Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 30, 2015)
8A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL September 30, 2015 S CHOOL TO TABLE A group of LMS sixth graders had a culinary experience during science teacher Bev- erly Wilson's garden- ing class. Using fresh tomatoes from Lincoln's organic vegetable gar- den, students worked to- gether in groups to cre- ate delicious batches of salsa. They chopped up tomatoes, peppers and onion and then mixed in garlic and cilantro for a delicious treat. Some in- trepid sixth graders even added extra jalapenos! Some future chefs might emerge from this group, and at least one doubtful student even tried and liked a tomato for the fi rst time. courtesy photo If your name is Larry, call me; we’ve got a bad connection BY NED HICKSON News Media Corporation T here are three things I know about “Larry.” He is a contractor; he lives somewhere in Multnomah County; and he has tahe same cell phone number that I do. The calls started about a month ago, presumably about the time “Larry” got his contractor’s li- cense and began making bids. Since then, he has been a busy man, picking up jobs and mak- ing sure that his clients know they can call him any time. Day or night. For any reason at all. Which they do — to my cell phone. The Hansons, for example, call whenever they change their mind about what color tile to use around the bidet in their new bathroom. For the Gilm- ores, deciding between cedar shakes or aluminum siding re- quires at least one consultation a day. And the Reyboulds are still contemplating the ripple ef- fect of kitchen cabinets without knobs. Mrs. Reybould thinks knobs would make their kitchen look more inviting; Mr. Rey- bould believes not having knobs would stymie their 2-year-old and keep him out of the cabinets for at least another year. Over the course of the last month, I’ve gone from politely explaining that there is no “Lar- ry” at this number, to a more direct approach, which is that “Larry” died — killed in a freak shop-vac accident that was a gruesome, yet impressive, tes- timonial to the workmanship of Black & Decker products. I was certain that this tragic revelation would solve my prob- lems. That was until the calls started up again, no doubt after “Larry’s” apparent resurrection from a 3-gallon-capacity shop- vac canister. This left me only one choice. When the Hansons called this afternoon asking for advice from “Larry” about their decision to use apricot-colored tile around the bidet in their new bathroom, I told them, as their contractor, they could save themselves a tidy sum of money by simply purchasing a better brand of toi- let paper. Click — dial tone. One down. For the Gilmores, who were still agonizing over the deci- sion between cedar shakes or aluminum siding, I suggested ditching the house for a double- wide trailer covered in simulat- ed wood paneling and accented with a fence made out of used shipping pallets. Click — dial tone. Two down. The next time the phone rang, I snatched it up on the fi rst ring. “Larry speaking.” It was the Reyboulds, looking for help on reaching a fi nal deci- sion about those kitchen cabinet knobs. “It seems to me that the per- fect combination would be something inviting and decep- tively hard to open,” I said, and heard the Reyboulds agree. “Might I suggest installing some beautiful ceramic knobs on your When serious illness or injury occur, our complete Emergency Department is ready. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the Cottage Grove Community Hospital Emergency Department offers exceptional emergency care close to home. With state-of-the-art monitoring, imaging and digital technology, specially trained physicians, RNs and EMTs, and unmatched commitment to our community, we care for every body. Every day. In every way. peacehealth.org/cottage-grove cabinets, then nailing the doors completely shut.” Mrs. Reybould hesitated be- fore asking, “And where are we supposed to store our dishes?” “Hey, I’m offering a solution! If you want to bicker over func- tionality, fi nd another contrac- tor!” I snapped. There was an awkward silence before Mr. Reybould grabbed the phone. “What kind of nails would you suggest?” Click — dial tone. Though I hung up on them I do plan