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Sydney Jordan Brown

Apr 28

Give Us the Sun, Moon, Stars, and…

By Beet 2025 05 May

 

… a generous wedge of watermelon! The mouthwatering heirloom watermelon — Citrullus lanatus subsp. vulgaris — is in the Cucurbitaceae family along with cucumbers, pumpkins, gourds, and luffas.

Botanically the biggest berry in the world, the watermelon is singularly sought after as a seductively succulent sweet treat. Who can resist such succulence on a hot summer day?

Watermelon’s familiar fruit is a popular presence at summer picnics, pool sides, and 4th of July parades. But, while its flesh is familiar, its history is somewhat of a mystery. Its origin was thought to be the Kalahan Desert in Africa. Archeological records indicate the earliest cultivation from a bitter-tasting wild melon was 5000 years ago. They’re depicted in hieroglyphics and placed in pharaoh’s tombs for nourishing their afterlife. Despite this evidence, their exact origin is still in question.

In Biblical times it was food for enslaved Israelites in ancient Egypt. More recent signs indicate they were originally cultivated in Libya. Wherever they started, they were valued not only for sweetness but, more importantly, for their water content, which is so crucial in arid climates.

By the 7th century watermelon reached India, and 10th century Moors brought watermelon to Europe. It then spread to China. In the 16th century it came to Florida, then traveled to the rest of America, Peru, Brazil, Panama, other British/Dutch colonies, and then the Hawaiian and Pacific Islands by the 17th century.

With its fragrant, sweet, juicy high water-content flesh, it’s no wonder no one resists savoring a slice or two — especially of the home-grown heirloom varieties.

Aside from its alluring flesh, some African and Asian cuisines feature leaves cooked as vegetables and seeds roasted for snacks, ground for pulp or flour (for soups, sauces and making breads), and pressed for oil or used medicinally.

Of course, the flesh of this wonderful melon is the main reason we’re drawn to dive in for a divine dining experience. It’s also amazing that such sweet refreshing flesh is quite healthy. Low in sugar, it’s high in vitamins A and C, antioxidants, lycopenes, amino acids (like citrulline, it’s great for post-workout blood flow and muscle ache reduction), and water content for hydration.

Watermelons have hairy vines sporting furry three-to-five lobed leaves and yellow flowers that make the fruits. The leaves, as well as the skin, vary in color, and the skin is often mottled or striped. The flesh may be crimson, pink, orange, yellow, or white.

To grow melons, sow 3-4 seeds ½” deep in 4” pots filled with good potting soil.  Place on 70° heat mats until they sprout in about 5-8 days, then place under lights. Acclimate seedlings outdoors a week before the last frost date so they’ll be ready to plant out.

Being heavy feeders, they can use lots of manure-rich compost. Build loam-rich “hills” with flattened surfaces 12” across. Plant seedlings in the center of the mound and then water thoroughly. Keep soil continually moist by irrigating, using high-nitrogen fertilizer (after flowering, switch to a balanced seaweed fertilizer to encourage early male and later female flowering). Cease watering and fertilizing when melons near ripeness. When stems are brownish, melon underside yellowish and hollow sound comes from thumping the rind, cut the fruit from the vine. Then, dive in and delight your taste-buds with a wedge of heirloom watermelon!

Fun Facts

Species name “lanatus” (meaning “wooly”) refers to the wooly hairs on the plant’s parts, like stems.

Botanically, watermelons are a pepo, a berry with a hard outer rind like a pumpkin.

Many regions have watermelon festivals like the Luling Watermelon Thump in Texas and the Knox County Watermelon Festival in Vincennes, Indiana that draw thousands to watermelon eating, seed spitting contests, and parades.

Resources:

Global Produce Sales

The History and Cultural Significance of Watermelons

Vegetable Facts.net

History of Watermelon – Vegetable Facts

The Old Farmer’s Almanac

https://www.almanac.com/plant/watermelonsFarmers’ Almanac

https://www.farmersalmanac.com/how-to-grow-watermelon

Royal Botanical Gardens

Watermelon – Citrullus lanatus | Kew

Seed Sources:

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

Eden Brothers

Thresh Seed Company

Recipe:

Heirloom Watermelon Sorbet

This is quite quick and deliciously refreshing! No sweetener needed!!!

  • One whole watermelon around 5 pounds, or cut portion of a larger size to equal the same weight
  • Zest and juice from 3 organic limes
  • ¼ cup fresh mint leaves (lemon, lime or orange mints are most tasty)
  • Frozen apple raspberry juice concentrate (unsweetened)

Remove seeds if any, then cut melon flesh into about 1½” chunks. Place on a plastic wrap covered baking sheet and put in the freezer until frozen, about 1 hour. Remove from the freezer and put half the chunks into the bowl of a food processor along with lime zest, lime juice and mint leaves. Pulse until cubes are processed and smooth. Add more melon cubes and some apple raspberry juice (if needed) to blend into a smooth sorbet.

Scoop out and serve topped with a mint sprig or freeze in containers for later.  This also works well with other melons like cantaloupe or honeydew.

 

 

 

Mar 30

Passionate For Purple

By Beet 2025 04 April

 

 

Glimpsing those first emerald-green sprouts of spring is always exciting, but even more amazing are spears of amethyst shooting from the soil. While many think of spring green, Asparagus officinalis invites you to be adventuresome and plant purple, like ‘Purple Passion,’ ‘Sweet Purple,’ or ‘Pacific Purple.’

Asparagus has a very long and interesting history. In ancient times, it was greatly appreciated for both its culinary and medicinal uses in Egypt, Rome and Greece. Romans cultivated asparagus first (in 625 BC) and propagation spread throughout Italy during the Renaissance era. However, most violet-hued cultivars are believed to be native to Albenga, in Italy’s northwestern region of Liguria. Amazingly, many modern-day cultivars are descendants of those original Italian varieties.

