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 can you plant in July?What seeds can you plant in July? In July, it's not too late to fill your garden with more vegetables! Cherry Belle Radish are super fast growing, ready for harvest in about 22-30 days from sowing, so they are great seeds to plant in July. You can keep sowing these every two weeks throughout July, August and September! Sowing seeds all spring/summer/fall helps produce a continual harvest. We direct sow them in the garden and they germinate in just a few days. These are fun for kids ...
Spicy Vegetarian Chili RecipeSPICY VEGETARIAN CHILI RECIPE INGREDIENTS: 6-8 Cups of fresh diced tomatoes (or 1 large (28oz) can of diced tomatoes) 2-4+ diced hot peppers such as Serranos 4 chopped sweet red peppers or bell peppers 2 onions, chopped 6 cloves of garlic, minced 2 cans (15 oz) of kidney beans, drained 2 cans (15 oz) of black beans, drained (or use other beans like pinto beans) 1-2 cups of water (or broth of choice) 1 Cup of Corn, optional 2 tablespoons of chile powder 1 teaspoons of ground cumin Salt &...
Companion Plants for Chile PeppersThe reason companion planting is so beneficial is not fully understood, but has been noted by farmers and gardeners for many generations. There are some basic concepts that do make good sense. The physical structure of companion plants with tall strong stems may protect your chile plants from wind damage. The root growth of companion plants with deeper root systems can improve the overall health of the compacted soil by opening up channels for better drainage and air exchange. Herbs produce c...
Pepper Plant CompanionsWondering what to plant with your chile peppers to help them thrive? Flowers, chives, carrots, radishes, squash, basil, parsley, dill, marjoram, Oregano, Rosemary, cucumbers, eggplant, and onions all do well when grown in close proximity to peppers. But don't plant them too close that they will shade your pepper plants: Squash and cucumbers, for example, need ample space so we plant them at least 3-4' away from our pepper patch. You can also use trellises for your cucumbers to grow th...
Green Chile Shepherd's Pie RecipeGreen Chile Shepherd's Pie Recipe If you love green chile, then you have to try out this amazing Green Chile Shepherd's Pie Recipe – it is a New Mexican twist on the the classic Irish dish. INGREDIENTS 4 large potatoes, diced 1 stick of butter (or 1/2 cup of olive oil) 1 onion, chopped 2 cups mixed vegetables (diced carrots, peas, corn) 1 cup of roasted Green Chile (peeled, de-seeded, and chopped) 1 1/2 lbs ground round beef, chicken or pork (or omit the meat for a vegan version...
Vegan Stuffed PeppersVegan Stuffed Peppers Here is a Vegan Stuffed Peppers Recipe below, including lots of delicious variations and ideas for making the best vegan stuffed peppers. These are some great vegan stuffed pepper recipe ideas if you are vegetarian or vegan, or if you have dairy allergies. You can stuff any pepper, although some of our favorite pepper stuffers are Jalapeños, the Mini Orange Bell Pepper, Red Cherry Hot peppers, Pimento Peppers, the large Beaver Dam Pepper. Of course, all of our hatch chi...
Tomato spotted wilt virus - mottled tomatoesThe above photo of some wild looking mottled tomatoes is damage most likely caused by the Tomato spotted wilt virus. Plants infected with Tomato spotted wilt virus exhibit bronzing of the upper sides of young leaves, which later develop distinct, necrotic mottled spots. It looks wild, but it usually results in a less tasty tomato though it is still safe to eat if it doesn't taste too bad. This viral disease is infectious to many other plants including peppers, so it's best to remove ...
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...
Hatch Green Chile RecipeGet out those roasted Hatch chiles in your freezer (or fresh out of the garden and off of your grill) and make up a batch of this delicious stew. This is great served in a bowl, and is also great for smothering burritos or enchiladas. HATCH GREEN CHILE RECIPE: Ingredients: 1½ tbsp olive oil 1 cup roasted homegrown Hatch green chiles, peeled and diced 2 lbs of pork or chicken, cubed (or go vegan and instead use pinto beans, crumbled sauteed tofu and/or mushrooms if desired) 3 Potatoes, di...
Best Vegetable Seed CatalogLooking for the best vegetable seed catalog?Look no further, if you want to add a great new vegetable seed catalog to your collection, make sure to order one of Sandia Seed's 2025 Seed Catalogs – these full color catalogs are packed with 101 peppers of the world, plus tons of vegetable seeds including easy to grow heirloom tomatoes, squashes, cucumbers, herbs, edible flowers and so much more. This is the perfect vegetable seed catalog for salsa lovers – grow a salsa garden with several va...
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 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 Seeds to Plant in AugustWondering what to plant in August? In the West, we start seeds for the following vegetables in August:Lettuces, spinach, beets, carrots, green onions, cilantro, basil, bok choy, mizuna, kale, peas, green beans, broccoli, sugar snap peas, radishes and cabbage. Now is a great time to fill in bare spots in your garden or to start seeds to plant into places where cucumbers, basil or other summer veggies are at the end of their production. Vegetables to Plant in August-SeptemberSome of the cool w...
Gardening ChallengesWhat are your biggest garden challenges? Every gardener has challenges, it's part of what makes gardening fun! Learning something new every year, gardeners accumulate lots of knowledge over time via experience. What are some of your top challenges in your garden? WeatherWeather can be harsh sometimes, especially with late spring storms, hurricanes and tropical storms, non-stop rain, freezing cold temperatures, super hot 90˚F+ temperatures, you name it. We like to start many vegetables suc...
