Gardeningthyme

What to do with a bounty of pears?

2012-08-02T08:43:00.000-07:00

Sweets are not usually my thing but a few years ago my dear friend Kim made for me this amazingly moist & delicious pear cake based on a recipe from Clotilde Dusoulier, author of Chocolate & Zucchini.

This year, after many unproductive years, my pear tree suddenly produced a bounty of big beautiful pears so I decided to try my hand at duplicating Kim's cake. Piece of cake, so to speak. If you want to go over the top, serve it with Chantilly whipped cream.

Gâteau de Mamy à la Poire

- 125g (1 stick plus 1 Tbsp) salted butter
- 4 large pears or 6 small ones (substitute apples, apricots, plums...)
- 150g (3/4 C) sugar
- 2 eggs
- 60g (1/2 C) all-purpose flour
- 20g (2 tablespoons) ground almonds
- Half of an envelope (1 1/2 tsp) baking powder

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Melt the butter in a small bowl and set aside to cool. Butter a non-stick 8-inch cake pan.

Wash, peel and cut up the pears. Lay the pieces of fruit at the bottom of the pan.

In a food processor or a medium mixing-bowl, blend the sugar with the eggs until the mixture whitens slightly. Add in the flour, almond powder and baking powder, and blend well. Pour in the butter, and blend again. Pour the batter evenly over the fruit, and put into the oven to bake for 40 to 50 minutes.

Let the cake settle on a cooling rack for a few minutes. Invert it on a plate (the fruit side will be on top). If any bit of fruit has stuck to the bottom of the pan, simply scrape them and place them back where they belong on the cake. Use a second plate to invert the cake again (the fruit side will then be at the bottom). Let cool and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Obsessed With Zucchini Blossoms!

2012-07-16T11:31:00.011-07:00

--Not just because I planted too many zucchini plants, per usual, but also because they are so darn cute stuffed, tossed in a salad or adorning a soup. I am not alone in this obsession, recipes abound in print and on the web. Check out the links beneath the photos.

Squash Blossom Salad

Mexican Squash Blossom Soup

Baked Blossoms Stuffed With Ricotta & Basil

Elizabeth Bard also has a great blog this month about blossoms with a recipe for stuffing the blossoms with a mixture of cheese mint.

Squash Blossoms With Burrata & Tapenade

A new favorite is the one below from The New York Times. As the writer, Melissa Clark notes, you don’t have to have a garden to enjoy these colorful and delicious blossoms as they are now available in many stores and farmer’s markets.

Zucchini Blossoms With Burrata and Tapenade

By MELISSA CLARK, New York Times, July 11, 2012

Ingredients

1 cup pitted mixed black olives, coarsely chopped
3 anchovy fillets, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for garnish
12 squash blossoms
1 piece burrata or buffalo mozzarella
Coarse sea salt.

Preparation

1.: In a food processor, combine olives, anchovy, garlic, rosemary and lemon zest. Using the pulse button, process until coarsely chopped and well blended. Continue to process, slowly adding 3 tablespoons olive oil.
2.: Cut a lengthwise slit in each blossom. Spoon about 1 tablespoon burrata and 1/2 teaspoon tapenade into each blossom (you may not use all of the cheese or tapenade). Pinch closed. Transfer blossoms to a platter. Drizzle generously with oil and sprinkle with salt.

YIELD: 6 servings.

Bolting cilantro, lilacs, memories & dear friends

2012-05-28T14:08:00.000-07:00

Rebecca in Sedona

My cilantro was about to bolt so I hurried to harvest & prepare a cilantro/mint/ginger chutney I first tasted in an Indian restaurant with my college roomie, Rebecca, in Sedona, Arizona 5 years ago. The recipe below works great with veggies, chicken, lamb and curries. The aroma of the ginger, garlic, cilantro & mint recalled to mind the delightful day spent with a dear friend climbing rocks and exploring the wonders of Sedona and finally feasting on curry with this yummy chutney. Sedona is a mystical & magical place as is the land of friendship.

Curious how plants can call to mind the magical times in our lives. Dear Rebecca sent the email below about lilacs & her grandmother, a remarkable woman. I met Nanny when she was in her 80s and recovering from an auto accident. She was more energetic than we two gals in our early 20s and explained that the secret to recovery was bone meal & keeping on-the-go. What a gal!

