Pinto Beans Recipe - a simple classic!EASY PINTO BEANS RECIPE: Enjoy homemade pinto beans with this classic and simple recipe: Soak beans overnight. Rinse. Add beans to pot. Add water. Add salt, add a whole onion (or dice it up) and a head of garlic. Bring to boil, then bring down to simmer. When they get soft, taste and add more salt if desired. This usually takes about 2-3 hours. Optional additions and variations: Chile de Arbol, destemmed Sprigs of Savory, Thyme and/or Oregano Cumin powder Chipotle peppers (gives it a smo...
What Seeds to Plant in June - Companion Plants!Wondering what seeds you should plant in June? June is a great time to plant companion plants with your peppers, tomatoes and other veggies. There is a great range of seeds to choose from that you can plant in June including cilantro, squash, cucumbers, nasturtium, lettuce, basil, and many more. Read about them below... Cilantro - great for salsas, and the flowers attract lots of beneficial insects and produce more seeds (also known as Coriander) Cherry Belle Radish are super fast gro...
Seeds to Plant in May - Direct SowingA summer squash above was direct seeded in mounds in May at a community garden in Denver. Squash is best direct sown as it doesn't like to have it's roots disturbed, so we generally plant it directly in the garden in May and June. Is May too late to direct sow seeds? Answer: Nope! May is a great time to direct sow many seeds in most growing regions in most of the Northern Hemisphere! May marks the transition from spring to summer in many regions, and the days are super long in M...
Vegetable Container GardeningVegetable Container Gardening:The best seeds to grow Even if you don't have a lot of space, vegetable container gardening is possible so you can have your own homegrown veggies and herbs. Starting Seeds for Vegetable Container Gardens: You can start many seeds in a sunny window, or get some inexpensive led or flourescent grow lights and start seeds under the lights to get them growing strong for transplanting into their final containers or pots come spring. The cost of starting your cont...
Edible Ornamental PeppersEdible Ornamental Peppers These NuMex Easter peppers are absolutely gorgeous in pastel! We'll be making room for these in the garden every year from here on out. They look stunning in containers! Did you know that ornamental peppers are edible? Yes, ornamental peppers like these Easter Peppers are edible! They make great hot pepper flakes when dried after fully mature, or thrown anytime into salsa to kick up the heat. You can also use them to make fermented hot sauce recipes. Many of ...
Grow a Victory GardenGrow Lots of Food This Year!If you haven't started your vegetable garden yet, now is a great time! Here are our top tips on How to Start a Garden: 1. Grow a Variety of Seeds! Growing different types of vegetables is a great way to harvest over a longer season! While peppers and tomatoes are great for summer growing for fresh eating, pickling, and lots of recipes to use year-round, you can also grow other veggies throughout the seasons. Lettuce, onions, cabbages, radishes, kale, cila...
Garden QuotesHere's a collection of some of our favorite Garden Quotes to brighten your day: Love people. Grow them tasty food.Gardening adds years to your life, and life to your years. Life Hack:Allow yourself 8-12 hours of time in your garden every morning to prepare for the day. Garden Harvest Quote: Happy "Let's fit the entire Garden into Jars" season! “Anyone who thinks that gardening season begins in the spring & ends in the fall is missing the best part of the year. ...
Growing Peppers from Seed: Our Top 12 TipsGrowing Peppers from SeedOur Top 12 Tips 1. Use Fresh Pepper Seeds When perfectly stored, pepper seeds can be viable for up to 25 years, but generally 2-5 years is more realistic for good germination rates. Keep in mind that the older the seeds get, the less likely they will sprout. Store seeds in a cool, dark, dry environment. Remember, seeds are meant to be grown, so plant them! Of course we still plant old seeds (a few years old) all the time, because they can still germinate. Just be...
Vegan Jalapeno Poppers RecipeYou can make your own hummus or use store-bought hummus for this delicious vegan / vegetarian version of Jalapeño Poppers. Vegan Jalapeno Poppers Recipe Ingredients: Make your own Hummus:• 1 can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained • 3-5 garlic cloves • ½ tsp black pepper • ½ tsp red pepper • ¼ cup water • Juice of 1 lemon, plus grate a little of the lemon rind • 2 Tablespoons of Olive oil, Sesame Oil or use Tahini if you have it • 8-10 Jalapenos, sliced in half, seeds r...
