The Apartment Farm

Trash cans aren’t just for trash anymore, kids. In the days of Rubbermaid, those small, charming silver trash cans seem to be a dying breed. But I like them for their distinct un-plastic-ness, and other people do too, since there’s a whole host of new things you can do with them:

Electric Meat Smoker—get instructions for how to fashion your own at http://www.cruftbox.com/cruft/docs/elecsmoker.html (I originally found this idea in Ready Made Magazine, but they don’t have their instructions posted online—it’s essentially the same as what’s listed at the above website).

Potato Barrel—yes, potatoes can be grown in containers. And the trash can is the perfect size for your balcony or fire escape. You can find instructions at http://www.ciscoe.com/archive/spuds.html .

Water Fountain—this would look great on an urban patio. All you need is a trash can, a five gallon bucket to fit inside (you’ll invert it on the bottom to provide a platform for your water pump) and a water fountain kit (which can be found at most home centers and hardware stores). Follow the instructions that come with your water fountain kit and voila, neat urban fountain.

Compost Bin—drill some holes in the cover for air flow and toss in the good stuff. You’ll have to manually turn the compost every few days or so, so a shovel or compost fork will be good to have around.

Soil Storage—this is why I want one. Since all of my plants are growing in container potting soil, I rotate it by season. At the end of summer growing season, I’ll empty all the containers into the can and mix in some compost, and let it sit through the winter. For winter plantings, I’ll use fresh potting mix, and then trade that out with the stuff in the bin when spring rolls around. This way I’ll always have a good supply of customized potting soil to work with.

For me, this is an awkward time of the garden season. Everything is well established—mulched, watered on schedule and fruiting. There’s harvesting to be done here and there, but really I am watching my peppers and tomatoes. The fruits have reached a nice size, but not quite big enough to harvest. The tomatoes are still holding onto their green color. I can’t wait to see that first hint of red. I am anxious, and waiting. The strawberries seem to be content maturing one at a time, but they go from albino white to luscious red in a matter of days, so that is keeping me contented. And there are other, more routine tasks that should be keeping me busy, while I wait for the tomatoes and peppers (my prizes). I should thin out the herb seedlings that are looking quite leggy. I should replant the oregano that didn’t make it. I should do a second sowing of lettuce (as has been my intention for the better part of a month now, while the container lies fallow). I should be shopping around for a garbage can and a purchased bag of compost so I can fortify and store my soil over the winter. But I can’t help just watching those peppers and tomatoes most days—examining the plant’s leaves and stalks and small fruits that are struggling to get big. The hardest part about gardening is the waiting…

Well, the time has come. It’s hard to believe in this late summer heat wave, but summer is drawing to a close. In less than a month, school will be starting and another year’s carefree summer will be behind us. But there’s still time to enjoy a couple more beach days or barbecues. With a few handy dishes that are easy to prepare, you can steal away for one last picnic or two before the summer is done. Here are some of my favorites:

Kabobs—these are fantastically easy and can be made with ingredients on hand: chicken, beef, pork, potatoes, bell peppers, onion, mushrooms, carrots… whatever is in the pantry. Marinate if you wish (salad dressings like balsamic vinaigrette or Italian are good). Throw whatever you have on a skewer and toss it on the grill.

Sausages—any kind are good on the grill. Char a few sweet peppers to serve alongside.

Fruit salad—cube up some apples and watermelon, toss in some cherries, strawberries, blueberries—again, whatever you happen to have.

Bruchetta—a loaf of crusty French bread, and your choice of toppings—light tomato/basil salsa, soy mozzarella with a drizzle of olive oil and chopped olives, whatever you like.

Pita pockets—throw some ham or strip steaks on the grill and stuff the meat into toasted pita pockets with chopped cherry tomatoes, lettuce and whatever “sauce” you like—hummus, cucumber dressing, whatever is on hand.

Grilled fruit—slice a peach or pear (or anything) in half and grill lightly. Delicious and simple.

And don’t forget the summer classics that are easy to throw together—pasta salad, coleslaw, potato salad and the like. Whatever you have, throw it together when the moment strikes with a blanket and some good company, and you’ll be sure to enjoy the last days of summer to the fullest.

