Some of the items planted; onions, potatoes, celery, cabbage, broccoli, radish, carrots, arugula, lettuces, swiss chard, beets, turnips, spinach, and peas. In just 2 hours, 100 teams completed the job, including the cleanup.

All of the soil and mulch bags were collected for recycling, as well as all the seed packets, and plant trays. We used compostable cups for drinking water, and every last one was collected. Did I mention how windy it was? Our dedicated gardeners chased every stray down…and some of them blew hundreds of feet away!

Our next event will be “Plant Day” on May 18th. This is when it’s safe to put in tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and other warm season crops in central Ohio. More gardening to come!

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ABOUT ME:
My day job is as the Manager of Multi-Media for Scotts Miracle-Gro at the world headquarters office in Marysville, Ohio. I also helped to establish the expanded Associate Gardens in 2009 on the Marysville campus and am excited to be planning our 4th season of vegetable gardening in the new raised beds.

For over 38 years, Scotts Miracle-Gro has provided vegetable garden plots for Associates and their families on the Scotts Campus in Marysville, Ohio. In the spirit of growing and giving, in 2009 it was improved and expanded by adding over 3,000 square feet of raised beds for intensive square foot gardening. Participation increased from 45 to over 570 Associates that first year by teaming experienced gardeners and new gardeners to grow their own produce just steps from their offices. All participants pledged to donate at least 25% of their harvests to the local food pantry. That first season produced over 3,500 pounds for the Marysville Food Pantry, providing fresh vegetables to over 100 families each week.

In 2010, participation increased to over 620 Associates. Better garden planning increased our donation total to over 4,000 pounds.

We have just started planting our 2012 gardens, our goals are to extend our growing season with Spring, Summer and Fall crops, and improving the variety donated to the food pantry. We are also focusing on the education of our own Associates through workshops on planning, planting, cooking and preserving.

2009 Scotts Miracle-Gro Associate Gardens

That was several years ago, and since then I look forward to fava bean season just for my grill. They make a simple side dish or an excellent appetizer.

The prep and cooking is simple; wash the whole pods, pat dry, coat with extra virgin olive oil, season with fresh ground pepper and kosher salt, place on grill over open flame for 4 to 5 minutes per side, transfer to plate and slip the beans out of the pods.

Today I served as an appetizer with two dipping sauces. The recipes for those appear below the gallery.

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Add the powered wasabi and garlic powder to the Bragg liquid and mix well with a. Add the buttermilk and mix until well blended. Add the yogurt or sour cream and mix until smooth. Stir in a dash of fresh ground pepper.

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Basic Oil & Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 TBSP EVOO
1/2 TBSP Fine, thick Balsamic Vinegar (no coloring added)
Dash of kosher salt
Dash of fresh ground pepper

Mix ingredients and emulsify with a small whisk.

The other activity is our Toy Drive. It’s great to see everyone walking through the halls with their toys on the way to the donation area. Over 70 people dropped off their gifts on the first day of our 5-day drive. Good job!

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The other night, I harvested some homegrown celery that was loaded with beautiful leaves. I could bear to let these go straight to the compost so I made a concerted effort to find multiple uses for them.

1 – Drying in my dehydrator for use as a dry spice later. Dry. Grind. Bottle.

2 – Vegetable Stock – added leaves and stalks to other homegrown vegetables to make a hearty stock. Yielded 6 cups!

3 – Wild Rice, Celery, Carrot, Turnip, Radish, Baby Green Bean Soup (EVO, Vermouth, Veg Broth) Yielded 6 one-cup servings

4 – Celery Martini – REALLY! Muddled some fresh homegrown celery leaves with a Cornichon (baby pickle). Add ice and 2 generous shots of homemade bacon infused vodka (or plain fine chilled vodka) and shake until well chilled. Strain through fine sieve into serving jar/pitcher. I featured this drink on my Mixology page too!

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I muddled these together, then added ice and 2 generous shots of my homemade bacon infused vodka. You could use any plain fine vodka, but if you just happen to have bacon infused, it works great. Shake vigorously until the shaker is almost too cold to handle. Strain through a very fine mesh and garnish with a Cornichon. The fresh leaves added the bright green color to this fun martini. Enjoy!

(this makes several normal sized servings, or one giant personal martini)

It’s a pleasure when a Tweet can motivate you to do something. Today’s question posted by @AlecBaldwin prompted me to take a walk. What a beautiful fall day here in central Ohio! Cloudless blue skies, temperatures in the high 70′s, and trees almost vibrating in golds and reds.

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Have you ever grown too many tomatoes or zucchini and tried giving them away to friends and neighbors only to find that they just can’t take anymore? Have you ever left “care packages” on the doorsteps of said friends and neighbors, rang the bell, and ran away before they could say no? Ever take those extras into the office and set them by the coffee with a big “FREE – TAKE ME” sign?

We all have busy lives and while many of us are diligent with our harvests; canning, freezing and drying for enjoyment many months later, some (like me) just grow a little more than we need. Let’s discuss ways to share the harvest. There are formal programs to donate to local food banks, pantries, and soup kitchens, as well as many informal networks to distribute fresh produce to those who might not have access or cannot grow their own.

Part of giving is also sharing knowledge of growing fruits and vegetables. Community gardens and Master Gardener programs are on the front lines providing access to spaces and knowledge, and we in the Twitterverse share a passion and communication tool to spread the word.

Throughout the night, I will be asking a few questions. They are easy. They are conversation starters;

Q1 – Have grow, or do you grow vegetables specifically for a local food pantry or soup kitchen? #gardenchat

Q2 – Have you found it hard to find a place to donate? #gardenchat (good resource) @AmpleHarvest

Q3 – Do you know the history of the GWA Plant A Row program? #gardenchat (hint)

Q4 – Have you ever been turned away from donating? #gardenchat

Share your experiences, ideas, tips, and resources on #GardenChat

http://bggarden.com/gardenchat

Muddle some fresh basil and a few very ripe cherries, add your desired amount of fine vodka and ice. Shake until well chilled. Strain through fine sieve, and garnish with a cherry.

Tonight, for a #GardenChat Monday, it’s my Cactus Fruit Basil Martini! Shaken, not stirred of course. It is a very magenta cocktail, so pretty, so sweet, so fragrant.

This is only my second cactus pear in my life, and I’m so glad I turned it into such a wonderful cocktail. Peeled & tossed into my shaker, a few fresh basil leaves and even some flowering cilantro thrown in, I muddled with the juice of a key lime. Next, I added ice and 2 very generous (large) shots of Ultimat vodka and shook vigorously until the shaker was too cold to handle. Strained through very fine sieve into a chilled martini glass & garnished with a nice basil leaf.

This should serve 2…if you want to share!