Rebecca’s Lilac Email:

When I was young, the lilacs blossomed the end of May. Nanny's backyard was filled with them, fragrant vases filled our homes

and were lovingly placed by headstones.

Time passed and Mom always reminded me of the Rutland Herald's poignant piece, Lilac Time.

There's a nice NPR reading of the prose here http://www.vpr.net/episode/51252/moats-lilac-time/

Lilac Time

"Now is the brief season of the lilac bush, modest and enduring symbol of the depth and permanence of New England traditions. It has given a name to color, perfume, poems, songs, story. Translated into many languages, its name is upon the lips of millions in many lands. Yet it remains unspoiled by such widespread fame. It is still the sturdy, wholesome dooryard emblem of the New England home.

"With what eager anticipation has it been planted at the threshold of new, bravely begun homes. With what poignant grief has it been left behind for long bitter migrations from whose hardship and loneliness homesick thoughts have turned in anguished longing.

"To what strange and distant homes have its roots been transplanted, there to grow blossoms and, in turn, be abandoned again.

"On this very day in mountain pastures and along deserted roads, over the graves of dead homes bloom the lilac bushes planted by the founders of those pioneer households. Many of those graves would be otherwise indistinguishable, their timbers long since buried, their cellar holes filled in and grassed over.

"Were it not for the steadfast lilac bush, there would be nothing to mark that here once dwelt human souls who shared happiness, sorrow, hope, and despair.

"Who lived there, whither they went, or what their adventures nobody knows. No descendants make annual pilgrimages to remember and decorate these forgotten graves of the homes of ancestors.

"But each year at this season, the lonely, faithful lilac bush blooms again and lavishes its sweetness in memory of the hands that planted it."

Cilantro & Mint Chutney

Grind the following in a food processor: 2 cups chopped fresh cilantro

◦ 1 cup chopped mint

◦ 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped

◦ 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped

◦ 1 tablespoon green chilies, chopped

◦ 2 tablespoons coconut flakes

◦ salt

◦ 1/4 cup lemon juice

Asparagus, Fava Bean & Pea Shoot Salad

2012-05-06T16:48:00.000-07:00

The last of the asparagus, fava beans & pea shoots combined to make a delicious salad. Just blanch the asparagus and fava beans, toss with olive oil, sea salt, freshly grated pepper & pecorino cheese & the juice of a lemon. Finish with some zested lemon and Voila, the perfect meatless Monday dish.

At present, the veggies are taking a back seat to the flowers - iris, roses, foxglove, nasturiums, lilies, catmint and sweet peas are all in bloom.

Asparagus

2012-04-01T13:13:00.000-07:00

"You know, when you get your first asparagus, or your first acorn squash, or your first really good tomato of the season, those are the moments that define the cook's year. I get more excited by that than anything else." Mario Batali

Whether merely roasted & drizzled with truffle oil or prepared in a risotto, nothing beats asparagus fresh from your garden.

As with planting trees or raspberries, you must be optimistic that you will be gardening in the same spot for many a year because you really shouldn’t harvest asparagus for the first 3 years. However, it is well worth the wait.

Five years ago -- at the prompting of my college roomie, Rebecca -- I planted two year old Jersey Knight. For the last two years I have dined for 6 weeks on delicious asparagus. UC Davis has a great publication on growing asparagus. Click on this link.

Enjoy Spring's bounty.

Recipe: Asparagus Risotto

Adapted from Mario BataliTime: 45 minutes

1 pound asparagus, peeled, trimmed and cut into one-inch-long pieces, tips reserved
4 to 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 medium red onion, diced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
Salt to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese.

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add half the asparagus stalks and cook until quite soft, at least 5 minutes. Rinse quickly under cold water. Put cooked asparagus in a blender or food processor and add just enough water to allow machine to puree until smooth; set aside.

2. Put stock in a medium saucepan over low heat. Put oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium heat. When it is hot, add onion, stirring occasionally until it softens, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is glossy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add white wine, stir, and let liquid bubble away. Add a large pinch of salt. Add warmed stock, 1/2 cup or so at a time, stirring occasionally. Each time stock has just about evaporated, add more.

