Sounds good - I planted only four leeks this year (the only plants in the onion family in my garden). But I heard that basil planted with tomatoes is not only beneficial to the tomatoes, but also keeps insects (including hornworms) away. So far, no hornworms and my tallest tomatoes are already 6 ft. I'm the same way as you...hoping it stays like this. We're going on vacation and I don't want hornworms popping up and decimating the tomatoes while we're gone. ...But then, hornworms usually show up in July so the basil has not yet been put to the real test.

Edie, Have you tried Chicharrónes in your casserole? I'd think it was the right consistency, though obviously a different flavor. My friend is allowed to have allium greens but not bulbs, but she's allowed to have fennel. I think you have to have a microscope to understand what's in and what's out (they have a list). I just made this chili with no onions or garlic, and it's very mild (determined by how much heat one puts in--that's easily altered to taste). I think it came out nicely. Tasty. For me, it needs more heat, but that can be added at the table. This is purposefully very mild, with just enough oomph to be able to call it chili. The only thing an allium avoider would have to substitute for is the chives. JC's GF, No-onion, No-garlic Poultry and Vegetable Chili Yield: 18-19 cups. Roasted vegetables 1/8-1/4 cup roasted and seeded chilis (jalapeño & serrano, or whatever you like) 2 bulbs fennel, roasted and sliced Heat broiler to 375°, with convection if you have it. Wash peppers, leaving the stems. Wash fennel and cut off the tops to use in something else. Cut into eighths vertically, removing core. Separately, put the peppers and the fennel in a bowl and coat lightly with cooking oil. Cover a baking sheet with parchment, and put the peppers on one side and the fennel on the other. Roast under the broiler for about half an hour, until turning brown in places. Remove from oven. Slice fennel the short way into strips no more than 1/4" wide. Put on food service gloves if you have them. Remove stems from peppers, slit open, and scrape off the seeds. When they're all clean, put in a pile and chop fine. Spices 2 heaping tsp. dried Mexican oregano 3/4 tsp. paprika 2 heaping tsp. ground cumin 1-1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper Poultry 2 lbs. ground chicken 2 lbs. ground turkey Vegetables 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped 65 g chives, chopped (substitute kale stems chopped small, or a small minced turnip, or skip) 150 g carrots, chopped 300 g zucchini, quartered and sliced Packaged, or make your own (I was working from a family recipe to start with--I've put what I used but any will do): 1-2 cans no onion or garlic tomato sauce (Whole Foods 365 organic: organic tomato puree, sea salt, organic sugar, organic red pepper, citric acid) 1 bottle fresh vegetable juice (Colombia Gorge Organic fresh Carrot Leafy Greens Blend: carrot, romaine, spinach, kale, collard greens). 1 large can crushed tomatoes (San Marzano: tomato concentrate (water, tomato paste), diced tomatoes, sea salt, calcium chloride, xanthan gum, citric acid (I usually use organic but this was in the cupboard)) 1/2-1 cup corn meal 10 g mixed dried mushrooms, powdered in nut mill or similar 1/4 cup White balsamic vinegar Lite olive oil or other cooking oil Black pepper to taste. In an 8-10 qt. pot, start carrots in oil at medium-high heat until they begin to soften. Add all veg and roasted veg but not zucchini. Sauté until starting to soften. While that's going, brown poultry in a very hot pan to get caramelization (over 350° degrees). Add to the pot with the veg when the sauté is done. Deglaze with a little water and add to chili pot. Combine well. Add zucchini, and packages. Simmer over medium heat, stirring regularly. Add water as needed to almost cover--not too much. Once everything is well combined, add spices. Mix well and add cornmeal, mushroom powder and vinegar. When the cornmeal has absorbed most of the water, about 5 minutes, taste. Add black pepper to suit yourself. Add more vinegar if it seems bland. Adjust any seasonings to suit, but go easy if you want mild. The flavors start to pop mid-way through the coming simmer. Reduce heat to the high end of low and cover pot. Simmer for about an hour--no more. Poultry doesn't benefit from a long cook the way beef does. Check seasoning occasionally. Dish up into containers to cool--don't leave it in the pot to cook more in its own heat.

Corn, Beans, and Squash Winter Sowing is fabulous for starting veggies. I've always had problems with direct sowing veggie seeds....the seeds get eaten by birds or critters, or they either dessicate or rot in the soil, or bugs eat them, or there's insufficient germination (for whatever else reason) so I tried doing veggies last year and it WORKS!!!! Some good choices are: Allium family (onions, shallots, garlic, chives) Artichokes (zone seven and warmer) Beans Beets Brassica family (cabbage, broccoli, kale, collards, etc) Carrots Celery Celeriac Chards Corn (select an "early" type as it can germinate at lower temps) Curcubit family (cukes, squash, pumpkins, melons, gourds) Herbs (edible and ornamental) Lettuces Nightshade family (eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes - from real seeds....not "seed potatoes" ;-) Oriental veggies (any) Parsnip Peas Radishes Spinach

There was no garlic scent. The flower doesn't look like gc, unless one I noticed was not fully open.