Coronavirus Non-Hoarding

I probably have less fear of the coronavirus than I should.  Being a generally healthy person with no chronic immunity issues other than mild asthma, my precautions are just frequent hand washing, vitamins, enough sleep, staying hydrated, and staying out of the line of fire of sick people.  I have bigger issues going on in my life, like a leak under the kitchen sink and needing new tires now that it's finally raining.

I did decide to start keeping more than four days of food in the house.  I live in earthquake country, and it doesn't hurt to keep a few extra things in the pantry.  By the time the "safe at home" program for L.A. and "stay at home" for California began on March 19th, I had two weeks of meals, plus everything for Passover except the meat.  The emergency measures allow for all the necessities of life, just not the extra-curriculars like retail shopping and entertainment.  That's what the internet is for.  What I'm discovering is how few people have any sort of supplies for earthquake shortages.  This wouldn't be happening if more prepared for natural disasters.

I love that the only thing left was zucchini.  It's not just me.

Sidebar, I think the term "self-quarantine" is hilarious.  It just means staying at home if you're sick.  We're at a point in this society where that is the exception, not the norm.  No wonder there's a pandemic.

Since Passover is almost here, I combined the stocking up with regular KLP shopping.  The benefit of that is I'm not after what everyone else is, at least until I went down to the kosher supermarket for mayo.  A couple extra cans of fish, the 5-pack box of matzoh, that sort of thing.  Frozen veggies.  Gefilte fish.  Dried fruit.  Nuts, including almond flour for baking treats (that one was expensive).  Apples.  Eggs.  Potatoes (the 10 lb bag because hoarders had bought everything else).  Medium and hard cheeses.  A couple of flavors of Lärabar that don't contain kitniyot.  Meats to stick in the freezer.  You know, things I use anyway that won't go bad for a while.  A bean, rice, legume, and pulse restock will have to wait until after Passover, but I have enough quinoa for KLP vegetarian meals.

I have specific plans for almost everything I bought.  I created a meal planning calendar so nothing will go to waste.  Twelve days of KLP food is a bit excessive for an 8-day holiday, but that had more to do with package size than over-buying.  I'm even making my birthday cake a week early so I can finish eating it before Seder.  Instead of planning two days ahead, I'm doing two weeks.  It's a huge shift, and  I keep having to redo menus when something is out of stock.

What I am not hoarding is soap, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and bottled water.  I have normal amounts of those.  This isn't the Zombie Apocalypse.  It's until April 19th (possibly), and you can still get things delivered if you're in quarantine.  I'm still trying to figure out why people are hoarding bananas.  Unless you're freezing them for smoothies, they're just going to go bad in four days.

I did get a kick out of what was still on the shelves.  Even the end of the world can't get people to buy some things.  It took two weeks for people to break down and wipe out the zero sugar Powerade.  There's still coffee on the shelves (first thing on my list).  I had a coupon for a free vegan pot pie.  No problem there, even though everyone on the store's Club had the same coupon.  Frozen okra and pearl onions were the only vegetables in the case the first visit.  On the most recent trip, there were six whole (15 lb) brisket slabs, I presume because temples aren't having community Seders and these were probably ordered a month ago.

As far as home sanitizing, this is the middle of Passover cleaning.  I've been scrubbing for over two weeks, with one week to go.  For most of the house, I'm done except washing the sofa and seat covers to get rid of cat hair the day before people come over.  The only room that's not detailed is the kitchen, and it's halfway there.

I'm still working, if only half my usual hours.  Not much foot traffic, and everything has to be takeout or delivery.  Takeout food is considered an essential service, as we are feeding those who have to work, like city and utility employees.  If I am forced to stay home, the hardest part is going to be giving up fresh fruit and veggies.  Well, no, the hardest thing will be running out of milk for my coffee.  I bought a quart of shelf-stable boxed milk that expires in December.  I usually want tea when I'm sick anyway.

Remember folks, this isn't Stephen King's The Stand.  It isn't Ebola.  It's a nasty virus with undertones of pneumonia.  I may have actually had a similar virus a few years ago when I caught some hideous cold on a - wait for it - cruise.  Wash your hands regularly, and remember that germs can live on doorknobs and elevator buttons for a couple of days.  Stop touching your face.  Hopefully, we'll all develop immunity to this virus in a year or two, around the same time a vaccine is available.

