Warm breezes and sunny skies signal us to get outdoors and plant something. Playing in the dirt and watching plants grow can bring out the child in you and lift your spirits. Planting vegetables gives you the most accessible, least expensive and best tasting source of ingredients for salads, vegetable side dishes, stews, casseroles and soups. If you have never eaten a freshly picked tomato or cucumber, you are in for a wonderful surprise.
No yard to plant in is no excuse. Container gardening works well for many vegetables. All you need is a sunny window sill, patio, deck or porch, the right container and a bag of potting soil.
Container
The container you use can be as simple as a pail or dish pan or as fancy as the pots and planters for sale in garden centers. The important considerations are that the container is large enough for the fully grown plant, has holes in the bottom or sides for drainage and does not contain any toxic materials. A one- to two-gallon container is large enough for lettuce, spinach, radishes and green onions. For tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, a five-gallon or larger containers should be used.
Potting soil
Use bagged potting soil sold in garden centers rather than dirt from the yard. Look for potting soil with slow-release fertilizer and moisture-retaining agents in it. Before pouring the potting soil into the container, put a coffee filter or used dryer sheet over drainage holes to keep soil from washing out. When you fill the container with soil, leave about two inches at the top of the container to allow for watering.
Planting
Fast-growing vegetables, such as lettuce, spinach, radishes and cucumbers can be grown from seed. Follow directions on the seed packet for proper planting depth. Tomatoes and peppers will bear a crop much earlier if started from purchased plants rather than from seeds. The potting soil should be moistened before planting and watered again after planting the seeds or plants.
Good growing conditions
Full sunlight for most of the day is preferable although lettuce, radishes and green onions will tolerate partial shade. Plants in containers should be watered daily. If the potting soil does not contain slow-release fertilizer, fertilizer should be applied regularly, following the directions on the fertilizer package.
Farmers market
If you are not inclined to grow your own vegetables, the best place to buy fresh produce is at one of the farmers markets in Cayuga County. Opening day was Tuesday, June 5, in Auburn; and will be Thursday, June 7, in Moravia, and Wednesday, June 20, in Port Byron. The greens to make the soup recipe should now be available.
Visit www.cce.cornell.edu/cayuga for more nutrition information and easy recipes.
Christine Gutelius, MA, RD, CDN, is a nutrition resource educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga.
Italian Beans and Greens Soup
Makes 8 servings
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon oil
4 tomatoes, chopped (or 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes)
2 teaspoons sage
4 cups kale or Swiss chard or other greens, washed and chopped
3 15-ounce cans Great Northern beans, drained (reserve liquid)
5 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon black pepper
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or to taste)
Grated parmesan cheese (optional)
In a large pot, heat the oil and cook garlic about a minute. Stir in tomatoes, sage, greens, reserved bean liquid, chicken broth, and black pepper and
simmer for 8 minutes. Coarsely mash drained beans with a fork or a potato masher. Add
beans to pot and cook for 15 minutes or until the greens are tender. Add lemon juice and
simmer the soup for another 10-15 minutes on very low heat, stirring occasionally. Serve the soup, topped with parmesan cheese, if desired.
Container
The container you use can be as simple as a pail or dish pan or as fancy as the pots and planters for sale in garden centers. The important considerations are that the container is large enough for the fully grown plant, has holes in the bottom or sides for drainage and does not contain any toxic materials. A one- to two-gallon container is large enough for lettuce, spinach, radishes and green onions. For tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, a five-gallon or larger containers should be used.
Potting soil
Use bagged potting soil sold in garden centers rather than dirt from the yard. Look for potting soil with slow-release fertilizer and moisture-retaining agents in it. Before pouring the potting soil into the container, put a coffee filter or used dryer sheet over drainage holes to keep soil from washing out. When you fill the container with soil, leave about two inches at the top of the container to allow for watering.
Planting
Fast-growing vegetables, such as lettuce, spinach, radishes and cucumbers can be grown from seed. Follow directions on the seed packet for proper planting depth. Tomatoes and peppers will bear a crop much earlier if started from purchased plants rather than from seeds. The potting soil should be moistened before planting and watered again after planting the seeds or plants.
Good growing conditions
Full sunlight for most of the day is preferable although lettuce, radishes and green onions will tolerate partial shade. Plants in containers should be watered daily. If the potting soil does not contain slow-release fertilizer, fertilizer should be applied regularly, following the directions on the fertilizer package.
Farmers market
If you are not inclined to grow your own vegetables, the best place to buy fresh produce is at one of the farmers markets in Cayuga County. Opening day was Tuesday, June 5, in Auburn; and will be Thursday, June 7, in Moravia, and Wednesday, June 20, in Port Byron. The greens to make the soup recipe should now be available.
Visit www.cce.cornell.edu/cayuga for more nutrition information and easy recipes.
Christine Gutelius, MA, RD, CDN, is a nutrition resource educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga.
Italian Beans and Greens Soup
Makes 8 servings
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon oil
4 tomatoes, chopped (or 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes)
2 teaspoons sage
4 cups kale or Swiss chard or other greens, washed and chopped
3 15-ounce cans Great Northern beans, drained (reserve liquid)
5 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon black pepper
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or to taste)
Grated parmesan cheese (optional)
In a large pot, heat the oil and cook garlic about a minute. Stir in tomatoes, sage, greens, reserved bean liquid, chicken broth, and black pepper and
simmer for 8 minutes. Coarsely mash drained beans with a fork or a potato masher. Add
beans to pot and cook for 15 minutes or until the greens are tender. Add lemon juice and
simmer the soup for another 10-15 minutes on very low heat, stirring occasionally. Serve the soup, topped with parmesan cheese, if desired.
