Around The Garden and Kitchen - End of 2015 - Beginning of 2016

Dear Folks,

My Celery Re-Seeded Seedlings

The very end of 2015 and the beginning of 2016 I snapped some pictures of what I and the garden were doing.

I bought some organic celery because mine is just sprouting in the garden, so as I usually do I cut the bottom off of the bunch and placed it in water.

Out in the garden I snapped a picture of what this will look like planted in about 35 days (pictured one was planted November 25).

The celery was for the beef stew with herbs and my dried bay leaf from the garden for New Year's Day Dinner.  Kitchen aromatherapy at its best with every things simmering in red wine and beef broth.

Stews are probably the easiest meals to prepare.  You can find recipes all over the place but, truly, you just need some basic ingredients and steps.  Not pictured was the cut of potato (I always leave the skin on), and the beef broth and red wine I used.  Cook on the stove top (2 hours) or in a slow cooker  (7 hours approx), with both needing to come to a boil and then simmer.

I sort of measure how much meat I have cooked up and cut celery, onion, carrots and potatoes to equal about 2-3 times the amount of meat.  This is all a preference.  Stew was always meant to be extended with vegetables, but can be more meat abundant if you choose.

Sear meat all over, quickly, in a bit of fat or oil of choice.  Add all of the herbs of choice (I used rosemary, thyme and oregano, dried bay leaf and black peppercorns - no salt at this point), stir for a minute or two, add meat and enough liquid to cover.  Add vegetables at one of two points, with the meat or half way through cooking if you prefer firmer vegetables (I like firm, but Deane likes very, very tender).  Reserve about a half cup of cold broth or wine for making a slurry with corn starch or flour to add at the end to thicken.  Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cover.  Take the cover off towards the end if cooking on the stove top for the last 30 minutes to reduce the liquid (BUT if keep some extra liquid handy to add if it is evaporating too quickly.  When the meat is tender, add about 3-4 tablespoons of corn starch in a jar with the reserved cold liquid, cap and shake well and pour in while stirring.  The stew will thicken right away.  Salt to taste.

Most of the time when making stew or soup I shred some greens from the garden to stir in at the least moment or shred into the bowl before adding the stew or soup.  It really perks up the flavor and texture.

I made some whole wheat penne pasta, shredded fresh arugula from the garden, and layered, into the bowl, the arugula, pasta and then the stew.  A tasty and satisfying meal.

The freezes around the garden have had some impact.  My nasturtiums take a hit when there are freezing temperatures, but the plants seldom die completely.  In the middle of some damage one of the lovely flowers.

Red Sails with Celery Seedlings

My Red Sails Lettuce and Celery seedlings just come up wherever and I let them as long as it is not an inconvenient location.

White Eggplant Frost Damage

My white eggplant sustained quite a bit of frost damage and I won't touch the plant until late February/Early March to prune the damage.  I'm hoping the plant will make it through and jump start production in the late spring, as opposed to mid to late summer.

I'itoi Onions

My I'itoi Onions are coming along nicely.  I harvested this past year only to split them (I used one for cooking), so now I have multiple plants and will do the same again this year, using probably only a couple of onions for cooking.

Saffron

The Saffron I planted in October is coming along, and I'm hoping this new location will give me the opportunity to harvest enough for one meal!

Sweet Peppers

I have several plants in the front gardens which have some dappled shade with a western exposure.  This sweet pepper loves the spot.

Pineapple - 2 years old

Out front I also have two 2-year old pineapple plants and I have high hopes that I might get a fruit off one or both of them.  The cold is getting to them, but keeping my fingers crossed.

One final photo.  For a project, I'm sprouting garbanzo beans and green lentils.  If you have not recently done any sprouting for use in salads, soups, stirfrys or stews, give them another look.

This is 36 hours after starting the overnight soak and 3 times a day rinse, in other words day 2.  They both immediately doubled in volume from the 1/4 cup I started with.

Choose glass and any type of top to allow rinsing and air circulation.  You can see lots of roots on the lentils on the right and the start of roots on some of the garbanzos on the left.

Once you have done the overnight soaking, keep the jars on their sides to allow the beans to spread out.  I learned the hard way some years ago keeping the jars upright resulted in a tangled mess of roots and hulls.

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I am going to do an update on the Caper Plants in one of the next blogs.  It has been an interesting time with them in various parts of the garden.

I hope these images inspire you to try some new things.  Gardening is always an experiment but one filled with great expectations and hope and many successes.

I am always happy to answer your email questions (and of course if you stop by at the Mesa Farmers Market on Fridays), but I also will come to your home for a garden consultation or be a speaker at an event your group or company plans.  My contact page at my website.  Or email me direct at:

catherine at herbs2u dot net

Have a great week!

