Community #Gardens Rock!

I've started on a plot at a community garden this fall, so the plot will be ready next spring. Luckily, there were some vacancies this year so I could start int he fall--normally you buy the plot in February and you are stuck with what you get. Since the plot I took was empty, we get free time to plan things out.

Pics are below of our progress so far: keyhole beds, tearing out the Jerusalem artichokes that had taken over, and spreading out leaves and local sheep manure to rot over the winter.

And what's news without a good resource? The American Community Garden Association has lots of info, including how to find gardens close to you.




I've been meaning to pick up Growing a City Garden by Jeremy N. Smith & others. Has anyone read it? I must petition the local library!

A Pile of Vegetables from the #Helena Farmers' Market

Love Soup for Fall Kitchens

I love the book Love Soup: 160 All-New Vegetarian Recipes by Anna Thomas (of The Vegetarian Epicure fame--which, by the way, I was shocked to find is out of print and I feel lucky to still own a rather tattered copy). I grew up with The Vegetarian Epicure in the kitchen and inherited it from my mother--although my vegetarian-phobic grandmother's name is oddly on the inside cover. I wonder if she ever used it?

This new book (it came out in 2009) was a really great surprise. Anna Thomas explains in the section on fall and winter soups that she feels like this is a great time of year for soup--and I wholeheartedly agree. One of her main reasons is that the late-summer harvest is still in high gear, but the cooler weather puts us all in the mood for a warm bowl. Since we've been getting cool nights here in central Montana, I completely agree. We have potato leek soup (made from local farmer's market leeks and potatoes) on the stove right now. Actually, I should admit that it is not one of Love Soup's recipes I have going. But I have plans to make more soup tomorrow to take for lunch the rest of the week. Possible contenders for tomorrow's "lunch soup" include Roasted Golden Beet Soup, Green Soup with Mushrooms, or Green Soup with Ginger, all choices from the book.