Also between now and then, we will be celebrating Lil’s fourth birthday. Happy birthday, little one!

Most fruits mold or shrink or bruise or brown.  The plums from our Wayward Seed Fruit CSA just burble juice from their tops like slow grenades.

…and this delicate squash tendril.

When I trained the squash away from the lettuce the other day, this coil of tendril clung to the bird netting.

How curiously beautiful life is when we take a moment to look closely.

When I first heard about the Ohio Fish and Shrimp Festival a few years ago (it has been running for 8 years), I thought it was too weird to be true.  This year our schedule aligned with my father’s band, Bunty Station, being booked at the show and we had to go see for ourselves.

The festival is held at Freshwater Farms of Ohio in Urbana.  After an out-of-cellphone-service induced series of misdirections, we made it to the small farm.  The first person we saw was an elderly man who handed us a brochure and told us excitedly about the sturgeon petting in the fish barn.  Sturgeon petting?!?

The next thing we walked by was this menu:

What to do?  Touch a fish I never knew I wanted to pet or eat Michael’s local potatos?

Lil made the decision for us as she ran towards the fish barn.

Entering the small door to the very large one story metal barn, we were first drawn to the tanks upon tanks of Ohio freshwater species.  The blue gill, catfish, snapping turtles, crayfish, and more were in neatly labeled tanks for demonstration and research.  The farm welcomes individuals to tour the farm and shop their farm market Monday – Saturday.

After touching a painted turtle and frog, we finally came to the sturgeon tank.  Lil dove in and pet one of the five foot, seventeen year old fish right between the eyes.  Not a fan of slippery things, but still curious, I touched one as well.  It was slimy and hard.  I mentioned that the sturgeon’s strange face reminded me of the Dunkleosteus head at the Ohio State University’s Orton Hall Museum.

Talking to the well informed fishery keeper and some Wikipedia research revealed that I wasn’t far off.  (I do hold a degree in Geology.) Sturgeon first appear in the fossil record about 200 million years ago and still very much resemble their ancestors.  Unlike most modern fish, the sturgeon has bony plates as a skull and a host of other unusual characteristics.  The can live up to a hundred years and grow to enormous size.

First spawning between 20 – 25 years of age, sturgeon population increases slowly.  Due to humans’ huge appetite for caviar (sturgeon roe, harvested by killing the mother fish), the sturgeon population is endangered throughout the world.  Fresh Water Farms keeps their sturgeon specimins alive to see if they might be able to induce captive spawning to help repopulate Ohio.

The rest of the farm’s large tanks are populated with catfish, trout and pond fry.  Fish can be purchased as stock for your own pond.  They sell a variety of retail fillets and smoked fish products available for pickup in Urbana.  Freshwater Farms supplies a large portion of Ohio restaurants with Ohio trout as well.

After all the fishy excitement, I was hungry and convinced the family to walk back towards the food.  In addition to the big menu served by Freshwater, there were several other food vendors.  We came for the Ohio foods and happened to be gifted my father’s comp meal ticket, so we stuck with Freshwater.

The food line was long because everything was hand cut or battered and fried just before service.  By the time our fried catfish, hand cut chips, au gratin potatos, cole slaw, green beans, and hot dog arrived, I was so hungry I forgot to take pictures!  Bad food blogger!

Everything was tasty and obviously home made.  The chips were the clear winners of the night.  Alex watched them double fry each batch and you could tell: perfectly cooked, crispy, and salted.

Lil and I explored some of the ample kids activities while waiting for Dad’s band to play.  They had a large sand pit, balls, and a ball catapult for kids to play with.  Earlier in the day were some organized activities.  Finally Bunty Station went on and we enjoyed the show.

that's my dad, the harp player, on far left

I have to admit that my expectations for the Fish and Shrimp Festival were low.  I was prepared for smelly fish barns, troublesome waste, and/or that corporate farm feel.

Happily we found only a wholesome business.  I can recommend Freshwater Farm’s as a local, sustainable fish source.  The festival, an easy hour’s drive from Columbus, was great free entertainment on a perfect early fall evening.  Even if Bunty Station is not invited back, we will return to pet the sturgeon again!

In experiment cooking, there are no recipes.  Kids use whatever ingredients they want.  They use whatever techniques they want.  They make messes and mistakes.  I remember short but very sweet cake, salty cookies where salt was accidentally used for sugar, and lots of unusual spices in combination.

This past week, Lil asked to be the cook so I introduced her to this marvelous kitchen play.  Because I wanted her first time to be relatively successful, I made some suggestions (baking powder, for one) to ensure her cookies were at least edible.

Lil put in butter

then sugar.

She mixed and cracked an egg in the bowl.

Then she added flour, a little bit of vanilla, and baking powder.  More mixing, and then chocolate pieces.  Lil was very excited to scoop the dough herself.

