Cool Friends and Fresh Ideas!

I'm always looking for ways to get others interested in growing edibles and that doesn't mean they need a garden or lots of space. A few posts back, I grew strawberries, chives, herbs, peas, and radishes in rain gutters. So when I read an article that potatoes were so easy to grow, you can even plant them in a basket, I did just that.

My basket, imported from Mexico designed to transfer strawberries from the fields to factor as they awaited their fate. My grandmother saw brought me this basket on a six-hour flight from Mexico to LAX, then it was squeezed into a van and slowly made it's way to Los Angeles during evening traffic on the 405 fwy. This basket has served many purposes in my home, from laundry, hide-n-seek location, and toy bin. After a decade (yes, this basket saw US presidents enter and exit the White house from our bedroom room TV), it finally began to unravel from the bottom. As I read about potatoes and all the possible ways of growing them in unusual containers like tires and baskets... So the there it is, the basket that keeps on working!

I also came across this spectacular pail display at the Pomona Fair Grounds. These pail hold strawberry plants. Immediately my mind and camera went into action. Who could use this idea in their yard... what else can I plant in it... will it be easy to build... where can i put this in my yard...

The best way to get people that love to eat into growing what they love to eat is by inviting them to a farm-to-table dinner. These events usually bring extreme creativity by the chef because his meals need to be made with what is available in the garden and then paired with the drinks being served by the sponsor. This month's event local sponsor, Dale Bros Brewery, located in the Chino Area it's the 2nd smallest brewery in California. For a menu description click here, the picture above is the "Jidori chicken, roasted beets, “Dale Bros. Pomona queen” beurre monte Dale Bros. Pomona Queen". While the chef at Farm to table dinners are pressured into cooking and having dinner served at a timely manner to 20-30 hungry guest, at home it is more relaxing and easier.

Begin by growing a Salad garden: loose leaf lettuce, radishes, chives, finger-size carrots, strawberries, peas, and grape-size tomatoes. Grill up some chicken, pick your season salad, for dessert serve up purchased pound cake slice strawberries from you garden with whip cream and voila- your very own farm to table dinner!