In the beginning, Italian growers selected the most favorable traits of this new amethyst asparagus they’d discovered. Extensive breeding of those plants produced many new varieties with improved texture and taste. Although once desirable and profitable, over time other more lucrative agricultural crops came about, and labor-intensive asparagus (including premium purples) fell out of favor and production.

Even though unique purple varieties were mentioned in 15th century cookbooks, during the 17th century only a few purple varieties remained. Today, those varieties have been studied worldwide, which lead to a number of cultivars (in the US, Europe and Australia) for home gardeners to grow.

Since purple asparagus is still seldom seen at commercial markets, planting your own is likely the only way to savor this sweeter and less stringy, purple-speared pleasure. Why purple instead of green? In the gardenscape, purple varieties add striking visual contrast. They have sweeter flavors, due to their higher sugar content, than the green varieties. Additionally, their milder nutty taste makes them a delicious raw addition for snacking and salads. Their spears are larger and more tender, eliminating stalk-end peeling and waste. Also, like other purple-pigmented plants, they’re packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and anthocyanins (which give the spears their purple color).

As a perennial, purple asparagus will provide spring-yielding spears for 20 years or more. This is appealing for both sustainability and productivity. They’re also very adaptable, thriving in many climates from USDA zones 3-10. Fortunately for us, purple asparagus grows hardily in our Rogue Valley gardens.

Purple asparagus prefers well-drained soil, generously amended with manure-rich compost in a sunny location. Raised beds are best if you have them. In Feb-April, plant crowns in trenches about 8-10” deep and 12-18” wide with roots spread out, and then cover with 3-4” of soil. As shoots appear, continue covering with 3-4” of soil each time they reach 4-5” high and trenches, or raised beds, are filled. Mulch beds generously with manure-rich compost. Use a balanced organic fertilizer each spring, then a new layer of compost. Maintain consistent moisture by drip-line irrigation.

While spears appear the first spring after planting, do not harvest them, and leave them to fern out. Allowing them to fern out produces chlorophyll that regenerates next year’s crown health. Remove the ferns by cutting them at ground level after they turn brown in late autumn. Harvest lightly in their second spring. Slice spears at ground level with a sharp knife, as digging may damage/disturb shallow roots. Then indulge in a taste of your very first succulent, nutty-sweet spears.

Whether you’ve a passion to perk up your plantings or put some punch on your serving platter, put in some sweet purple asparagus!

Resources:

Grow Organic:  Gourmet Gardener: The Purple Asparagus Edition

Specialty Produce:  Purple Asparagus Information and Facts

Eating Well:  What Is Purple Asparagus and How Do I Use It?

Sources:

Grange Co-op

Raintree Nursery:  http://www.raintreenursery.com

Urban Farmer:  http://www.ufseeds.com

Pinetree Garden Seeds:  http://www.superseeds.com

Recipe:

Grilled Sweet Purple Asparagus

1 ½ pounds fresh purple asparagus, washed, ends snapped off and cut on diagonal (looks better than rough ends)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves of organic garlic, pressed

zest of one organic lemon

sea salt and fresh ground pepper

¼ cup sliced toasted almonds

In a gallon size zip-type bag, mix together olive oil, garlic, and 1/8th teaspoon of sea salt.  Put asparagus in bag and roll spears back and forth until all are coated. Heat grill and turn to medium heat (350°). Place asparagus across grill bars so it doesn’t fall through.  Close grill lid and cook for about 5 minutes. Open lid and use tongs to turn spears.  Close lid and grill another 3-5 minutes until just tender. Remove to serving platter and sprinkle with some fresh ground pepper, sliced almonds and lemon zest. Serve about 4 as a side dish. Great atop salads too!

 

Feb 28

Scents and Scentstrawbility

By Beet 2025 03 March

 

Is there any scent or taste more alluring than chocolate? If you have ever sampled Fragaria vesca ‘Sempervirens’ your answer might just be yes.  More commonly known as Alpine strawberries, these heirloom herbaceous perennials, while petite in size, pack a surprising punch with their alluring perfume fragrance and intense flavor.

Just what are Alpine strawberries? A better question to ask is, “What aren’t they?”  Alpines aren’t the “woodland strawberries” known as Fraises des Bois in France. They’re natives growing near the woodland edges of North and South America, Canada, Africa, Asia and Europe. These highly prized heirloom berries were discovered about 300 years ago east of Grenoble, France, and were first cultivated in ancient Persia. Archaeological evidence has documented consumption of these berries by Stone Age people in Denmark and Switzerland. Alpines were found in medieval paintings and were mentioned in the writings of Virgil, Ovid and Pliny.

Why don’t we see them today? A couple centuries ago, after the propagation of American hybrid strawberries, their popularity fell away. Most people preferred the larger/more prolific, albeit less aromatically delicious hybrids. Like all woodland strawberries, Alpines aren’t hybrids like most of the strawberries grown in our gardens. They’re one of few varieties that grow true-to-seed, so seedlings will be the same as parent plants.

Requiring little attention, Alpines flourish in most garden soil that is sufficiently moist, but not soggy. Growing to 1-2’ tall, their soft mounds of sawtooth-edged leaves make excellent border plantings where filtered light is provided by taller plants or trees. They’re well-behaved in garden spaces, given their lack of runners. Even self-sowing regeneration remains respectfully near original plants. Excess plants can be potted to keep or share with others. Mature Alpine plants can withstand cold temperatures down to -20°F.

Alpines also make wonderful container plants and flourish in shadier areas.  Bright sun rays aren’t required for crimson or creamy-skinned fruit production as with hybrid strawberries. (Yes, there are creamy white and yellow-fruited Alpines too). If red berries aren’t to your liking, then these, with the pronounced fragrance and flavor of an intense pineapple, will be.  No kidding!  You certainly won’t taste or smell that with hybrid strawberries!  Additionally, white Alpine berries lack the pigment present in red fruits, so they can be enjoyed by those allergic to red berries.

