The Cioppino Post

Photo by Flickrite Kelly Sue DeConnick If you are familiar with this San Francisco favorite, you know there is no definitive recipe other than starting with the catch of the day — whatever that may be. And tomatoes. Then you could add sausage. Or not. And serve it on rice. Or spaghetti. Or as a soup. In other words, Cioppino is a grab-bag, just like this post. I’m hoping,...

The Farm Report: Winter 2010 Edition

Long-time readers were probably wondering when I’d get back to the farm. Well, after nearly six months tending the grapes, harvesting and terrier wrangling (mostly on my own), I was thrilled to get back to San Francisco, where we officially live. With the wine all fermented and snugly sleeping in barrels, there isn’t much to do up in Sonoma. It’s what Judy Collins...

Why Michelle Obama Should Be My Gardenin...

Up here in Sonoma on my own trying to set out my garden has not been as much fun as I thought it would be. The favas are infested with aphids, the Lady Bugs I bought are more interested in partying than eating them, and this is the stage where “gardening” is really about shoveling stuff. Turning soil, digging in compost, hauling stuff. After the dreaming stage of planning...

My New Deal Garden

Two things I’ve been reading about lately: gardening and Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal. Both are related to the economic woes we’re experiencing. Typically, food bills wouldn’t be the bulk of our budget, and not the logical place to cut back. But since we’ve started really trying to focus on organic, local and sustainably-grown vegetables, it’s...

Fever-Induced Ramblings. And Fava Beans.

Still suffering from what must be the worst flu ever — headache, earache, sore throat, fever and chills — so this post will be short and nonsensical. Then padded out with lots of pictures. I’m basing my planting schedule on the progress of the Fava Beans I’ve planted in my three raised beds. My plan was to harvest some and plow some under as green fertilizer...

RFD-TV: Sonoma Edition

Lately, I’ve discovered a great cable channel called RFD-TV, which bills itself as “Rural America’s Most Important Network”. I guess so. It features a whole raft of horse programs such as live coverage of rodeos and the great Parelli Natural Horsemanship (kind of a “do it yourself Horse Whispering”). I find myself fascinated by the Louisiana Ag...