Rolling Hills Nursery

Immunity

2010-08-30T10:34:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

Hope everyone is enjoying this absolutely glorious cool down. Can you believe that just one week ago, we were sweating it out in temperatures over 100 degrees? Now here we are enjoying crisp cool mornings/ evenings and daytime temps that encourage everyone to get back outdoors.

This autumn like feel brought me back into the kitchen where yesterday, I actually started the oven. How weird is that for the end of August? [Soap box moment: For all of you out there who still don't believe something drastic is going on in our global environment - please think again!]

Back to the strange desire to cook in the dead of Summer. While the weather did help encourage my menu of a baked turkey meatloaf, simmered collard greens with cayenne and garlic , bay infused garlic mashed potato's and a freshly baked peach pie complete with a Cinnamon & nutmeg crust, it really was my daughters cold that began last Thursday that was the main motivator.

Corrina came home Thursday with a very bad sore throat. Immediately, we went into our "someone is sick" mode. For us, this means lots of fluids, freshly squeezed local citrus [Thanks, Mr & Mrs. Farquhar for the fruit stand at Wabash that was open last Friday and ready with the oranges we needed!] local honey, no processed foods [sugar, packaged foods] and lots of rest [staying in pajamas is not only encouraged, it's mandatory!], changing the bedding and bleach to surfaces.

By Sunday, this virus was still holding on strong! We shifted into phase two which included sitting in a steam filled bathroom inhaling essential oils of oregano, red thyme and eucalyptus, adding Dynamo juice to the diet [Trader Joes], and lots of garlic, onion and home cooked collard and mustard greens! [simmered for hours in fresh turkey broth infused with cayenne pepper].

We have all heard that food is medicine. Sometime it is the antiviral properties of foods like onions and garlic that help to make us feel better. Sometimes it is the mega dosage of pure raw vitamins, minerals & enzymes found in local oranges and honey [Thanks, Annie for the honey from your "girls" - it is one of the few things making Corrina's throat feel better instantly.]Sometimes, just filling the house and our bodies with the warmth, aroma and nourishment from lovingly prepared foods allows is enough to encourage the healing process.

This morning, I read an interesting article on MotherEarthNews all about building immunity. This article should be a must read for all of us- and it could not be more timely. With most schools and universities back in session, the warfare on bacteria and illnesses has resumed. Just last week while in the market, I noticed that the flu shot is once again being offered. NOW is the time to familiarize ourselves with ways to boost our immunity BEFORE the official cold and flu season hits!

Another word on colds. They are not always a bad thing. Sometimes, they are our bodies way of releasing stored toxins. Many "summer colds" fall into this category. Honor the process. Take in lots of clean pure water. Rest! Laugh. Nurture yourselves.

And for the last words of the day, here's a list of our favorite things for when you don't feel good:

Fresh orange juice - Farquhar Farms, Wabash & Highland Ave - Redlands
Dynamo Juice - Trader Joes
Green Juice - Trader Joes [not the name of it, just the color]
Local Honey
Bee Pollen - Winchester Cheese Co at Thursday Night & Saturday Morning Redlands Farmers Markets
Collard Greens [email me for recipe]
Steam inhalations of herbals - Eucalyptus [take fresh branches and drop into boiling water. Place pot in heat proof surface, cover head with towel and inhale vapors]* Can add oregano leaves as well.
30 Rock

All day in PJ's

warm chamomile tea [any kind will do , it's the soothing heat you will love]

Enjoy the day,

Carrie-Anne

http://www.rollinghillsherbs.com/

Bugs!

2010-08-23T05:53:00.000-07:00

Last week, my friend Ann came to help out a bit in the nursery [Thanks, Ann!]
She was interested in learning more about propagation so we headed into our home landscape to take cuttings. What an eye-opener that was.

I knew that I had been neglecting my garden a bit. Watering has gotten a bit erratic. The sprayer broke weeks ago so no insecticide has been applied recently. Same holds true for adding compost or fertilizer - just haven't done it.

Boy could you tell. It didn't take long to see that bugs/pests/fungus of all kinds have moved in. The bright lights chard was covered in aphids. The red veined sorrel next to the chard was now an ant hotel. The kale was crawling in little black beetles with white dots on their backs [no, pest identification is not my strong suit, so if you know what they are - please share].

As to the other pest, it has four legs and eats the tomato while on the vine. He/she/it leaves lovely teeth marks on the half eaten fruit. Some weird white mildew had covered the chard.

Have I ever mentioned that FALL is my favorite time to garden??? This is exactly why!

Even with my love of nature, gardens, fresh foods...late summer in the garden can be too much. The heat drains me [and the plants] of nearly all resources. I know that I need to get out there and water/weed/fertilize but somehow, no matter how much I try, it seems like it is never enough.

And then the cycle begins. Without proper water/fertilizer, the plants become stressed. Stressed plants are the perfect host for bugs and diseases. One bug comes and then they all do [well, it just feels that way]. Before you know it, much of your hard work can be eaten away [literally] and you are left to toil in the hot sun with very little reward [unless you call a full can of green waste a triumph].

If this sounds familiar, you can always do what I am doing.

One, remove stressed, bug/disease ridden plants completely. I would rather replant something than give free room, board and meals to the insect/pest population.

Two, decide on keeping only what you really want. I know, in early spring we all set out to grow tons of amazing varieties of tomato, pepper, basil [etc] in our gardens - but now we need to get real. If we can not keep up with the maintenance of these plants, it would be better to focus only on a few and keep them growing healthy and strong. Seriously, are you really going to eat the kale that every creature has chewed their way through? I don't think so.

Now that I have pruned, dug out and thinned my garden - I am off to apply some insecticidal soap to the healthy plants that remain. My goal is to actually continue the process of deep watering that I have resumed doing this week on a regular basis and get some fertilizer on these guys today [early morning is best!].

So, if you are like me and find yourself are a bit overwhelmed in the garden this time of year - know that we can reclaim our crops [and our energy]. All is not lost. And if by chance it is, fall is around the corner [don't forget to send us your fall plant wish list!] Less heat, less bugs, less weeds - more lettuce, salad greens, leafy greens!

There is hope on the horizon.

Enjoy the day!

Carrie-Anne

RIPE! A Fall Garden to Table Festival

2010-08-19T06:50:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

Mark your calenders. RIPE! A Garden to Table Festival is coming to the Olive Avenue Market this October!

RIPE! A free, community event will celebrate the edible gardening revolution and our region’s thriving commitment to local food. At the time when nature’s bounty is at its peak, this joyous festival will bring together food enthusiasts, farmers and local growers to help show the community what, when and how to grow and eat fresh, local and seasonal.

RIPE! Will feature:
The building and planting of a raised bed on the grounds of the Olive Ave Market
Local farmers & fall produce
Our locally grown herb & heirloom vegetable plants
Students from the Grove High School showcasing a Garden to Table Curriculum in support of raising funds for the Barton House renovation [the home of their new kitchen]
Ongoing children’s story time featuring garden/nutrition based literature
Garden based crafts for children
Jams and preserves created using locally grown produce
Growing blueberries in the home garden

Event Details:
Saturday, October 23rd 10:00a.m.– 1:00p.m. 530 West Olive Ave. Redlands, CA.

For those who want to get started with their own edible garden, this will help show them the way. For those who have limited space and still wish to plant lots of edibles, they will be shown how. For those who have no clue how or what to do with herbs and leafy greens, samples and recipes will inspire and enlighten.

Please help us get the work out about this exciting community event! Tell a friend or two. What a great day it will be.

Open House

2010-07-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

We want to thank everyone who came out to our open house last Saturday evening and joined us in celebrating our nursery's first year anniversary! We hope you were inspired through the evenings cuisine to grow more tasty herbs and veggies for yourself and to do even more of your grocery shopping at our local farmers markets.

As promised, here are the recipes.

Fresh Peach Ice Cream with Tarragon

1.5 lbs of farmers market fresh peaches

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

2 cups of half and half

2 tablespoons fresh, finely chopped tarragon

1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar

Peel peaches, remove center stone and in blender, lightly puree all but 1/3 cup of fresh peaches. Remove and place in bowl. To this, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Add all tarragon. Add 1/4 cup of sugar and 2 cups of half and half. Mix and refrigerate until well chilled.