She put the dough in the oven to bake.

Then I asked her to wash dishes.  She was so elated at being the cook that she was happy to clean up after herself.

Lil even wanted to take the hot cookies off the cookie sheet.  She was concentrating so much!

Parenting a child through experiment cooking is not easy.  “It’s getting messy!”  “She’s wasting the nice German chocolate!” “Will she burn herself?”  All these thoughts were running through my head.  But remembering how much I enjoyed myself experiment cooking as a child, I kept my mouth shut and tried to make the experience joyful for Lil.

In the end, the mess was not too great.  Lil ‘washed’ the dishes, though I had to rewash them.  She sponged off the countertop as best as she could.

The ingredients were not a waste because we all enjoyed the cookies.  In total she used about $3 worth of chocolate, butter, and sugar.  A pretty cheap afternoon, really.

And she didn’t burn herself!  I couldn’t believe it and it took all my strength to not just say no.  I rationalized that even if Lil did burn herself it wouldn’t be serious and it would teach her an important lesson.

Perhaps I learned more than Lil through experiment cooking.  I now know that she can do more than I expect.  I saw that when she was truly free to make the mess, she is truly willing to help clean up.  Once I let go of my preconceived notions and hesitations, it was actually loads of fun to watch her cook.

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If you want your kids to enjoy some cooking with abandon not under your roof, remember to come to the Kids Cook classes at Sprout Soup starting October 8.

Alex toasts the evening with an oyster shooter

A few days ago I participated in a twitter contest hosted by local blogger Columbus Foodie. I won a pair of tickets to Taste the Future, Columbus State Community College (CSCC)’s fundraiser food tasting!

We arrived at an inner plaza in the urban CSCC campus.  I had no idea they had such a beautiful spacious commons.

Our wrist bands came with five drink tickets.  It is no surprise that we quickly made our way to  a drink stand.  The beer and wine selection was mediocre, but five drinks of even mediocre booze has merits.

I always attend charity food events with a bit of hesitation.  Will they have vegetarian friendly food?  Is anything sourced locally?  Are they doing anything to control waste?

The answer in Taste of the Future’s case is Yes, Yes, and Yes.

Many vendors were happy to give me meat-free versions of their tasting bites.  The grits at G. Michael’s were amazing.  Several tables had mushroom based appetizers, the Mitchell’s Steakhouse having the best of those I tasted.  (I verified with the chef later that the vegetarian appearing dish did contain the veal demi glace I tasted. Oh well, it was delicious.)  I had a number of vegetarian soups and desserts.

Quite a few restaurants featured local ingredients.  Every time I saw this claim, I asked where exactly they sourced their produce.  Local is a subjective word, after all.  Several mentioned their Ohio tomatoes came from big distributors like Sysco and Roth.  I am glad to see they are making attempts to include state-local producers.

homegrown food tablescape from bel lago

Bel Lago Bistro takes the cake for most local.  Located on the Hoover Reservoir, the Bel Lago  chef Jeff and his wife grow much of their restaurant’s produce in an organic garden on restaurant property.  Their entire table was decorated with homegrown produce and their feature dish, a caprese salad, included heirloom tomatoes and basil from their own garden.  He also told us about a relationship with Westerville School’s high school hydroponics class as a source of year round herbs.  We will visit Bel Lago soon to check out their entire menu.  Note: Their website projects, as so many restaurants do, a loud soundtrack.  You have been warned.

The CSCC commitment to waste-reduction throughout the event was well integrated and publicized.  Nearly all the tableware (plates, utensils, and cups) was compostable and labeled trash cans directed patrons to separate compostable and recyclable trash.  I even heard an announcement from the jazz stage directing people how to use these receptacles.  Having been at other tasting events that involved a whole lotta styrofoam, I very much appreciate the footprint reducing efforts.

compost cans were everywhere and well labeled

The Columbus Fish Market took a risk and brought raw oysters to Taste the Future. The Mid Western palate isn’t always attuned to oysters, nor is warm weather conducive to keeping raw fish fresh.  We talked to the chef and the oysters were as local as you can get here in Ohio – they were Connecticut Blue Point Oysters.  Small batches were refrigerated indoors, brought out to a huge cooler full of ice, and hand shucked right before service.  Alex, with his New England roots, enjoyed both the raw on the half shell oyster and a oyster/greygoose vodka/cocktail sauce shooter.

super fast oyster shuckers from the fish market

Another top taste pick from the evening was Sage’s crispy pork belly with jalapeno ketchup.  I tried a bit of the ketchup and it was outstanding.  I love a restaurant that not only makes outstanding a la minute sauces but also fine reductions. Unfortunately the pork belly dish was flying off the table so fast that I didn’t get a good picture.

