This recipe is quickly becoming a favorite from readers of Urban Pantry. I've received a bunch of feedback and accolade for putting this together. I can't take full credit, of course, because there really are no new ideas. I got the idea for using whole grains in desserts from The Splendid Grain by Rebecca Wood. That books has influenced my healthful cooking so much, and I love it. It gets front stage placement on top of my fridge, though I use it less and less as of late. It's a wonderful thing, to share a recipe. I found this cool blog Seasonal Menus this morning. The author is mysterious (ie I have NO idea who they are or why they're writing about food) but the blog is simple and concise. I love that they cut to the meat, so to speak, and just post recipes and notes.

They added Orange Flower Water to the pudding - a very smart move that I often do myself. I love Orange Flower Water. Try it with, or feel free to omit it as I do in Urban Pantry. That's really the key for pantry-cooking. Use what you have around and improvise. Good stuff.

The Washington Post wrote a little article recently on chamomile & included a recipe from Urban Pantry. Chamomile! It's the 'it' spice this year - u heard it here 1st. A reseeding annual that's great in shallow soil - http://tinyurl.com/23a6b3d

A cloche is used in the garden in order to create a warm environment for plants. Cloches are made of several different materials, but for the most part I make small cloches over my veg beds in the same way that farms and nurseries use hoop houses.  With a little bit of PVC plastic piping, and a length of clear thin plastic sheeting, you can raise the temperature of the air and soil around your plants by 10 to 12 degrees. That is a pretty substantial difference in environment that certain heat loving plants really appreciate.

We do this in the garden in order to set out plants early. In Seattle, for instance, it's not warm enough to sow basil seeds until early June. But if you build a cloche and 'make' it warmer, you can sow your basil seeds in May. I use cloches in Spring, to set out plants early, and in fall, to prolong the season through the early days of winter.

So, how to build a cloche?

You need:

.1 length of 3/4" PVC cut into 10-12" lengths (most PVC comes in 10' lengths, so you'll have 8 to 10 pieces when you're through). You will use these to anchor your cloche

.2 to 4 lengths of 1/2" PVC - these will act as the 'hoops' on your cloche

.3mm clear plastic sheeting

.zip ties to secure the cloche

(Note to all the ladies: PVC is found in the plumbing section of most hardware stores, and the plastic sheeting is in the paint section)

Hammer your 3/4" PVC 'anchors' into each corner of your bed (so, you will use four pieces) until the top of the PVC is just about flush with the soil. Make sure they are secure and firmly in place, as they are the anchors and will act as the main source of support for the cloche. Add these anchors to the length of the bed, so they are spaced 3 to 4 feet part. Make sure that you mirror your anchors on both sides of your bed so that they line up directly across from eachother. Stretch the 1/2" PVC pipe to fit in the anchors, essentially creating your hoop supports. When you're through, the bed will look like a covered wagon without the canvas.

Anchors in, hoops stretched

From here, you will unfold the clear plastic sheeting over the top of the hoops, running the length of the bed. Leave at least a foot of extra plastic on either end of the bed. Unfold the plastic down and around the sides of your hoops. Essentially, you're blanketing the bed - tucking in the plastic to the edges and make sure it's covered entirely. Now, you have to secure the plastic sheeting to the hoops so it doesn't blow off. Duh. You can do this several ways. You can use a clip to hold it in place (available at the hardware store), use garbage bag ties, etc. I prefer to use zip ties, as I can leave them a bit loose (as in, don't 'zip' them super snug to the hoop). This allows me to slide the plastic up and down to vent the cloche on really hot days. I pierce the plastic sheeting on either side of the PVC hoop, slide the zip tie through these two holes and zip tie the plastic loosely to the hoop. Voila!

When you're through, your plastic should be reasonably secured to your hoops. Your hoops should be sturdy in their anchors, and you should be able to slide your plastic up and down to water, vent, and access your plants. If you've accomplished all these things, you're money! Questions? This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

A well-vented cloche

(photos courtesy of Carla Saunders. Garden beds are planted and tended for Springhill NW.)

Check outthis article for great garden books in today's Seattle Time's Magazine from garden & plant guru, Val Easton. She gives a little shout to Urban Pantry that rocks!

The last chapter of my book is titled "The Pantry Garden" and I have to admit to thinking I had a stroke of genius with that title. That's exactly what it is - a section on how to establish a garden that supplies your pantry. You don't need a lot of space and a pantry garden doesn't take much care (as its full of perennials and self-seeding plants). Hell.......you don't even need a yard! Here is a pic of my pantry garden, as it exists right this moment. The anise hyssop from last year re-seeded itself into several pots and is flourishing and the other plants popped last week and put on a ton of growth.

This is a time of year when vegetable beds are in transition. It's time to set out the heat lovers - tomato, cukes, peppers, and sow beans, melons and corn. What to do, then, when you still have lingering winter crop?

This week, I wanted to transition my fertility rotation from leaf/root to flower/fruit. I had four White Currant Tomato starts, but smack in the middle of the bed is three rows of kale. I was about to rip them out and eat them for dinner, when the light bulb went off. Because its still too cool for tomatoes at night, I built a cloche around that bed. Kale and brassicas in general, hate heat. They bolt, as they want to set seed.....and fast. And when brassica sets seed and flower, that make sweet little broccoli-like stalks - we call them rapinii or broccoli rabe when broccoli does this, but kale will flower much in the same fashion and stalks can be cut and eaten.

So what better way to have them go to flower than cover them in a little hand made hothouse or cloche? Perfect solution. It will keep the tomatoes warm enough that they'll rapidly prosper, and force the kale to flower so I can harvest them and pull them out. By doing this, I am getting the absolute most from a crop. Planted in fall, that kale provided texture to winter soups and nutrition to morning eggs. In spring, leaves came back for another round of harvesting and now, I'll use the flowering stalks. Three harvests from three little rolls of kale - super fab!

Another garden strategy from gogo!

Urban Pantry - Economically Gourmet
with me!

6-8:30PM - Come to Class!

Amy Pennington, author of “Urban Pantry Cookbook—Tips for a Thrifty, Sustainable & Seasonal Kitchen” will prepare recipes featured in her recently released book. She will show us how to make quick, tasty meals without a trip to the grocery store. Menu: Walnut Garlic Chicken, Minestrone Soup, Panzanella Salad, and Ravioli. Please note that when purchasing cooking classes online, your seats are not confirmed until you receive a receipt in the mail via US Postal Service. If there is no availability you will be notified as soon as possible by phone or email and not charged for your order.

at Dish it Up in Magnolia.

cost: $75