Garden Resolutions

Posted on January 15, 2016 by Jay White

Happy Belated New Year ! I hope your holidays were joyous and relaxing. While not exactly relaxing, our holidays were most definitely joyful! Sally and I spent a whole week on Orcas Island in Washington State. We were there to meet the newest member of our family. Our youngest daughter gave birth to our second grandson. What a joy to visit with her and welcome Bernard to our ever expanding family.

Did you make any gardening resolutions? Personally, I gave up on resolutions several years ago. However, I still set goals. I guess this is kind of like making resolutions. However, thanks to some weird part of my brain, I seem to have less guilt when I fail to complete a goal than when I fail to accomplish my resolutions.

I have set lots of goals for 2016. First, I want to figure out how to spend more time in my garden. I will need to do this since I am doubling the size of my vegetable garden and adding a large butterfly/cut flower garden. I also planted two 35’ foot rows of blackberries back in the summer and those will need tending.

If your daughter is going to live far, far away, pray that she lives in a beautiful place. This view of My. Baker is just steps from daughter's house.

If your daughter is going to live far, far away, pray that she lives in a beautiful place. This view of Mt. Baker is just steps from daughter’s house.

My next goal is to finish several unfinished landscaping projects. I have decided that 2016 will be the year that I finally finish the granite walk paths that pass through the three rose arbors and connect all of my gardens together. The walk paths were on hold so I could run water and electricity out to my vegetable garden. I am proud to say this project was completed back in November. While I am looking forward to finishing the walk paths, I am more excited about the six water spigots that I have added that will allow me to install and use drip irrigation in my ever expanding vegetable garden.

My final goal is to do a better job documenting all of these changes on the blog. In addition, Patty and I are going to introduce a new feature. Each month we are going to visit with gardeners around the state and see what works, and what doesn’t, in their gardens. Each time I visit with a gardener I pick up something that I can apply in my own garden. I hope you will enjoy our visits and I hope you get some tips that will make you a better gardener too.

I was impressed with the number of vegetable gardens we saw on the island. Seems like everyone had one. This one was truly beautiful

Last year was a great year for the blog (click here if you would like to see the “Year in Review” presentation from WordPress). The “Weekly Tips” were incredibly well received. While I am not going to continue this, I will continue to post a weekly tip on my Facebook page. If you don’t already follow us on Facebook please check it out and give us a like.

Thank you all so much for continuing to follow us. We are so humbled that you choose to get some of your gardening tips from our little website. We work hard to provide information that is relevant, useful and (hopefully) entertaining. If there is anything that you would like to have featured or discussed on the blog do not hesitate to send us an e-mail or leave us a comment. Happy New Year!

Week 50 Tips for the Zone 9 Garden

Posted on December 19, 2015 by Jay White

This will be my last post of the year. Thank you all for following me this year as we did our weekly tips. I am going to take some downtime to spend with my family. If you are Catholic you know we are in the liturgical season of Advent. Advent is a time of preparation and waiting for the birth of our lord. I hope you receive many blessings during this joyous season. Sally and I are also celebrating our own personal Advent. We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of a new grandson. Please keep all of us in your prayers!

If you get a break from all of the season’s activities, this week will be a great time to be in the garden. The weather is supposed to remain outstanding until the 28^th.

Grandson number 1 came for a visit last week. Can’t wait to meet grandson number 2 this month! Sorry for all of the maroon but one of his granddads went to the other place so we take every opportunity to makes sure he makes the right decision 16 years from now!!!

VEGETABLES/FRUITS

Plant Herbs – December is a great time to plant perennial herbs like rosemary, lavender, oregano and thyme. You can also plant from seed or transplant cilantro, parsley and dill
Plant peas – My grandmother swore you should plant English peas on the last day of the year. This will ensure a nice fresh harvest for Easter
Fruit Trees – Plant bare root fruit trees now and into January
Spray Fruit trees – I have a real problem with scale insects. Spray fruit trees with dormant oil now to reduce your Spring infestations
Continue to harvest and replant lettuce

ORNAMENTALS

Plant salvias – I love salvias and I grow several varieties. If you don’t have any get some and plant them now. This plants are beautiful and long blooming and they are just about pest free.
Plant iris – Plant iris corms now for an early Spring bloom
Flowers – Plant calendula, or pot marigolds from transplant. You can also plant old fashioned “pinks” (dianthus) at this time.
Move shrubs and trees – Most of our shrubs and trees are now dormant. This is the perfect time to move any that are not thriving or have over grown their space.

