Italian Food in Korea
Would you be surprised to hear that Italian food in Korea is not like Italian food in Italy or the USA or any where else I’ve been? The main difference is the seasoning. I ordered spaghetti with bacon and olive “sauce”. “Olive sauce” turned out to be olive oil with a lot of chili peppers and garlic.
One of my students and the interpreter and I went to lunch together to the “Italian Plate” restaurant here in the Gangnam section of Seoul. While the food was nothing close to my idea of Italian, it was quite delicious. The city of Seoul has a restaurant for every 10 people. They have to be good. In spite of being an extreme concentration of humanity; Seoul has abundant, fresh and delicious food. USA agriculture claims to be the most productive in the world. This is accomplished with a sacrifice in taste and healthfulness of the food. If the Korean farmers can feed Seoul’s 20,000,000 people with tasty, healthy food, why can’t the most productive farmers in the world provide that for the people of the USA.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
Food for More than Thought
Food for More than Thought.
I am in Seoul S. Korea; so I cannot tell what happened in the garden yesterday. I choose to talk about my breakfast. Everyone who comes to the USA from abroad asks, “ What happens to your food?” I believe the answer is agribusiness; but I have no first hand knowledge. The city of Seoul and its surrounds has 20,000,000 people. They are not fed from garden plots.
The food here is unbelievably tasty. This morning I had crispy cucumbers and patio tomatoes. The boiled eggs had strong deep yellow yolks. This food is as good as that from my garden. Well….almost.
Go to the street at the very early hours of the morning. It will be thronged with pickup motorcycles. (I don’t know how else to describe them). They are loaded with fresh eggs in flats and boxes of vegetables. A few years ago, I took the bullet train to a city in the south called Busan or Pusan. The landscape was crowded with cloche’s and rice patties. I wish I spoke the language well enough to learn their farming methods. Many Koreans speak very good English. I have not found a farmer from which I can learn. If I do you will be the first to know.
David Segrest practices international real estate and writes an international real estate blog. Email is david@segrestrealty.com , Web page http://www.segrestrealty.com/ ,Blog http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
I am in Seoul S. Korea; so I cannot tell what happened in the garden yesterday. I choose to talk about my breakfast. Everyone who comes to the USA from abroad asks, “ What happens to your food?” I believe the answer is agribusiness; but I have no first hand knowledge. The city of Seoul and its surrounds has 20,000,000 people. They are not fed from garden plots.
The food here is unbelievably tasty. This morning I had crispy cucumbers and patio tomatoes. The boiled eggs had strong deep yellow yolks. This food is as good as that from my garden. Well….almost.
Go to the street at the very early hours of the morning. It will be thronged with pickup motorcycles. (I don’t know how else to describe them). They are loaded with fresh eggs in flats and boxes of vegetables. A few years ago, I took the bullet train to a city in the south called Busan or Pusan. The landscape was crowded with cloche’s and rice patties. I wish I spoke the language well enough to learn their farming methods. Many Koreans speak very good English. I have not found a farmer from which I can learn. If I do you will be the first to know.
David Segrest practices international real estate and writes an international real estate blog. Email is david@segrestrealty.com , Web page http://www.segrestrealty.com/ ,Blog http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Separation Anxiety
Separation Anxiety
I am in S. Korea now and I must admit I miss my garden. This is a critical time of year to be away. Monday afternoon was spent in the greenhouse. Almost everything left in there was trying to climb out of its pot. I repotted everything that was too small to go in the dirt outside. The water from the rain barrels is almost gone. As the plants get bigger they really drink the water.
The potatoes were getting pretty leggy. I had piled up the dirt from around them as high as it would stay. I had to mulch them with leaves. A week or so ago, I built a rail of 2” X 6”’s along the sides of the potato row to hold the leaves back. Now I will pile leaves to keep only an inch or two of potato plant exposed until the leaves are mounded as high as they will go. Ideally the potatoes will think the leaves are loose soil and make really big potatoes in the dark. Please pray for my potatoes, even if they like the dark side.
The asparagus have made huge beautiful ferns. I wonder why I did not plant them in the flower beds out front. I think I will buy some more and use them in the flower beds. Perhaps I should rethink the entire garden in terms of the decorative value of some of the plants. We have been using vases full of blooming rosemary stems in the house. What else can be used this way?
