Sun Patterns :: Planning Your Herb Garden

One of the first things Sue & I stumbled across when we started planning our herb / vegetable / kitchen garden was a really simple thing. We simply forgot to take the sun into account when we designed our patch. Having a good 4 to 5 hours of sun a day is very necessary for good growth.

Don't get me wrong....... we have sun.... and lots of it, but in winter, a fair part of our patch would be in permanent shade. We only really figured this out once we had run through 10 or 12 itterations of our layout and had the herb part of the kitchen garden in place.

It became very apparent that if we followed our original design, the vegetable part of our kitchen garden would be 50% permanently covered by shade in winter.

So a change was needed....... & back to the drawing board we went.

After 3 or 4 more changes and some spikes in the ground, we had decided on the final veggie patch layout........ With a little less overall space, but more available growing space in the winter sun.

So, on the basis that you are probably here to learn about organic gardening and all of it's little idiosyncrasies, remember to take the pattern of the sun into account when you are planning an organic garden.

It's fairly simple to do and all you need is a day or 2 of easy work (A hammer and a couple of pegs also required). Simply pick a day where you are going to be at home for the day and go out into the garden every 2 hours, armed with the said hammer and trusty peg (Tent pegs work really well......)

Locate the point that sun turnes into shade and knock a peg in.......... This, over a period of 8 to 10 hours, will give you a pattern. Keep this information in a small kitchen garden diary (or log book) if you are worndering about planing organnic veggies in the sun...... You can always refer to the book if you have a memory like mine!!!!!!!!

Making Basil Pesto :: A Receipe For Making Basil Pesto

This year we've planted basil specifically for making basil pesto & I though it might be a great idea to share the process and receipe with you. Note that pesto is always made to taste, based on the ingredients at hand. So adjust the ingredients to your taste. Most pesto recipes call for Parmesan cheese, but we often use Romano because it has a stronger flavor. Most basil pesto recipes call for pine nuts but you can easily substitute walnuts.

Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe (Makes 1 cup)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed (Wash and pat the leaves dry)
  
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
  
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  
• 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
  
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  
• Special equipment needed: A food processor
  

METHOD

• Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.
  
• Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
  

STORAGE

• Fresh pesto doesn't store for as long as the stuff bought in the small jars. It will keep (as is) for about a week in the fridge.
• If you want to store it for a little longer, pop the pesto in an airtight container and cover the top with a little olive oil (so it doesn't brown). Keep it in the fridge.
• Alternatively, if you are like us and have a fair quantity of basil, you might want to freeze the pesto you make. If you do, omit the cheese (it doesn't freeze well). Line an ice cube tray with plastic wrap, and fill each pocket with the pesto. Freeze and then remove from the ice tray and store in a freezer bag. When you want to use, defrost and add in grated Parmesan or Romano.

Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.

ENJOY!!!!!