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 can you plant in July?
What seeds can you plant in July? In July, it's not too late to fill your garden with more vegetables! Cherry Belle Radish are super fast growing, ready for harvest in about 22-30 days from sowing, so they are great seeds to plant in July. You can keep sowing these every two weeks throughout July, August and September! Sowing seeds all spring/summer/fall helps produce a continual harvest. We direct sow them in the garden and they germinate in just a few days. These are fun for kids ...
Spicy Vegetarian Chili Recipe
SPICY VEGETARIAN CHILI RECIPE INGREDIENTS: 6-8 Cups of fresh diced tomatoes (or 1 large (28oz) can of diced tomatoes) 2-4+ diced hot peppers such as Serranos 4 chopped sweet red peppers or bell peppers 2 onions, chopped 6 cloves of garlic, minced 2 cans (15 oz) of kidney beans, drained 2 cans (15 oz) of black beans, drained (or use other beans like pinto beans) 1-2 cups of water (or broth of choice) 1 Cup of Corn, optional 2 tablespoons of chile powder 1 teaspoons of ground cumin Salt &...
Companion Plants for Chile Peppers
The reason companion planting is so beneficial is not fully understood, but has been noted by farmers and gardeners for many generations. There are some basic concepts that do make good sense. The physical structure of companion plants with tall strong stems may protect your chile plants from wind damage. The root growth of companion plants with deeper root systems can improve the overall health of the compacted soil by opening up channels for better drainage and air exchange. Herbs produce c...
Pepper Plant Companions
Wondering what to plant with your chile peppers to help them thrive? Flowers, chives, carrots, radishes, squash, basil, parsley, dill, marjoram, Oregano, Rosemary, cucumbers, eggplant, and onions all do well when grown in close proximity to peppers. But don't plant them too close that they will shade your pepper plants: Squash and cucumbers, for example, need ample space so we plant them at least 3-4' away from our pepper patch. You can also use trellises for your cucumbers to grow th...
Green Chile Shepherd's Pie Recipe
Green Chile Shepherd's Pie Recipe If you love green chile, then you have to try out this amazing Green Chile Shepherd's Pie Recipe – it is a New Mexican twist on the the classic Irish dish. INGREDIENTS 4 large potatoes, diced 1 stick of butter (or 1/2 cup of olive oil) 1 onion, chopped 2 cups mixed vegetables (diced carrots, peas, corn) 1 cup of roasted Green Chile (peeled, de-seeded, and chopped) 1 1/2 lbs ground round beef, chicken or pork (or omit the meat for a vegan version...
Vegan Stuffed Peppers
Vegan Stuffed Peppers Here is a Vegan Stuffed Peppers Recipe below, including lots of delicious variations and ideas for making the best vegan stuffed peppers. These are some great vegan stuffed pepper recipe ideas if you are vegetarian or vegan, or if you have dairy allergies. You can stuff any pepper, although some of our favorite pepper stuffers are Jalapeños, the Mini Orange Bell Pepper, Red Cherry Hot peppers, Pimento Peppers, the large Beaver Dam Pepper. Of course, all of our hatch chi...
Tomato spotted wilt virus - mottled tomatoes
The above photo of some wild looking mottled tomatoes is damage most likely caused by the Tomato spotted wilt virus. Plants infected with Tomato spotted wilt virus exhibit bronzing of the upper sides of young leaves, which later develop distinct, necrotic mottled spots. It looks wild, but it usually results in a less tasty tomato though it is still safe to eat if it doesn't taste too bad. This viral disease is infectious to many other plants including peppers, so it's best to remove ...
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...
Hatch Green Chile Recipe
Get out those roasted Hatch chiles in your freezer (or fresh out of the garden and off of your grill) and make up a batch of this delicious stew. This is great served in a bowl, and is also great for smothering burritos or enchiladas. HATCH GREEN CHILE RECIPE: Ingredients: 1½ tbsp olive oil 1 cup roasted homegrown Hatch green chiles, peeled and diced 2 lbs of pork or chicken, cubed (or go vegan and instead use pinto beans, crumbled sauteed tofu and/or mushrooms if desired) 3 Potatoes, di...
Best Vegetable Seed Catalog
Looking for the best vegetable seed catalog?Look no further, if you want to add a great new vegetable seed catalog to your collection, make sure to order one of Sandia Seed's 2025 Seed Catalogs – these full color catalogs are packed with 101 peppers of the world, plus tons of vegetable seeds including easy to grow heirloom tomatoes, squashes, cucumbers, herbs, edible flowers and so much more. This is the perfect vegetable seed catalog for salsa lovers – grow a salsa garden with several va...
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 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 Seeds to Plant in August
Wondering what to plant in August? In the West, we start seeds for the following vegetables in August:Lettuces, spinach, beets, carrots, green onions, cilantro, basil, bok choy, mizuna, kale, peas, green beans, broccoli, sugar snap peas, radishes and cabbage. Now is a great time to fill in bare spots in your garden or to start seeds to plant into places where cucumbers, basil or other summer veggies are at the end of their production. Vegetables to Plant in August-SeptemberSome of the cool w...
Gardening Challenges
What are your biggest garden challenges? Every gardener has challenges, it's part of what makes gardening fun! Learning something new every year, gardeners accumulate lots of knowledge over time via experience. What are some of your top challenges in your garden? WeatherWeather can be harsh sometimes, especially with late spring storms, hurricanes and tropical storms, non-stop rain, freezing cold temperatures, super hot 90˚F+ temperatures, you name it. We like to start many vegetables suc...