Meanwhile, mash remaining peaces [you want some chunks] with remaining vanilla and sugar. Place in bowl and chill for at least one hour.

Mix both mixtures together and chill according to your individual ice cream freezers directions. I like to take mixture and divide into two smaller containers when freezing. I let newly prepared ice cream stand in freezer for about 1 hour before serving. It will be soft - this is o.k.

Do enjoy the whole thing - left overs just are not the same.

Lavender Green Tea w/ Lavender

To a standard pitcher, add:

Filtered water

1/4 cup of sen-cha gold loose leaf Japanese green tea

4 tablespoons of dried organic loose English lavender buds.

Chill overnight or 6-8 hours. Strain loose tea/lavender buds out [set aside to reuse at least one more time - adding 2 tablespoons of fresh tea leaves ]. Add 1/4 cup of light agave syrup [Temecula Valley Cheese Co and our farmers market carries it]. Mix well and serve over ice!

Herbed Vegetables and Feta Lettuce Wraps

This simple, yet tasty treat can be a snack or a light summer dinner. The herbed feta will remain the same while the veggies used can change according to what is fresh at the market.

We used:

Summer squash

fresh onions

fresh zucchini

heirloom tomato [wait to slice these until just before grilling all veggies]

[all are sliced about 1/4 - 1/2 inch and placed in a large bowl]

For the herb seasoning:

2 tablespoons of freshly harvested, washed and chopped

Summer savory - stems removed

oregano - combination of hot and spicy, Greek and Italian

French & lemon thyme

finely chopped garlic chives

Combine all herbs and sprinkle over sliced veggies. Now drizzle olive oil over herbed veggies - enough to coat. Add pepper and juice from 1/2 fresh squeezed lemon. Combine thoroughly. Let stand several hours to overnight.

Just before grilling, add sliced tomato and some salt. Mix in with other veggies. Grill until lightly softened.

For the herbed cheese filling:

one package of East of Eden feta [Trader Joes - a cheese from Isreal]

1/2 - 3/4 cup of fresh, finely chopped garlic chives

1/2 cup of freshly chopped Italian parsley.

1/4 cup of freshly chopped oregano

Salt and pepper.

Combine well. Cover and chill for several hours.

To assemble, layer freshly grilled veggies on freshly washed romaine lettuce leaves adding a teaspoon of herbed cheese. Roll closed and tie ends with garlic chives.

Iced Herbal Water w/ Local Citrus

Combine filtered water,

1 fresh orange and lemon - sliced thin

2 tablespoons of fresh lavender mint leaves.

Chill.

Enjoy the day!

Carrie-Anne

http://www.rollinghillsherbs.com/

Recipes from the 4th

2010-07-07T09:41:00.001-07:00

Greetings!

So, what would any celebration be without food?
This week, when I was chatting with my friend Heidi about our menu for the 4th of July, she mentioned that I had missed my calling. Perhaps, but I could never choose between growing the best tasting herbs, fruits and veggies and preparing them. The truth is, I love to cook. This is perhaps the main reason I garden. There is nothing better than fresh ingredients and there are none more fresh than those you grow yourself!

So what was on the menu? Garlic crusted beef. Herbed chicken breast with yogurt and curry. Bow-tie pasta with basil, arugula, walnuts & Gorgonzola. Israeli couscous with bay, basil, oregano, onions and golden raisins. A grilled vegetable medley of farm fresh onions, red and yellow bell peppers, Spanish squash and vine ripened tomato. And for dessert, frozen yogurt with honey and fresh peaches.

Yep, I love to cook. So friends, break out that ice cream maker and enjoy the sweetness summertime brings!

Frozen Yogurt with Honey and Peaches

1 2lb carton of European whole milk yogurt [Trader Joes]
4 oz creamed honey [Arnott Citrus Ranch - Greenspot Rd, Mentone]
5-6 Fresh, ripe peaches, mashed [Local source: Ortega Produce, Riverside [they are at the Redlands and Yucaipa Saturday morning farmers market]
Dash of nutmeg and cinnamon

Cream together the honey and peaches. Mix in yogurt. Chill. Prepare according to individual ice-cream mixer directions. We use a kitchen-aid attachment so we pour the chilled mixture into the ice-cream freezer and set mixer on 2 for 30 min. Remove and cover in freezer. Best when served the same day.

Enjoy the day!
Carrie-Anne

Garden Celebration

2010-07-07T08:50:00.001-07:00

Greetings! We hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July. Just a quick post to update you on the garden which seemed to join in on this weeks celebration by sending up the most beautiful bursts of color and whimsy. These are the seed pods on our alum [onion & scallions]. Amazing.

Do you remember a few weeks ago when we replaced many of the spent spring-time plants with plenty of lettuce for summer. Take a look at them now! Amazing how fast [and large] the 4 inch starters grow in no time at all.

What would summer be without the delicious tomato? Just this morning ,we harvested our first ripe tomato. I left several on the vine for the kids to find later today, knowing there is nothing better than a vine riped tomato that the sun has gently warmed during the day!

Did you happen to notice our "tomato cage"? My husband has found so many clever ways to use the branches from our mulberry tree. For this, he used some branches from the tree and copper wire. They are as beautiful as they are functional.

Enjoy the day!

Carrie-Anne

Farmers Market Update

2010-06-10T05:40:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Earlier this week, we posted regarding our Farmers Market schedule - specifically the Wednesday afternoon market in San Bernardino . We need to make some changes.

While we enjoy seeing returning friends , hearing the latest about their gardens and encouraging our new garden friends to pursue their dreams at these markets, we are desperately needing to spend more time in the nursery. So, after great consideration, we have decided to scale back a bit and concentrate exclusively on the Redlands Markets.

On Thursday evenings, our son Isaac will be on hand to assist you with all of your plant needs. If there is ever a question left unanswered, please do not hesitate to email me! I will be on hand for the Saturday morning Farmers Market along with our daughter Corrina. We will still be in attendance for the Fontana Art Festival event, July 22nd and hope to participate in other one day events as they present themselves.

This has not been an easy decision, by any means of the imagination. Our driving mission is to encourage our community towards greater health and well-being through edible and sustainable urban gardening - offering our naturally grown herbs & heirloom plants as a tool to help get there. We believe that by focusing on our local market, our cart at OAM, and periodic events, we will be able to continue on with our mission while providing our community with an even greater quality and range of product.

We look forward to seeing each of soon.

Enjoy the day!
Carrie-Anne

Rolling Hills Herbs & Annuals

On the Horizon

2010-06-08T09:16:00.000-07:00

Hello friends

Wanted to check in to update you a bit - lots going on!
First off, we will not be at this Thursday evening Market Night in Redlands. Isaac, our oldest is graduating from REVHS, way to go Isaac!
When we return to market, lots of basil, lettuce and melons will be on hand [plus all the other glorious heirloom veggie & flower starts along with the best culinary herb plants around] although I will be taking some much needed time away from market to focus more on the nursery. Be sure to send me any questions you may have although our family is quite knowledgeable on all things garden related. Growing up with a plant fanatic as a mother is finally a benefit in their lives.
If you are unable to make it to this market, remember we are also at the Redlands Saturday morning farmers market and the Wednesday Courtyard Square Market in San Bernardino [9:30 - 1:00pm]
On July 22nd, look for RH to be at the Fontana Arts Festival 6pm- 10pm. We will be on site a bit earlier for set up as will other local farmers- you are welcome to come down a bit earlier if you would like. No Redlands market that evening. Come down and see us on Saturday morning!

As it now looks, all markets will end for us this year in October. You will still be able to find our plants on the cart at Olive Ave Market [thanks guys, for your rock solid support of local business!]

Be sure to join our mailing list since we are planning some great things this fall exclusively for those on our email list. One thing I will share is this idea. How would you like to visit the nursery, munch on some yummy foods prepared from the garden, get your hands a little dirty planting a container herb garden and sit for a spell in our garden? Sound good? Email us today, since we will keep this small and intimate.

Enjoy the day!
Carrie-Anne
Rolling Hills Herbs & Annuals

End of Spring in the Garden

2010-05-31T16:09:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Well, here we are at the end of a long holiday weekend. I hope everyone got a chance to play in their garden - I know we did!