What to Plant with Tomatoes to Keep Bugs AwayWhat to Plant with Tomatoes to Keep Bugs Away: Marigolds:Did you know that the strong scent of marigolds can repel a variety of pests such tomato hornworms, aphids, whiteflies and thrips? It's true! There has also been research that indicated that planting marigolds between tomatoes protects the tomato plants from harmful root-knot nematodes in the soil. We have certainly noticed that our tomato plants do better when we have planted some marigolds nearby, so we now grow them every year i...
Morita Salsa RecipeDid you know that a Morita chile is really a smoked ripe jalapeño? Morita chiles are similar to Chipotle peppers in this respect, the difference being that Moritas are mildly smoked for less time than Chipotle peppers, so they are softer and they maintain their subtle fruity characteristics while developing a rich chocolatey aroma. Dried and crushed Morita chiles are ideal for use in soups, stews, beans, and chilis. Morita chiles can be used instead of Chipotle peppers in recipes. Moritas a...
How to Start a Seed LibrarySharing seeds is one of the best ways for communities to share the love of gardening and growing food! Here are our top tips for starting a seed library in your community: Step 1: Find a community space for the Seed Library A well-visited community space is your best bet! Choose a venue that is free and open to the general public such as a local public library or community center.Some people are starting to create outdoor "Little Free Seed Libraries" alongside the book versions ...
Easy Christmas Green Chile RecipesThese are the best Christmas Green Chile Recipes and other spicy dishes to make your holidays even tastier: Hatch Green Chile Gravy Recipe »Go Christmas-style at Christmas with green chile gravy and red chile recipes below – pour half green, half red on your mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, and other dishes for a festive and super tasty Christmas-Style delight. Red Chile Sauce Recipe »Fresh Red Chile Sauce Recipe » A classic, Mexican Red Chile Sauces make every recipe special...
Seeds to plant in JanuaryCan you plant seeds in January? Yes, because for us gardeners, it's hard to resist waiting! And there is no reason to wait. That said, in most growing regions, starting seeds outside in January isn't realistic (at least without cover, read more about that lower below.) In growing regions with cold winters, the ground is usually frozen or covered in snow, and ongoing frosts are imminent. But there are some cool weather veggies that can be started outdoors under cover, and you can start...
Green Chile Casserole RecipeThis is a simple recipe that's easy to make for brunch, lunch or dinner! In a cast iron pan, sauté around 1 cup of chopped onions and 3-4 cloves of garlic, then add 1 can or cup of drained pinto beans and 1-1.5 cups of diced green chile, dash of cumin and salt and pepper and stir mixture, let cook down for 10-15 minutes. Preheat oven to 375˚ F. After 10-15 minutes, remove pan from heat. Whip 3-4 eggs and pour over the top of the mixture, then sprinkle with shredded cheese, diced onion, sl...
What Veggies to Plant in MayWondering what seeds you can plant in May for your food garden? May is a great time to direct sow vegetable seeds for summer. While you may have already started seeds for tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants indoors 4-8 weeks ago, you likely still have them growing indoors until it has warmed up to 50-60˚F at night consistently. If you haven't started those seeds yet, you could try some of our short season pepper seeds or short season tomato seeds in May as they grow quickly. And of course...
I had looked high & low, and searched the web with many word combinations ‘looking’ specifically for my favorite chili, the Dynamite xx Hot… so I could grow my own. The peppers were sold in Colorado at select places during roasting season, but you couldn’t buy seeds for them… anywhere!
Finally, as luck and persistence would have it, I discovered Sandia Seed Company.
Thank you Sandia! I planted them and had a great crop this year. I plan on growing them every year as well as trying some of their other seeds,
There's just something fun about growing a jalapeno that is light enough in color that some people think it's a banana pepper. LOL! I picked these just for color variety, and I'm very pleased that my plants have been loaded with them all season! We donated about 50 lbs of mixed peppers this year from our garden and I still had enough to freeze some and can more jars of recipes than we'll probably be able to use before next season. All my peppers were from Sandia Seed Company. I've never had such great pepper production before using these seeds!!
This spinach germinated well, and produced way more spinach than I'd initially expected. It grew really well, was slow to bolt in the summer, and has a really nice mild flavor for salads or steamed.
