"Plant Partners" looks at beneficial relationships above and below garden soil

Catmint has lovley flowers and deters beetle-feasting on its potato patch neighbors. Angelo Merendino photo"Plant Partners" by Jessica WalliserIf you hope to grow tomatoes, peppers, zucchini or eggplant this year, consider planting the bed beforehand with a spring crop of buckwheat.

Annual buckwheat (Fagopyron esculentum) is among “cover crops” that Jessica Walliser recommends in “Plant Partners: Science-Based Companion Planting Strategies for the Vegetable Garden” (Storey Publishing, $24.95).

While cover crops are widely used by commercial growers and large farms, Walliser identifies six cover crops that are easy to grow in home gardens. Depending on their growing season, cover crops are grown to be mowed down and turned into the soil or simply killed by frost.

Before they go, however, they can benefit future crops in many ways. They might draw up nutrients from low in the soil, improve soil structure and fertility, and provide organic matter that feeds beneficial microbes while improving moisture retention. Their growth can supress weeds and create habitat for pest-eating beneficial insects. Some, such as peas and beans, can fortify the soil with nitrogen, an important macronutrient that supports green, leafy growth. Walliser variously describes these plants as green mulch, green manure or living rototillers.

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Indoor water-grown flowers from bulbs: Crocus

UPDATED PHOTO: Taken March 5, 2022We are putting the last touches on our 10th anniversary issue (!!!!!!) of At Home New Jersey for March-April, and I really don't have time for a post. However, I just wanted to share a shot of my crocus bowl.

When I brought it in from the garage earlier this month, it was as if the stems were encased in a white protective sheath atop each bulb. I really enjoyed watching the greenery emerge. It was as if so many slender green limbs were uplifted in the sun salutation pose familiar to those who practice yoga.

Yesterday I was delighted by the sight of a purple bud. Today, it is starting to open, and there are two budding others -- one white and one purple. I see some yellow tips peeking out, so maybe that color will present as well.

I also have numerous gorgeous green stems from larger narcissus bulbs, also growing on water-covered stones in my white ceramic bucket. They are in bud as well. I hesitate to share a photo of those.  Maybe later.

Super Bowl: Party Mix makes a Game Day-worthy meatloaf recipe

Meatloaf is one of those foods that people tend to really love or really loathe. And I don't think I've ever seen meatloaf starring -- or even playing a supporting role -- in a Super Bowl spread.

We hope to change that. In creating our recipe for Party Mix meatloaf, we held true to the flavor explosion that comes in the namesake snack-chip blend. We cooked up a Game Day-worthy turkey meatloaf that almost anyone will enjoy.

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Massa Pizza brings authentic taste of Italy to Scotch Plains

Marco Massaro at Massa Roman Square Pizza in Scotch PlainsTucked between a hobby store and a health shop on Park Ave. in Scotch Plains, there is a little taste of Rome.

Marco Massaro paces himself to rock music in Italian, pressing soft dough into huge oblong pans.

Some are drizzled with rich, green extra virgin olive oil. Others are spread with a marinara of intensely flavored San Marzano tomatoes. For his Massa Square Roman Pizza, Massaro has prepared toppings of mushrooms, artichokes, broccoli rabe, fresh cherry tomatoes, roasted eggplant and roasted zucchini.

There is no pepperoni. Instead, he’s sliced imported prosciutto di Parma, prosciutto cotto, pancetta and soppressata. The sausage, and the porchetta used in one sandwich, are from a local butcher, originally from Ariccia, a suburb of Rome. Shavings of Italian Parmigiano or Pecorino cheese are sometimes used, but every Massa pie has fresh mozzarella from Lioni Latticini, the Union-based winner of coveted national and world-wide awards for its Italian cheeses.

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Beautiful Kitchens by Paul: Makeover for Westfield family of seven

The making of a dream kitchen

 

A Westfield couple’s dream home involved carving space from their backyard for a 310-square-foot kitchen. The addition would make room for lots of storage, two dishwashers and a 13-foot-long island.

“I felt it was important to give them an island that can seat every member of their family,” said Paul Barreto, owner of Beautiful Kitchens by Paul. He worked with the couple to plan the new kitchen and its island that seats seven, including their five children.

The two-level island elevates casual dining for the large family. One side of the island’s leather-finished granite top steps down to the same height as the other counters, expanding food prep surfaces and making it possible for several family members to cook together comfortably.

Like the kitchen’s custom, American-made Wellborn cabinetry, the island is topped with dark titanium granite from Brazil. Paul designed the island with a two-level top. The elevated area is for casual dining, and the lower for food prep. He also converted the home’s original kitchen into an office, with desks built from the same cabinetry used in the kitchen.

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