Flowering is from early spring through well into autumn. So, these delicious berries will perfume your yard and plate for months. They’ll also bear fruit the first year they’re planted. How great is that? If starting Alpines from seeds, be patient as it can take up to a month for their first green sprouts to pop. Sprinkle seeds on the surface of soil, then gently press in for them to germinate. Purchasing plants is another option if you just can’t wait. Whichever way you obtain your plants, any fallen berries will sprout more. How easy is that to propagate more fragrant fruiting plants for your garden?You can also increase plants by dividing crowns of established ones. Such division also rejuvenates them.

These delicate berries are best enjoyed fresh when fully ripe. When mature, they’ll easily slip from their stems and deliver their most fragrant flavor. (They’ll last only a couple days when refrigerated). With your own delectably sweet and alluringly fragrant Alpine strawberries on your back deck, you’ll be dining divinely without needing to drive to the depths of the local woodland to forage for these little fruits.

Resources:
Renee’s Garden Seeds –Luxury from the Garden: Alpine Strawberries

Fine Gardening – Alpine Strawberries

Terroir Seeds – Alpine Strawberries have a Sweet History

Sources for Alpine Strawberry Plants and Seeds: Remember, If you see “Fraises Des Boise” listed then they’re not Alpines and will send out runners.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds They have seeds for ‘Alexandria Scarlet’ and ‘White Soul’ cultivars.

The Strawberry They have the most varieties including ‘Yellow Wonder’ and ‘Pineapple Crush’, the best flavored white varieties, as well many red types, both seed and plants.

Raintree Nursery They have four varieties of Alpine plants.

 

Recipe: Alpine Strawberry Napoleons
1 package frozen puff pastry (17 ¼ oz), thawed
½ cup organic confectioners’ sugar
1 cup heavy cream
4 oz Neufchatel cream cheese (not whipped in the tub), softened
⅔ cup 2% vanilla Greek yogurt (Tillamook or Trader Joes Skyr)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
Zest from one organic lemon
2 pints of Alpine strawberries (red, white or both)
2 tablespoons organic sugar
Ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350°

Open pastry and with a serrated knife cut into eighteen 2-by-3-inch rectangles. Place strips on parchment covered baking sheets. Bake for about 7-10 minutes until puffed. Remove strips from the oven and gently press them to about ⅛” thick with a wire rack. Bake for another 8-10 minutes until light brown.

Increase oven to 475°
Dust evenly all the strips with confectioners’ sugar (a small shaker works best or a fine sieve) and return to oven for about 10 minutes until browned.

In a medium bowl, combine, Neufchatel, organic sugar, vanilla and almond extracts, yogurt and lemon zest. Blend on low until mixed together. Stir in cream and whip until soft peaks form.

To assemble:
Spread or pipe ¼” layer of whipped cream on 12 of the pastry rectangles then top with a single layer of berries.  Stack six filled pastries atop the remaining six then top with a plain pastry. Pipe a rosette of cream on top, pop on a berry and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Makes six servings.

Jan 31

Honey, Please Be Mine

By Beet 2025 02 February

 

Even without chocolates so divine, 

Sweet roses or fine wine,

Honey, I’d rather you’d still be mine.

Looking for something a little longer lasting to lavish upon a loved one (or maybe just yourself?) this Valentine’s Day and beyond?  Then look no further. Long after those customary chocolates have been consumed, the rose petals wilted, and the dregs of wine drunk, a honeyberry will keep on giving for years to come.

While edible blue honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea) is the name best describing this unique species of shrub, it has several other names: Honeyberry, Haskap, Sweetberry, Blue Fly, and Blue-Berried Honeysuckle. Here in the US, you’ll likely find it listed as “Honeyberry”. Blue Honeysuckles are deciduous shrubs native to Eastern Siberia (the Russian Far East, where it’s called zhimolost), as well as Northern Japan (known as “Haskap”).  It’s only been since around 2000 that improved plants were propagated in the US at Saskatchewan Extension (AK) and by the late Maxine Thompson (OR). Today there are many varieties available for home gardeners.

Exceptionally hardy (surviving to around minus 40°), they can bloom at 20° long before spring strawberries. Oblong, rectangular or teardrop-shaped dusky-skinned fruits have a taste reminiscent of blueberries, blackberries, black currant, and black raspberry with a kick of tartness. With peak ripeness during spring (six to eight weeks after blooming is done), these little beauties will fill your picking pot for several months to come. The later-blooming Asian cultivars ripen over extended periods. But if you just can’t wait to taste those elongated gems, go for the earlier blooming Russian strains that ripen all at once.

If taste alone isn’t convincing enough, one surely can’t ignore the rich amounts of beneficial antioxidant polyphenols that honeyberries provide like those found in other dark blue/purple plants and fruits.  Aside from their fresh offerings, they’re also superlative in cobblers, pies, jam, ice cream, sorbet or anything else where blueberries might be used. With varieties such as Blue Lightning, Cinderella, Indigo Yum, Blue Velvet and Borealis, just to name a few, how could one resist gifting one of these most fruitful plants?

Lastly, honeyberries are remarkably easy to grow. Their only non-negotiable requirement is that of needing a pollinator to produce fruit. So, if you have a bit of a well-drained sunny space with some filtered afternoon shade, they’ll do quite well with offerings of good quality low nitrogen compost, regular irrigation and compatible pollinators*. As for pests, the only one likely to be pilfering your produce is you!

* For successful pollination, one must select pollinators blossoming within the same group that are: early, early-mid, mid and late blossoming. The catalog sources below suggest varieties that pair best for successful fruiting.