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

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More on Drying Herbs, Some "Neighbors", & Seasonal Tips

Dear Folks,

I have been drying more herbs in the sun and have more information for you, but first some Seasonal Tips and "neighbors" for and in the garden.

Seasonal Tips in The Garden

Established fruit trees should be fed 3 times a year. Memorial, Labor, and Valentine's days are traditionally used as markers here in the desert.  Young fruit trees should not be fertilized the first year.

Harvest seed for sowing later.  Plants like arugula, cilantro, and the radishes and carrots are going or will be going to flower and seed if they have not already.  Catch the seeds for sowing later on in the fall -- recycling at its best!  Store in paper envelopes in a cool dry place and they will be viable for a couple of years.  Mark the date you harvest on the envelopes.

Speaking of seeds -- did you know the nasturtium seed is edible?  The fresh green seed after the flowers die off are a great bite of horseradish.  Just don't eat too many at once.  3-5 crushed and added to a dressing is good.  They can be pickled like capers.  They contain oxalic acid, which binds with minerals like calcium and make it unavailable to your body when eaten in large quantities.  Many of the foods good for you, like spinach and other dark green leafy veggies have the same caution.  Too much of a good thing, can be a problem.

I let many of the nasturtium seeds drop where they may, harvesting some seeds so I can fill in later next fall/winter where I need more color.  This year's freezes killed the first 2 crops of "nastys" but there were many more seeds in the ground that just needed the opportunity to pop up, so our fruit tree wells had lovely hems of brilliant colors and the textures of the exotic leaf shapes.

There is still time to plant sunflowers, soybeans and summer squash, cantaloupe and Armenian cucumber.  One of my recommended variations on the "three sisters" companion planting.  For more color, plant moss rose flowers (portulaca) - they love the heat.

Neighbors

We encourage the birds by putting out seed for them, but not all of them need the seed.  The Lesser Goldfinch is one of the acrobats of our feathered neighbors and a hoot to watch on our sunflowers.

Look closely at the photo on your visual right and you will see the male hanging upside down.  I always thought they were only after the seed, but a reading several years ago said they are after the tiny bugs which frequent sunflowers, as well as nibbling on other parts of the sunflowers.

I found out about the bugs one year when something I could not see bit me, and I tried to find out about what the heck it was.  One of the types of bugs found on sunflowers are thrips an annoying insect which has a nasty bit for such a small thing.  Healthy plants do not need our help to maintain vigor with these pests and having finches helps keep the bug population under some control.

One of our shy neighbors is the Cardinal.  I caught this handsome guy just before he flew away - I am usually not good with the camera, but this did not turn out too bad.  Deane is the photography expert who's pictures I use for this blog, but he was snoozing early the other morning and I only had about a minute to try and snap a picture.

It is also rare for us to see them on the ground.  They usually prefer to be "up."

We have been blessed this year to have the Gamble Quail come regularly to the feeders. For the last few years, they have not been around as much -- too much development going on we think.  Some years ago, Deane moved a large piece of lumber stored in the back drive and discovered a quail nest. He gently eased the wood back in place.  Later, we were treated to mom and dad taking the "eggs - with - legs" hatchlings back and forth through the yard for a week or two.

Drying Herbs

I have posted a couple of notes about sun drying some herbs while I was drying our apricots and apples.  As a general rule I prefer drying my herbs in the refrigerator, on a tray, paper towel or plate.  Why?  Because the modern refrigerator mimics the commercial freeze-drying process by constantly removing the moisture from the air (outside of the crisper).  This results in a greater color and essential oil retention.

But it is easier and faster to take advantage of our hot weather to dry them quickly, and in larger amounts.  I'm drying my garlic chives right now as I write this post and they will be done today, it has been so hot and dry.

You will notice from prior posts and also from the picture here that I dry them whole.  Using the picture I want to point out some tips about drying herbs for you.  The picture shows fresh then dried - it took about 3 days.

First, what you are looking at is one combination of Herbes de Provence.  From your visual left to right I have:  French Tarragon, Conehead Thyme, English Lavender, and Greek Oregano.  Next batch I'm going to add Rosemary to more closely align with the dried HDP blend recipe I developed some years ago*.

If you have dried herbs before, have you tried making your own blends?  You should try it.

Second, I leave them whole after giving them a good rinse.  Here is why:  have you noticed your ground spices and herbs don't keep their aroma and flavor as long as those that are whole?  Crushing or grinding the herbs and spices releases and "dissipates" all the essential oils.  That is a good thing when you are adding them to your food, but a bad thing if they are only going to sit in a jar or can after crushing.  All the wonderful essence goes away.  So I leave them whole -- and on the stem.

COVER -- you must provide some kind of screen to keep insects and birds off of your drying herbs.  I like the picnic mesh food covers, but netting from a fabric store will work too.