Panelle (Chickpea Flour Polenta)

A week before things got nuts, I spent several days in the South.  As much as I like all those fried and creamy foods, I couldn't take three whole days of it.  Even salads came with fried chicken on top.  I'm much closer to being a vegetarian than I thought I was, and couldn't wait to come home to lighter meals.  It was worse for Melody Smurf, who is genuinely trying to go vegetarian.  She gave up eventually just so she could eat something.  I merely compensated by going a week without having meat at dinner.

Instead of making another socca, I went looking for something else to do with chickpea flour.  I tried to invent some kind of cup or muffin, until I realized what I wanted was polenta.  There's already an Italian recipe for what I had in mind, and it's called Panelle.

The recipes I read had varying opinions on the frying process.  Some broiled the slices, other deep-fried them, and most were somewhere in between.  I'm going for a lightly oiled skillet, just enough to keep the slices from sticking and produce a crispy crust.  You could even barbecue these in a grill pan, like I did with a dessert polenta.  Any more oil, and I might as well make the socca and save myself time and effort.

These are intended to be served with something, not just as pieces on their own.  I caramelized some red onion to put on top and had a light salad of sliced veggies and tzatziki on the side with some bread and cheese.  For a fuller meal, a piece of grilled chicken or poached fish is a good accompaniment.  If you make the slices thin, they can be put on a bun and eaten as a sandwich.  That was a little too much of a carb load for me.

1-1/2 C chickpea flour
water
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Olive oil as needed

1.  Lightly grease an 8"x8" pan and set aside.  Just enough oil that the pieces don't stick.

2.  In a saucepan, stir 2 C water into chickpea flour, salt, and pepper.  I took one recipe's advice to pour boiling water into it, and that got lumpy.  Let's start from cold here.  Stir together until smooth, turn on heat medium-high, and have another cup of water nearby in case the polenta gets too thick.

3.  Bring to a low boil and continue to stir until thickened, about 20 minutes.  If it thickens too fast, add water a few tablespoons at a time.  When ready, you should be able to drop mounds from the spoon.  I even got my spoon to stand up for several seconds.

4.  Spread hot mixture in oiled casserole and smooth the top.  Refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight.

5.  Heat oil to cover the surface in a large skillet over medium-high.  Slice the panelle in the pan to desired shapes and place in hot skillet.  They should start to sizzle as soon as they touch the pan.  If not, remove for a minute and continue to preheat.  Fry until golden, about 5 minutes per side.  Add oil between batches as necessary.  Serve as a sandwich, on a salad, or with a sauce.

Serves 4 as a main, 8 for appetizer

Difficulty rating  π

Making Extracts

After mentioning it in the Bastani post, I thought I'd go into greater detail about my new pet project.

The concept of an extract is simple.  Submerge the flavor agent in an alcohol base until the flavor has been extracted.  The reason you can't use them during Passover is because you don't know what kind of alcohol was used, and it's usually a cheap grain-based one.  The most neutral-tasting ones that are KLP are potato-based vodka and white tequila.  I opted for the former.

I don't drink vodka, but here I was with a whole bottle of it to make half a cup of KLP vanilla extract.  So I bought a few more cute bottles at Michaels and started to get creative.

The citrus tree is blooming, and it smells fantastic.  I collected a bunch of petals after the bees had their way with them and set them aside for a couple of days to dry.  I already have dried culinary lavender buds, and picked up the vanilla bean when I bought the vodka.  (Google it if you need a list of KLP brands of vodka.  It's too extensive to list here, but basically domestic brands that are grain-free and unflavored.)

That left me with one extract bottle.  I don't think I've seen cinnamon extract sold in stores, but I thought I'd give it a try.  It's for when I want a subtle hint in a baked good, not a giant whallop over the head. A tiny hint of cinnamon enhances chocolate, as does coffee, and chocolate often has vanilla already in it.

All you need to do is place the flavor agent in a sterilized bottle (split the vanilla bean), fill it with vodka, and seal it tightly.  Place in a cool location away from direct light and shake every few days for two weeks to a month.  After the first two weeks, open the cap and smell the product as a strength test.  Check it every week after that until you like the result.  The vanilla will not get as dark as what you're used to because commercial vanilla extract is usually made with brandy or another darker alcohol base.  When it's ready, strain out the flavoring agent and cap the bottle until needed.  Always store the bottles away from light.  It's an alcohol thing, and why you usually find extracts in tinted bottles.

