Purslane and Cucumber Salad

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In the garden, we know purslane as a weed, but it is completely edible and very nutritious, containing more Omega-3s than any leafy vegetable plant. It also contains vitamins A, C, E, and B, as well as dietary minerals such as magnesium, calcium, potassium, and iron.  All parts of the plant are edible: leaves, stems, flowers, and seeds.  To me, the flavor is relatively mild, with a bit of a lemony taste to the leaves.  The stems are tender and have a more earthy flavor.

There’s a recipe for Purslane and Cucumber Salad in the new cookbook, Bianco, from Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix(if you have never been, their pizza is fantastic!), and I was inspired to finally try eating purslane.  You’ll be happy to learn, it’s fabulous.  Plus, harvesting and weeding in one fell swoop is really pretty handy.

To prepare the purslane, rinse thoroughly to remove any grit from the garden, then dry in a salad spinner. Pinch off large bunches of the leaves, no need to stem, and toss them in your salad bowl.

Since both purslane and cucumbers are readily available in the garden right now, this is a perfect salad to use as an introduction to this edible weed.  A simple lemon dressing, some thinly sliced red onion, and you’re done.  I didn’t grow cucumbers, but zucchini worked just as well, as would anything else you like to use in your salads.  If you Google “purslane salad”, it’s amazing how many variations pop up.

To think we’ve all just been tossing it on the Bokashi pile.  Maybe we should bundle it up and sell it at the Harvest Sale. Hmmmm….

Enjoy!

Print Recipe
 Purslane and Cucumber Salad
Course Salads
Servings
Ingredients
Salad
Lemon Dressing
Course Salads
Servings
Ingredients
Salad
Lemon Dressing
Instructions
  1. Combine the ingredients for the dressing and set aside.
  2. Combine the purslane, red onion, and cucumber in a large bowl. Add enough dressing to lightly coat the salad and toss. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and add a sprinkle of oregano, if using.
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Fermentation Class and Demonstration

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FERMENTATION CLASS AND DEMONSTRATION

Join Milan Doshi on Saturday, August 5, from noon to 1:30 pm, as he provides an introduction into the wonderful world of fermentation. Participants will learn about the basic history and benefits of fermentation, and then will salt, mix and make their own batch of kraut to take home!

Milan is chef and founder of the Five Points fermentation company and a DUG board member.

Space is limited, sign up now!  This class is free.

To sign up online:

  1. Sign in to the Hours site, https://www.trackitforward.com/site/rosedale-community-garden 
  2. Click on the Events Sign Up tab in the top menu bar.
  3. Search the calendar for Saturday, August 5.
  4. Click the box for the Fermentation Class.
  5. Click on the orange Sign Up box on the right hand side; in the pop up window, click Sign Up.
  6. You’re done!  See you there.

 

If you have any questions, contact Priscilla at plots@rosedalegarden.org.

Rosedale Bees Update

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Last Thursday, two additional bee hives were set up in the orchard along with our other hives. The hives were donated to Rosedale by Bee Mindful, a Colorado non-profit.  Here’s their website to learn more about their mission.  http://beemindful.buzz/
 
Devin Egger, with Bee Mindful, will be helping us with all of our bee hives, providing mentoring and giving the gardeners a bee class this summer! He will be at the garden every couple weeks, so if you see someone new working with the bees, it’s probably Devin, please give him a Rosedale welcome!  
 

Work Day – June 10, 2017

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Many thanks to everyone who came out on this VERY hot day to help clean up the garden. Weeds, weeds, weeds!  No one’s favorite chore, but all that weeding made a big difference in how the garden looks.

Sarah W. bushwhacking the grass:

Adam, Sidney, and Ana weeding the meeting area.  Ugh! What a chore!

Sissy, Helen, Paula, and Paul harvesting garlic scapes and attacking the weeds.  Double Ugh! But on the plus side, scapes.  Yum!

Charlie R. and Kris battling the weeds on the north pathway.  Triple Ugh!

Thanks to everyone!!

Bokashi Composting Process Update

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The bokashi composting project is now running on a regular schedule.  If you have not yet been scheduled for a Saturday bokashi session, you will be soon. You may also schedule a session for yourself by going to the hours website here.  Sign in, click on the Events Sign Up tab in the top menu, search through and click on any of the bokashi dates on the calendar, and sign up.
 

