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Garden is slowly coming back to life, and so am I
After giving several iffy-looking plants a scratch test this morning, and discovering they’re still alive (yay!), I’m feeling a little better about my drought-ridden, rainstorm-rattled, freeze-damaged garden. The little Meyer lemon tree has no leaves, but a little scratch on its trunk with my thumbnail uncovered bright green life underneath. My two baby pomegranate trees passed the test, too. And so did several leafless abutilons and barbados cherries.
And in case you were wondering, I’m still alive too — although I haven’t posted or responded to comments on the blog for several weeks.
My father died rather suddenly Jan. 30. So although February is a busy month for gardeners and garden bloggers, I have been allowing myself some much needed quiet time. I guess you could say I’ve been dormant.
But I’m starting to feel the call of the spring garden. And although I’ve fallen behind on my usual February projects (I haven’t started a single tomato seed indoors!), I have managed to make a dent in some of the trimming, weeding and composting chores.
So stay tuned. I have several posts to finish and publish in the next week or so, including another list of plants Austin gardeners love to grow in their gardens.
Sidenote: Because of the death of my father, I had a chance to reconnect with several family members I hadn’t seen in a very long time. One fun thing I learned? I am not the only Studebaker with a vegetable garden in my back yard. In fact, one night, while several of us sat talking, sipping red wine and passing around old family photos from a big cardboard box, the conversation turned to homegrown mustard greens. And then tomatoes. And finally, how sad it is that most suburban homeowner associations won’t allow backyard chickens. I know I’ve said this before, but now I’m even more certain: there’s got to be a gene for gardening.
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For a sinful spin on garden fresh salad, add bacon. Or turn it into a creamy soup
In the mid-’60s, long before anyone had considered packaging and selling triple washed baby-greens, I remember harvesting young lettuces, skinny green onions and spicy globe radishes in my grandmother’s spring garden so we could make one of my family’s favorite seasonal treats — Wilted Lettuce Salad.
I know, “wilted lettuce” doesn’t sound like something to get excited about. But we did. The tender lettuce leaves, the first edibles to pop out of the early spring garden soil, were certainly cause for celebration after a cold Arkansas winter on my grandparents’ farm. But I think a big part of the excitement was the bacon grease used to wilt the greens. Everyone, including my grandfather and uncles, was all smiles when it came time to sit down to a big plate of spring salad frizzled in hot bacon grease, topped with a few crunchy bacon crumbles and served with a slice of buttered skillet cornbread.
(Sidenote: Has anyone ever studied what happens to the average person’s brain chemistry when that person is sitting next to a pan of frying bacon? My guess is that the pleasure center of the brain lights up like a neon sign out front of an all-night diner.)
Given my appreciation for bacon, you might assume that wilted salad would be a regular menu item at my Central Austin home, especially considering I grow cool-weather crops such as leaf lettuce and radishes in every season but summer. Well, you’d be wrong. I eat a lot of fresh salads using homegrown ingredients, but I only occasionally allow myself the pleasure of bacon. In fact, the wilted lettuce salad I made while working on this column is the first I’ve eaten in many years. (All bacon guilt aside, it was just as good as I remember.)
The origin of this dish is hard to nail down, but my best guess is that its roots are in Germany. I found several references to Appalachia as the birthplace of wilted spring salads. Cooks there sometimes referred to the dish as “Killed Lettuce.” Early settlers made a version of the salad from spring greens that grew in the wild — pokeberry, lamb’s-quarter, dock and wild onions. I also found mentions of wilted salads in the histories of Wisconsin families. One common denominator in those two regions is German immigration.
However, another source claimed that wild lettuce greens wilted with hot grease originated with the Cherokees. Maybe so, but no matter where the dish came from, it’s worth trying even if you only occasionally let your inner bacon-eater come out to play. Spring is, after all, around the corner, and the farmers’ markets are soon going to be swimming in leafy lettuces, radishes and green onions.
For those of you who haven’t jumped on the bacon bandwagon, I’m also sharing a few bacon-free lettuce recipes:
Wilted Lettuce Salad
Enough baby lettuce leaves to fill a large mixing bowl (tender, leafy varieties are best, or young romaine and Bibb lettuce)
1 bunch of radishes, about 8, washed, trimmed and sliced thin
5-6 scallions (or spring onions) white and green parts, washed and sliced
5-6 strips of good quality bacon
Salt and pepper to taste
Wash and drain lettuce, pat dry with a cloth or use salad spinner. Set aside.
Fry bacon strips in large heavy skillet until crisp. Remove strips, drain on towel, crumble and set aside. Pour all but about 2 Tbsp. of bacon grease into a glass jar and set aside for later use.
Reheat the remaining grease in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add radishes and onions, stirring constantly for 5-10 seconds. Add lettuce, toss for just a couple of seconds, and turn wilted salad onto warm plate. (Lettuce should still have some crunch left.) Top with crumbled bacon and serve immediately.
Variations: For a tangier taste, allow pan of grease to cool down a bit and stir in 1/2 tsp. of brown sugar and a splash of apple cider vinegar. Then reheat mixture to wilt greens. For a vegetarian version, sautee radishes and onions in olive oil mixed with a heat tolerant oil like canola or grapeseed. Pour mixture over plate of lettuce and top with fried slices of soy-sauce-marinated wheat roast or tofu.
— Studebaker family recipe
Creamy Lettuce Soup
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and chopped (about 11/2 cups)
1 cup chopped onion (spring onions, scallions, yellow onions or mix)
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (homemade is best, but good quality cartons of broth are OK)
2 cups water
4 cups young green lettuce leaves ( a mix of Bibb, baby romaine and green leaf) washed, dried and pressed into measuring cup
1 cup half-and-half or whole milk
1 tsp. chopped flatleaf parsley
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated, plus more for serving
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
In a Dutch oven or other heavy soup pot, saute potatoes, onions and celery over medium heat. Add a generous pinch of salt and grinding of pepper. As soon as vegetables start to brown at edges, add garlic and saute for another 30 seconds, then add broth and water.
Deglaze pan by gently scrapping any stuck bits from bottom of pan. Cover and simmer until vegetables are soft. Add lettuce leaves and stir until wilted. Turn off heat and stir in half-and-half. Add parsley.
Puree until smooth and creamy using an immersion blender (or in batches in a food processor or blender). Stir in lemon juice and cheese. Taste and correct seasoning. Reheat (but don’t boil) over medium-low heat. Serve topped with croutons (recipe below) and sprinkling of grated cheese. Serves 6.
— Renee Studebaker
Grilled Lettuce
This is so easy, but so good.
Wash and drain 1 small head of romaine lettuce. Remove outer green leaves and reserve for another use (see soup recipe below).
Slice the head in half lengthwise. Brush both sides with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and place cut side down on stovetop grill pan over medium-high heat (or on hot patio grill). Grill each side until outer leaves are soft and lightly browned.
Remove to a plate and top with thin shavings of Parmesano-Reggiano. Serve immediately.
This same technique works well with small heads of radicchio. But to balance the bitterness of the radicchio, drizzle with a bit of balsamic vinegar before serving, or mix a few drops of balsamic vinegar into the olive oil before grilling.
—Renee Studebaker
Parmesan Croutons
2-3 slices bread (dense, whole grain best; see note below)
Several splashes of olive oil
1/4 cup Parmesanio Reggiano cheese, finely grated
1 garlic clove, smashed or pressed to fine consistency (optional)
Salt to taste
Slice bread 1/2-inch cubes. Add to a mixing bowl and toss with oil, pinch of salt, and garlic (if desired). Give bread cubes a few gentle squeezes to help oil penetrate. Place large dry skillet over medium heat. Pour cubes into hot skillet until most edges are toasty brown. (Turn and stir often so bread doesn’t burn). Pour cubes back into mixing bowl and toss with cheese. Spread in single layer on cookie sheets and bake at 300 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until cubes are chewy/crunchy.
(Note: I’m currently in love with using Honey Whole Wheat by Austin’s Great Harvest Bread Co. for my croutons, but any good quality bread will work.)
— Renee Studebaker
Cold Lettuce Soup
This mild and tangy soup lets the green flavor of the baby lettuces shine through. It would make a refreshing first course at spring garden party.
2 cups vegetable broth, chilled (preferably homemade, but good quality canned broth is OK in a pinch)
1 cup buttermilk, chilled
1 cup plain yogurt (locally made White Mountain is good in this dish)
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 or 2 small heads of green leaf lettuce, washed and sliced, or about 12 oz. of baby green lettuce leaves, washed
About 8 oz. of romaine lettuce, washed well and chopped
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. sea salt
1 small cucumber, peeled and chopped, for garnish
In a blender, add half the lettuce and all other ingredients except cucumber. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Add remaining lettuce and repeat. Serve chilled, topped with chopped cucumber.
— Adapted from a recipe by Matt and Ted Lee, ‘Simple Fresh Southern’ (Potter, $35)
Homegrown baby lettuce in a box
You don’t need a backyard garden to grow your own crop of baby lettuces. All you need is a sunny spot on a porch or patio plus the following ingredients:
— A wooden wine box (available at Spec’s liquor stores for $10)
— 3 or 4 small leaf lettuce transplants (available at most garden centers and nurseries for about $2 each)
— A medium size bag of organic potting soil (Ladybug’s Vortex Potting Soil or something comparable)
— About 5 cups of decomposed granite, or enough for a layer about an inch deep in the box (available in small bags at garden centers)
— A bottle of seaweed extract
Using a drill or large nail and hammer, make about a dozen drainage holes in the box - two near the bottom edge of each side of the box, plus several more near the middle on bottom of the box.
Add decomposed granite and spread evenly. Add enough soil to almost fill; leave about 2 inches of space below rim of box.
