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Lisa Staffelbach with Garden Inspirations

The FarmGirls have been busy with vegetable garden classes, DFW Truck Farm events, and preservation classes.   We are preparing for our upcoming Christmas and wreath making workshops that we are teaching through Light House for Learning Monday, November 5th and Monday, December 3rd, 2012, we would love for you to join us.

 

Like many gardeners this season, our leafy vegetables have been plagued with caterpillars in our fall garden.  This is an important reminder to walk through the gardens and keep a watchful eye on the plants.  We have sprinkled a product, Dipel Dust, on our leafy greens and it contains BT which is non-selective and kills all above ground worms.  BT is also found in a liquid product called Thuricide that can also be sprayed on vegetables.  This is a biological control and accepted in an organic program. 

 

Our mission is to encourage people to eat local and fresh foods even if that means there might be some holes in the leafy greens but remember, when vegetables are grown on your property you will know the integrity of the vegetables served at your table.  Our hope is to provide an opportunity for everyone to learn how to successfully grow their own vegetables.

 

If life is too busy to grow your own food, you can still be pro-active and meet the local growers at your farmer’s markets.  Asking the farmers questions is another way to find out the quality and integrity of the foods you are choosing.  Some questions you might ask at the market:  What methods are used?  Are the vegetables pesticide free?   Did you grow the vegetables or are they purchased from another grower?  

 

We find that many gardeners are on a mission to healthier lifestyle. They have planted and grown the finest vegetables but are overwhelmed with the bountiful harvest or perhaps, they want to purchase from the farmer’s market but are perplexed at the vegetables available.  What do they do with mustard greens, collards, kale, and Swiss chard?

 

Recently we invited Chef Lisa Staffelbach, a personal chef and health coach from 24 Carrot Health, to our Grow It * Eat It * Store It vegetable garden class.  She prepared the most delicious foods from our garden’s bounty.  We have a field of red giant mustard and it has a strong bite.  This was not a challenge for good healthy eating as she prepared a beautiful and delicious mustard pie, braised kohlrabi and turnips, and squash noodles.  Our personal favorite was the squash noodles.  As adventurous as the FarmGirls are, squash noodles were a first for us! This dish had an amazing taste, texture and flavor.  The students swore she used butter but we all watched her prepare the recipe and she did it without any butter.  Our goal for our students is to learn how to grow foods that do well in North Texas, learn how to prepare and eat the foods, and store the foods for later use throughout the year.  We feel that Chef Lisa helped us attain that goal by providing simple and superb recipes in our class.

 

Eating healthier does require some lifestyle changes, but change can be good.  Experimenting with vegetables that grow particularly well in North Central Texas is a lot of fun, are you up for the challenge?

Join the FarmGirls online, on the radio, or in a class to learn more about organic vegetable gardening in North Texas.  Tune in every Friday to The FarmGirls Organic Gardening Radio Show on KAAM 770 AM at 1:00 PM, just after your organic lunch.   Like us on Facebook at Garden Inspirations as we continue to make friends over the FarmGirls’ garden gate…

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A local tea plus garden tour:

Written by Marilyn Simmons

Note from the publishing date, even though this happened in October - we felt that posting it would be a fun read, as it was with local chefs and a local event!  The food was delicious and the rose jelly was amazingly local!

The FarmsGirls are board members of The Green Garden Club of Ellis County, the garden club promotes sound organic practices and is an affiliate of Texas Garden Clubs Inc. The club meets the second Tuesday of every month, 7:00 PM, at the Farley Street Baptist Church. We have covered wonderful garden topics including bee keeping, attracting birds, native plants, bulbs and soil structure. On October 13, The Green Garden Club hosted the first annual garden tea tour.

The club members spent 6 months gathering approximately 800 unique mugs, tea cups and saucers, plates, silverware, and fine decor to serve the 160 guests. The club designed five tea parties in one with three Dallas based chefs who showcased a fine cuisine in five Ellis County gardens.

The home owners on the tour diligently worked toward a garden goal while some built a dynasty, others added a bed here and there. The passion, the skill, and craftsmanship of each garden owner were evident on this tour.

The Green Garden Tour began in Rocket at the home of Alice O’Neal who opened her garden gate to the guests as they enjoyed an "Alice in Wonderland" theme. The guests were greeted by The Mad Hatter and a life sized Queen of Hearts ordering the garden to be painted red; guests enjoyed a mug of hot tea and strolled through her lovely shade gardens. Alice spent many hours in her garden making sure that her winding pathways, water feature, dry creek beds, sitting areas, and vine covered gazebo were in perfect display.

The second home, hosted by Ted and Bea Rocha, also a board member of The Green Garden Club, was a formal affair. Ted, an accomplished wood craftsman, and Bea, a well- traveled business woman, have mastered an artful garden with a beautiful wood crafted arbor, a tree trunk table, and water features. Chef Lisa Staffelbach from 24 Carrot Health featured scones, fruit salad, clotted cream, and jellies as the guests on the tour dined while having "Tea at Bea’s".

"Kick it Up Texas" was the theme for the lunch portion of the garden tea tour. Master Gardener duo, James and Melinda Kocian of Waxahachie, hosted the third tea. Chef Kevin Stewart and a host of volunteers featured rose-lemon glazed quail served with a quinoa salad from the Kocian’s lavish outdoor kitchen. Memories and stories unfold as James and Melinda walked guest through their gardens. The general store looking outdoor buildings evolved from a fallen hundred year old home that came with the farm and the earth kind rose gardens are a collection to see.

The next stop was in Waxahachie at John and Arlene Hamilton’s historic home. This mostly edible landscape was our touch and feel garden, and went with our "Herbal Dessert" theme. Arlene’s love for herbs has dubbed her The Sagey Lady. Scented basil, thyme, rosemary, lavender, and many fragrant blends greeted guest in this back yard treat. The towering bay laurel was a show stopper. The Green Garden Club’s finest tea cups with herbal teas were the spotlight for the lovely desert tea. Chef Josephine Rihoo served not only special herb blended teas, but also warmed the hearts of the guests with hospitality.

The final destination of the garden tea tour was a country drive to Ed and Suzanne Stegemoller, members of the Green Garden Club) farm in Ennis, Texas for a "tea to go". This garden is mesmerizing and the beautiful water gardens have earned their name, Winding Creeks. The tea featured at this property was a sparkling blend of gingerale and black tea. Guests gathered in the various garden nooks sitting on quaint park benches and sipped tea, it was a perfect way to end the tour in a tranquil water garden oasis.

Donelle and I ended our day visiting with Ed and Suzanne watching the sunset over Winding Creek, thankful for a wonderful garden tea tour provided with beautiful gardens and new friendships. We have a fun garden club learn more at

www. greengardenclub.org Join the FarmGirls online, on the radio, or in a class to learn more about organic vegetable gardening in North Texas. Tune in every Friday to The FarmGirls Organic Gardening Radio Show on KAAM 770 AM at 1:00 PM, just after your organic lunch. Like us on Facebook at Garden Inspirations as we continue to make friends over the FarmGirls’ garden gate…