A number of years back, I was asked to bring something for one of our end-season crew parties, so I decided to make a chili recipe that I had inherited from my mother, though with a few twists. For years, mom made us what she called “thin chili”, which received this moniker because the dish [...]
OK, so we’ve all been there: enticed by those luscious catalogs glowing with glossies of ripe and redolent vegetables, we’ve rushed out, bought large quantities of seeds, and then stuck the packets in a drawer, only to remember them again in June, far too late in the game. Well, thanks to our friends at John [...]
I was raised in a family where every penny needed to do double duty, so I learned early the value of preventing waste and preserving what you were given. These lessons followed me into the garden, where I’ve generally been pretty successful in maximizing nature’s bounty – my previous posts on harvesting honey and canning [...]
A few weeks ago I went to see Julie/Julia – which was terrific by the way – and I was reminded again how much I enjoyed watching PBS when I was a boy, and, how formative good television could be on receptive little minds. But while Julia Child is certainly the best remembered of that [...]
Quite a number of you have emailed me, asking questions about The New American Victory Garden, the presentation I just gave at the New York Botanical Garden. So, here’s the scoop: First of all, what do you mean by Victory Garden? You’re not talking about your old PBS TV show, are you? No, not the [...]
Last summer I spent almost a month touring gardens in Ireland and England, and without a doubt, these were some of the most spectacular landscapes I have ever seen. Garden after garden passed before my eyes, each filled with rich tapestries of perennials, perfectly chosen and expertly intermingled, flowing seamlessly around the ancient structures nestled [...]
I was watching dear old Hyacinth Bucket “It’s pronounced BOO_KAY” on PBS last night, and despite having seen the episode countless times, I found myself once more cruising down the Thames with her crazy companions in search of the perfect spot for “a waterside supper with riparian entertainment.” There’s a perennial quality to her character [...]
This Saturday I had a small dinner party, and decided to make my ultimate guacamole as one of the starters. I know, you’re thinking: what, guacamole? That’s as common as tacos! But this guacamole, created by master Chef Kathy Gunst, is fresh and chunky, alive with the vibrant flavors of Mexico — not a mush [...]
THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARIZED STATEMENT TO THE PRESS, ISSUED BY MICHAEL WEISHAN THIS AFTERNOON REGARDING HIS INVOLVEMENT IN THE STANDOFF CURRENTLY BREWING OUTSIDE BOSTON: FIRST QUESTION: Okay, I admit it: I got lazy last week and carelessly left the rototiller parked next to the new vegetable garden. It was only there for a few [...]
I’m about to go way out on the proverbial limb, and say something that may shock a quite a few of you: many heirlooms plants are over-rated. Now this may seem strange from someone whose first book, The New Traditional Garden, was all about the glories of old-fashioned plants and historically correct landscapes. And it’s [...]