Once dried, store in a dry, cool. dark place. You can freeze them if you prefer, but they will store well in glass, if you can, or a ziplock bag in your dark pantry.  They can be stored in the refrigerator if you like.  The enemy of herbs, spices, coffee, tea, nuts, seeds and flours are:  air, light and humidity.   Cool - dry - dark.  Remember that.

Once you are ready to use these dried blends, or even single herb bunches, you merely have to tap or press to release a shower of dried leaves.  Our Italian heritage families grew up keeping a big bunch of oregano handy and just showering some oregano from the bunch over the sauce pot when they wanted to flavor.

The stems - use them for flavoring stews, soups and sauces.  Tied with cotton string or just placed in the pot while cooking imparts all that wonderful flavor and then you remove them before serving in the same way you remove a bay leaf.  (One of Deane's funnier observations of my string-tied herb bunches in sauces several years ago was my "herbs on a leash" -- kind of makes sense, took them for a 'walk' in the stew then pulled them back.)

About making blends of herbs.  Start with thyme.  If you have ever looked at the ingredients of many of the most loved herb/spice blends, many of them have thyme in them.  It is considered an "anchor" herb for blends.

Back to my Herbes de Provence blend above.  Traditionally HDP is made with Marjoram and not Oregano.  The flavor of Marjoram is more subtle because it lacks the carvacol essential oil which gives some of the hardiness flavor to Oregano and to a lessor degree in thyme and savory.  Marjoram has a citrus back-note prized by the chefs of Provence and Tuscany.

I just do not have any Marjoram growing right now, and I should remedy that!

I am trying one more drying experiment -- a variety of vegetables:  onion, sweet pepper and zucchini.  I read recently about drying zucchini as one method to 'use up the bounty' and decided to try for a vegetable blend which I will grind up and use as a thickening/flavoring agent in sauces - I will let you know how that turns out.


*Many of you have asked if I am going to bring back my signature dried herb blends.  I had to let them go out of stock as I could not maintain the level of freshness I desired for my customers due to time constraints of care-giving and related issues.  I can only state that if things can stay calm - I would like to begin return to offering some of the blends for sale again, probably in late fall.  I will let you know when that happens.

In the meantime, as usual I offer fresh cut herbs from the gardens at the Mesa Farmers Market on Friday mornings (Center south of University).  You can pick some up and use or dry for later use with my drying tips.


Remember - my books give more seasonal gardening information (Edible Landscaping in the Desert Southwest...) and lots of recipes in the cookbook (101+ Recipes from The Herb Lady).  The books are available in print and e-book for iPad and Kindle type readers.

Catherine's Publisher Site

Have a great Sunday!

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Potato Soup with Garden Herbs

Dear Folks,

I've had an urge for potato soup - must be our chilling weather!  Anyway, I think I've come close in flavor to my mom's potato soup of 5 decades ago, but of course I had to add herbs for additional flavor.

Homey, warming and tasty.

I've been having fun with the sorrel from my garden (I've been adding to grain salads for sparkle), we always have fresh parsley too, and I got the arugula from one of our Farmers at the Mesa Farmers Market 'cause my arugula is not up yet, darn :-)

You can easily make this vegan friendly if you desire.

Catherine's Potato Soup with Garden Herbs

2 tablespoons of butter

1/4 of white onion minced

Melt butter in 2 quart stock pot, saute the onion in the melted butter while you clean and cut of potatoes, add a tablespoon of olive oil if it looks like the onions need more liquid.

1 tablespoons of olive oil

3-4 cups of diced potatoes (I leave the peels on and I used red new potatoes)

2 cups of milk

1 1/2 cups of finely minced herbs (I used a mix of parsley, sorrel, arugula)

salt and pepper (about 1/2 tsp of salt and several good grounds of the pepper grinder will usually do it)

Add milk to onions and bring just to boil, stir in potatoes, reduce heat, cover, and cook until tender - about 15 minutes, season with S&P.

Croutons:  (I toasted 12 grain bread, spread butter/canola mix on and very lightly sprinkled with garlic powder and cubed.)

When the potatoes are fork tender, mash leaving some pieces for texture.

Serve with minced herbs and croutons.

Optional:  Crumbled fresh cooked bacon /

Vegan Options: try rice milk instead of the cows milk and some firm cubed tofu can be added just before mashing to increase protein content, use all olive oil for saute.

Enjoy!

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

My books are available as ebooks and a version for iPad in addition to print
www.lulu.com/herbs2u

My Ginger Project

Dear Folks,

I love using ginger and several times I've tried to grow it, and failed - another of my trowel and error experiments from which I hope to benefit and pass the lessons learned on to you.

Exactly one month ago I planted ginger in 3 places in the garden. Pictured here is one of the plants coming up -- I took the picture this morning.

