healthy eating Archives - Range Road Garden Farms

14 April 2019

Learning to Grow Hydroponic Strawberries

I love strawberries. I don’t know too many people who don’t. Even people allergic to strawberries find themselves inexplicably drawn to them. But I don’t love those little red triangles that we get in the grocery store from Sep to Apr that come from somewhere way south of us. I know, it’s consumerism at it’s worst to want something so very much out of season, but I do.

But let’s back up the story. I grow hops, indoors, in special buckets. It’s in a system called hydroponics. Like those guys growing the funny weed that has been the topic of news for some time now. Well I have been reading about growers who been working out the kinks and creating a variety of hydroponic systems for growing these beloved little berries. I looked at my little hydroponic hops farm and realized I have unused real estate under those big plants. They take the same level of light and the same water and nutrient levels as strawberries. And there it was, the beginnings of an idea.

I phoned wonderful Apache Seeds and asked about starter stock for strawberries. These are the same starter plants farmers use to grow in the fields, tiny little runners, tied in bundles, virtually bare root. Sure enough they could get them for me. I had previously brought in runners from my backyard plants, and you could, if you wanted to carefully wash the roots. I have experienced first hand, the time it seems to take for them to acclimatize to the hydroponic system. These little starter stock plants have settled right in. In fact within a month of being planted they are already rewarding me with blossoms.

Why Hydroponics?

By now you are probably asking why hydroponics? Why not plop the little things in soil and let them do their thing? Some people argue that plants grown in soil taste better and maybe, to some, they do. The internet is full of arguments for both sides, but we’ve come a long way from the basic fertilizers and florescent lights. Much study has been done on the nutritive values of hydroponic plants, grown under lights. Certainly they have to taste better than those grocery store red things that have traveled thousands of kilometers to get to us. For me and many other indoor farmers, hydroponics is a clean way to grow. I can create a wonderful environment for plants grow in: the lights overhead; the medium in which they are grown; the chemistry of water; and the nutrients they receive. I am learning about the use of biological controls to balance insect predators and what to do to minimize problems like powdery mildew. Research has made it easier for my green thumb to work. All that being said, and science aside there is something magical about coming into the farm in the morning and seeing the first buds turning into blossoms. Especially in an Alberta winter. I can’t wait for a few more to open up so I can wield a paint brush and start pollinating.

Could you do this? It’s sounds complicated. Well, yes and no. There is a lot to learn and after asking a bunch of questions, you may decide that soil is the way for you. Just know that if you really want to grow great food indoors, there is still a learning curve, but the results are so worth it. Your local hydroponic shop can set you up with just about everything you need, if you want to grow hydroponically and a good garden center has experts to help with soil based farming. There is lots of great information online about growing both ways. I’ve learned a lot, reading and taking courses. There are kits you can purchase with everything you need to start with a few herbs, greens or microgreens before you started something more complicated, like strawberries, but certainly you could.

The Basics of Hydroponics – Water

Strawberries grown indoors require water with a pH of 5.3 to 6.5. You’ve probably not thought of testing the pH of your water before you water your plants. It might surprise you to know that our Edmonton city water rates at the 8.5 mark, which makes it more alkaline, what they call hard water. It’s that residue in your tea kettle and around the edge of your bathtub. A pH of 7 is considered to be neutral. If you have ever struggled to grow anything in your backyard, someone from a garden center may have suggested that you get your soil tested for pH. For your houseplants 5.5 to 6.5 is ideal, unless you have something that requires a more acidic soil. There are all kinds of amendments you can add to garden soil to change the acidity, but in hydroponics, a product called pH Down and a simple test kit is all you need. Even your houseplants would benefit from water that is adjusted for pH.