on calling them back at some point. In the meantime, if “Larry” happens to be reading this, please call me so we can straighten this whole mess out. You know the number. Ned is a syndicated columnist with News Media Corporation. His book, Humor at the Speed of Life, is available online at Port Hole Publications, Ama- zon Books and Barnes & Noble. Write to him at nedhickson@ icloud.com Learn the ‘hows’ and whys’ of saving seeds BY KYM POKORNY OSU Extension Service A s fall gets under way, many vegetables wrap up their season-long lifecycle and set the seeds that lead to next year’s bounty. “Saving seeds is a great way to perpetuate your fa- vorite heirloom varieties and save a bit of money, too,” said Ross Penhallegon, a horticul- turist with Oregon State Uni- versity’s Extension Service. Not all vegetables grow true to type the next year, however, so save seeds only from open- and self-pollinat- ed varieties, not those labeled hybrids. Collect seeds from fully mature, ripe fruit of su- perior plants. Seeds should be completely dry before stor- ing. Bean, pea and other legume seeds are among the easiest to collect, Penhallegon said. Leave the pods on the plant until they are “rattle dry.” Keep an eye on the pods, as some varieties split and scat- ter the seeds when dry. Pick the dried pods and place them in a well-ventilated area at room temperature. When the pods are completely dry, re- move the seeds. Look out for pea weevils, which eat out the center of the seeds. Lettuce seeds usually save well, but next year’s crop may vary a bit from the original. Many herbs dry on the stalk. Stems of dill, anise and other herbs can be cut and hung up- side down wrapped in a paper bag or nylon to catch the fall- ing seed. Cross-pollination can hap- pen with peppers, Penhal- legon said, so make sure the hot and sweet varieties are grown well apart if you are saving seeds. Scrape the seeds from a mature, ripe pepper and allow them to dry on a tray at room temperature. Tomatoes should be fer- mented prior to removing seeds to destroy canker disease organisms, he said. Squeeze the seeds and surrounding gel from several ripe tomatoes into a clear glass jar and add two to three inches of water. Make sure you label the jar with the name of the tomato variety. Set it on a sunny win- dowsill and stir daily. As the mixture ferments, the debris and gel will fl oat to the top and the viable seeds will sink to the bottom. After several days, scoop or pour out the debris and gel and then drain and rinse the remaining mix- ture in a fi ne sieve. Spread the seeds on a paper plate to dry for four to fi ve days. It is more diffi cult to save seeds from vine crops such as cucumbers, squash and pumpkins. Without controlled pollination, these crops cross with other varieties with un- expected results. The crosses, Penhallegon said, can be un- usual and even unique. Biennials, such as carrots, beets, and most of the cab- bage family, present other problems to the seed saver. It takes space and planning to keep the plant going from one year until it goes to seed the second year. Once completely dry, your seeds are ready to store in a cool, dry, dark place. Put each seed type in a labeled, dated envelope and store the seed envelopes in a sealed jar. Moisture can cause the seeds to deteriorate more quickly, he said. To ensure the seeds stay dry and increase seed vi- ability, place a small amount of freshly opened powdered milk or silica gel in the jar be- neath the seed packets. Close the jar tightly and store on the kitchen counter until no moisture condenses inside the jar. Then place the jar in the refrigerator until planting time. For more information, refer to OSU Extension’s publica- tion “Collecting and Storing Seeds from Your Garden.” Find Local Businesses. ,QWURGXFLQJWKHQHZHVWZD\WR´QGWKH Find Local Businesses. businesses that mean the most to you. ,QWURGXFLQJWKHQHZHVWZD\WR´QGWKH businesses that mean the most to you. www.shoppelocal.biz www.shoppelocal.biz Find GREAT MONEY SAVING COUPONS from local businesses Cottage Grove 1SJNBSZ$BSFt*NBHJOH4FSWJDFTt1IZTJDBM5IFSBQZt&NFSHFODZ 0VUQBUJFOU.FEJDBM.BOBHFNFOUt%JHJUBM.BNNPHSBQIZ $PUUBHF(SPWF$PNNVOJUZ.FEJDBM$FOUFS 7JMMBHF%SJWF$PUUBHF(SPWFt Sentinel Shoppe™ is a trademark of News Media Corp.
