Culinary Communion: The Garden of Eatin

	Total Utilization Model: The practice of using every part of the food, creatively changing future demands by assessing current resources. This means, for example, using leftover chicken in a soup tomorrow instead of discarding it; using vegetable scraps to make a stock instead of throwing them away.

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Cooking with the Seasons Teaching Cooking from Earth to Table

	The CC Garden of Eatin 2006 Garden Updates The following weekly updates were written by our Garden Maven, Carol Hart, who devoted an amazing amount of time, effort, and energy to the CC Garden of Eatin in 2006. Thank you Carol! To get a good view of the garden's progress, go all the way to the bottom and then scroll up. Allow a moment for the photos to download. If you are interested in volunteering to help in the Garden, please email us. September 1, 2006 Our Garden Maven, Carol, has been recovering from surgery during the month of August, so we haven't had any Garden Updates. Meanwhile, the Garden of Eatin' has been lovingly maintained by our friend and student, Master Gardener Ginny Murphy. Ginny, thank you so very much for all of your hard work! These two photos show the garden, left and right, during the last week of August. We have been harvesting many squash, green beans, and Japanese eggplants. The tomatoes are starting to turn red (we've enjoyed many Sungolds already) and the corn should be ready next week. July 12, 2006: This Week in the Garden Back in August of 2005, Gabe, Heidi, and I discussed the idea of putting a vegetable garden in the backyard of the West Seattle house. The area was severely overgrown with crabgrass, weeds, and morning glory. The few herbs that were out there were struggling with these weeds to stay alive. At that same time I was taking out cobblestones from my own yard to create new garden beds—and a vision of the Culinary Communion garden began to form in my mind. A garden overflowing with herbs, vegetables, and flowers. A garden with cobblestone paths meandering through it with a place to sit and watch the birds playing in their bath. April of this year, ground broke on this project and now, after three months of hard labor, this vision has come to life. The herb bed is packed to overflowing, the corn is close to three feet tall, tomato plants are putting on fruit, squash plants are beginning to crawl out of their beds, bean plants are climbing, and eggplant and pepper plants are bushing out. It is my hope that everyone associated with Culinary Communion will take time to stop by and enjoy the garden and perhaps take the opportunity to plant good karma in the garden by working in it. Plants and people belong together. It is not a coincidence that plants give off oxygen and need carbon dioxide and we need oxygen and give off the other. It is a match made in heaven. Welcome to our Garden of Eatin’. Carol July 7, 2006: This Week in the Garden Everthing is growing! We’ve got tomatoes, eggplant, tomatillos, squash, borage, and garlic chives! The corn stalks are knee high now and it looks like the peppers and eggplants enjoyed the heat spell we had. The lovage and cilantro seedlings seem to be a bit slow in coming though. Two cucumber plants were put in to replace the two we lost. Over 100 basil plants were put in. There are three varieties: sweet basil, opal basil, and siam Thai basil. Of course the laying of cobblestones continue but we are very close to completing that project. I believe next week will see the last of those put in. After that soil will be swept into all the crevices. A second marker was also placed in the path with the phrase “cook with love, eat with passion.” The third and final marker with the phrase “from earth to table” will be placed in the path next week along with the final cobblestones. Next week I hope to get the beet and carrot seed in and also four lavender plants and some allysm around the bird bath. Happy Gardening. Carol June 15, 2006: This Week in the Garden This week 37 additional plants went in, including several varieties of peppers and eggplants, along with some herbs; summer savory, Vietnamese coriander, lemon verbena, and lemongrass. The following seeds were sown; garlic chives, lovage, borage, and the first row of cilantro. Unfortunately we lost 2 pickling cucumber plants in the transplantation process. I will see if the nursery has an acceptable substitute to fill in those spaces. Next week the cobblestone laying process continues and also the setting of beet seeds. Happy Gardening. Carol June 8, 2006: This Week in the Garden The "Welcome to the Garden of Eatin'" marker has been placed at the main entrance of the garden and I’m pretty pleased with how it looks. Forty-two vegetable plants were put into the ground and includes several varieties of cucumber, squash, tomatillos, and tomatoes. I am particularly proud of the fact that I only purchased 9 plants. Everything else was started from seed. The laying of cobblestones continue and I expect to be completed with all the