You can still plant all radishes in Zone 9. Try something different this season like diakon, rat tail or icicle radishes

I share these posts on Our SimpleHomestead Blog Hop. Be sure to stop by. The “hop” has tons of great information from gardeners and homesteaders all over the world!

Week 49 Tips for the Zone 9 Garden

Posted on December 11, 2015 by Jay White

I hope you have been able to get outside and take advantage of this unseasonably gorgeous weather. Last Saturday, Sally and I took a little horticultural get away to our state’s capital. We had a lovely visit with co-blogger Patty Leander. We toured her amazing garden (she is growing peanuts!) and the extremely well done garden of long-time reader Harry Cabluck. We also took time to visit the new “Lucy and Ian Family Garden” at the Ladybird Johnson Wildlife Center. If you have never been to the Wildflower Center you really need to go. It has always been an awesome place for adult gardeners, landscapers and nature lovers. Now, with the addition of the family garden, the wildflower center is the perfect weekend trip for the entire family.

There has never been a better time to visit the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin. The recent addition of the Lucy and Ian Family Garden ensures your kids or grandkids will enjoy the trip as much as you do.

VEGETABLES/FRUITS

Plant Onions – Last weekend I planted my onions (read how I do it here). I ordered my onions from Dixondale Farms. Dixondale has been growing onion sets in Texas for almost 100 years. Their website is a great resource for onion growers. Not only can you order you plants, you can find recommendations on how to grow them, when to plant them and which varieties to use for your area.
Plant more greens – It is still possible to plant arugula, collards, mustards, lettuce and spinach. In fact, I just planted a container with red lettuce, arugula and spinach last weekend. I love growing greens in containers and keeping them close to the back door. This way my wife and I have ready access to fresh and fabulous salads all weekend
Plant strawberries – December is a great time to plant strawberries. Plant them in full sun and in soil that drains well.
Get row cover ready– Believe it or not, it really is going to freeze sometime soon. Get ready by digging out your row cover and getting moved to your garden.
Spray fruit trees with dormant oil – Dormant oils smother scale insects and other sucking insects that plague peaches, plums, pears and apricots (and crepe myrtles too) in the spring. Most of these are refined petroleum products but you can find dormant oils that come from plants oils. Organic dormant oils should carry the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) seal.
Last year I had cauliflower, shallots and spinach sharing space in my potager garden. You can still plant spinach in your Zone 8 and 9 gardens.

ORNAMENTALS

Plant flower bulbs – My 16 month old grandson is visiting. This afternoon I am going to get him to help me plant 50 daffodil bulbs. If you want spring blooms of narcissus, daffodils, jonquils or luecojum you need to plant them now.

Flowers – After Roger and I finish planting our daffodils we are going to plant larkspur. I put out larkspur seeds in a broadcast manner. You can also plant poppies in the same way. December is also a great time to plant dianthus, pansy and violas from transplants

December is a great time to plant pansy and violas (Johnny Jump-Ups) from transplant

I share these posts on Our SimpleHomestead Blog Hop. Be sure to stop by. The “hop” has tons of great information from gardeners and homesteaders all over the world!

Week 48 Tips for the Zone 9 Garden

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Jay White

Since we are so close to Christmas I thought I would use this week’s post to give you some great gift ideas for the gardener in your life. I use the tools highlighted below extensively in my own garden. Not only are these tools extremely useful, they are extremely durable. Plus, with the exception of the Felcos, they are all made by hand. I really like that and I really like supporting artisans and local entrepreneurs. FYI, I get nothing from any of these companies from recommending these products. I am just a very satisfied customer that is happy to recommend these products to you.

My favorite pruner is the Felco F7. The F7 is $58 and worth every penny!

