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Veal bones for white stock White stock is full bodied with little or no color—and, on its own,nearly  neutral flavor. Use white stock to amplify the flavors of the foods added to it. Dried vegetable soups–black bean, white-navy bean, lima bean, kidney bean, whole and split pea, and lentil–are made with white stock. Reduce white

Avoid letting asparagus set seeds Protect perennial asparagus plants from cold temperature damage by mulching the asparagus bed with compost, aged manure, or straw before freezing weather or snow arrives. Asparagus crowns can produce tasty spears for 20 years or longer if given the right care and nutrients. The ferny stalks and branching growth of

Pears will grow almost everywhere apples grow and are nearly as cold tolerant. A standard pear tree requires about the same space as an apple tree and can be pruned to about 20 feet tall. Semi-dwarf pear trees grow to about 12 feet tall. There are two types of pears: European pears–with their classic pear

Dwarf apple tree Before you buy and plant an apple tree consider the following: ■ Space to grow and form of the tree. How much space do you have? This will determine the form of the tree you choose. ■ Size of tree and type of rootstock. What size tree will fit the space? The

Composting turns garden and kitchen waste into humus. Humus is Nature’s best fertilizer and soil conditioner. The process of decomposition that we call composting happens in nature as billions of microorganisms feed, grow, reproduce, and die as they recycle kitchen and garden waste. Compost will happen gradually over time. Set a pile of leaves or

Mustard greens have a peppery-bitter flavor—like mustard. They have long been a favorite American soul food and are used often in Indian cookery. Short cooking is the best way to preserve the flavor and texture of mustard greens. Overcooking will cause greens to become soft and mushy. Match mustard greens with bacon, cheddar cheese, corn

Dry or dried beans–also called shell beans–are beans grown to full maturity and left in their pods to dry before being shelled and stored for later use. Dried beans can be stored in a cool, dry place for up to a year or more. (These beans also can be harvested at the green, shelling stage–when

Jalapeno pepper Hot peppers are most easily grown from transplants. Grow hot chili peppers in the warmest, frost-free time of the year. Start hot pepper seed indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the date you intend to set peppers into the garden. Peppers can be seeded in the garden or transplanted out 2 to 3