I probably should have published this earlier, since Passover is in two weeks, but I was waiting for the bottles to reach full strength.  I think I'm going to let them go another week before straining out the flavor agents, but I like really strong extracts.  You can start to use them after only two weeks; they just won't be as strong as the full month.

Bastani (Saffron & Rose Ice Cream)

In the non-vegan category of Persian cooking, but still vegetarian and KLP, is this ice cream.  I happened to see it advertised in a shop window while I was driving around.  Didn't stop to buy some, just instantly decided I would try to make it instead.

I don't think this is part of any Nowrouz (Persian New Year) celebration, nor would ice cream have been a thing in ancient times.  There's a long and complicated history between Nowrouz and Purim that I'm not going to get into.  They happen at the same time, like Passover & Easter or Channukah & Christmas.  All three pairs are really much older than that and represent a transition of pagan rituals to religious ones.  Nowrouz is actually Zoroastrian, which many consider a pagan belief.

Anyway, I digress.  That's what happens when you start researching food from cultures older than civilization.  My recipe search turned up many versions of this ice cream, with differing opinions on how much saffron, rose water, and vanilla to use.  To make this KLP, I'm skipping the vanilla and subbing in homemade (vodka-based) lavender extract.  I'm making my own vanilla extract with non-grain vodka and a vanilla bean, but that takes a month and it isn't ready.

This recipe will get expensive if you don't have saffron already.  That $20 investment will last you months, if not longer.  I do recommend searching the grocery store's clearance shelves before buying from the aisles.  The rose water is harder to find, but the bottle I got at Super Sun was only $2.

Every recipe does agree on putting chopped pistachios in or on the ice cream.  I don't like pistachios.  Sorry, you're getting almonds in the photo.

2 C cream
*2 C milk
4 egg yolks
1 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp saffron threads
*2 Tb rose water
chopped pistachios for garnish

1.  Heat cream and milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat.  Stir frequently, until it reaches a low boil.

2.  While Step 1 is going on, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla.  In a separate cup, crush saffron threads.  Once the milk gets very warm, add 2 Tb to the saffron, so it can infuse.

3.  Remove milk from the heat.  Add half a cup to the egg mixture and whisk until combined.  Add another half cup and whisk again.  The container should be warm and the tempered mixture smooth.

4.  Pour egg mix back into the saucepan and whisk to distribute.  Also add saffron milk and rose water.  Return to the heat and cook until somewhat thickened, stirring constantly.  Do not let the mixture boil, or the eggs are going to curdle.  It's ok if you can't smell the rose water.  Resist the temptation to add more.

5.  Remove thickened custard from the heat.  Place a piece of plastic wrap touching the surface to prevent a skin from forming.  Chill thoroughly, at least 4 hours.

6.  Process in an ice cream maker to soft-serve consistency, then pour into a freezable container.  I suggest raking it up with a fork every hour until frozen, about 4 more hours.  Serve garnished with the chopped nuts.

Serves 6-8

Difficulty rating  :)

Beetloaf

Last year, there was a Superbowl commercial that included a vegan holiday dinner as a circle of Hell.  Specifically mentioned was Beetloaf.  Out of curiosity, I googled recipes.  They were all plant-based meatloaf substitutes, like Impossible meats.

My personal theory on vegetarian and vegan food is that it should taste good on its own for what it is, not as a stand-in for meat.  My bean-based burgers never try to taste exactly like meat.  They taste like plant-based patties that I happen to enjoy.  The black bean ones do taste like overdone beef burgers, but that was an accident, not the goal.

What I envisioned when I heard of beetloaf was a beet-based terrine, almost like a gelatin mold.  Something you have cold, in slices, alongside a pretty salad.  It's supposed to be an elegant spa-type item, not veggies and quinoa baked into something resembling meatloaf.

As long as I was reinventing the concept, I decided to go all the way and make this KLP as an extra challenge.  It rapidly turned into a three-ingredient (plus spices) recipe.  I love being able to use tapioca as a thickener in KLP dishes.  It even came out as the clear, jellied mass I envisioned.  Just a little harder to slice.