Along with higher pH, what comes from your tap has chlorine and sometimes chloramine in it. Anyone with a fish tank knows about the importance of treating for that. Have you ever collected rainwater for your plants, or noticed how green your lawn is from the rain compared to watering it? Chlorine and sometimes the disinfectant chloramine are added to our drinking water to keep it safe. The problem with those two chemicals for watering your plants, particularly in hydroponics is the removal of any beneficial fungi and bacteria which help plants take up nutrients. You can remove chlorine by allowing it to sit out in the sun for 24 hours, but chloramine has to be removed by filtering or chemically. Campden tablets will remove the chlorine and chloramine from your water, but they also increase the sodium levels. Before I lose you to all the science, if you want to grow better plants, and especially if you are thinking hydroponics, find yourself a good shop and ask about your options. If you are like me and just have to do the research, check out this article from High Times.

Growing Media and Containers

Back to my strawberries. They are growing well in their Bato or Dutch Buckets, wedged in between the hops. Bato Buckets are a frequently used system for growing a variety of tall or vining plants such as: tomatoes; cucumbers; or peppers. To learn more about setting up a Bato Bucket system, check out this great article from Upstart University.

So far I have used perlite as the growing media, especially for the hops as it drains very well. The side effect of perlite is the dust. You need a mask to work with it. There are other options but you need to consider drainage. Each media has a system for which it is ideally suited. Perlite drains well, but with little water retention, you have to set up a timed watering or be prepared to hand water every few hours, depending on plant requirements. Rockwool holds a lot of water is not ideal for Bato. Perlite/vermiculite mixtures are good but vermiculite holds a lot of water. Coconut fibre is becoming much more popular and is something I will be testing for the growth of the strawberries. From GPN an older article but it talks about a variety of growing media. Whatever you choose, if you are using Bato Buckets you need to keep the media from clogging the system. Painter’s filter bags are a great way hold the growing media and prevent it from being washed down into the watering system and into the pumps.

This article barely scratches the surface of growing hydroponically. I have much to learn but so far, with the strawberries, I have blossoms, and soon I hope to have berries. Whatever you choose to grow and however you choose to grow it, have fun, much luck and enjoy.

5 April 201915 April 2019

Ahi Tuna with Sunflower Shoot Risotto

I’m on a bit of a mission. The question is constant, customers would like to know, besides the obvious, salads and sandwiches, how they can add more greens to their kitchen. So my task, in this case, is how I can incorporate sunflower shoots into dinner because, well cress, dill, etc, those are pretty easy. But sunflower, that’s a little less obvious. As a customer commented this weekend, she added bok choy greens to a recipe and it wasn’t the best flavour. I wanted to take advantage of the eye candy appeal of those round, crisp leaves. Sunflower shoots have the same delicious, nutty flavour as the seeds. It’s a taste millions have come to love.

Now combine this thought process with the inspiration from a recent conversation with Chef Sonny Sung, Bistecca, about pan toasting rice before making risotto. It’s the secret to taking rice from those bland white kernels, a supporting cast we bury in sauces, to a flavour infused part of our meal. I have to say, this was probably the best risotto I’ve ever made and really, and it didn’t change the length of time or effort to make.

Okay, we have crisp/tender, toasty flavoured arborio rice; crisp, nutty sunflower shoots; that just called for the ahi tuna steaks I had in the freezer, and….. garlic. I roasted the garlic to bring out its nuttiness, then combined with a good olive oil. If you have never had roasted garlic, it’s pretty easy to accomplish. Drizzle a bulb with a bit of oil, wrap in foil and toss in a 450 degree oven for about 30 min. As soon as you can smell it, it’s done. Use some of that, olive oil and a bit of butter to toast the rice. Brush the steaks lightly with the garlic oil and pan sear. Toss sunflower shoots into the riscotto just before plating. Sounds really good and I haven’t hit the stove yet.

Rice serves 4. One tuna steak, or a protein of choice per person.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups chicken stock

1/3 cup white wine

3 tbsp lemon juice

3 to 4 cloves garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 cup arborio rice

3/4 cup sunflower shoots (about 1/2 a 5×5 square)

1 tuna steak per person

Salt and pepper to taste.

