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The long-awaited day arrived yesterday, when we pulled the first half of the potatoes we planted in a large box, back at the end of May. We would have let them sit a little longer, to let both sides die down, but it was clear that some mice or voles had taken up residence in the bed. Hope I dont have the same problem that we had last time we evicted mice! The half we dug up were the Russet Burbanks; the German Butterballs seem to still be growing, and to be mouse-free, as far as we can tell.



As Mr. Ferdzy unscrewed the boards that formed one side of the box, I pulled them out and took them away. You can see how deep the bed of potatoes was; probably about 16".


Then we started digging. It was quickly clear that we needed to dig by hand as of course the first thing we did was slice a couple potatoes in half. Most of the potatoes were very large. Real lunkers.


We found a few that had been much eaten by the mice or voles, but fortunately most of them were still fine. I think it was good we dug them up when we did though, or there would no doubt have been much more damage.


Here we are about three-quarters of the way through the digging process. All extra soil was hauled away and is sitting in a pile again. We will have a grass-free area over 2/3 of what will become a blueberry bed next spring. Thats a nice head start!



We got 96 pounds of Russet Burbanks which filled 2 bushel boxes. Taking into account the mouse damage, Im sure there was just over 100 pounds of potatoes. Im trying to remember what we originally planted... was it 4 pounds? It might have been, but we didnt keep good records. We planted the same amount, whatever it was, in one of our regular beds and that yielded 40 pounds of Russet Burbanks. Which was one of our best harvests of potatoes in the regular beds yet.


Last week we dug up the sweet potatoes. Im afraid they were a very disappointing harvest. We got 9 pounds of Frazier White and 11 pounds of Georgia Jet. I would say that growing them through tomato cages was a good plan, and we will do that again. It definitely prevented them from rooting all over the place, which is what they will do if allowed to sprawl. And if they do that you will get a lot of sweeet potatoes, but very tiny.

The problem, I believe, was that they basically did nothing for the entire month of June. June was perfectly grim, as far as the heat-loving vegetables like peppers, tomatoes, peanuts, melons and lima beans were concerned. It was cold and rainy, and the poor little slips just sat there and sulked. Essentially, they were a month behind when we dug them up, and since most of the root formation takes place at the end of the season, that was a month that really, really counted.

We also pulled our peanuts yesterday. Again, there were a lot of partially formed ones, and if they had done better in June I think our harvest would have doubled. On the other hand, this was still our best peanut harvest in the three years we have been growing them. We are developing peanuts suited to our soil and climate by selecting the best each year to be replanted. I also think our first planting did so poorly because the seeds were sold with the shells off, and I suspect many of them had had their growing tips damaged.

From a 5 by 5 area, we got 4 litres of shell-on peanuts. For the first time, we are going to actually eat some. (But yes, we have already sorted out about 80 of the best, largest peanuts for next years seed, including making a point to take many of them from the plants that produced the most peanuts.)


We also got some trees planted in the afternoon, most notably a couple of paw-paw trees we grew from seed this year. They join two that we bought as young plants last spring. Ive never had a paw-paw. I hope we like them. We wont know for some years!

While it may seem silly, the appearance of a little radish rose on my salad plate has the power to tickle me from head to toe. Maybe its my fondness for the concept of edible art. Moreover, can you deny that a pretty dessert or any other dish just seems to taste better? Even the slightest special touches in culinary preparation and presentation, transform the mere act of eating into a full-blown aesthetic experience. Sprucing up up a buffet for a party or a sit down meal for guests (or an especially spoiled loved one) is easier than you might think and makes all the difference. Be truly dazzled by these extra little touches will people. Here are some ideas to get you started in the art of food presentation. Good luck!

Presentation basics

Color- When it comes to color, its all about creating contrasts. A dish with a white sauce is going to look boring on a white plate. When it comes to "plating" food, put a few colorful vegetables next to visually bland items like mashed potatoes. Even a dollop of yogurt can look spectacular atop a bowl of split-pea soup!Chargers, the circular settings under plates, are also a great opportunity for color and contrast. They come in all different colors, textures, and materials.

