Bohemian Bounty

Back at Urban Roots

We were thrilled to be invited back to Urban Roots to present another canning workshop this week. The 2010 group was bigger than last year, with 25 eager students learning the basics of canning.

Of course, it’s all a bunch of boring theory until we break out the Bohemian Bounty made samples – plum jelly, pickled okra, dilly beans, grape jelly, and cinnamon peach conserve with almonds. Then the eyes light up, the smiles break out and everyone realizes what they grow is only the beginning of what they can make with it.

With their enthusiastic help, we put up about 36 pints of okra and 36 half pints of mixed pepper jam. Every student took home a jar of each and the extras will fill the CSA baskets.

Look for a Bohemian Bounty canning class soon!

Canning with Urban Roots in Edible Austin

Last summer Bohemian Bounty was happy to spend a morning with the great folks at Urban Roots. We led them in a canning workshop making pickled okra and a mixed pepper jam. Edible Austin has just published a great account of the workshop in their summer issue.

We’re happy to report we’re already planning on going back next month!

You can see a slideshow of our 2009 canning day below.

Wein & Saengerfest

Bohemian Bounty will be at the 7th Annual Wein & Saengerfest all day in historic downtown New Braunfels on Saturday, May 1, 2010. Along with wine and beer tasting, our event offers a host of entertainment and activities that include continuous live music, a grape stomp, art market, food seminars, Chef’s Showdown, activities for the kids, and a farmers market – culminating with a street dance at Main Plaza!

Look for our gardening display in the Farmer’s Market area.

http://www.weinandsaengerfest.com/

April Garden Rehab

This April Bohemian Bounty was happy to work with an experienced gardener in Northwest Austin who had outgrown her current garden space. The garden was 20 feet by 10 feet and held in place by rotting railroad ties. Whenever we see railroad ties we strongly recommend removing them. Creosote, used to preserve the logs, is not approved for use in the landscape. It has a number of cancer causing chemical compounds and not what you want in contact with your veggies.

Bohemian Bounty designed a 2 bed garden, each 4 feet by 20 feet with a comfortable path between and around the beds. The narrow beds meant the gardener no longer had to walk in her bed while working the garden. To reduce materials, labor and cost, the gardens were built in-ground, but raised bed, with the beds being 6 or 7 inches higher than the pathways and border. The raised bed edges are supported by the walkway’s cedar and the beds have 12 inches or more of fluffy, rich soil for plant roots and improved drainage. Cottonseed meal, slow release fertilizer and compost were added to the soil to make up the previous gardening nutrient take and to loosen up the clay soil.