Planting Seeds

Its either that time of year, or there must be something in the air... either way let's plant some seed. If we reap what we sow, then we better sow some pretty good stuff.

So we've seen the scientific method from the Sheezle.  This is the haphazard made-up dirt and sunlight method.  Lets hope it works.

I bought some San Marzano tomato seeds from rareseeds.com, and they sent me a packet of cilantro for free. I thought that was cool, and it made up for paying the small shipping fee.

See the San Marzano and Cilantro packets here. Also pictured are basil and parsley.  Seed packs typically claim to yield 25 plants and cost around $2.

I bought a hex seed system and a bag of potting soil from Lowe's. They were each approx. $5.50 each. All told were at something like $20 for everything.

pictured above is the hex system (supports 72 plants) and some potting soil.

I filled up the pockets about 75 percent of the way. Then used a spray bottle to moisten the soil. I dropped a couple (2 or 3) seeds in each pocket. I then covered the seeds and misted it again.

Some packets have the instructions on the back. For example, the parsley recommended to soak them overnight so I wrapped them in a damp paper towel and will plant them tomorrow.

I found a good rear facing window for when these suckers sprout, but I was worried about the cross-member casting a shadow and the back rows of plants not getting enough sunlight, since I am not using grow lights. 

Nice southern facing window, should get plenty of sun. 

In order to milk all the sunlight I can get and mitigate the shadows being cast as the sun rises and sets, I strung together a "solar shield" out of a cardboard box and aluminum foil. I have called this setup my science project ever since.

 

The science project.

Updates and hopefully tomato sauce to come!

Indoor Gardening: Let's Plant Seeds

Now that we have a new tank and better nutrients, let's plant some seeds. If we reap what we sow, we better sow some good stuff. Here's what we need:

Rockwool Starter plugs
Vinegar for pH balancing
pH test strips
Incubator tray
Seeds!!!
Sample of nutrient solution

Yesterday we made the nutrient solution at a strength of 1tsp/nutrient//gal for the tank, but the recommended ratio is 1/4 tsp/nutrient/gal for seedlings. So I took a 1 fl oz sample and then diluted it to the proper strength. Don't forget to get that pH under control! I added some vinegar (about a half a cap full) to get the pH closer to 5.5...it's hard to tell what it is...I think this is close...

Then take the starter plug and soak it in the solution.

Scientifically add seeds to the little hole in the top of the starter plug. You don't need a lot! Then ever so gently close the top of hole and put it in the incubator tray. What you see here are oregano seed.

I ended up planting cilantro, rosemary, and oregano. Put that lid on!

Now store the tray somewhere warmer than room temperature...next to the back of the fridge is perfect. We don't need light for now. Once they sprout, they will be moved over to the tank and be placed under the lights. We won't take them out of the tray until they are pushing against the lid.

And that is it! We'll spritz them with water every morning until they we take them out of the tray.

Indoor Gardening: Let's Reboot

If only I knew then what I know now...(reformed conservatives everywhere)

What was I thinking? I jumped right into a 12 gallon tank, but was only dealing with small plants and seedlings...dummy! Plus this tank had other issues. Here's that bad motha close up:

And look at the handles...I made the mistake of filling it up above that point and had massive leak issues (see the turquoise handle). Time to go!

This one is much better...but it is clear...however a little spray paint can fix that! Now the tank is only six gallons which is a lot easier to deal with.

And it is time to get the nutrients under control as well. These nutrients have been to the in space I heard.

Time to fill thank tank up! Scientific milk jug measuring device.

The tank required 5.5 gallons of water. And 1 tsp/gal of each nutrient solution...I used 1 fl oz each as an approximation. Add the dark brown (floraMicro) solution first, then the other two. Stir Well. Now let's view the new setup...the shield...

The center of the sun...

This is a basil plant I started from seed. Now with better food I bet this guy will grow up to be a big boy!

Can you say tomatoes? It is still early, but it is growing.

I almost killed all of my plants two weeks ago. I had massive root rot and tried to cleanse the roots with hydrogen peroxide to stop the damage...well after two weeks they didn't die and I am seeing new root growth again (99 percent of all the roots had turned black and fell off so this is a good sign)

Stay tuned for more...

Indoor Gardening: It Starts With Breakfast

No more miracle gro. This time we get serious. It all starts with breakfast. This is a complete and balanced diet specifically designed for hydroponics.

From the product description:

• GH Flora Series is the original Building Block Nutrient System imitated but never duplicated. Contains complete Primary, Secondary and Micro Nutrients for enhanced yields and better crop quality.
• Users can adjust mixtures to suit specific plant needs. Enhances flavor, nutrition, aroma and essential oils in both hydroponic and soil cultivated plants
• Contains highly purified concentrates for maximum solubility.
• pH balanced for ease of use. NASA and Antarctic research scientists choose Flora Series -- because of its superior formulation and reliability.

http://www.amazon.com/General-Hydroponics-Flora-FloraBloom-FloraMicro/dp/B0024NDVRA/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1427332115&sr=8-5&keywords=flora+micro

Stay tuned...I may have done something crazy

Apartment Vegetable/Herb Garden: Transplanting

In this third part of the ongoing series: "Apartment Vegetable/Herb Garden", we investigate the transition from a soil-based paradigm to this new hydroponics system.