I have been saying for years that Jeni’s Ice Cream is the best ice cream in America.  I was surprised at the number of people in line who clearly had not tasted her frozen goodness before.  Beyond the superb taste, Jeni is passionate about using sustainably raised Ohio ingredients. Generous scoops of Sweet Corn with Black Raspberry and Berries and Burgundy were the perfect ending for our evening.

Although the event was free for us, Alex and I agreed that Taste the Future would be worth the $100 per ticket.  The atmosphere was fun, yet not crowded.  We waited in only a few lines and there was plenty of space to sit and enjoy dishes when we wished.   Thanks again, Columbus Foodie, for making our tasting possible.

red raspberries planted on the alley fence

On Sunday we went shopping at our local nursery Oakland Park for garlic starts (they did not have any hardneck varieties) and blueberries (which they did not have either).  They did have a dwarf european plum tree at 33% off.  We were sold.

For awhile I have been hating on two overgrown shrubs in a small bed near our garage.  They are not pretty and produce nothing worthwhile.  The spot gets a fair amount of sun; at least enough for a small tree.  So, the shrubs had to come out before the plum could go in.

While Alex was removing shrubs, I went to Lowes.  I generally try to avoid Big Box stores, but Alex had seen blueberry plants there earlier in the week and we really wanted to expand our blueberry bed.  (By personal and non-profit accounts, Lowes is one of the more employee and human rights friendly Big Boxes.)

When I came home, the shrubs were out and the tree hole was dug.  Alex was a patient co-gardener and  re dug the hole when we realized the tree would be more centered a few feet over.

Lillian “helped” the whole time.  Sometimes her assistance was more trouble than help, but she does love to break up dirt clods.  Given some layers of clay in our holes, there were plenty of dirt clods.  She is also a helpful model of how deep a tree hole needs to be.

tree yoga pose by Lil

Lil was great at lossening the roots.  Then she sprinkled some alpaca green beans in the tree hole.  These alpaca feces are full of nutrients!  My neighbor Mary graciously provides them to me for free right now, but may eventually sell them as part of her burgeoning farm, Alpaca Green.

did you know alpaca's make a communal toileting spot?

The plum tree was planted in the new hole.  I made Alex take a picture of me filling in around the tree, lest anyone think I always leave the heavy lifting to him.

Under one of the overgrown shrubs was a hearty and pretty azalea.  We thought it would do better out front, so I replanted it.

I worked on planting the blueberries when Alex got the idea that we could fit a new raspberry patch in our side yard if we just removed an overgrown rose of sharon.  He worked on it for a long time and finally sunlight shed on the side yard.

Off he went back to Lowes where I had seen the raspberries.  He chose three Fall Gold plants, which are supposed to be ever-bearing.  The spot we planting is not truly full sun but hearty raspberries will likely still produce.

three raspberries with hostas in between

We do not expect fruit from any of these plantings for at least two years.  We will pinch off blossoms from the plum and blueberries to allow the plants to establish strong roots before putting energy into fruiting.  In a few years, we should have quite the urban orchard!

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Summary of our Fruiting Plants

plant (variety) – quantity – location -years in ground

peach (dwarf) – 2 – front yard between sidewalk and street – 1

cherry (dwarf) – 2 – backyard – 1/2

raspberry (red early) – 1 – backyard by alley – 1

raspberry (red everbearing) – 1 – backyard by alley – 2

raspberry (fall gold ever-bearing) – 3 – sideyard – 0

strawberry (early) – 10 – sideyard – 2

strawberry (late) – 10 – sideyard – 2

plum (dwarf self pollinating) – 1 – backyard – 0

blueberry (multiple) – 4 – front yard – 1, 2, 0

hokkaido blue and golden nugget squash from this year's harvest

Squash seeds send out large leaves just a few days after direct seeding.  The leaves grow big and wide quickly.  Kids love squash plants because they literally grow overnight.

these baby squash are about 5 days old

Wide leaves shade out weeds and reduce the need for watering.  They also hide the squash fruits, making harvesting something of an adventure.

peekaboo, golden nugget, I see you!

In gardening, especially urban gardening, size does matter.  Squash takes up a lot of space, but yields plenty in return.  A friend of Lil’s planted pumpkin seeds with his preschool class.  He took the seedling home and recently measured the plant.  It is 51 inches in length!  Several squash varieties including zucchini can be effectively trellised to reduce some of the horizontal space needs.

squash plants almost taller than Lillian

Squash happens to be one of my favorite fall vegetable flavors.  Zucchini is remarkably versatile fresh and can be shredded and frozen to enjoy throughout the winter.  Winter squash (acorn, butternut, pumpkin) can be roasted, pureed, sauteed, or grilled.  All varieties contain lots of fiber and vitamins.  Winter squash can be stored whole in a cool dry place for months at a time.

