Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Seed Giveaway from Botanical Interests

My cool weather greens from the roof farm

They're here!

Two beautiful boxes of seeds arrived today from Botanical Interests, and they are waiting to be claimed by you in a pre-spring giveaway for edible gardens. (My own fava beans are soaking, prior to planting, as we speak. My seed order happened to arrive today, too. See last year's fava leaves in the basket above, right in front.)

I have grown all these seeds myself with the exception of the intriguing Rat Tails and the sunflower microgreens, which will be new for me this year. I chose these thinking of container gardens, but there is no reason they will not work well in-ground, too, as long as they have good drainage and enough sun.

"Speckles" butterhead lettuce

Two readers will receive the following collection of seeds (a total of 10 packets, each):

Bordeaux spinach - with a pretty red mid rib and veins
Cherry Bell radishes
Chervil - a feathery, cool-weather herb with delicate anise flavour: think omelettes
Fava beans - for their tender tips, and also for the later beans, of course
Lettuce -  Red Sails, a red-frilled leaf lettuce, and Speckles, a butterhead (Boston lettuce) with red spots
Rat Tail Radishes - planted for the harvest of their peppery seed pods
Shelling peas (for their sweet shoots, but you may want the peas, too...)
Spicy Microgreens - my favourite mix of mustard, peppergrass cress, cabbage and radish
Sunflower microgreens - very juicy young seedlings

If you would like to enter to win the seeds, please leave a comment with:

- your name
- a one sentence description of a delicious thing you would make with one or more of your crops. It does not have to be complicated.

Cut off time will be noon ET, March 13th.

After Estorbo and I have drawn the two winners (in our most scientific and objective manner), I'll ask for mailing details so I can send them on as fast as possible.

And thanks very much to Ryan Schmitt and Botanical Interests for providing these seeds. Clearly, I am a fan.

46 comments:

  1. A BLT salad with *all* of the bells & whistles :) Jonquil

    ReplyDelete
  2. Any pasta dish using fava beans - my favorite last season was fusilli with fava beans and pecorino from Rustic Italian Food. Donna

    ReplyDelete
  3. Would love to enter your drawing and share in your garden bounty, but in my heart of hearts I know that this is not the year to increase my veggie garden. Well, I do plan to, but not that much.

    Mitchell always plants some tomatoes, okra and hot peppers and then promptly loses interest, so I inherit the care and gathering of "his" harvest. I do plan to put in some potatoes (seriously!) in part of the xeri-garden (which I will now have to water more often)and some mixed greens, but 10 new things? no way, Jose'!

    Can't wait to see how your garden will grow.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I would make some kind of vegetable sandwich with the best bread and the best butter I could get my hands on.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh my! I would love to win this bounty. I was just reading The Kimchi Cookbook yesterday and would love to try radish kimchi.

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a delightful giveaway! I would saute the pea greens in olive oil, salt them, and eat them outside while watching them grow back in.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Saute the radishes, peas and add some scallions in olive oil, sprinkle with salt. My favorite late spring/early summer treat. I've never tried some of the plants mentioned so some new dishes would be tried too.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Radish and radish pod salad, with a vinegary and peppery dressing.

    ReplyDelete
  9. A slightly warm salad of crunchy microgreens with freshly shelled peas that have been sauteed slightly in peppery butter and chopped sundried tomatoes.

    These ideas are great!

    PS: Do all beans/pea seeds have to be soaked?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Lettuce salads made with differently colored leaves are my favorite. Thanks and count me in.

    ReplyDelete
  11. A big mixed salad with a homemade vinaigrette with shallots from my garden. Yum.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Starving already from reading these comments. Pasta with the fava beans, salads and sandwiches with the greens and something especially special with the spinach. I'm not good at planning menuse.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi,

    Jake from Calgary (snow here, heading to Victoria for the weekend for a dose of green and flowers). With the harvest I will make the best weekend lunch ever - a chevril omelette, radishes with butter and maldon salt, a garden salad /dijon vinaigrette, fancy goat cheese, a fresh homemade sourdough miche, and an Aviation cocktail or 3. Something Saskatoon Berry (or Rhubarb) for dessert.

    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi, Ember from Minnesota here! I would love to use the spinach for stuffed shells.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Marie what a wonderful idea and I am keeping my fingers crossed!! Each of your posts inspires me daily with new things I must try - and if I were to receive the seeds, I am an open book and would love to explore some of the many ways that you have used greens in your blog. Skol!

    Cyndie from Forney

    ReplyDelete
  16. omelet wtih chervil.. Katherine

    ReplyDelete
  17. a mixed greens salad with sauteed shitake mushrooms added at the last minute.

    ReplyDelete
  18. What a fun giveaway! I love nothing more than a mixed green salad with a homemade vinaigrette ...with a poached egg from one of my chickens. Mmmmmm.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I just ordered a juicer so I can get more greens and other good stuff into me. Not sure how high it rates on the delicious scale, but it's going to be really healthy. So, I need to grow lots of greens, and other good stuff.
    Nancy R

    ReplyDelete
  20. I think these answers are turning me vegetarian.

    Wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  21. What a wonderful giveaway but I can't think of anything clever. I'd just prepare with a beautiful vinaigrette made with garlic, lemon juice, herbs, oil, pink sea salt, cracked pepper. Served with a wedge of good cheese, tear of bread, and a bottle of wine. Yummy!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Wow, this is a great idea! I would start with a quick quiche and a side salad with my grandmother's dressing recipe, before branching out into my first foray using chervil.. maybe in a broth for crab tortellini? Thanks! - Katherine S.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I would love to roll some home-made sushi with the addition of fava and pea shoots, and add a melange of microgreens. Probably with smoked salmon, and avocado. Maybe even find a way to sneak in a rat-tail pod. (They sound like a furtive ingredient to me... until found out, of course.)

    ReplyDelete
  24. I would love to make some fresh spring rolls with the raddish, spinich and peas and microgreens! Thank your for the giveaway~ I am excited for Spring!
    Amy
    amylynnbee22 at gmail

    ReplyDelete
  25. Love the giveaway!

    I would make a simple salad of spinach, feta, and cranberries.

    shankyouverymuch11 at yahoo

    ReplyDelete
  26. Well, since the Plant Police down here would go nuts, I'm not in the draw, but I can think of several things to do. The best is probably scoot up to Jake's place for his menu!

    I don't know these radishes, but I used to grow Daikon (long, white radish)and mix it with grated or julienned carrot.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I would pickle the rat tail radishes! And of course eat lots of salad, Ann M.

    ReplyDelete
  28. We'd love these seeds because our 11 year old son now likes salad and he loves eating things we grow at home.
    Cecile and Steve

    ReplyDelete
  29. hi marie,
    i love your blog, and thanks for the giveaway!

    i would saute spinach with olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes (my fave way to each spinach!) and cook the fava beans up with some lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh herbs. yum!

    --jen

    ReplyDelete
  30. Veggie pasta. Mmmmm beatrizbry2 at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
  31. I would make a giant salad with a simple vinaigrette and proceed to eat it on the balcony where it was grown!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Grilled Salmon salad with all the bounty! Thanks for the giveaway!
    jessebfit at gmail

    ReplyDelete
  33. I would make a fava bean dip! Hope I am lucky!! lynnbulk83{at}yahoo{dot} com

    ReplyDelete
  34. Lovely give away ! Hope we win here at 29 Black Street. The cats & plan to do some extreme gardening this year. I would make abundant simple salads with baby spinach leaves, radish slices, fava beans, pea shoots .... tossed with my favourite apple cider vinegar, smidge of brown sugar, good olive oil, a good dab of dijon, salt & pepper.

    fingers, toes & paws all crossed here & please kiss Storbie 4 times (at least) from all of us. xoxo Susan , Bleet, Virgil & Oliver

    ReplyDelete
  35. Jacqueline Manni

    A beautiful, giant salad with home made dressing, then the favas on the side with nice, crusty bread. My stomach just rumbled!

    Thank you and Botanical Interests for offering this give away!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Here in Vancouver, British Columbia I would use the horse tail radishes with yellow pepper in strips and a little honey mustard dressing.

    ReplyDelete
  37. I love pickling my radishes, rat tail and red globe. Or maybe just a salad with some nice cheese.

    ReplyDelete
  38. I most certainly think they call out for a lovely salad - a simple one to make the most of all the lovely colors and flavors. I'd properly sprinkle with some roasted seeds or nuts and add a mild dressing. Any addition I think I'd keep green i.e. cucumber.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Hi my name is Diana. I am a 7th grade science in Hudson, NY. I started a school garden 3 years ago. Our school uses our greens in the school cafeteria - and the kids eat them right out of the garden! We'd love to have these seeds! Check out our blog... http://henryhudsondiscoverygarden.blogspot.com/
    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  40. Some of the greens would definitely be eaten just after being picked, while standing over their pot, watching the comings and goings on my block through the window. Right now all I have for that "recipe" is arugula.

    Liz

    ReplyDelete
  41. All those peppery greens would go great with strawberries from the balcony (one plant has survived from last year) and homemade poppyseed vinaigrette. And for adding to smoothies.

    Stormy

    ReplyDelete
  42. I would make a salad with a lemon vinaigrette and top it with a freshly caught bbq salmon, from our cold waters in the Salish Sea.
    Claire in Victoria

    ReplyDelete
  43. Pickled radishes are an absolute favorite of mine, but pickled heirloom rat tail radish pods?? Oh. My. Goodness. I must try them!

    ReplyDelete
  44. I'd like to make a cream cheese sandwich liberally sprinkled with any or all the produce grown from these seeds.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kate - to leave your name use the Name/Url option below the comment form, and just leave the url space blank :-)

      Delete
  45. I would use the greens in a hummus sandwich with multigrain bread and the radishes would be delicious just lightly steamed with salt and pepper.

    Jo
    bvbabybv at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete

Comments on posts older than 48 hours are moderated (for spam control) . Yours will be seen! Unless you are a troll. Serial trollers are banned.