by Noel | Dec 21, 2021 | CobraHead, Gardening, Vegetable Growing
I like to grow food. My partner likes to cook. Those complementary interests lead to great meals. This year we had another good garden and as every year, some crops grew better than others. The advantage of growing a lot of different food is that a singular crop failure will never put you in dire straits. I’ve been able to spend time pursuing my hobby, but I hardly live in the garden and I consider myself a lazy gardener. Trying to get the most output from the...
by Noel | Nov 30, 2021 | CobraHead, Gardening, Vegetable Growing
Most years I use the month of November to get my garden ready for the next spring’s planting. Preparation includes removing all the trellising I’ve set up, a thorough weeding of most of the beds, cultivating and shaping the beds, and covering both my garden plots with a thick layer of leaves. This November was different, and the garden is still a weedy mess, with only a partial leaf cover and most of the beds unprepared. I lost almost three weeks of work...
by Judy | Oct 27, 2021 | CobraHead, Recipes
Repurposed Chili Casserole a.k.a. Mexicali Bean Bake is a dish I’ve been making for well over 30 years. I first found the recipe in an old vegetarian cook book. It is now online at cooks.com. I probably made it once or twice following the recipe. Then I realized that you could just use leftover chili for the bean mix, while still using the cornmeal batter to complete the dish. I also thawed some garden corn from the freezer. Yes, the raccoons...
by Noel | Oct 26, 2021 | CobraHead, Gardening, Vegetable Growing
Bed of Galinsoga Galinsoga (galinsoga parviflora) is often called gallant soldier, and also quickweed, or potato weed, or by many other common names. It’s native to South America and was brought to Europe, where it’s now pervasive, in the 1700’’s. Its presence in North America may either be up from Mexico or brought back from Europe. Galinsoga is named after the botanist and physician to the Queen of Spain, Ignacio Mariano Martinez de Galinsoga, who...
by Andy | Sep 30, 2021 | CobraHead
Back in July, I took a day trip with a friend to see the Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford, IL. This serene, 12-acre garden sanctuary consists of lush, manicured landscapes, winding paths, streams, waterfalls, Koi ponds, and Japanese architecture and sculptures. The Anderson Japanese Gardens have consistently been rated as one of the best Japanese Gardens in the US. The gardens were founded in 1978 when Rockford businessman John Anderson hired world-famous...
by Judy | Sep 29, 2021 | CobraHead, Recipes
If you have a big garden you’re probably still buried in tomatoes. Along with canned salsa, frozen tomatoes, both roasted and stewed, and spaghetti sauce I’ve been making tomato soup base. We grow a variety of heirloom tomatoes, red, yellow, purple, orange and green striped. The yellow ones especially mellow out the more acidic tomatoes so there’s usually no need for added sugar. You could always add a carrot for a little sweetening....
