Vertical Gardening & Squash Blossoms

Short on garden space, I decided to start growing more veggies vertically this year by training tomatoes to climb a trellis, growing pole instead of bush beans and training Trombetta di Albenga (see April 9, 2011 post) squash to grow up and over a fence.  For the tomatoes and squash I used existing fencing but for the beans I constructed a trellis from livestock fencing as recommended by the Beekman Boys. In January I planted sweet peas next to this fence, followed  this month by a planting of Kentucky Wonder pole beans next to the sweet peas.  The beans are only 4 inches high at present but by the time the sweet peas are finished flowering the beans should be well on their way.  

To learn more about vertical gardening, I attended a lecture by Susan Morrison and Rebecca Sweet, authors of “Gardening Up! Smart Vertical Gardening for Small and Large Spaces.”  Their book has great ideas for getting the most out of a small space with edibles as well as ornamentals. 

Tonight I am using some of the zucchini squash blossoms to prepare this dish adapted from “Vegetable Harvest” by Patricia Wells.

Trombetta di Albenga squash  blossom

Zucchini Blossoms Stuffed With Goat Cheese

8 ounces herbed goat's milk cheese

1 dozen zucchini blossoms with immature squash attached if possible

1/4 cup of fresh herbs (thyme, basil and/or parsley) minced

Sea salt

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place a tablespoon of the olive oil in a ceramic baking dish.  Slit the side of each blossom and pipe or spoon in the goat cheese mixture.  Gently press the blossoms closed and place in the ceramic baking dish.  Sprinkle with sea salt, drizzle with olive oil and cover with foil.  Bake for 20+/- minutes, sprinkle with the fresh herbs & serve. 

P.S.  NPR has a terrific segment “Gather Ye Squash Blossoms While Ye May” with more recipes at this link.  

May Days

"What potent blood hath modest May." Ralph W. Emerson

The garden is awash in blooms: roses, sweet peas, foxglove, sea lavender, nigella, calendula and nasturiums!   The tomato seedlings started in February and transplanted in early April -- albeit with the use of the Wall-o-Waters -- are 4 feet high and laden with blossoms.  A few tiny clusters of cherry tomatoes have formed. I still have a week or so to harvest the remaining artichokes & asparagus and there is plenty of arugula for salads to stave off hunger.

Inspired by Georgeanne Brennan’s book “A Pig in Provence," recounting her early days in Provence establishing her farm and learning to make goat cheese, I tried my hand at making a simple Farmer’s Cheese with goat milk using a variation on a recipe provided by the Fabulous Beekman Boys.   It was delicious & simple to make.  

Farmer’s Cheese with Thyme

Ingredients: 1 gallon of organic goat milk, 1 pinch of salt & the juice of one large lemon

Directions: Pour the goat milk into a stock pot, and whisk in the salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.  As soon as the mixture begins to boil, turn off the heat & stir in the lemon juice. The goat milk should begin to curdle within a few minutes. Pour the mixture through a sieve lined with cheesecloth.  Squeeze out the liquid (whey) and tie the cheesecloth bag to a wooden spoon suspended over the sieve to allow more of the whey to drain off from the curds. After the whey is drained off, mix in a tablespoon of chopped thyme.    

I plan to serve the cheese with arugula, artichokes & asparagus from the garden and some crostini with ham from Iberica, courtesy of The Spanish Table.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!