As a tropical herb, ginger root is actually the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale. (The botanical plate here is from Kohler's Medicinal Plants, published in 1887 by Franz Eugen Köhler. (Tumeric and cardamon and galangal are also members of the zingiberaceae family.)

I have tried several times to grow ginger and I did not pay enough attention to what it needed to germinate from the rhizome "roots" - they need warm soil to germinate. Next year I'm going to get the ginger pieces in the ground in August, to ensure enough warm soil growth because I am not sure at this point that the current plants will have enough root growth on them to get them through the winter cooler soil and air temps -- but we will see.

As with my garlic experiment I would like to have my own local supply of ginger rather than purchasing the chain-store Asian imported varieties. According to the general growing information on ginger it requires an even longer growing season than garlic - about 10 months, so I figure that my best possible harvesting time will be in June or July.

Ginger is an amazing food plant with many health benefits on top of the great taste. Growing up my mother "dosed" us with ginger ale or mint tea any time we had tummy aches. True ginger ale sold commercially (many are artificially flavored) still is good for tummy problems for most people. Ginger tea or ginger added to chicken broth is also good for sore throats and respiratory-related ills like colds and allergies. And some folks like candied ginger for headaches.

I adapted a recipe from Ming Tsai for making my own candied ginger and resulting ginger syrup to make home made ginger ale.

You need equal parts of peeled and sliced ginger, granulated sugar and water - example 1 cup of peeled and sliced ginger - make slices the same size 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick - choose firm unblemished ginger, 1 cup each sugar and water. In a pot heat to dissolve sugar in water (I like to use an organic granulated sugar*) add ginger and simmer until the syrup is reduced by about 1/3 to 1/2 - thicker syrup is much stronger.

Have a plate on which you have sprinkled more sugar. Using tongs, take the ginger pieces out, drain over the pot and lay on the sugar, single layer. Turn the syrup off. Turn the ginger slices to coat the other side. Ready a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and preheat oven to 225. Dry candied ginger in the oven for 2-3 hours until they are leathery, but not brittle.

Shake off excess sugar into the syrup pot, and store candied ginger in glass jar - does not have to be refrigerated. Add a bit more water to the syrup pot and bring back to a boil (I like to capture every drop of the ginger/sugar). Remove from heat and pour into a sterile bottle. Cap and refrigerate - will last about a month.

To make ginger ale, mix 1/4 cup of syrup with 3/4 cup of cold sparkling water of choice (seltzer, club soda, Perrier etc.) Optional slice of lemon and/or a sprig of mint completes a very refreshing drink which just happens to be good for you too.

* If you want to try making the candied ginger with honey or agave nectar reduce the proportion from 1 cup of sugar to 3/4 cup of honey or agave nectar.

. . .

I added a gift subscription option to the reminder gardening service. Click here for information.

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Greening - Locavore Sightings for October

Dear Folks,

Can you fall in love with a winery? Well if it is Kief-Joshua Vineyards in Elgin/Sonita area (520.455.5582) - it is perfectly possible. First, it is not enough to have the gorgeous ambiance of the hills of Elgin/Sonita and a building borrowed from Tuscany or Provence, or that the grapes are raised in a holistic manner and tended by hand, or that heritage sheep are used for weed control, nor that natural controls via hawks and owls are used -- the wine has to be outstanding — and it is.

In any wine tasting I've been to - and no, I do not get to many - but I am a huge fan of good wine - there are at least one or two wines which do not ‘grab me.' Not so with the current offerings at Kief-Joshua Vineyards -- each was great in its own way.

Chenin Blanc (good with spicy food, grilled fish or light dessert).
Vognier "vee-on-yea" (fresh fruit, pork, chicken, light salad or Thanksgiving Turkey).
Cabernet Franc (fish, chicken, beef or pork or Thanksgiving Turkey).
Syrah (beef, game, grilled meat or barbecue).
Nebbiolo (red meats, tomato based sauces or heavier chicken dishes)
Cabernet Sauvignon (red meats, tomato based sauces or sharp cheeses)

The Thanksgiving Turkey note above for the Vognier and Cabernet Franc are my own - either of these, a white or a light red, would perfectly compliment the turkey whether roasted, grilled or deep fried. If you are serving tamales - try the Vognier.

I was on a tour with some folks, and had no prior knowledge of Kief-Joshua except that they practiced holistic viticulture (the science and tradition of growing grapes for wine) and used a heritage sheep known as Baby Doll (not to be confused with the dahl sheep variety) as some of the weed control in the vineyard. Well as a current "natural" gardener/farmer and a former owner of miniature goats, I was looking forward to seeing and experiencing the winery/vineyard. (FYI if you are not familiar with the distinction - a winery is where the wines are produced from the grapes and bottled and a vineyard is where they are grown — both are not necessarily at the same location. In the case of Kief-Joshua Vineyard they are both.)