David Segrest practices international real estate and writes an international real estate blog. Email is david@segrestrealty.com , Web page http://www.segrestrealty.com ,Blog http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
I am in S. Korea now and I must admit I miss my garden. This is a critical time of year to be away. Monday afternoon was spent in the greenhouse. Almost everything left in there was trying to climb out of its pot. I repotted everything that was too small to go in the dirt outside. The water from the rain barrels is almost gone. As the plants get bigger they really drink the water.
The potatoes were getting pretty leggy. I had piled up the dirt from around them as high as it would stay. I had to mulch them with leaves. A week or so ago, I built a rail of 2” X 6”’s along the sides of the potato row to hold the leaves back. Now I will pile leaves to keep only an inch or two of potato plant exposed until the leaves are mounded as high as they will go. Ideally the potatoes will think the leaves are loose soil and make really big potatoes in the dark. Please pray for my potatoes, even if they like the dark side.
The asparagus have made huge beautiful ferns. I wonder why I did not plant them in the flower beds out front. I think I will buy some more and use them in the flower beds. Perhaps I should rethink the entire garden in terms of the decorative value of some of the plants. We have been using vases full of blooming rosemary stems in the house. What else can be used this way?
David Segrest practices international real estate and writes an international real estate blog. Email is david@segrestrealty.com , Web page http://www.segrestrealty.com ,Blog http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Flatulence in Earthworms
Flatulence in Earthworms
I am so conservative with composting materials that I even take home the scraps and coffee grounds from the office. I found some leftover beans that I would no longer be comfortable eating; so I put them in the compost. My compost bins are so full of earthworms that I think of the compostables as earthworm food. I wonder if these beans will give the earthworms flatulence. That could give a whole new meaning to one of the benefits of earthworms which is soil aeration.
The sun is back out and I am feeling better. I can’t wait to get back into the yard. I wonder if the rain has made anything grow yet. My intentions for the day are to till some more of the front yard and saw up some more firewood. I may work on the watermelon fence a little too. My travel schedule is pretty brutal from now until the beginning of June; so I may not write a lot. I am trying to get my garden on “auto-pilot” so my wife will not have to do too much while I am gone.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com/ , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
I am so conservative with composting materials that I even take home the scraps and coffee grounds from the office. I found some leftover beans that I would no longer be comfortable eating; so I put them in the compost. My compost bins are so full of earthworms that I think of the compostables as earthworm food. I wonder if these beans will give the earthworms flatulence. That could give a whole new meaning to one of the benefits of earthworms which is soil aeration.
The sun is back out and I am feeling better. I can’t wait to get back into the yard. I wonder if the rain has made anything grow yet. My intentions for the day are to till some more of the front yard and saw up some more firewood. I may work on the watermelon fence a little too. My travel schedule is pretty brutal from now until the beginning of June; so I may not write a lot. I am trying to get my garden on “auto-pilot” so my wife will not have to do too much while I am gone.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com/ , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Indian Winter
Indian Winter
I’m not sure there is such a thing; but that is what today feels like. It is not cold enough to hurt the little growies. It is cold and miserable enough to keep me inside. There is a light rain falling. It is soaking my plants the way they like it best. It is putting a little something in the rain barrels. It is putting all of my projects on hold.
The tomatoes are in the ground. Almost all of the seeds are planted except for some late things for the fall. We had fresh greens from the garden yesterday.
My current major project will take all summer and most of the fall. I am going to till and replant the whole front yard. I started out trying to till the ground where the English ivy lives. The tiller kept bogging down. I got out the old side delivery lawn mower and set it high and mowed the foul stuff. Then I set it low and mowed it again. When the weather gets better I will start tilling again. I want to put most of the yard into flower beds and just have a little bit of grass. I would like to install some “yard art”; but my wife objects to everything I have mentioned. I guess I need to get out one of those “You Know You are a Redneck” books and assess my taste.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
I’m not sure there is such a thing; but that is what today feels like. It is not cold enough to hurt the little growies. It is cold and miserable enough to keep me inside. There is a light rain falling. It is soaking my plants the way they like it best. It is putting a little something in the rain barrels. It is putting all of my projects on hold.
The tomatoes are in the ground. Almost all of the seeds are planted except for some late things for the fall. We had fresh greens from the garden yesterday.
