Rukmini Iyer On Homegrown Flavours

South Carolinians love corn grits, but like most modern Southerners, I grew up eating store-bought instant or quick grits and never considered homegrown grits an option. Then about a decade ago I visited the Hagood Mill Historic Site in Pickens, SC. This renovated 175-year-old water grist mill grinds corn the old-fashioned way into grits and cornmeal on the third Saturday of every month. During that visit, I bought a bag of fresh, stoneground grits, and it changed my view of the Southern staple forever. Several South Carolina mills now offer these hearty grits ground from heirloom corn varieties (mostly a type of corn known as dent corn). If you have never tried fresh, local grits, I encourage you to pick up a bag and give it a try.

They never even consider winter crops. A mere dozen lettuce seeds, sown every 10 days from late winter through late summer, the earliest ones indoors for set-out later, will guarantee a small household plenty of fresh, succulent salad greens early spring through late fall. Don’t plant 10 feet of row of lettuce at a time—3 or 4 feet at most is more like it, since lettuce doesn’t keep. And even with those 12 seeds, I like to mix it up a bit, alternating 6 each of two varieties at each planting, so I have a blend of colors, tastes and textures in every bowlful.There are three basic categories of lettuces, the earliest being the looseleaf kind, which take only 45-60 days to mature. ‘Black-Seeded Simpson,’ at 45 days, is about the quickest of all, so don’t be without it. Another non-heading lettuce I always grow is ‘Oakleaf,’ with beautiful ruffled leaves shaped like its namesake’s. There are red forms now, like ‘Flame,’ or various improved v

MY LIST OF HOMEGROWN INGREDIENTS FOR THE THANKSGIVING TABLE starts with the bumpy, oddball makings of a centerpiece. Gourds (like the warty or Bule ones), though delicious to look at, are more decor than dinner, but I did grow many edible parts of the harvest feast this year: sweet potatoes (which I’ve cooked with you here before) and Brussels sprouts and white potatoes and winter squash and green beans—and come to think of it, there might be something on the menu made with my apples, too, and garlic and parsley and sage and…well, you get the idea.

You waged a winning battle against marauding pests. You warded off nasty diseases. You watered, pruned, fertilized, and propped those vines up.Now it’s harvest time, and

Natural herbs have been the cure and prevention for many health issues for centuries. These were often delivered in the form of teas, tinctures, and balms. The medicinal properties of mint have been lauded through the years, with many benefits touted. In the modern age, however, we may wonder, is mint good for you? Mint health benefits encompass aromatherapy, digestive enhancement, and as a decongestant, among others. Mint is readily available as an oil, dried tea, and is very easy to grow in the garden.

Seeing red? If you’re looking at your homegrown tomatoes, I hope they are a bright, cheery red color as they’re ripening on the vine.And yet, I know that even experienced gardeners have times when t

To celebrate Spring the team from Bale Breaker’s Yakima farm is bringing 6′ hop plants sell at our their Ballard Taproom. We’ll be here selling our new Freyr trellis, our friends at Beyond Peat Professional Organics will have some of their latest soil to sample, and Ecolibrium Farms will also be in house selling plant and flower starts for the spring season!

Preserving freshly picked basil from the garden for future use is a wonderful way to savor its flavor throughout the year.Because the harvests can

Yesterday I was listening to James Wong (@Botanygeek) on Five Live talking through the merits of growing your own fruit and vegetables. For those of you that missed it James was questioning why we are still growing the same basic fruit and veg on our allotments that we grew in 1940.  It was his suggestion that buying all the kit to grow your own basics might end up costing you more than buying the actual veg from your local supermarket. I thought I’d do some digging to see if anyone had actually worked this out. Gold medal for accuracy goes to Tiger Sheds who have created this infographic breaking down all the costs. Pleasingly it’s still cheaper, healthier and more rewarding to grow your own ! Now, what James we

Onions are a vegetable garden favorite. They are members of the large and diverse Allium genus that includes garlic and leeks, and are staples in recipes from countries around the globe.We link to vendors to help

Since I’ve sadly outgrown the Flintstones Chewables stage of life, ensuring that I’m getting all of my essential vitamins can sometimes feel like a guessing game.As a dietitian, patients often ask me about taking vitamin supp

What do people, pills, and lettuce have in common?When they are bitter, they’re the worst.Mayb