Making Better Garden Soil

Do you fancy owning and running a farm in the near future when resources are available? Or do you want to try growing your own food and have peace of mind of having an organic and safe food source? Or just want to enjoy creating beautiful ambiance? Building and creating a garden would be an ideal way to assess oneself.

Garden is a plot of land for growing flowers, vegetables, fruits, or herbs for pleasure or profit. In a way, gardening is different from farming in scale and reasons. A garden may be as small as a window box, few pots or as grand as a public park. Like farming, gardening is both a science and an art [1]. From beginner to advance gardeners, everyone plan and tend their garden with final result in mind.

For me, as a novice gardener, herb garden for cooking purpose in pots would be ideal to start. Most herbs are hardy type and use frequently in cooking thus that would provide a reminder to tend and avoid killing starter plants. Hopefully, from a culinary herb garden, it would develop into a vegetable garden, and then grow to a beautiful flower garden, a symbiosis.

Building a Garden Starts with a Solid Soil Foundation

In building a garden start with the foundation: having a great soil. Soil is an important factor to consider for gardeners. Some plants grow best in rich loamy soils, others thrive in loose sandy soils or in clays, and few plants like Tillandsia genus survive with none at all [2].

  

Soil by definition is the top layer of the earth and consists of two layers. The upper fertile topsoil where most shallow rooted plants grow. And the lower less fertile subsoil, supports deep-rooted plants and trees. There are different kind of soil, according to the particle present, it is categorize as either sandy, clay, or loam soils.

Kind of Soil 

• Sandy soils, also called light soils, are made up of large rock particles and smaller rock particles, respectively. There are spaces in between particles, as a result, sandy is loose and does not hold water well and drain quickly. Nutrients tend to drain away with water before plants have a chance to absorb them.

• Loam or medium soils, are mixture of sand and clay, is the best soil for growing plants because it holds the right amount of water.

• Clay or heavy soils, are made up of small and flat particles that cling together. It is solid and does not allow water to penetrate easily. It drain slowly and sticky when wet, but becomes hard and cloddy when dried out [3].

Steps in Identifying Soil

There is a very simple soil test to determine what kind of soil in your potential garden. Repeat this test with several different soil samples from your lawn and garden.

1. Fill a 1 liter jar about one-third full with topsoil and add water until the jar is almost full.

2. Screw on the lid and shake the mixture vigorously, until all the clumps of soil have dissolved.

3. Now set the jar down and see as the larger particles begin to settle to the bottom.

4. In 1-2 minutes the sand portion of the soil will have settled to the bottom of the jar. Mark the level of sand on the side of the jar.

5. Leave the jar undisturbed for several hours. The finer silt particles will gradually settle onto the sand. Layers are slightly different colors, indicating various types of particles.

6. Leave the jar overnight. The next layer above the silt will be clay. Mark the thickness of that layer. On top of the clay will be a thin layer of organic matter. Some of this organic matter may still be floating in the water. In fact, the jar should be murky and full of floating organic sediments. If not, you probably need to add organic matter to improve the soil's fertility and structure [4].

Improving Garden Soil Structure

Any soil can be improved into a great garden soil based on the plants and purpose. Plants will be more productive having the right type, and healthy soil. Here are soil and compost ratio to improve certain kind of soil to a more suitable garden soil. 

• Sandy - topsoil 1/2, compost 1/2
• Loam - topsoil 5/6, compost 1/6
• Clay - topsoil 2/3, compost 1/3 

The kind of topsoil I am looking for a culinary garden would be a mix of loamy soil to hold water and good amount of humus, also referred as finished compost, which provides nutrients to the plants. In this case, the herbs are grown in pots, so the garden soil needs additional sand for drainage and some wetting agents like ground coconut husk/coconut coir, perlite and vermiculite. These additives create a different kind of gardening soil ideal for growing plants in pots, commonly referred as potting mix. Potting soils are made much courser to encourage better water flow and drainage while retaining soil moisture. 

Making Potting Soil

• 1/3 part of garden soil                        
• 1/3 part of coconut coir/husk              
• 1/9 part of perlite,vermiculite, or pumice (soil additives)
• 1/9 part of builder sand
• 1/9 part of coarsely crushed eggshells

The next time when cooking eggs don’t throw away the eggshells. Wash, dry and crushed them for garden use. Eggshell contains calcium carbonate, nitrogen and phosphoric acid, an organic source of potential soil nutrients And also, it is a safe slug and snail repellent, coarseness of the crushed eggshell is too rough for mollusk's soft bodies [5].

