my meager collection of must-have herbs were pretty tasty.  I ended up salvaging a couple of basil plants, some Mexican oregano, and some pineapple sage.

This year, the yard is completely enclosed.  However, due to recent rains, the raised bed is now filled with more native flora which I'm in the process of removing.  I'd still like to work from my original plan and have herbs and possibly salad greens there.  The dirt inside this raised bed is very hard and needs an infusion of potting soil along with a lot of digging to loosen things up. 

There is one other feature of this raised bed, which I originally thought was a problem but turned out to be an unexpected bonus later in the season.  There is a moderately sized tree in one corner of the raised bed which yielded a tremendous number of plums (more on that topic later).  This tree provides a bit of shade for the raised bed, and at the moment it is sporting some nice blossoms and baby leaves.

So, the planned seasonings to be provided in this raised bed include:

• Basil (as many varieties as I can find here on the Central Coast)
• Tarragon
• Arugula
• Cilantro
• Parsley (Italian and regular)
• Chives
• Pineapple Sage
• Mexican Oregano
• Lemon Thyme
• Rosemary
• Chervil
• Summer Savory

Note that this list does not include mint.  Mint will be housed in a separate container, elsewhere in the garden so that it does not take over this or any other bed.  I'm fond of mint in cooking, but I've learned my lesson the hard way about where it can be planted.  And, don't get me started about lemon balm, the bane of my previous herb garden.

In addition to sharing my thoughts on the early planning for our kitchen garden, I'd like to share a recipe with you.  This recipe is from my "tried and true" folder on my computer.  I'm not sure where I originally found it, and I've made some changes along the way.  This is a great go-to recipe for a light supper, using ingredients that I tend to always have on hand.  The herbs can be a combination of whatever strikes your fancy as you go out with some scissors to your kitchen garden (or what looks good at your local farmers' market or grocery store).

Alsatian Onion Tart

Ingredients:

One prepared pie crust to fit a 9" pie dish

For the filling:
1 1/2 pounds yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I usually use sweet onions)
1 1/2 tbs. butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup whipping cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of freshly grated nutmeg
2 tbs. freshly chopped thyme (see note above)

Preparation:

If needed, defrost the prepared pie crust until it is pliable enough to lay out in pie dish.  Gently lift the prepared pie crust and line a 9-inch tart pan or pie dish.

Saute the onions in the butter over medium heat until golden brown and translucent, about 12 to 15 minutes.  Mix the sauteed onions together with the eggs, cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and thyme.  Pour the filling into the prepared pie dish, and bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until the filling is set.

Note: I've added sliced mushrooms and diced cooked bacon to the filling on occasion, and both additions proved very tasty.