Felco Pruners – I have heard some folks say that Felco pruners are expensive. While they may be a bit more expensive than the average pruner, their quality is head and shoulders above the others that I have tried. I take my Felcos with me each and every single time I go into the garden. On my most recent trip to the garden I used them to prune roses, clip crepe myrtle suckers, take cuttings from my geraniums and begonias and then clean up dead tomato and cucumber vines. I also used them to cut twine, open several bags of compost and my chicken feed. In short, this is the single most used tool in my gardening arsenal. I like them so much that I have two pair. I feel like the $58 that I paid for mine is the best money I have ever spent on a gardening tool. If you are going to buy pruners for yourself (or as a gift) I recommend the Felco 7 Pruner (F7). This pruner has a rotating handle that allows you to use the tool all day long and never develop a blister.
The CobraHead Hand Hoe is the best weeder/cultivator I have found. At just $24.95 it is a useful gift that won’t break the bank.
CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator – The CobraHead Hand Hoe is a marvelous little garden tool that is produced right here in the USA by a small family owned business. My wife ordered it for me from another family owned business that we often shop with; Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. I am not a big buyer of garden gadgets. However, when I saw the CobraHead in the Baker Creek magazine I knew it was something worth having. The CobraHead is a 13″ long, curved weeder, cultivator, planter, etc. It has a thin, curved, football shaped head that allows it to work in even the heaviest clays. When I go into the garden my Felcos are in my right back pocket and my CobraHead is in the left pocket. I simply cannot garden without these two tools (ok that was a little melodramatic but I really do love these two tools!)
This dibber and row marker is as beautiful as it is functional. If you would like to get this hand made gift for your own gardener you better hurry. Martha Stewert has picked this up as one of her holiday recommendations.
StumpDust Hand Made Dibber and Row Markers– Here is something that is as beautiful as it is useful. My wife gave me the Combo Set ($45 at http://www.stumpdust.com/shop/) for my birthday. I usually use my fingers to make my holes for planting. I cannot wait to use this beautiful, handmade tool that is made from salvaged materials when it comes time to plant my beans and peas.
MiteyFine Mister – While the CobraHead helps keep my weeds at bay, the MITEYFINE Mister helps me wash my bug problems away. The MITEYFINE Mister is an ingeniously simple tool, made right here in Texas, that does a great job keeping aphids, spider mites and even some caterpillars at bay. The MITEYFINE is a wand that attaches to your hose. The tip at the end is specifically designed for pest control. It applies just enough pressure to knock off the bugs without damaging the plant. Plus, it uses no chemicals, which is really important to me.
Soil Test – While this may not be the sexiest of gifts, it is one of the most important. Most gardeners I know (me included) always plan on doing a soil test. However, they never seem to make it down to the extension office to get the bag. Well, do it for them. All extension offices have these in stock (or they will mail you one. Click here to order). Go get it for your gardener and wrap it up. Once they open it take them outside and gather the sample with them and then take it back to the extension office. I promise they will thank you! A good test will cost about $25 and a great test will be about $100. The information contained in the test results will make you a better gardener!

I share these posts on Our SimpleHomestead Blog Hop. Be sure to stop by. The “hop” has tons of great information from gardeners and homesteaders all over the world!

Week 47 Tips for the Zone 9 Garden

Posted on November 20, 2015 by Jay White

Well the law of averages may actually work this weekend. According to historical data there is a 50% chance of a freeze in my area by November 22. Weather.com is predicting that it will be 33 when I wake up on Sunday, November 22. I would say that is getting pretty close the historical average. . If you still have things in garden I would suggest digging out the row cover and the Christmas lights. Looks like we are going to need them.

VEGETABLES

Lettuce and spinach can be grown in most of Texas from September through early April. Don’t have much room? Grow them in pots and keep them close to the kitchen door!

Plant – Even though it is going to be cool for a few days you can still plant lettuce and spinach in most of the state. If you live north of the DFW metroplex you may need to grow them in a way that will allow you to quickly cover them for temperatures below 24 or the infrequent snow or ice storm. Thanksgiving is about the last time that you can plant fava beans.
Harvest – I don’t know if it is true or not, but I have always heard that collard greens are “sweeter” if harvested after the first freeze. Well, 33 is pretty close to a freeze so I would say this will be a great week to harvest your collard and mustard greens.

