http://www.tallcloverfarm.com Homeward bound on Puget Sound. Putting in a good day on Vashon Island time. Wed, 16 May 2012 17:03:31 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/5101/how-to-make-a-trellis-for-your-potted-plants http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/5101/how-to-make-a-trellis-for-your-potted-plants#comments Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:32:11 +0000 Tom http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/?p=5101 #leftcontainerBox { float:left; position: fixed; top: 60%; left: 70px; } #leftcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; clear:both; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; padding-bottom:2px; } #bottomcontainerBox { height: 30px; width:50%; padding-top:1px; } #bottomcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; height: 30px; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; } Trellis in a pot and some towering support Every year I lose potted plants to freezing temperatures. Like Charlie Brown, I never learn.  Just as Lucy convinces her favorite blockhead that she won’t pull the football away as he runs to kick it, gardening sources try to convince me that my Zone 8 favorites can [...]

]]> http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/5101/how-to-make-a-trellis-for-your-potted-plants/feed 13 http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/4926/how-to-peel-garlic-in-less-than-10-seconds http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/4926/how-to-peel-garlic-in-less-than-10-seconds#comments Mon, 03 Oct 2011 15:42:03 +0000 Tom http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/?p=4926 #leftcontainerBox { float:left; position: fixed; top: 60%; left: 70px; } #leftcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; clear:both; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; padding-bottom:2px; } #bottomcontainerBox { height: 30px; width:50%; padding-top:1px; } #bottomcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; height: 30px; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; } As a big fan of Saveur.com, I’m here to spread the word, sharing their video on how to peel garlic in less than 10 seconds. The technique works but it does make Boz and Gracie bark and me don my earplugs.

]]> http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/4926/how-to-peel-garlic-in-less-than-10-seconds/feed 18 http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/4826/snip-it-the-best-way-to-pick-cherry-tomatoes http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/4826/snip-it-the-best-way-to-pick-cherry-tomatoes#comments Tue, 20 Sep 2011 17:30:20 +0000 Tom http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/?p=4826 #leftcontainerBox { float:left; position: fixed; top: 60%; left: 70px; } #leftcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; clear:both; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; padding-bottom:2px; } #bottomcontainerBox { height: 30px; width:50%; padding-top:1px; } #bottomcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; height: 30px; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; } My heart belongs to the big ol’ Daddy tomatoes, the slicers, the small planets that make a BLT (and again, my heart) sing.  Sure  cherry tomatoes deserve some attention, but I treat them less like an entree and more like a snack food, which brings me to my ridiculously simple way of harvesting them. Instead [...]

]]> http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/4826/snip-it-the-best-way-to-pick-cherry-tomatoes/feed 11 http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/4456/stone-fruit-rock-your-orchard-trees-world http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/4456/stone-fruit-rock-your-orchard-trees-world#comments Sat, 06 Aug 2011 17:33:03 +0000 Tom http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/?p=4456 #leftcontainerBox { float:left; position: fixed; top: 60%; left: 70px; } #leftcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; clear:both; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; padding-bottom:2px; } #bottomcontainerBox { height: 30px; width:50%; padding-top:1px; } #bottomcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; height: 30px; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; } How to Get More Fruit From Your Home Orchard Trees Talk about firm fruit! Actually these are homemade branch weights I add to encourage fruiting. Sometimes my young fruit trees get out of line, that is they send vertical shoots to the high heavens and leave me standing out of arm’s reach and picking distance, [...]

]]> http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/4456/stone-fruit-rock-your-orchard-trees-world/feed 22 http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/4419/every-time-you-bruise-a-peach-a-farmer-cries http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/4419/every-time-you-bruise-a-peach-a-farmer-cries#comments Fri, 29 Jul 2011 17:37:20 +0000 Tom http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/?p=4419 #leftcontainerBox { float:left; position: fixed; top: 60%; left: 70px; } #leftcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; clear:both; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; padding-bottom:2px; } #bottomcontainerBox { height: 30px; width:50%; padding-top:1px; } #bottomcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; height: 30px; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; } A quick press can leave a lasting and unpalatable impression It’s no secret I love peaches–their rich flavor, succulent juice and heady perfume. I’m even starstruck (and foolish) enough to try to grow them in the maritime Pacific Northwest.  This year my eleven Peach Leaf Curl Resistant trees remain basically fruitless. I have a very [...]

]]> http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/4419/every-time-you-bruise-a-peach-a-farmer-cries/feed 46 http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/3823/vermiculture-toms-new-can-of-worms http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/3823/vermiculture-toms-new-can-of-worms#comments Wed, 11 May 2011 22:13:19 +0000 Tom http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/?p=3823 #leftcontainerBox { float:left; position: fixed; top: 60%; left: 70px; } #leftcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; clear:both; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; padding-bottom:2px; } #bottomcontainerBox { height: 30px; width:50%; padding-top:1px; } #bottomcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; height: 30px; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; } How to Make a Cheap and Portable Worm Compost Bin Black Gold, Tall Clover Tea: Homegrown worm castings and compost are in your grasp My interest in worms began at an early age when I realized the creatures had special powers; they could make my sister squeal and lure lake fish to my awaiting hook. [...]

