Enamel-lined Dutch oven with a chip
Is it safe to cook in a cast iron enameled-lined Dutch oven that has a chip in the bottom? Where the chip is located you can see the cast iron it is about the size of a nickel.
Cindy Dobbs
Prairie Grove, Arkansas
Yes, you can. Of course you can also cook in a full cast iron Dutch oven like I have. I’d just watch carefully to make sure that the remaining enamel is solid; you wouldn’t want it to flake off in your food. Usually, though, it is solid and you can use your Dutch oven for years that way. — Jackie
Planting asparagus
Gearing up for planting and would like to try my hand with establishing an asparagus plot. I have tried unsuccessfully in the past — I think 2x so far — so I am hoping 3rd time is the charm! Do you recommend any particular plants or vendors for buying the crowns? I am down in the Twin Cities, so somewhat similar conditions — a lot of clay (which last time I added a bunch of sand) and some severe temps. Also, do you prefer canning, freezing, or dehydrating the spears or just eating as you go?
Lisa Basso
St. Paul, Minnesota
We bought asparagus plants from Nourse Farms and have never seen nicer plants so we really do recommend them. Their website is noursefarms.com. We really had good luck planting them in a furrow with black plastic on either side to control weeds and bring more heat to the soil. HUGE, plentiful first-year spears! We can and dehydrate all of ours that we don’t eat fresh, but it does freeze very well. — Jackie
please let Lisa know not to add sand to her clay soil (that’s a recipe for bricks) she needs to add organic matter the more broken down the better. If you have access to spent mushroom bedding or wood chips or even old newspaper, that would be a help
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