I am always stumped about what to give people for occasions like anniversaries. I’ve come up with a nice solution for those on my list that are foodies or like to cook—the meal basket. It’s a nice way to put together some fancy ingredients you know the recipient would love or might not try on their own. These are also great gifts for young people that have expressed an interest in learning to cook. A few enticing themes are outlined below:

Brunch Basket: gourmet scones or bread mix, specialty jams, jelly and/or butters, flavored sugars, coffee and tea assortment, organic fruit selection.

Italian Dinner: gourmet pasta, pine nuts, artisan cheese, specialty pasta sauce, excellent bottle of wine.

Mexican Dinner: selection of salsas, organic hot peppers, ingredients for a favorite dish such as tacos or burritos, artisan tequila or Mexican beer.

Japanese Dinner: soba noodles, artisan soy sauce, sake, materials/ingredients for sushi (omit the fish for the sushi unless you’re certain your recipient will be using your kit as soon as you deliver it).

One of my favorite ingredients is pumpkin. It’s incredibly versatile—it can be used in baked goods, side dishes, main dishes, sweet or savory. Pumpkin is one of those ingredients that can be crafted into any number of dishes that can please any palate. So in honor of pumpkin, I’ve compiled a listing of great dishes featuring it, along with a few select recipes for some of my favorites. For those dishes where a recipe is not listed, I’ve named cookbooks where I found good recipes or the website www.allrecipes.com is a great resource.

Pumpkin Bread/Muffins

Pumpkin Cookies

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Pancakes/Waffles

Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin Ravioli (Cooking for All Seasons)

Steamed Pumpkin Cubes

Pumpkin Butter

Sesame-Soy Pumpkin Appetizers

Pumpkin Milkshake

Pumpkin Pasta

Pumpkin Polenta (Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2004; Cooking for All Seasons)

Pumpkin Biscuits

Pumpkin Souffles (Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2004)

Pumpkin Dip (Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2004)

Baked Pumpkin Pudding

Layered Pumpkin Gingerbread

Pumpkin Bread/Muffins     This recipe can be baked in either a loaf pan, standard muffin tins, mini muffin tins, or specialty tins (I especially like baking mini bundt cakes with this recipe). The best way to serve pumpkin bread is warm with a little butter—delicious.

1 cup pumpkin                          2 cups flour

2 eggs                                      1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt                        1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ cup vegetable oil                   ½ teaspoon each: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg

¼ teaspoon each: allspice, cloves

1.)    Beat eggs with sugar, salt and spices.

2.)    Mix in pumpkin.

3.)    Add flour, baking powder and baking soda.

4.)    Mix in oil.

5.)    Fill pan or tins and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

Sesame-Soy Pumpkin Appetizers     These are great at cocktail parties or outdoor get-togethers where you want to serve sophisticated finger food.

½ small, sweet pumpkin            oil

sea salt                                     3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons sesame oil           1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 tablespoon fresh ginger          3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons sherry

1.)    Peel pumpkin and cut it into bite-sized cubes.

2.)    Place pumpkin cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 400 for 25 minutes.

3.)    While pumpkin is baking, in a large pan combine honey, sesame oil, sesame seeds, ginger, soy sauce and sherry. Simmer until it reaches a syrupy consistency.

4.)    Add baked pumpkin to syrup and toss gently to coat well.

5.)    Place coated pumpkin onto a baking sheet lined with non-stick paper and bake for another 5 minutes.

6.)    Serve warm on toothpicks.

Pumpkin Pasta     Since this is a handmade pasta recipe, you can cut the dough into any shape you wish—long thin strips, long wide strips, squares, triangles—whatever you want. A simple sauce that goes well with pumpkin pasta is herbed butter—you could add sage, thyme or any other herb to melted butter and toss with the pasta to lightly coat. You could also add a sprinkling of soy cheese or pine nuts if you wish.

½ cup pumpkin puree               1 egg

1 ½ cups high-gluten flour

1.)    Combine pumpkin puree and egg.

2.)    Sift the flour into a pile on your table and make a well in the center. Pour the pumpkin mix into the well.

3.)    Using a fork, start mixing the flour into pumpkin. As the dough starts to come together, use your hands to work in the remaining flour so that it forms a ball.

4.)    Knead the ball by folding and turning the dough until it becomes smooth (should take about 8 minutes).

5.)    Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use (can be made up to 3 days in advance).