Resources:

Montana State University Haskap Berry: The New Super Fruit – Montana State University

Colorado Gardener Honeyberry: The Delicious Blue Honeysuckle

Cold Climate Gardening Honeyberries, the Edible Blue Honeysuckle: A Fruit for Cold …

Sources:

One Green World

https://onegreenworld.com

They have one of the best selections of honeyberries

Rain Tree Nursery

www.raintreenursery.com

They have four varieties

Recipe:  Honeyberry Crisp

Preheat oven to 375°.  Oil the bottom and sides of a 9” heavy square baking pan.

Filling:

4 cups fresh (or frozen) honeyberries, washed and drained

1 cup of organic cane sugar

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour or oat flour for gluten free

¾ cup organic regular rolled oats

½ cup finely chopped walnuts (optional, but delicious!)

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

3 tablespoons whole wheat or oat flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/3 cup organic white grape or apple juice concentrate

3 tablespoons whole wheat or oat flour

1” piece fresh ginger root, finely grated

Stir together ¼ cup sugar, flour, oats and salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon zest. Work in oil until mixture is crumbly. Press half the mixture in the bottom of prepared pan. Mix honeyberries, grape juice, the remaining sugar, 3 tablespoons flour and ginger root. Pour in to prepared baking pan then sprinkle over the remaining oat crumble mix. Bake in preheated oven for about 40-56 minutes. Makes about 6-8 servings.

Dec 31

Got Those Winter Blues

By Beet 2025 01 January

Here we are not referring to the way everyone feels from the frequent foggy-filled days, nor about your favorite band at the local winery.  No, this is about another kind of “blues” that you do want to have.

Vaccinium Corymbosum, the blueberry, is on the list of what’s recently been deemed a “super fruit”.  This is given to their being nutritionally very (or should we say “berry”) beneficial.  Blueberries are rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, making them one of the superfoods that support overall health. They were certified heart healthy by the American Heart Association in 2019.

Did you know blueberries are native to North America?  The Native Americans sure did. Consuming what was known as Star berries, (due to their tops’ 5-pointed star shape) for thousands of years, they incorporated them fresh and dried in their daily diets and used them medicinally.

Botanists estimate that the blueberry’s history goes back more than 13,000 years.  While cousins of our native berries grow in Asia, Europe and South America, our blueberries have always been here.  Early explorer Samuel de Champlain observed their consumption by natives in 1615, and Lewis and Clark witnessed natives smoking berries for winter preservation.  They were recognized by Virgil and Pliny, who recorded them as ‘Vaccinium”, from the Latin root “vaccines” meaning cow.  It’s an obscure term, but possibly ancient cows consumed blueberries like bears who will travel ten to fifteen miles sniffing out a blueberry patch.  Dried blueberries even became a staple food for Union soldiers during the Civil War.  Their high vitamin C content helped prevent scurvy.

While the remarkably tasty wild berry has been cherished for centuries by indigenous peoples, it continues captivating taste buds today as a cultivated crop and remains a cherished part of our culinary heritage. Transitioning from wild to cultivated began early in the 20th century when the blueberry’s commercial potential was recognized by scientists.  In 1893, Elizabeth White (daughter of a NJ cranberry farmer) first recognized blueberries as a potential crop.  Botanist Frederick Coville’s blueberry experiments began in 1908, and he partnered with White in 1911 for the first harvestable crop in 1916.

As cultivated plants underwent significant flavor, size and yield improvements, breeding programs expanded the variety of cultivars.  The three main types: highbush, lowbush and rabbiteye, all have different characteristics and climate adaptability, allowing for cultivation in not only the USA but also in Canada, Chile, Australia and New Zealand.

Highbush blueberries are the most adaptable cultivars and are doing well in Western Oregon.  These woody shrubs with a crown plant base have shallow root systems and they drop leaves in autumn. They can fruit for 50 years if well cared for.  Like azaleas and rhododendrons, they prefer acidic soil.  Amending/mulching soil with sawdust/bark from fir, pine and most hardwood (excluding redwood and cedar) will supply the best acidic conditions.

Fruiting usually occurs on 1-year-old wood.  Although self fruitful, planting several varieties heightens production from cross pollination.  Plant it in a sunny area with some afternoon filtered light so plants/fruits don’t burn from hot summers.  For full details on cultivating blueberries, go to the following OSU Extension Service link:  Growing Blueberries in Your Home Garden.

In 1974, the USDA proclaimed July as National Blueberry Month.  Why not get some of your own “winter blues” so you can enjoy them fresh, dried, frozen, or, of course, right off the bush to pop in your mouth.  Put a “bluesy boost” to your favorite culinary creations!

Resources:

OSU Extension Services  Growing Blueberries in Your Home Garden

Florida Plants Nursery.  Floridaplantsnursery.com  The Fascinating History of Blueberries: From Wild Fruit to cultivated crop …

James Bay Wild Fruit     History of Wild Blueberries

Blueberry.org     History of Blueberries

Plant Sources:

One Green World   http://www.onegreenworld.com

Raintree Nursery    http://www.raintreenursery.com

Both nurseries have a multitude of blueberry varieties with detailed info on where they’re best suited and best varieties to pair for cross pollination.  Early to mid-season fruiting varieties are best for our area.

Recipe:   Spiced Blueberry Scones

Preheat oven to 375°

Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper and oil paper’s surface

1 ½ cups blueberries, fresh or frozen unthawed

2 ½ cups flour (white whole wheat or regular whole wheat or oat flour)

¾ cup regular rolled oats (not quick type)

1/3 cup coconut sugar

1/8th teaspoon sea salt

1/ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8th teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/3rd cup extra virgin olive oil

1½ cups buttermilk

Milk or alternative soy, almond

Coarse turbinado sugar

Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl with wooden spoon until combined.  Work in olive oil until mixture is crumbly.  Gently stir in blueberries.

Pour buttermilk over dry mix and work in only until all is moistened and you can gather dough in a ball.

Flatten ball of dough to about a 10” round.  Use long Chef’s knife to cut through dough making 8 wedges.

