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
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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.”
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