Honestly, there are countless recommendation for soil content ratio, garden mix ratio and potting mix ratio. Please feel free to share your own soil content ratio, general area you are from, the kind of garden and plants you tend.

The next gardening blog  would be about on how to make compost and the different kinds of gardening soil additives.

For the next blog would be all about plants, featuring an easy to grow herb, my favorite, spearmint.

As always enjoy gardening!

References

1. Kinkead, E.B., Sehbai, D.S. & Tunney, C.J. (Eds.). (1972). Modern Century Illustrated Encyclopedia (Vols.9). Australia: McGraw-hill Far Eastern Publishers.

2. About Rainforest Flora. (n.d.). Aeranthos Tillandsia Species [Post]. Retrieve from http://www.rainforestflora.com/store/tillandsia/A10030/aeranthos/

3. Barrington, K. (n.d.). Difference Between Garden Soil and Top Soil [Blog post].    Retrieved from http://homeguides.sfgate.com/difference-between-garden-soil-top-soil-31708.html

4. Laliberte, K. (n.d.). Building Healthy Soil [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/building-healthy-soil/5060.html

5. Chisholm, H. (Ed.). (1911). "Molluscoida". Encyclopædia Britannica. 18 (11th ed.). London: Cambridge University Press.

Super Healthy and Simple Egg Recipes

Eggs as food are one of the common and healthy sources of high-quality protein and nutrients and have been eaten by humans for millennia [1]. Chicken egg is the most popular option for egg consumption among bird eggs, like duck and quail. It is also my favourite a la carte food and food ingredients, as I like the savoury taste of egg yolk. The egg yolk (vitellus), the yellow part, contains choline, lipids (fats), calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamine, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K and half of the proteins in eggs, while the egg white contains water and proteins like albumins, mucoproteins and globulins [2].

Foods should not only be healthy but also safe, thus egg freshness is important as most eggs are generally good for up to 21 days. Food safety standards vary from country to country, same with grading of quality and size, and storage recommendation but its unifying goal is to deliver healthy and safe eggs for food consumption. In the US, eggs are graded according to freshness quality and size. Quality grade moves from grade AA to A to B. Grade AA eggs have thick and firm whites, round yolks, small air cells and free from defects, while grade A have similar to grade AA but have “reasonably” firm whites. Lastly grade B eggs have thinner whites and wider, flatter yolks and bigger air cell.  Grade AA and A eggs are ideal for frying, poaching and making icings, while grade B eggs are ideal for leche flan and hard boiled.

Knowing egg’s air cell increase in volume as it ages, one could use a simple float and sink test in a bowl of water, as a very fresh egg sinks, while a very old egg floats and should not be eaten [3]. Hence, proper and careful storage is needed for eggs, as improper handling could cause Salmonella (bacteria) growth and food poisoning. In the US, eggs are recommended to be wash and refrigerated, while in Europe, eggs are not usually washed to keep the egg’s cuticle intake and do not require refrigeration. For me, as long as eggs have been bought fresh, free from defect, and will be use within the week, I do not refrigerate and only wash when I am going to use and/or cook it. If there is some visible defect like thinning of the shell or crack, then I wash, crack it open, place the egg contents in an air-tight container and refrigerate it.

Here are some of my favourite very simple egg recipes you could practice cooking in your newly assembled -and in progress- functional kitchen:

Soft Boiled Egg (1-3 servings)
     

     Preparation time:       10 minutes

     Cooking time:              6 minutes

Ingredients:
     1-3 pieces        egg/s 

                              salt and pepper
Procedures:

1. In a 2 quarter sauce pan, add water to come 1 inch up to the side.
2. Heat the water over medium high heat and bring to rolling boil. It would take more or less 10 minutes.
3. Reduce to medium heat, gently add egg/s and cover with lid.
4. Let egg/s cook for 6 minutes then remove it from the heat.
5. Drain the hot water and run egg/s in the saucepan under cold water until cool.

Note to Self:

• This is a real breakfast just like in the movie, “Ever After: A Cinderella Story(1998)” with Drew Barrymore. Best with garlic stick breads.

Hard Boiled Egg (1-3 servings)

     Preparation time:       10-12 minutes

     Cooking time:              5-10 minutes

Ingredients:

     1-3 pieces        egg/s (ideal for older egg) 

     ½ teaspoon      salt                                   

Procedures:

1. In a 2 quarter sauce pan, add water to come 1-2 inch up to the side and add egg/s.
2. Heat the pan over high heat and bring to rolling boil that would take about less than 5-10 minutes.
3. Add ½ teaspoon of salt.
4. Turn off the heat, cover and let it sit for 10-12 minutes.
5. Drain the hot water and run under cold water to cool.