ORNAMENTALS

Two of the most loved, and most durable cool weather flowers are pansies and violas. Now is a great time to put them out in most of Texas

Plant – It is finally cool enough to put out dianthus, snap dragons, pansies, violas and ornamental kale and cabbages. Prepare the soil by gently tilling in an inch or two of compost. You can still plant Texas wild flowers from seed in late November and early December. Now is also a great time to plant two of my favorite spring flowers – larkspur and sweet peas. Spread larkspur in a broadcast manner. Plant sweet peas individually about an inch deep. They will bloom now, stay small through the cool weather and then take off when the temperatures begin to warm up in March.
Prune – Some of the finer textured perennials like guara and salvia can be pruned back after the first freeze. I cut mine down to about 6” and mulch them fairly deeply.
Fertilize – Since the soil microbes take longer to break down your compost in the cooler temps it is a good idea to feed your ornamentals with a diluted, water soluble fertilizer for the first few weeks.
Broadcast lasrkspur seed now for to ensure you have lots of these beautiful reseeding annuals in the spring,

I share these posts on Our SimpleHomestead Blog Hop. Be sure to stop by. The “hop” has tons of great information from gardeners and homesteaders all over the world!

Week 46 Tips for the Zone 9 Garden

Posted on November 14, 2015 by Jay White

Thanks to the generosity of a friend, the “dream I dreamed” for my vegetable garden is now very close to completion. Danny Hartley came down last weekend and sloshed around in the sticky, muddy clay and helped me install my irrigation system. It was a big job and I simply could not have done it without his help. Next spring, my garden will consist of 12 rows of herbs, flowers and vegetables that are watered by a soaker hose irrigation system that is feed by my six new water spigots! Thanks so much Danny!

This weekend I will finally get to pull up my okra, tomatoes and cucumbers. One row will be reserved for my onions. The other two will be replanted with beets, turnips, collard and mustard greens. Below are some more things you can do this weekend in your yard and garden.

Thanks to Danny Hartley my dreamsof a “Southern Living” quality garden is one step closer!

VEGETABLES

Plant – One of the great things about gardening in Zone 9 is the ability to plant year round. Even though it is the middle of November you can still plant lots of things. This weekend I will be putting out more beets, turnips, collards and mustard greens. You can also plant sugar snap peas, radishes, lettuce, spinach, Asian greens like bok choi, kale, chard and so much more!!! Do not forget to check out Patty Leander’s Planting guide to see what else you can plant in your November garden
Harvest – If you have things ready for harvest I would suggest that you bring them in. We are fast approaching our average first frost date. While many of our fall veggies can take a light freeze, squash tomatoes and cucumbers cannot.
Fertilize –Heat increases the metabolism of all living things. Because of this, the nutritive value of the compost is “used up” more quickly in the warmer months of the year. If you compost now the cooler temperatures will make your compost “last longer”. Basically, a good heavy application of compost now means you will not need to feed your soil again until April or early May.

ORNAMENTALS

Plant – You can still scatter poppy and larkspur seeds for the next week or so. I have tons of these two flowers and I love them both. They come in several colors so they work in every landscape AND they reseed with abandon. Plant some now and you can realistically have them forever
Prune – It is still too early to prune trees. However, it is a great time to prune ever green shrubs. Since the cool temperatures slow their growth rate for the next few months a good shaping now will keep them looking great until Spring
Fertilize – Just like your in the vegetable garden, an application of compost to your yards will gently feed your lawns until the grass begins actively growing in the spring
Move – If you have made any landscaping mistakes now is a great time to correct them. November is the best time to move (or plant) perennials.
Chicken and Asparagus! Our girls like the fall garden almost as much as Sally and I do.

I share these posts on Our SimpleHomestead Blog Hop. Be sure to stop by. The “hop” has tons of great information from gardeners and homesteaders all over the world!

Week 45 Tips for the Zone 9 Garden

Posted on November 6, 2015 by Jay White

Well, turns out all of our recent rains did not ruin my tomatoes! Last night I brought in 6 pounds of Celebrity, Stupice and Black From Tula. Some of them were a little cracked but they were in mostly great condition. Unfortunately, the cucumbers did not fare as well. Ever since the big rains of a couple of weeks ago they have shut down and the vines have begun to wither. I think the combination of high moisture and unseasonably warm temperatures turned on the nematodes. I will find out tomorrow when I pull them up.