]]> http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/3823/vermiculture-toms-new-can-of-worms/feed 21 http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/2176/freezing-berries-and-rocket-science http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/2176/freezing-berries-and-rocket-science#comments Mon, 23 Aug 2010 17:46:12 +0000 Tom http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/?p=2176 #leftcontainerBox { float:left; position: fixed; top: 60%; left: 70px; } #leftcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; clear:both; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; padding-bottom:2px; } #bottomcontainerBox { height: 30px; width:50%; padding-top:1px; } #bottomcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; height: 30px; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; } With buckets of blackberries dotting my counter, I was telling a friend that I should blog about How to Freeze Berries. Arched eyebrow notwithstanding, and a facial expression reserved for super lame ideas, he said, “Really, Tom? It’s not as if it’s rocket science. Perhaps, you could follow up with a post on How to Boil Water.” (No berry crisp [...]

]]> http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/2176/freezing-berries-and-rocket-science/feed 32 http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/2088/how-to-make-ketchup-blue-ribbon-redemption http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/2088/how-to-make-ketchup-blue-ribbon-redemption#comments Mon, 09 Aug 2010 19:59:11 +0000 Tom http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/?p=2088 #leftcontainerBox { float:left; position: fixed; top: 60%; left: 70px; } #leftcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; clear:both; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; padding-bottom:2px; } #bottomcontainerBox { height: 30px; width:50%; padding-top:1px; } #bottomcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; height: 30px; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; } As good as it gets: homemade ketchup from homegrown tomatoes via some lessons learned. My culinary redemption is complete. As some of you may recall, my last attempt to make ketchup did not end so well; my kitchen looked like Freddy Krueger had stopped by for lunch.  (Witness the tomato carnage in How Not to Make Ketchup.) The good news is confidence has [...]

]]> http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/2088/how-to-make-ketchup-blue-ribbon-redemption/feed 36 http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/1838/at-stake-pole-beans-need-your-support http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/1838/at-stake-pole-beans-need-your-support#comments Thu, 24 Jun 2010 16:06:55 +0000 Tom http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/?p=1838 #leftcontainerBox { float:left; position: fixed; top: 60%; left: 70px; } #leftcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; clear:both; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; padding-bottom:2px; } #bottomcontainerBox { height: 30px; width:50%; padding-top:1px; } #bottomcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; height: 30px; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; } Boz is a big fan of green beans and the pole bean trellis (but for different reasons). Lucky for me, the green beans form  two feet off the ground.    My Fortex and Romano green beans have sprouted, and they are looking for my support–something I’ve come to expect in a good pole bean. After trying all [...]

]]> http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/1838/at-stake-pole-beans-need-your-support/feed 29 http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/1686/recipe-elevating-strawberries-in-a-clamshell http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/1686/recipe-elevating-strawberries-in-a-clamshell#comments Tue, 08 Jun 2010 18:11:49 +0000 Tom http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/?p=1686 #leftcontainerBox { float:left; position: fixed; top: 60%; left: 70px; } #leftcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; clear:both; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; padding-bottom:2px; } #bottomcontainerBox { height: 30px; width:50%; padding-top:1px; } #bottomcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; height: 30px; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; } There are two types of strawberries: those grown locally and those at home in a plastic clamshell.  Local berries: soft, juicy and bruised by a simple indiscretion.  Store-bought strawberries: large, structurally sound and able to be dropped from tall buildings and remain unscathed.  Unfortunately what the latter offers in transportability and durability, it usually lacks in flavor. And while local [...]

]]> http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/1686/recipe-elevating-strawberries-in-a-clamshell/feed 17 http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/1327/daffodils-how-to-encourage-next-years-blooms http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/1327/daffodils-how-to-encourage-next-years-blooms#comments Sat, 17 Apr 2010 18:35:31 +0000 Tom http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/?p=1327 #leftcontainerBox { float:left; position: fixed; top: 60%; left: 70px; } #leftcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; clear:both; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; padding-bottom:2px; } #bottomcontainerBox { height: 30px; width:50%; padding-top:1px; } #bottomcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; height: 30px; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; } In late winter, drifts of daffodils punctuate my property like streams of sunshine. They are a welcomed sight and a needed reminder that better weather is on the way (which is a good thing since that’s about the time I start to resemble Jack Nicholson in The Shining). As flower bulbs go, they are pretty effortless and naturalize on their [...]

]]> http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/1327/daffodils-how-to-encourage-next-years-blooms/feed 8 http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/625/how-not-to-make-ketchup http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/625/how-not-to-make-ketchup#comments Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:33:57 +0000 Tom http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/?p=625 #leftcontainerBox { float:left; position: fixed; top: 60%; left: 70px; } #leftcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; clear:both; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; padding-bottom:2px; } #bottomcontainerBox { height: 30px; width:50%; padding-top:1px; } #bottomcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; height: 30px; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; } I fancy myself as someone who is pretty handy in the kitchen, a man able to smoke a brisket, assemble a tart, craft a Cassoulet or conjure up some ice cream. But one day, one sad summer day, I entered the kitchen overly confident that making ketchup was a breeze. How hard can it be [...]

]]> http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/625/how-not-to-make-ketchup/feed 36