John Starnes' Urban Farm

Monday, March 5, 2012

Magic 8 Herbal Tea for Allergies

I learned of this the spring of 2004 after I had a HORRIBLE reaction to the spring oak pollen after fifteen years in Denver robbed me of my immunity to it. I can't speak too highly of it and have turned many people onto it for them AND their dogs that get inflamed itchy skin from oak pollen. Poor Cracker was having a severe itch from it last week sans the red inflamed skin that Sweety got, so I tore open a tea bag and mixed the herbs into his dog stew......wonderful relief by the end of the day that as with Sweety lasted a few days. I buy it at downtown Tampa's wonderful Oceanic Market.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Allium fistulosum

After testing several strains over a few years, I three years ago got one that DOES multiply and IS perennial here in south Tampa. Now that spring is here their growth is rapid in a few large Water Wise Container Gardens (including a 6 foot diameter kiddy pool that Tim gave me) plus in the one gallon pots I am selling them in. Below is a good overview that also addresses the various strains with differing climate needs. I literally can't cook without onions and hope that this particular strain at last lets me reach my goal of onions self sufficiency vs. buying 2-3 three pound bags of yellow onions each month.

http://www.floridata.com/ref/a/alli_fis.cfm

Available today on my Honor System sales tables by my front porch.....Lesbos basils in 1 gallon pots $4, free range chicken eggs $4 a dozen, Allium canadense perennial swamp garlic in 1 gallon pots $5, Perennial Multiplying Scallion Allium fistulosum $5 Just slip your cash through the dryer vent in my red office door. 3212 West Paxton Avenue Tampa FL 33611 Thank you! John Starnes

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Taro Farm

Taro is a swamp crop that used to grow in my gardens back when we had so many hurricanes and I had a WET yard...back then I had 21 colonies of 16 kinds of bananas too! But years of drought have me now gardening mostly in varying versions of my Water Wise Container Gardens. I was delighted to get before the garbage man this VERY substantial tub.....I was on my bicycle and getting it home was quite a struggle. But no way was I NOT getting it! I have no idea what it actually is, but it had one small hole in one corner on the bottom, which I filled with silicone glue and duct tape. Since taro wants truly soggy soil I will drill the drainage holes about 8 inches from the bottom vs. the usual 3. To protect the plastic from sunlight to make it last for many years I will bury it, likely in the newly revamped east bed. To introduce an element of hugelkultur to it I will put in 1-2 sections of log before adding layers of rich soil from the chicken path and wood mulch. I will buy the taro tubers from south Tampa's wonderful DoBond market...hopefully they will have my favorite variety...'Lila'.

Free is good!

I so miss making Thai taro leaf soup and look forward to it this summer.

Friday, March 2, 2012

New Batch Of Kimchee

The yummy gallon I made over 4.5 years ago is down to a few cups in a small jar in the fridge, so yesterday I began a new batch. Here you see the jar yesterday afternoon packed tightly with layers of chopped daikon root and leaves, yellow onions, and peeled green papayas, topped with pickling salt and sea salt, with filtered water poured over slowly to create a strong brine solution. I will let it sit until this afternoon to draw moisture out of the raw veggies, then drain the brine off. I will then make up a seasoning slurry of garlic powder, roasted sesame oil, hot peppers, crushed dried salted greenbacks I netted at Picnic Island Beach, some brown sugar to feed the lactic acid producing bacteria, plus some of that old batch to inoculate the slurry with those essential bacteria responsible for the vital fermentation that transforms and preserves the veggies. If I have some shrimp paste I will add that too. This gets poured over the brined veggies, then the jar gets sealed lightly to age in the fridge. I will take my first taste in mid August when I turn 59. But it won't really be "done" until it is at least a year old. There is nothing like stinky old home made kimchee!