Using your hand or a small garden trowel, make evenly spaced holes that are about as deep and wide as the lettuce pots. Gently remove lettuce plants from pots and place one in each hole so that the level of soil is even with the level of soil in the box.
Water each plant gently, with collected rainwater if possible. Water often enough to keep the soil lightly moist but never soggy. Once a week add about a teaspoon of seaweed extract to your watering can.
To harvest, trim leaves with trimming shears or utility scissors; leave the base of each plant intact so that new leaves will grow to replace the ones you harvest. Be careful not to overwater. If the potting soil you choose doesn’t contain organic fertilizer, add a few drops of fish emulsion to your watering can.
Variations: Buy lettuce seeds and create your own mix. Follow planting instructions on the seed packets. If you have room for a second planting box, try growing radishes from seeds. Seed packets are available at most garden centers and nurseries for about $2 or $3 each.
— Renee Studebaker
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Gardening 101: Growing tip — choose plants that savvy gardeners love
Central Texas gardeners grumble a lot. Crummy soil. Not enough rain. Too much rain. Too hot. Too cold. Too sunny. Too shady. Too humid. Too many deer. Too many squirrels. Too many stink bugs. And never enough compost or mulch.
But no matter what the challenges are, we hang in there and so do our gardens. So if you’re new to gardening (or new to Austin), hang on to your shovel. You can do it. Just dig in and keep adding good compost. Lots of it. (Spring will be here before you know it, and the best way to grow healthy plants is to plant them in healthy soil.)
To give you some ideas on what to plant, I asked a handful of savvy gardeners who like to chat about gardening on twitter.com to list 5 plants they love in their Austin gardens. Most tweeted sparsely worded responses, 140 characters at a time; a couple opted for email so they could use complete sentences to tout the virtues of each plant. I left responses pretty much as they came to me, with some editing for clarity and length.
Some of the plants listed here are Texas natives, but others are simply tried and true favorites that are well-adapted to Austin’s growing conditions:
Eleanor Pratt (@phlomis on twitter)
Garden blog: www.gardenofe.blogspot.com/
Five plants she loves: “Rose ‘The Fairy:’ tons of late summer blooms, easy to prune. Four nerve daisy: Gorgeous yellow blooms 12 months, makes babies. Jerusalem sage: Alien-looking flowers, evergreen, gray-green velvet foliage. Firebush: Little water, blooms a long time. Indigo Spires: Dramatic, drop-dead cobalt blue, blooms 9 months.”
(In the photo above, Indigo Spires is mingling with spinach that is going to seed)
(Blue mistflower, or Eupatorium (Conoclinium) beginning to bloom.)
Linda Lehmusvirta (@Linda_CTG on twitter)
Garden blog: klru.org/ctg/blog
Five plants she loves: “Rosemary: This one can be tough to grow in heavy soils, but with attention to drainage and sunlight, I love ground-hugger ‘Huntington Carpet’ to line the front sidewalk, and uprights for evergreen, fragrant, and edible textural contrast and definition. Flowers attract wildlife.
“Eupatorium (Conoclinium): In many versions to attract fall butterflies to their flowers. (aka mistflowers)
“Evergreen viburnums: Mine are ‘Spring Bouquet’ but all the evergreens are weather-tough, fast-growing shields for bad views or to hide a chain link fence (which is why I planted mine). They accept some shade, too, and their spring flowers are rich perfume for countless insects. And for me, too!
“Mexican plum: Along with spring bulbs (also on my list), it’s the first bloomer in February with outstanding fragrant flowers that attract bees and other (beneficial) insects. Trouble-free, it fits in small spaces, and its fall fruits feed hungry birds.
“Liriope: Yes, I know this is so routine. But this tough groundcover laughs at drought, freezes, poor drainage, and shade. Mainly, it’s indispensable to me in a spot where the pets want to lounge. It’s a great way to entice pets away from garden lounging and handle low-lying mud spots at the same time.”
(Oxblood lilies in bloom)
Melissa Stevens (@zanthangardens on twitter)
Garden blog: zanthan.com/gardens/gardenlog/
Five plants she loves: “Oxblood Lilies (Rhodophiala bifida): Although a native to South America, oxblood lilies are emblematic of old Austin. They were introduced to Central Texas in the mid-1800s and they are tough, although not invasive, survivors. These bulbs are so carefree that they can continue to bloom for years on abandoned homesteads. They can stand our mucky clay soils, wet feet, and drought. The foliage dies down in the summer and then they flower with the first fall rains. For Central Texans, oxblood lilies are the harbinger of the garden springing back to life just like the first crocuses blooming in the spring for Northerners.
“Tulipa clusiana: The winters in Austin are too warm for most of the traditional big bulbs unless you chill them artificially. However, Tulipa clusiana is a little species tulip that will multiply and return every spring. The shape of the flower is similar to a rainlily. If you garden on clay, they will appreciate a bit of decomposed granite mixed into their bed.
“Larkspur (Consolida ambigua): In Central Texas we can grow quite a few overwintering annuals. They can handle a freeze without being covered. Larkspur is my favorite. I love the spiky flower stalks and the shades of purple, violet, blue, and white. Once you grow them in your garden, they will come back every year.
“Rose ‘Souvenir de la Malmaison:’ If you love roses, embrace the non-hybrids grown on their own roots. These “antique” roses stand up to our harsh conditions with little fuss. My favorite is ‘Souvenir de la Malmaison’. The delicate pink flowers are scented and they are beautiful as buds, half open, or fully open. They bloom heaviest in spring and then usually again in the fall.
“Bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis): Our state flower is stunning when massed on hillsides but individual plants make great garden plants. To keep them from getting too large and bushy in a small garden, just keep picking the flowers. Your reward: even more flowers.”
Caroline Homer (@carolinesays on twitter)
Garden blog: shovelreadygarden.blogspot.com/
Five plants she loves: Salvia greggi; “Red Carpet” sedum; upright rosemary; Gulf muhly; “Old Blush” rose. All are drought tolerant, freeze tolerant, disease tolerant, and can take our heat!”
(A Texas Mountain Laurel bloom)
Kathy Kloba (@Annieinaustin on twitter)
Garden blogs: annieinaustin.blogspot.com/ and divasofthedirt.blogspot.com/
“(5) Faves in Divas of the Dirt gardens: Oxblood lilies; Gregg’s mistflower; Mexican oregano; TX Mntn Laurel, Blkft daisy.”
Stay tuned: I’ve got more plant recommendations from Austin gardeners for another post next week.
What are your favorite plants to grow in the Austin area? Leave me a comment or email me at rstudebaker@statesman.com.
All photos by Renee Studebaker/American-Statesman
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A garden with a sense of place is good, but not most important thing that drives my design
It’s been a rough couple of years for Austin area gardeners and their gardens.
Almost every plant in my garden, whether edible, ornamental, native or non-native, has had to struggle against a seemingly never-ending rollercoaster ride of dramatic weather events that don’t seem to want to let up — extreme drought, periodic high winds, hail storms, mild winters, and then, finally, a sopping-wet fall followed by the coldest January in 15 years.
(Sidenote: a post with lots of photos of what died and what didn’t is coming soon.)
January, in addition to being the month to set out onion transplants, is a good time to take stock of what’s working and what’s not working in the garden. Early mornings this week, I’ve been taking pictures of survivors and hangers-on, and trying not to think about what new weather drama might be just around the corner. Sometimes, I allow my mind to wander up and down a mental 2010 to-do list: Where to put a chicken coop (Yes, finally a coop! Hopefully by mid-spring). Where to plant the dwarf peach tree (which has been living in a big pot for almost two years). When to take out the last four towering disgustingly invasive ligustrums in the back northwest corner (which will make room for new native berry-producing shrubs and/or small trees to help feed the birds who miss the ligustrum berries.)
I also find myself thinking quite a lot about a recent series of posts by a dozen or so garden blogger/designers around the country about the role of regionalism in their garden design work (including a post by Austin garden designer/coach Pam Penick, who blogs at penick.net/digging/.
Very interesting reading. And one more thing for my occasionally obsessive mind to ponder. Do peach trees and chicken coops say Austin? What about ponds lined with free rocks from the cemetery? Does my front yard garden, which is in the process of becoming a broad mix of herbs, perennials, and seasonal vegetables, reflect my region? Maybe. It certainly reflects me. Do I reflect my region? Hmm, maybe a little.
Ok, then, what about my neighborhood? Did I chose to live in my Old Austin, slightly bohemian ‘hood because it fits me and my gardening style? Or is it my style and the styles of other similarly minded old souls who live there that have created the neighborhood’s look and feel and sense of place?
Uh oh. I’m about to take this topic too far, don’t you think? So, before my philosophical wanderings get even weirder, I’ll just say this: More than anything else, my garden is a reflection of what I care about and how I choose to live my life. It’s also intended to be a space that lifts my spirits and feeds my soul, as well as my tummy. And finally, I want it to be a pleasing space for friends and family to visit.
If I were designing a garden for someone else, that’s what I’d want for them too, but with an eye on reflecting what they care about and how they like to live. Of course, I’d also want to emphasize the importance of gardening with well-adapted natives and non-natives, using sustainable gardening practices, and creating space for wildlife to live and raise their young. I’d probably also try to persuade them to grow a little food for themselves. And in the process of talking about all that, we would probably naturally decide on a number of plants and hardscape materials that would say “Austin.” Or at least, “not Baltimore.” (No offense, Baltimore!)
Overall, I think a sense of place naturally happens in a garden design as long as you’re making good, non-toxic, sustainable, livable choices along the way. To paraphrase Steve Jobs, good design is about how something works, not just how it looks or how it feels. For me, a garden that works is one that enhances the lives of all the living things touched by the garden, including of course, the gardener.