Note to Self:

• Do not let eggs boil too long to prevent it from stinking and having a green ring around the yolk.  Boiling too hard causes the sulphur compounds in the yolk to degrade or break and combine with hydrogen sulfide in the egg white [4].
• Prelude to Tuna and Egg Filling, Yummy!

Storage:

• Hard-boiled eggs, peeled or unpeeled, can be stored in the refrigerator for 5 days.

Tuna and Eggs with raisins Sandwich Filling (2-3 servings)

     Preparation time:       10 minutes

Ingredients:

     2                       hard-boiled eggs

     2 tablespoons  canned tuna or chopped broiled tuna

     2 tablespoons  mayonnaise

     1 teaspoon       sweet pickle relish

     ½ tablespoon   raisins

                              salt and pepper

Procedures:

1. Peel the eggs and chop. Roughly chop tuna.
2. Mix, with a fork, the chopped eggs, mayonnaise, tuna, and sweet pickle relish.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add raisins and mix the all ingredients. 

Poach Eggs (For 1-2 servings)

     Preparation time:       10 minutes

     Cooking time:              3-6 minutes

Ingredients:

     1-2 pieces       very fresh large egg/s 

     1 teaspoon      salt

                             salt and pepper
Procedures:

1. In a 2 quarter sauce pan, add water to come 1 inch up to the side and 1 teaspoon of salt.
2. Heat the water over medium heat and bring to simmer, where bubble begins to rise in individual streams. It would take more or less 10 minutes.
3. Crack open 1 very fresh cold large egg place into a small bowl/ramequin or a cup.
4. Stir the water with a wooden spoon in one direction until vortex appear, then gently, and closes to the water surface as possible, drop the egg in the center.
5. Poach for 3 minutes.
6. Lift the egg with a slotted spoon, drain and serve immediately.  

 Note to Self:

• For bigger batch use a 12 inches frying pan, ½ inch of water up the side and do not stir.
• For older eggs, place into a small fine mesh sieve.

 Storage:

• Alternatively, move the eggs to an ice bath and refrigerate up to 8 hours only. Reheat in warm water just before serving [5].    

I hope you would find these recipes very easy and give a new appreciation for eggs. More recipes coming up! Feel free to leave comments and suggestions.

For the next blog, it would be all about gardening tips, so hold on to your egg shells and be surprise how useful it is in a garden.   

As always enjoy cooking and eating. Itadakimase! Kain na!

References

1. Agricultural Marketing Service. (n.d.) "How to Buy Eggs". Home and Garden Bulletin. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) (264): 1.

2. Howe, J.C., Williams, J.R., & Holden, J.M. (March 2004). "USDA Database for the Choline Content of Common Foods" (PDF). United States Department of Agriculture (USDA): 10.

3. McGee, H. (2004). On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. New York: Scribner.

4. Nemati, M., Mazutinec T.J., Jenneman, G.E., & Voordouw, G. (2001). Control of biogenic H2S production with nitrite and molybdate. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 26: 350–355.

5. Alton, J. (n.d.). Perfect Poached Eggs [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/perfect-poached-eggs-recipe-2107472

Kitchen for Beginners: How to be Smart in Assembling a Functional Kitchen

Living organisms need fuel to have the energy to survive and replicate. Food is one of the main energy sources but as a human beings and a higher form of organism it is not just any substance. Somehow, we have improved and elevated its preparation and consumption. It may be either for very practical purpose of hygiene, health, and economic or for aesthetic purpose of stimulate and gratify our basal senses, consequently enrich one’s life.

Normal functioning olfactory and gustatory perception will result to appreciation of sumptuous meal. Food appreciation leads to more food digestion and/or preparation. Then we have foodies who take it to the next level: collect food recipes, watch baking and cooking shows, and aspire to cook delicious meals, as evident to home cook meals.  Cooking your own meal is one of many simple ways to save money, if one can’t cook anything will be left with limited options either buying expensive pre-made food, ordering restaurants or food deliveries. Home cooking would most likely use fresh and natural ingredients, thus making it a healthy endeavor. In Addition, cooking is not a natural talent but a learned skill, a continuous one. As learning stimulates the brain and augment the effect of dopamine, a happy hormone, greatly help in maintaining motivation and satisfaction after learning activities [1]. Home cooking has it great benefits from being wise with money, staying healthy, keeping oneself motivated, and make one’s life a little sweeter.