This is an idea of where I was starting from. I had cilantro, basil, sage, rosemary, and had newly planted thyme and oregano.

I had bought these originally at the store and moved them to larger 6" diameter pots. They rested in the tub and it was filled with about an inch of water...some soil leaked out and the water turned black, but it was a pseudo-hydroponics system in spirit. The basil plant was the main shower here and you can see how the roots were growing into the water.

There was a crazy amount of roots growing in this pot. They were wrapped around the soil and a bit fragile. I tried save as many of the roots as I could while gently removing the soil, but I suspect I lost over 90% of the roots in transplanting it into its new hydroponic-friendly net-basket (only 2" diameter).

You can see that little bit of a dangling root remnant. Well, fast forward two weeks of hydroponic growing and nutrient addition via miracle-gro and here is what that basil plant looks like now!

I had just trimmed this a bit for some dehydration preservation spice cabinet action so it was a bit sparse, but look at those new roots!

 

So things are looking great. We'll see what things look like in another month. I have also planted some jalapenos and tomatoes, but they will take months to bear fruit which sucks because I can bear arms right now. Stay tuned for more!

Apartment Vegetable/Herb Garden: Equipment

In part 1, we investigated some inspiration for the design of this system. Now it is time to build our own. I used some amazon rewards points to amass this collection of equipment:

What do you see here?:
Black aquarium air tubing
PVC pipe cutter
hole saw kit
2" hydroponics net baskets
2 medium air stones
air pump
air pump check valves
clay growing media
rockwool starter plugs
pH test strips

What a haul! I also went and bought some seeds (for later) and a big 12 gallon tub. Lets begin!

I wasn't sure if I wanted a 3x3 or a 4x4 layout...

4x4 would let me grow so many more vegetables!!! 4x4 wins.

So I marked out a grid and used the 2" hole saw attachment to drill the openings for my new hydoponics net baskets.

And here is what the final grid looks like:

I am going to need to get air into the tub...so I drilled some 3/8" holes for some 1/4" tubing. Right below the lip of the lid.

Here is me testing the air pump and an air stone in a favorite pint glass. Look at those bubbles!

Time to fill the tub...water looks innocent enough, but it is deadly actually...time to test the pH.

My water has too high a pH and I need to treat the water to lower the pH to around 6.

So go grab that vinegar and add it to the water...a little bit goes a long way. Eventually we'll want to add nutrients as well, but that will be covered in part 3.

 

Add those air-stones back to the tub. Sooo many bubbles!

Here is a shot of what I've got going on now. I built a pvc frame to support the lighting system and rigged up a cardboard shield

As you can see...overhead light system...I still want to refine this, but I am not sure the best way to implement a variable height lighting scheme.

With the lights on!

I cover the whole thing with the cardboard shield and a top portion as well. It keeps the light in...this thing is difficult to look at..very pure wavelengths...everything looks black under these lights...it's awesome.

You see those plants there? Yeah...that's in part 3.

Apartment Vegetable/Herb Garden: Introduction

Everyone knows I am on a frugal kick. Everyone knows I am a scientist. What happens when those two things cross paths? Hydroponic indoor garden obviously.

It didn't quite start that way...I acquired bits and pieces over the prior few months. I bought some LED grow lights that emit specific wavelengths for growing plants. They are amazing and pink. I bought these: link

They are amazing for growing tasty vegetables.

Then I saw this video and shat myself.

Those things are selling for $200 on amazon. There has got to be an easier way. That's when I found this video:

Lot's of good information here. This was the start of my journey. Stay tuned for part 2: the equipment.

Diner Burgers

A midwestern staple.  Originating in diners? Popularized by Steak 'n' Shake. Now taking America by storm with Smash Burger and Shake Shack going public.  Who knows how many others I missed.  Meatheads?  Well, you dont need to shell out $20 to eat a good burger and you dont need to get a butter burger either.  DIY diner burgers!

So check out the foodlab article already sent you.  Okay great, well I have a little bit to add of my own.

Tips, the key to the "midwestern style diner burger" (MSD Burger), is the crust.  You want to squish it flat on a nonoiled pan (or flat top grill if your a one percenter) hard.  Squish the bejeesus out of it.  Then the bottom will just burn or crust up or whatever.  Then, slap it over to the right on a brand new smoking hot section of the pan.  This will let you brown both sides (something, something, maillard reaction... who cares, everyone likes MSD burgers).  Here have a photo:

Check it.  Slap your MSD burger on the left side of a huge pan on a huge burner turned up to high or medium high.  Then, the trick is to get a really sharp really robust spatula and make sure to scrape the burger off the pan and keep all that crust.  You need to really scrape man, otherwise you just lose that crust and your burger sucks because its not true MSD.  The first couple burgers I just used the center of the pan, but this doesnt allow for the second side to get as crusty, since there are oils down and the pan isnt quite as hot.