Look at the purple of Sicily cauliflower we planted in early spring. Isn't she lovely? We will be harvesting the remaining cauliflower plants this week as most have already flowered. I am sad to see her go but with the heat, it is time. In its place, we will be adding our heirloom purple bell peppers.

And with the heat, yep, it's tomato time! The heirloom cour di bue, black krim and cherokee
purple tomato plants are putting on lots of flowers and fruits. We added some more composed chicken manure to our garden. Be sure to feed your garden every six weeks throughout the summer as they need lots of food to keep them growing healthy, strong and yields high. [Cherry Valley has great bagged compost, organic veggie food, organic potting soil just for veggies and flowers - thanks you guys for helping the valley grow for over 26 years!]

In place of broccoli and cauliflower, we put in lots of heirloom lettuce - rouge d'hiver, green and red salad bowl, may queen, freckles [yes, you can grow lettuce in summer - although shade cloth, an umbrella or even a linen sheet will be needed as the temperatures climb].

And what is this? For those of you who visited us early in the season, you may recognize this gem of a find - the heirloom cape gooseberry. Also referred to as a ground cherry, this amazing plant grows like a tomato or tomatillo plant. Each round, sour fruit is wrapped in a paper husk. We are looking forward to the pies and jams that our customers are planning on making with their gooseberries! We are sold out for the season [Thank you!] and will add a lot more to next springs plant list.

It's not too late for the amazing African blue basil! In fact, our mother plant is just now putting on some major growth [that means we are starting as many new plants as we possibly can!] Can you see all of the lavender /pink tips? With this perennial basil, it is a very good thing. The bees are so happy and oh, the plant smells and tastes so yummy. Look for it at market very soon [and in good quantity].

So, as the weekend comes to an end [and our spring gardens, for the most part], I stop to take in the beauty and look to the summer season with the great anticipation!

Enjoy the day!
Carrie-Anne
Rolling Hills Herbs & Annuals

Think Outside of the Box

2010-04-30T14:17:00.000-07:00

Last night at the farmers market, a lovely woman who had her eye on our new crop of red salad bowl lettuce asked me a question that gave me great pause.

While holding the deep crimson, burgundy colored collection of lettuce, she asked me "why does this cost so much?"

I stood there speechless.For those of you that know me, you know how rare it is for me to be without words. Working to collect my thoughts and respond without reacting to a question that not only took me off guard but also elicited a rush of righteous indignation, I smiled and stated that "this is our price point."

All night, I thought kept thinking of how I would have liked to respond, what I really would have liked to say. So today, I have decided to address our price point in this blog post- as a way of not only answering the original question but also of helping to educate and encourage our community to think outside of the box.

The price tag put on an item for sale has a great variety of components factored in. As a grower, even before we get to the seed, soil, water and fertilizers, there was the physical set up of the nursery. Early in 2009, we began building the racks that now hold our flats of plants. We paid the legal fees to become a state licensed nursery and a county certified grower. Next, we purchased certified naturally grown perennials that we then planted into our landscape and now use as mother plants [take cuttings from] in our nursery.

Then came the purchase of flats, containers, cell trays [to start anywhere from 72 to 341 plants at a time], tables to work from, row covers and hoops to help with germination and temperature regulation [no greenhouse yet], overhead irrigation, specialized misters [very young sprouts/plants have special needs] our soil medium [a professional plug and germination blend -not a potting soil and not even sold in our area - Thanks, Ag Supply of San Diego County for making our lives easier by now delivering to our door! - you guys rock!]

In winter, we began the process of seed sourcing - finding reputable sources of the finest quality, unique heirloom and or organic flower and vegetable seed. We take great pride using premium seed provided to us by family owned businesses and organizations dedicated to heirloom seed storage and biodiversity. We understand and honor the connection between the health of our local environment, our local habitats and ourselves as being intricately tied to the plants we as a community choose to put in the ground and in our bodies.

In late January, we began sowing many of the seeds which are now the plants you see at the markets. In early February, we began to take cuttings from our perennials - something we continue now on a weekly basis. Did you know it can take anywhere from 2-6 months before we are able to bring a plant to market based on rooting/germination time and the growth cycle of a plant?

A plant nursery is just that, we care for the daily needs of a living, breathing creation of nature that is completely dependent on us for its survival and well-being. Just like young children,these plants are 100% [minus the rain] dependent on the nurserymen and women who care for their every need. And just like children, is it really possible to ever account for all that we give to meet their needs and help grow healthy and strong?

Now that spring is in full swing, each day we enjoy being able to start new plants and watch how quickly they are growing. On an average day, we water twice, transplant starters that are well established and spend time removing spend leaves, unwanted pests, etc from our stock.

Weekly, we manually fertilize the heavy feeding plants a diluted omri approved chicken manure made as a tea [kind of yucky, but it works great!]. Through the irrigation, weekly we run a dilution of cold pressed sea kelp that has been sustainably harvested off the coast of California. When needed, we treat the nursery with omri approved insecticides/fungicides to keep pests and diseases at bay.

Then there is market. Beginning this week, we are at three markets weekly.This process consists of loading the wagon with tables, the tent, lights, cords, signage and of course the main event- the plants! That process alone takes a bit. I wander the nursery racks, hand selecting plants that are mature and healthy-making sure there is plenty of variety and at least a few new additions each week. Plants are then labeled [sometimes we need to write the variety on the back -especially true for lettuce, tomato and melons].

We are a family owned and run business. Completely. The nursery is our families backyard. The "help" you see at markets - it's our family. All of the marketing, displays, signs - yep, I do those with the help of Vista Print.

Perhaps when we look first look at a 4 inch vegetable starter, we can not see all that has been done to bring this product to market. I do get that. I also realize that over the past many years we have been conditioned to look first and foremost at an items price tag as the measure of value instead of what true value really is.

So let me ask you, when was the last time you purchased a garment directly from the person who made it - all the way from fabric selection to final alterations? Or purchased a chair directly from the carpenter themselves? When you meet your local growers, you are meeting the person who has tended that plant or yummy strawberry all the way from seedling to your garden and then table. When you meet us and purchase our products, you are not only helping to invest in the local environment, local businesses, local economies, and local communities - you are investing in the well-being and livelihoods of families, your own neighbors. Can we really put a price tag on that?

Enjoy the day! [and thank you for allowing me to say what I really wanted to say last night but didn't have spell-check and proof readers that brought me back from the longer rant-like version I originally drafted]

Carrie-Anne

Rolling Hills Herbs & Annuals

Tarragon

2010-04-21T09:39:00.000-07:00

I wonder if Simon & Garfunkel had a clue that one single song verse would become a universal anthem for garden enthusiasts wanting to add herbs into their edible mix? Go ahead, sing along with me now, "parsley, sage, rosemary & thyme".

But what about all the others - delights like chervil, sorrel, curry plant & tarragon?

As the spring gardening season swings into full gear, I thought it might be handy to start profiling herbs and veggies - tips on growing and recipes that showcase their flavor, texture and amazing aromas.

Lets get started with tarragon.

Most recognized is the French tarragon - an indispensable classic in French cuisine. Used most commonly to complement fish & shellfish, it is also used to season turkey, chicken, veal and eggs.

For me, less is more with this herb! Using too much can overpower a dish very rapidly. Funny how it is not one of the herbs used to create the glorious "Herbs de Provence" [more on that in a later post!]

While French tarragon is cold-hardy, drought tolerant perennial that can grow well in our hot summer temperatures. On the flip side, it is very susceptible to fungal disease [like rust] and for this reason, we grow the Spanish variety.

Tagetes lucida or Spanish Tarragon [sometimes referred to as Winter tarragon as well] is a deliciously deep green herb, blessed with an added layer of licorice-like sweetness [but not too much] which is a great mimic of the French variety. This herb has deep green aromatic leaves that turn a deep crimson color over the winter. In the fall, it blooms a brilliant display of bright, small, golden flowers.

It is a very easy herb to grow in either the ground or in a container. Bet you are wondering how the taste of the Spanish variety matchs up the the more famous French variety?

For many, the taste of fresh French tarragon is too strong on the tongue while the Spanish, because of its inherent earthy sweetness, is a little more pleasing. In cooked foods, the French does seem to stand up to longer periods of cooking [+1 hr] than the Spanish variety - so adding the Spanish near the end is recommended. When used in something like a potato salad, vinegar dressing or Bearnaise sauce, the Spanish adds a little more sweet, fruitiness while still adding the unique and distinct tarragon flavor. Perhaps the best of both worlds!