Most prolific home cooks are guilty of being obsess in having a fully equipped functioning kitchen. Such passion can lead to dangerous addiction that will suck money from unnecessary spending on kitchen equipment and ingredients. So such tendencies drive the need to have a firm plan supported by honest self-assessment and diligent research. Always consider acquiring items with these following factors: functionality, quality, economic and aesthetic.  Assembling a functional kitchen from ground up is slow but purposeful leads to well-being and long-term economical benefits.  It will minimize redundancy, wastage and squandering of limited resources.

Here are recommendations in how to be smart in assembling a functional kitchen, starting with 6 basic essentials: 

1. Sauce Pan

A high-quality 2 quarter stainless steel sauce pan with a heavy bottom with transparent lid cover and metal bar handle would be a great investment. It is just the right size for preparing one serving meals hence avoid food wastes and saves ingredients. As always choose stainless steel with heavy bottom for more equal heat conduction. Purchase the best one you could afford, take care of it and it will be a saving in the long run. Such sauce pan has multi-purpose from simple boiling water to preparing pastas, noodles, rice, soups, sauces and egg recipes. 

2. Wooden Spoon and Spatula

A 14 inches wooden spoon and spatula would be long enough keep away heat while still adjusting to high temperature. Wooden or bamboo utensils help in preserving the longevity of metal pots and pans; it won’t cause scratches that could wear out the pan or pot surface faster.

3. Cutting boards

It is health safety to have 2 cutting boards to avoid contaminating ready to eat vegetables and cooked food with uncooked meat bacteria. The ideal surface size would be bigger than the knife, plus extra space for cut portion. There are various materials to choose from, it would depend on purpose and preference. I would recommend buying 2 cutting boards, one good-quality, wooden board for vegetables and display, another one hard plastic for meat. Wood and plastic would be less expensive, safer and would not dull knives faster, compare materials made of glass, marble, or pyroceramic.

4. Chef Knife

The first knife that a kitchen needs is a standard 8 inches chef knife to learn basic control and access one’s cutting style. Chef knife is mainly use for cutting and chopping on the cutting board. Choose a good knife that is basically one piece where the steel or blade is running through the handle or all the way back, and the handle should fit nicely in your hand. It would be great if it has a good grind where the knife has been nicely tapered from the thick bolster, part of the knife blade near the handle, to the thinner tip as well as a nicely tapered from the spin down to the edge. A cheaper knife does not have full face grind and only the edge has been grinned which is called hollow ground edge. Basically, it is for rough work, like breaking harder foods, like crabs and lobsters. For a beginner and economic reason, purchasing such knife would be fair, as long as the blade is in one piece and the handle fits your hand. Mercer is a brand that has this kind of knife and it is of fair-quality, while Victorinox and Dexter Russell are companies that have a good-quality commercial-grade-stamped steel, full face grind with medium price range knives. Resist buying an expensive knife until you have assessed your knife skill, cutting style and knife purpose. Once you have honestly evaluation could go find and buy good quality knives, even indulging with the knife shape: German, French or Japanese shape; the forming: stamped or forged steel; and type of steel: soft or hard. And designate your old cheap knives to its rougher purpose [2].

5. Large Mugs

Two large microwavable heat-resistant mugs are not only for coffee and/or tea. It could also serve as bowls for single serving meals, until one could afford and find decent and preferred dishware.

6. Cutlery or Utensils

Buy a good quality that one could afford and have at least two of each spoon, fork, knife and teaspoon. A good-quality is that it doesn’t bend with minimal force, so have a go.

For me these are the 6 kitchen essentials to start with in assembling a functional kitchen. One would be able to start cooking simple recipes and facilitate in assessing food interest and cooking skills. Look out for next month blog on “Kitchen for Beginners.” 

References

1. Neve, K. (Eds). (2010). The Dopamine Receptors. New York, NY: Humana Press.

2. Hiroyuki Terada - Diaries of a Master Sushi Chef. (2017, July 9). How To Choose The Perfect Knife - 4 Things To Consider. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nTBEbMQBGQ

Sweet Smelling Onions

Onions make your food smell delicious, but they make your hands smell yucky. The best way to get rid your fingers of their scent is first to dab them in a bowl of vinegar. Vinegar far overpowers the smell of onions, and it is much easier to wash out when you are done. The vinegar from your fingers even adds an interesting sharpness to the taste of the onions.