Dip pastry brush in milk and gently coat dough surface.  Sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake for about 16-18 minutes until lightly brown and the dough in middle doesn’t stick to a toothpick when inserted.  Serves 8.

Dec 01

Pudding n’ Pie

By Beet 2024 12 December

 

 

 

Little Jack Horner   

Sat in the corner,

Eating his Christmas pie,

He pulled out a Prunus domestica

And said, “What a good boy am I!”

 

Known as Italian, Empress, and blue plums, you’ll not be disappointed putting in your own European prune plum.  Also in the Rosaceae family, likely native to the coastal Mediterranean regions of Italy, their exact history can only be speculated.

It’s likely P. domestica and its ancestor fruit is about 2000 years old and originated in the region around the Caspian Sea and Caucasus.  Pomologist Luther Burbank’s extensive records note evidence that dried plums (prunes), were staple foods of the Tartars, Mongols, Turks and Huns who maintained a crude horticulture from very early times.

Prune plums gradually spread to Europe by traveling peoples using trade routes carrying dried “prunes” as nutritious food sources.  The first record of prune plums in the US was 1771 when Prince Nursery of Flushing, NY advertised “33 kinds of plums for sale”.  Luther Burbank improved more hybridized plum trees of different species than any others in history.  His work on improving plum trees has been proven unequaled through varieties enjoyed and cultivated today in Europe, America and Australia.

One of the first to bloom in spring, these compact (10-12’) trees fill with multiple buds exploding into clusters of brilliant bright-white flowers.  After fertilization (likely thanks to your Mason bees), green fruits develop into ovate-shaped drupes turning from green to a blackish blue with a powdery bloom when ripe in late summer.  Did you know this bloom acts as a natural barrier from insects and bacteria?

There’s nothing quite like some succulent-sweet prune plums that you can’t usually indulge in, other than growing your own.  With Italian varieties being self-fruitful, you only need one tree for fruiting!  Surrounding a brownish, easily removed pit, the dense amber or yellowish-green flesh is unrivaled with its jammy-sweet texture.  The low-water/high-sugar ratio creates not only fruitiness with citrus undertones but makes for ideal dried fruits.

They’re high in antioxidants, Vitamins A, B1, C, Niacin, Calcium, Potassium, Phosphorus and Iron, and also taste great fresh or as a dried snack.  Aside from fresh eating and drying, these plums can be used straight out of hand in salads, sliced for appetizer plates, and fruit bowls. They’re great grilled, but most suited for baking since they hold their shape and turn lovely fuchsia shades when cooked in crumbles, cakes, dumplings, turnovers, tarts, jams, jellies, compotes, sauces; and, of course, in that Christmas tart or pie!

Although fruiting later, Italian Prune Plums live a lot longer than Japanese varieties.  Given full sun, they’ll thrive in moisture-retentive heavy-clay soils as long as they’re well-drained.  Somewhat disease resistant, they’ll likely benefit from an autumn and spring spraying of copper soap to deter leaf and bacterial/fungal growth.

They’re hardy to zone 3, so maintain them at more compact levels or espalier when space is tight or you desire an attractive addition to your garden space.

While 2-3 years may seem a long wait, your rewards will be delicious pop-in-the-mouth plums and that special Christmas pie!

 

Resources:

Specialty Produce

Italian Prune Plums Information and Facts      

University of Wisconsin-Madison

European Plum

Sow America

History Of Plum Trees And Their Hybrids

 

Plant Sources:

One Green World

http://www.onegreenworld.com

Raintree Nursery

http://www.raintreenursery.com

Recipe:    Plum Tart

Pastry:

10” removable bottom tart pan lined with brown parchment paper

2 ½ cups white whole wheat flour (oat flour alternative)

¼ cup organic sugar or coconut sugar

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

zest from one organic lemon

2/3 cup olive oil

Mix flour, sugar and salt in large mixing bowl with wooden spoon. Pour oil over and mix until dough forms together (don’t overmix).  Chill while making filling.

 

Filling:

3 lbs prune plums, halved or quartered and pits removed

1/3 cup coconut sugar

ground cinnamon

½ cup coarsely chopped pistachio nuts

Coarse sugar crystals (like turbinado)

Preheat oven to 375°

Roll out dough on plastic wrap then invert into tart pan.  Press into pan, piecing together spots that might have torn.  Trim crust by running knife along top edge of pan.  (any scraps can be cut in strips, placed on foil then sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar to bake for about 10 minutes along with tart for extra treats).

Place plum halves cut side down or quarters cut side up in a rosette pattern starting from outside edge overlapping rows to middle of pan.  Sprinkle with coconut sugar, cinnamon and pistachio nuts.

Bake tart about 30-35 minutes covering with foil if pastry starts to brown too much.

Remove from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes, then remove pan sides and slide tart onto serving platter.  Sprinkle with coarse sugar.  Serve warm or chilled with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.  About 8-10 servings.

 

 

 

 

 

Oct 31

Clusters at the Table

By Beet 2024 11 November

 

When the scent of autumn’s crisp air sends out its seasonally splashed sensations, one is likely swapping out summer-sweet melons for Vitis vinifera, Vitaceae.

Table grapes take precedence at our holiday presentations. Their clusters of green, crimson and ebony fruits drape like pendants of iridescent pearls from their fiery foliage. There’s nothing like the succulent sweetness of that long-awaited-for table grape sliding across your taste buds.

Surprisingly, table grapes were not always so tasty.  Given their predecessors’ tough skins, acidic juice and bitter seeds, it’s a wonder we have such sweet fruits today.  So we shouldn’t take grapes for granted. If they’d not been thought worthy of cultivation, we’d have no tempting table grapes today.

Archaeological discoveries of wine residues in ceramic jars showed first domestication (viticulture) began approximately 8,000 years ago in southwestern Asia and southeastern Europe near the Caspian and Black Seas.  Their existence has also been found pictured in hieroglyphics dated back to 5,000 BCE.

