Video Tour of the Greenhouse May 29, 2009

Video Tour of the Greenhouse May 29, 2009, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

A rainy day so I decided to make a short video to document the progress in the greenhouse to date.

Garden Bounty Increasing Everyday

Garden Bounty Increasing Everyday, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

Today there was lettuce and radishes and an herb flavoured olive oil made with three kinds of fresh basil and Italian flat leaf parsley. The radish are the last of some seed that I brought home from France several years ago, not very many germinated so I guess they must be at the end of their life span.

Rhubarb Roadside Stand

Rhubarb Roadside Stand, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

Maybe I'm reverting to my childhood days and the lemonade stand with lemonade 5 cents a glass. Yesterday I had a thought after I read something on flickr about several people who just have selfserve stands for there surplus flowers, vegetables and baked goods so I thought I would give it a try for the fun of it. Well I didn't have a bad first day, I sold $16.00 worth of Rhubarb. So I guess if I have surplus herbs or vegge this summer I know what I'll do.

My New Waterproof Tilley

My New Waterproof Tilley, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

I don't know who that old guy is but he's wearing my new Tilley and it's waterproof. Hopefully that will keep my head dry on the Camino next winter. It might also come in handy in Newfoundland this summer, I hope it will be keeping the sun off me at Gros Morne National Park. The Shell Badge was a gift from a fellow Camino Pilgrim, Marliyn Rushton from Halifax. We both walked the Camino for the first time last year and we are both making plans to walk different routes next year. Mine will hopefully start in Le Puy around the first of March.

Atlantic Vision

Atlantic Vision , originally uploaded by corporallouis.

Starting to get excited about the trip to Newfoundland in July leaving home on July 4th and crossing the straight from North Sidney to Port aux Basque on July 5th . If the schedule doesn't change we are booked to sail on the new Marine Atlantic Ferry, "Atlantic Vision" which just went into service this spring, it is reported to be very luxurious. We have reservations for a cottage in Isle aux Morts for the first night which is only a 15 to 20 minute drive from the ferry landing. Next day we are taking a small passenger ferry to Grand Bruit a small out port up the coast with a population of 57, no roads and no cars. We have a cottage rented there for two nights and I have a feeling it is going to be one of the highlights of the trip. The lady who runs the cottages is going to serve us meals in her home.

Greenhouse things are looking up.

Greenhouse things are looking up., originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

Things in the greenhouse are coming along nicely. It's amazing what a few warm days can do. The peppers have doubbled in size since I put them in their shopping bags and the tomatoes have blossom cluster starting to form, should have the first blossoms in a week or so.

Deviled Egg Tray and carrying case.

Deviled Egg Tray and carrying case., originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

I'm a member of a walking group called the Pathfinder and two or three times a year we have a small get together for the members and a pot luck luncheon. I'm always trying to think of something to bring that most people would like including the vegitarians like me. Last December I hosted the Christmas party and as my contribution I had purchases a couple of deli trays one of which was a large deviled egg tray which was gone in no time. That solved the problem I'll bring delived eggs from now on. Our next pot luck is coming up on June 28th and I've been looking for a deviled egg tray online. I found this item at Get Organized:
www.shopgetorganized.com/prodetail~itemNo~26704.asp

It arrived the other day and I just had to give it a try.
Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

Amelia Planting Her Red Flowering Chestnut Tree May 16, 2009

Fasolada - Greek Bean Soup

Fasolada - Greek Bean Soup, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

Fasolada - Greek Bean Soup

Ingredients

500gr dried white beans
1 cup Extra Virgin Olive oil
1 Large onion diced
2 carrots sliced
1/2 cup celery finely chopped
3 ripe tomatoes diced
1/2 cup parsley finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato puree (Concentrated paste)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Soak the beans over night in a bowl full of water to soften them. Drain and place in a sauce pan of water , bring them to the boil twice changing the water each time. Place back in the sauce pan and cover with water for a third time, add the olive oil, the onion, the carrots and the celery. Simmer for an hour and then add the parsley, salt pepper, tomatoes and tomato puree. Simmer for an additional 30 minutes more or until the beans are soft. Enjoy.

Makes a large soup but it freezes really well.

