Magnificent News: Eat Voraciously: Procrasti-gardeners

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Here's what's for dinner tonight.

By G. Daniela Galarza

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Procrasti-gardeners

Before we get to today's recipe, a spiced ratatouille with chewy dates, I thought we could talk a little about gardening. I know a lot of readers keep backyard gardens, because you often email me photos of your flourishing vines and stalks. I can barely contain my envy!

I live in a small apartment without any outdoor space. I'd love to tend a garden of my own. I make do with seven small pots along my main window, which gets lots of morning and afternoon light. My basil plants are flourishing right now, as is my mint. I'm especially proud of my curry plant, which sprouts a new leaf almost every day. But, my makrut lime tree is struggling, and my lavender died very suddenly last week. I wish I had planted a few more seeds in early spring. Maybe you're a procrasti-gardener, too?

I wondered if it was too late for me to plant anything else, so I reached out to Elias Castillo, an expert gardener, forager and garden consultant — and owner of Trifecto Bar, a coffee shop in Clarksville, Md. We had a nice conversation, which I've excerpted here.

How did you get into gardening?

I am originally from El Salvador, but moved to the DMV area when I was 13. My grandparents were subsistence farmers, so I grew up around that. They always grew corn and beans, maybe some squash. I remember when I was pretty young I planted my first corn and beans, just to try it — I loved to see things grow.

You write on your Instagram page that you're turning your suburban home into "a food forest." What does that mean?

As a young adult, I started working at a grocery store. I remember seeing organic beets for sale, and thought, "I could grow those." I started growing things in pots on the deck in the townhouse I was living in in Maryland at the time, but there wasn't enough sun. So I got a plot in a community garden, and started growing most of my own food. Over the next few years, I took over a total of three plots, which was the limit.

I kept experimenting in my community garden plots even after I moved into my house in Northern Virginia. But in 2021, I decided to bring the garden home. My style of gardening is permaculture, permanent agriculture, which is when you're trying to create a full forest environment for the plants so they don't need much input. If you think about plants in a forest, they're in a symbiotic relationship with their neighbors. To re-create that noncompetitive environment where I live, in Zone 7a, I covered my yard with wood chips, which break down into soil that mimics a forest floor. Then, I planted fruit trees — pineapple guava, lemon, yuzu, pomegranate, fig — that would provide shade to more delicate plants, like herbs.

That sounds amazing. I have just a few plants in pots inside my tiny apartment, and I'm afraid it's too late for me to try to plant anything else this year.

I don't think it's too late at all. In fact, right now is prime time to plant all of your summer crops. Look for anything that loves the heat. You'll mostly want to start from seedlings or starter plants, but peppers — especially smaller varieties like shishitos, cayenne, jalapeños, banana peppers, Hungarian peppers — do really well in pots. You can do eggplant, tomatoes and zucchini now too, but you'll need seven- or eight-gallon pots, if you have space for that.

You can also start from seed, but you'll need to look for early maturing crops. The other day I realized I wanted to plant corn, but I'm kind of late, so I found this corn variety that takes 54 days to mature. Our first frost in D.C. isn't until Oct. 15, usually, so we have plenty of growing season left.

I can plant tomatoes in June?!

The prime time to plant tomatoes in our zone is mid-May, so we're about a month in, but if you plant now you'll have ripe tomatoes in August and September.

Do you have any tips for caring for indoor herbs?

Herbs do their best when planted directly into the ground. Otherwise, the size of the pot really matters. I don't recommend planting herbs in anything less than a 5-gallon pot, because they dry out so quickly. If you have a small pot, you have to water sometimes twice a day during the hot summer months, which isn't convenient for most of us.

I grow a ton of herbs. With permaculture, I'm able to plant perennial herbs in partially shaded areas, and they come back year after year. I have lavender, sage, chives, cilantro and basil — but basil you have to plant every year. The other ones come back.

Follow Castillo on Instagram and YouTube for more tips.

Today's recipe

Photos by Stacy Zarin Goldberg for The Washington Post; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky for The Washington Post

Moroccan Ratatouille With Dates

Find substitution suggestions and other tips below the recipe.

Where to buy: Ras el hanout mixtures can be found at well-stocked supermarkets, spice shops, specialty markets and online.

To save or print this recipe, view it in our Recipe Finder here.

Servings: 6 to 8
Active time: 25 mins
Total time: 50 mins

Ingredients

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion (8 ounces), halved and sliced
2 medium cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, cut in half lengthwise (seeds and ribs removed), then cut crosswise into thin slices
1 medium eggplant, trimmed (peeled or unpeeled) and cut in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
2 medium zucchini, trimmed (unpeeled) and cut crosswise into thin slices
8 ounces pitted dates, halved lengthwise
One (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with their juices
2 teaspoons homemade or store-bought ras el hanout
1 to 2 teaspoons granulated sugar (optional)
Fine salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 stems to 7 stems flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped, for garnish

Steps

1. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the bell pepper, eggplant and zucchini and cook, stirring, until the zucchini flesh picks up a yellow color but is still a little firm, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the dates, tomatoes and the spice mixture, stirring to combine.

2. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Taste, and add the sugar, if desired, stirring to combine. Cook, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide among individual plates and sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Serve hot.

Adapted from "Flavors of Morocco: Delicious Recipes From North Africa," by Ghillie Basan (Ryland, Peters & Small, 2008). Tested by Mary Pat Flaherty.

Nutrition information per serving: Calories: 202; Total Fat: 7 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 89 mg; Carbohydrates: 35 g; Dietary Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 27 g; Protein: 3 g.

Substitution suggestions + other tips and ideas:

If you can't have onion or garlic >> use an infused oil instead.
No dates? >> This might be nice with dried or fresh apricots.
To make this a more filling meal >> serve it with quinoa, a white bean mash or as a side for grilled chicken, sauteed fish or roasted slabs of feta.