Originally, they were grown for medicinal seeds (pips), fresh and dried fruit (table grapes), and fermented (wine) and fresh (juice) for beverages.  Their versatility made for a most important crop throughout Europe and Asia during early times.

The Spanish introduced grapes to America as a wine source for Catholic ceremonies in the late 1700s when missionaries established vineyards in California. In 1839, William Wolfskill planted a vineyard near Los Angeles, CA.  By the mid-1800s, Colonel Agoston Haraszthy brought over 100,000 cuttings from Europe to provide a fruit source to miners during the gold rush.

Around 1860, William Thompson planted a Mediterranean variety, “Oval Kishmish”, near Yuba City that today is known as – you guessed it – thin-skinned, sweet-seedless “Thompson” grapes.  Although Thompson was the preferred raisin grape, in the 1920s red and black seedless varieties were soon developed.

It’s no wonder that today’s seedless varieties have overtaken the previous popularity of seeded grapes.  Their delightful, seedless, pop-in-the-mouth convenience makes for a healthy and tasty snack that’s hard to resist.  About 12% of the world’s grape production is table grapes.

Grapes are a good source of vitamins C and K, and contain protein, carbohydrates, fiber and minerals. Black, purple and red varieties provide antioxidants.

Best for indulging in raw, one can pair grapes with soft cheeses, in salads with toasted nuts, or with other fruits such as figs, strawberries, apples and pears. Savor relishes to accompany meat, poultry, or seafood, vinaigrettes for salads, toppings on custard tarts or even quickly sautéed in a Balsamic reduction.

Table grapes grow well in this area as long as you select a suitable cultivar and site.  They need full sun, well-drained soil, and a vertical structure for training vines.  Fruit production occurs about 2-3 yrs after planting, with maximum production after 5 yrs.  Grapes can live to at least 100 years if well tended.

When that long, expectant wait at last reveals clusters with satiny-white “bloom” covering each berry, we know it’s autumn.  It’s no wonder these little beauties inspire us to seek their ripened clusters after summer’s last showing.

So next time you need something tasty, sweet and simple to serve for your special meal, don’t forget these succulent clusters!

 

Resources:

BACI Kitchen

A HISTORY OF GRAPES

Lucidcentral

About Table Grapes

Jasmine Vineyards

Sticky Raisins to Seedless Grapes: The History Of …

OSU Extension Service

Growing Table Grapes – OSU Extension Service. A thorough guide to growing, pruning and maintaining healthy grape vines.

Sources for Plants:

One Green World

http://www.onegreenworld.com

Raintree Nursery

http://www.raintreenursery.com

 

Both have many cultivars to select from, including green, red, and black varieties, and info on site preferences for each. Those that are good for making raisins are identified.

Recipe:  Grape Pizza

Dough:

1 package of active dry yeast

1¾ cups white whole wheat (or gluten free) flour

¾ cup warm water (105-110°)

½ teaspoon salt

½ tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary

Sprinkle yeast over ¼ cup water and let it sit until foamy, about 15 minutes.  Mix together flour, salt and rosemary, then add olive oil and yeast.  Mix together until a soft dough forms.  Knead on a floured surface about 10 minutes (or in stand mixer or food processor) until smooth and elastic.  Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk.

Topping:

¼ cup sweet vermouth

1 tablespoon honey

2 cups table grapes, any variety or a mixture, halved

5 oz shredded Fontina

5 oz fresh grated parmesan

4 oz crumbled goat cheese

1 teaspoon fresh minced rosemary

fresh basil leaves removed from stems

1/3 cup sliced almonds

Bring wine and honey to a boil in a small saucepan and continue simmering over medium heat until reduced about 5 minutes.  Add grapes and stir to coat them, then remove from heat to a bowl.

Preheat oven to 500°F.  On a jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper, pat out dough to form a 12” circle that’s higher on the edges.  Arrange grapes, cheeses, nuts, rosemary and basil leaves on top, then bake 14 to 18 minutes until the cheese is bubbly.  Transfer to a cutting board to cool 5 minutes before slicing.  Good for an appetizer or accompanied with a salad. Servings depend on the number of slices.

 

 

 

Sep 30

Octobersbest

By Beet 2024 10 October

It’s time to get with the “Fest” and sow some Allium cepa during Octobersbest, the time to start overwintering onions.

Why plant overwintering (OW) onion varieties? These onions are exceptionally cold hardy and don’t flower (bolt) after prolonged cold exposure. So you get fat, succulent, tender, tasty bulbs in spring without the tough stalks. While some small-bulbing, non-storage OW varieties have been more recently developed, all of today’s cultivated onions have a long history.

Many archaeologists/botanists believe onions originated in Central Asia, Iran or Pakistan 5000 or more years ago. These wild onions were likely a staple consumed in prehistoric diets long before farming or writing came about.

Growing wild in many regions, onions were likely consumed for thousands of years and simultaneously domesticated throughout the world. They are possibly one of the earliest cultivated crops given they’re easily grown in many soils and climates, less perishable than other vegetables, easily transportable and beneficial for sustaining human life.

Autumn-sown OW onions offer earlier harvestable bulbs and different varieties from spring-sown onions. Small-bulbing and bunching onions can be overwintered, including annual varieties, perennial Welsh and Egyptian Walking onions.

In the ground longer, OW onions’ stronger roots also withstand freezing weather better than their spring counterparts. Most of their growth also occurs during early spring’s abundant soil moisture.

Bulbing varieties mature in June-July when days are longest for good curing, allowing fat, succulent bulbs rather than flowering stalks that compromise size, flavor and texture.

Sow in late September-October, since the hottest days should have lessened. For August sowing, you’ll need to select more bolt resistant varieties.  Also, for most successful sprouting, purchase quality seed annually from reputable seed companies.

Sow seed ¼” deep in rows 6” apart and cover with fine compost. Moisten if soil is dry or no rain is expected. Once seeds sprout, thin seedlings to 1” apart, saving discarded ones for consuming. Ideally you want plants about ¼” diameter going into the winter.

Raised beds are preferable to open ground. They have superior drainage (onion seedlings are very susceptible to rotting in heavy-wet conditions), more friable soil, and beds’ minimal nitrogen loss promotes root growth. Good mulching and hoop houses also manage moisture during the winter.

When regrowth starts in late January-February, side dress plants with blood meal, then again in mid-April. Use a complete balanced fertilizer in mid-May.

Harvest bunching onions while green throughout spring. This is when you can indulge yourself by using them sliced in fresh salads, soups, bread, cooked eggs, potato/egg salad, and caramelized for a tasty topping.

For larger bulbing onions, when tops start yellowing, stop watering about 2 weeks before pulling bulbs. Since OW onions don’t cure the same as spring planted, storage is shorter for them. However, their tender-sweet bulbs are unbeatable.

So, move over garlic and shallots. Octobersbest OW onions are settling in to share the space and be savored before the snow melts on the mountains.

 

Resources

High Mowing Organic Seeds

Time to Plant Fall Onions for Overwintering!

FaFard Inc.

Growing Winter Onions and Shallots

National Onion Association

Onion History

Seed Sources:

Leeks may also be included for overwintering

Territorial Seed

https://territorialseed.com

Johnny’s Selected Seeds

http://johnnyseeds.com

Recipe:

Caramelized Spring Onions and Peppers

1½ pounds spring onions (bunching, regular onions or a mix of both) red and/or yellow, washed, roots and skin removed, then sliced in 2” pieces for bunching and thin crosswise slices for green onions

2 large sweet red peppers, washed, stemmed and seeded, then thinly sliced lengthwise

1 red jalapeno, stem, seeds and pith removed, minced (optional)

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary minced

1½ tablespoons cooking olive oil

2 tablespoons each sweet sherry wine and frozen organic apple juice concentrate (1/4 cup juice only may be used instead of wine)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

zest from one organic lemon

Heat oil in a heavy-lidded sauté pan until it’s hot but not smoking. Toss in onions, peppers and rosemary. Cook on medium heat until limp, about 5-8 minutes.  Remove from heat and gradually add wine, apple juice vinegar, honey and sea salt. Stir to mix, then return to medium heat and stir until it bubbles. Cover with lid and continue cooking on medium low about 15-20 minutes until liquid has concentrated into a glaze and onions are a golden color. Sprinkle over the lemon zest and serve hot or cold as relish, burger, sandwich, wrap or salad topper, on seafood or poultry or vegan dishes.

Store in fridge for about 2 weeks or freeze for longer.

 

Aug 31

September Shallottery!!!

By Beet 2024 09 September

 

Are you hoping to be a winner?  Then Allium cepa var. ascalonicum is your golden ticket! 

This particular “ticket” – not to be had from any lottery dispenser – is actually a supreme shallot.

Why bother with such an insignificantly small bulb as a prize, especially when you can have a heftier onion trophy?  That’s a good question with an even better answer.

Although other alliums – such as regular drying onions, ramps, garlic (and their scapes), scallions, leeks and bunching onions – usually take the top place, shallots are the true treasure.

Ever hear of good things coming in small packages?  It’s definitely true here since shallots trump the onion in many ways. First, they’re delightfully more delicately flavored – mildly-sweet with a hint of caramel and touch of garlicky piquancy.

Shallots are also winners by offering you their riches in fiber, vitamins A, B6, and C, potassium, folate, manganese and antioxidants (which are released when bulbs are sliced or crushed).

Most likely originating in Southeast Asia, they spread throughout India and the Mediterranean region.  Highly noted in Greek history and literature, they were transported further through trading and general crop movements.

Although cultivated for thousands of years, today they’ve become rather an unknown treasure just waiting to be rediscovered.  This is especially so for the true French shallot you’ll have to grow to experience.

So why are shallots such a treasure?  If you’ve never had the pleasure of sampling one, you’re in for a real treat.

Although on the outside shallots may appear like an onion, they’re composed of clusters with each clove covered with coppery skin.  Inside they’re more similar to garlic, lacking rings like onions.

Aside from its milder flavor, its texture and unique aroma have earned it a “favorites” award for a diverse number of dishes.  You can use the bulbs, cook the leaves (as a vegetable), add to salads, pickle it, shave it raw, or even top your trophy dish with shallot flowers.

Like garlic, shallots should be planted in autumn in our area.  Most likely bulbs (seeds aren’t as reliable or true) will need to be ordered as early as possible this month.

Shallots prefer a rich-moist soil that’s somewhat sandy, but will grow in many soil types as long as they’re fertile and well drained.

Break bulbs apart into individual cloves. Plant them 6-8” apart with root end down (points up please!) then cover with more compost. Leave about one third of bulb tops exposed.  Sprinkle soil surface generously with fine ashes so any fungus thieves won’t steal away your prize.

Keep lightly moistened by watering until rain arrives, and pray it comes this autumn.

Growing similarly to garlic, shallots’ early leafing will die back in winter, only to resprout in early spring when bulbs start forming.

Adding nitrogen-rich fertilizer, as well as frequent watering, will enhance your growing treasure.

In about 90-120 days when leaves have dried off, gently lift bulbs from their bed to claim your jackpot.  After curing in a shaded, well-ventilated area for a couple weeks, they’ll be ready for you to savor: your very own shallottery!

Resources

The Spruce Eats

What Are Shallots?