This was my first time growing these and I will definitely be growing them from now on. Great germination and very sturdy plants that have withstood some really high winds. Huge long peppers that are excellent green or red, very easy to peel skin.
Growing these in Florida, (Recent transplant of NM).
Lovely peppers. Took a couple weeks is all and wow! I have several budding; 2 large enough to nickname. They're still in their infancy, but I can tell they are going to be great! Love the seeds!
I got these to make Chipotle chilis. These fruit early and are mild-ish when green, but when they ripen, they are perfect for smoking and drying with great flavor and nice heat. Don't plant too many as they are quite prolific.
Seeds grew quickly and in May I transplanted them into my garden. Kept three plants to a container and the did great in the garden without falling over. Great harvest.
I had 6 plants that produced all of the tomatillos that I could use. I gave my neighbors enough for a batch of green salsa too. Easy to germinate and great producers. We live in a short growing season in the mountains of Idaho and they did great!
Pinto Beans Recipe - a simple classic!
EASY PINTO BEANS RECIPE: Enjoy homemade pinto beans with this classic and simple recipe: Soak beans overnight. Rinse. Add beans to pot. Add water. Add salt, add a whole onion (or dice it up) and a head of garlic. Bring to boil, then bring down to simmer. When they get soft, taste and add more salt if desired. This usually takes about 2-3 hours. Optional additions and variations: Chile de Arbol, destemmed Sprigs of Savory, Thyme and/or Oregano Cumin powder Chipotle peppers (gives it a smo...
What Seeds to Plant in June - Companion Plants!
Wondering what seeds you should plant in June? June is a great time to plant companion plants with your peppers, tomatoes and other veggies. There is a great range of seeds to choose from that you can plant in June including cilantro, squash, cucumbers, nasturtium, lettuce, basil, and many more. Read about them below... Cilantro - great for salsas, and the flowers attract lots of beneficial insects and produce more seeds (also known as Coriander) Cherry Belle Radish are super fast gro...
Seeds to Plant in May - Direct Sowing
A summer squash above was direct seeded in mounds in May at a community garden in Denver. Squash is best direct sown as it doesn't like to have it's roots disturbed, so we generally plant it directly in the garden in May and June. Is May too late to direct sow seeds? Answer: Nope! May is a great time to direct sow many seeds in most growing regions in most of the Northern Hemisphere! May marks the transition from spring to summer in many regions, and the days are super long in M...
Vegetable Container Gardening
Vegetable Container Gardening:The best seeds to grow Even if you don't have a lot of space, vegetable container gardening is possible so you can have your own homegrown veggies and herbs. Starting Seeds for Vegetable Container Gardens: You can start many seeds in a sunny window, or get some inexpensive led or flourescent grow lights and start seeds under the lights to get them growing strong for transplanting into their final containers or pots come spring. The cost of starting your cont...
Edible Ornamental Peppers
Edible Ornamental Peppers These NuMex Easter peppers are absolutely gorgeous in pastel! We'll be making room for these in the garden every year from here on out. They look stunning in containers! Did you know that ornamental peppers are edible? Yes, ornamental peppers like these Easter Peppers are edible! They make great hot pepper flakes when dried after fully mature, or thrown anytime into salsa to kick up the heat. You can also use them to make fermented hot sauce recipes. Many of ...
Grow a Victory Garden
Grow Lots of Food This Year!If you haven't started your vegetable garden yet, now is a great time! Here are our top tips on How to Start a Garden: 1. Grow a Variety of Seeds! Growing different types of vegetables is a great way to harvest over a longer season! While peppers and tomatoes are great for summer growing for fresh eating, pickling, and lots of recipes to use year-round, you can also grow other veggies throughout the seasons. Lettuce, onions, cabbages, radishes, kale, cila...
Garden Quotes
Here's a collection of some of our favorite Garden Quotes to brighten your day: Love people. Grow them tasty food.Gardening adds years to your life, and life to your years. Life Hack:Allow yourself 8-12 hours of time in your garden every morning to prepare for the day. Garden Harvest Quote: Happy "Let's fit the entire Garden into Jars" season! “Anyone who thinks that gardening season begins in the spring & ends in the fall is missing the best part of the year. ...
