Oh, Snow!

April 23, 2014 by Caroline Potter

The torrential rains that arrived on the evening of April 15th (Happy Tax Day!) were followed by a wintry mix that left us with an unfortunate dusting of snow the next morning. I am worried as I just sowed all those seeds and I’m not sure if the closer-to-the-surface seeds, such as lettuce, are hardy enough to survive the snow that now sits atop them.

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I am also very worried about our grape vines. Turns out my efforts to bury the graft were not successful in the face of all that rain. So, that joint, if you will, has been exposed to sleet and snow. It will all melt very quickly as the sun hits it all day, but it’s a less than ideal surprise, and I will worry sick over them until something happens. Or not.

Up and At ‘Em

April 18, 2014 by Caroline Potter

It took but a week for most of the seeds to germinate and sprout. The lights are now all on, and the heat mats are off.

The eggplant and peppers remain like sleepy toddlers, fussing about, but there is movement. We’ve had a few fails, including one Peach Habanero, all three Aji Nortenos (which did the same thing last year, but I tried them again in memory of our dearest beloved first dog), and the Rossa di Milano onions. Having said that, I will continue to water them and love them. Plants, like people, can surprise you, so you’re better off not throwing in the towel until … well, until, I don’t know. I’m an optimist, so I’m probably not the best person to tell you when to give up on a plant or a person.

While the seedlings are growing — and they are! We are raising the lights constantly! — there is much happening elsewhere. The weather has been alternately cool and warm, windy and rainy, sunny and lovely, but we’re making the most of every moment we can. The grapevines arrived, but because Curt has been away, we’ll wait to set them in the ground until we have a full weekend day to set the site and for, let’s be honest here, Curt to dig the damned holes. Fortunately, the grapevines are packed to keep for up to two weeks, and we have a cool basement in which to store them. I don’t have the highest hopes for ever making wine from them, but we did purchase Cabernet Franc grapes as that seems to be what grows best in New York.

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Caroline Potter is a dining trend-spotter who dines out more than she eats in and has accrued more than 10,000 Dining Rewards points. Caroline started working in restaurants as a teen and she’s since tackled every front-of-the-house job, from bartender and hostess to runner and server. She trained as a chef at Manhattan’s prestigious French Culinary Institute, cooking at L’Ecole. She has written about food from farm to table for New York City’s famed Greenmarket and Edible Brooklyn and Edible East End magazines.

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