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Features -
The Home Farmer
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Written by Alicia Ghio
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 Getting out the door for a long weekend getaway is never easy. I think I’ve covered all the bases, but inevitably forget something.
And so, it was not until the ride home from Newport, RI that I realized I forgot to have someone water my garden while we were away and that there was basically nothing in the house to eat for dinner upon our return. Cereal anyone?
As we turned into our driveway the garden came into view … holy cow! The garden welcomed us home with the open arms of summer abundance. Thoughts of cereal swiftly retreated to the cupboard. Dinner was not going to be a problem. |
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Features -
The Home Farmer
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Written by Alicia Ghio
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 What a difference a couple of weeks make! Things have literally exploded in the garden! We now have what I am calling a tomato and tomatillo jungle. Plus, eggplants are on their way, cayenne peppers are turning red and sweet peppers are coming to life. Oh, and did I mention, we’re starting to harvest more than just kale! Yes, we are truly, finally, enjoying the bounty of our garden. While I love all the vegetables I planted, I was most eagerly awaiting the tomatillos. Let me tell you, they did not disappoint. They are wonderfully crisp and tart. Together with an onion and hot pepper from the garden we were able to make a small batch of salsa cruda de tomatillo. And yes, I did beam with pride as we ate it. |
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Features -
The Home Farmer
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Written by Alicia Ghio
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 Frustrated. Frustrated. Frustrated. That pretty much about sums it up. Since my last update there have been many struggles.
The Bad and The Ugly
Remember that adorable little cayenne pepper in one of the photographs from my last update? Well, it’s gone, disappeared, vanished. Something ate it! There was no evidence to trace the theft back to the culprit.
Literally overnight two of my squash plants shriveled and died. I really do mean overnight. I checked in on the garden before heading inside for the evening and all appeared well. The next morning I checked in and they were dead. Now only one squash plant remains. This plant isn’t a star either; it seems to get flowers but they die and no squash. |
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Features -
The Home Farmer
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Written by Alicia Ghio
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 The first day of July was a monumental day for the Ghio household. We had our first official garden harvest! What was on the menu? Kale! It felt so rewarding to cut those leaves and head right to the kitchen to make dinner. It doesn’t get more local or fresh than that.
I wasn’t sure what I was going to make, but I knew my kale wasn’t just going to be for a side dish. It needed to shine in a main course. I decided to make cheesy quinoa and kale. I made it like you would a risotto, even though it wasn’t as creamy (starchy) as it would be with Arborio rice. Nonetheless, the end result was delicious. |
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Features -
The Home Farmer
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Written by Alicia Ghio
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 “You need patience to be a good gardener. If you don’t have patience, and you stick with gardening, it will teach you patience.” ~ Bill Turull Jr. “People, Places and Plants” magazine, N.E. / N.Y. Edition Summer 2005 Yes, patience. My first vegetable garden is teaching me many things, but patience is at the top of the list. It’s a fast paced world out there. It seems with each passing year clients at my day job demand tighter and tighter deadlines. Maybe it’s a byproduct of having so much available at our finger tips on demand. Whatever the reason, I think the virtue of patience is becoming lost. With gardening I see it as a requirement. |
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