Growing Peppers from Seed: Our Top 12 Tips
Growing Peppers from SeedOur Top 12 Tips 1. Use Fresh Pepper Seeds When perfectly stored, pepper seeds can be viable for up to 25 years, but generally 2-5 years is more realistic for good germination rates. Keep in mind that the older the seeds get, the less likely they will sprout. Store seeds in a cool, dark, dry environment. Remember, seeds are meant to be grown, so plant them! Of course we still plant old seeds (a few years old) all the time, because they can still germinate. Just be...
Vegan Jalapeno Poppers Recipe
You can make your own hummus or use store-bought hummus for this delicious vegan / vegetarian version of Jalapeño Poppers. Vegan Jalapeno Poppers Recipe Ingredients: Make your own Hummus:• 1 can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained • 3-5 garlic cloves • ½ tsp black pepper • ½ tsp red pepper • ¼ cup water • Juice of 1 lemon, plus grate a little of the lemon rind • 2 Tablespoons of Olive oil, Sesame Oil or use Tahini if you have it • 8-10 Jalapenos, sliced in half, seeds r...
What to Plant with Tomatoes to Keep Bugs Away
What to Plant with Tomatoes to Keep Bugs Away: Marigolds:Did you know that the strong scent of marigolds can repel a variety of pests such tomato hornworms, aphids, whiteflies and thrips? It's true! There has also been research that indicated that planting marigolds between tomatoes protects the tomato plants from harmful root-knot nematodes in the soil. We have certainly noticed that our tomato plants do better when we have planted some marigolds nearby, so we now grow them every year i...
Morita Salsa Recipe
Did you know that a Morita chile is really a smoked ripe jalapeño? Morita chiles are similar to Chipotle peppers in this respect, the difference being that Moritas are mildly smoked for less time than Chipotle peppers, so they are softer and they maintain their subtle fruity characteristics while developing a rich chocolatey aroma. Dried and crushed Morita chiles are ideal for use in soups, stews, beans, and chilis. Morita chiles can be used instead of Chipotle peppers in recipes. Moritas a...
How to Start a Seed Library
Sharing seeds is one of the best ways for communities to share the love of gardening and growing food! Here are our top tips for starting a seed library in your community: Step 1: Find a community space for the Seed Library A well-visited community space is your best bet! Choose a venue that is free and open to the general public such as a local public library or community center.Some people are starting to create outdoor "Little Free Seed Libraries" alongside the book versions ...
Easy Christmas Green Chile Recipes
These are the best Christmas Green Chile Recipes and other spicy dishes to make your holidays even tastier: Hatch Green Chile Gravy Recipe »Go Christmas-style at Christmas with green chile gravy and red chile recipes below – pour half green, half red on your mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, and other dishes for a festive and super tasty Christmas-Style delight. Red Chile Sauce Recipe »Fresh Red Chile Sauce Recipe » A classic, Mexican Red Chile Sauces make every recipe special...
Seeds to plant in January
Can you plant seeds in January? Yes, because for us gardeners, it's hard to resist waiting! And there is no reason to wait. That said, in most growing regions, starting seeds outside in January isn't realistic (at least without cover, read more about that lower below.) In growing regions with cold winters, the ground is usually frozen or covered in snow, and ongoing frosts are imminent. But there are some cool weather veggies that can be started outdoors under cover, and you can start...
Green Chile Casserole Recipe
This is a simple recipe that's easy to make for brunch, lunch or dinner! In a cast iron pan, sauté around 1 cup of chopped onions and 3-4 cloves of garlic, then add 1 can or cup of drained pinto beans and 1-1.5 cups of diced green chile, dash of cumin and salt and pepper and stir mixture, let cook down for 10-15 minutes. Preheat oven to 375˚ F. After 10-15 minutes, remove pan from heat. Whip 3-4 eggs and pour over the top of the mixture, then sprinkle with shredded cheese, diced onion, sl...
What Veggies to Plant in May
Wondering what seeds you can plant in May for your food garden? May is a great time to direct sow vegetable seeds for summer. While you may have already started seeds for tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants indoors 4-8 weeks ago, you likely still have them growing indoors until it has warmed up to 50-60˚F at night consistently. If you haven't started those seeds yet, you could try some of our short season pepper seeds or short season tomato seeds in May as they grow quickly. And of course...