So when we arrived at the beautiful building and vineyard, and the very nice young man who looked to be about 19 and half to these older eyes, proceeded to politely and knowledgeable disburse the samples of the wine, I was surprised and impressed to learn we were speaking to Kief-Joshua. He then gave us the highlights of the wine making area.

I highly recommend a trip to the Kief-Joshua Vineyard, but if you can't make it down just yet, their wines are available at retail locations around the state click here for their website/retail page.

They also have a Sunday Omelet Brunch, and are going to be exhibiting at the Tempe Art and Wine Festival December 4-6, 2009. Open seven days a week from 11 am to 5 p.m. (520.455.5582) Website
. . .

FRESH the movie October 8th at Madcap Theaters in Tempe - $7 presented by Edible Phoenix Magazine -- Celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system.

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Boyce Thompson Arboretum events:

October 9th -- Opening day of the Annual Fall Plant Sale, you find me giving a lecture and Thrillin Grillin food demo from 11 am to about 1:30 p.m. This is a members only sale (for the discounts) — and by the way membership is reasonable and the park is dog-friendly — the lecture and food demo are open to all visitors with admission to the park. The plant sale is open to the public from October 10th through the 25th.

Also at the BTA on October 16th Cedar Flute Musician Joseph Leal provides entertainment for an outdoor evening of enjoyment (4 p.m. to 6 p.m. - bring a picnic or grab some friends and make your own pot-luck).

If you enjoy music at the BTA make sure you check the same link for the upcoming Folk Festival November 14th, which has always been a real treat to listen to a variety of entertainers in different areas of the arboretum.

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Desert Botanical Garden events:

Fall Plant Sale - October 16-18th - To shop the plant sale you do not need to pay to get into the Garden (Friday Oct 16 is members only, though), but you may want to shop then go into the garden for the annual Monarch Butterfly exhibit (an extra fee to the admission price to see the butterflies - well worth it).

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Schnepf Farms annual October Chili - Pumpkin festival 480-987-3100.

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Coming up in November - something to check out and mark your calendars.

Short subject presentations in a new type of forum TEDxPhoenix November 6th at the Mesa Arts Center, $5 tickets. (TED stands for Technolgy, Entertainment, Design) this program is a series of short (18 minutes) presentations by a variety of speakers. Similar to ignite-phoenix , this event includes Greg Peterson, green lifestyle expert from the Urban Farm. with others offering mini lectures on a variety of interesting and/or timely subjects -- it is a way to engage you, the audience, in sharing of ideas and networking. Greg is a regular contributor to Edible Phoenix Magazine.

The magazine is available with a subscription or at one of the sponsoring farmers markets check out http://www.foodconnect.org/ where you can find Arizona farmers markets.

For farmers markets in other areas click here and to find an "Edible" magazine for your community click here .

Support your local businesses!

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Rosemary-Scented Stew

Dear Folks,

I've wanted to do something with barley for a while and I was inspired to try using a bit of Worschestshire sauce while watching a cooking show by Ming Tsai the other day. I prefer using chicken and sausage without any additives. There are several grocers or local suppliers who make sausage without junk. See below for ways to find local suppliers in Arizona and around the country.

1 cup of barley
3 cups of water
pinch of salt

1 1/2 pounds of boneless chicken - cut into 3 inch chunks
1 1/2 pounds of mild Italian sausage
1 white or yellow onion, chopped or sliced in coarse pieces
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, rinsed
1 small handful of fresh thyme, rinsed (These herbs will be removed after cooking so, tie with string or in a cheese cloth bag for easy removal)
1/4 cup of Worschestshire sauce
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
1 quart of chicken stock
1 cup more or less of water
2 potatoes
2 sweet potatoes (can substitute carrots for some of the potatoes - you want about 3-4 cups of these vegetables)
Olive oil
2 grinds of black pepper
1/4 cup of flour or corn starch

1. Cook barley by bringing water and salt to boil, add barley, stir, cover, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 50 minutes. Set aside after cooking.

2: Make the stew

In a large stock pot heat oil and add onion, stirring over medium high heat for 1 minute. Add rosemary and thyme, continue stirring for 2 minutes. Add Worschestshire sauce and lemon juice. Stir for 2 more minutes, add pepper, and a bit of chicken stock stir. Begin nesting in chicken and sausage adding broth to keep it covered. Add potatoes last, on top of meat. Add enough broth and water if needed to cover everything. Bring to boil, cover, reduce to gentle simmer, and cook for 30 minutes.

Remove meat and vegetables to a bowl, discard herb bundle. Cool a bit of stock and stir flour into it, then while stirring, add back into stock to thicken. Cook for 3-4 minutes until thick. Cut meat and vegetables into large bit-size pieces. Add reserved barley to stock and bring back to a boil. Add meat and vegetables back in and heat for 2 minutes. Serve and enjoy. This hearty stew usually needs no additional salt.

