Remaining Seed Order 2014: William Dam Seeds

And here is the rest of the seed order for 2014.  As mentioned in my previous post, William Dam has low prices, a good shipping rate and (something I neglected to mention earlier) good quality seeds.  So they get the bulk of my seed order (usually they get my entire order).

I also plan to get tomato seedlings as well as some petunias or pansies, along with many impulse purchases.  But this order and the order from West Coast Seeds and Stokes plus my leftovers from last year should be PLENTY for this coming growing season.  Yay!

William Dam Seeds

Borage (80-100 sds)                                       $1.95

Catnip (600-750 sds)                                      $1.95

Dill: Hera Organic (1000-1400 sds)                $1.95

Basil: Italian Lrg Leaf Org (300-525 sds)      $1.95

Arugula: Astro Organic (750-1100 sds)         $1.95

Kale: Nero Di Toscana (pkt)                           $1.95

Spinach: Reflect Hybrid (200-300 sds)          $1.95

Carrot: Nutri-Red (300-400 sds)                    $1.95

Carrot: Rainbow Hybrid (300-400 sds)          $2.65

Mouse Melon (1/4 gram)                                 $1.95

Squash: Summer Melody (10-15 sds)             $2.45

Pepper: Ace Hybrid (15-20 sds)                     $2.25

Marigold: Janie Mixture (40-50 sds)               $1.95

Sunflower Mix (20-70 sds)                             $2.25

Delphinium: Pacific Giant (40-50 sds)           $2.25

Nasturtium: Whirlybird Mix (15-24 sds)        $2.35

Nasturtium: Tall Mix (25 grams)                     $4.75

Onion: Red Baron Org (125-150 sds)                        $2.75

Radish: Easter Egg Hybrid (290-330 sds)      $1.85

Broccoli: Gypsy Hybrid (55-65 sds)               $2.25

Subtotal:  $45.30

Tax:          $ 6.92

Shipping: $ 7.95

TOTAL:  $60.17

Partial Seed Order 2014: West Coast Seeds and Stokes

 

As seen in this main photo, I have dozens of seed packets leftover from last year.  Some will more than suffice for this year's requirement of whatever type they are, but many packets are nearly empty and some I just didn't like.  Needless to say, I've spent another whack of money on more seeds for this year.

I usually order from William Dam Seeds.  Their seeds are untreated which is important to me (as I am trying to be as organic as possible).  They also have low shipping rates, low prices overall, and a large selection including some organic varieties.  So the bulk of my seed order this year is from William Dam (which I'll list in a separate post).  Oh, and they have awesome customer service!

But there were some interesting items that I wanted to try from West Coast Seeds and Stokes.  Actually, one item that both seed companies had that I wanted was aspabroc ... kind of an asparagus-style broccoli.  But it was just too pricey for me, especially when I already struggle to grow regular broccoli.

This year was my first West Coast Seeds catalogue.  It's fabulous!  They are dedicated to organic growing and have a great selection.  Their prices are a bit higher and their shipping is considerably higher (although I suppose that might have just been the distance thing).  But as I indicated in my previous post on ordering seeds (lessons learned ... ordering seeds), I like to buy variety packs to mix things up a bit and they had a good selection of "collections" or "blends".  I was particularly interested in the Three Sisters Collection since I was thinking of doing a 3 sisters garden this year; this single packet contains Golden Bantam corn, scarlet runner beans and Red Kuri squash ... none of which I've tried before.  And the beet blend pack and multi-colour cauliflower also offer my garden a bit of variety. 

West Coast Seeds

Cauliflower: Multi-Colour Blend (0.3 g)         $4.99*

Peppers: Ancho (0.5 g)                                     $2.99

Beans Dry: Tarbais (50 g)                                $3.99

Corn: Three Sisters Collection (25 g)              $3.39

Beets: Beet Blend (5 g)                                    $4.99

Carrots: Jeanette organic (0.5 g)                      $2.99

Subtotal:  $23.34

Tax:          $ 4.69

Shipping: $12.76

TOTAL:  $40.79

* Seriously, when I am writing this the $'s all line up but it gets funky when posted.

I've had a Stokes catalogue in the past, but this is my first order.  I didn't pay enough attention and it turns out their seeds are treated.  I'll see how it goes this year, but unlikely that I'll order there again.  The only reason I ordered from Stokes at all was to get the Kong sunflower seeds - these are supposed to grow up to 12 feet tall!  I can't wait!!!  But kind of pricey, so I really need to learn how to save sunflower seeds this fall so I don't have to keep purchasing these (I bet there are lots of people who can give me advice on this when the time comes!).  I also purchased some tall African Marigold's which, according to the description, could get up to 5 feet tall.  Since I was getting those anyway, I added a few more items since the cost of shipping was the same either way.

Stokes Seeds

The order is all for “packets"; I can't be bothered to look up the weight or seed count.

Cabbage: Savoy Ace Improved                       $3.25

Pepper: Super Red Pimento                             $2.95

Hollyhock: Summer Carnival                          $1.95

Marigold: Garland Orange African Tall          $3.95

Helianthus: Kong (2 pkts)                                $5.00

Cosmos: Double Click Mix                             $2.50

Subtotal:  $19.60

Tax:          $ 3.55

Shipping: $ 7.75

TOTAL:  $30.90

So $70 between these two companies, and that hasn't even covered off the basics yet ... yikes!  But the vast majority of my seed purchases this year should cover off my next year's needs as well (especially when I learn to save more types of seeds like the tomato seeds I saved last fall).

Butternut Squash Risotto

Risotto is very adaptable to just about any veggie you are in the mood for.  The butternut squash I grew last year stored very well and I still have plenty on hand (although I did have to discard a couple of acorn squash that had some rot).  This is such a delicious way to enjoy squash!

Most risotto recipes call for white wine - it helps with flavour, of course, but I suspect it is the acidity that is the main purpose as it helps to balance the butter and cheese.  I did not have any on hand so I replaced it with some sake and lemon juice. 

Ingredients:
2 cups squash, small dice
2 large shallots, minced
1 cup arborio rice
Sake*
Lemon juice
4-5 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup parmesan
Butter






*Instead of the sake and lemon juice combination, you can use 1/4 cup white wine for a more traditional risotto.

Keep the chicken stock warm in a pot on the stove.  Most stock comes in 1 litre (4 cup) tetra packages.  Since this could take up to 5 cups, I usually add 1 cup of water to the stock early on so it is heated up along with the stock.

Saute the squash in some olive oil and butter until tender.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Add another tablespoon each of olive oil and butter and saute the shallots for 3-4 minutes. 

Add the arborio rice and stir until coated with the oil/butter.  Cook for a minute or two then add a large splash of sake and 1/4 cup lemon juice (or replace both of these with the white wine).






Once this liquid has absorbed, begin to add the chicken stock about a 1/2 cup at a time.  Continue until you've added about half of the stock.




 
At this point, return the squash to the rice (I also had some sharp aged cheddar on hand so threw 2 ounces in at this point).   Continue adding the stock until the rice is cooked and creamy.


 


Stir in the parmesan cheese along with salt and pepper to taste.  Just before serving, add a dab of butter to make it extra creamy.