Method:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. To roast garlic, cut the top off a bulb, exposing the cloves. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, or another oil if you prefer. Wrap in foil and place in oven. Turn off the oven. It will stay hot long enough to gently roast the garlic, without the risk of overcooking. Take the garlic out when you can smell it. Usually that is roughly 30 minutes. To remove the cooked garlic easily, turn the bulb over a plate and squeeze from the bottom.
Blend garlic and olive oil. Set a bit aside to garnish the plate, about a tsp for each plate.
Brush garlic oil on both sides of each tuna steak and set aside to marinate. I marinated them for about an hour.
Combine chicken stock, lemon juice, and white wine.
Harvest the sunflower shoots and rinse. Set aside. Remember before combining with the rice to keep a few to garnish the plates.
In saute pan over medium heat add a couple tbsp of the garlic oil and the tsp of butter.
Toasted rice for risotto.
When the butter is melted add the rice. Push around in the pan until the tips of the rice are toasted.
Set the timer for 20 minutes. Add about half of the stock to the toasted rice and simmer and stir until the stock is almost taken up by the rice. It is a good a idea to give the pan a shake occasionally. At this point you will be slowly adding the remaining stock and stirring. Rice is cooked when it still has just a bit of bite to it.
During the last few minutes of the rice cooking, heat another saute pan for the tuna steaks. It’s ready when a drop of water bounces around the pan from the heat.
You have 3 minutes from the time the steaks go on, until they are seared. Tuna steaks are served rare, overcook and you will basically have canned tuna taste. Place the steaks straight down in the pan and set the time for 1.5 minutes. Don’t move until the timer goes off. Turn the steaks and set the timer for another 1.5 minutes. Add the sunflower shoots to the rice. Toss lightly to combine and spoon onto the plates.
Remove the steaks from the heat and plate. Garnish with the remaining sunflower shoots. Add a swoosh of the garlic oil to decorate the plate.
Serve and prepare for the oohs and aaahs.

2 March 2019

Scrambled Eggs with Everything

It’s minus brutal outside, but we have a fridge full of breakfast makings. Most of the time breakfast usually depends on what’s in the fridge, but today I was a bit more prepared. I was thinking western omelet or frittata, something interesting, but I decided I want to see all the ingredients. So I created a plate that was separate layers. That is especially nice when you have ingredients like Blue Oyster mushrooms from Gruger Family Fungi. Making this is a little more effort, because you have to prep and cook each of ingredients separately, before cooking the eggs. If this is more than you want to do first thing in the morning, do what I did and make it more of a brunch dish. This would also make a great lunch plate or breakfast for supper, as we’ve been known to do.

The ingredients are a quantity for breakfast for two, but I’m sure you can do the math to increase it. The joy with cooking like this is that if you don’t have all the ingredients, or you have preferences it’s easy to change it up. The one thing I always use my freshly dried basil leaves. Crumbled basil leaves have far more flavour, especially when you rub the leaf bits in your fingers, just before adding to the eggs. I can never get enough of that aroma.

Dice or slice each of the ingredients, as noted, so your presentation is uniform. If you are going to the effort to make a dish with multiple layers like this, presentation is everything. We eat with our eyes first, so why not make your meals feel like you are dining out and take a couple extra minutes to plate everything.

Ingredients:

2 eggs per person
6-8 oyster mushrooms
2 pinches dried basil
1/3 cup each, red, orange and yellow pepper
4 slices lean bacon
1/4 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup finely grated cheese

Method:

Chop the peppers into 1/4″ squares.
Slice the oyster mushrooms into 1/2″ wide, long strips.
Slice the bacon into 1/4″ strips.
Saute the bacon until almost crisp. Drain on paper towel and set aside to keep warm. Leave the fat in the pan.
Saute the pepper mixture until tender and set aside to keep warm.
Saute the mushrooms in the bacon fat, adding the 1/4 cup of water to keep the mushrooms tender. Set aside to keep warm.
Rub the basil leaf to refresh the aroma. Combine with the eggs, and a bit of water and beat.
Reduce the heat and cook the eggs until just done.
Plate the eggs, then sprinkle on the bacon. Spoon the pepper mixture around and on the eggs.
Top with grated cheese, and if desired a sprinkle of salt and pepper.