Ready for a recipe to try out tarragon for yourself? Here's one of my favorites I found in a Readers Digest publication - Tarragon Pumpkin Scones. They have absolutely no added sugar and thanks to the pumpkin are loaded with anti-oxidants and beta carotene - Yeah!

2 Cups self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons chilled butter - chopped into small cubes
2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1 cup of mashed cooked pumpkin, chilled
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sift the flour/salt into medium bowl - adding butter and working it in with finger-tips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

In seperate bowl, mix egg, cheese, pumpkin, milk and tarragon.

Using a wooden spoon, fold in the remaining ingredients until combined. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly until smooth.

Roll out the dough evenly to about 1 inch thick and cut out the scones using round cutter [or floured glass jar turned upside down].

Place the scones on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake 18-20 minutes. Cool and enjoy with a cup of warm tomato soup!

Enjoy the day and experimenting with tarragon.
Carrie-Anne

Rolling Hills Herbs & Annuals

Rolling Hills at the Farmers Markets

2010-04-20T12:48:00.000-07:00

About two weeks ago, the Redlands Saturday morning Farmers Market began its 2010 season and already, I can tell you it's gonna be a great one.

Returning for our second season, we are enjoying seeing neighbors we met last year and meeting new ones each week. What a complement this market is to the City of Redlands downtown, the Thursday Night market, and the overall atmosphere of our great city! [yes, I am bit partial - we live here, work here, all three of our children were born, educated and are growing up here - heck, our oldest is about to begin his college education right here at the University of Redlands this fall!]

In March, we began our presence at the Thursday Night Farmers Market at what most people refer to as "Market Night". Truth be told, I was not all that excited to be up past my 8:30 p.m. bedtime and downtown where it can be a little too loud and hectic for me [not to mention, cold,].

Having our oldest son Isaac with me has made all of the difference! He manages to park us, set up, tear down, keep track of what herbs and veggie starters are sold - plus he is really getting the hang of helping to answer questions and knows quite a bit about the plants and gardening here in the IE.

Yes, the market is sometimes very busy. I tell others that if I can do it, so can you! If all you are after is fresh foods, the certified section is between 6th and 7th street. We would love to see you! In just a few weeks time, we are saying "hello" to familiar faces each week. Just last week, a young friend from the Beaumont area stopped back in to let us know how great all of the plants he picked up several weeks ago are doing and picked up almost a whole flat to add to his garden [yes, we offer a killer special on a flat of plants to encourage you to plant a really great, abundant garden full of veggies and herbs!]

As to the Saturday morning market, you all have restored my faith that people eat both broccoli and kale. THANK YOU! Sorry Thursday night folks, more kale and broccoli plants have made their way into gardens in just 2 weeks by the early morning risers than all Thursday evenings combined! The challenge is ON!

Last Saturday, the second market of the season, we could see that people are getting their hands dirty and planting their home veggie gardens! Lettuce, beets, kale, tomato and oregano were the favorites as was the Ogen melons [if you have space, you must plant an heirloom melon this year! You will not be sorry!]

While I haven't quite adjusted to the pace of the spring season, with two markets per week and one more starting next month [Hey San Bernardino, here we come - Wednesday am 9:30 -1:00

Court Street Square at Court and E Streets. ] added to the full-time nursery growing operation which is in full swing - seeing all of you, my community at the markets does make it all worth while!

Thank you all for the kind and warm welcome you have given us! Thank you for valuing the work we do of naturally growing lots of yummy herbs and veggie starters for the gardens here in the Inland Empire. We are amazed to see how many more neighbors are choosing to purchase locally grown plants and produce.

On behalf of the vendors who come down each week to the local farmers markets, we thank you for your continued support !

Enjoy the day and see you at the Market!

Carrie-Anne

Rolling Hills Herbs & Annuals

Simple made Extraordinary

2010-04-20T12:17:00.000-07:00

These days, finding both the energy and creativity for dinnertime meals is a bit of a challenge although I am sure I am not alone on this one. So, when a delicious, easy and quick meal springs forth from the deep recesses of a very tired and packed mind, it must be shared!

We will call this one Spicy Italian Chicken with Pasta - original, I know!

Ingredients:

2 good sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts - pounded thin

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1 egg - beaten [with about 1 teaspoons of water]

4-5 tablespoons of freshly harvested and chopped oregano leaves

olive oil

1 small white onion

4-6 chopped garlic cloves

1 teaspoon of crushed red peppers

1 large [16 oz] can of diced plum tomatoes

1 oz red wine

packaged pasta [we used spaghetti noodles]

Cover the bottom of a saucepan with olive oil, adding the chopped garlic, onion, 2 teaspoons of oregano and crushed red peppers. Saute mixture over low heat for 15 min or so. Stir occasionally.

Meantime, pound the chicken breasts thin by placing between waxed paper and using rolling pin to take out daily frustrations - flatten the chicken to 1/2 in or thinner by pounding it [hey, who said you can't sneak in a little therapy time while cooking?]

Combine the bread crumbs and 2-4 teaspoons of freshly chopped oregano in shallow baking dish.

Dip the flattened chicken breasts in the egg wash and then into coat with oregano/bread crumb mixture.

In a skillet, cover the bottom with olive oil and when warmed, brown the oregano breaded chicken breasts about 5-7 minutes on each side.

Back to the saucepan, add your canned diced tomatoes, red wine and season with salt. Cook 5 min or so and when chicken has been browned on both sides, cover them with your tomato sauce.

Cover chicken with lid and simmer for 10 min or so.

Serve on a bed of cooked pasta. A bit of Parmesan cheese finishes it off right!

Truth be told, I can not believe how good dinner was! The best part was that it fed all five of us last night and made for three lunches, today! Not too bad for a just before payday, cupboards are a little bare, Mom is dead tired [grumpy & hungry] family dinner!

Were you looking for a picture? What can I say, did the dishes and went off to sleep. Maybe next time.

Enjoy the day and this delicious recipe!

Carrie-Anne
Rolling Hills Herbs & Annuals

Edibles & Natives - Our Personal Story

2010-04-02T08:46:00.000-07:00

You might think that because I am a grower by profession, my personal edible garden would be something straight out of Sunset Magazine or Better Homes and Gardens. Well, not quite.

Like most of us, setting aside the time to get into the garden can be a little challenging. Take last weekend for example. With my husband on board, we set out to plant our early Spring veggie garden. But instead, we found ourselves pulling weeds from other areas, transplanting plants that had been dwarfed by others, pruning, irrigating - all as we were trying to make our way to the garden patch to plant the "friends" we had personally grown and tended for months now!

As many of you know, we have a very large corner lot full of grass. When we moved in almost two years ago, we made the conscious decision to start eliminating lawn in favor of native and drought tolerant plants as well as plants that produce food. Hey, if you are going to pay for the water used to irrigate, you might as well get something tasty and be doing something good for the environment.

Immediately, we began our edible garden - in the front yard! [The back is for nursery growing]. We planted the orange, lemon, cherry, apple and two peach trees that we had containerized. We replaced lawn and ornamental with a mixed border of greens, herbs, edible annuals and perennials.

Connecting the edible side of our yard and the ornamental has been a process. We decided to utilize the sloped area that connects the two with a replica of a dry riverbed using a combination of lavender [which is edible and low water, once established] and native manzanita [which is great for slope stabilization]

Last fall, needing to get the manzanita and lavenders in this ground, we planted on this connecting slope while the grass was still in place. Although this is really not the best way to plant, I kind of like it. It allows something new go begin while the familiar stays in place - easing my eyes and our neighbors to what can quite often be a change that alters the landscape so severely, but in a good way!

Just last month, with the help of our friend Jorge, the grass surrounding our new plantings was finally removed. As I was trying to make my way past this area, on my way to plant our little gem lettuce, purple cauliflower, Calabrese broccoli and the first of our heirloom tomato plants, my husband got a little held up on the corner. I looked behind me and there he was laying down cardboard where the grass had been and covering it with fill dirt- a technique called lasagna layering - which I highly recommend for removing portions of lawn to create new beds. In short, the cardboard suffocates the grass, decomposes which encourages worm activity galore and you can have an instant new garden space in just a few hours!