Most of those crops that we planted back in August are ready for harvest. I am going to focus this week’s tips on the harvest and preservation of the some of the crops that are now in the vegetable garden. On another note, don’t forget that right now is a great time to plant trees and shrubs. It is also a great time to over seed your lawn with rye grass.

Dried tomatoes are packed with flavor. Slowly dry tomates in a 200 degree oven, spinkle with sea salt and drizzle with olive oil. Anzing flavor and they will keep in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Harvest fall tomatoes – It is supposed to drop into the 40 next Monday. Since tomatoes do not like temperatures below 50 pull any that are beginning to show color. I would not pull the green tomatoes yet. I leave my green tomatoes on the vine until the night before the first freeze. By doing this I have had years where I was still harvesting vine ripened tomatoes up to the week before Christmas.
Harvest squash- I think we are still a couple of weeks away from the first freeze. Be aware that all squash, both summer and winter types, are extremely cold sensitive. Do not let these crops stay on the vine when a freeze is expected. I use my fall “summer squash” squash to make what we call “Chow Chow”. I’ve heard it called other things but it is basically squash relish. When it gets a little cooler, nothing is better than Chow Chow with those black eyed peas that you still have in the freezer. Here is a simple and tasty Chow Chow recipe if you want to give it a try: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/yellow-summer-squash-relish.
I love making (and eating) homemade pickles. There are tons of great recipes out there on the internet.
Harvest cucmbers – Before my vines shut down we harvested enough cucumbers to make 10 pints of pickles. Pickles take a little work and a few supplies to make but they are easy to make and taste so much better than store bought. To me, potato salad, tuna salad and chicken salad aren’t worth eating if they are not made with home made pickles. Here is the recipe my wife follows (kind of) to make our pickles: http://www.food.com/recipe/claussen-kosher-pickle-copycat-249520
Harvest beets – When I tell people that I love beets they usually look at me funny. Because of this I am getting much enjoyment seeing TV chef use the humble beet in many of their very fancy dishes. While I have not tried them roasted yet I do love them pickled. Harvest beets when they are about the size of a ping pong ball for best for best flavor and texture. You can harvest them even smaller than that if you are going to roast them. Check out my post, Growing Beets, to learn a simple way to turn you beets into so amazing refrigerator pickles!
Read my article on growing beets and see how my family has made pickled beets for the past 97 years!

I share these posts on Our SimpleHomestead Blog Hop. Be sure to stop by. The “hop” has tons of great information from gardeners and homesteaders all over the world!

Week 44 Tips for the Zone 9 Garden

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Jay White

I am happy to report that I got 7.5” of rain last weekend. While I was grateful for the rain, it really did a number on my garden. Sad to say that I was watching my best fall tomato crop ever develop. Now, I am watching my best fall tomato crop ever split open from all of the rain. Ugh!!! Oh well, I can still eat the bottom halves!

All of this rain is making my fall tomatoes crack open. I harvest them anyway and eat the bottom half!

On another note, winter is coming. Even though it doesn’t feel like it right now, your first freeze is just around the corner. Since most of my planting, weeding and mulching are done for the season I will be using this rainy weekend to prepare for that inevitable first freeze. Here is what I do to prepare for winter in my Zone 9 garden.