BOKASHI TEA

We have a new, green 60 gallon rain barrel with a spigot, perfect for dispensing all the sweet, sweet, bokashi tea you would like.  Use it as often as you like, as we will be refilling the barrel weekly with each new batch of bokashi.
 
The tea can be used to water and feed your garden as often as you like.  It is recommended that you dilute the tea in a ratio of 1 cup tea to every 1 gallon of water.  You can use the tea every time you water, just weekly, or any schedule you like.  Ideally, the green barrel will be empty by the time we need to refill on Saturday.
 
Bokashi in process is in the blue barrel(Do Not Open).  Bokashi tea is in the green barrel. Use the tea as often as you like.

Bokashi in process is in the blue barrel(Do Not Open).  
Bokashi tea is in the green barrel. Use the tea as often as you like.

 

BOKASHI SOLIDS

The bokashi solids are a perfect compost to work into the soil in your garden.  Worked into the soil, the solids will completely break down in just a few weeks, and add important nutrients to your soil.  It also helps to aerate the soil and helps the soil to retain moisture. 
 
You can collect the solids any Saturday while the barrel is being emptied, or take solids from any of the wooden bins pictured below(numbered 1 through 6) behind the bokashi barrel.  Ignore the numbers, they are a vestige of a long ago composting effort.  The bokashi solids are dumped randomly into these bins on a weekly basis as the barrel is emptied and refilled.

Bokashi solids in these bins

 

IMPORTANT BOKASHI NOTES

The bokashi barrel(s) is/are filled on a weekly basis with the weeds and plant material that have been placed in the pile in the back of the garden.  The barrel(s) is/are emptied each week, the rain barrel is filled with the tea, and the solids are placed in the wooden compost bins.  

The bokashi process takes 7 to 10 days to complete.  We are currently operating on a weekly schedule, Saturday to Saturday.  

  • Please, under NO circumstances should the barrel be opened at any time other than during the Saturday bokashi session.  Opening the barrel interrupts the bokashi fermentation process.
  • Please, DO NOT attempt to tip the barrel at any time other than during the Saturday bokashi session. The filled barrel weighs over 300 pounds and could be dangerous if not handled properly.

 

If you have any questions, please contact Priscilla at plots@rosedalegarden.org.

Pest Control – Harlequin Bugs

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Harlequin Bugs

Harlequin Bugs

What are they?

These are Harlequin Bugs. They are not beetles actually, they are stinkbugs. Hence the smell. Its very important we get rid of these, they are relatively non-toxic, but many birds find them disgusting.

Which are their favorite plants?

Gardens with mustards, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, horseradish, turnips, or arugula will likely be affected.

How do we get rid of them?

If you see them, hand pick them and throw them into a bucket of soapy water, just like with Japanese Beetles. Alternately you can just tap the leaf to get them to fall into the water, they are not beetles and cannot fly!

If you find several bugs on one plant, spray the affected plant with a 1% insecticidal soap solution with some neem or pyrethrin. This will kill the ones left on the plant. Kaolin clay solutions/dusting will have similar results.

To make your own insecticidal soap solution, see these instructions.

The nymphs (below) have a striped pattern. Treat them the same way you do adults.

Harlequin Bug eggs

Harlequin Bug eggs

The most important thing however is the eggs (above). Very distinctive white barrel with black stripes. Check the bottoms of your leaves for these. Remove them, squash them, and spray the effected plant with the soap solution.

Other Interventions:

Chrysanthemum produces pyrethin and repels them. Chamomile, celery, basil, garlic, mint, rosemary, and sage also may help deter them from your cabbages.

They have several insect predators including the wheel bug, the sand wasp, and some parasitic wasps. Yarrow, caraway, and fennel can encourage the parasitic wasps.

Got Chickens?

If you have pet turtles, chickens, or guinea fowl, they are known to eat these up. If everyone agrees to it (chickens can scratch up some plants, guinea fowl are better) we can set up a day for them to free roam and pick out a bunch of bugs.  Contact leadership@rosedalegarden.org to schedule a free-roam day.

At any rate, keep an eye out for the eggs!

Work Day, May 13, 2017

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Thanks to everyone who helped install the green fence barrier on the north fence line. It goes a long way toward hiding all of the miscellaneous junk that Parks & Rec has hidden behind their shed.

 

Stuff like this…..

Ready for bees…

New gardener, Alex, jumped right in to helping the bee team set the hives up for this season.  The bees have been moved to the orchard area where they can work their magic pollinating the fruit trees.

Alex is ready for the bees.