Photo at top: Frost damaged mustard greens aren’t dead, but they’re not looking too good. Renee Studebaker photo/American-Statesman
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Austin’s big freeze, Part I: Are you ready? I am. Sort of.
UPDATE: After a couple of commenters made good points about the relative cold hardiness of loquat trees, I did a little more research and decided to amend this post. And (big sigh of relief) I’ve decided I won’t bother with heating lamps or wraps to keep my loquat trees warm. (Joe, if you’re reading this, don’t worry. I think the trees will be fine.)
I never thought I’d see winter temps in the teens in Austin ever again. And part of me isn’t going to believe it until I read it on my backyard thermometer. But the other part of me is rounding up supplies to protect my garden from the hard blast of arctic air that’s expected to reach us by Thursday night.
Three new shop lights and a handful of heat-generating incandescent bulbs are sitting on the dining room table. A dozen or so old sheets and several large pieces of row cover are on standby — squished, er, carefully stored in a big wicker basket in the shed. The pack of chip-clips I bought on sale at H.E.B. last weekend (great for securing plant covers, I thought) is on the kitchen counter. And my handy, oh so useful headlamp (thanks, Joe, I never knew I needed a headlamp until you came along) is hanging on the dining room doorknob.
I am sooo ready for the big freeze of 2010. Only problem is I haven’t decided for certain where I want to put my plant-protecing energy at this point in this surprisingly ‘real’ winter.
I could spend an entire evening covering every tender plant in my garden, but if temperatures really do go as low as predicted, and if they stay low for a day or so, all that effort might end up feeling like a big waste of time. Plant covers, whether insulated row cover or old sheets, even when perfectly placed (with all edges touching the ground) will add only about 8-10 degrees of warmth. If the hard freezing temps stay low for a while, the covers may not be enough to prevent damage. A heat source (shop lights or holiday lights) under the cover add extra protection, but there’s a limit to how many plants I’m willing to do that for.
The plants that I’m most worried about in my garden are the loquat trees, the barbados cherries, the Meyer lemon tree, and the baby satsuma tree. Each citrus tree will get a shop light under its wrap. The barbados cherries will get the same treatment. The loquats are going to be tricky. After much thought, I’ve decided to leave them to fend for themselves. Joe doesn’t like that idea. He loves the loquat trees. I do too, but they’re too tall and wide to wrap. And besides, even if the fruit and flowers are killed by the freeze, the trees should recover. According to Texas gardening guru Howard Garrett, the last time any loquat trees were killed off in Texas was the record-breaking winter of 1983, when it got down to 12 degrees in Austin. I’m guessing we won’t get nearly that cold in town. At least I hope not.
In an email to County Extension Director Skip Richter, I told him which plants I was most worried about and asked him what other plants he thought could be in serious trouble if Austin temperatures go as low as predicted. Here’s his response:
“The plants you mentioned are good ones to wonder about. Others to worry over: Mexican Olive, Kumquat, Yellow Bells (Tecoma stans var. stans), Pink or Desert Trumpetvine (Podranea ricasoliana), Golden Dewdrop or Skyflower (Duranta erecta), Firebush (Hamelia patens), Plumbago (Plumbago auriculata) and perhaps even Thryallis (Galphimia glauca).
“We haven’t had any good test winters on these in a while and from my experience the jury is still out on just what they can endure. As you know it isn’t just how cold it gets, but how long it stays there, how warm it was leading up to the cold, where in the many microclimates of a typical urban/suburban yard the plant is growing, etc.
“We’ve been spoiled to have some plants ‘acting’ like perennials in recent years, like the Red Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima), Angel’s Trumpet (Brugmansia), Tropical (Mexican) Milkweed, and Persian Shield (Strobilanthes dyeranus). This winter may provide a blast of cold reality to such thinking.”
‘Cold reality’ is certainly a good way to sum up our winter so far.
For more information and tips from Skip Richter on how to protect your plants from freezing weather, visit this site.
And stay tuned for more cold reality on what’s in store for Austin ornamentals and vegetables in my next post, Austin’s big freeze, Part II. (A hint about what’s coming in Part II: Some of Austin’s beloved agaves could be at risk)
(Photo of frost covered Meyer lemon bloom is by Renee Studebaker/American-Statesman)
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Austin’s big freeze, Part II. Collards can take the cold, but what about agaves?
What do you want to read first? The good news? The not so good news? Or the bad (but not terrible) news?
I’ll start with the good news: According to Joe Masabni, a vegetable gardening expert at A&M University, many of the cold weather vegetables growing in your home garden have a good chance of making it through this weekend’s big freeze just fine. “Turnip, broccoli, cabbage, kale, collards, mustard, and cauliflower … most likely will survive the cold snap, he wrote in an email. “Carrot roots will survive the cold weather and might even taste better afterwards. ”
The not so good news? Bok choi, radish, lettuce, and Swiss chard, which have already been hit with several nights of frosty temperatures, are not likely to survive the colder temperatures expected by Saturday, Masabni says. “In my experience, a thick layer of straw (about 10 inches) covered with plastic, cardboard, or Reemay (row cover) is the only method to protect the vegetable from these temperatures.”
Row covers, made from tightly spun synthetic fibers, will raise temperatures by about 10 degrees, which with the expected low of 18 degrees will bring temperatures to about 28 degrees under the cover. But that’s not enough protection when you factor in that the cold front is expected to last for a couple of days, Masabni says.
Frames or hoops covered with row cover fabric create an air pocket, or sort of microclimate, which helps keep plants warmer, but again, if the temperatures stay at or below freezing for a couple of days there will be less heat left to radiate from the soil under the cloth. Also, younger plants will be more vulnerable than older, more established plants.
“My personal suggestion,” says Masabni, “is that you harvest all you can now from the garden and not worry about protecting anything. Next week, if you are lucky, you can still harvest some more from the crops that tolerate the cold.”
That sounds hopeful. But not so hopeful sounding (yes, here comes the bad news) is the prognosis for many of the desert-loving plants in your garden. Agaves and other succulents have become all the rage in gardens and landscapes all around Austin in the past few years. In response to my emailed question about popular plants in our area that may suffer freeze damage, horticulturist Daphne Richards, Travis County’s new extension agent, said she thinks a lot of agaves around town are headed for trouble.
“In general, I would say that no agaves will survive a truly wet fall/winter, unless they have completely sandy soil, These plants can’t tolerate wet roots for long before they start to rot. And in the fall/winter, the sun is much lower in the sky, the days are much shorter and the temperatures much lower than in summer, so the soil does not dry out. My soil has not been dry for a single day since the rains started in September. And the sun has not shone on my only garden bed (I have a new house) since about that same time — it’s completely blocked by the house next door.”
Some agaves commonly seen in Austin are fairly cold hardy. Others, not so much. “I have an Agave colorata that is doing just fine,” Richards says, “… which illustrates a good point — usually an agave with very fibrous leaves will be more hardy than one with more fleshy leaves. The fibers help protect the leaves from freezing. (The colorata) is in a container and so not subjected to my awful (poorly draining, clay) soil.”
“Unfortunately,” she says, “with everyone jumping on the agave bandwagon of late, I think there might be quite a few people upset in about a week, especially if they run around and protect everything, and it still doesn’t help.”
If you lose some of your agaves to the freeze or to subsequent root rot, and you want to try again in the spring, consider mixing plenty of sand or decomposed granite into your soil. Also, make sure you choose agaves that are among the most cold hardy varieties. Richards offered a few recommendations:
A lechugilla (hardy ” but not too good-looking” says Richards)
A angustifolia (hardy to 20; although some sources report damage at 30)
A celsii
A chrysantha
A havardiana (“gorgeous and listed as safe to zone 5!”)
A lophantha (“hardy to 10 degrees”)
A neomexicana
A palmeri
A parryi and A parryi var parryi
A schidigera
A victoriae regianae
A weberi
In addition, she says, there’s always agave americanas, which you see all over town. The solid green ones are fine, she says, but the variegated ones are cold tender.
Here’s a list of other tender agaves she’s seen growing around town that may be turning to mush by next week:
A attenuata
A bovicornuta (“high desert but tender, might do OK in a protected spot”)
A desmettiana
A geminiflora
A stricta
For more information about agaves and their preferred growing conditions, Richards recommends a visit to the website of the Mountain States Wholesale Nursery in Phoenix. mswn.com
And here’s something else you might want to consider as a safety measure if you’ve got agaves planted in poorly draining clay soil. Assuming they survive the freeze, dig up a pup or two and put them in pots filled with decomposed granite or sand. Give the pups a fresh start in the spring by replanting with plenty of sand or granite mixed into your clay soil.
To close, here’s some of the best garden news I’ve heard in a while: “The silver lining of this cold snap,” says Masabni, “is that it should kill insects and their eggs.”
Yes! Die, stink bugs, die! Oh. Did I really just write that? What I meant to write is: Oh what a happy spring and summer we’re going to have. And isn’t it nice that spring planting season is just around the corner.
Photos: Frosty lettuce and collards in early December, 2009: I took these frosty pictures the morning after the hard-freezing night in early December that turned most of my tender perennials into mush. This bibb lettuce, however, survived temps in the upper 20s and the layer of frost without any kind of cover. I doubt it will do so well if temps get down to 18 this weekend. The photo of collards at the top of this post was taken the same morning in December — they love frosty weather. Renee Studebaker photo/American-Statesman
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Treasured garden items stolen from Tom Spencer’s Possumhaw Hollow
Update: To see photos of the items stolen from the garden, visit Aria’s website.
