How do you eat a raw artichoke?! Guess you could sell those though, they're worth some dollars.

ive juiced some artichokes, they were ok but no i havent eaten a raw one, i did love them steamed tho ;D i guess my brain is programed to like them like that

here is a recipe for raw artichoke salad [www.cookstr.com]
The idea of a raw artichoke may not appeal to most people, who think of only cooked globe artichokes or perhaps marinated artichoke hearts, but when the vegetables are fresh and in season in the early spring, they are magnificent sliced very thin and dressed with olive oil and good balsamic. You are slicing only the choke—the leaves go into a soup or the compost. This is a classic Mediterranean salad; to thoroughly enjoy it, make sure the choke is well trimmed with all leaves and fuzzy bits removed. Buy heavy specimens with tightly closed leaves and moist stems.


Yield: serves 4
Ingredients
•½ cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
•3 whole artichokes
•3 cipolline onions, peeled but left whole
•2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
•7 fresh basil leaves
•10 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
•Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1 Fill a large bowl with cold water and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to make acidulated water.

2 Peel the artichokes by holding each one upside down, pulling the leaves toward you, and snapping the leaves at their natural breaking point, which is about two-thirds down toward the stem. When the light green interior leaves are exposed, use a paring knife to trim along the top of the artichoke. Work around the circumference of the heart and remove the remaining leaves. The choke will remain; if the outer edges of the heart are rough, trim them. Peel the stem and cut the artichoke in half from stem to heart. Remove the choke (heart) and make sure all leaves and fuzzy bits are removed.

3 Submerge the chokes in the water. They will keep without turning brown for up to 3 hours.

4 In a pot filled with lightly salted boiling water, cook the onions for about 4 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside to cool. When they are cool, cut them in half and let the layers separate naturally. Sprinkle the onions with the vinegar and let them marinate for about 5 minutes.

5 Using a mandoline, shave the chokes. Alternatively, use a sharp knife to slice them very thin.

6 Put the chokes in a mixing bowl and add the onions and basil.

7 Dress the salad with ½ cup of lemon juice and the olive oil. Toss and season to taste with salt and pepper.

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

Yeah, if their property is further inland then I will definitely be planting some figs!!! especially a few varieties I know would do really well in this area, persimmons dont do well here though, our summer isnt long enough, and its to wet here, the only people ive known that tried to grow them, had them die, citrus is out for same reason, to much work to keep them alive if the property they get is more inland, then it will snow in the winter, closer to the coast it almost never snows... Bananas which would do well are the Blue Java ice cream banana, And Orinoco... both great bananas, that produce allot, and can handle our weather quite well if given some support... ^_^ doesnt stay warm enough here to grow most varieties of apricot, some plums can do well here...and some cherries can do well here, we are technically inside of zone 9, but we are a weird micro climate,multiple micro climates here actually... some things grow here that shouldnt, and some things that should really cant without ALLOT of extra work and attention...

Most bush fruits WILL grow here,mmmm...blueberries... but melons wont unless you start them inside at least a month, usually 2 be4 last frost... otherwise they dont ripen in time... bell peppers can grow here too, but if I want anything other than green, they also need to be planted inside 1-2 months ahead of time...

I dunno if they would let me erect a teepee or a yurt, but im sure if they are willing to let me plant on their property, they will probably be open to the idea...*crosses fingers* this would be a life altering thing for me, I really hope this works out, as something like this is really a dream of mine...spend the rest of your life basically camping, growing and making wonderful things for yourself and others to enjoy... doesn't get much better in my book!!! only way it could be better, is if it was MY property,LOL... but we shall see

Thats what I used to do, id pick up kelp, but id soak it allot first, then mulch it with various other organic materials, cow manure from the field next to me, various normal compost stuff...would all mix together, mulch in the hot summer sun, and then that years batch would go into the beds each spring... I miss my gardens...... Oh and if this does all work out, especially if they let me live on the property part time or full time, I would love to have guests

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Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

I have been trying to get by gardening without watering, or using artificial fertilizers. I also start everything by seeds. Does anyone know if ground up weeds make good fertilizer? I got some free compost from the city, but I need more, and the pile I am working on is not ready for several months.
Thank you!

Horsea
I have seen one snake in the yard. I wasn't startled at all. I hope they don't do that do you anymore! This was just a little garden snake, maybe 8 inches long. Almost more of a worm. I actually felt bad disturbing it.

I also leave my slugs alone. I don't kill them. My host family thinks I am crazy!

I'm sure weeds properly composed would make great fertilizer but you have to watch out for seeds unless what you want to grow in your garden is... more weeds!

I think this was posted already but this lasagne gardening is the coolest looking thing ever! Makes for a pretty simple plot. Won't work for me because of the bunnies but if I would get a box frame built I could fill it with this.
[ourgardengang.tripod.com]

^ that lasagne link looks wicked, coco! Wish I had a bigger garden!