The end of May is the official time to begin a vegetable garden. Any sooner and seeds are almost guaranteed to rot in the wet soil, and any later, plants will not mature in time. That is the conclusion I have come to after twenty-years of trial and error gardening in our northwest Oregon location.

I have also spent the last few years trying to grow a "salsa garden." Fresh salsa is wonderful, but I have yet to perfect the tasks of growing fresh ingredients_timing of the harvest being the worst culprit or of finding the perfect recipe, which would be the sort that does not singe your eyebrows off. One suggestion I was given to add flavor and squelch the heat was to simply take a whole jalapeno and "stir" it around in a bowl of salsa to give it just the right zing but my favorite suggestion was to pick-up a batch of salsa from the local restaurant. I am still not satisfied, though, and I am determined to grow my own salsa garden this year, which will include a pizza, salad, stir-fry, picnic garden, all in one. The following suggestions are some of the things I have learned over the years.

Soil preparation is best done in the fall, tilling-in "organic amendments," meaning manure, so it has time to blend in. Rarely does my garden receive such treatment. The second best method allows gardeners to wait until the last minute to purchase bags of compost or barter for chicken manure that can be tilled-in early to mid-May_bartered meaning we clean someone's chicken pen and get to keep the manure. Two weeks of "blending" time is usually all my site gets, and seeds and transplants are in the ground by the last week of May.

Roma tomatoes are the best variety to use for salsa, less juice and more meat. Transplants give a jump on the season and help gardeners feel like they actually accomplished something at the end of the planting day. The art of actually getting ripe tomatoes in this climate versus huge vines requires a few tricks, however. One tomato expert suggests pulling water off tomato plants when fruit appears to force ripening, hence, planting them next to corn that requires constant watering is not a good idea, my mistake last year. Keeping tomato plants trimmed back helps fruit to ripen, as well. Later in the season, to help the last remaining fruit on the vine to turn red, toss an old blanket or sleeping bag over tomato plants. As a last resort, just before cold weather sets in pick the green ones and store in a box, each layer separated by newspaper, and store in a cool dry place. Check periodically for ripened tomatoes.

Next in the Salsa garden are the Anaheim peppers. I prefer to transplant starts. Ripened peppers can be chopped and frozen while you are waiting for the tomatoes to ripen and as peppers are picked the plant will continue to replace them until the other ingredients are ready to actually make "fresh salsa." Plant green sweet peppers, several if you like stuffed green peppers, and jalapeno, serrano, fresno, or banana peppers, if you like salsa that singes.

Cilantro, also called Coriander or Chinese Parsley, grows quickly and abundantly. Plan to share seeds with a neighbor, as three or four plants will provide all the seasoning needed, unless you want to dry the seeds and stems for later use. The seed package suggests using the seeds to "liven up candy, cakes and cookies." Parsley may be substituted for cilantro in the recipe provided.

According to an experienced farmer_one who swears by garlic for medicinal purposes and with whom I respectfully converse with at a ten-foot distance_it is too late this season to harvest garlic by July. Garlic starts, however, are available and can be harvested for the bulb, which can be used like you would an onion but does not store well. Plant now and harvest by September, or leave in the ground to harvest cloves next year. This year will be my first attempt at growing garlic. I only need to decide if I want Chesnok red or Killarney red garlic, each a more pungent garlic than the popular Italian late, a white garlic, which stores longer than the red varieties. Boring Square Garden Center carries several different garlic starts and reminds gardeners to pick the flowers as they appear to encourage bulb growth.

I go to my recipe box to round out the garden and make sure the ingredients are in the ground for pizza sauce, stir-fry, etc. If you like to be creative in the garden, I found an idea at that makes a "pizza" in your backyard by planting the seasonings for pizza sauce in an eight-foot circle, divided in wedges, just like a pizza, with the sound advice to plant one Roma, in the northenmost "slice" to prevent it from stealing sun from the lower growing herbs. The pizza list included three sweet basil plants, one oregano, a dozen onion sets, three green or red sweet pepper plants, three jalapeno plants, one thyme plant and two parsley plants.

Spinach for "Deb's to Die for Spinach Salad," lemon cucumbers, just because they are different and tasty, yellow squash and ONE zucchini plant, green beans, and sweet corn are a few of the things I throw in the ground. Pre-planning for Thanksgiving includes gourds and mums. Train gourds to grow up an old ladder with boards inserted through the steps to free space in the garden.

The last item for the garden not only provides an ingredient for the salsa recipe but also a great object lesson for the family. Family and gardening go hand-in-hand. Lessons abound while working side-by-side with children. My favorite is the "you reap what you sow" schooling. Give youth the assignment of planting green onion seeds. The next day, call the family to the garden to witness the amazing growth of the onions_green onions you have purchased at the store and placed in the garden unbeknownst to everyone. Allow the group to harvest an onion, when to their surprise they will pull out bananas, carrots or whatever else you feel like wiring to the onion tops. The lesson: Is it possible to plant one thing and get another? No. And so it is with life. Plant an onion and you will get an onion every time. Sow seeds of kindness, discipline and integrity, and let the consequence follow.

Fresh Tomato Salsa

1 _ cups finely chopped tomatoes (3 medium)
1 fresh Anaheim pepper seeded and finely chopped or one 4-ounce can diced green chili peppers, drained.
_ cup sliced green onions (2)
3-4 TBL. snipped fresh cilantro or parsley
2 TBL lime juice or lemon juice
1 -2 fresh jalapeno, serrano, fresno, or banana peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp pepper

1/ In a medium mixing bowl stir together chopped tomatoes, Anaheim
pepper or canned chili peppers, sweet pepper, green onions, cilantro or
parsley, lime juice or lemon juice, jalapeno pepper, garlic, salt and
pepper.*
2/ Cover and chill 1 to 24 hours before serving. Makes about 3 cups

*Note: For slightly smoother salsa, place 1 cup of the salsa in a food processor bowl or blender container. Cover and process or blend just until smooth. Stir in remaining salsa. Store up to 3 day.

Deb's to Die for Spinach Salad

Toss together:
1 head ice burg lettuce torn
1 bunch fresh spinach
_ lb. cooked crumbled bacon, drained and cooled
_ lb. Swiss cheese grated
Just before serving add dressing

Dressing
In blender add:
_ cup white vinegar
_ Tbl. grated onion
_ cup oil
_ cup granulated sugar
_ tsp. salt
_ tsp. poppyseed
_ tsp. dried mustard