6.)    To prepare your pasta, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut into desired shape. Let air dry for about 10 minutes.

7.)    Add pasta to lightly salted boiling water, and boil for 3-4 minutes. (Watch the pasta as it cooks—fresh pasta can be overcooked very easily, so check it for your desired consistency every minute or so).

8.)    Drain pasta in a colander and serve immediately.

I’m a big fan of shadow boxes– it’s brings together the best elements of both the picture frame and the scrapbook. It has more interest than a photo because you have the opportunity to tell a story about the picture. For example, my mom and aunt made one as a gift for me after my wedding– it has a photo of my husband and I at our wedding, a photo of our marriage license, a poem from the back of our program, the cd cover that we gave as favors, and silk red roses and wheat stems. It has a lot of meaning, and goes into much more detail about that moment in our lives than a plain old photo would (though we have plenty of good photos too ). But I only have so much wall space. And I like to mix things up every now and again. So here’s a simple project to turn your would-be shadow box into a cool bottlescape (centerpiece, anyone?).

Materials:

-Large clear bottle

-4-6 smaller sized mementos

-Photo(s) (you’ll be gluing it image-side to the bottle, so a good photocopy on regular typing paper is best)

-Glue

-Chopsticks or metal with a bent hook at end

-Corresponding filler (i.e. sand for beach theme, confetti for party theme, etc.)– you don’t have to have this, but it’s a nice touch.

Instructions:

Okay, here’s a cheat– you can use a jar if you want. If your mementos are small or can take a little folding/smooshing this will definitely work with a small-mouthed bottle. To determine exact placement of your objects in the bottle, use chopsticks or a piece of wire with a bent hook at the end so it can grasp your item and them you can stick it in the bottle. I like to paste photos with clear glue onto the outside of the jar (with the image facing in) to function as a backdrop. (That, and it is kind of difficult to get photos into a bottle without messing them up and making them unviewable). Or, like I said, you can cheat a bit and use a jar. Smooth sided mason jars are good, or if you want go really crazy and do a huge one, cookie or storage jars are neat. The benefit of using bigger jars is that you can be really specific about where you place your items, and you can even permanently affix them with glue (haven’t tried glueing in a bottle– seems like that might be tricky). You can also, obviously, use much larger objects.

I like the idea of little worlds under glass– it’s an unusual way of showing off notable moments that would be forgotten in a photograph alone. So the next time a rainy day comes along, and you’re looking for something to fill your time, you know what to do…

Okay, I have to admit, I’m not a big fan of industrial, obviously-city modern garden themes. I’m not a big fan of modernism in general. I like things that are old and have stories behind them. But these things can be found in the urban enviroment as well. But the thing about city living is, you’re more likely to find some abandoned cinder blocks than chic rusted wheelbarrows. So what do we do with this urban refuse? Plant things! Here are some humble suggestions:

The ubiquitous cinder block– these can be used to create raised beds or borders. I think they look even better when you put additional plants into the holes (stack them with the holes facing up). Succulents look especially fetching, and vining flowering plants soften the look a bit.

Curved ceramic roof tiles– makes a nice decorative border or trough-style planter for succulents or ground-cover-type plants like creeping thyme.

Discarded appliances– the sky’s the limit here- take out all of the electrical components and fill it (whatever it is) with dirt. I think a tv terrarium would be especially cool.

Discarded personal shopping carts– line it with burlap and fill it with dirt. Plant something pretty in the top, then along the sides cut slashes in the burlap every few squares of wire or so and plant stuff in the sides, strawberry-pot-style.

Metal or pvc pipe– You can create trellises, decorative fencing or hanging basket stands by screwing or glueing it together.

Scrap lumber (if you’re pulling this off a job site, make sure it’s clearly in/near the dumpster–  you want the scraps, not stealing framing materials!)– sky’s the limit here too. You can build raised beds, planters, window boxes, fences, or trellis frames, just to name a few.

And the night before trash day, you’re likely to find a lot more treasures– as always, put your imagination to work to use this stuff in new ways in the garden. People will often put still useable stuff next to or on top of the dumpsters instead of in with the yuckies, which I think is nice. Reduce, reuse, recycle– urban style! And what better way to outfit your city digs than with city stuff?

