I'm in Atlanta right now doing school stuff, but I keep thinking about Cafe Davis and eagerly anticipating getting home to check on all of the "crops." At last count, we had 268 plants in the ground or sprouting in trays. Mike has since acquired more in the time I've been out of town. I know that all of them won't make it, but I feel just like a kid waiting to see how well the plants all fare. I'm particularly happy about my herb garden in front of our house. There are 60+ plants there, and I even mulched and made them as pretty as I could. I feel kind of like a dork, being so into my edible landscaping and all, and really I probably am a dork. Please have patience with me! ;) Here at Emory they are doing a "sustainable gardening" project and have little garden patches planted in visually appealing displays around campus. I spent a little while admiring the plot in front of Cox Hall a few days ago - the vegetables all look so healthy, AND pretty. When I hear about rising food prices and food shortages, I can't help but think of all of the land that is wasted on lawns and flower gardens that could accommodate vegetables and grains and fruit. Why do people tend to think that tomato plants don't belong in their home landscape? At $3.99 a pound or whatever tomato prices are these days, it just doesn't make sense NOT to plant a $1.75 plant that will yield pounds and pounds and pounds of fresh produce that can be canned or frozen for the lean winter months. But I digress... this is just my sustainable eating soap box for the moment. Thanks for listening.
I know what you really care about is the actual eating part of Cafe Davis. And eat, we shall! I have the menu all set. It took a solid day of sitting on the couch surrounded by cookbooks, but hopefully all of that time and toil will be worth it. I think I've come up with a pretty diverse menu that will make the most of the local bounty I anticipate. Fridays are reserved for vegetarian meals, but the menu on many "meat" days could easily be adapted for vegetarians and vegans alike. As usual, if you need any accommodations for dietary restrictions or allergies, always always let me know. I am happy to do anything to meet your needs.
One final note - I got a message today from Polyface that it's time to call the butcher about the hog. Nothing really else to report there - just an FYI. I've got to do a little hog butchering research to figure out exactly what I want. If anyone else out there has any experience with this, please feel free to share your wisdom.
Oh, one final, final note... I broke the camera. I have some old pictures still to upload, and hopefully we can remedy this lack of camera thing before Cafe Davis gets underway. If not, please feel free to bring your own camera and share your pictures with me! Thanks!
Showing posts with label edible landscaping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label edible landscaping. Show all posts
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Update
Flu shots are ineffective. At least they were in 2008, judging by the nasty virus that had me flat on my back for five or so days. Mike and I were both sick, but we're slowly on the rebound now and stuff for Cafe Davis should be in motion soon. We went to the Roberman's yesterday morning to do some weeding. After surreptitiously stealing into the garden (ok, so they didn't answer the door and we just decided to weed without them), we were pleased to see that Mike's garlic and shallots that he planted back in the winter are over a foot high. After working our way through weeds for a while, we went home and started building the raised bed that we're using for plants in our back yard. I took pictures, but I've lost the cord for the camera again, so the pictures will come later.
I've also started my seedlings indoors in a nifty peat planter box - nothing green is showing yet, but I'll keep you updated on that as well. Maybe I'll do pictures like the 4th grade science fair and document their growth pretty regularly. I planted 18 or so plants of each variety, so I'll probably have extras that won't have a home in our yard or at the Roberman's. If you're interested in some seedlings for your yard in about a month, be sure to let me know. I'll put out an all-call on the the Supper Club list as well.
What else is there to report? Oh - I've been thinking about having a "non-sustainable" dinner party sometime soon - just basically cook like I have been doing at Cafe Davis for the past few years - and then compare stats with what a meal at Cafe Davis looks like once we get underway this summer. I think this is definitely in the works... so who wants to come over for dinner?
In other news, I think that I will start Cafe Davis on Summer Solstice. That date seems like a fun excuse for a party. That means we'll cover the end of June and probably 2/3 of July for the festivities. There will be some dining "blackout" dates though - no Cafe Davis on Mondays so Mike can play softball, and then of course we have the annual 4th of July party. We'll also take our anniversary weekend off, my dad's 60th birthday weekend off, and the day that we're throwing a 30th birthday party for Tom. I'll figure out the actual calendar and get that posted ASAP.
Finally, just a little something you might find interesting: in this month's Women's Health magazine, there's a supplement about cooking. They included a website called I'm Cooked, where amateur TV chef wannabes can upload videos of them cooking for all the world to see. What do you all think? Should Cafe Davis attempt it? I dunno... still contemplating this one. Regardless, it's interesting to check out, and you might find some tasty tips to try out at home. Or you can make your own hot sauteeing videos - I promise I won't judge if I see a tripod set up in your kitchen. Just a knowing nod and a wink. ;)
I've also started my seedlings indoors in a nifty peat planter box - nothing green is showing yet, but I'll keep you updated on that as well. Maybe I'll do pictures like the 4th grade science fair and document their growth pretty regularly. I planted 18 or so plants of each variety, so I'll probably have extras that won't have a home in our yard or at the Roberman's. If you're interested in some seedlings for your yard in about a month, be sure to let me know. I'll put out an all-call on the the Supper Club list as well.
What else is there to report? Oh - I've been thinking about having a "non-sustainable" dinner party sometime soon - just basically cook like I have been doing at Cafe Davis for the past few years - and then compare stats with what a meal at Cafe Davis looks like once we get underway this summer. I think this is definitely in the works... so who wants to come over for dinner?