4. After about 15 minutes, add remaining asparagus pieces and tips, continuing to add stock when necessary. In 5 minutes, begin tasting rice. You want it to be tender but with a bit of crunch; it could take as long as 30 minutes total to reach this stage. When it does, stir in 1/2 cup asparagus puree. Remove skillet from heat, add remaining butter and stir briskly. Add Parmesan and stir briskly, then taste and adjust seasoning. Risotto should be slightly soupy. Serve immediately.

Yield: 3 to 4 servings.

Ode to the Artichoke

2012-03-07T11:54:00.000-08:00

The tender-hearted

artichoke
dressed up as a warrior,erect, it built itself

a little dome,

it kept itself

impregnable

beneath

its armoured leaves…

Pablo Neruda

I look forward to devouring some tender-hearted artichokes later this year and to ensure an ample supply I am adding another half dozen plants. Following the lead of gardeners like Rosalind Creasy and Ivette Soler, I am interplanting the new plants with flowers.

Also, found this great article on growing artichokes in California published by the University of California.

Edible Landscaping

2011-10-27T10:24:00.000-07:00

Last week I attended the Master Gardener California Smart Landscaping Conference in Chico, California. The best part of the Conference -- which included information about growing native plants, composting and attracting beneficial insects -- was the presentation by Rosalind Creasy, author of the recently published "Edible Landscaping" and many other books. Creasy is passionate about her goal to replace unproductive, water guzzeling lawns with productive edible plants. Her new book includes over 300 photographs illustrating her ideas for moving edibles out of the traditional rows in the backyard into prominence in the front yard, emphasizing color and design, as well as productivity.

My weekend goal is recreate this bed of succulents,

lettuce and painted lattice work:

A Brandywine from the fog belt at last - but was it worth it?

2011-09-16T12:46:00.000-07:00

In retrospect it does seem silly to try to grow Brandywine tomatoes in the fog belt of the Richmond Annex; far more sensible to stick with cherry and plum tomatoes suitable for this area. UC Davis has done exhaustive trials of what tomatoes grow best in each region of California (http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8159.pdf) and therefore, despite finally producing a Brandywine from seed, I have concluded that it isn’t worth the time and expense to try to battle the elements. I can walk to an organic market and my bi-weekly Farmer’s Market where I can purchase my favorite heirlooms (Brandywine, Black Crimson and Pineapple Tomatoes). From now on I will stick to growing Sun Gold and Sweet Cherry 100s, which performed great despite a cool summer and an admittedly neglectful gardener.

My experience growing the Brandywine is akin to that described by William Alexander in his witty and informative book: "The $64 Tomato: How One Man Nearly Lost His Sanity, Spent a Fortune, and Endured an Existential Crisis in the Quest for the Perfect Garden"

NPR provides an interesting podcast of an interview with William Alexander at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5360768.

The $64 Tomato

William Alexander

Best Price $0.01
or Buy New $10.93

Provence in California - Georgeanne Brennan

2011-07-30T13:41:00.000-07:00

Goat Cheese Souffles, Tomato & Blue Cheese Tart and Stacks of Grilled Eggplant, Peppers & Mozarella

Noted author Georgeanne Brennan gives cooking classes at her home in Provence and in California. My fellow Master Gardener, Kathie Fitzpatrick, and I attended one of her California classes this week. Lucky for us, the menu was a celebration of yummy tomato dishes.

We began by gathering herbs and vegetables from her large garden. In addition to the above pictured dishes, we made pizzas topped with homemade sausage, fresh tomatoes & basil which were baked in the outdoor pizza oven as well as chicken provencal and ratatouille confit made in a Tajine.

Our morning of toil was rewarded with a delicious repast in the garden complete with a light rose from Provence.

In sum, a good time was had by all!

Pablo Neruda & Tomatoes

2011-07-10T12:45:00.000-07:00

The tomato displays its remarkable amplitude and abundance, no pit, no husk, no leaves or thorns, the tomato offers its gift of fiery color and cool completeness.

- Pablo Neruda

Happily, I am now enjoying the amplitude & abundance of the luscious cherry tomatoes started from seed earlier this year as well as lots of basil.

Today I am makng a roasted tomato & basil soup adapted from an Ina Garten recipe:

Ingredients

• 3-4 pounds ripe cherry tomatoes

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon sea salt

• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

• 2 cups minced yellow onions

• 6 minced cloves of garlic

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 4 cups fresh shredded Basil leaves

• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

• 1 quart chicken stock

Directions

Toss the tomatoes with 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the tomatoes in 1 layer on a baking sheet and roast in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes collapse.

