Category Archives: Organic

Searching for Eden

Posted on April 5, 2020 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

Long Island is entering the 4th week of Work From Home orders during the pandemic and “home” has suddenly become the center of many people’s lives in a way it has not been for a few generations. I am looking … Continue reading →

Posted in Backyard Gardening, Fishing, Local Food, Organic, Permaculture, Raised Bed Gardening, Seafood, Sustainable | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Just Add Water

Posted on May 20, 2018 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

It has rained all day, every day for a week now and the sky has run itself out of water!  I stole this break in the rain to check on sown seeds and the herbs and berries. The back half … Continue reading →

Posted in Backyard Gardening, Blueberries, Cherry Tomatoes, Chives, Cilantro, Container Gardening, Daikon Radishes, Herbs, Lettuce, Organic, Parsley, Raised Bed Gardening, Sage, Saving Seed, Serrano Peppers, Sustainable, Tomatoes | 2 Comments

First Day of Last Frost

Posted on April 14, 2018 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

The last frost date for this area passed without incident on April 9th and today was my first day home to survey the perennials and sow some annuals. I’m just going to say it, my over-wintered herb garden is just … Continue reading →

Posted in Backyard Gardening, Blueberries, Chives, Herbs, Lettuce, Oregano, Organic, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Strawberries, Sustainable, Urban Farming | Leave a comment

Closing Summer

Posted on September 9, 2017 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

It is the end of an unusually quiet summer here at NHG.  A late, hard frost wiped out much of the spring plantings as well as this year’s harvest of blueberries and asparagus.  The figs and asparagus were late and … Continue reading →

Posted in Daikon Radishes, Drying, Food Preservation, Herbs, Organic, Permaculture, Raised Bed Gardening, Spinach, Sustainable | Leave a comment

Laissez-faire Farming

Posted on April 17, 2017 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

The threat of winter weather pushed right up to the last frost date for my area this year.  Add in my hectic schedule the past few weeks and the result is a late start on my spring garden, and some … Continue reading →

Posted in Backyard Gardening, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Lettuce, Oregano, Organic, Pro Tip, Raised Bed Gardening, Square Foot Gardening, Sustainable, Thrift | Leave a comment

Autumn Recess

Posted on November 23, 2016 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

Autumn has arrived in North Carolina, bringing with it the final harvest of bell peppers, roma tomatoes and serrano peppers. The herb garden has brushed off the first few light freezes and stands ready to make meals fragrant and savory … Continue reading →

Posted in AeroGarden, Backyard Gardening, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Basil, Bell Peppers, Carrots, Cilantro, Collards, French Tarragon, Herbs, Hydroponics, Indoor growing, Inventions, Kale, Kitchen Implements, Mulch, Non-GMO, Oregano, Organic, Parsley, Parsnips, Peppers, Pine Needles, Raised Bed Gardening, Roma Tomato, Sage, Seasonal Eating, Serrano Peppers, Square Foot Gardening, Sugar Snap Peas, Sustainable, Technology, Thyme, Urban Farming | Leave a comment

Aero Garden Update – Day 46

Posted on November 13, 2016 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

Day 46 of the prepackaged herb pack that came with my AeroBount and I have excellent basil growth, both genovese and thai.  The mint was just starting to grow and the cilantro, parsley and chives never really took off.  The … Continue reading →

Posted in AeroGarden, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Basil, Cilantro, Heirloom Varieties, Hydroponics, Inventions, Kale, Kitchen Implements, Non-GMO, Organic, Parsley, Sustainable, Technology, Urban Farming | Leave a comment

Living Ingredients

Posted on October 22, 2016 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

Although I have grown herbs indoors for each of the last 5 winters, my indoor garden has always been in a designated growing area and not particularly convenient to the kitchen.  So in a kitchen that is already small on … Continue reading →

Posted in AeroGarden, Herbs, Hydroponics, Indoor growing, Kitchen Implements, Meal Planning, Microgreens, Non-GMO, Organic, Sustainable | Leave a comment

Cooking Up A Hurricane – Mozzarella (Part 2)

Posted on October 10, 2016 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

As a cook (and human being) I am much more comfortable in the zone where I am critiquing past performance and looking for areas for improvement over standing on the precipice of something I have never tried.  To that end, … Continue reading →

Posted in Cheese Making, Food Preparation, Food Preservation, Kaizen, Mozzarella, Organic, Recipe, Resources, Slow Food, Sustainable | Leave a comment

Saving (Pretty) Seed – Glass Gem Corn

Posted on September 26, 2016 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

My Glass Gem Corn has been happily drying above my home office and today was the day to strip the cobs and put up the kernels for popcorn and next year’s planting.  If you have been following my blog for … Continue reading →

Posted in Backyard Gardening, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Corn, Drying, Flint Corn, Glass Gem Corn, Heirloom Varieties, Non-GMO, Organic, Saving Seed, Sustainable, Trench Composting, Urban Farming | Leave a comment

Better With Basil – Pasta Maker

Posted on September 17, 2016 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

Late blight is wrecking havoc on North Carolina tomatoes this year, particularly the heirloom varieties.  Last year I was pulling down green tomatoes in late November and this year they were pretty much done by late August.  C’est la vie. … Continue reading →

Posted in Anson Mills, Basil, Food Porn, Food Preparation, Herbs, Kitchen Implements, Organic, Pasta, Pasta Maker, Ramen, Recipe, Slow Food, Sustainable, Technology | Leave a comment

Mangia – Seconda Parte

Posted on August 19, 2016 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

Recently I wanted to find some great make-ahead recipes that I could prepare in batches and freeze for fast and easy, but still homemade meals that I would feel good about on those “I don’t feel like scratch cooking” nights.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Anson Mills, Basil, Dan Barber, Food Preparation, Kitchen Implements, Non-GMO, Organic, Pasta, Pasta Maker, Technology, The Third Plate | Leave a comment

Big Finish – Glass Gem Corn

Posted on August 14, 2016 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

The Glass Gem Corn is winding down and I will have a couple more ears to harvest over the next few weeks but today was really the big finale with 4 ears harvested and two that were almost* entirely in … Continue reading →

Posted in Backyard Gardening, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Black Eyed Peas, Companion Planting, Corn, Flint Corn, Glass Gem Corn, Heirloom Varieties, Organic, Sustainable | Leave a comment

I Can’t Even – Glass Gem Corn Harvest

Posted on August 10, 2016 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

Yes.  It is just that beautiful!

Posted in #Food(Growing)Porn, #NoFilters, Backyard Gardening, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Corn, Glass Gem Corn, Heirloom Varieties, Organic, Sustainable, Urban Farming | Leave a comment

Pomodori Aplenty

Posted on August 8, 2016 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

I had my largest one-day harvest of Roma Tomatoes at a little over 3.5 lbs, a similar weight in Amana Orange and Mortgage Lifter Tomatoes were ready to be picked along with some cherry tomatoes, a nice bowl of figs, … Continue reading →

Posted in Amana Tomato, Black Eyed Peas, Cherry Tomatoes, Corn, Figs, Flint Corn, Glass Gem Corn, Hartman's Yellow Gooseberry Tomato, Heirloom Varieties, Mortgage Lifter Tomato, Organic, Paste Tomato, Roma Tomato, Slicing Tomatoes, Sustainable, Tomatoes | Leave a comment