We did make it to planting our garden that afternoon. We took out the beautiful mesclun, muzina and kale which we allowed to go to seed. We applied some of compost and pelleted chicken manure to the bed, digging it in about 2 inches. We added a few more lavender plants to the dry creek bed area, sweet lavender which looks like the English variety we all love but which actually does a bit better in our climate. We even added a gooseberry plant, tucked up near the top of the slope and then watered for a good long time using the "old fashioned" sprinkler we moved around several times.

I love to water this way, especially at the end of a good day in the garden. So, last weekend, I sat on the corner, under the giant sycamore on the portion of the lawn that is remaining and took in the view, my neighborhood and the garden itself.

Is our garden any closer to being one straight out of a magazine? I don't know, but it sure is working for us . The bonus, our neighbors don't seem to mind the missing grass and front yard full of vegetables.

This is good.

Enjoy the day!

Carrie-Anne
www.Rollinghillsherbs.com

Your Raised Veggie Garden

2010-03-17T07:53:00.000-07:00

Well friends, Mother Nature has given those of us in sunny California the best gift we could ever ask for - the sun and warmth is back!

Don't get me wrong, I like the winter season, some. I like rain a little more. But what everyone who lives here really loves, is the warmth and the cloudless sky. We love wearing white year round along with our flip flop sandals. We like starting up our barbecues a little earlier than Memorial Day and we love being able to start our veggie gardens just about the time we set our clocks ahead.

As many of you know, Rolling Hills has returned to the local farmers market - the Thursday evening one here in our hometown of Redlands. Being back at the market is giving us a chance to visit with our community and learn of the triumphs and failures our neighbors have been experiencing in their home gardens. I am going to guess that no matter where you live, some of the stories are quite universal. Let's start with the raised beds.

For quite sometime, a big focus in vegetable gardening has been the use of a raised bed in place of the traditional "in the ground " garden. Let's face it, not all of us have the large open space our grandparents had for a vegetable garden. Swimming pools and water features have filled our backyards. Our landscapes have become polished ornamental features to accent our homes. Until quite recently, having a vegetable garden has not been all that fashionable in our mainstream culture. Even today, years into the greatest economic crisis of our time, the thought of planting strawberries in a front yard flower bed instead of using the cookie cutter annuals that can be found in any gasoline station landscape, still meets with some opposition.

Raised beds provide a unique opportunity for many. Gardening in this manner does not resemble our grandparent's gardens. It allows us to keep our gardens predominately ornamental, adding the raised bed as a functional accent to our existing landscape. Perhaps the greatest appeal is that the raised vegetable bed is a quintessential "weekend project" that families rally around. With some lumber, a few bags of potting soil and an arm full of herb and vegetable starters, by Sunday afternoon you can have a complete edible garden growing right before your eyes.

Well, kind of.

Sure, the gardens go in, they grow, flower and if lucky, there is some yield - just not the yield you are looking for. Guess what friends, it probably is not YOU! It is the soil you are using and the fertilizers you are not! So for everyone who has ever tried raised bed gardening or is thinking of it - here are our tips for growing your best garden - ever!

Location

Does the spot you are choosing get at least 6 hours of sunlight? Plants need sunlight to grow strong, resist pest and disease and to produce well. I recommend if possible to place your garden in a spot that is quite visible from inside the house - outside the kitchen window or even by the front door. Why? Because you see it. While they do grow for the most part on their own, when we can see our gardens, we notice when they need a little more [or less] water, when their color or size is not quite right. Seeing these early signs helps avoid the "oh my gosh, something is eating my plants" phase.

Soil

O.K. friends, "organic potting soil" is not soil. For small pots, it might be alright. But for growing in a raised bed container - we like the idea of building a bed about 2 feet high by 4 feet wide by 4-8 feet long [the length depends on your family size - family of 4+ use the larger size] using the existing dirt as the base from which you mix in enough compost [you can pick up a compost bin from most Cities and make your own] or use E.B. Stones Planting Compost and add some gentle, start-up fertilizer like E. B. Stone's Sure Start . You can find these awesome organic products at our own local nursery - Cherry Valley Nursery. Be sure to let them know we sent you [no, we do not get a commission but we also don't get to stop in and saw hello as often as we would like !] * a quick note, mark the calendar with the date you applied fertilizer so you will know exactly when to reapply.

Fertilize

Plants that give us a high yield, plants like tomato's and peppers for example need to be fed throughout their production cycle. We highly recommend E.B. Stone's organic tomato and vegetable food. Yes, other products help the plants grow nice and green and tall but at the cost of fruit production [too much nitrogen, not enough phosphorus]. Use this fertilizer when it is time to feed the garden following the initial application of sure start [the very gentle start up fertilizer] and reapply according to package directions [usually every 6 weeks during the growth season].

Water

This is where seeing your garden really comes in handy. Yes, you can drip irrigate at the base of your plants, which is a great way to conserve water and avoid leaf damage caused by spray - but we really encourage you to hand water. Why? Time spent in your garden is good for you and the plants! When you are watering, you can look for signs of despair. You can pick off bugs, pull weeds, pinch plants back to encourage growth. You can enjoy the colors, fragrance and feel of your plants. You can enjoy the taste of a warm, fresh strawberry or cherry tomato. Heck, the bed is pretty small so how long will it really take to water the garden? Besides, daily visits help decrease that Saturday morning spent only pulling weeds [hence why most of us do have some negative memory associated with the home vegetable garden - that and the darn tomato worms!]

So everybody, we hope you will enjoy the balmy weather we are having, along with the added evening sunlight and visit us this Thursday at market night. We have got the most beautiful heirloom lettuce, broccoli, kale and cauliflower starters along with an edible flower mix that will be as beautiful as it will be tasty when it blooms!

Enjoy the day!

Carrie-Anne

Heidi

2010-03-09T09:53:00.000-08:00

Today, I do not write of the garden. Instead, I write of Life and its predictable yet somber cycles.Yesterday, our family said goodbye to one of the dearest presences we have ever had in our life - our friend of over 6 years, Heidi.

Heidi came to live with us "temporarily" while her owners traveled to Japan for medical treatment. Heidi was 12 years young then. She drank coffee each morning and expected ice cream each evening. She was accustomed to long walks and laying on a blanket covered sofa. Heidi never knew she was a dog, that was until she came to live with us permanently.

We didn't choose her, she choose us. I guess she knew what she was doing. Joining a home of three children, 4 cats at the time and a home where we already had a dog could not have been easy given her age and life experience. She learned English, given her original families native tongue was Japanese. She was abruptly weaned off coffee, ice cream, sugar and grocery store dog food.

She was expected to go out side each day versus being an inside couch dog. She was expected to eat dinner each evening not from food passed under the table or off china but from actual dog food bowls. Despite her previous owners instructions, we did not always filter her water or walk her daily. We didn't brush her everyday either.

What we did do is love her with all of our heart. Despite faking being cold and not being able to hear us, we saw past all of this and we loved and accepted her. We realized that for her, living with us allowed her to genuinely have the life experience of being a dog. For us, she gave us love, protection, an opportunity to develop greater patience and compassion.

A few months ago, the signs of old age became undeniable. Heidi's hips hurt. Her sight diminished. Her hearing was even more selective. The most painful part was watching her mind slip further away. She acted erratic, circling or wandering sometimes for hours. Despite it all, she got up each day [although later and later] and spent them as close to us as she could.

Trying all we could to hold on and comfort her, we contacted Dr. Chauhan of East Valley Pet Hospital a couple of weeks ago. He and Jo came out and visited Heidi here at home. As you can imagine, the news was not unexpected but still no one ever wants to hear it. We decided on cortisone shots to help with the arthritis and while it was helpful, the Heidi we knew was fading.

Yesterday, I got Heidi ready for her follow up visit, prepared to continue with the cortisone treatment and perhaps have her nails clipped. I scheduled an appointment early enough in the day so that she could get in her full nap time. When we got to the Vet's office, I waited with her in the car, mindful that at her age the noise of the vet office might be just too much.

I left the appointment, alone.

Today, I am mindful of the gift Heidi was to me and our family. I am mindful of the loyalty and love we mutually shared. I am mindful of this journey called Life - how beautifully it begins and it must reach an end. I am reminded as I sit looking out over the nursery full of young annual plants that just a few weeks ago, were mere seeds - life is a series of cycles.