My current major project will take all summer and most of the fall. I am going to till and replant the whole front yard. I started out trying to till the ground where the English ivy lives. The tiller kept bogging down. I got out the old side delivery lawn mower and set it high and mowed the foul stuff. Then I set it low and mowed it again. When the weather gets better I will start tilling again. I want to put most of the yard into flower beds and just have a little bit of grass. I would like to install some “yard art”; but my wife objects to everything I have mentioned. I guess I need to get out one of those “You Know You are a Redneck” books and assess my taste.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Planting Against the Signs
Planting Against the Signs
I am only confessing this so that it will be documented in the public record. I set out broccoli, Brussels sprouts and parsley yesterday. The signs are all wrong; but the day was gorgeous and the plants are getting too big for the greenhouse. I also put up the tomato fence. I will plant tomatoes today or tomorrow. I am also going to plant watermelon, winter squash and cantaloupe seeds. My travel schedule, beginning Thursday, is going to be very intense until the middle of June. It is really now or never.
The potatoes are finally coming up. The first ones are big enough to need mulching as soon as it rains. I don’t want to mulch dry ground. I had to water the plants that have come up last night. I went out and looked this morning. The plants really appreciated that little bit of moisture. No rain is called for until the weekend. My rain barrels are almost empty. I may have to start using tap water in the greenhouse.
The figs and the grapes (except for one) have real leaves. All but two of the blueberries seem to be doing well. The paw-paws have not leafed or budded or anything. I bought the paw-paws and and the blueberries from Burgess Nursery. I doubt seriously if I will buy anything else from them. The paw-paws had less than an inch of root and looked as if they were already dead. They may have been. I had lunch with my friend Rusty Dixon yesterday. She said that the seed potatoes she got from Burgess were rotten.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
I am only confessing this so that it will be documented in the public record. I set out broccoli, Brussels sprouts and parsley yesterday. The signs are all wrong; but the day was gorgeous and the plants are getting too big for the greenhouse. I also put up the tomato fence. I will plant tomatoes today or tomorrow. I am also going to plant watermelon, winter squash and cantaloupe seeds. My travel schedule, beginning Thursday, is going to be very intense until the middle of June. It is really now or never.
The potatoes are finally coming up. The first ones are big enough to need mulching as soon as it rains. I don’t want to mulch dry ground. I had to water the plants that have come up last night. I went out and looked this morning. The plants really appreciated that little bit of moisture. No rain is called for until the weekend. My rain barrels are almost empty. I may have to start using tap water in the greenhouse.
The figs and the grapes (except for one) have real leaves. All but two of the blueberries seem to be doing well. The paw-paws have not leafed or budded or anything. I bought the paw-paws and and the blueberries from Burgess Nursery. I doubt seriously if I will buy anything else from them. The paw-paws had less than an inch of root and looked as if they were already dead. They may have been. I had lunch with my friend Rusty Dixon yesterday. She said that the seed potatoes she got from Burgess were rotten.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Cold Again
Cold Again
After Easter freezes are becoming the norm. Last year it got so cold it killed all of the leaves and figs that were already loading my fig trees. Last night it got to 31 degrees. I don’t think that was cold enough to hurt anything but my feelings. The internet said that it was only going to 36 tonight. The radio said “light frost”. Whom to believe?
I have hills ready for planting watermelon, cantaloupe, and winter squash. Some of the plants in the greenhouse are getting big enough that they either need to be planted or repotted. I think I will wait for the weekend.
The Lenten roses are blooming. My friend Jane’s Lenten roses are so spectacular that I think I will post some pictures of them this weekend. Her yard is quite beautiful. Mine is so horrible after the tree work, I can’t even bear to look at it. It will be at least a year before I really get it looking good. Then, the city will be putting in sidewalks and I will have to start over. Oh well…The fun of the tent is in the making.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
After Easter freezes are becoming the norm. Last year it got so cold it killed all of the leaves and figs that were already loading my fig trees. Last night it got to 31 degrees. I don’t think that was cold enough to hurt anything but my feelings. The internet said that it was only going to 36 tonight. The radio said “light frost”. Whom to believe?
I have hills ready for planting watermelon, cantaloupe, and winter squash. Some of the plants in the greenhouse are getting big enough that they either need to be planted or repotted. I think I will wait for the weekend.
The Lenten roses are blooming. My friend Jane’s Lenten roses are so spectacular that I think I will post some pictures of them this weekend. Her yard is quite beautiful. Mine is so horrible after the tree work, I can’t even bear to look at it. It will be at least a year before I really get it looking good. Then, the city will be putting in sidewalks and I will have to start over. Oh well…The fun of the tent is in the making.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
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