Saute the onions & garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions begin to caramelize. Add the basil, thyme, chicken stock and oven-roasted tomatoes with their accumulated liquid. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Blend with an immersion blender. Garnish with basil pesto (see 4/23/11 post).

Now off to pick some blackberries for dessert!

Edible Front Yards

2011-06-26T16:52:00.000-07:00

My mom said the only reason men are alive is for lawn care and vehicle maintenance.

Tim Allen

I attended an excellent lecture on converting front yard lawns into edible gardens by Ivette Soler. She has great ideas for getting rid of non-productive lawns that guzzle water and require big bucks to maintain. Her new book, "The Edible Front Yard," includes tons of photographs illustrating how to combine edibles and ornamentals in the front yard.

The desire to turn the front lawn into a productive garden may be the modern trend, but my octogenarian neighbor has had an edible front yard for over 20 years and keeps it going all year long. Indeed, his winter garden of cabbages, chard, broccoli, kohlrabi, spinach, lettuce and herbs is as beautiful as his summer garden.

Of course, if you get rid of the lawns, you have to find another use for the man around your house.

Potatoes!

2011-06-16T16:21:00.000-07:00

“What I say is that, if a fellow really likes potatoes, he must be a pretty decent sort of fellow.” A. A. Milne

Despite limited garden space, I decided to try my hand at growing potatoes. Wood Prairie Farm has an excellent selection of organic seed potatoes and great advice on growing potatoes. After much deliberation, I elected to try their Rose Finn Apple Fingerling and Yukon Gold varieties.

I planted one crop in February and have been harvesting a few potatoes each week since late May. A second crop was planted in March with a third crop planned for planting in August. I planted the sprouted (aka "chitted") tubers in raised beds a few inches deep and about a foot apart using the “hilling method” of adding soil & compost as the plants grow, burying the stem, and leaving only half the stem exposed. I repeated the hilling process every few weeks. The hilling method allows for better drainage, less compaction & makes it easy to harvest just a few potatoes at a time rather than pulling up the entire plant.

Next Spring I hope to try the “potato tower” method outlined in Pam Peirce’s “Golden Gate Gardening: The Complete Guide to Year-Round Food Gardening in the San Francisco Bay Area and Coastal California.” Inside a wire-mesh tower 3 feet high and 2 feet in diameter, tubers are planted in layers with 10 inches of compost-rich soil separating each layer. The tower seems perfect for the home gardener. Hayes Valley Farm has used the towers successfully in their urban garden and their site provides excellent instructions on how to build the towers.

Initially, I was so eager to savor the earthy flavor of the new potatoes that for my first few "harvests" I merely steamed the fingerlings with baby artichokes, and tossed the lot with olive oil, tarragon and a spritz of lemon. However, I’ve become more blasé as the harvests continue and plan to try this recipe adapted from Laura Calder’s “Pommes De Terre a la Boulangere: Potatoes a la Bakery”

2 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 pound of potatoes, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh thyme leaves
1 cup of stock

Saute the onions until soft and golden in half the butter & olive oil. In a baking dish brushed with olive oil, layer the onion and potatoes, seasoning each layer with salt, pepper and thyme leaves. Pour the stock over the layers, cover with foil and bake at 300 degrees until the liquid has been absorbed, approximately 1 1/2 hours. Uncover for the last 30 minutes for a crispy crust. Note: If you are using older potatoes you may need to bake for 2 hours. Newly dug potatoes require less time.

Vertical Gardening & Squash Blossoms

2011-06-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

Short on garden space, I decided to start growing more veggies vertically this year by training tomatoes to climb a trellis, growing pole instead of bush beans and training Trombetta di Albenga (see April 9, 2011 post) squash to grow up and over a fence. For the tomatoes and squash I used existing fencing but for the beans I constructed a trellis from livestock fencing as recommended by the Beekman Boys. In January I planted sweet peas next to this fence, followed this month by a planting of Kentucky Wonder pole beans next to the sweet peas. The beans are only 4 inches high at present but by the time the sweet peas are finished flowering the beans should be well on their way.