There is some comfort in that.

March and the Redlands Thursday Night Farmers Market

2010-03-03T06:57:00.000-08:00

Hello friends, it has been awhile. I couldn't wait another day before sharing with you this beautiful sight. Amazingly enough, this is a picture of the flowers on our mesclun salad blend, now that it has gone to seed. Hints of spring are in the air which means many of the veggies in our fall and winter garden are ending their cycle. The muzina has put on brilliant yellow flowers and the bees could not be happier. Who knew late winter could be so beautiful in the garden?

Speaking of spring, the "garden fairy" has been working steady in the nursery sowing new seeds, thinning new sprouts, propagating, fertilizing and chasing off the bird kingdom who LOVE the young heirloom veggie plants. Yes, we have tried hanging old unused cd's about to chase off the birds - to no avail. So, this morning, we hung long strips of shinny, reflective "bird tape" in the mist of the growing racks. Already, the broccoli, cauliflower and lettuce are sighing in relief - we will keep you posted.

Here in the Inland Empire, our last chance of frost is just a couple of weeks away! YEAH! As growers, this signals easier times ahead, we hope. It signals the time when we swing into full gear - adding lots more tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, melons, eggplants and more to the nursery. Already, we have thessaloniki, beefsteak, red fig pear and cour di bue tomatoes growing strong. Purple beauty sweet peppers along with crenshaw, ananas and ogen melons are doing splendidly. Little gem and mesclun salad greens are fresh and happy not to mention all of the herbs - did I mention five varieties of basil are on the near horizon?

We are happy to announce that this Thursday will mark our springtime debut at the Redlands Farmers Market [State St 5:30-9pm]. Thanks to our dear friend and seamstress extraordinaire Debbie, we have newly made, custom sown table cloths for our display [we promise, no more plaid fabric - will stick to easier stuff next time]. We needed new table cloths because we have added two additional tables to our display in order to bring to market all of the new things we are growing.

Last year, when we made our market debut, we were certified growers of 25 different herbs and annuals. This year, we have added over 150 new plants to our certified inventory , including offering freshly cut herbs at the market along with our premium potted plants. We are very excited about this and we hope you will be, too! Look for us to reach our full swing about May/June although we will be bringing new items to market every single week. Some items will be in short supply and when they are gone - you may not see them until next year.

Well friends, I must get back to the nursery while the rains are just off in the horizon.

Enjoy the day and do think of stopping into the Farmers Market tomorrow evening to say hello.

Carrie-Anne

Rolling Hills Herbs & Annuals

Do What You Love, Love What you Do

2010-02-05T11:41:00.000-08:00

I am sure most of us have heard this phrase once or twice in our lifetime! Around our house, the dinner conversation has been taken over lately with talk of what our oldest, Isaac should consider studying as he enters college next year - and decides what " he wants to be" when he grows up.

I keep reminding Isaac to think of the things he has shown an interest in over the years - from the fascination he had from age 2 - 6 of catching and dismembering bugs. About 7, he started drawing detailed pencil sketches of the bugs [while they were still in tact] and lately, it has been a fascination with the art of legal arguing [I mean Mock Trial] in high school. I also remind him of the classes that have come easy to him - the stuff that you can just do without even really thinking about it. Come on, an A in AP Biology. That has to come from some natural talent!

I believe, with everything in me, if we really are interested in the stuff we do, we will not only stick with it, it will be a good thing for us! Take my professional life for example. In my early years, 18-27, I worked solely for the paycheck. Didn't really give much mind to what I did, as long as money was coming in. About age 28, that norm just didn't work for me - no matter how I tried. So, after an unsuccessful attempt at being a postal worker [my hats are off to all women who do well in this institution], I went to school and licensed in massage therapy.

I know, there is a bit jump from the postal worker to massage therapist. The string that tied it together was that in order for me to survive the stress of being in a job environment that was so out of my nature, I started using aromatherapy. My interest in aromatherapy lead me to license in touch therapy [massage] which lead me to study therapeutic nutrition and herbal medicine. For the next several years, I have studied various methods to help improve health and reduce stress including; yoga, breath work, and horticulture as therapy. Along the way, I founded an educational non-profit organization , the Redlands Aromatherapy Foundation, with a goal of empowering individuals to connect with green spaces, therapeutic gardens, holistic living in order to help improve their health and well-being.

Yes, this all looked good. And it was for awhile. But the funny thing was, along the way, I was no longer having fun. I was not loving what I was doing. Even though I was staying in the same ballpark career wise, I had misidentified what it really was about this journey I really loved. For years, I thought I loved helping people feel better and take charge of their own well-being using natural methods. The truth was, it was nature itself that I loved most.

For me, there is no better thing in life than the peace and well being I feel when I directly connect with nature! I love getting my hands in the dirt, spending the entire day outdoors in the sunlight and working in my garden. I love going outside to pick fresh herbs for my red pasta sauce and fresh sorrel and chard for the rosemary chicken soup! I love taking clippings from my "mother plants" to come back weeks later and see to see how many new plants I have. ,

I realize now, that every step I have been taking over the past 20 years has been leading me to what is now called Rolling Hills Herbs & Annuals. And while I no longer provide people with the service of a lavender, clary sage and chamomile based reflexology or massage therapy session, I am still honoring my passion of helping others feel better - now the experience comes through the plants our nursery provides.

I know that when you plant these plants, you will smell their transporting fragrance. I know you will be outside getting fresh air, exercise and sunlight [some of the most important tools we have in experiencing greater health and well-being]. I know that like me, your mind will quiet for a bit as you listen to the sounds of nature as you send time in your garden. I know that you will feel the amazing sense that all is well as you soak in a hot bath, full of the fresh, fragrant, heavenly herbs and flowers you have grown.

I know that when you plant a vegetable garden rich in variety, you will eat more nutritiously. I know that when you grow your own food, you will be more inclined to eat more fresh fruits and veggies. I know that instead of trying to get your nutrition in a pill, you will be taking it in the way nature intended. I also know that when we grown ups embrace a healthy lifestyle, we teach our children [and even their friends] a healthy alternative to the lifestyle so common these days! Life is really better in so many ways!

So, while you are enjoying your days filled with all the gifts of nature, know that I will be enjoying my bliss filled work days spent sowing more heirloom seeds, rooting more cuttings, soaking up the sun and listening to the sounds of the birds! I am deeply thankful to be at a place in my life where I am truly doing what I love and loving what I do!

Last but not least - thank you to our very 1st blog follower - you have made this day so more beautiful!

Enjoy the day!

Carrie-Anne

Grower, Rolling Hills Herbs & Annuals

http://www.rollinghillsherbs.com/

Growing Lettuce

2010-01-26T12:22:00.000-08:00

This one is for Amy. A little birdie told me you are interested in growing lots of yummy lettuce for your family and wanted a few pointers.

First off, let me say that growing lettuce is one of my favorite things to grow. Why? Because almost everyone eats lettuce! Sure, some may only eat it shredded on a taco or leafed on a turkey-burger, but hey, they do eat eat it. And when you are growing something, don't you want everyone to actually eat what you grow! Try that with red veined sorrel. I'll let you know when my family eats it by choice [right now it is part of their "salad" and in winter soups as "spinach"]. I have faith. Actually, I have a lot of determination!

So, back to lettuce. Lettuce is an annual which means it grows fast. Most can be eaten in as little as 28 days - the baby leaves. The average maturity for lettuce is about 55 days, so a little less than two months. The great thing about lettuce is that when you take a knife and cut about two inches above the soil and crown of the plant many varieties will regrow to give you not one, not two but sometimes three full harvests!

Sure, once you have harvested the big, round beautiful head of romaine what grows back is seldom as splendid, but who cares. It is lettuce that we grew - lettuce just waiting for us to use whenever and however we choose! Now that is a real mothers helper - especially at 5:00 pm and there's some school/pta/church function at 6:00!

As for growing lettuce, you need at least 6 hours of sun, regular water, good amended soil and to plant varieties that are suitable for our climate and the season. Most lettuce can be grown successfully in our area in the spring , when temperatures are cooler and weather is more mild. This spring, we are offering the European Mesclun Salad Mix, Little Gem Romaine & May Queen Butterhead heirloom varieties. And since many varieties of lettuce really don't like our summer heat and "bolt" very quickly, we are growing the Mignonette Bronze, Mervielle des Quatre Saisans & Little Gem varieties . On that note, a shade cloth can be your gardens very best friend in the summer, to help protect the leaf/tips of your lettuce no matter the variety.

