Blog - Page 16 of 40 - Five Feline Farm

Asparagus Quiche

Asparagus is a tender, delicious vegetable and its spring appearance after the long winter makes it a special treat.

One of my favorites ways to use asparagus is in a quiche. The name sounds fancy but it is easy to make. There is no limit to the combinations of vegetables, meats or cheeses that can be used, but this version highlights fresh garden asparagus and chives.

As a bonus it reheats well, so provides lunch for a couple of days.

For a 9 inch quiche

1 pie crust

5 large eggs

1-1/2 cups half and half or milk

1 cup of asparagus, cut into thin rounds

1 cup shredded swiss cheese

1/4 cup minced fresh chives, plus 3 long pieces for garnish

Salt and pepper to taste

Pie crust is quickly made by mixing 1 cup flour and 1/2 tsp salt. Cut in 1/3 cup shortening. Stir in water one tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together into a ball, cleaning the sides of the bowl. Handle as little as possible, kneading only 2 or 3 times to make a smooth ball. Roll into a circle larger than the pie pan and transfer the crust into the pan. Prick the crust or use pie weights to keep the crust from puffing and pre-bake for 10 minutes in 375º oven. (You can use a pre-made crust, if desired.)

Evenly distribute asparagus, cheese and minced chives over bottom of crust. Mix eggs, half and half, salt and pepper. Pour over the filling being careful not to overflow the crust. Add long pieces of chives in a decorative pattern on top.

Bake at 375º for 30 to 40 minutes until the eggs are set and the top lightly browned. Let cool slightly and cut into wedges for serving.

Pair with a crisp green salad fresh from the garden and a glass of chardonnay.

If this recipe intrigues you, check out my book Simply Delicious. Part memoir and part cooking instruction, this is how I cook.

Planting Tomatoes

Our last two posts discussed choosing determinate or indeterminate and the benefits of heirloom varieties. Now you have chosen your tomato plants and it is time to get them in the ground. If you haven’t read those yet, click here and here.

Or is it?

To ensure the best chance of success follow the following steps:

Harden Off

The first thing to ensure success is the process of “hardening off”. This technique helps acclimate your plant to the world of weather outside. All tomatoes grown in Central Illinois are started by seed early in the year inside a greenhouse or other indoor setting. In these controlled environments, the plant does not have an opportunity to adapt to blowing wind or pounding rain.

Wait until the daytime temperatures are above 60º, then set the plants still in their pots in a semi protected but outdoor area for a short period of time each day. At first, the plant’s adjustment may make you think the plants have wilted or are not going to survive. Trust that they will perk up overnight and be ready for their next excursion outdoors. Increase the time outside daily. During this time, limit watering to bare minimums. The goal is to strengthen the plants but keep them alive.

After a week or so of this increasing exposure to the outdoor weather and when the soil temperature is above 50º at 4 inches (or threat of frost has passed), your tomatoes are ready for the garden or patio pot.

Prepare the Planting Bed

Tomatoes need calcium to protect against blossom end rot. Crushed egg shells work perfectly. Save approximately one egg shell for every tomato plant. When ready to plant, crush the eggshells and add a pinch of epsom salts for each egg shell. The epsom salts add magnesium and sulfur to the soil as a fertilizer and support healthy plant growth.

When ready to plant, dig a hole slightly wider than the pot the tomato is in and twice as deep for each plant. Divide the eggshell mixture among each hole and add water. Allow the water to absorb into the soil to dissolve the epsom salts and you are ready to plant.

Plant Deep

For the best strength and success, bury tomato plant to the first set of leaves. This may feel unusually deep but tomato stalks will grow roots all along the stalk and increase the ability of the plant to take up soil nutrients. Most tomato plants will require some type of staking or cage to ensure they remain upright and the fruit stays off the ground. It is best to add this now while the plant is small instead of struggling to contain a large unruly plant.

That’s it. Ensure adequate water if it does not rain and in about 6 weeks, you will be picking your own fresh, ripe tomatoes.

Stay tuned to our social media for progress on our garden and post pictures of your own. Five Feline Farm is on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Why Heirloom Tomatoes?

Heirloom varieties are all the rage, but are they really better?

Last week’s post discussed how the differences between determinate and indeterminate tomato plants. But what if you aren’t planting your own? How do you decide which type to choose?

We prefer heirloom varieties.

First what is an heirloom tomato?

You may also see these referred to as “heritage” or “old time” tomatoes. These are the types that have been around for a very long time, as far back as the Aztecs and Incas. These are the varieties your grandparents would know and raise in their garden. Seeds from heirlooms can be saved to plant the next season and will produce tomatoes consistent with the variety. Non-heirloom or hybrid tomatoes will not produce from saved seeds.

Heirloom tomatoes are typically not those perfect globes found in mass market stores. They also have a shorter shelf life.

Flavor.

When we started the farm and began growing tomatoes, we conducted a taste test. We included a hybrid beefsteak tomato because of all the hype around those big red slicing tomato types like Better Boy. We lined up a slice from each with the variety name hidden and tasted. We quickly found our favorites. While the Better Boy had tomato flavor, it paled in comparison to the others. Our favorites were the German, which is a yellow tomato with a red stripes and Brandywine. These were bursting with full tomato flavor. We haven’t grown a hybrid since.

Your best bet to ensure a fresh, delicious, full-flavored tomato is to either grow your own or buy at a local farmer’s market.

Five Feline Farm will be at the 18^th Street Farmer’s Market all summer with tomatoes in season as well as other fresh produce. Stop by and see us.

How To Choose Determinate or Indeterminate Tomato Plants

Are you anxious to experience that warm taste bud tingling bite of juicy tomato on top of a burger or the classic bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich with a tomato you grew yourself? Or maybe you dream of a plate of red and yellow tomatoes interspersed with slices of fresh mozzarella cheese, sprinkled with finely shredded basil and drizzled with olive oil.

Then you walk into a garden center to buy your plants and the number of different varieties of tomatoes is overwhelming.

This post aims to breakdown one of the more confusing questions around tomato plants.

Determinate vs. Indeterminate

What on earth could that mean to a tomato?

Determinate

A determinate plant is one with a limit to growth and production during the season. The plant will remain compact and is the best choice for a container garden. This limit to growth also means that at the peak of it’s growth cycle, it will also stop producing tomatoes.

Indeterminate

The indeterminate variety will continue to grow and unless pruned will grow throughout the season becoming taller and taller, sometimes almost tree like. It will continue to produce fruit until frost or the gardener pulls it out of the ground. Indeterminate plants need to be in a garden or deep enough soil to support the large plant. These tomatoes also need to be staked, caged or somehow supported to keep them upright.

How do you know?

We recommend you buy plants directly from the grower. Check your local farmer’s market in April and May for vendors who have plants for sale. The farmer will know what type of plant they are offering and will be more than happy to tell you all about their tomato plants.

If you are shopping in a garden center, check the plant tag. It will specify determinate or indeterminate as well as several other facts that will help you choose the best tomato plant for you.

We will cover a few more of these in our next blog posts.

As always you can keep up with Five Feline Farm activities on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.