Determine your freeze dates – Your first and last feeze dates are probably the single most important thing you need to know to garden successfully. If you think you know them I suggest checking again. Thanks to climate change, freeze dates are changing. Several years ago my first average freeze date was November 16. I knew this because it was my anniversary. I got in a small bit of trouble one year because my wife was very upset with me when I chose to finish up some cold frames instead of leaving on time for our romantic get away! There are tons of tools on the internet to determine your freeze dates. My favorite is on Dave’s Garden. Click here to determine the freeze dates for your area.
Oil and sharpen tools- I buy good tools and I take care of them. When you have time, like now, give them a little attention to extend their life and usefulness. Wash them with soap and water. Let them dry. Take a file to the edges of your hoes, shovels and larger blades. Once they are sharp, wipe down the blades and the wooden handles with linseed oil. Come spring, they will be clean, sharp and rust free.
Row cover – Row cover is the one thing I cannot get enough of. Just about anything can be used for row cover. However, I recommend using something that is permeable. I get my row cover from Texas Gardener (click here to purchase the cover I use). I really think it is a good Idea to get your row cover out now. I bunch mine up beside my rows and hold it down with T-Posts. That way, I am not scrambling around to find it and get it laid down in a blowing wind the night that first freeze comes.
Take cuttings of begonias and geraniums now to ensure you will still have them in the fall
Take cuttings – I have two heirloom begonias and an amazing heirloom geranium that are truly precious to me (and my wife). To make sure that I have these in the spring, I always hedge my bets by taking tons of cuttings. Begin by filling your pots with a high quality potting mix (I use Miracle grow) to within a half inch of the rim. My pots are small solo cups. I use a soldering iron to burn drainage holes in the bottom of them. Once full, water thoroughly and let them drain while you take your cuttings. Cut your plants on a 45 below a node. Remove all of the foliage except a couple of leaves and stick them in the potting mix. I keep these cuttings in my mud room under fluorescent lights and keep them moist all winter.

I share these posts on Our SimpleHomestead Blog Hop. Be sure to stop by. The “hop” has tons of great information from gardeners and homesteaders all over the world!

Week 43 Tips for the Zone 9 Garden

Posted on October 23, 2015 by Jay White

As I write this I am listening to the sounds of water dripping off my roof! I am also enjoying the lightning storm that is telling me more rain is on the way!. Thanks to a whole weekend of thunderstorms, I am hoping to do absolutely nothing in the garden! If you get rained in this weekend I recommend reading the latest issue of Texas Gardener. This issue is really good. Friend and co-blogger Patty Leander has an excellent article on growing microgreens. For those of us who need to grow something all year round, her excellent article tells you how to grow these flavorful (and pretty fancy) greens all winter long. If it is not raining on you this weekend there is plenty to do in your fall yard and garden.

Its been a while since I saw water dripping of the roof and the trees!

!!!!!!!CAUTION/AVISO!!!!!!

Sally walked out of our guest house this weekend and almost stepped on a young copperhead that was coming up the steps to meet her! Copperheads love hunting at dusk and they love pockets of high humidity. Right now they are breeding and trying to bulk up for winter. Since this is one of their most active times of the year you really need to wear sturdy boots and carry a stick when you are out in your yard and garden. Please be careful out there! Just FYI, if you get bitten by a copperhead you are probably going to be ok. If bitten, go to the hospital ASAP but know that, even though they are the most aggressive of the poisonous snakes in Texas, they are the least venomous.

Don’t fertilize your plants until they have developed their true leaves.

VEGETABLES

Plant root crops from seed – Last night I put out my second planting of beets. I also put out icicle radishes and three varieties of carrots (Danvers, Danvers Shorts and Cosmic Purple). You can still plant all root crops from seed plus chard, kale, collards and mustard greens.
Make Compost Tea- I do not recommend fertilizing any plant until it is past the cotyledon size. Once your brassicas, lettuces, spinach or root crops have their true leaves, feed them! When plants are small I really like foliar applications of compost tea. To make compost tea, add a cup of molasses to five gallons of rain water. Add an old sock that has been filled with compost and tied at the end. Place outside and stir twice a day for a week or ten days. Then pour directly on your plants or strain and apply with a sprayer.

The only thing cuter than my grandson is my grandson enjoying a playdate in a pumpkin patch!!!

ORNAMENTALS

Water your decorations! – Right now it is hard to find a yard a porch that does not have a big bunch of mums on it. Water the mums almost daily. To extend, or encourage their bloom, feed weekly with Miracle Grow mixed to 50% of the recommended rate.
Plant ryegrass now! – If you can beat the rain, this weekend will be a perfect time to over seed your lawn with rye.
Move plants – I need to move several little crepe myrtles that have popped up from seeds. Now is the best time to move them and all other perennials. For best results move perennials when they are small, take as many roots as possible, plant them slightly higher than they were in their original location and then water, water, water!

I share these posts on Our SimpleHomestead Blog Hop. Be sure to stop by. The “hop” has tons of great information from gardeners and homesteaders all over the world!