About soil. Many of you know I can write you a term paper all about the composition of soil, but I don't think that topic is as much fun for you as it is for me. But sorry to say folks, if you want to have the biggest, best tasting, most nutrient dense crops, you are gonna need to know something about soil. You just can't avoid it although many people do try!

To be as brief and concise as I can - COMPOST! For those of you who already have and do compost - not too much needs to be said [although I would keep my eyes open for something to be said at a later date in a upcoming blog!]. For everyone else - may I suggest a road trip to Cherry Valley Nursery in Beaumont to pick up bagged organic compost by E.B. Stone. Add enough to give your veggie bed a good two inches of compost, being sure to dig in in lightly to the existing soil [a couple of inches will do!]

Why add compost? When you are growing veggies, especially lettuce which can be placed tightly in a bed, you must pay extra attention to making sure the soil is very fertile since you are feeding your plants directly from this soil! A soil rich in nutrients [and air pockets, now that you have dug down a bit] allows for roots to grow strongly which leads to healthy, happy, tasty plants for you! It can also mean less pesky bugs since healthy plants [which come from happy soil] don't seem to attract harmful pests like the unhealthy ones do].

In my garden, I like to combine my lettuces from the romaine-types to the oak leaf varieties. I adore the texture, color and form a mixed border has. I do insist though that the placement of the lettuces be in the front of the bed. Chances are, I will be wandering out to pick lettuce in the dark at some point and access is key! [not to mention why night crawlers are called that! - yuck!] . I try to give each lettuce starter a circumference of about 6-7 inches so they can stretch out a bit.

To keep the family stocked in lettuce, it's a good idea to successively plant through out the season. Simply put, start some new lettuce weekly so you can rotate harvesting from the oldest to the youngest. Don't forget to change it up a bit with harvesting a little from here and a little from there. Baby leaves are yummy, too!

Be sure to water your veggies thoroughly! I still love to stand there with a hose and water my garden. I get out of the house and loose myself in the garden. Best part is, no one really comes to look for me there!

So, here's to your best lettuce ever, Amy! By the way, I was thinking. Maybe one day this spring you all would like to swing by and we could plant some veggies together. Sometimes hands on is best! Let me know what you think Cparker@rollinghillsherbs.com .

Enjoy the day!

Carrie-Anne

Carrie-Anne Parker

Grower, Rolling Hills Herbs & Annuals

http://www.rollinghillsherbs.com/

plants available now at Olive Avenue Market, Redlands. Ca

Fire and Ice??

2010-01-19T17:02:00.000-08:00

OK, you know how rain and severe winter weather has been set to hit SoCal this week? Oh, how right they were.

This afternoon, after a morning break from the rain, it was back. And boy was it! The winds blew in. The sky darkened. Hail poured down. All at once, the heavens opened and down it came.

Immediately, I sent a text message to the senior child instructing him to not drive in this weather - just sit it out. [Did he listen, of course not. Instead, he chose to take a friend home who lives a city away]I calmed the frantic kitten who was freaked out by the thunder, hail and the wind pounding the windows. As soon as the worst had passed, I ventured out to see how the garden managed.

Sad to say, what had been hanging on since summer is very sad. They don't like this cold snap. Truth be told, I don't either. How absolutely strange it is to look out across the vegetable patch and see what looks like snow [left over hail ] right next to my chili pepper plants.

As I write, the pouring rain, thunder and lightning is back. Our older dog [16] has made her way over to sit here under my desk. I am off to cover what is left of the summer veggie plants to protect them from additional cold temps [I use burlap ][cover succulents, potted plants and citrus, too!]

Friends, I am beginning to ask myself if the Earth is showing us how unhappy she is. In a few days, the plants in the nursery will show me what this cold has done to them and if they are happy or not. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Enjoy the day!

Carrie-Anne

Grower, Rolling Hills Herbs & Annuals

http://www.rollinghillsherbs.com/

Soup is On!

2010-01-18T08:47:00.000-08:00

For those of us who are old enough to remember the song verse "it never rains in California", if the weather man is correct, that singer lied!

The forecast has been saying rain all this week, beginning last night. So far, it is right on. Just minutes after the boys finished cleaning out the rain gutters [and with an electric blower I might add - sweeping was way to much effort], the first rain drops were here.

So friends, for those of you planning your weeks dinner menu, I say soup! O.k. that may be a no brainer. The trick is making one that everyone will eat and that fill that "rainy day" soup spot.

My answer - chicken rosemary soup. This is one of my families favorites, they actually ask for it even when it is 90 degrees outside.

You will need:

Olive oil - virgin cold pressed is my favorite

Garlic cloves 6-8 chopped finely

4 large springs of rosemary [I like to use the equivalent by combining young new growth that appears this time of year] - stripped from the steam and chopped finely

3 boneless/skinless chicken breast or 5 boneless/skinless chicken thighs

1 large white onion

2-3 medium potatoes peeled and cubed

6 large carrots peeled and sliced

1 fresh lemon

2 cans of white beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup of uncooked penne pasta

6-8 cups of chicken stock

3 cups of fresh chard - washed and chopped [spinach can be used if you like]

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

salt - to taste

pepper - about one teaspoon

cayenne - 1/4 teaspoon

This is all done in one large stock pot.

Add enough olive oil to generously coat the bottom of the pot. Begin to warm.

Meantime, combine the chopped rosemary and garlic and coat the chicken by pressing both sides into the mixture. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper and place in the warmed oil.

Saute the chicken for 3 minutes or so on each side - the smell is incredible! [it will actually lure teenage children into the kitchen where they may even talk to you - take advantage of it!]

Add the white wine, sliced onions, and continue to saute for 2-5 minutes longer. The goal is not to cook the chicken thoroughly, but to brown.

Squeeze one half of the lemon to the mixture. Remove the chicken and add the chard, carrots, potato and saute 3-5 minutes.

Add stock. Return the chicken [now diced] to the stock. Add undiluted cream of mushroom soup,about 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne. Simmer for about an hour on low heat.

Add rinsed white beans and uncooked pasta. Cook until pasta is tender.

If broth is too thin for your liking, thicken with flour paste by a adding twice as much cold milk or cold water to flour, stirring well. Then add your paste slowly into your soup and simmer for an additional 10 minutes or so.

And there you have it! A thick winter soup that you made in one pot that is brimming with fresh seasonal herbs and veggies [chard, carrots, onions, rosemary & lemon]. I serve it with fresh french bread.

For variations, add more lemon juice, rosemary, fresh French thyme or sorrel and some sour cream.

Enjoy the day!

Carrie-Anne

Grower- Rolling Hills Herbs & Annuals

Planting Strawberries & Getting Arugula

2010-01-15T10:25:00.000-08:00

This morning, while pulling weeds from the first garden bed we renovated when we moved into our new home , I found myself taking a very long pause. "This weed smell pretty good, even familiar", I thought to myself. What I thought were weeds were actually arugula greens.

This is pretty common around here in our gardens. Just last week while pulling "weeds" from the newly expanded strawberry patch, low and behold there were tiny heads of heirloom lettuce popping up. Let's not forget the volunteer tomato plants that sprung up throughout the garden last summer - I never know what kind of fruits I would get.

As many of you know, this is the case when you garden with heirloom varieties of your favorite veggies. When you plant heirlooms, the seeds they produce when replanted, will produce plants true to type. This is not the case for their hybrid counterparts. If you try to replant then, chances are that if they even sprout,what you get will not be what you had originally or they will produce poorly.

Heirloom seeds are good for the local environment. They are open-pollinated - a great thing for local bee communities. Being that they have not been genetically modified in any way, we know they will not ply a part in the collapsing of beneficial insects as many believe hybrid varieties may do.

Heirlooms are adaptive. When you save seed from varieties that you use in your garden year after year, you will be surprised on how well they do warding off pests and infestations. On a purely social level, heirloom seed oftentimes have deep historical roots, both in families and communities, as they have been saved and passed down sometimes for generations. When sharing the seeds, we share the stories of loved ones who came before , helping to keep generational ties strong.