Nature- The best food presentation incorporates the beauty of nature. A simple vase of flowers can do so much for a table, but experiment with less common items like pinecones. Fill a vase with crabapples and pinecones for a great-smelling autumn centerpiece. Mix flowers and fruits for especially beautiful and interesting centerpieces. For example, intersperse white flowers with limes in a silver bowl, or combine bright lilies with tropical fruits.
While porcelain and glass serving platters are common in food presentation, do not forget wood. Natural and even exotic woods work beautifully to display items like breads and cheese.

Odd Numbers- A good rule of thumb in any type of decorating is that an odd number of items grouped together is more visually attractive. Just as you would, for example, place a group of three pillar candles on the fireplace mantle, keep the same rule of odd numbers in mind when decorating your table or buffet and when garnishing plates.

White goods- Nothing is as elegant or as easily adaptable as a set of basic whiteware, including white platters, plates, and white linens. You can dress it up or down for different events.

On the plate

Smaller is better- Take a cue from fancy restaurants and create smaller, more elegant portions. Slice vegetables like bell peppers into thin strips. Use plates with a smaller basin for food, but a larger rim to create the illusion of a larger portion. Arrange the food vertically or fan it outward from the center for more artistic arrangements. Garnish- While this may seem obvious, only decorate with edible food. You want peoples taste buds to respond to everything on the plate. Moreover, the garnish should correspond to predominant flavors in the dish. Garnish with sprigs of rosemary for a chicken dish with rosemary in it sprinkle- if a food looks boring, sprinkle on some fresh chopped herbs, nuts, or finely chopped vegetables. Squeeze Bottles- Forget the ladle! The big thing with sauces right now is to paint and drizzle designs over your food with a squeeze bottle. Drizzle thin lines of teriyaki sauce back and forth over dumplings, for example.
Curls, roses, and other edible accoutrements

Butter curls/rosettesHeat a butter curler under hot water for a moment and pull gently over a stick of butter firm to create curls. Dip in hot water between each curl. Use flowers softened butter and a piping bag with a flower nozzle to create pretty butter. Remember to keep chilled until right before serving!
Vegetable creations
Carrots Use a vegetable peeler to cut strips of carrot, roll each into a spiral, and secure with a toothpick. Submerge in ice water for several hours and the carrot strip will remain curled after removing the toothpick. Cherry Tomatoes- To create a cherry tomato, flower, cut a small X on the blossom side of a cherry tomato. Partially peel back the tomato skin in the four sections with a sharp knife to make four petals. Cucumber/courgette Create fluting along a cucumber or zucchini slice with a fork. Green Onions- For green onion "brushes", cut the roots and most onion of the top portion from a green and make several cuts at both ends to produce a fringe. After being submerged in ice water for a couple hours, the onion ends to curl back like brushes. Leeks- Make pretty leek "asters" by first cutting off the roots and the bottom a little. Cut into 3-4 cm parts. Using a sharp knife, make many cuts along leek but dont split the bottom. Soak the leeks in cold water for a day and the flowers will curl out. Sprinkle with bed juice for a touch of color. Radish- Slice small triangles all around the radish and peel back the red skin to create flower petals. Or, make several cuts radiating out from the top center of the radish, water, and the radish will soak in cold "open" on its own. For a cute and simple trick, the radish very thin and use slice as the round slices petals for a flat flower. You can use a carrot slice stem for the center of the flower and scallions or cucumber peel for the.
Sweet touches
Chocolate- Let a bar of chocolate come to room temperature and carefully draw a vegetable peeler along the bar to create long curling strips. Use the narrow side to create thin curls and the broad side to make bigger curls. To make chocolate leaves, find broad leaves such as mint, rose, lemon or some nontoxic. Brush melted semi sweet chocolate on the underside of the leaves, wiping off any that runs to the front of the leaves. Repeat layers of chocolate to make sturdier leaves. Place chocolate leaves, chocolate side up, on a baking sheet lined with wax paper, and freeze until hard. Then, simply peel away the real leaf from the chocolate leaf. Fruit- Make strawberry fans with stemmed strawberries. Many simply cut, small slices into the strawberry almost to the green stem but not quite through and then fan out the strawberry. Or for on easier trick, brush fresh fruit with a mixture of water and meringue powder, and then immediately sprinkle with (granulated) sugar for a frosted look. Sugar- Powdered sugar (or cocoa powder) can easily create designs on top of brownies or a cake. Cut out a design from a piece of sturdy paper, such as swirls or stars, and then lay the piece of paper over the dessert. Sift the powder on top and then carefully remove the paper. Voila!

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