Here’s some sad news: The day after Christmas, someone entered the backyard garden of the former home of “Central Texas Gardening” host Tom Spencer and made off with a number of garden items, including garden benches, garden art, landscape lighting, and planters. Jason and Aria Kilpatrick, proud new owners of the home and garden are offering a reward for information that leads to the return of the stolen items. “We strongly believe that the items were taken by someone with previous knowledge of this famous garden,” Aria said in an email. “Only garden-related items were snatched, and items of greater monetary value that we brought and were being stored in the garden were left alone.” If you know anything that might help Aria find the missing items, you may contact her at aria@kilpatrick.org or call 512-771-1776.
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Is a purple hull pea just as lucky as a black eyed pea? I hope so
I grew up with purple hull peas.
By that I mean I was eating purple hull peas several times a month (and often several times a week) until I was about 16. In the summer at my grandparents’ farm, during the growing season, we’d pick peas early in the morning, shell them and then cook them for that night’s dinner. (One of my favorite dinners was purple hull peas, sliced homegrown tomatoes, fried okra, cornbread and raw sweet onion.)
The rest of the year, we cooked frozen peas. My grandmother spent many hours every summer filling pint-size freezer containers with blanched peas. I remember digging through her huge freezer looking for a container of corn or lima beans or peaches, but instead turning up container after container of peas. Never green peas, though, just purple hull peas, or sometimes crowder peas or cream peas, the three cowpea varieties commonly grown on most small farms in the south.
Black-eyed peas are closely related to purple hull peas, and look very similar, except of course for the purple hull. So given that purple hull peas were plentiful around my mother’s house and my grandmother’s house, you might assume that on New Year’s day, our tradition would be to cook up a pot of purple hull peas.
But no, that’s not what we did. We soaked and cooked a bag of dried black-eyed peas that had been purchased from the grocery store. Bleh. I never liked the taste or the texture of those rehydrated peas. Did they bring me luck and good fortune? Well, maybe. I do feel fortunate. But who knows if the peas had anything to do with it.
And now that I’m growing my own purple hull peas, I’m thinking they ought to bring just as much luck as black-eyes. Maybe more. After what I learned while working on today’s column in the Food & Life section (also posted below for those who don’t get the paper edition of the Statesman), I’m convinced that purple hulls (and pink eyes) are so closely related to black-eyes that Lady Luck (or whoever’s in charge of bestowing luck on cowpea eaters) won’t be bothered by the difference.
In addition to being lucky, cowpeas are drought tolerant and heat tolerant, which makes them a smart crop for Central Texas. They’re also not picky about soil, as long as it’s well drained. And finally, they add nitrogen to the soil. After you harvest all the peas, trim the plants at the soil line and leave the roots to decay in the soil. Toss the trimmings onto your compost pile for another nitrogen boost.
Last spring I bought a bag of purple hull seeds at the Natural Gardener, but I’ve also seen them for sale at Calihans General Store. I’m planning to plant more purple hulls this spring, and maybe one more cowpea variety, maybe cream peas or crowders. Another cowpea that sounds particularly intriguing is the Fagiolino Dolico Di Veneto, a dwarf plant grown in northern Italy. This story in Mother Earth News tells the story of the Venetian cowpea and includes a yummy-sounding recipe made with arborio rice and parmesan cheese. (By the way, these Italian cowpeas are believed to be the “beans” eaten by ancient Greeks to bring good fortune in the New Year.)
I hope whatever you’re cooking up for the New Year brings you lots of good luck and good gardening in the coming year!
Here’s a copy of today’s column from the Food & Life section:
The black-eyed pea is one smart little legume.
What else could explain how this ancient plant that’s not quite a pea and not quite a bean manages to keep so many of us right where it apparently wants us — believing that it has special powers, thus ensuring that it will live forever.
I know this sounds a bit far-fetched. (I should acknowledge up front that perhaps I’ve been overly influenced by Michael Pollan’s “Botany of Desire,” which suggests that plants advance their own agendas, anthropomorphically speaking, by evolving in ways that make them more appealing to us humans.) But read on, and see if you agree that this pea has been very ambitious. A pea with a plan, if you will.
— From the earliest records mentioning black-eyed peas, it seems that this humble pea, indigenous to Africa or the Far East — or both, depending on your historical reference — was intent on traveling the world. The Babylonian Talmud, compiled around the year 500, instructs Hebrews to include several foods on their tables in the New Year for good luck; among them are black-eyed peas. By the 1700s, black-eyed peas (aka cowpeas and Southern peas) had made their way to the West Indies and to America on the ships of slave traders.
— According to one oft-repeated story, the black-eyed pea saved many Confederate soldiers and civilians from starvation. Here’s how it goes: When Union troops were stealing livestock and burning food crops in and around Vicksburg, they left behind stores of dried black-eyed peas, apparently because they thought the peas were just feed for cattle, which they had also stolen. Another story kicks the legend up a notch: A ragtag team of starving Confederate soldiers awoke one morning to find themselves just a stone’s throw from a field of black-eyed pea vines covered in dried pea pods, ready to harvest. They picked them and they feasted. It was New Year’s Day.
— Every year, on New Year’s Day, many thousands of people, mostly Southerners, eat at least a few black-eyed peas in hopes that the legumes will bring them good luck and prosperity in the coming year. I know of one instance in which the peas did their magic almost immediately: A friend who was ready to find her soulmate decided she would try eating a big serving of the peas on New Year’s Day. Later that month, on Jan. 29, she started dating the man she would eventually marry.
— A quick and totally unscientific survey in my immediate work area revealed that seven out of 10 of my co-workers who admit to eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day say the peas are bland, mushy and generally not very appetizing. But they eat them anyway, for various reasons, including “my mother-in-law makes me.”
A sidenote: Is it possible that the magical beans that Jack (of beanstalk fame) handed over to his mother were cowpeas? Just a thought.
— George Washington Carver promoted the planting of black-eyed peas and other cowpeas because, like all legumes, when worked into the soil, they add nitrogen, and so can improve poor soil. Southern farmers soon figured out that planting fields of black-eyed peas one year increased soil fertility enough that other vegetable crops planted the next year in the same field did better.
— Today, the Thomas Jefferson Agricultural Institute estimates that worldwide production of cowpeas is approximately 20 million acres, with Africa being the largest producer. Other countries that produce significant amounts of cowpeas include Brazil, Haiti, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Australia, Bosnia and the United States.
— The “eat local” movement has introduced many to the meaty, slightly sweet (and not at all mushy unless you overcook them) taste of freshly shelled cowpeas, in particular, purple hull peas, close cousins to the black-eye. Crowder peas and Texas cream peas are also popular cowpeas grown in our area. If you’ve never tasted fresh cowpeas (as opposed to dried or canned), you are missing something really tasty, and yes, quite magical.
Recipes
Black-eyed peas are not my favorite cowpeas. I prefer purple hull peas, which are grown by a number of small farmers in Central Texas, which means they’re often available at farmers’ markets during the growing season.
John Engel of Engel Farms froze some of his summer crop of pink-eye peas so he would have peas to sell closer to the New Year’s holiday. Look for his booth tonight at the Austin Farmers Market at the Triangle.
I’m putting my faith in purple hull peas for a lucky New Year. (Any cowpea with an eye ought to work, don’t you think?) I grew purple hulls in my fall garden and froze enough for a serving or two. However, I’ll also be cooking black-eyed peas on Friday, because the other cowpea eater at my house doesn’t think purple hulls have the same powers. So I bought a tub of fresh black-eyes at Central Market just for him. (By the way, Central Market has plenty more for sale.)
Cowpea and Pork Chili
I brought a batch of this chili to the office last week and it got rave reviews, even from the guy who only eats black-eyed peas because his mother-in-law makes him.
2 1/2 cups cooked purple hull or pink-eye peas, fresh-shelled or fresh-frozen
1 lb. pork, cut into 1-by-1-inch cubes
Vegetable oil for sautéeing
1 14-oz. can of diced tomatoes (try Muir brand for the best flavor and texture)
1-2 tomato cans of water (or more if finished chili is too thick)
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup green chiles, stemmed and chopped (a mix of Anaheims and serranos is good)
2-3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
1 Wick Fowler 2-Alarm Chili Kit (available at H-E-B)
Salt and black pepper to taste
Sharp white Cheddar cheese for garnish
To cook peas, combine peas (fresh or frozen) and just enough water to cover in a saucepan. Add a big pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and then skim off the foam that rises to the top. Reduce heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes or until peas are almost tender (al dente). Set aside.
Add pork to a hot skillet (I use cast iron) and sauté until well-browned on all sides. Add 1 can of water and deglaze (scrape the caramelized meat bits from bottom of the pan). Then cover the pan and simmer until meat is tender, about 20 or 30 minutes. If meat starts to dry out, add more water.
While the meat is simmering, in a Dutch oven or large skillet, sauté briefly in vegetable oil all chopped vegetables and garlic. Add can of tomatoes (including juice) and other can of water and stir in the following chili-kit seasonings: 1/2 packet of chili powder, 1 packet of cumin/oregano and 1 packet of hot red pepper; save the salt packet and onion bits for another time. Cover and simmer until carrots are just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain peas and stir into chili. Add meat and all drippings. Mix 1/2 packet of corn masa from the chili kit in 1/4 cup of water and stir into chili. Cover chili and simmer for about 10 more minutes, or until all vegetables are tender (but not mushy). Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with grated cheese on top.
— Renee Studebaker
Black-eyed Pea Salad
If you’re a black-eyed pea purist, try this recipe from American-Statesman copy editor Christine Stephenson Forrest. She’s been making it for New Year’s Day gatherings for many years and always gets requests for the recipe.