Gumbo Time! by Patty G. Leander

Posted on October 18, 2015 by Jay White

There is nothing better than a cup of hot gumbo on a cool fall evening!

There are always a few things I can count on this time of year: shorter days, cooler temperatures, fewer bugs and either the Longhorns or the Sooners reigning over the Cotton Bowl till next year (congrats UT!). Plus a big pot of flavorful gumbo thickened with the last of the okra from the garden.

Cooking the roux while the Cajun trinity waits their turn to be added to the pot

It is too dang hot to stand over a stove stirring a roux in the middle of summer when okra is at its peak, but in the fall, when the bell pepper plants are loaded and the green onions are big enough to harvest, I feel compelled to make gumbo just before okra gives up the ghost; a little for immediate consumption, a little for sharing and a little for the freezer to enjoy on cold winter nights in front of a cozy fire. A small disclaimer here – I am Texan and did not grow up making gumbo in a Louisiana kitchen. If you grew up in the Gumbo State I bet you make amazing gumbo and I salute you, but for the rest of the readers out there, including my two daughters, here is a pretty good version that I have been making, sharing and enjoying for over 25 years.

It really smells good now!

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Gumbo contains onions, bell pepper and celery – the Cajun trinity.

1 pound andouille or spicy smoked sausage, cut in half lengthwise then cut into ¼” slices

4-6 bone-in chicken breasts, skinned

½ cup oil

½ cup flour

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

2-3 stalks celery, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp Creole seasoning

2 bay leaves

1-2 tsp dried thyme

1 tbsp Worcestershire

1-2 tsp Tabasco

1½ quarts water or chicken stock, more if needed

1-2 cups okra, sliced

4-6 green onions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish

Cooked rice

Cook sausage in a large Dutch oven until nicely browned (I usually cook half the sausage in a separate pan for more even browning). Remove to a paper towel-lined dish to drain. Add chicken to pan and brown on both sides in sausage drippings; remove and set aside. Add enough oil to Dutch oven to measure ½ cup; when heated through stir in ½ cup flour. Now get comfortable, roll up your sleeves and cook the roux, stirring constantly, for 20-30 minutes, until medium to dark brown. You may notice that my gumbo is not as dark as what you might be served in New Orleans – I may be a Texan but I am a chicken when comes to cooking a truly deep, dark roux. A darker roux gives a rich, smoky flavor but if you cook it too long or too fast or look way even for a second it can go from perfection to scorched and you will have to start over so pay attention!

Once your roux is toasty brown it’s time to add the trinity, but the roux is so hot I like to move the pan off the heat for a couple of minutes (this also prevents the roux from burning) then stir in the onions, peppers and celery and return to the burner. Cook over medium heat for 5-8 minutes. Add garlic and seasonings, cooking and stirring another 3-5 minutes.

Gradually stir in 1½ quarts of water/chicken stock and bring to a boil. Return chicken breasts to pot, lower heat and simmer 30-45 minutes. Remove chicken and allow to cool. Return sausage to pot along with okra and green onions and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Meanwhile bone chicken breasts and shred. Return shredded chicken to pot and cook another 20-30 minutes until everything is hot and fragrant. Remove bay leaves and season, if desired, with salt and hot sauce. Serve with rice and fresh green onions.

And finally, Chicken and Sausage Gumbo…enjoy!

A couple of years ago I was fortunate to receive some bulbs for green multiplier onions from the publisher of Texas Gardener magazine. He received them from a reader in Houston, who explained that they migrated to Texas with Cajuns from south Louisiana who had been growing them for over 100 years. They grew them for use in their gumbo and refer to them simply as gumbo onions. I don’t know if this reader has a stockpile to share via this blog but if he does I will provide his name and address in a future post. These onions are dependable and tasty, but unfortunately I have given away most of my bulbs and am trying to build up my reserves. In the meantime try asking long-time gardeners in your area if they have any multipliers to share or order some white multiplier onions from Southern Exposure Seed Catalog (www.southernexposure.com).

I share these posts on Our SimpleHomestead Blog Hop. Be sure to stop by. The “hop” has tons of great information from gardeners and homesteaders all over the world!