Fermentation Day
Great way to spend a very wet slushy winter day!
New Beginnings
Sourdough Production on the Rise!
Through our increased interest in Fermentation and it’s many health benefits we have a renewed interest in bread baking. Using the original bread baking method, known to us as sourdough, where flour is naturally fermented to create a living culture, we produce a bread that is more nutritious and delicious. For a enlightening look into traditional bread baking check out Michael Pollan’s Series called Cooked, Episode 3 – Air, on Netflix.
With the garden sleeping our focus has been on fermenting food as well as our new bread baking. Besides our standards of Sauerkraut and Kim Chi, Kombucha, we are now offering some specialty fermented items, including a Latin American style sauerkraut called Curtido, brussel sprouts, tomato and pepper salsa and a variety of hot sauces.
We are also busy getting the first wave of seeds started, peppers, eggplants, and some onions. For anyone who hasn’t been by lately, we have renovated the farm stand, inviting customers inside now, where we have more room for storage and display. We have made an area for plant sales and will have a variety of veggie starters, and garden and landscape perennials.
Rainbow Carrots
Our Heirloom Carrots
It always feels like summer is finally in full swing when we pull the last of the garlic out of the ground. You can see that many other things are also coming out of the ground such as these beautiful carrots. Looking forward into the summer, next weekend on Sunday July the 13th, we will be at the Halfmoon Bay Country Fair. It’s a great community event with music, food, games, and vendors. We will bring lots of garlic and garlic-themed foods. We will also be doing garlic braiding demos so you can learn to make your very own garlic braids.
Simon’s Giant Pumpkin at the Roberts Creek Fall Faire
Hard to believe the whole season has passed since our last post! We had a very productive summer. The warm sun brought about a great abundance of veggies. The markets were busy and thank you to all our loyal customers. The farm gate was well supported by our wonderful neighbours and visitors alike.
We are getting our beds ready for garlic planting. It is busy here now as we finish harvesting the last of our fruit and tomatoes. The apple and pear and quince crops were plentiful. Now we are in the process of juicing, drying and canning. We added fermented sodas to our kombucha making. Our fermented food line is ever expanding.
We are in the process of adding some of our recipes to the recipe section so stay posted. Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy the harvest!
Happy Spring
Here at Gidora’s Garden we are feeling organized this spring and we want to give this blog another go! We have had a great start to this year. A highlight for us was attending Seedy Saturday and trading seeds with our friends and neighbours.
Last week we had wonderfully warm weather that gave a boost to all of our plants. Our garlic is looking excellent and we are already looking forward to our annual garlic harvest. We have started many varieties of heirloom tomatoes from our own saved seeds that are growing very well, right now we are selling them along with spring vegetables at both the Sechelt and Robert’s Creek farmer’s markets. Come out and support all of your local farmers while eating delicious food, listening to great music, and having a fun time!
We have some exciting new projects that we are starting this spring as well. Right now we are experimenting with kombucha, a fermented tea with many health benefits. Look for it at a farmer’s market near you in the future. We are of course continuing with our other fermented foods, sauerkraut and kim chee .
We have also been dabbling in mead making, including blackberry mead and crabapple mead.
On the weekend we planted a new asparagus patch, which we think will be great as one can never have too much asparagus. It should also free up the space where the old asparagus patch is for other things too.
Look for more updates in the near future!
Helping Hands
The garlic harve
st is pretty much complete. It has been a busy time, thankfully friends and family members have come by for a visit and have lent a hand.
We have been busy making jams with all the wonderful things ripening in the garden – rhubarb, strawberries, lavender, roses, gooseberries, black currants and on goes the list.
Hard not to find something to make jam, jelly or sauce out of.
We have pickled garlic scapes and garlic powder available for sale at the stand on Redrooffs Rd and at both the Wednesday Farmgate Market at the Roberts Creek Hall and at the Sechelt Farmers Market on Saturdays at the Raven’s Cry Theater.
Thanks!
HAPPY SUMMER SOLSTICE!
Genki Garlic
It has arrived. Garlic Harvest Time. We noticed from last year’s journal that it is about two weeks later this year. The first garlic ready here is a variety called Genki, it is a Japanese Variety.
The next variety that should be ready in about two weeks time to pick will be Italian soft neck. This is the garlic we use in our braids. Then along comes Kostyn’s Red Russian.
Simon had lots of fun doing art with the garlic. Here are some photos of his artwork!
Open Season
Salad Greens
Even with this cold weather the garden is well on its way. We have been harvesting lettuce and greens from the greenhouse. Radishes and bok choi and spinach are ready. We have lots of seedlings, tomatoes (many different heirloom varities) peppers and eggplants coming along nicely. We will offer them for sale when they are bigger and the weather is a bit warmer (hopefully soon).
.
.
We are at the Farmers Market in Sechelt on Saturday mornings (830 to 1PM) and also at the Farm Gate Market on Wednesdays in Roberts Creek (3 to6PM).
We are also open at the farm gate (8066 Redrooffs Rd, Halfmoon Bay) on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Gidora's Garden 