To learn more about vertical gardening, I attended a lecture by Susan Morrison and Rebecca Sweet, authors of “Gardening Up! Smart Vertical Gardening for Small and Large Spaces.” Their book has great ideas for getting the most out of a small space with edibles as well as ornamentals.

Tonight I am using some of the zucchini squash blossoms to prepare this dish adapted from “Vegetable Harvest” by Patricia Wells.

Trombetta di Albenga squash blossom

Zucchini Blossoms Stuffed With Goat Cheese

8 ounces herbed goat's milk cheese

1 dozen zucchini blossoms with immature squash attached if possible

1/4 cup of fresh herbs (thyme, basil and/or parsley) minced

Sea salt

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place a tablespoon of the olive oil in a ceramic baking dish. Slit the side of each blossom and pipe or spoon in the goat cheese mixture. Gently press the blossoms closed and place in the ceramic baking dish. Sprinkle with sea salt, drizzle with olive oil and cover with foil. Bake for 20+/- minutes, sprinkle with the fresh herbs & serve.

P.S. NPR has a terrific segment “Gather Ye Squash Blossoms While Ye May” with more recipes at this link.

Planting Trees & Provence

2011-06-04T20:17:00.000-07:00

Cezanne - Pine Tree near Aix

He who plants a tree, plants a hope

~Lucy Larcom, "Plant a Tree"

Reading Carol Drinkwater’s books about establishing an olive tree farm in Provence led me on a jag of reading other books about planting trees in Provence. I ran across a wonderful allegorical tale by Jean Giono, viz., "The Man Who Planted Trees." The tale recounts the solitary reforestation efforts of a hermit in Provence. The short story is beautifully written and was made into an Oscar winning animated film, with Christopher Plummer reading Giono’s inspiring story. The film is available from Netflix or you can watch it for free in three parts on Youtube.

Plant a tree & eat some olives! Below is a favorite tapenade recipe adapted from one of Georgeanne Brennan's recipes.

Green Olive & Almond Tapenade

4 cups pitted green olives

4 anchovy fillets

1 cup of toasted chopped almonds

1 1/2 tablespoons of minced garlic

1 tablespoon of rinsed & drained capers

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend. The tapenade tastes better if made the day prior to serving.

May Days

2011-05-28T11:16:00.000-07:00

"What potent blood hath modest May." Ralph W. Emerson

The garden is awash in blooms: roses, sweet peas, foxglove, sea lavender, nigella, calendula and nasturiums! The tomato seedlings started in February and transplanted in early April -- albeit with the use of the Wall-o-Waters -- are 4 feet high and laden with blossoms. A few tiny clusters of cherry tomatoes have formed. I still have a week or so to harvest the remaining artichokes & asparagus and there is plenty of arugula for salads to stave off hunger.

Inspired by Georgeanne Brennan’s book “A Pig in Provence," recounting her early days in Provence establishing her farm and learning to make goat cheese, I tried my hand at making a simple Farmer’s Cheese with goat milk using a variation on a recipe provided by the Fabulous Beekman Boys. It was delicious & simple to make.

Farmer’s Cheese with Thyme

Ingredients: 1 gallon of organic goat milk, 1 pinch of salt & the juice of one large lemon

Directions: Pour the goat milk into a stock pot, and whisk in the salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. As soon as the mixture begins to boil, turn off the heat & stir in the lemon juice. The goat milk should begin to curdle within a few minutes. Pour the mixture through a sieve lined with cheesecloth. Squeeze out the liquid (whey) and tie the cheesecloth bag to a wooden spoon suspended over the sieve to allow more of the whey to drain off from the curds. After the whey is drained off, mix in a tablespoon of chopped thyme.

I plan to serve the cheese with arugula, artichokes & asparagus from the garden and some crostini with ham from Iberica, courtesy of The Spanish Table.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Cave art, tracing your ancestors & Pistou soup

2011-05-25T16:57:00.000-07:00

Werner Herzog’s “Cave of Forgotten Ancestors” is a must see. Cave paintings created 32,000 years ago in the South of France were discovered only in 1994 by 3 cave explorers led by Jean-Marie Chauvet.

Chauvet

I was interested in seeing this documentary because in the summer of 1983, as an archaeology student, I visited many caves in the South of France including Lascaux.