1 bunch beets
1 medium parsnip
1/2 C water
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/8 tsp cardamom
6 Tb tapioca flour

1.  Put on something red.  Accept that your kitchen is going to look like a crime scene for a while.  Line a mini loaf pan or other 2-cup mold with plastic wrap.  Afterwards, I thought these would look cute as inverted muffins, but I don't have a silicone muffin pan, which would be required to turn these out without sticking.

2.  Peel beets and parsnip.  Run through the food processor with the grating disc.  Or, if you're a real glutton for punishment, do it on a box grater.  Don't worry, it gets easy after this.

3.  In a medium saucepan, bring shredded veggies, water, and seasonings to a low boil over medium heat.  Cook until softened, about 10 minutes.

4.  Stir in tapioca flour.  Once most of the water has been absorbed, remove from heat.  Continue stirring until very stiff and gooey.  Allow to cool slightly, so it doesn't melt the plastic wrap.

5.  Fill loaf pan and press down to distribute, using the plastic wrap and not your fingers.  You're welcome.  Chill thoroughly, at least 2 hours.  Shortly before serving, unwrap and turn out onto a serving platter, or a cutting board if you're doing slices.  Served chilled, either as an appetizer or on a salad.  I used an orange vinaigrette on mine.

Difficulty rating  :)

Turkey Breakfast Sausage

I eat entirely too much processed meat, almost exclusively in the form of breakfast sausage and bacon.  It's kind of pointless to be semi-vegetarian, if the semi part is some of the worst stuff you can have.  I buy uncured when possible, but it's still a lot of salt and preservatives.

I finally hit on the idea of making my own breakfast sausage.  I decided on turkey because it was on special.  New version of ground turkey that's 15% fat instead of the regular 3-7%.  You need more fat for sausage of any kind, and even 15% is pretty low.  The recipes I found are basic and vary by personal preference.  Ground meat, spices, salt, pepper.  Knead until distributed, form into patties, and either pan-fry immediately or freeze in paper for another day.

I'm adding a KLP label to this one because there are no fillers, corn-based or otherwise.  I could have these with latkes or jam on matzoh for a Passover breakfast.  It's one of those accidentally kosher dishes that I live on for the one week a year I actually try to follow the rules.  Never mind that the holiday is weeks away.  As soon as I see the notice for the Purim carnival, I start planning Passover.

1 lb ground turkey, highest fat content you can find
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
*1/4 tsp each dried sage, dried thyme, fennel seed, paprika
1 Tb maple syrup (optional)
olive oil for frying

1.  In a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, combine salt, pepper, and herbs.  I kept the paprika separate because it gets messy.

2.  In a bowl, knead together turkey and spice mix, plus paprika, until evenly distributed.  For maple sausage, knead in syrup after so it doesn't clump up the spices.

I scrubbed the counter afterwards

3.  Form meat into 1 oz patties, aka 16 of them.  Meat in general will seize up as it cooks, so make them pretty flat.  For future storage, place on parchment or wax paper, stack, and freeze.  These keep in a sealed container in the fridge up to 4 days before cooking, or 1 month in the freezer.

4.  To cook, lightly grease a skillet with oil and preheat over medium-low.  Place patties in skillet and cook to 165º, about 8-10 minutes on each side.  Serve hot, with two patties to a serving.

Serves 8

Difficulty rating  π

Orange Meringue Pie

I keep forgetting that I have a tree full of oranges.  I'm used to picking lemons, but the oranges are a bit of a reach and I don't look up there.

So why aren't orange pies a thing?  I found a recipe for an orange chiffon pie in the Bible, but it looks like it has to be consumed within 24 hours.  Aside from that, no one really does orange desserts without gelatin.  I'm not anti-gelatin, just currently out of it.  I did have a graham cracker crust in the pantry and extra eggs, so, meringue.

The Bible has this variation of lemon meringue in the margins, along with a pineapple one that I'm likely to skip.  Not really into pineapples in pie or cake.

1/4 C cornstarch
1/3 C sugar + 1/4 C for meringue
1/4 C water
2 Tb lemon juice
*grated zest of one orange
*1C orange juice
1 Tb butter
3 eggs, room temperature, separated
1/4 tsp salt, divided
*1 8" pre baked pie crust (flour or graham)

1.  In saucepan, combine cornstarch, 1/3 C sugar, and 1/8 tsp salt.  Add water, lemon juice, zest, and orange juice.  Stir to combine until there are no clumps.