paths in a few more weeks. Next week I will put in peppers and eggplants, along with a few herbs and sow additional seeds for herbs and beets. I have seed for carrots am not sure if there will be enough room the garden for them. Will have to wait and see. Happy Gardening. Carol June 1, 2006: Last Couple of Weeks in the Garden The weather has been rather crappy, which has slowed activity in the garden considerably. More cobblestones have been laid. I am concerned about running out before I’ve finished the paths so have started laying stone on the other end of the garden so that if I do run out and have to do something else at least the garden will have an “even” appearance. Sunflower, corn, bean, chervil, and nasturtium seeds have been set and floating row covers pinned over to protect the seedlings. 3 bamboo poles have been erected in Rhone & Noelani’s garden patch, which will support a pole bean, nasturtium, and a cherry tomato plant. Under the ‘teepee’ will be watercress and some variety of lettuce. The garden marker has been made and is curing. Will be ready for placement on Tuesday. I will also need the names of those who are to have a marker in the garden so I can get busy making those. I will devote 2 days next week to the CC garden. Work to include more cobblestone placement, along with some transplants of veggies, herbs and flowers. Hopefully the weather will cooperate! Happy Gardening. Carol May 11, 2006: This Week in the Garden First of all, would like to add an item to last week’s report. Pavers were set in front of the raised bed for safe, easy access to the herbs planted there. Now, on to this week. Planting beds were outlined and the main line for the watering system was put into place. The actual drip lines and timer will be installed as areas are planted. The chive container was moved into place as was the birdbath. The side bed was cleared which will serve as a perennial border to attract beneficial insects to the garden. Finally, the very beg deal was the relocation of the wood-burning stove from the patio area to a place under the stairs. This will provide a larger patio area, which will come in handy for those summer grilling classes. Next week we will be digging out the path areas to make room for the cobblestones. The dirt from the pathway will be added to the planting beds, which will help to raise them. Manure and compost will be added to each bed. As beds are filled, vegetable planting will take place. Finally, some trellis systems will be put into place. Happy Gardening. Carol May 4, 2006: This Week in the Garden A lot of effort went into moving the half-barrels in place this week. The barrel containing the mint was moved from a part-shade area to full sun in the Northeast corner of the garden. Removing all the dirt from this barrel revealed that no drainage holes were drilled in. That, along with the fact that the soil was compacted and holding water were contributing factors for the mint doing poorly. Holes were drilled in the barrel, and a screen placed so that soil would not clog the holes. The soil was amended and the mint replanted, along with a few new ones to help fill out the barrel. The two barrels in the driveway were moved to the back (one in the Northwest corner, and the other in the Southeast corner). One barrel did have drainage holes, but the other barrel bottom was rotted out. We will need to take care as to what is planted in this bottomless barrel, as any plant with meandering roots will be able to crawl through the bottom and spread to neighboring beds. The barrel in the Southwest corner was planted with Lemon Balm taken from my own yard. Finally, the dwarf Magnolia tree was relocated to the Southwest corner of the garden so that it would not interfere with our planting beds. Next week will begin the process of outlining the planting beds and digging paths around them for ease in tending and harvesting. Once this work is complete, a drip-water system will be put into place. After that, we will be ready to plant! In the meantime, the tomato, squash, and cucumber seedlings need to graduate to 4” pots as they await warmer weather and a new garden to move into! Happy Gardening. Carol April 27, 2006: This Week in the Garden We have broken ground on our Garden of Eatin project! Thirteen lawn clipping bags were filled with milkweed, dandelions, and crab grass. Our little 675 square foot area has been roto-tilled with the soil amended and we are ready to move on to the next phase. Next week we will begin the process of outlining the planting beds and digging paths around them for ease in tending and harvesting. Once this work is complete, a drip-water system will be put into place. After that, we will be ready to plant! We have already started seedlings for tomatoes, peppers, various squash, eggplant, cucumbers, and beets. They are all looking and are anxiously awaiting a transplant into their new home. I can hardly wait! Happy Gardening. Carol Photos: A before shot of the garden showing how badly overgrown it was contrasts sharply with the newly prepared plot.