ABOUT barley.

My mother cooked with barley frequently to extend the nutrition of soups. An old grain, barley is more nutrient dense than brown rice (higher fiber of the good kind). While it takes a little longer to cook, it is worth while to cook up several cups at a time and freeze in 1-2 cup packages for easy additions to soups and stews or to make a variation on fried rice. One nice thing about cooked barley is that it does not have the extra-gelatinous starch rice does.

. . .

GARDENING: My e-reminder service is applicable to areas other than the Phoenix Metro valley, including some other states. Click here to find cities whose gardeners can use the same planting and growing help.

. . .
Locavore - Local Suppliers of foods:

In Arizona go to http://www.localfirstaz.com/index.php to find local producers and sellers of not only food but everything your need .

All over the country, you can also find local farmers and producers of all types of foods at localharvest.org

And in Arizona you can find farmers markets at foodconnect.org - foodconnect.org also helps the community with the guiding principle of their mission statement "...to grow strong communities, healthy food, healthy families and healthy farms."


Have a great day,

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Banana Flower Bud

Howdy Folks,

On June 29, 2009, Deane spotted the banana flower bud on our Blue Java (aka "Ice Cream") banana plant. Hope you can see how the bud can just sort of appear - I circled, from left to right, in blue the bud as viewed from far away, then closer, then right up underneath it.

If you have followed my blog and newsletter you may remember we got our first ever banana bloom, followed by fruit, last fall. The challenge was that it really flowered too late for the fruit to develop to proper size. We decided to cut the fruit stalk off just before an impending freeze, hung the stalk in a back room and several weeks later we actually got to taste ripe bananas! That was okay, but I was really hoping our plants would fruit early enough this spring/summer to allow the fruit to ripen more fully before harvesting. I am really excited that we will get the true 'vanilla ice cream' flavor this banana is known for. Will keep you posted.

Did you know the whole plant is pretty much edible? The flower bud (as shown), the fruit, and the leaves (used for steaming food). I do not want to sacrifice a flower bud to try cooking with it, but I have used the leaves to steam things on the grill and it imparts a fruity flavor note to the food.

TIP: When serving food, especially with the July 4th weekend coming up, use edible leaves in place of doilies to display your delicious foods. Citrus, fig and banana leaves are all edible (meaning non-toxic, crunchy but safe) garnishes for your serving platters.

TWITTER: I'm now twittering! Catch my 'tweets' in the upper right side bar here on the blog, or sign up to follow me if you enjoy tweeting.

Have a great day,

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Frost Burn Damage - Ugly but Healthy!

Good Day Folks,

In the desert we have two types of direct weather related damage — frost damage (really a kind of ‘burn') and sun burn. Both do identical injury to the plants and both should be dealt with in similar fashion.

First — Don't touch the damage until the danger is over! If you are a gardener more interested in beauty than longevity of the plant, you should probably be gardening only with ornamentals, although you will miss the shear pleasure of harvesting your own bounty from your own gardens, while enjoying their beauty most of the year.

Unless we have a severe weather experience, most frost ‘burn' or sun burn are on the top of the plant only, and the damaged, dried out portions provide protection to the lower healthy foliage and fruit. If you cut the damage off before the danger is over it is like exposing new baby skin to full sun or cold - the damage will be greater and you could lose the plant.

Second — watch for new growth below the damaged area, sometimes beginning at the soil level, but often beginning at branching areas. This is a good indication that you can start the pruning process and that the frost danger is over.

Third — once the danger is over, you can begin pruning off the dead branches a "little" at a time — DO NOT cut it all off at once — give the protected growth time to acclimate to the sun and air by working around the plant pruning off about a fourth or fifth of the plant then waiting a day or two and do the next section — it should take you about a week to do all the pruning.

Some plants grown here in the desert such as basil or tomato, which you have successfully wintered over with cloth protection, will take a bit longer to get started — their growth is triggered by the warming soil, not just the lack of frost, so watch FIRST for that new growth at the base or nodes of the plant, before beginning to prune.

As we move into the warmer temps of spring, keep that water meter handy for checking soil moisture content.

Welcome to spring in the desert!

Accuweather is a great site for getting detailed weather forecast info by zipcode. http://www.accuweather.com — you can sign up to receive a 5-day brief forecast and go to the site for detailed long range (15 day) information.

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

P.S. With the rains we have had this year, we should have a spectacular wild flower display in the desert. To find out where wild flowers are showing up now and later on click here for the desertusa site.

12 Days of Christmas - 10th Day of Christmas

10th Day of Christmas - January 3rd

GARDEN

If you are going to prune citrus trees, it needs to be done before they start flowering in late January or early February, BUT, consider the real necessity of doing citrus pruning. Many of the commercial citrus growers do not prune out all dead wood because those branches support the fruit ladened branches.