Marinade:
1 cup red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 dashes Tabasco sauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Fresh basil to taste, sliced (optional)
Salad:
1 cup red or sweet onion, finely chopped
1 or 2 bell peppers (red, green or a combination), seeded and finely chopped
1 or 2 tsp. minced garlic
1 fresh jalapeno, finely chopped
4 to 6 15-oz. cans black-eyed peas with snaps, drained (or 2 lbs. dried black-eyed peas, soaked, cooked and drained)
Combine marinade ingredients and set aside while sugar and salt dissolve. Chop vegetables and combine with remaining ingredients. Pour in marinade. Refrigerate before serving, preferably overnight. Makes about 3 servings for each can of peas.
— Christine Stephenson Forrest
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Merry Christmas and happy homegrown tomatoes
My favorite Christmas present:
I picked these fall tomatoes (including cherokee purple, celebrity, yellow pear, sun gold and juliet) the day before the first hard freeze earlier this month. They were hard and green then, but now most are ripe or soon to be ripe. The flavor and texture is not quite as good as a vine-ripened summer tomato, but it sure beats the heck out of what’s selling in grocery stores right now.
Merry Christmas and happy gardening!
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Last-minute gift book ideas for gardeners
Looking for worthwhile last-minute gifts for your gardening friends? Consider one of these:
The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible, by Edward C. Smith (Updated 10th Anniversary edition, Storey, 24.95) — I’ve been wanting a copy of this book for years. So when a review copy crossed my desk, I was eager to check it out. I’m happy to report that there’s much to love about this book, including: tons of useful info not always provided in other gardening books (for example, soil temperatures needed for best germination, seed longevity, and rotation tips); a chart for troubleshooting compost problems; seed starting tips; DIY trellis and raised bed designs; and much more. One thing I would change if I could: I’d like to see more tips specific to hot weather gardening and southern-style two-season gardening. Overall, a great book for beginners, but also a worthwhile addition to the experienced gardener’s library.
Insects of Texas: A Practical Guide by David H. Kattes (Texas A&M University Press, $27) — This book, which ought to win an award for “Coolest Cover of the Year,” would make a fine gift for a budding entomologist or organic gardener. Like many gardeners, I’m a bug-watcher, so I enjoyed studying the upclose photos. This book would be a helpful guide for identifying and understanding the habits of common (and a few uncommon) bugs around the state.
Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife by Kelly Conrad Bender (Texas A&M University Press, $24.95) This newest edition of “Texas Wildscapes,” which started as a set of simple information pamphlets in 1994, is now a full-color book that includes a searchable DVD to help wildlife gardeners design their own wildlife habitats. The disc features a virtual tour of a residential “wildscape” garden, as well as lots of useful information about native plants and wildlife. I especially like the charts that list shade tolerant plants, deer resistant plants, butterfly friendly plants, and nest box requirements for backyard birds.
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No snow, but plenty of green tomatoes
Did I plant my fall tomatoes a little late this year, or did Austin’s first hard freeze come too early? There’s no good answer, because Austin’s first hard-freeze date is so unpredictable.
We usually get a first frost (30-32F) sometime in November. But because my garden is in one of the warmest areas of the city, I’m often able to keep my tomatoes going through mid-December by covering them when a frost is predicted. Nine times out of ten, the first frosts of the season skip my neighborhood anyway. Well, this time I didn’t get skipped, so I’m glad I decided to pick most of my tomatoes Friday morning.
So now I have an opportunity to test new ways of enjoying homegrown green tomatoes. So far, I’ve made a verde sauce with green tomatoes; it was very tasty on butternut squash guesadillas. I already have a tried and true fried green tomato dish, but I’ve been thinking of ways to tweak it. Some of my green tomatoes are only about the size of golf balls, so I plan to try making fried green baby tomatoes, served in a basket with several different dipping sauces. Also maybe a green curry. Also, maybe sweet and spicy preserves made with green tomatoes and serrano peppers for spooning over cream or goat cheese. Hmm, I bet I could make a good creamy soup out of green tomatoes too.
Sidenote: For lots of fascinating and detailed stats on Austin weather and its effects on local gardens, check out these posts by M. Stevens at Zanthan Gardens: http://www.zanthan.com/gardens/gardenlog/?p=2179 and http://www.zanthan.com/gardens/gardenlog/
Stay tuned for a more detailed report (with lots of photos) on what lived and what didn’t after the first hard freeze of 2009.
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“Pastry Queen Parties” book signing today
If you’re out and about in Central Austin today, you might want to check out this event: Rebecca Rather is signing copies of her new book “Pastry Queen Parties” at Gardens Nursery from 2-4 p.m. While you’re there, you can taste some of Rebecca’s dishes, enjoy a glass of bubbly, and buy autographed copies of her book for the pastry queens on your shopping list. Gardens is at 1818 W. 35th St.
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Butternut squash is tough to peel, but it’s worth the effort
In case you don’t get the print edition of the American-Statesman, here’s a copy of my column from today’s Food and Life section:
If you’ve ever cooked butternut squash, what I’m about to tell you will not come as a surprise.
A butternut squash is no fun to peel.
A vegetable peeler is generally the recommended tool for the task, but it takes forever. And even though butternut squash is said to have the thinest skin of all the thick-skinned winter squashes, my hand often starts to cramp about halfway through the job. That’s when my mind wanders to other tools out in the shed that might work better. Chisel? Sledgehammer? Belt sander? Grrr.
So, as they say on late-night TV, there’s got to be a better way. And of course there always is.
Here’s how I lessen the pain of peeling a butternut squash: I bake it for a while like a potato until the skin softens enough to peel easily. I prick the skin several times with the point of a sharp knife and place the whole squash on a baking sheet sheet in a 375 degree oven. After about 30-40 minutes (or less depending on the size of the squash) the skin will begin to soften. I take squash out of the oven and allow it to cool completely. Then using a sharp paring knife, I peel it like an apple. (If it’s a really large squash, I slice it in several rounds and peel a piece at a time.) From there, the rest is easy. I just cut away the seeds and pulp, then slice or dice and proceed with my recipe. If your recipe calls for a puree, leave the squash in the oven for about an hour, or until a knife meets no resistance when inserted. Scoop the cooked flesh out of the shell with a spoon and then puree.
Sidenote: I’m guessing many of you have your own tried and true ways of peeling and seeding butternut squash. If you’d like to share your technique, please email me at rstudebaker@statesman.com or leave a blog comment.
Another side note: Having a thick skin does have advantages. Winter squashes, including Butternut, Hubbard, and Spaghetti, are grown during the spring and summer, harvested in late fall, and then stored for use through the winter months. The tough rind protects the vegetable and keeps it from rotting. If kept in a cool, dry place (45 to 60 degrees), a butternut squash will keep for about three months. (No wonder winter squash was so popular among early American settlers!). Warmer conditions will shorten storage time. Don’t refrigerate squash; that cuts storage time down to about two weeks.
So, after you get past the tough skin of a butternut squash, what have you got? In my humble opinion, you’ve got everything a person could want from a vegetable:
— Gorgeous fall color, a silky smooth texture when cooked, and a flavor that is somehow meaty, sweet and nutty all at the same time.
— Nutrition. Beta-carotene, lots of vitamin A, high fiber, and more.
— A flavor that blends well with other foods, so if you don’t love its unadorned taste, jazz it up with other ingredients you do like (Parmesan cheese, carmelized onions or crumbled bacon, for example).
— A texture and flavor enhancer for breads, soups, casseroles and sauces. (Try adding butternut squash cubes to your next white bean soup.)
— A low calorie side-dish. Mashed butternut squash is a delicious alternative to mashed potatoes at half the calories. (One cup of mashed potatoes is 160 calories; one cup of mashed butternut squash is 80 calories). Add a little butter and chopped chives to your mashed squash, and you still come out ahead of plain mashed potatoes.
Here are three really easy and really tasty ways to prepare butternut squash:
— Make a simple soup by pureeing roasted butternut squash with cream (or for lighter soup use part milk and part chicken broth), a sauteed mix of apple, red bell pepper, onion and garlic, salt and curry powder to taste, plus a dash of cayenne pepper. Who doesn’t love butternut squash soup?
— Using a heavy, sharp chef’s knife, slice squash in half longways, scoop out seeds, and bake on a cookie sheet until soft and lightly browned (for about an hour, depending on size of squash). Top with a sprinkle of sea salt and a drizzle of maple syrup for a sinfully satisfying side-dish. To add protein, top with pan-roasted pecan pieces.
— Stir 1/4 to 1/2 cup of pureed, roasted butternut squash into your favorite pancake batter. An easy and tasty way to sneak a vegetable into a vegetable-hater’s breakfast.
More butternut squash recipes
Butternut squash is plentiful this fall, and apparently Thanksgiving shoppers made only a small dent in the supply. So if you’re planning to go local next week (Eat Local Week starts Saturday and continues through Dec. 12), you should have no trouble finding butternut squash at farmers’ markets around town. I bought some especially tasty butternuts last week from Johnson’s Backyard Farm at the Austin Farmers’ Market at the Triangle.
This first recipe calls for green tomatoes or tomatillos for the green sauce. I used tomatillos given to me by a neighbor while I was working on this recipe. (Don’t you love having gardeners as neighbors?) For the final recipe, I was out of tomatillos, so I used green tomatoes from my fall garden. It’s good both ways; the tomatillo version is a bit more tart. For the green chiles, I used Anaheims from my garden, but just about any variety of mild green chiles will work fine.
Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Quesadillas with Green Sauce
For the filling:
2 medium butternut squash
1/4 cup yellow onion, sliced thin
Enough extra virgin olive oil to sauté
Salt to taste
Prick squash several times with a sharp knife and place on a cookie sheet. Roast in a 375-degree oven until skin is soft enough to peel more easily, about 20 or 30 minutes. Set aside to cool. Then peel squash, remove seeds and chop into cubes. Sauté squash, onion and salt in a lightly oiled skillet or wok over medium low heat until brown and lightly caramelized. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to make quesadillas.
For the sauce:
4 or 5 green tomatoes or tomatillos (or enough for 3/4 cup after roasting), quartered
4 or 5 green chiles (or enough for 1/4 cup after roasting), seeded and sliced in half (longways)
1/2 yellow onion, peeled and sliced
1 serrano pepper (or two if you like spicy green sauce), sliced in half and seeded
3 small garlic cloves
1/4 cup milk
1 heaping tsp. mild creamy goat cheese (Wateroak Farms cheese works well here)
1/4 tsp. fresh lime juice
1-2 tsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for roasting
Salt to taste
Toss first four ingredients with a drizzle of olive oil and a couple of pinches of salt. Spread on a cookie sheet in a single layer with space between all pieces (so they don’t steam in their own juices). Use two pans if necessary to keep from crowding. Roast in 400-degree oven for 20-30 minutes or until all vegetables are lightly browned. (Check after 15 minutes and remove peppers, which are quick to brown.)
While tomatoes are roasting, roast whole garlic cloves in a dry skillet until lightly browned and soft. Purée roasted vegetables and all other sauce ingredients (in processor or blender) until creamy smooth. Refrigerate until ready to prepare quesadillas.
To make quesadillas:
Raw White Tortillas by Margarita’s Tortilla Factory, available at Wheatsville Co-op
About 1 cup of Pure Luck Goat Cheese (plain chevre)
Caramelized butternut squash and onion filling
Green sauce
Place one tortilla in a hot dry skillet (well-seasoned iron skillet works best, but any will do), first on one side, then on the other, until both sides are lightly brown. Spread about a tablespoon of cheese and two tablespoons of squash/onion mixture on one half of tortilla. Fold tortilla over mixture and press gently. Flip to other side for a few minutes to finish browning. Gently reheat green sauce. Add a little water if needed to thin. Serve quesadillas topped with dollop of green sauce. Recipe makes enough filling for 4 to 6 quesadilla halves, depending on how full you make them.
Note: For a holiday party or brunch, prepare quesadillas in advance and keep warm in oven until party time. Then pass the sauce. To make the quesadillas more portable, slice each one in half before serving.
Wholegrain Skillet Cornbread with Butternut Squash
Butternut squash gives cornbread a smooth and moist texture. The squash flavor is barely noticeable, so it’s a great way to sneak a vegetable, and you won’t even notice you’re eating whole grains.
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
2 heaping tsp. mild, creamy goat cheese
1 cup stone ground cornmeal (medium grind or coarse grind)
2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butternut squash, roasted, peeled and mashed
1 pat of butter and 1 Tbsp. of vegetable oil for skillet
Preheat oven to 375. Whisk together egg, milk, cheese and squash and set aside. Mix dry ingredients in separate mixing bowl. Gently fold wet mixture into dry ingredients until evenly moistened. Don’t overmix.
Heat oil and butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet on medium high heat. When oil mixture is hot enough to make a drop of cornbread mixture sizzle, pour in the mix and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until edges are brown and toothpick poked in center comes out clean. Serve immediately with butter. For a treat, drizzle with honey or molasses.
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Green beans, peppers, tomatoes, cukes — in December?
I know it’s time to focus my attentions on winter vegetables and say goodbye to the warm weather crops I planted in late summer, but some of those fall plants just aren’t ready to let go. And considering this week’s harvest (beans, peppers, tomatoes, purple hull peas and one little cucumber), I’m not quite ready to let go either.
It’s true the purple cherokee and celebrity tomatoes are now maturing very slowly (if at all) because of the cool temps and the shorter days, but since I like to use green tomatoes in verde sauce, salsa and, of course, fried green tomatoes, I don’t plan to yank them until the last green tomato is gone or until we get a hard freeze. (Which could be later this week — and maybe even snow! I’ll believe it when I see it. But to be on the safe side, I’m ready with row covers and insulated cloth)
BTW, if you like tender, sweet green beans as much as I do, you really must try the ‘Contender’ (by Botanical Interests). They’re quick to mature (40 days!) and very prolific. I have two little patches planted two weeks apart and I’ve been harvesting a nice mess just about every week since late September. I’ll definitely plant more of these seeds in the spring.
Another plus, these beans, like all legumes, add nitrogen to the soil. The radishes and onions I plan to plant when the beans are done will be happy about that. It’s hard not to like a vegetable that leaves the soil better than it found it.
Do you have favorite seed varieties that have performed especially well in your vegetable garden? I’d love to start a list of the best of the best seeds for the Central Texas vegetable garden. At the moment, the Contender is definitely at the top of my list.
Happy gardening!
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Local food potluck and Citizen Gardener graduation
If you’d like to get a head start on Eat Local Week, consider this event Thursday night: The Local Food Pot-Luck and Graduation Celebration for this fall’s Citizen Gardeners and Permaculture Designers.
Guests are asked to bring a main dish, side dish, or salad (6-8 servings) made from local food ingredients, including those from a home garden. Sponsors are Citizen Gardener, Permaculture Guild and Slow-Food Austin. The event will be at the lovely Barr Mansion:, from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. For more information and to RSVP visit http://fall2009localpotluckandgraduation.eventbrite.com/
Attending this event is a great way to show your support for budding urban farmers while enjoying a pleasant evening hanging out with other gardeners — and sampling some very tasty garden-to-table dishes.
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Holiday gift guide for gardeners on your list
An easy and inexpensive DIY gift idea: turn a small clay pot into a salad bowl garden.
You know you’re shopping for someone, uh, special, when she hands you a wish list that includes “red wiggler” earthworms, butterfly-host plants and a chicken tractor. And she wants everything to be local. But of course.
Not to worry, though, because whether you’re shopping for a budding urban farmer or a wildlife gardener, you won’t have any trouble finding exactly what you’re after around Austin, which, like many metropolitan areas across the country, has gone nuts about all things having to do with sustainable gardening and urban farming. So go out and support your local economy. Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
For budding urban farmers
Salad bowl — An easy and inexpensive way to grow your own salad ingredients. All it takes is a planter bowl, a few scoops of good organic potting soil and three or four salad transplants (about $1.50 each). You can find everything you need at most garden centers and nurseries that stock fall and winter vegetable starts (for a total of $10 to $25, depending on cost of planter and soil).
Fully installed vegetable gardens — A great gift for folks who are way too busy to dig, plant and tend their own gardens, or for those who are not physically able. Several small companies have sprung up in the past year or so to fill this need, including Resolution Gardens (resolutiongardens.com), Austin Urban Gardens (austinurbangardens.com) and Bohemian Gardens (bohemianbounty.com). Cost ranges from $100 to $1,000, depending on garden size and design. For an extra monthly or weekly charge, these companies will also help with garden maintenance.
For wildlife and nature enthusiasts Tree and shrub finder — For iPhone users, the Botany Buddy Tree and Shrub Finder app is a great little gift to have on a nature walk or during a garden center expedition. Botany Buddy’s plant library includes more than 1,000 species with more than 4,500 photos in its initial release. Also included is information about growth habit, size and native range ($9.99 at the Apple App Store and at botanybuddy.com). Regular updates are planned and will be free to registered users.
Wildlife and plant pocket guide — The colorful laminated folded guides on display at nursery counters all over town were produced locally (with help from several Austin photographers and plant and wildlife experts) by Quick Reference Field Guides. They provide handy information and photos on Central Texas wildflowers, birds, butterflies and more. Especially useful for beginners. ($7.95 each.)
A butterfly host plant — This one’s easy and especially appropriate for a gardener who’s working on a backyard wildlife habitat. Milkweed, flame acanthus, fennel and parsley are just a few of the plants that attract butterfly mothers who are ready to lay eggs. Check the Lady Bird Johnson Wildlower Center Web site (wildflower.org) for more information about butterfly plants. ($2 to $15, depending on size.)
For art lovers
Original art — You can find the work of artists who specialize in botanical or wildlife themes in gift shops, nurseries, galleries and art shows all over Austin. Here are a few inexpensive suggestions: watercolor flowers by Mary Scott, Barton Springs Nursery ($30.95); note cards by Flat Flower Botanicals and Cards by Donna and Andy ($6.50 and $3.75), most Austin-area nurseries, including the Great Outdoors and Shoal Creek Nursery; and signed botanical portraits by David Kolosta, including “Garden Boy” ($40, pictured above), Pitchforks and Tablespoons gift shop next door to Eastside Cafe.
For the gardener who already has everything else
Bokashi Bin — This indoor composting system from the new Wimberley company Microbial Earth (microbialearth.com.) is a food scrap composter designed for apartment and condo dwellers. The bin holds about two months’ worth of food waste. The composter can be shipped to you or ordered and picked up at the Austin Farmer’s Market downtown ($70.36). Bokashi Bran ($10.83) turns the waste in the bin into an odor-free organic material that can be mixed with soil and used for growing healthy plants. Microbial Earth also has a smaller, cheaper food composter ($21.65).
A box of earthworms — Wouldn’t this make a perfect stocking stuffer for a gardener who’s itching (wiggling?) to get into vermiposting? Among the nearby sources for earthworms are Halls Wormery (hallswormery.com), Down to Earth Farm (downtoearthfarm.com) and Wybo’s Wigglers (wyboswigglers.com). One pound of red wigglers (1,000 to 1,500 worms) usually sells for about $30. Mobile chicken coop — You probably know all about chicken tractors, but have you seen the chicken stagecoach made by Comanche Feather Farms (chickenmobilestagecoach.com)? The 3-foot-by-6-foot Garden Stagecoach (starting at $399) is designed for small urban gardens. It’s just right for three or four chickens. It has an exterior nesting box for easy collection of eggs. Handles raise the 10-inch pnuematic wheels, allowing you to move the Stagecoach around your garden area so the chickens can scratch up weeds and eat bugs. DIY designs and kits are also available.