Here is a decent crust shot:

Thats the crust you want on both sides.  Thats MSD burger capital T tender.

How do you edit photos in this horrible blog editor?

Here it is plated with home baked french fries (see prior posts), homemade boston baked beans, and of course an MSD Burger topped with onion, tomato, spinach, mushrooms that marinated in a balsamic vineger, on a brioche bun.

Cost Breakdown:  I like to keep things frugal, so lets talk cost.

We got the burger meat on sale $3/lbs. We bought 1.2 pounds and made 7 patties.  Thats about $0.50 per patty.  So, I think MSD Burgers are a good way to stretch your dollar.

The brioche buns were $3.30 for an 8 pack. so thats $0.40 per burger.  

The fries are made from potatoes and are basically free since they are abundant resources.  The beans were made from dry beans, molasses, mustard, onion, and smoked ham hocks, but thats another story.  That might be $0.50 worth of beans, but really probably like $0.40, I dont know, a different story for a different day.

All said, this meal is probably like $4.50, so its cheaper than fast food.  So go make some MSD Burgers ya' turkeys!

Sawsheezle's Pizza Party: Chicago Style Deep Dish Edition

So we have explored yeast doughs and enjoyed them. We have looked into baking soda based thin crusts and loved on them. Now we conquered 2D pizza (thin crust) and now it's time for 3D pizza aka Chicago Deep Dish. Much of this post was inspired by an amazing write up

http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2014/12/31/how-to-make-chicago-style-deep-dish-pizza/

Here are some things you're going to need:

For the Dough
3.25 C of bread flour (capital_prototype and Sawsheezle recommend King Arthur brand)
0.25 C of corn meal
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp active dry yeast
1.5-2 C water (be careful)

Sauce
1 28 ounce can of Crushed tomatoes
2 Tbsp of butter
some garlic, basil, red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
sugar (varies)

Hardware
1 stand mixer (Bosch preferred)
1 rolling pin
1 beer chalice for drinky times
1 restored pre-WWII cast iron skillet

Let's get mixing...

You see that cornmeal in there? Supposedly real chicago style deep dish has no cornmeal, but after adding it...it just felt right...more commentary at the end. This was an incredibly hard dough to knead. I added more than the recipe suggested amount of water...maybe twice as much. Just slowly add it over time until your mixer starts kneading it well. This is a bread type dough though...it will be super dense. Once kneaded, cover in olive oil and place in a bowl for fermentation in the fridge. This dough was made on a Thursday for a Saturday pizza.

Here are my sauce makings. You can follow the link above for recommendations on ingredient amounts or look back to my old posts about making sauce, but the trick here was to just cook it down until it thickened up. Crushed tomatoes are the perfect choice here. One thing to note: I wanted a sweet sauce that was inspired by the Chicago Style Pizzeria back home (now defunct), I added 6 Tbsp of white sugar to the sauce. This ended up being nice and sweet actually, but I will try different combinations of sweeteners in the future to add more flavor to the sauce.

At this time, turn the oven on to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. I put my pizza stone on the rack below where I intended to put this pizza...more to just stabilize the temperature of the oven. Before anything though, get that dough out of the fridge and let it sit for an hour to get closer to room temperature. Now it's time for some magic....get that rolling pin out and roll out the dough thusly.

You also want to have that 2 Tbsp of butter ready. Make sure it is soft and spread it liberally on the rolled out dough. Then, roll it up from the short side (the left). It will look something like this:

Zoom in...can you see those layers? That is what excited me so much about this recipe...the flaky crust that was created by this method. Anyway, roll these dough logs into a ball again and let rise while you get things ready. Now get that cast iron skillet ready...look how shiny it is!

Now take that dough and roll it out...but not too thin...we don't want to have too much overflow from the edges.

First grease your pan with a bunch of butter and then put in the dough. Trim off excess around the lip of the pan. Then add mozzarella cheese until the pie is about halfway filled up.

Looking good right? Now add pepperoni and sausage. I chose to go raw with the sausage here since we will be cooking the pie for a long time. More flavor from the grease too.

Now fill up the rest with sauce and cover liberally with Parmesan cheese.

Put it in the oven now for 30-35 minutes...mine needed the full 35. While waiting, I took the excess dough trimmings and quickly tied them up into a little dough knot. I put it directly on the pizza stone and just took it out when it was done.

Can you that flaky texture? Once I saw that, I had high hopes fir this pie.

After 35 minutes it looked like this:

Gorgeous no? Maybe you say it looks burnt on the edges...nah that's just some crunch. Here is a slice of the pie.

And a side view to see that wall of crust:

Overall, this pizza was great. It was honestly about as good as I remember any of the deep dish za's I've had in Chicago or elsewhere...which is not many, but enough to know what it should taste like. I am so glad I branched out and visited the other end of the pizza world.