Sure, many argue that heirloom plants do not produce as heavily as the hybrid varieties. This is true. Hybrid seed was engineered to assist the commercial grower who has a goal of quantity over quality. Take the tomato for example. Most are harvested while green, gassed in order to ripen and have been bred to withstand thousands of miles of travel.

The average home gardeners goal is not to load tractor trailers full of our crops and haul it anywhere. Our goal is to savor the ripe, juicy flavor of tomatoes we have watched grow from mere transplants. Our goal is to share with our neighbors the best tasting eggplants, peppers, melons, basil's, gooseberries, strawberries and peaches they have ever tasted.

I suspect we heirloom gardeners have yet other reasons behind our passion. We are thrifty. We know that we can save the seed from our most beloved garden varieties and replant them year after year. Wow, growing spring and summer gardens and it didn't cost us anything except time, kitchen compost and a little labor?

We love success. We don't want to waste our time, money or energy on plants that don't grow well in our areas - another reason we save seed and begin with heirloom veggie starters.

Perhaps we are also a little rebellious. Perhaps we are tired of seeing the most fundamental and basic of human needs , food [all the way down to the genetic blue print - the seed] being re-engineered and manipulated - usually for profit at the expense of another.

Perhaps we have had it with the fact so much of our life is more manufactured than authentic. Take taste for example. It's a pretty sad fact that if a child were to only eat strawberries, tomatoes, peaches or plums purchased at the grocery store, they would never have actually tasted them at all. They would have never enjoyed the authentic fragrance of these aromatic wonders. As an adult, when they smell the sweet smell of summer fruit will they magically be transported back to childhood as nothing like scent can do? I wonder.

We gardeners know that gardens are about more than food! They are a place we can go to and let our senses be transported - forgetting the worries of the moment. They are places where we spend time with our loved ones. They are places where we can build our emotional, physical and psychological health. They are places where traditions are made and then handed down to further generations. They are places where we adults can still find surprise ,magic and abundance . Above all else, they are a place where when we let go, we find that the weeds in our life may actually be gifts from nature for us to enjoy.

Happy day to all!

Carrie-Anne

Grower, Rolling Hills Herbs & Annuals

Catalog Surfing

2010-01-14T15:24:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you but my mailbox is very full these days. You know, the old fashioned box at the end of your driveway that usually only has junk mail but now has the good stuff we wait all year for. Yep, it's the time of year when new seed or garden catalogs just waiting to be devoured cover to cover, start arriving.

Normally, I go page by page, circling the things I just have to have. That is round one. Round two means getting more real, looking at what will and won't grow here in the Inland Empire and asking myself if anyone in our family will even eat the "exotic" vegetables I just have to have. Round three, I add up the cost of this fantasy garden. This is when the day dreaming usually ends.

Like many gardeners, the focus of my gardening efforts has changed quite a bit over the years. For many of those years, I was a container gardener; growing roses, scented geraniums, gardenia plants along with various herbs and annuals. But about five years ago, while still renting, I decided on planting a vegetable garden - this time, in the ground.

This was big for me! Up until then, I had never waiverd on my strict policy of not planting anything in someone else's dirt - hence why I was the self proclaimed Queen of Containers! For those of you who have tended gardens that you have had to leave behind, you understand this strict policy! Leaving behind your beloved plants when you move, is like leaving behind members of your family - heartbreaking and hard to recover from.

So, having not had the success I wanted from growing veggies in containers, I got the family involved and we turned over a square 12x12 section in the back. We planted squash, tomato and lettuce. The squash did very well, as squash tends to do. The success of the tomato was fair, the lettuce was poor. But it didn't really matter. The process of Mr. King, our less than cordial neighbor sticking his head over the fence to offer us a tomato cage he wasn't using, was in my opinion, the crowning success of that veggie patch!

Flash forward to now. Our family has lived in our own new home for almost a year and a half now, which means we have one full vegetable garden season behind us. I have to say, the second time around was a heck of a lot better than the first. Tomato plants yielded brilliantly, lasting all the way through November as did the six varieties of basil we planted. Hot peppers, eggplant, and did well. Salad greens are still going strong, as are plenty of herbs.

So what was the difference? I think it was a few things. First off, it is my own property. Second, our garden soil here is awesome! When you dig, there are earthworms bigger than any I have ever seen! Adding to that, we actually used the compost from our backyard bin - what a concept! Last, and what I think was perhaps the most important part, I used herb and heirloom vegetable starters versus seeds.

Back to the garden catalogs. Today, as I look through them, I still dream of what I would love to plant in my spring /summer veggie garden. But now, as a growerof herb and heirloom vegetable starters, I sit and wonder what my neighbors here in the IE are dreaming of planting in their home/community gardens. Catalog surfing helps me know if I was on target when making our seed purchases last fall for our upcoming gardening season. When something new to this years growing season really stands out, I can immediately go on a hunt for organic and heirloom seed source. How I do love the challenge!

But the truth is, I could really use your help. After you are done circling up your catalogs and refining your wish lists, could you do me a favor? Share with me what you are planning on planting in your veggie garden this year - whether it will be a ground or a container garden. Chances are, Rolling Hills will be growing it. If we aren't, we can suggest a variety that you may like even better since our focus is growing varieties that will do well here in the Inland Empire.

Here's to catalog surfing and your best veggie garden ever!

Carrie-Anne

Grower -Rolling Hills Herbs & Annuals

Mesclun vs. Taco Tuesday

2010-01-13T08:10:00.000-08:00

For me as a parent, there are few things sweeter or more heart warming than to see my children connecting with nature - plants, specifically. I love to spend time in our garden with our children, planting vegetables, herbs, removing our lawn in favor of California friendly plants that use much less water and have loads more character! I especially love to walk out to the garden when it is dinner time and bring in a basket brimming with goodies that makes its way onto our dinner table that night. Take last night for example.

Like many other parents of high school kids, you just never know who your kids will bring home or when. If we are lucky, we get a heads up. Most of the time, we don't. When dinner time rolls around, here you are with a few extra guests. It also never fails that your cupboards are a little low, not to mention the state of your crisper drawer is sorely lacking.

So last night, after having planned my weekly menu through that nights dinner [and for our family of five], our oldest brought home two friends for a study group. About four o'clock, I started to get dinner started . Pasta with red sauce, that was on the menu. Plenty of pasta, check. I'll make a large salad, that will stretch things, I thought. Wishful thinking. Everything in the crisper drawer combined couldn't even feed a rabbit, let alone five teenagers and two adults.

So, with hope in my heart and a basket in hand, I headed out to our small winter garden in search of enough greens for a very large salad and the herbs that make my red sauce as fab as it is. How wonderful it was to harvest enough red oak leaf lettuce, mizuna and mesclun greens to make one of the most flavorful salads we have had in a very long time - with just enough left over for my lunch today!

It was also pretty cool to see why African blue basil got its name. On the new growth closest to the stems, the color has turned a brilliant smoky indigo/denim blue. Who knew?

I know, having a small vegetable garden may not seem like that big of a deal to many. For for countless others, the sense of pride we get when we serve our family [and their friends] fresh nutritious vegetables [fruits and berries] from our own yard is more rewarding that I can tell you. In a day and age when "taco Tuesday" is the norm, knowing that you have managed to get actual food into a teenagers body is, well an act worthy of mention if not parent of the year!

On this cloudy rainy morning, I am thinking ahead to our spring [and summer ] garden, not to mention all of the unannounced dinner guests that we will most surely be seeing. I am also thinking not only about our home garden, but yours as well. As natural growers of culinary and fragrant herbs along with heirloom vegetable starters for the Inland Empire, we are passionate about providing you everything you need to grow your best edible [and fragrant] gardens ever!

So, fellow parents and garden enthusiasts, start planning your gardens now by taking a look at our newly added web pages dedicated to spring and summer gardens. While you are there, take note of the things you commonly find on your dinner table and make your lists! While you are thinking of all the yummy foods you would love to grow, give very serious thought to planting some bare-root fruit trees, NOW! Nothing compares to home grown fruit and berries where taste, nutrition and value are concerned!

Take care,

Carrie-Anne

Mother, Gardner, Grower and Owner of Rolling Hills Herbs & Annuals

ww.RollingHillsHerbs.com