If you have a choice, do not pick your citrus until you are ready to use it — all citrus becomes sweeter the longer it stays on the tree, and the tree is storing it for you, instead of taking up refrigerator or counter space. I have picked my lemons and grapefruit into May with no deterioration in quality, and no reduction in next year's fruit setting.

By the way, that citrus fruit-drop many gardeners see in late spring or early summer is a naturally occurring ‘instinct' of the trees to ‘self-prune.'

If you have not already planted Nasturtiums, get some seeds in the ground for a great spring garden and table treat.

"Nasty" Tips: The hard, rough-surfaced seed of the nasturtium is designed to keep sprouting controlled in irregular conditions. First take a nailfile and gentle nick the seed, being careful to keep from getting too deep. Next soak the seed overnight.

Plant these seeds by burying them their seed depth in a well-draining, sunny location, water in. Unlike many seeds, nasturtiums need darkness to germinate (hollyhock seeds are the opposite they need sunlight to germinate).

You can sow seeds for nasturtiums as early as September by burying them under the edges of summer edibles because the overhead leaves will give them some heat protection when they get started.

Nasturtium flowers and leaves are edible with a nice peppery bite. The seeds can be pickled for a caper substitute — but use sparingly in meals.

KITCHEN

MARINATED OLIVES
Use some of that wonderful fresh citrus to make this great appetizer or salad topper.
Who doesn't need another appetizer - when I go to parties, friends/family ask me to bring this dish.
Make this at least 3-4 hours ahead of time or the day before and allow to come to room temperature before serving.

2 cups green olives (can be stuffed)
2 cups kalamata olives
2 cups medium sized black olives
(You can choose to leave pits in, but warn folks!)
1 orange, zest and juice
1 lime (or lemon), zest and juice
1/2-3/4 cup finely chopped mixed herbs (basil, thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley, oregano, marjoram, dill, chives, etc. - use at least 3 different kinds - leaves, no stems)
1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and minced or finely shredded
Optional: 1-2 cloves of garlic, pressed or finely minced
Olive oil to cover

Drain olives of any water, but reserve oil if oil packed.

Mix olives, citrus zest and juice, herbs, ginger and garlic, tossing to mix well. Let sit for 1/2 hour, tossing periodically to coat.

Place this mixture in an attractive tall lidded jar, making sure to scrape in all herbs and juices. Use reserved olive packing oil and fresh olive oil to almost completely cover the olives. Cap tightly and turn (up-end) every 1/2 hour or so to keep mixture coating the olives. Serve and enjoy. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 weeks — oil will solidify, so bring what you wish to use to room temperature before serving.

Serving tip: Use an edible bowl (seeded cucumber or squash 'boats', bread bowls, seeded- sweet peppers etc.) to serve the olives in. The bread bowl can be cut up at the end and nibbled on, and if the veggie bowls are still fresh, can be used in a salad later that day.


THE SPIRIT OF GENEROSITY

Do you have an old friend or acquaintance that you think of sometimes, but you don't have a lot of regular contact with? They are the one you think of when a problem comes up because they have answers and help when asked?

That is the way I think of the Red Cross organization. They are always there in the background ready to help and they have been doing it since 1881!

By the way, if you ever heard or read the totally false story that the RC folks require recipients to reimburse the RC for help given — it is NOT true. Apparently that story has been around so long, even some of my friends and I had heard it decades ago. See snopes page for some history on the allegations. http://www.snopes.com/medical/emergent/redcross.asp

When I was a child (somewhere around 1959/1960 don't remember exactly when), I decided to hold a show to raise money for a Charity (my bad memory says I did it for the Red Cross, but it may have been for the Heart Association). I charged my neighborhood pals a nickel each and my girlfriend and I put on a show in her backyard (more room) and raised .76 cents, which with my mom's help I mailed off to the charity. I got a note back from them that I remember I was so impressed with thanking me for the money. (I was kind of imitating the Little Rascals with the show idea, but it worked!)

My little story is by way of saying anyone, in anyway, can find a way to give something to any worthwhile group. I have no idea what my .76 would be worth in today's money, but I did what I could with what I/we had to work with, and it felt great!

You can donate on line as little as $10.00 - add a buck extra to offset processing fees.

http://www.redcross.org/


Old Time Radio: http://www.otrcat.com/113.html

Before Spider Man, old time radio had its share of heroes: Superman, Green Hornet, Captain Midnight, Buck Rogers, Dick Tracy, Flash Gordon, Jungle Jim, Magic Island, Sgt Preston, Sky King, Speed Gibson, Terry and the Pirates, and Tom Mix.

