Garden musings

How does your garden grow? 

During this dormant period at the farm when there 

is not as much daily work to do, the idle time leads 

to musings on the incremental changes that are harder to see. 

(does that mean we are not looking deeply enough?)

So less to do, coupled with winter weather, makes this an ideal time 

to catch up with some of the other gardening blogs we enjoy.

One blog we like a lot, that we've shared with you before, is A Sonoma Garden, 

which always has thoughtful posts, with good tips, and intimate reflections.

 A recent post captures beautifully how we are feeling this time of year 

when it is hard to suppress the urge to have our hands in the dirt. 

The Urban Artichoke reminds us, just when we think perhaps 

we can't grow anything delicate until Spring, that the garden is full of surprises. 

And SmartGardener is a reliable and all around great resource, very aptly named! 

And you can find tips on more than just gardening. 

This week they are sharing this video about how to prepare endive.

Today I stumbled upon a new one that captured my interest: Outlaw@home

Filled with ruminations that are thought provoking, there is much to contemplate here.  

Riffing on this quote from Henry David Thoreau: "Gardening is social, says Thoreau, 

and I think this can be true...The act of gardening is an activity 

well suited to companionship. From orchid societies to garden parties 

or sitting in the backyard at home; plants are the focus, the backdrop 

or the cornerstone to a huge range of social functions.  

We gather and play in shared green spaces. 

We work together in fields and greenhouses." 

For our fig farm project, gardening/farming is both solitary and social. 

Executive Chef John Toulze treasures his time in the garden as meditative, 

precious alone time where he can get "lost" in the tasks there 

that relax him even as they tire him.

Everyone who toils at our farm experiences some version of this.

Some of our sous chefs and other staff volunteer to help 

at the farm for these personal benefits. 

Interestingly then, while each of us is in our own zen place 

of focused mindful labor, what happens is a quantum 

"whole is greater than the sum of its parts" dynamic 

and the farm energetic becomes very communal

And certainly the most social aspect of our farm project 

is the food we plant, grow and cook for you.

This is always what guides us, keeps us going 

when the weather is bad or something we've tried is not successful so we plant anew. 

We "get" so much from our farm project 

but it is all about what we bring to you that matters most.

winter squash photo by Steven Krause for
Plats du Jour: the girl & the fig's Journey Through the Seasons in Wine Country

Executive Chef John Toulze and his team at the James Beard House
photo by Phillip Gross

Are there any gardening blogs you particularly like?

Tell us about your thoughts on gardening, how it is your private passion 

or are you part of a Community Patch? 

The many faces of our farm project

So we are planting our first winter garden out at Imagery Estate Winery.

Beds from the summer bounty have been cleared.

John and the crew were out with a rototiller 

and we've been amending the lower beds 

with natural sources of calcium, straw and
compost readying them for our winter crop.

Our first planting has been garlic.

Rafael and Jaimie painstakingly placing cloves in the ground.

While the Glen Ellen farm segued from 

late Summer to Fall and now to Winter, 

our garden at ESTATE held onto Autumn a little longer.

It was not too long ago that the pomegranate tree at ESTATE 

cast a golden glow on the walkway.

The red of the fruit and the bright yellow leaves 

were incandescent and radiant, fooling you into thinking

Indian Summer would linger a little longer.

But then, just like the misty mornings 

at the farm brought frost to conclude our Autumn harvest

the windy days hastened the pomegranate tree's transition.

The luscious fruit ripened in the sun, 

and the tree gave us forty pounds of pomegranates 

changing from smooth red orbs 

to art objects adorning the tree

The birds couldn't resist and the fruit 

literally burst with flavor.

Our chefs were inspired as well.

ESTATE's Chef Brian kept a close eye 
on these pomegrantes and began 
a 4-course La Cena di Famiglia meal with 
shaved brussels sprouts salad
hazelnuts, pomegranate, ricotta salata, white balsamic vinaigrette

At the girl & the fig, Chef Erin created a salad of

red and white endive, fuji apples, pomegranate seeds, 

fourme d'ambert cheese, candied walnuts 

with a simple syrup pomegranate vinaigrette: 

pomegranate molasses, red wine vinegar, blended oil, salt, sugar, lemon juice.

salad photo by Deirdre Bourdet before she took a bite!

Farm to table is not just an idea —  it is becoming a mantra for us.

While we may not be able to grow everything 

we serve at the restaurants, our experience 

at the farm and in our gardens 

continues to guide us in our endeavors to bring you simple good food.

We welcome your comments on your favorite meals at the restaurants

or a dish that you particularly enjoyed.

And please do comment here about our farm project.

We want to share it with you through this blog 

so you have a deeper connection with what we are doing.