Day 1: Vegetable curry with carrots, potatoes, spinach and chickpeas
Day 2: Butternut squash soup, Corn muffins
Day 3: Homemade pizza, Greenhouse spinach salad
Day 4: White beans and bacon, Balsamic roasted brussels sprouts
Day 5: Chicken fajitas (peppers from frozen supply)
Day 6: Tuna salad, Carrot sticks
Day 7: Pork steak, Creamed spinach, Sautéed beets with orange yogurt dressing
Notes: Garden Prep
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First, a quick note on meals this week. I maaaay have over done it on the spinach! It just tempts me so much in the store because there is a local greenhouse growing it and I’m not sure how long the growers can continue the supply. It won’t be long before I can no longer get any fresh greens locally and they won’t show up again until April. If you can find fresh spinach too, then gobble up those vitamin packed leaves while you can. If you can’t find any local spinach, you can substitute fresh kale or frozen spinach in the curry and creamed spinach recipes. Cabbage makes a great winter substitute for a fresh side salad to go with pizza.
Now on to gardening… A few weeks ago I sent out a “public service announcement” to sign up for a CSA. This week, my PSA is to tell you to get going on planning a garden. It seems strange to start this process in January, but you will be more successful if you do. It doesn’t take too much time, you just need to figure out what you want to grow and how much space you will need and then get the right supplies.
With the slower pace of winter, here are some actionable steps you can take to start your garden preparation:
- Pick up a few gardening books. I like The Old Farmer’s Almanac Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook. It is very thorough.
- Figure out where to plant your garden and what type you want to use (raised bed, straw bale, container, just dig up some dirt). If your garden will require some construction then research plans and get the materials so you are ready to build in the spring.
- Decide what you want to plant in your garden and order seeds **see below
- Plan to start seeds indoors. You don’t have to start seeds indoors, but for some produce varieties it is very hard to start seed outdoors (called direct sowing). You may also live in an area with a short growing season and it will be difficult to get plants to mature and produce your fruits and vegetables before the first frost in fall. Starting seeds indoors allows you to jump start the process and then transplant seedlings once there is no longer a threat of frost in the spring. You can start seeds indoors as early as late February or March depending on where you live. To figure out when to start planting, google the average last frost date in your area and then count back 6 to 7 weeks. That is approximately the date you want to get your indoor seeds started.
- Get equipment to grow seeds indoors. You will need seed starting soil and a light source. I do not get good sunlight in my house, so I use this Stack N’ Grow table top LED plant light. I am also in the process of purchasing a much larger plant stand from Gardener’s Supply since I am expanding my gardens this year. If you have a window sill with southern exposure and direct sunlight, that will work too.
- If you don’t want to start seeds indoors, you can still plan out what you want to grow and make a list of seedlings to purchase once the threat of frost is gone. However, I will tell you that buying seedlings from a garden center will cost anywhere from 10 to 100 times more than seeds and you may not get what you want. I am still using a packet of brussels sprout seeds that I purchased 4 years ago for $3. Contrast that with one organic seedling that will set you back about $4. Starting from seed is much more economical.
**Warning: Last spring there was a seed shortage and I am anticipating the same this year. My mother turned me on to a company called High Mowing Organic Seeds. They have over 600 heirloom varieties of organic fruit, vegetable, herb, and flower seeds. Many of their seeds are already sold out or backordered. Seed Savers Exchange is another company you can check out to find heirloom and organic produce varieties. If you want to get seeds from a local gardening store, now is the time to look before they are gone!
If you are having trouble figuring out what to grow in a garden here is my guide to what produce is in season at what time of year:
Seasonal Food Guide: What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season