Lascaux

The documentary is historic for a number of reasons, including, inter alia, access was unprecedented as only a few scientists are permitted to enter the cave and after herculean efforts Herzog was permitted a mere 4 hours a day for 1 week. The shooting in 3D conveys, as flat photographs cannot, how the artists used the bulges & ripples in the rock formations to show the muscles and movement of the animals. Finally, Herzog's interviews with the scientists explain the magnitude & importance of the discovery. I highly recommend listening to Terry Gross’ interview with Herzog about the making of the film. If you do nothing else, watch this trailer for the film.

Speaking of ancestors, I’ve been tracing my own after reading a New York Times article about the available Internet tools and encouraged by the success of my friend Rebecca. She traced her ancestors back to the Revolutionary War, plowing through hundreds of records online, patiently reviewing town hall records in print and corresponding with groups who have created indices of early gravestones. There are a number of books about her patriotic ancestor, Seth Warner. You can read about Warner & his ancestors in this article, which includes photos of Rebecca and her son Zeb. Rebecca has been wonderfully patient in guiding me through the maze of finding ancestors & creating a family tree. Below is a photo of Rebecca at a ceremony for Israel Putnam Warner, Col. Seth's son, who bravely served at age 9 (yes, at age 9!), a courier at the battle of Bennington and died at age 93.

So what does all this have to do with gardening? Nada. However, in honor of my recent discovery of French ancestors and the French cave artists of southern France, tonight I am using the chard, escarole, spinach and spring garlic from my garden to create Provencal Pistou soup with a recipe adapted from Laura Calder’s recipe:

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves of minced garlic

1 cup each of shredded escarole, spinach & chard

1 potato, peeled and diced

1 cup carrots, diced

Salt and pepper

1 bay leaf

1 sprig thyme

1 cup cooked white kidney beans

1 cup zucchini, diced small

2 tomatoes, seeded, and diced

4 cups of stock

Pesto, for garnish (See recipe below in the 4/23/11 post)

Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a sauté pan and gently cook the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic. Add the greens, potato and carrot dice. Pour over 4 cups stock. Season with salt and pepper, add the bay leaf and the thyme. Bring to a boil, and simmer 10 minutes.

2. Add the kidney beans and the zucchini and continue cooking until all the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes longer. Stir through the tomato. Ladle the soup into bowls. (Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs). Add a spoonful of pesto to each bowl, and grate over Parmesan cheese.

Alice B. Toklas, Gertrude Stein & Gardening in France

2011-05-14T11:17:00.000-07:00

The book is also interesting for Alice’s explanation of the differing French and American culinary views. Noting the French pride in their culinary history, she notes:

"We foreigners living in France respect and appreciate this point of view but deplore their too strict observance of a tradition which will not admit the slightest deviation in a seasoning or the suppression of a single ingredient. For example, a dish as simple as a potato salad must be serve surrounded by chicory. To serve it with any other green is inconceivable."

How many times have I encountered this strict observance - "pas mal, but the dish my dear Deborah is made with chervil, not tarragon." As Alice would say, "horror of horrors!"

Illustration by Sir Francis Rose

“For fourteen successive years the gardens at Bilignin were my joy, working in them during the summers and planning and dreaming of them during the winters....The first gathering of the garden in May of salads, radishes and herbs made me feel like a mother about her baby--how could anything so beautiful be mine. And this emotion of wonder filled me for each vegetable as it was gathered every year. There is nothing that is comparable to it, as satisfactory or as thrilling, as gathering the vegetables one has grown.”

“The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook” is a great read, albeit not necessarily for the recipes. Few of us can afford to make these rich dishes - say a luncheon salad that requires a lobster, truffles, several partridges and a turkey, among other ingredients. However, the book is fascinating to read as a memoir of her travels with Gertrude Stein, the garden she tended in Bilignin “surrounded by mountains and not far from the French Alps” and the meals prepared for the constant flow of visitors. She once spent hours poaching and decorating a striped bass with colorful cutouts of truffles and fine herbs, which she named “Bass for Picasso.” Whilst he admired the beauty of her design, the ever critical Picasso remarked that the design was more in line with that of Matisse than his own.

Photograph by David Douglas Duncan. This is not Alice's striped bass!