From 1936-52, the "Flight of the Bumblebee" signaled another episode of the Green Hornet. The Green Hornet's saved the life of Kato somewhere during his travels in the Far East and Kato became a loyal friend. Listen free to this episode "Torpedo on Wheels."

http://www.otrcat.com/113-GreenHornet-24-custom.html

Merry 10th Day of Christmas!


-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Enroll in the New On-Line Class

Dear Folks,

Enrollment is now open in my new On-Line Class -- click on this post's title to go to the archive newsletter page to learn more details about registering etc. Class begins September 2nd. Timed to get you successfully gardening by the end of week 4 and cooking before the holidays, this economical program will satisfy tight schedules and gas-squeezed families.

This class is a 12-Week program called "Good Looks, Good Scents, Good Eats!" which takes you from garden dirt to table meals. Designed for the desert gardener, the information will still be helpful for other area gardeners.

How to succeed in gardening year round with edibles in the desert
Herbs Anise to Zahtar
Delicious meals using real food from your gardens for real flavor

Questions can be directed to:

info at herbs2u dot net

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Bringing My Blog Back Up

Dear Folks,

When I first put the blog up several years ago I thought I would be able to keep it going on a regular basis. But with life being what it is and was, I found some of the things I wanted to do with the Blog too time consuming versus putting out some internet newsletters and writing for local papers.

Now that posting to the blog is easier (for me anyway) and I have re-structured some of my writing I want to use this blog for my frequent thoughts, concepts and opinions on all things edible from the garden to the table, and greening up your life suggestions with an emphasis on helping you become a locavore.

A little bit about being a locavore and bringing buying decisions nearer to your home -- makes even more sense now that so many folks are having to adjust to a less-far-ranging errand running and lifestyle use of vehicles.

A locavore is both a person and a life-choice option. Being a locavore in essence means buying choices which are not only physically closer to you, but which also focus on where the 'thing' is made or grown.

If family and community are important parts of your life, then supporting local farmers, crafters, and the good old fashioned (now in again) mom-and-pop (M&Ps-for reference) stores -- you know, the ones owned and operated by your friends and neighbors -- is now more important than ever.

Does shopping locally guarantee you will always be happy with what you have? No, of course not.

But, for example, if you purchase locally grown, "seasonally available" fruits and vegetables, you are purchasing food which is picked at its prime, the most nutritious it will ever be, minimizing use of fuels, and supporting a local farmer.

If you shop at a M&P store, more money goes back into the local (your community) economy.

This is not about putting chain retailer or chain grocers out of business. This is about taking back control over not only your buying options, but also making choices which will result in benefits to you, your family and your community.

If your city or town prefers to deal with chain retailers and not the the M&Ps, think about whether your city or town is a cookie-cutter-found-anywhere type of town or does it stand out as a place to call "home town."

You know who has the power to support M&Ps and make chain stores really competitive? YOU!

If you always choose price over quality, are you producing your own self-inflicted injury, i.e., if all the chains take over all the cities and towns, where will your buying choices be?

There will always be a need for chain retailers and grocers, unless you want to create your own mini-self-sustaining life in your own back yard.

But like customers of mine at the farmers market who buy my fresh herbs -- many of them do not have the skills, time, or space to grow what I do. Likewise, I have not decided to grow my own cotton and weave my own cloth, etc. so I buy clothing from some chain stores and some M&Ps.

Here's a short to-do suggestion for you: Use the internet and find suppliers in your neighborhood. Go to http://www.localharvest.org to find food producers near you (all the USA and many countries). In Arizona you can find M&P stores offering many types of goods at http://www.localfirstaz.com.

Find a local farmers market by zip code or state at the USDA site at: http://apps.ams.usda.gov/FarmersMarkets/

And finally an important 'greening' tip for you and the health of your family. Do whatever it takes to ditch any food product containing 'high fructose corn syrup' HFCS from your and your family's meals including school food programs. The science about the health consequences and addictive nature of HFCS is still rolling in and overwhelming. It is about how our bodies react to this artificially manipulated sugar product. You and your family are far better off using cane sugar, honey, molasses and agave nectar.

And if the kids are addicted to sodas and you have a challenge getting them off the commercial sodas - make homemade sodas using unsweetened concentrated frozen juices (they are naturally sweet). Easy, they will like them and you get to control the ingredients: 1/4 cup of thawed juice concentrate to 3/4 sparkling water, seltzer or club soda (check the sodium contents of those 'fizzies' for choosing the right ones for your family). It is easy to teach even small children to make their own orange, pineapple, cranberry or raspberry soda using a marked measuring cup handy. Fill the cup to the 2 ounce level (1/4 cup) and add chilled fizzy water to near the top, transfer to a drinking glass, add ice if desired and enjoy.

Commercial options are out there - check out Hansens Natural Sodas, now available in most stores.

Have a wonderful day,

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady