Simple Squash Blossom RecipeDo you have squash blossoms from your zucchini, squash or pumpkin plants? These beautiful large orange flowers are perfect for stuffing and pan-frying for a delicious summer treat. There are a ton of recipes out there, but here is our easy one, you can also vary up the ingredients for the stuffing, there is no right or wrong way to make these! Simple Squash Blossom Recipe INGREDIENTS: • 6-12+ Blossoms from Pumpkin, Zucchini and Squash (whatever you have)* STUFFING: • 1-2 cups Shredded chee...
Squash Wilting?Why does my squash wilt? If your zucchini, pumpkin or squash plants are wilting, it could be a few things: 1. Wilting squash during the Heat of the Day: The most common reason that pumpkin, cucumbers, zucchini and squash leaves wilt is that the cucurbita family has a low root-to-shoot ratio, meaning that they have a shallow root system that supports a very large mass of above ground vegetation. Because of this, during the dry heat of the sunniest part of the day, squash leaves may wilt ...
Is it Too Late to Start Seeds? No, it’s not too late to plant seeds! You can start seeds year-round. It depends on what you would like to accomplish after planting your seeds. There is short-season gardening, hydroponic growing, indoor gardening, jump-start growing to have huge plants to transplant in spring, etc. Short-Season GardeningBesides peppers and tomatoes, you can start lots of vegetable seeds year-round, depending on your climate, and if you have any winter protection such as cold frames or hoop houses. You ...
Good Crop Rotation is ImportantA good crop rotation plan is critical for a productive vegetable garden. One of the rules of organic gardening is to rotate plant families from one season to the next, so related crops are not planted in the same spot more often than every three years. The purpose of crop rotation is to help maintain the balance of nutrients, organic matter, and micro-organisms necessary for healthy soil. When the same vegetable, like hot peppers, are planted year after year in the same plot, they become dise...
Pepper Plant CompanionsWondering what to plant with your chile peppers to help them thrive? Flowers, chives, carrots, radishes, squash, basil, parsley, dill, marjoram, Oregano, Rosemary, cucumbers, eggplant, and onions all do well when grown in close proximity to peppers. But don't plant them too close that they will shade your pepper plants: Squash and cucumbers, for example, need ample space so we plant them at least 3-4' away from our pepper patch. You can also use trellises for your cucumbers to grow th...
Vegan Stuffed PeppersVegan Stuffed Peppers Here is a Vegan Stuffed Peppers Recipe below, including lots of delicious variations and ideas for making the best vegan stuffed peppers. These are some great vegan stuffed pepper recipe ideas if you are vegetarian or vegan, or if you have dairy allergies. You can stuff any pepper, although some of our favorite pepper stuffers are Jalapeños, the Mini Orange Bell Pepper, Red Cherry Hot peppers, Pimento Peppers, the large Beaver Dam Pepper. Of course, all of our hatch chi...
Plant a Row for the HungryIs your garden overflowing with a bountiful harvest of tomatoes and peppers? Dedicate a row of your garden to a local food shelf. Everyone enjoys fresh produce and you can help struggling families in your community by sharing your bounty. Possible Recipients Your local food pantry*, soup kitchen – or deserving neighbors and friends. What you’ll need A garden A bag or box to carry your freshly picked goods Optional: card-making materials Instructions Call your local food pant...
Calabacitas RecipeThe go-to fresh vegetable preparation in New Mexico. Calabacitas always contains summer squash, usually with corn and green chile for extra flavor and texture. Preparing calabacitas is fast, easy, and forgiving so feel free to make it your own. Ingredients 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 pounds mixed summer squash (such as zucchini, or yellow straight-neck squash), sliced thin or in bite-size cubes 1 medium onion, chopped (you can also use green bunching onions) 2 small to...
What Veggies to Plant in MayMay is a great time to direct sow vegetable seeds for summer. While you may have started seeds for tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants indoors 4-8 weeks ago, you likely still have them growing indoors until it has warmed up to 50-60˚F at night consistently. But did you know that there are still lots of vegetable seeds you can still plant now in May and June? Cucumbers, Zucchini, Squash and PumpkinsCucumbers, zucchini, squash, pumpkins, cantaloupe and watermelons grow very quickly and you can sow...
Zucchini Companion PlantsGot squash bugs? If you plant Nasturtiums with your Zucchini and Squash plants, they are known to help to decrease the number of squash bugs! Plus, the Nasturtiums' leaves, flowers and their seed pods are beautiful and edible, too. Some people pickle the green Nasturtium seedpods to use them like capers. Nasturtium flowers can be added to lettuce salads, both the flowers and the leaves have a nice sweet and peppery horseradish-like flavor. The enchanting flowers also attract pollinators. ...
Gardening by the Zodiac SignsWhen it comes to planting in your garden, soil, sun and seasons aren't the only factors to consider. It turns out the the zodiac signs can be just as important. For the best results, they should be considered when choosing plants for your garden. What to plant in your garden according to your zodiac sign. ARIES (March 21 to April 20) You are a fiery, energetic, and quick individual who likes spicy, invigorating plants and foods. Growing onion, garlic chives, basil, cayenne peppers, a...
Winter SowingWinter Sowing We just learned about Winter Sowing a couple years ago, it's a wonderful way to start seeds using recycled containers outside! With winter sowing, you don't need room inside to start seeds, you can start them outdoors in the winter/spring months with recycled jugs and other containers. These containers serve as miniature greenhouses that do an incredible job of germinating all sorts of seeds including vegetables, herbs, and native plants. Winter Sowing Seeds in...
Spicy Pickles RecipeGrow and make your own spicy pickles! Here's a couple recipes: Spicy Refrigerator Dill Pickle Recipe » Jalapeno Pickles Recipe » Spicy pickles are one of the easiest ways to preserve your cucumber harvest for year-round enjoyment. You can make spears or slices so you can use them on sandwiches, burgers, or just as a snack anytime. Of course, we think spicy pickles are the best, and we like to experiment with using different chiles to flavor them. Try adding Hatch Chiles for a Ne...
Hot Pepper Companion PlantsDo you plant marigolds with your peppers and tomatoes? We think they help keep the plants healthy and pest-free! Marigolds can help repel beetles, nematodes, aphids, potato bugs and squash bugs on not only peppers but other veggies, too! We love planting marigolds among our pepper plants and tomato plants. Marigolds also release a substance from their roots that wards off nematodes and eel worms, which target peppers and other veggies in the garden. Nasturtium flowers are also great compan...
Green Chile Quinoa Salad RecipeHere's a delicious healthy spicy salad that is perfect for summertime! Green Chile Quinoa Salad Recipe Ingredients: 1 cup of Red Quinoa, cooked 1/2 cup+ Green chiles, roasted, peeled and diced 2-3 cloves of garlic 1 cup of diced tomatoes 6 chopped green onions 1 cup of chopped fresh spinach 2 cups of roasted corn 2 cups of black beans 1 cucumber, diced Bunch of chopped cilantro (stems are ok, too!) 2 Limes, juiced 4 tbsp olive oil Salt and Pepper to taste 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp red peppe...
Powdery Mildew on ZucchiniGot Powdery Mildew on Zucchini, Squash and Pumpkin Plants? This happens to all our pumpkins, squash, zucchini and cucumber plants every summer late in the season, treatments like milk or baking soda sprays don't seem to help. We usually prune off the worst affected leaves to give it more air circulation, but have learned to accept that this is the natural late-season stage here in the West. So don't worry, the squash, zucchini and pumpkins will still ripen! One thing about powdery...
Simple Squash Blossom Recipe
Do you have squash blossoms from your zucchini, squash or pumpkin plants? These beautiful large orange flowers are perfect for stuffing and pan-frying for a delicious summer treat. There are a ton of recipes out there, but here is our easy one, you can also vary up the ingredients for the stuffing, there is no right or wrong way to make these! Simple Squash Blossom Recipe INGREDIENTS: • 6-12+ Blossoms from Pumpkin, Zucchini and Squash (whatever you have)* STUFFING: • 1-2 cups Shredded chee...
Squash Wilting?
Why does my squash wilt? If your zucchini, pumpkin or squash plants are wilting, it could be a few things: 1. Wilting squash during the Heat of the Day: The most common reason that pumpkin, cucumbers, zucchini and squash leaves wilt is that the cucurbita family has a low root-to-shoot ratio, meaning that they have a shallow root system that supports a very large mass of above ground vegetation. Because of this, during the dry heat of the sunniest part of the day, squash leaves may wilt ...
Is it Too Late to Start Seeds?
No, it’s not too late to plant seeds! You can start seeds year-round. It depends on what you would like to accomplish after planting your seeds. There is short-season gardening, hydroponic growing, indoor gardening, jump-start growing to have huge plants to transplant in spring, etc. Short-Season GardeningBesides peppers and tomatoes, you can start lots of vegetable seeds year-round, depending on your climate, and if you have any winter protection such as cold frames or hoop houses. You ...
Pepper Plant Companions
Wondering what to plant with your chile peppers to help them thrive? Flowers, chives, carrots, radishes, squash, basil, parsley, dill, marjoram, Oregano, Rosemary, cucumbers, eggplant, and onions all do well when grown in close proximity to peppers. But don't plant them too close that they will shade your pepper plants: Squash and cucumbers, for example, need ample space so we plant them at least 3-4' away from our pepper patch. You can also use trellises for your cucumbers to grow th...
Vegan Stuffed Peppers
Vegan Stuffed Peppers Here is a Vegan Stuffed Peppers Recipe below, including lots of delicious variations and ideas for making the best vegan stuffed peppers. These are some great vegan stuffed pepper recipe ideas if you are vegetarian or vegan, or if you have dairy allergies. You can stuff any pepper, although some of our favorite pepper stuffers are Jalapeños, the Mini Orange Bell Pepper, Red Cherry Hot peppers, Pimento Peppers, the large Beaver Dam Pepper. Of course, all of our hatch chi...
Calabacitas Recipe
The go-to fresh vegetable preparation in New Mexico. Calabacitas always contains summer squash, usually with corn and green chile for extra flavor and texture. Preparing calabacitas is fast, easy, and forgiving so feel free to make it your own. Ingredients 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 pounds mixed summer squash (such as zucchini, or yellow straight-neck squash), sliced thin or in bite-size cubes 1 medium onion, chopped (you can also use green bunching onions) 2 small to...
What Veggies to Plant in May
May is a great time to direct sow vegetable seeds for summer. While you may have started seeds for tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants indoors 4-8 weeks ago, you likely still have them growing indoors until it has warmed up to 50-60˚F at night consistently. But did you know that there are still lots of vegetable seeds you can still plant now in May and June? Cucumbers, Zucchini, Squash and PumpkinsCucumbers, zucchini, squash, pumpkins, cantaloupe and watermelons grow very quickly and you can sow...
Zucchini Companion Plants
Got squash bugs? If you plant Nasturtiums with your Zucchini and Squash plants, they are known to help to decrease the number of squash bugs! Plus, the Nasturtiums' leaves, flowers and their seed pods are beautiful and edible, too. Some people pickle the green Nasturtium seedpods to use them like capers. Nasturtium flowers can be added to lettuce salads, both the flowers and the leaves have a nice sweet and peppery horseradish-like flavor. The enchanting flowers also attract pollinators. ...
Gardening by the Zodiac Signs
When it comes to planting in your garden, soil, sun and seasons aren't the only factors to consider. It turns out the the zodiac signs can be just as important. For the best results, they should be considered when choosing plants for your garden. What to plant in your garden according to your zodiac sign. ARIES (March 21 to April 20) You are a fiery, energetic, and quick individual who likes spicy, invigorating plants and foods. Growing onion, garlic chives, basil, cayenne peppers, a...
Winter Sowing
Winter Sowing We just learned about Winter Sowing a couple years ago, it's a wonderful way to start seeds using recycled containers outside! With winter sowing, you don't need room inside to start seeds, you can start them outdoors in the winter/spring months with recycled jugs and other containers. These containers serve as miniature greenhouses that do an incredible job of germinating all sorts of seeds including vegetables, herbs, and native plants. Winter Sowing Seeds in...
Spicy Pickles Recipe
Grow and make your own spicy pickles! Here's a couple recipes: Spicy Refrigerator Dill Pickle Recipe » Jalapeno Pickles Recipe » Spicy pickles are one of the easiest ways to preserve your cucumber harvest for year-round enjoyment. You can make spears or slices so you can use them on sandwiches, burgers, or just as a snack anytime. Of course, we think spicy pickles are the best, and we like to experiment with using different chiles to flavor them. Try adding Hatch Chiles for a Ne...
Hot Pepper Companion Plants
Do you plant marigolds with your peppers and tomatoes? We think they help keep the plants healthy and pest-free! Marigolds can help repel beetles, nematodes, aphids, potato bugs and squash bugs on not only peppers but other veggies, too! We love planting marigolds among our pepper plants and tomato plants. Marigolds also release a substance from their roots that wards off nematodes and eel worms, which target peppers and other veggies in the garden. Nasturtium flowers are also great compan...
Green Chile Quinoa Salad Recipe
Here's a delicious healthy spicy salad that is perfect for summertime! Green Chile Quinoa Salad Recipe Ingredients: 1 cup of Red Quinoa, cooked 1/2 cup+ Green chiles, roasted, peeled and diced 2-3 cloves of garlic 1 cup of diced tomatoes 6 chopped green onions 1 cup of chopped fresh spinach 2 cups of roasted corn 2 cups of black beans 1 cucumber, diced Bunch of chopped cilantro (stems are ok, too!) 2 Limes, juiced 4 tbsp olive oil Salt and Pepper to taste 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp red peppe...
Powdery Mildew on Zucchini
Got Powdery Mildew on Zucchini, Squash and Pumpkin Plants? This happens to all our pumpkins, squash, zucchini and cucumber plants every summer late in the season, treatments like milk or baking soda sprays don't seem to help. We usually prune off the worst affected leaves to give it more air circulation, but have learned to accept that this is the natural late-season stage here in the West. So don't worry, the squash, zucchini and pumpkins will still ripen! One thing about powdery...
