TWENTY-ONE VEGETABLES - Start a Community Food Garden - page 129

Grow Fertile, well-drained soil is best for growing all onions. Plant in early spring as soon as the ground
can be worked. Keep the rows free of competing weeds, being careful not to damage the onions' shal-
low roots. Mulch to stifle weeds and hold in moisture. For sets, open a furrow 2 inches deep and place
the sets pointed-end up about 6 inches apart. Fill in the furrow. If you are planting intensively, you can
fit 4 onions per square foot.
Harvest For storage onions, harvest after the leaves have turned yellow. Use a rake to bend leaves over
horizontally, diverting the energy to the bulbs. Let the bulbs emerge from the soil. When the tops turn
brown, dig bulbs and leave them to dry in the sun. When the outer skins have dried, wipe off soil and
remove tops, unless they will be braided.
Store and Serve Store in a cool, dry place or keep them in a mesh bag in a spot with good air circulation.
The versatile onion adds a tang to salads and sandwiches when raw and sliced thinly. Remove dry
outer skins before using and cut the root last to avoid eye irritation. The longer onions are cooked, the
sweeter they become. Caramelize onions by cooking them in a pan on low heat with butter or olive oil,
stirring often until they are browned—a tasty base for soups and stews.
PEAS
Pisum sativum
There are peas that can be eaten pod and all (snow peas, sugar snaps), and those that must be taken out
of the inedible pod before eating (shelling peas, commonly called English or garden peas).
Start Direct sow in late winter to early spring, spacing seeds 2 inches apart or 8 per square foot. Plant
again 3 weeks later to extend the harvest, and again in midsummer for a fall crop. Use a legume inocu-
lant on seeds prior to planting or in the planting hole to encourage healthy growth.
Grow In full or part sun, in moist, well-drained soil. Amend with compost prior to planting. Tall, climb-
ing peas should be trellised, but shorter plants can trail.
Harvest Keeping your peas well picked encourages more growth and higher yield. For the best shell
peas, pick plump, bright green pods. Shelling peas are sweet and succulent for about 3 to 4 days after
being picked, and then start to become mealy and starchy. For tasty snap peas and snow peas, pick crisp
smaller pods, which are generally sweeter and more tender than larger ones.
Store and Serve Keep fresh, unwashed peas in an open plastic bag in the refrigerator (to avoid sog-
giness) for no more than 2 to 3 days. Peas are high in sugar, which quickly turns to starch, reducing
sweetness. Shell peas can also be taken out of the pod and dried and stored in an airtight container for
use in soups.
All types of peas can be eaten raw in salads, steamed, stir-fried, or sautéed. You can also blanch
them (boil in water for just a minute, then shock in ice cold water) and freeze for later use.