If you’ve got tips for shoppers or DIY-ers who are looking for local gift ideas for gardeners, please leave a comment. The more the merrier.
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10 things I love about the fall garden
—1. Monarch butterflies are my constant companions.
— 2. My tomatoes are not crawling with stink bugs, leaf-footed bugs or hornworms.
— 3. My favorite buttery yellow mums put on a show at the edge of the backyard patio.
— 4. The asters in the frontyard garden bloom and bloom and bloom.
— 5. Vines and perennials that fell into dormancy during the raging heat of summer come to life again as if it were spring. (This is a potato vine bloom.)
— 6. I have plenty of tender young lettuce for daily salads. (This is a mesclun mix grown from seed)
— 7. Warm weather crops commingle with cool weather crops in my harvest basket. (Here are collard greens, Swiss chard, salad tomatoes, sweet pepper, green beans, patty pan squash and basil.)
— 8. The native barbados cherry sets lovely little fruits that turn red and provide popular snacks for backyard birds.
— 9. Dragonflies drop by for visits. (I think this little guy was looking right at me. And does it look like he’s wearing lipstick?)
— 10. And finally, after a long miserable summer, the weather is now so perfect and the garden is so alive that I am reminded that change and renewal are inevitable.
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October’s garden events just keep on coming
There have been more garden tours, benefits, plant sales, swaps, lectures and workshops this month than this busy gardener could attend. And it’s not over yet. Two high-profile events this weekend look very tempting:
— On Saturday and Sunday The Texas Book Festival includes two panel discussions I’m considering: “Are You Gonna Eat That?!” and “Plant-Driven Design: Creating Gardens That Honor Plants, Place, and Spirit.”
— Also on Saturday, the Garden Conservancy and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center offer a half-day seminar and tour called “Limestone & Water: Plants, Design and Inspiration for the Texas Garden.”
Sidenote: Don’t get me wrong: I’m not really complaining that October has too many garden events. (OK, maybe just a little, but only because I have a pile of flagstones sitting in my driveway waiting for me to have a free weekend.) I really do love it that gardening (especially growing food) has become so hot and (dare I say it?) so hip, that just about everyone I know and everyone I meet is either doing it, talking about doing it or attending a lecture or class to learn how to do it better.
Which brings me back to this weekend’s events:
If you’ve been scratching your head trying to figure out whether to plant plants that can survive drought or plants that can survive floods (or both), you might want to hear what the experts at the Garden Conservancy/Wildflower Center presentation have to say: garden writer Stephen Orr will speak on “Gardening With Less but Getting More”); garden designers Scott Ogden and Lauren Springer Ogden on “Plant Driven Design: Honoring Plants, Place and Spirit”; and Big Red Sun co-founder and designer Dylan Crain Robertson on “Outside You Can Live In.”
The program is from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Wildflower Center. Tickets are $40-$75. Seminar participants can meet and mingle with the speakers at a reception Friday night at the home garden of James David and Gary Peese for an extra $35. Register at gardenconservancy.org
Later in the day on Saturday, you have another chance to hear from garden designers/ authors Scott Ogden and Lauren Springer Ogden. They will speak at a panel at the Book Festival’s Lifestyle Tent from 3 to 3:45. Admission is free. (Bring a copy of their new book “Plant Driven Design” if you want them to sign it.)
If you like your vegetables homegrown (or grown by your favorite local farmers), or if you’re raising animals for food (or if you hate the idea of raising animals for food), you’ll probably get something out of the “Are You Gonna Eat That?!” panel featuring writers Novella Carpenter, Jonathan Safran Foer, James E. McWilliams, and Jason Sheehan. The passions (and new books) of these writers all relate in one way or another to the politics of food — from food miles to backyard poultry to food factories. Atlantic Monthly food editor Corby Kummer, author of “The Pleasures of Slow Food,” will moderate. Could be some food fights, er, I mean fireworks, at this session. The panel is from 2-3 p.m. Sunday in the House Chamber. Admission is free, but arrive early because once the room is full, it’s full.
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Kieffer: A backyard pear that’s worth keeping
I love Kieffer pears.
I love them raw — crunchy and dripping with their own sweet juice. I love them sliced and laid out on a cold plate beside a good stinky cheese — a perfect pairing of crispy sweet and savory smooth flavors. And I love them cooked into a sweet and spicy compote and spooned over grilled pork.
So why am I telling you this? Because Kieffers, the pears most likely to be found growing in backyards and on small family farms all over Central Texas (and most of the South), have a reputation for being not very good — OK for canning, but not much else. In other words, if you really need a pear, and a Kieffer is the only one available, don’t expect to be impressed.
Well, I must disagree. I would never think of it as the pear of last resort.
I do wonder, however, about the taste buds of some of the food and agriculture writers who have described the Kieffer as “barely edible,” or “more like medicine than food.” Perhaps the fruits they sampled were not harvested and ripened properly. (Kieffers need to be picked when mature, but still hard, usually sometime in September; then they should be ripened in a cool space for two or three weeks until their sugary juices develop and their skins turn slightly yellow.)
It’s also possible that the Kieffer has been stuck in the same “Southern food that’s not fit to eat” category as another Southern heritage favorite of mine, the purple hull pea. (By the way, the purple hull pea, once dismissed as food fit only for cattle, is now enjoying a new popularity among young locavores who are tasting them for the first time at fine-dining restaurants such as Wink and Jeffrey’s. Maybe Kieffers are next. Check out chef Matthew Buchanan’s Kieffer pear recipes below from the fall menu at Leaning Pear Café & Eatery in Wimberley.)
When I was a kid, I had no idea that some folks didn’t like my favorite pears. At the start of each fall, my sister and I would start wondering about “the pears.” “Isn’t it about time for ‘the pears’?”
“The pears” in question were the big lumpy speckled fruits growing in Great Aunt Iola’s backyard in Arkansas. Iola (now there’s a name you don’t hear much anymore) always had more pears than she and her family could eat, so relatives and friends would visit in the fall, armed with paper sacks and cardboard boxes, to load up on the fruits that we thought were the sweetest and juiciest pears around.
At that time, no one in my family cared much for the commercially grown pears in the supermarket that ripened into elegant but squishy orbs of sweet flesh. We much preferred the firm but juicy crunch of Iola’s lumpy pears.
It wasn’t until years later that I figured out that Iola’s pears were Kieffers — and that I didn’t have to travel all the way to her backyard in Arkansas to eat one. I could grow my own or buy them at a local farmers’ market.
If you aren’t growing Kieffers, farmers’ markets are your best bet for finding them. I’ve also occasionally spotted them in the produce section at Central Market, and some of the best Kieffers I’ve ever tasted came from a garage sale near the corner of Speedway and 32nd Street a few years back.
The Kieffer is a cross between a Japanese pear (or Nashi) and a European pear (probably a Bartlett) that was developed by Peter Kieffer in 1863. In the old South, Kieffer trees were prized for many reasons: They were heavy producers; the pears stored well if picked when mature (but still green); and the pears’ crisp texture made them perfect for making preserves and pies.
But then (and now), perhaps the most important reason to love your Kieffer pear tree was for its ability to survive, and even thrive, in less-than-ideal growing conditions. Kieffers are resistant to fire blight, a disease that wipes out most pear trees grown in areas with hot, humid summers. (Other Asian pear hybrids recommended for Texas include Orient, Warren and Moonglow.) Blight is the reason that European varieties like Bartlett, Bosc, Anjou and Comice have not been successfully grown in Texas.
So, being that I live and garden in Central Texas, it’s a good thing that if forced to choose between a sweet, crunchy Kieffer and a soft, creamy Bartlett, I’d just as soon have a crispy Kieffer. But that’s not to say that I don’t also enjoy a good buttery pear. When a Bartlett is perfectly ripe but not too ripe and at its sweet and creamy best, it’s hard to beat. But a Bartlett won’t grow in my backyard. And unless I move to Oregon or California, I won’t find one at the local farmers’ market.
And speaking of farmers, I’ve been purchasing Kieffers from Lightsey Farms (a regular vendor at the downtown market at Fourth and Guadalupe Streets) for the past month. (I didn’t get any pears from my backyard tree this season, but more on that later.)
Kieffer pear season is drawing to a close, but Lightsey Farms expects to have Kieffers for sale until mid-November ($5 for a basket that contains about 6 pears).
If you’d like to try growing your own, now is an excellent time to plant fruit trees. One thing to keep in mind, though: Raccoons love Kieffer pears, too.
My backyard Kieffer tree was covered in baby pears in June. I was thrilled. It was going to be my best crop ever. But then one night the raccoons came and ate them all — except for one sad little misshapen pear. (Grrrr.)
Since then, I’ve planted two more trees and purchased a secret weapon - a motion-activated (and really scary-looking) talking tree creature. When barely bumped, the battery-operated Talking Haunted Tree Face mask ($34.99 at the Spirit Halloween Superstore) comes to life with eyes that light up and lips that move while he says stuff like: “Hey, you. Yeah, you. Come over here.” And: “Now make like a tree and leave!”
I’m thinking I’ll try it out Halloween night. If it scares trick-or-treaters, maybe it will do the same to the raccoons next spring.
If nothing else, maybe it will give everyone (including the raccoons) a good laugh.