There is a rare recording of Alice reading from her cookbook, including an explanation of the origin of her famous canabis brownies at Pacific Archive. Alice explains that the American publisher decided to omit the recipe after being advised by Washington that “you can do anything you want with canabis but eat it.”

I was prompted to read Alice’s memoir by two exhibits about Gertrude Stein, Alice B. Toklas and the Stein art collection. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is presenting “The Steins Collect: Matisse, Picasso and the Parisian Avant-Garde.” The Contemporary Jewish Museum is presenting “Seeing Gertrude Stein: Five Stories,” which includes photographs and videos, exploring her life from World War I through World War II.

P.S. Kathy Bates does a great impression as Gertrude Stein in Woody Allen's new film, "Midnight in Paris."

Wicked Plants

2011-05-13T20:13:00.000-07:00

Amy Stewart has written a fascinating book, “Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities”, covering plants from A-Z used and misused by folks over the years. My personal favorite is a hemlock known in Scotland as “deid men’s oatmeal.” It looks like carrot but is deadly if consumed. Many a mystery writer has used this plant to kill off some obnoxious foe. See e.g., “Death of a Dreamer” or “Five Little Pigs.”

The San Francisco Conservatory is presenting many of these “wicked plants,” in an exhibition described as “mayhem under glass.” Included are such demonic rogues as the strychnine tree, a source of poison used by many a fictional killer as well as real ones.

Hey - Look what I made in camp!

2011-05-07T14:20:00.000-07:00

The first artichoke of the season was "harvested" today. Silly me, I planted only 6 plants. I love artichokes -- the fruit of the plant as well as the leaf structure -- but they require so much room! Tonight will be a feast of homegrown asparagus, artichokes, radish and snow peas with this yummy aioli sauce. The recipe below is from Laura Calder. Huge fan of her Food Channel show and her books.

Ingredients

• For the aioli

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1 cup grapeseed oil

• 1 head garlic, roasted*

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Juice of 1 lemon

•

• For the artichokes

• 12 baby artichokes (poivrade variety, which are the tiny ones)

• 1 to 2 lemons

• Kosher salt

• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

To make the aioli: Beat the yolk with the vinegar and mustard in a bowl. Whisk in the oil, drop by drop, to make a thick mayonnaise. Squeeze the garlic out of the roasted cloves into the mayonnaise and whisk smooth. Season the aioli with salt, pepper, and lemon juice, to taste.

To prepare the artichokes: Trim the artichokes, rubbing with lemon as you go, until you are down to the core with a bit of stem attached. Halve. While you're trimming, bring a pot of water to the boil. Squeeze the juice of a lemon into it and salt it. Drop in the artichokes and cook until tender, about 10 minutes, depending on the size. Drain, and pat dry. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and brown the artichokes on all sides. Transfer to paper towel to drain. Serve with the aioli.

Cook's Note:

* To roast a head of garlic, wrap in foil and bake for an hour at 350 degrees F.

Inspirational film - "Man Named Pearl"

2011-05-01T18:10:00.000-07:00

The iris are in bloom!

If Spring hasn't lifted your spirits -- the film "A Man Named Pearl" will do so. Pearl Fryar is an incredible gardener and topiary artist.

Self-trained and wonderfully giving, the film captures his love of gardening, his artistic spirit, his desire to share his love of the natural world and his work with school children. Another great plus is the love story shared by Pearl and his wife. A must see. It is available on Netflix or you can purchase it from Amazon. Visit his website.

Gotta go plant beans. Enjoying asparagus, escarole and French Breakfast radish from my garden for dinner tonight. Must admit I've never seen radish served for breakfast in France & my French beau, Roland, considers it an American invention. However, he does enjoy sliced radish with a hefty dab of Normandy butter & fleur de sel on a baguette for an appetizer with a glass of white burgundy. Oh those French!

Basil & Toscana Saporita Cooking School

2011-04-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago, my friend Prudence and I spent a week at the Toscana Saporita Cooking School in Tuscany, which is owned by Chef Sandra Rosy Lotti. Among the many wonderful dishes we were taught was a delicious Pesto alla Genovese. According to Sandra, the dish wouldn't taste quite the same when made in the U.S. because Americans use older growth basil. At the time I thought this was a bit chauvinistic. However, I made a batch of Pesto today using tiny Basil Genovese seedings, from seeds sown two weeks ago.

