Heirloom Veggies...

Since growing up, I can remember that first taste of summer. It was usually a red, perfectly juicy sandwich tomato that was sliced up. Then my parents would sprinkle a little salt or sugar on it. Delicious.

The taste of summer seemed even more vibrant with the vegetables coming from my great grandmother's garden. The flowers were also gorgeous- especially the gladiolus in a rainbow of colors. It was a mystery, up until the moment the buds showed their first tinge of color. It was one of my favorite places to be when I was younger.

As kids, I'm sure we had our battles with not eating our vegetables. Then again, our vegetables were usually sweet corn, carrots, green beans, onions, potatoes and tomatoes- the real hearty ones that were usually eaten with a pork chop or steak. Broccoli seemed foreign to us. Hard to believe, most of our vegetables came from cans even though we had a nice sized garden, with the exception of the tomatoes.

Since having the space now at the community garden and getting older, I want to go back to a simpler time. In my down time, I have an interest in food- learning about where it comes from, tips for gardening, and of course- lots and lots of cooking. This also compounded, as the slow food movement came into play. I was fascinated by Jamie Oliver coming to America and seeing firsthand, the ingredients that go into school lunches for children. It also opened my eyes as to how I was eating and changes that I needed to make in order to avoid preservatives or chemicals.

Here is Jamie dressed up as a pea, and helping to make vegetable a little more exciting...

This year with the warm weather and my interests in food, I am ready more than ever to get gardening. I'm especially focusing on heirloom vegetables (specifically tomatoes) because so many have a complex taste, the rainbow of colors, and variety names that will make you smile.

Here are some tomato varieties that I have started from seeds, or hope to in the very near future for this growing season:

Amish Paste- sauce tomato (red), originally from the Lancaster, PA area
Black Krim- sandwich tomato (black/ dark purple-red), from Krimm, Russia
Black Ruffles- sandwich tomato (black, fluted/ pleated tomato)
Black Sea Man- sandwich tomato (dark purple-red, red and green centers when sliced), from Russia
Egg Yolk- cherry tomato (yellow, very similar to an egg yolk!), from a Missouri garden
German Pink- large sandwich tomato (red-pink), Bavarian heirloom
Green Zebra-  small to medium sized (green and yellow stripes), from Washington in 1983- recent
Gold Medal- medium to large sandwich tomato (gold/ yellow and red bicolor), originally from 1921 
Lemon Drop- cherry tomato (yellow, tart flavor), found as a sport on a white tomato plant  
Japanese Black Trifele- (dark purple-red),  Russian heirloom that is great for canning!
Kellogg's Breakfast- large beefsteak (orange), from West Virginia and tomatoes weight 1-2 lbs.
Nyagous- medium sandwich tomato (black), almost blemish free tomatoes in clusters
Red Fig-  small cherry tomato with a fig like shape, from PA in 1805 and used as a substitute for figs
Rosso Sicilian- paste or slicing tomato (red- fluted/pleated), one of the prettiest tomatoes- from Italy
Striped Cavern- slicing/ stuffing tomato (red/ yellow bicolor), shape is similar to a bell pepper
Sweet Pea Currant-  pea sized red tomatoes, great flavor but I'm going to resent picking these
Wholly Blue Jay- I'm not sure... I ordered it from a Seed Savers Exchange member- we will find out!

And others such as Ferris Wheel, Pork Chop (I live in Iowa after all!), Berkley Tie Dye, and more!

Spring brings seed starting...

Lately, its been so nice outside...

Spring is right around the corner and I'm starting to think ahead about this year's garden.
Last year, I wasn't prepared and purchased my flowers and vegetable plants, unless I sowed seeds directly into the garden plot. Flying by the seat of your pants gardening!

This year, I'm planning on starting my heirloom tomatoes and peppers. Last Labor Day, Elizabeth (my friend and one of my gardening buddies) and I checked out the Seed Savers Tomato Tasting in Decorah, Iowa. We sampled 30+ tomatoes and then purchased seeds, and lots of them!

Here are some of my tricks and tips:

For a biodegradable seed starting option, try eggshells! Start saving eggshells a couple of weeks before you plan on sowing seeds. With each half, fill with seed starting medium or even a container planting mix. The egg cartons can be used as trays. Make sure there are holes in the bottom of the carton to allow for drainage. Follow your seed sowing instructions, and place on a heating mat or near a window. In a short amount of time, you should start seeing some great results...
When you are ready to move these to the garden, you can plant shells and all. 

There are also other great seed starting products available. Jiffy pots, peat pots, mini greenhouse seed starting kits, heating mats, Gro Lights, and the list goes on. Make sure you use a seed starting mix and then afterwards you can transplant your seedlings to a container potting mix and peat pots, unless you are using Jiffy pots. Make sure to follow the seed sowing instructions for best results- planting depth is very important!

Good luck!