Texas chef cooking with kieffers:
Native Texan Matthew Buchanan, chef/owner of Leaning Pear Café & Eatery, likes Kieffer pears enough to work them into his fall menu. “I honestly can’t say that if I had to only eat one pear the rest of my life that Kieffers would be the one, but I do like them for their crisp texture and citrus-like flavor.”
Buchanan and his wife have several old Kieffer trees on their Wimberley ranch. “We opened the Pear in 2007 and that fall there was a bumper crop, so we integrated them into the seasonal offerings because we had so many to use. There is definitely something special about knowing where they come from, in this case family land, and that no matter how brutal the summer might be those pears still come through, a reminder of how rugged the Kieffer has to be to survive the Hill Country summers - just like the rest of us,” Buchanan says.
“The most prolific of the trees out at the ranch sits in the middle of a rocky, parched pasture where it seems even the cedars can’t make it. My wife Rachel and I sat many an evening out on the back porch at the ranch, in the same rocking chairs her grandparents sat in years before, staring out at that tree thinking up ideas for what is now the Leaning Pear. It had a lot to do with our decision to name the restaurant what we did.
“So I guess I do have a soft spot in my heart for Kieffers that goes beyond a love for their flavor, but the fact that they grow locally in such large quantities is certainly a benefit. Plus, I always enjoy using an ingredient that may not have the best reputation to create something delicious and change a person’s preconceived notion; it’s fun for me and a pleasant surprise for guests.”
RECIPES
Here are two Kieffer pear recipes on the fall menu at the Leaning Pear (111 River Road, Wimberley):
Kieffer Pear and Gorgonzola Soup
2 Tbsp. butter
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 parsnip, peeled and diced
1 garlic clove, minced
6 cups Kieffer pears, peeled, cored and chopped, plus extra for garnish
7 cups chicken or vegetable stock
3 Tbsp. honey
1/2 lemon juice
4 Tbsp. Gorgonzola dolce,* crumbled, plus additional for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste
Walnuts, toasted for garnish
In a large saucepot melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent but not browned, then add the celery, parsnip and garlic and cook another 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir the pears into the pot and then add the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes or until the parsnips and pears are soft.
Purée soup using an immersion or traditional style blender until very smooth. Stir in the honey, lemon juice, salt, pepper and Gorgonzola. Check seasoning and serve warm garnished with toasted walnuts, Gorgonzola and julienned pears.
*I also love using Pure Luck Dairy’s Hopelessly Blue to keep it local.
Pear and Apple Crisp with Granola Topping
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg, freshly grated
1/4 tsp. allspice
3 pears, peeled, cored, sliced
3 apples (Macintosh, Fuji, Granny Smith or combination), peeled, cored, sliced
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. Poire William or other pear brandy
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
Granola Topping (recipe below)
Pecan Ice Cream (recipe below)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Add the pears and apples; stir a couple of times. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the fruit and stir until no lumps remain. Add the salt, vanilla and Poire William and stir to combine. Spoon the mixture into individual ramekins or one large baking dish, top with the granola crust and bake until brown on top, 25 to 40 minutes.
Granola Topping
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup rolled oats
2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 cup pecan pieces
1/2 tsp. salt
In a mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar, then add the remaining ingredients and mix to combine.
Pecan Ice Cream
11/2 cup pecan pieces
8 egg yolks
2 cups milk
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
In a blender, combine 1 cup of the pecans, egg yolks and milk. Purée until very smooth and strain into a large bowl; set aside. In a large saucepot, combine the brown sugar, sugar, heavy cream and vanilla. Bring to a bare simmer. In a slow steady stream, add the hot mixture into the cold mixture while whisking constantly. Be careful not to cook the egg yolks. Return the entire mixture back to the saucepot and gently heat to 170 degrees. Remove from heat, strain and fold in the remaining pecans and chill. Freeze in an ice cream machine. — Matthew Buchanan, Leaning Pear Café & Eatery, Wimberley
October in an Austin garden is a magical time when warm and cool weather vegetables thrive alongside each other. Fall tomatoes and peppers are ripening on the vine while baby lettuce greens are shooting up to join them. Add to that a bounty of autumn fruits and nuts (including, of course, Kieffer pears), and you’ve got the makings for a perfect garden salad.
Fall Garden Salad with Kieffer Pears and Lemon/Pear Vinaigrette
For the salad:
A couple of handfuls of baby mixed lettuces and greens, washed and dried
1 sweet red pepper, julienned
1/4 cup thinly sliced sweet onion (or 2 scallions, chopped)
Several salad tomatoes, sliced
1 or 2 fuyu persimmons, peeled and julienned
1/2 cup Kieffer pear, peeled and julienned
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup pecans, lightly roasted in a dry skillet
Pear quarters and sprigs of lemon verbena and thyme for garnish
For the dressing:
1/4 cup pears, peeled, cored, cubed
1 clove garlic, smashed and chopped
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
Juice of 1 large lemon
2 Tbsp. agave nectar (or honey, or maple syrup)
1/2 tsp. sea salt (more or less to taste)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. fresh lemon verbena leaves
For salad: Arrange salad greens, vegetables and fruits on plates, top with cheese and nuts, garnish with pear quarters and herb sprigs and drizzle lightly with dressing.
For dressing: Combine all ingredients except oil and herbs. Purée using immersion blender (or food processor or standard blender). Add oil slowly and continue to purée until smooth and creamy. Add fresh herbs and pulse briefly. Using a wooden spoon, gently press the mixture through a strainer. Cover and refrigerate.
— Renee Studebaker
What others think about Kieffers:
Horticulturist and Kieffer pear fan Thomas Meehan writing in 1882 on the quality of Kieffer pears:
‘A correspondent writes that he bought one of the Kieffer pears offered (for sale at a) Philadelphia market, paying him twenty-five cents for the specimen. That it had a remarkably taking appearance; but that when he took it home he found to his sorrow that it was not worth taking, except as medicine. This is quite likely, and yet does not prove that the fruit is not of superior quality when properly grown.’
Southern cookbook writer, fresh food advocate and Kieffer pear fan Edna Lewis writing in 1988 on backyard fruit trees:
‘When I was a child, nearly everyone had at least a few fruit trees, all bearing different fruit ? Small orchards are disappearing. They were planted by another generation for us to enjoy, and if you have the space, think about planting some fruit trees for the next generation.’
A commenter writing about Kieffers in July on Cooks Illustrated bulletin board (americastestkitchen.com): ‘My dad made wine from the peels and cores. My mother canned the pear halves with red or green food coloring for Christmas meals, red also goes for Valentine’s Day. My husband and I like them raw.’
Renee Studebaker photo/American-Statesman
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Green Corn Project fundraiser is the place to be
In my garden this morning this patty pan squash bloom was the place to be, for the bees, anyway.
Tomorrow, though, the place to be is at Boggy Creek Farm for the annual fall fundraiser for the Green Corn Project, a nonprofit group that helps low-income families in the Austin area grow their own vegetables.
From noon to 4 p.m. you can listen to live music, sample fresh foods prepared by some of Austin’s best restaurants, and watch cooking demonstrations.
Tickets are $35 in advance, $40 at the gate, and children under 12 are free. For more information visit the Green Corn Project website.
Check it out. The Green Corn folks do great work, and they need your support.
(Renee Studebaker photo/American-Statesman)
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Monarch chrysalis — one of Mother Nature’s best works of art
I’m used to seeing a variety of butterflies (and their caterpillars) in my Central Austin garden. But this is my first Monarch chrysalis! And what a beauty!
I feel like a proud mom, even though I didn’t have to do a thing except turn my backyard into a space that attracts and supports wildlife. This little guy (or gal) should mature in about 14 days, hopefully in time to join the rest of the migrating Monarchs making their way south to warmer weather in Mexico.
State and City officials, along with folks at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and the Native Plant Society, are wrapping up a weeklong celebration of native plants and wildlife habitats this weekend. For more information on Texas Native Plant Week visit this site.
And if you’ve been considering turning your yard into a wildlife habitat, now is a great time to get started by planting native perennials, shrubs and trees. Visit this site for more information.
And if you’d like to get an upclose look at how some of Austin’s most talented master gardeners have designed their urban gardens to support wildlife, be sure to check out the Fall Inside Austin Gardens Tour: Sustainable Gardening for Urban Wildlife. Six gardens will be open for visits on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets for the tour are $10 (or $5 per garden) and can be purchased at any home on the tour. In addition, native plants will be sold at each site.
Happy gardening!
Renee Studebaker photo/American-Statesman
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Latest comments
I’m so sorry about the sudden loss, but am so glad you got to sip wine, swap pictures and discover your garden genes. Hey, don’t worry about tomato seeds, you can still do it or simply give yourself a break this year and buy plants! I’ve
... read the full comment by Linda Lehmusvirta | Comment on Garden is slowly coming back to life, and so am I Read Garden is slowly coming back to life, and so am I
Sorry about your loss, Renee. Glad you’re back! (I haven’t started any tomato seeds yet either.)
... read the full comment by Iris/Society Garlic | Comment on Garden is slowly coming back to life, and so am I Read Garden is slowly coming back to life, and so am I
awww-welcome back! I’ve missed you! So sorry about your dad…I lost mine almost 3 years ago…It’s very hard but time will help. Love and best wishes to you and your garden!!!!
... read the full comment by sharil | Comment on Garden is slowly coming back to life, and so am I Read Garden is slowly coming back to life, and so am I
I’m so sorry to hear about your father. It’s good you were able to reconnect with far-flung family. Welcome back.
... read the full comment by Caroline | Comment on Garden is slowly coming back to life, and so am I Read Garden is slowly coming back to life, and so am I
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