I was surprised at the difference, viz., sweeter, less bitter & a brighter green in color. I am convinced! Below is Sandra's recipe:

TOSCANA SAPORITA COOKING SCHOOL

Recipes by Sandra Rosy Lotti

Pesto alla Genovese

Making the authentic Pesto alla Genovese is very easy BUT you will need a marble mortar and a wooden pestle.The reason is because the consistency of the real pesto is coarse and not very smooth. If you do not have these two precious tools…well, use your food processor!! Add everything together and pulse until you have a creamy texture. Pesto can be refrigerated in a Tupperware container or it can be frozen in a ziploc bag or Tupperware container. It keeps in the freezer for up to 6 months.

3 cups of sweet basil leaves, (about 60 leaves) rinsed, stems removed (do not use large leaved basil, it is too strong in flavor and too taugh)

1/2 cup raw pine nuts ( gr 100)

2 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil ( 675 ml )

1 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano (gr 125)

3 cloves of garlic

1 pinch of salt

Place everything in a food processor an pulse until you have a creamy texture.

Tiny Houses

2011-04-17T19:36:00.000-07:00

Are you familiar with the “tiny house” movement? NPR has a fascinating program on the subject. The New York Times has written of the movement as well. How great to see folks downsizing instead of lusting for MacMansions!

My college roomie, Rebecca, began exploring this option in the last few years. After reading, taking workshops etc. she took the plunge over a year ago in building her own “camp” on land owned by her family for many years in Fair Haven, Vermont.

By way of background info, Rebecca is one of the most spiritual persons I know with a quasi-Emersonian/Helen & Scott Nearing orientation. I’ve witnessed her très soigné in Paris as well as at ease climbing peaks in Sedona.

She has the intellectual and emotional resources to savor the small as well as the large expanses. Any hoo, if ever I can find some inexpensive land, I intend to follow her lead. Query: will the two pups adjust to limited space?

Fresh From The Garden - Train-the-Trainer Workshop

2011-04-16T16:10:00.000-07:00

I attended a great workshop today that provided terrific training on communicating information to children and adults about nutrition and how to use the fruits, vegetables and herbs harvested from home, school & community gardens. The workshop, presented by Marisa Neelon, Nutrition, Family & Consumer Sciences Advisor with the University of California Cooperative Extension, ably assisted by Carla Moore, also with the Cooperative Extension, was a multi-media event with forays into the garden to harvest vegetables & herbs. We also covered canning, drying and freezing basics. Marisa is a gifted instructor & I highly recommend this workshop. Besides the excellent presentation & great handouts with beaucoup resources, we prepared & tasted some mighty fine dishes.

After nibbling on raw kohlrabi crudités, I am a convert and plan to plant some tomorrow.

I am also going to revisit my decision to skip planting of zucchini after tasting yummy zucchini pancakes prepared in class. The recipe we used can be found in this informative UCCE publication.

FYI: my article on pruning hydrangeas published this week in the Contra Costa Times can be found at this link.

Trombetta di Albenga squash

2011-04-09T14:40:00.000-07:00

Last year a fellow Master Gardener, Kathie Fitzpatrick, introduced me to this fantastic squash, Trombetta di Albenga. Love the name of this Italian heirloom. Aptly named, the fruit of this plant is shaped like a trumpet. The taste and texture are akin to artichoke heart. It grows to an amazing height of 6-8 feet. I've planted my seedlings, which I started indoors in February, next to a fence. Hopefully, they will grow to look like those depicted in this Sunset magazine piece on vertical gardening.

Tomatoes

2011-04-06T09:17:00.000-07:00

It's a little early, but as an experiment I transplanted a couple of Sugar Sweetie Cherry tomato plants into raised beds this week. I warmed the planting area for two weeks with black plastic and the transplants are protected by a wall-o-water. I started these early to photograph for a class I gave on indoor seed starting. In general, I wait to transplant until the night temperatures are in the mid-50s and the soil temperature is 65 degrees. However, the wall-o-waters are designed to permit early planting. Wish me luck! As a back-up, I started another group of seedlings in early March for transplanting in May. I recommend the following free publication for guidance on growing tomatoes in California: “Growing Tomatoes in the Home Garden,” ANR University of California, Davis Publication 8159.