2.  Heat mixture over medium to boiling, stirring frequently.  Mixture will gel and  clump.  Remove from heat.

3.  Whisk egg yolks until smooth.  Add a generous spoonful of hot filling and stir briskly.  Add another spoonful and stir again.  Pour tempered eggs back into the pot and return to medium heat.  Stir until thickened but not boiling.  Stir in butter until melted.  Pour into prepared pie pan.

4.  Preheat oven to 400º.  Beat egg whites with 1/8 tsp salt until foamy.  Gradually add in 1/4 C sugar and continue to beat to firm peaks.  Spread over pie, making sure to cover the crust edges.  Bake until golden, about 10 minutes.  Cool to room temperature, then chill until serving.

Makes one pie, about 8 servings

Difficulty rating  :)

Khoresh Bademjan (Persian Eggplant & Tomato Stew)

There's a paragraph in one of the Hitchhiker's Guide books that expounds on stew being the first meal the first human cooked.  It's pretty much true.  The older the cuisine, the more likely the dish was slow-braised in a pot.

For Purim this year, I flat-out googled "Vegan Persian Dishes", then chose this one, an eggplant and tomato dish from The Spruce Eats.  It's a basic, spiced stew that could easily have been on Esther's table thousands of years ago.

To bring some protein to the party, I served it over rice with red lentils.  Yes, more red lentils.  It's generally presumed that lentils were a staple of Esther's diet.  Couscous or quinoa are good grain bases too, except that quinoa was only known in the Americas at that point and I didn't want to mix up my references.  Well, I guess tomatoes were unknown in the Middle East in ancient times too.  Whatever.

This really is going to take you at least an hour to make.  Um, stew.  Much of it is passive time, and also depends on how thoroughly cooked you like your eggplant.  Hey, you got to save a bunch of effort by using canned tomatoes.

1-1/2 lbs eggplant (about 2 medium)
kosher salt as needed
1/4 C olive oil
1 large yellow onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
*1 tsp cumin
*1/2 tsp turmeric
*1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 28oz can whole, peeled tomatoes, drained
1/2 C water
1/4 C pomegranate molasses (or 3/4 C pomegranate juice and no water)
*pinch saffron (optional)

1.  Peel the eggplant and cut into 1" chunks.  I don't think I've ever peeled a raw eggplant.  It isn't easy.  Think I need a new peeler.  Place pieces into a large colander and sprinkle with kosher salt to start drawing out the water.  Set it aside to do its thing while you move on.

2.  Peel onion, quarter the long way, and cut into thin slices.  In a large, deep skillet with a lid, heat 2 Tb oil over medium-high heat.  Add onion and sauté until translucent and just starting to brown, about 8 minutes, stirring frequently.

3.  Add garlic, cumin, turmeric, and cinnamon.  Stir until fragrant and onion is coated, 1 minute.  Check on the eggplant during that minute.  If there's a lot of water on the pieces, blot with a paper towel.  If not, dump them into the skillet.  Add the other 2 Tb oil and cook the eggplant, stirring frequently.  It will start to cook down in about 10 minutes.

4.  Add tomatoes, water, molasses, and saffron to the skillet.  Break up the tomatoes and let them release their juice into the mix.  Stir to combine and bring to a low boil.  Cover, turn down the heat to medium low, and simmer until the eggplant is done.  Stir every 5 minutes or so, to check for doneness and to keep any spots from overcooking.  I let it cook about 20 minutes, but I like really mushy eggplant.  This is a good time to make your rice, couscous, or quinoa.

5.  Serve hot over starch of choice.  I garnished with cilantro, because I really like it.  If not doing the vegan thing, you could add a dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream to cut the spices.

Difficulty rating :)

Lamb and Barley Soup

Everyone at work was getting sick.  I was kind of on the fence figuring out if I felt crummy because of a cold or allergies, and decided to shop for the worst case scenario.

It did help that I had a quart of beef broth in the pantry because it had been on sale for 88¢.  All I had to do was decide what to put in it.  It wasn't reduced-sodium, so anything would have to benefit from a lot of salt.