Scones

Scones, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

I not only baked them but it is my own recipe. Second time I've made them and they are quite low fat. I substituted applesauce for half of the fat. It all started because I bought three large tubs of plain fat free yogurt to make yogurt cheese with . Sobeys didn't have the brand I usually get so I chose another brand, I didn't read the label until I was back home and discovered that it had cornstarch in it and you can't make cheese with that because the cornstarch won't let it release the whey. So what to do with three containers of yogurt. I always have SR Flour in the house (Self Rising) and that is what the English use to make Scones. So I made up a recipe and it worked.

1 750ml tub plain yogurt
3-4 tablespoons sugar
4 Table spoons margarine
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup raisins
SR Flour enough to make a stiff batter

Mix all ingredients together adding flour until you have a stiff batter.

Turn out on to a board covered with SR flour and knead adding more flour as required until you have a dough the consistency of tea biscuit or a roll out cookie dough. Roll out to a 1.5 inch thick circle and cut into wedges or cut with a cookie cutter. Bake at 350F until done. 20 to 30 minutes depending on thickness.

By the time I made my second batch I had made applesauce from my Pumpkin Sweet Apples and I substituted half the fat for applesauce and that worked fine too.

Peppers in shopping bags

Peppers in shopping bags, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

Pepper Purple Star - Glossy, deep purple peppers that really stood out like stars in our trails. Peppers are borne in abundance on this early compact hybrid. Makes a colourful addition to salads and dip trays. 65 days from transplant. (Veseys seeds from the packet)

Grow Bag Gardening

Grow Bag Gardening, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

I've wanted to use grow bags for years now but you just can't find them in Canada. Well this winter I bought a light garden and started a lot of my plants under lights in the house and did a lot of internet research on Grow Bags. The only source of grow bags for the home gardener seems to be England. After talking to a local garden center I discovered that there is a product available that commercial growers use in the pruduction of greenhouse cucumbers and tomatoes, to my shock and surprise it is produced right here in Atlantic Canada in my home province of New Brunswick. The company is called Greenworld and the product is their Professional Mix Type VPW 30, 85 liter bag. My local garden centre was able to get them for me and I purchased 20 bags. So far I have five planted with tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers in my small greenhouse. I also ordered a grow bag greenhouse from England. This is designed to hold one grow bag and I have it in use with two tomatoes planted in it and doing well at least three weeks earlier than I would normally be able to put tomatoes out due to the risk of frost. Fingers crossed my goal is to get ripe tomatoes before late August or September.

Cows on the Camino

Cows on the Camino, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

I took this clip while I was having my lunch along the side of the trail as I walked the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain in May of 2008.

Tarta de Santiago y pan rústico

Tarta de Santiago y pan rústico, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.


Tarta de Santiago y pan rústico

I use this recipe to make the Tarta de Santiago
www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/pilar-sanchez/tarta-de-santia...
I didn't care for their pastry so I have substituted a regular pie pastry.The bread is the New York Times No Knead Bread. One loaf (Cut) I added ripe olives and sun dried tomatoes to and the other is white.

The New York Times No-Knead Bread

Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting (I use 450g)
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water,(I use 375g) and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees F.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees F. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

I have enjoyed all of the loves that I have made using this method but I have had a problem with consistency so I have been working on a using weights for the flour and water instead of volume measures. After several tries I've settled on 450g of Flour and 375g of water. I'm also finding that I get a much better loaf using unbleached flour.

Link to the YouTube NYT Video:

ca.youtube.com/watch?v=13Ah9ES2yTU

No Knead Bread Metric Version

No Knead Bread Metric Version, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

The New York Times No-Knead Bread

Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour,(I use 450g) more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, (I use 380g)and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees F.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees F. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

I have enjoyed all of the loves that I have made using this method but I have had a problem with consistency so I have been working on a using weights for the flour and water instead of volume measures. After several tries I've settled on 450g of Flour and 375g of water. I'm also finding that I get a much better loaf using unbleached flour.

Link to NYT YouTube video:

ca.youtube.com/watch?v=13Ah9ES2yTU

Spring at last !!

A beautiful day for a walk in the parks and a chance to see what spring flowers are in bloom. The red trillium's were out in full force, in the Herring Cove Provincial Park. I know there are white and painted trillium on the island too but I have never managed to find them.





























A little while later I moved over to the Roosevelt Campobello International Park and found clumps of Spring Beauty in the deciduous forest, taking advantage of the bright sun light before the forest leaves out, putting them in the shade.














At the side of the Glensevern Road between the two parks I was surprised to find the Round Leaf Sundew has already emerging and actually is almost full size, which isn't very big.