The night I butchered my first and only chicken, its body still warm from the summer sun, I told my friend how much it had meant to me to be able to see the other side of dinner. He nodded in agreement: "That's why I do this," he said simply, his waving arm taking in the garden, the chicken run, the wall of homeschooling materials.  "We can study chickens all day long, but in the end, what matters is that my children understand -- this animal was sitting over there eating bugs, and now it's sitting on the table and we're eating it.  It gives them a healthy respect for life and death." This …

On a sunny, cold Saturday last February, my husband spent a hundred dollars and most of his morning driving to and from Washington to help me load up a huge bag of wheat. (There are certain times when you know with absolute certainty that you married the right person.) We had plenty of time in the car to chat about the process that had brought me thus far: it began when I received a review copy of The Urban Farm Handbook last summer.  Around Thanksgiving I finally cracked it open and was pleased with the innovative format, which successfully avoids the two extremes occupied by most of …

Tell the truth. How many times have you clicked on an article titled "Nature's 5 Miracle Foods" or "10 Worst Drive-Thru Choices" and been disappointed to read that, surprise, strawberries are good for you and milkshakes are not?   If you're a well-read foodie like me, it's more than you care to admit.  So, just to even out the score, here are a few of my favorite food lists, all accompanied by well-written and researched text that will help you make more informed choices in the future, from apple trees to Apple gadgets. Out and About Seafood Watch: Produced annually by the Monterey Bay …

It's getting prettier outside, in case you haven't noticed: in fact, this is one of the earliest and warmest springs I can remember.  So, assuming you started your warm-weather seeds about a month ago, they're halfway on their journey to your garden. This means you'll need a place to put them once our last-frost date of May 15 comes around! I've done the old-fashioned gardening thing before.  You know -- strip the top few inches of soil, dig two shovelfuls down, remove rocks, break up clay, work in organic matter and fertilizer.  It is achingly, sunburningly, cursingly difficult work.  Not to…

This time of year, home gardeners fight to quell a rising tide of internal panic with every weekend that passes unsowed.  Willy Loman's obsessive lines start sounding more and more reasonable until we echo them ourselves: "I've got to get some seeds, right away . . . I don't have a thing in the ground!"   If you've ever thought about starting a garden, there's no time like the present, and no age that offers more resources and options, either!  A few hours this week is a worthy investment in your summer crops; then you can take it easy for the next month until it's time to start preparing the…

She shuts the water off and reaches, fingers dripping, for the what isn't there. She thinks it will be wherever hers is -- above, to the right, on the wall, vertical, horizontal.  She glances around, takes a step back, and begins to form the question: "Where are the . . . ?"   I smile and hand her the tea towel that hangs on the drawer pull just by the door. A fleeting look of surprise until it registers that this is okay, too. It usually doesn't even start a conversation, even though it happens almost every time a guest washes her hands in my kitchen. This is fine by me: I didn't eliminate …

If you've ever eaten Smith Island Cake (preferably baked by Sugar Bakers and served at Catonsville Gourmet after shrimp bisque and soft crabs) you probably see it as a daunting dessert.  TEN layers?  It's served lying on its side for a reason.  But what better way to end your Valentine's Day dinner than with the official dessert of our state?  Honestly, it's a long process, but not too tedious or complicated. This adventure started with a recipe from a cookbook, which supposedly got it from a Smith Island housewife -- but there were so many problems with it that the instructions below bear …

Like most Americans, I'd be ashamed to admit how many meals per week I eat in my car.  It's just too tempting when I'm rushing out the door hungry, late to a meeting, or simply in need of some peace and quiet. Luckily for me, there's been a recent resurgence in food trucks locally.  It's a great way for small businesses to promote their cuisine: a mobile retail space is cheaper and easier to maintain and can travel with the flow of customers -- to a business park during lunchtime, or near residential areas in the evening.  So you don't have to eat in your car -- you could take your meal to a …

It may seem odd, when the air is frigid and the daylight precious, to start making plans for the summer months.  But this is exactly what you should be doing.  In case you missed the rundown last spring, here's why you should join a CSA: Enjoy fresh, delicious, local food all season long Support local farms even in hard times Experiment with a wider variety of produce Options abound, but here are a few of the best from areas served by Patch: Howard County Gorman Produce Farm (Laurel) Contact: 301-908-8063  Pickup: At the farm, 3 days per week Terms: $450 half share, $620 full share of produce…

For the average, mainstream Marylander, starting a home compost pile may sound ridiculously West Coast (or -- dare I utter the words today -- New England!) But once you get started, you'll be surprised at how amazingly easy it is, and by how many benefits it has to offer -- for the environment, your community and your own household. Step One: Get the Facts Basic: Composting is what nature does on its own, very efficiently and well. Take a walk in the forest and sift through the layers on the ground.  On top will be freshly-fallen leaves; below, leaves and twigs in various stages of decay; …