I decided to go with a basic onion-based soup with a grain and meatballs.  Within five minutes, it had evolved into lamb and barley.  That would be something filling if I was well or satisfying if the cold developed.

PS, it was just allergies.  I put on all that water weight from salt over hay fever.

*1 qt beef broth (reduced sodium if you can get it)
1 lb ground lamb
1 medium yellow onion
1/2 lb carrots
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (no salt)
1 C pearl barley

1.  Set a soup pot over medium-high heat.  Roll the ground lamb into 1" meatballs and place on the bottom.  Cook to brown on both sides while you chop up the onion into large dice.  Add onion to the pot and sauté with the cooking meatballs in all their fat.

2.  You have at least five minutes at this point to start the barley.  In a separate pot, combine dry barley and 3 C water.  Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer.  Cover and cook until the grains are split and softened, about half an hour.

3.  When the onions are as soft as you like them, add the beef broth and can of tomatoes with their juice.  Bring to a simmer and cover.  Cook for 20 minutes.  Peel and cut carrots in rounds.  Cook another 10 minutes.

4.  Drain cooked barley.  I saved the water to make a fruit barley water with an orange off my tree.  Add barley to the pot and stir to combine.  Taste and add salt or pepper if necessary.  Serve hot.

Difficulty rating  π

Miso-Tahini Dressing

Sorry to hit you with another miso recipe so soon, but it was the next salad dressing I planned to make, and it turned out I had salad after the cod.

By far, the hardest part of this dressing was taking photos.  It is ridiculously difficult to make salad dressing interesting in a blog post.  I'm going to assume that's why you always find it attached to some unnecessarily complex salad that you'll never make.

So what did I serve it on?  An unnecessarily complex salad.  We didn't go on the cruise this year (going to Disneyland in June instead), and I was feeling deprived of fancy platings.  I filled out the scarcity of arugula from the garden with chopped radish greens and shaved Brussels sprouts that had been blanched.  To top it, I sliced the radish the leaves had been attached to on the V-slicer, since it was already out for the sprouts, and chopped up a Roma tomato for more color.  This is a tan dressing.  It needs color to help it.  An artfully arranged hard boiled egg provided protein, and some Pao de Queijo balanced the meal.

The taste of the dressing is really nice.  Straight tahini is like unsalted, unsweetened peanut or cashew butter.  It isn't very interesting.  The miso provided salt and extra umami.  The other seasonings turned it into something almost like what I'd call teriyaki hummus, but with no soy sauce.  The soy is only in the miso.  This would make an excellent dipping sauce for shabu-shabu or fondue, or even as a veggie dip at a party.  Without any added water, it is dip consistency.  If you really thin it out, it could be used as a marinade for chicken or fish.

*2 Tb white or dashi miso paste
*2 Tb unsalted tahini paste
1 Tb rice wine vinegar
2 Tb peanut or sesame oil
1/2 tsp maple syrup
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
1" fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
water as needed

1.  Whisk together everything except the water.  It should come together as a thick, tan-colored dip.

2.  Slowly add water a tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.  Refrigerate until ready to use.  Keeps 5-7 days refrigerated.

Makes 1/2 C before thinning, 4 servings

Difficulty rating  π

Salvaging the Harvest

After a promising December, the winter got dry and cold.  Combine that with some seed packets a couple of years old, and all I have from my winter planting are a few radishes and carrots that are growing very slowly and arugula that started to bolt almost before it was large enough to use.

Undaunted, I'm trying again.  This is my third or fourth time seeding some of the vegetables.   The seeds are probably too old.  Most have 2017 stamped on the back.  I did pick up a new packet of sugar snap pea seeds.  If it's going to be cold, might as well.  I'm watering more aggressively instead of hoping the 20% chance of rain every week pans out.  The carrots are already improving, and most of the peas have sprouted.

The artichokes like the weather, though.  I'm expecting Artie to start growing a stalk any day now.  He has two strong sprouts this year.  The smaller artichokes are healthier than they were last year, so I should get something out of them.  The boysenberry bramble could bud within a month.

I'm already thinking about what to plant for summer.  Leaning toward eggplant and kale.  I might skip the gourd category and all of its fungus prevention.  I'm probably going to get seedlings this time instead of the relentless disappointment of starting from seed.  It's cheaper and a bigger thrill when it works, but I'm not that good at it.  We'll see what Armstrong has on the day I go.