2018 Fall Re-Garden

Well sometimes you get a clean slate in the garden such as the start of Spring when the ground is warming and you finally have the chance to scratch that itch you’ve had for all of 2 months (here in our area, planting is basically a year round thing)! Sigh. It has been my goal to not be too negative about crops lost to hurricane Michael. In fact I’ve attempted to get this blog done for nearly two weeks! The reality is that what we lost pales in comparison to the thousands who are still without power and many others without homes. Also on the agriculture front here in the South there were millions of dollars of Cotton crops lost. I never paid too much attention to local agriculture prior to becoming a homesteader. The truth of the matter is that on the small scale of which we operate, it is easier to recuperate than if we were larger. For that, I am thankful. So how do you get over losses of crops? Here is what we did:

  • Inventory: This was perhaps the most depressing part of the process. Just walking through and seeing things wilted, leaning, dying – so NOT cool! This however is a very necessary step. During this particular time of the year we still had some summer vegetables that were still productive. These were not included on our list since they were already at the end of their life cycle.  What we did include were plantings relevant to the Fall growing season.  In our case this meant that our Swiss Chard, Peas, Scarlet Kale, among others, needed to be added to this list.
  • Organize:  This step is all about the numbers.  Now its time to see if you can get the lost crops replanted and to a suitable size before your fist frost date. Get your seed organizer out and read the backs of those packets. Fortunately for us, since most of our crops are ready for harvest in about 50 days, we had time to replant. Here is an area you can prioritize if you are running short on time. We were still cleaning at this point and as areas became clear we replanted. If this happens to be your case then prioritize planting in these are by 2 criteria:
    • What you need – Plant things you absolutely need for your family, your farmers market, or wherever you are sourcing your produce. This could be your cash crop or even a member of the dirty dozen that you never buy commercially.
    • Seed to Harvest time – Plant those crops that have a lengthier harvest time  right away! Even if your dates for first frost and harvest date overlap it is OK, especially in the Fall crops. For us these included our root crops – Carrots and Rutabagas.
  • Plant: Put all your research and planning to action! Get those seeds in the ground with the confidence that you did your best, despite the challenges, to have a successful crop!
Down Sunflower

Sunflower Down!

When I am down, I turn to my soil, my garden beds, and plots for solace.  When they are down I just feel awful! I’m sure you agree. So for a change, let’s help our gardens to regrow & rejuvenate. That is what our 2018 Fall Re-Garden is all about! Follow our journey on our Facebook & Instagram .

We Have Jelly Melons

If you follow our Facebook or Instagram pages, then you already know Bain Home Gardens specializes in the unusual. In fact, it is our hope to make at least half of our garden fresh veggies of the unusual kind. It has been a challenge I must say. Many of the plants we have tried our hands at growing are not native to this area. As such, they are susceptible – perhaps more susceptible – to pests and diseases. Much monitoring and research is needed! We, however, have found it very rewarding! Jelly Melon

So what is  a Jelly Melon? Native to the Kalahari Desert, Jelly Melon is also known as the Horned Melon, the melano, the African horned cucumber, the jelly melon, and the hedged gourd. The taste has been compared to a combination of banana and  passion fruit or a combination of banana, cucumber, and lime. Strange right?! Thus the appeal for us! There are several of these on the vine and currently we are unsure if they will make it to maturity with cooling night temperatures. However, we will post an update by video when we harvest and taste these guys.

Why are we so stoked about this plant? Well it took many attempts to get this one! This plant resulted from the last seed of the packet. The other plants grew, and some even bloomed, but then fell victim to heat and/or disease common to cucurbits. Another reason for our excitement is that this is NOT something you will find in any grocery store in our city. I’m unsure as to how we would ever have tasted this without growing it for ourselves! Our kids will have the pleasure of tasting a fruit from Africa. For me that is really awesome! So much of what  we consume today is based of off availability, supply & demand – ECONOMICS 101. The idea of changing this equation, even if it is just for one household bring such joy!

What will be the outcome of The Jelly Melon Journey? Who knows? Stay tuned – it is just getting interesting!

Shena’s Ginger Malabar Saute

Here at Bain Home Gardens we are having fun in the kitchen these days. We are expanding our flavor palate to include Malabar Spinach. Admittedly, it was very difficult to find a recipe that included flavors & spices we could easily get our hands on. See, Malabar Spinach is kind of an exotic vegetable. We found Bengali, Vietnamese, & Chinese recipes! No kidding. We didn’t realize how exotic it really was. This however was a good thing. We wanted to try new things! Going through the recipes, one thing was clear – Malabar likes Curry & Turmeric! Every recipe included it. Thankfully, the Bain household keeps these flavors on hand. A further examination of what was in the fridge & pantry and our recipe was born!

The Malabar Spinach

We hurriedly picked our Malabar Spinach right before a thunderstorm. In the rush we didn’t quite harvest enough but we made due with what we had. We used Red and Green Malabar in this meal. We also included the stems. If you use the stems please be cautioned: the older the stems are, the more woody they tend to be. Trust us there is no cooking it out – much like woody Okra!

All right! Go dust off your Wok or non-stick frying pan and let’s get to work!

  • Wash Malabar well.
  • Remove stems & chop thinly
  • Tear into 1 to 1/2 inch pieces

Seasonings (Always to taste) Other Things

  • Curry
  • Turmeric
  • Salt
  • Vidalia Onion
  • Ginger Root
  • Coconut Oil
  • Pear

All right. Let’s do it!

  • Place about 1 tablespoon of coconut oil into pan on medium high heat.
  • While oil is coming to frying temperature, grate about one teaspoon of ginger root and set aside.
  • If you haven’t already, now is a good time to slice that pear into thin slices.
  • Add onion (we used a medium-sized one, sliced coarsely) and Malabar stems to oil and cook for about 5 minutes.
  • Add Malabar leaves & pear slices. Stir frequently. Cook for 10 -12 minuets. If during the process the pan dries add about another teaspoon of oil or water.
  • Add Turmeric, Curry, & Salt to taste.
  • Plate & enjoy!

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