Food Print

Real Food Encyclopedia – Shallot

Britannica

Shallot | Growing, Harvesting, Cooking

 

Shallot Sources:

Territorial Seeds

https://territorialseed.com/

Hudson Valley Seed Co.

https://hudsonvalleyseed.com

French Grey shallot

Keene Garlic

https://keeneorganics.com   

Conservor, Red and Dutch Yellow shallots

Organic Heirloom Gardens

https://organicheirloomgardens.com

Several varieties

Recipe:

Golden Caramelized Shallots

2 pounds whole shallots peeled (place in boiling water for 1 minute so skins slip off easily)

2 tablespoons cooking type olive oil

3 tablespoons honey, good real maple syrup or agave nectar

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper (black may be used but is more pronounced)

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely minced

Zest of one organic lemon or lime

¼ cup chopped raw pistachio nuts

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In heavy ovenproof skillet (cast iron is the best) heat olive oil until hot.  Add shallots and honey, stirring until shallots begin to brown.  Add vinegar, salt and pepper then stir until shallots are well coated.

Sprinkle the rosemary over the shallots and roast in the oven about 20-30 minutes until caramelized.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with lemon zest and pistachio nuts, then serve as a side dish, topping for meats, poultry or seafood.  Or serve warm or chilled on salads or in sandwiches as a piquant relish.

 

 

Jul 27

Lemony Snippet

By Beet 2024 08 August

A single blade with a blast of citrus!

While there are two types of lemon grass, Cymbopogon flexuosus (East Indian) and C. citrates (West Indian), C. citrates is the most sought-after culinary variety.  Both sport skinny emerald-green leaves in fountainous sprays up to 4 feet high. However, the West Indian variety has long been prized for its flavorful leaves and bulbs.

Lemongrass is native to the islands of Southeast Asia where wild plants for centuries have been foraged for aromatic stalks and essential oils to use both culinarily and medicinally. Eventually it spread to the rest of Asia, Africa and Australia, where it was naturalized in home gardens.  After WWI, lemongrass was introduced to Central and South America, the Caribbean, Mexico and the US. Today it is purposely grown worldwide.

In Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, lemongrass is pulverized in tall mortars, then combined with garlic, kaffir lime leaf and other herbs to make curry pastes.  The South Pacific Islands also include it in their recipes.  The leaves and bulb at the base are both used for their very citrusy-lemony scent, making lemongrass a very popular ingredient in raw, as well as cooked dishes. Its essential oils are used commercially in soaps, cosmetics and perfumes.  It’s a minor source of vitamins and minerals as well.

When using it raw, the outer leaves need to be removed and the bulbs should be peeled.  Once the central pale-yellow hearts are revealed, they can be finely minced and then used in salads, blended into pastes, infused in sauces, marinades, and dressings, and used in soups, stews, curries, and desserts.  After bruising them with a wooden mallet to release aromatic oils, tougher outer leaves cut in half can be used to infuse longer cooking dishes (soups, stews and sauces) with flavor, and then discarded when the cooking process is done.  The real kicker is that lemongrass doesn’t curdle creamy sauces, custards and other dairy-based dishes, since it lacks the acid in citrus fruits.

Although a tropical plant, fortunately for those who live in colder regions, lemongrass grows quite well in a large pot with good quality, well-draining potting soil.  You’ll want to start seeds early in spring, sowing inside ¼” deep in well-moistened sterile seed mix.  Keep on a heat mat until it sprouts in about 7-10 days, then place under lights.  Once seedlings have true leaves they can be potted up in 4” pots.  Their final pot (for seedlings as well purchased plants) should be about a five-gallon size.

Pots can be put outside once frost danger is past. Feed with high nitrogen fertilizer.  Put lemongrass outside in full sun and protected from wind throughout the growing season.  Water it frequently to make sure it doesn’t dry out.  Harvest leaves and bulbs during the growing season when stalks are about ½” thick. Bring pots inside to over-winter and cut stalks back to about 5” high. Put them in a sunny spot and keep them moist but not overwatered. Put pots out again in May, and soon you’ll get to snip your first lemony zip!

 

Resources:

Urban Farmer Seeds

Lemongrass – From Seed to Harvest

Britannica

https://www.britannica.com/plant/lemongrass

Inherited Seeds

https://inheritedseeds.com/products/lemon-grass

Specialty Produce

https://specialtyproduce.com/produce/Lemongrass_320.php

Sources for Seeds and Plants

Inherited Seeds

https://inheritedseeds.com

Tomorrow Seeds

https://tomorrowseeds.com/

Eden Brothers

https://www.edenbrothers.com

Almanac Planting Company

https://almanacplanting.com

Colonial Creek Farm

https://colonialcreekfarm.com

Logees

https://logees.com

 

Recipe:

Lemongrass Custard

1½ cups milk (soy or almond can be substituted

1 cup cream (soy or almond milk)

¼ cup organic sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 stalks lemongrass, roots trimmed off

2 tablespoons fresh grated gingerroot

6 eggs, warmed at room temperature for 30 minutes or 15 minutes in warm water

fresh lemon zest

 

6 custard cups

Baking or roasting pan large enough to hold custard cups and deep enough for water bath to cover them half way up.

Oil custard cups then place them in the baking pan.

Bring the cream, lemon grass and gingerroot just to a boil.  Remove from heat and let steep for one hour.  Pour mixture through strainer into large bowl, pressing lemongrass and gingerroot to extract liquid.  Discard lemongrass and gingerroot.

Preheat oven to 325°F and bring a teakettle full of water to a boil.

Stir sugar, vanilla, and salt into the milk mixture and whisk thoroughly until the sugar dissolves.  Mix eggs in a small bowl until well blended; then pour into the milk mixture while whisking slowly until thoroughly blended.

Ladle custard mixture into greased custard cups.  Carefully slide baking pan into oven.  With oven rack still out carefully pour boiling water into pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the custard cups.  Bake custard about 35 minutes until it jiggles when shaken. Then remove from the oven and lift each cup out of the pan onto a clean towel.  Let cool about 15 minutes, then refrigerate until cold.  Serve with dollops of whipped cream topped with fresh lemon zest.

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