The Second Season

Football season is here and now that we finally have some nice fall weather, I wanted to share an event that I attended last month. It was a lovely mid September afternoon - one of the rare sunny ones this year - that I went to Fordhook Farms in Doylestown, PA to attend a media event hosted by George Ball of Burpee Seed. George wanted to share his ideas for the "Second Season". Garden writers, bloggers, TV and radio personalities (including locals Derek Fell and my friend, Mike McGrath) gathered on the veranda overlooking the gardens to hear Georges ideas, ask questions and share their own.

Too many gardeners are focused on the summer season, but neglect the beautiful fall weather that follows. Unlike the hot, dry and sometimes downright unpleasant days of summer, the autumn is typically accompanied by moderate temperatures, rainfall and plenty of sunshine. For many years now the landscape and nursery industries have promoted that "Fall is for Planting" because these features allow newly installed plants to focus their efforts on root growth and demand less from homeowners. By September the vacations are over and the kids are back in school allowing for better care while co-operative weather further reduces the need.

Vegetable gardens benefit similarly from the improved conditions as do the gardeners who tend them. George suggests that instead of perceiving fall as a time of  preparation for hibernation, we view it as a second season for growth. He adds the concept of "Garden-Gating" to this idea. Garden-gating ties the bounty of the harvest to the many fall events frequently celebrated by tail-gating. Instead of unhealthy snack-foods, George suggests serving flavorful healthy appetizers made using produce fresh from the garden! To demonstrate this, the staff of Burpee Seeds at Fordhook Farms prepared a table full of delicious recipes using Burpee Seeds produce grown at Fordhook. They were kind enough to share the recipes with me so that you can try them as well.

Here are Burpee Seeds recipes, photos of the event and a video interview with George Ball describing the benefits of the Garden-Gating and Second Season. You can also read his blog Heronswood Voice

Mike McGrath, host of public radio show You Bet Your Garden, smiles across a table filled with garden-fresh food.

Burpee's Garden-Gating Party Recipes

PLAYOFF PIZZA WITH LEEKS

Ingredients:

5-6 'Dawn Giant' leeks

1     teaspoon fresh common thyme
6     leaves fresh sweet basil, chopped
5     'Power Pops' cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1     'Early Italian' garlic clove, minced
½    cup Feta cheese
1     tablespoon olive oil
Pinch of ground black pepper
1     oven-ready pizza crust

Directions:

Prepare ready-made pizza crust as directed in oven until almost crisp.  Take out of oven.  (Naan bread works well.)  Cut leeks.  Add 1 tablespoon olive oil in pan and sauté leeks, adding a little ground black pepper.  Add garlic just as leeks start to caramelize.  Cook for a few minutes more.  Add scallions to pizza.  Sprinkle with feta cheese and add cut cherry tomatoes.  Heat in oven for 5 minutes.  Ready to serve.

SIDELINE SALSA

Ingredients:

4  'Little Mama' tomatoes, chopped
1  'Texas Supersweet' onion, chopped
3  'Evergreen Long White Bunching' scallions, chopped
1  'El Gordo' jalapeno, very finely chopped
½ cup 'Calypso' cilantro, finely chopped
1  fresh lime, juiced
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Blend all ingredients in medium bowl and serve with chips.

A decorative - and edible - Garden-Gating centerpeice.

STUFFED CHERRY PEPPERS

Ingredients:

6   'Cherry Stuffer' peppers

1   8 oz. cream cheese
½  cup shredded Havarti cheese
¼  cup fresh chives, finely chopped
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:

Core and deseed peppers.  Cut in half.  Combine cheeses and fresh chives, add black pepper to taste. Stuff halved peppers with mixture.  Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Melon Medley

Ingredients:

½  'Big Tasty' watermelon 
1   'Burpee's Hybrid' cantaloupe
½  'Super Dew' honeydew melon
4   tablespoons fresh spearmint, finely chopped
½  fresh lime, juiced

Directions:

Ball melons.  Add spearmint and lime juice.  Blend.  Refrigerate for 4 hours.  Can be prepared the day before.  Top with a few fresh spearmint leaves when ready to serve.

ROASTED PEPPERS

Ingredients:

'Big Daddy' yellow peppers

Red peppers (any variety is fine)

Directions:

Wash and core peppers, removing seeds.  Place on grill, cook until each side is blackened.  Place in brown paper bag and let sit until cool.  Remove pepper skins and discard.  Slice peppers and place in serving dish.  Drizzle with olive oil.  May top with fresh cloves of garlic.

Many thanks to George Ball and  the staff of Fordhook for their hard work, including Kelly, Kriten and Laura!

END-ZONE EGGPLANT HOAGIES

Ingredients:
2  'Early Midnight' eggplants
6  large eggs, beaten with whisk
¼ cup curly parsley, finely chopped
2  cups dried seasoned breadcrumbs
1  tablespoon garlic powder
1  teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
½ dozen foot-long sub rolls
1  head 'EZ Serve' romaine lettuce leaves, whole
1  head 'Iceberg A' lettuce, thinly sliced
1  'Red Delicious' onion, thinly sliced
1  16-ounce fresh mozzarella ball, thinly sliced
Grilled peppers are optional    
Oil for frying*
Condiments 

Directions:
Peel eggplant lengthwise leaving 1-inch increments of skin on it.  Remove ends.  Slice eggplant into quarter-inch circles.  As slicing, lay all circles on paper towels, layering to absorb moisture as it takes away any bitterness.  Leave on paper towels until ready to batter dip.  Combine breadcrumbs, garlic powder and oregano in vessel and set aside.

Beat eggs with whisk.  Add parsley and whisk in.  Place eggplant circles into egg mixture in batches and coat.  Remove circles one at a time, allow excess egg to drip, and coat each side in breadcrumb mixture.  Stack all breaded eggplant on platter while coating.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees for melting mozzarella once eggplant is fried.  Add enough oil to large frying pan to fully coat bottom.  Use oil of preference (canola is suggested).  Heat over medium-high heat.  When hot, add eggplant circles in batches and fry to golden brown on each side, about 2 minutes.  If burning, lower heat.  

Stack eggplant on paper towels to drain, layering to absorb excess oil.  Add oil to pan as necessary and be sure to heat each time.  Place eggplant on sheet pans and melt mozzarella slices in preheated oven.  Slice sub rolls lengthwise.  Place romaine leaves to cover rolls.  Sprinkle heavily with shredded 'Iceberg A' lettuce.  Layer eggplant slices on lettuce, overlapping.  If preferred, top with grilled peppers.  Suggested condiments are (but not limited to) heated marinara sauce, sliced 'Big Mama' tomatoes, Italian dressing, and sliced onion.
* Eggplant can be fried on baking sheets on the grill.  Oil baking sheets, place on grill, and heat on high until oil is hot.  Place eggplant on sheets, keeping grill lid closed while cooking to retain heat.  This process may take longer to brown eggplants.

PLEASE NOTE: Although Burpee suggests specific varieties for the vegetables used in each recipe, one may substitute another favorite or standard variety for each vegetable if needed.

Filming scenes for an interveiw with George Ball of Burpee Seed by The Morning Call