It’s a goal for some and a nightmare for others– the bumper crop of (insert produce here) that you have no idea what to do with. I mean, you can only eat so much of it fresh. Never fear, there are a couple of options that can save the day. Even if you’ve never put up preserves, there a few simple techniques that anyone can master– flavored oils, vinegars, butters, and dressings. Flavored oils can be made by either warm or cold infusion. Usually, you’ll heat your flavoring of choice (herbs, peppers, whatever it is) in the oil until it’s pretty well heated through, then strain and bottle the oil. Fresh oils made in this way are best when used within a week or so, but you can process them for longer shelf life. Flavored vinegars are usually made by steeping your flavoring in vinegar at cooler room temperatures for a period of time as determined by the intensity you’re looking for. These are optimally used in a couple of weeks fresh, but also can be processed. Speciality butters are quite simple– let butter/margarine come to room temperture so it’s spreadable, then work in herbs or other flavorings. Spoon it into ice cube trays or molds (or shape into bricks or balls) and it can be frozen for several months. Salad dressings can be combined by emulsifying (whisking together) your flavored oil and a complementary vinegar. For step-by-step instructions and some fantastic recipes, check out The Herbal Pantry by Emelie Tolley, Flavored Oils by Michael Chiarello, and of course Small Batch Preserving by Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard. And don’t forget, this stuff makes great gifts. Theme sets are fun– try a Southwestern basket with chili-infused oil, vinegar and even butter, or French featuring herbs de provence. Sure to please any taste, and use up that bumper crop to boot.

Canned beans from the store do little justice to what a real green bean is supposed to be. For maximum flavor, green beans (like many other humble yet wonderful vegetables) should be served fresh, with a minimum of preparation. And what better way than a simple, quick saute? The added bonus is that this preparation won’t heat up the kitchen too much in the waning days of summer. You’ll need a handful or two of your favorite fresh beans (we choose a fun purple-podded variety that became mottled with green as it was sauteed), a couple of small shallots, and a few cloves of garlic. You can either leave the beans whole (trim off the ends) or cut them into bite-sized pieces. Toss everything into a pan with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and saute for a few minutes. You can serve these beans as a side dish to just about anything (we like them with scalloped potatoes, honey ham or breaded chicken). They would also be good in salad. However you enjoy them, you’ll be sure to appreciate the flavor of real green beans.

Okay, I know– summer isn’t over yet. But it’s getting close– about a month and a half for most of the country, and we’ll start to feel crispy mornings and see everything turn to shades of gold and burgundy. To be honest, autumn is my favorite season, so maybe I’m season-jumping a bit. But what better time to plan a Harvest Garden Exchange than before the hectic rush of the harvest hits? In order to have a succesful soiree, a few key points should be kept in mind:

1. Themes are your friend– it’s makes your party special, unique and fun.

2. Have an activity planned (this can be elaborate or low-key).

3. Invite a mix of people.

4. Choose food that can be made ahead or go potluck.

5. Be flexible.

The idea behind a Harvest Garden Exchange is potluck. The main activity involves showing off and trading harvest goods. You can pick one type of item, or let people bring what they have. It could be harvested garden seeds, produce, home-canned goods or hand made items. Just make sure that east guest brings enough of their item to share with the group (for example, 12 guests, so 12 jars of jam or packets of seed). If you don’t mind a little friendly competition, you could assign award ribbons county-fair style. To prolong the festivities, plan a hands-on activity. Some good harvest-time activities are fall bulb planting, pumpkin carving, or scarecrow buildling. The meal should be potluck-style, with everyone bringing their fall favorites. Some of my favorite autumn dishes (that are potluck-friendly) are chili with cornbread, 15 bean stew, meat skewers (cooked on a grill), individual beef pies, apple turnovers, pumpkin bread, chewy molasses cookies and pretty much any type of casserole, from scalloped potatoes with ham to a traditional cassoulet. Don’t forget thermoses of apple cider or mulled wine. Outdoors in the mid-afternoon to early evening is the best time for a gathering like this– plenty of daylight hours for the activity, then everyone can settle in to eat and maybe enjoy a bonfire or movie on a projection screen (easy to make with a white sheet stretched taught, and you can rent projectors from office-supply stores) once it starts to get dark. Wizard of Oz is a good fall movie pick. Whatever you choose, get a group of good friends and good food and you’re bound to have a great time.