In other news, I think that I will start Cafe Davis on Summer Solstice. That date seems like a fun excuse for a party. That means we'll cover the end of June and probably 2/3 of July for the festivities. There will be some dining "blackout" dates though - no Cafe Davis on Mondays so Mike can play softball, and then of course we have the annual 4th of July party. We'll also take our anniversary weekend off, my dad's 60th birthday weekend off, and the day that we're throwing a 30th birthday party for Tom. I'll figure out the actual calendar and get that posted ASAP.
Finally, just a little something you might find interesting: in this month's Women's Health magazine, there's a supplement about cooking. They included a website called I'm Cooked, where amateur TV chef wannabes can upload videos of them cooking for all the world to see. What do you all think? Should Cafe Davis attempt it? I dunno... still contemplating this one. Regardless, it's interesting to check out, and you might find some tasty tips to try out at home. Or you can make your own hot sauteeing videos - I promise I won't judge if I see a tripod set up in your kitchen. Just a knowing nod and a wink. ;)
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Cafe Davis Planning 2008
It may not seem like it, but Cafe Davis will be here pretty soon! This year's theme is eating locally, so I am going to try and be more focused on blogging regularly... including giving sneak peeks into the planning process.
For those of you who don't know, Mike and I (FINALLY) bought a house and moved over Christmas. The new house has a tiny, but highly functional yard, and we've made a decision to commit to primarily organic, edible landscaping. I say "primarily" because I do want to put in some foundation evergreens, and last I checked pine trees aren't really edible. I am looking into edible alternatives, though, so we'll see what turns out.
So, what does all of this have to do with Cafe Davis? Well, we're hoping that we can provide much of the Cafe Davis bounty from our very own yard. What we can't get there, we will stroll down to the Farmer's Market or find other local providers. It's going to be a challenge, but one that I think will help us think about where we fit in the global food distribution chain and also about the impact that something so simple as a dinner party can have on the environment.
My bit of Cafe Davis planning for today was buying some heirloom seeds from the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. Mike and I were introduced to this group at an heirloom farming event we attended in the fall at Monticello. The Seed Exchange sells heirloom and open-pollinated (non-hybrid) seeds, and emphasize plants that will grow well in the Mid-Atlantic region (check them out at the Seed Exchange). The Monticello festival included extensive taste testing opportunities, and I found an amazing heirloom ground cherry (related to the tomatillo, I think) called Cossack Pineapple. They look like tiny yellow cherry tomatoes, but taste remarkably like pineapple. Both quizzical and yummy. So, I bought some seeds (certified organic, too, by the way) today - I don't know what I'll do with them, but I'll be on the lookout for a good heirloom recipe to go with my heirloom crop. I also got some other seeds too - yellow pear cherry tomatoes that should be great in salads, or maybe on a tart or pizza; white wonder cucumbers - a pre-1925 Southern heirloom cucumber that is solid white and great for slicing; and Rouge Vif D'Étampes (Cinderella) pumpkin - a French heirloom that arrived in the US in the 1880s. Obviously the pumpkin won't be ready in time for Cafe Davis, but hopefully it will by this year's incarnation of the Murder Mystery Dinner Party and we can have some tasty pumpkin pie.
That's that for today... if anyone out there reading this has ideas for heirloom or seasonal recipes you'd like to share, feel free to send them my way! I'm excited about what lies ahead!
For those of you who don't know, Mike and I (FINALLY) bought a house and moved over Christmas. The new house has a tiny, but highly functional yard, and we've made a decision to commit to primarily organic, edible landscaping. I say "primarily" because I do want to put in some foundation evergreens, and last I checked pine trees aren't really edible. I am looking into edible alternatives, though, so we'll see what turns out.
So, what does all of this have to do with Cafe Davis? Well, we're hoping that we can provide much of the Cafe Davis bounty from our very own yard. What we can't get there, we will stroll down to the Farmer's Market or find other local providers. It's going to be a challenge, but one that I think will help us think about where we fit in the global food distribution chain and also about the impact that something so simple as a dinner party can have on the environment.
My bit of Cafe Davis planning for today was buying some heirloom seeds from the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. Mike and I were introduced to this group at an heirloom farming event we attended in the fall at Monticello. The Seed Exchange sells heirloom and open-pollinated (non-hybrid) seeds, and emphasize plants that will grow well in the Mid-Atlantic region (check them out at the Seed Exchange). The Monticello festival included extensive taste testing opportunities, and I found an amazing heirloom ground cherry (related to the tomatillo, I think) called Cossack Pineapple. They look like tiny yellow cherry tomatoes, but taste remarkably like pineapple. Both quizzical and yummy. So, I bought some seeds (certified organic, too, by the way) today - I don't know what I'll do with them, but I'll be on the lookout for a good heirloom recipe to go with my heirloom crop. I also got some other seeds too - yellow pear cherry tomatoes that should be great in salads, or maybe on a tart or pizza; white wonder cucumbers - a pre-1925 Southern heirloom cucumber that is solid white and great for slicing; and Rouge Vif D'Étampes (Cinderella) pumpkin - a French heirloom that arrived in the US in the 1880s. Obviously the pumpkin won't be ready in time for Cafe Davis, but hopefully it will by this year's incarnation of the Murder Mystery Dinner Party and we can have some tasty pumpkin pie.
That's that for today... if anyone out there reading this has ideas for heirloom or seasonal recipes you'd like to share, feel free to send them my way! I'm excited about what lies ahead!
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