Garden Wisdom Blog

We often talk about cultivating organic soil that is rich in microbial action, and full of organisms. Soil in your garden combines naturally occurring minerals with the various organic and mineral amendments you add. As the organic matter breaks down, it feeds layer after layer of soil biology — moulds, fungi, arthropods, earthworms, and so on. Right down to the microbial layer of bacteria and protozoa. The richer the ecosystem, it seems, the more fertile your soil will be. Soil biodiversity also protects your soil, and acts as a kind of cushion against atmospheric stresses like drought or frost. The...

With the holiday season upon us, we felt that a cookie recipe was in order… This one incorporates coriander seeds – the fruit of the cilantro plant. Cilantro is super easy to grow, and really productive for those who want to harvest seeds. Our Coriander Cookie Recipe produces very crisp biscuits with a mild flavour that begs to be enjoyed with a hot cup of tea or coffee. They store well and remain crisp for weeks. Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies. 250mL (1 cup) sugar 125mL (1/2 cup) water 770mL (3 1/4 cups) flour – plus extra, if needed 60mL...

This light dinner salad is perfect for those early fall months when you’re too lazy to be in the kitchen. Edamame or baby green soybeans have a mild flavour and offer a great source of protein along with the quinoa. * From the cookbook The Vegetarian’s Complete Quinoa Cookbook by Mairlyn Smith has over 150 quinoa recipes and delves into how you can enjoy fresh, natural quinoa that is not only nourishing and flavourful, but loaded with nutrients. Serves 4 Dinner Salad Ingredients 1 cup (250 mL) quinoa, rinsed and drained 2 cups (500 mL) vegetable broth 1 1/2 cups...

Pick red, orange and yellow tomatoes fresh from your garden to create a rainbow of flavour in this colourful tomato and pine nut salad recipe. Use any combination of interesting tomato varieties to serve up in this tasty salad with other antipasti or as an end to dinner. From the cookbook Per La Famiglia: Memories and Recipes of Southern Italian Home Cooking by Emily Richards, Whitecap Books.                   Serves 8 Salad Ingredients 4 tomatoes, such as beefsteak or heirloom varieties (red, yellow and orange) 3/4 tsp (4 mL) salt, divided 1/4 tsp...

Cookbook author Emily Richards loves serving this salad with fresine, a long pasta similar to fettucine. Then, once most of the tomato and cucumber is eaten, you can break up the pasta to soak up all the tasty vinegar dressing. This is perfect to add to a weeknight meal. Using in-season, hearty plum tomatoes adds lots of flavour and prevents a soupy salad, if you don’t want to soak it up with fresine. From the cookbook Per La Famiglia: Memories and Recipes of Southern Italian Home Cooking by Emily Richards, Whitecap Books. Serves 4 Salad Ingredients 4 plum tomatoes 1...