Before you cook your non-hybridized* squash, consider saving some seeds.  Just remove the flesh from a dozen or so seeds and set in a warm dry place until thoroughly dry.  We lay ours on top of the refridgerator on a cookie cooling rack.  Store in a labeled envelope and you can plant again next year. *Some hybrid plants will not grow from collected seeds.  Organic seeds and seedlings are, by their organic certification, non-hybrid.

It’s too late to plant squash and expect a fall harvest in Ohio, but warmer zones still have a chance to enjoy this wonder plant this season.  The rest of us will wait until the spring.

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Can someone help me remember to plant pumpkin seeds at the appropriate time to grow our own jack-o-lanterns?  That would be fun.

Children aged 3 – 6 years old are invited to join me to explore, cook, and taste local harvest foods this fall.  Classes will be held Thursday October 8, 15, 22, and 29  from 11:15 AM – 12 PM at Sprout Soup in Clintonville.

Each class will feature a dish we prepare and taste together, a take home project, and recipe card.
October 8 – Herbs
October 15 – Apple
October 22 – Crackers
October 29 – Squash
The cost is $3 per child per class or $10 for the series of four.  Parents are invited to stay and learn with their child.  A play area is available for older or younger siblings.  Pre-registration is not required.

this year's homegrown garlic

The hardest part of growing garlic is that you must plan ahead.  Garlic needs to be planted in the fall, overwintered in the ground, and then harvested in mid summer.

To grow garlic, first you need a space in the garden.  Garlic only needs to be spaced about two inches apart, so you can have a good harvest in a small area if you don’t have an expanse of beds.  Garlic does best with full sun in well turned soil.

Next, you need garlic starts.  The simplest, cheapest way to get these is to buy organic garlic from the grocery store and plant the individual cloves.  The risk in planting grocery store garlic is that you have less control over the variety and if the garlic has not been stored properly it might not grow.

Local nurseries sometimes carry garlic starts.  Be sure to call ahead, as the dates when garlic arrives vary by location.

This year we are ordering from thegarlicstore.com because we want to try some of the unique varieties they offer.  In Ohio, hardneck varieties grow best and store best, so that is what we recommend.

Plant your cloves in early fall.  For Ohio, you can plant anytime in the fall through early winter.  Our biggest lesson learned last year is that spacing can be tight.  Just leave enough space for a head to grow between each clove.

The cloves will overwinter with no visible growth.  They need the cold temperatures to signal side buds to grow.

As spring warms the ground, those side buds will develop into cloves.  The garlic will send out tall shoots over the soil.

mid spring garlic babies in the front of this bed

In late spring or early summer, a garlic scape will develop.  This strangely shaped growth will develop into a flower, but is it best picked off to allow the garlic to develop into cloves.  The scape has a rough texture but tastes like mild garlic or strong chives and is delicious in stir fry or salad.

if you don't want to eat the scape, it makes a great magic wand

When the shoots finally start to turn brown and droop, it is time to harvest your garlic.  Pick one plant to make sure it is well developed.  When you like the size of the bulbs, pick all the plants.   Allow to dry in open air.  After a few days, remove the shoots from the top leaving at least a few inches of the hardneck. Scuff off the roots and outer sheath.

Store your harvest in a cool (around 50 deg F), dry, well ventilated place. Garlic  is deliciously milky and soft when it is young and will turn more pungent as time passes.

Mmmm….garlic!

I could write about the tiki hut trike, our chant to counter the hellfire and brimstone preaching group across the way, the 25 mile bike tour including a confederate prisoner of war camp, or the bald eagles we saw fly over East Harbor State Park many times.  But since this is largely a gardening and eating blog, I will focus on the food.

We started our drive early Saturday morning.  With some extra pizza dough as inspiration on Friday night, I made a pear and mozzarella pie to take on the road.  I chilled the cooked pie overnight in the fridge.  It was filling, yummy, and easy to eat in the car.

The camp stove saw heavy use in the mornings at camp.  Breakfasts are my favorite because someone else (usually my dad or grandfather) always does the cooking!  Being that I have food and only food on my mind early in the morning, I took no pictures of our actual breakfasts.

It is harvest time here in Ohio, so the food table was laden with seasonal fruits and vegetables.  My grandmother brought some delicious yellow melon pictured below.

Camp lunches for us are simple sandwiches, fruits and veggies, and chips.

For the Hawaiian themed meal, Alex braised a pork shoulder with pineapple and cinnamon.

on the campfire, about half way done

Other theme dishes included mai tais, beanie weanies with cocktail umbrellas, and a poi substitute: mashed potatoes with a beet adding color.

alcohol = not allowed in state parks

The next night we had grilled meats, salads, fork mashed guacamole and roasted corn.

Dad preparing the fire for water soaked ears

Grandma brought her famous gingersnap cookies, my favorite of the snacks.

And there were s’mores, of course.

What do you eat when you are car camping?