I’m a Cherry Pickin’ Scofflaw

The cherry trees I planted last year wintered over nicely. I have to get my watering buckets out today and attach one to each tree (gets pretty windy in this cyclonic Woodland corridor, and they've blown away before). 

These trees replaced a couple of junk maple trees, fast growing hybrids I purchased by mistake a few years back. A friend and I cut them down 4-5 years ago and I turned them into more appropriate firewood, long since sent up the chimney. Those trees were themselves a replacement for a hackberry tree that the aforementioned winds blew down—cut clean to the ground by a flat-line gust. The city has a free tree program and a list of trees they will plant for you, all hardwood varieties. They’re not fans of fruit trees, however. So of course, I didn’t ask permission; I like food in my yard, and these trees bring the number of fruit trees we have to eleven. 

I do still need to get rid of my remaining turf grass. Not sure what's "allowed," but I know whatever it is, it can't obstruct someone getting out of their car. Oh how we bow down to the almighty automobile in this country. I might just settle for some decorative rock. As for the hillside in the background, I'm thinking of a little periwinkle ground-cover  To be continued in a future post.

The junk maples I planted in ignorant error, now but wispy memories.

The Garlic Is Ready 蒜成熟了

The garlic I planted last November is ready to harvest (it turns brown just to let you know). Until weed is legal in this backwater state, this is my cash crop. Actually, even with planting two full 4x8 foot beds of the stuff, we rarely have any left over after planting the next year's crop. We eat a lot of garlic.

This is approximately 250 bulbs. They will sit and dry out in the sun for a couple of days, then hardened off in the garage for two weeks before I cut the stalks and roots off for storage in the basement. Nice big bulbs this year.

Cherries: Food of the Gods (and the Birds)

Finally got around to replacing the two maple trees in our front parking I cut down a couple of years ago, as they threatened to shade my garden in the coming years. The parking, as we call it in this dialect area, is the patch of city-owned property between the sidewalk and the street. The city prefers shade trees (non-fruit bearing) because they're boring that way, but I wanted something that provided fruit and wouldn't grow too tall. I settled on three varieties of cherry tree which I picked up at the local high school horticulture program's annual plant sale. This planting increases the total number of fruit trees on our small property to eleven trees: four heirloom apple trees, two peach trees, two cherry trees from a previous planting, and these three new cherry trees. And just let me say, cherries are the absolute best fruit this side of peaches.

They had several varieties from which to choose. The North Star cherry tree is on dwarf root stock and will get from 8 to 10 feet tall.

The Meteor cherry is a semi-dwarf tree with tart fruit, good for pies and canning. It will get to 10 to 14 feet.

The last tree is a naturally dwarfed tree (not grafted to dwarf stock) but is the tallest of the tree and will range in height from 15 to 20 feet.

I didn't expect to see lush top soil over a foot deep between the sidewalk and the street, and few residual roots from the maples and hackberry which preceded the maples. Made planting a snap.

The tubs were waterlogged and quite heavy. Luckily, I was doing this by myself.

Planting complete, next was the mulch.

Mulching completed, I also needed to protect the trunks of these saplings. It's not unheard of for deer or other animals to chew on the bark.

I usually cut my sapling guards to size out of hardware clothing tie them up with twist ties. The hardware cloth allows for needed ventilation, but keeps the varmints at bay. 

Three ties per cage.

I also connect 5-gallon food grade buckets to each tree for watering. Just first drill two 7/64 holes an inch or two apart on the edge of the bucket and place that side close to the trunk. Provides a nice slow release of water straight to the roots.

My other two cherry trees are the wonderfully tart Montmorency variety.

Monarch Apple

My first apple arrived this spring. Kind of sad and lonely, single child and all. It's a Monarch (from England, where the monarchs are, Trump's royal delusions notwithstanding), one of the heirloom apples I purchased from Seed Savers Exchange in Deborah, Iowa. I first ordered five varieties in December of 2014 and reported about it on this blog in January, 2015. Seedsavers grafted the trees on M-7 dwarf apple tree stock, so they will only be 12-15 feet tall when mature. The trees arrived in the Spring of 2016 and that's when I planted the Monarch. The original plan was to plant them in parking (the strip of land between the sidewalk and the street), but I cut down our Douglas fir in the front yard so I had space for these trees, eventually planting four varieties: Monarch, Brown Sweet, Black Twig, and Knobbed Russet. I also planted a semi-dwarf peach tree. The Woodard was D.O.A., and of course Seed Savers refunded my money.

About M-7 rootstock, from Extension.org:
Formerly known as EM VII. Selected in 1912 from unknown parentage at the East Malling Research station in Maidstone, Kent, England. Trees on M.7 EMLA produce a semi-dwarf tree about 60 to 70% as big as seedling. Trees are moderately precocious and may lean with some cultivars and may require trunk support. Trees tend to produce many rootsuckers. M.7 EMLA has been widely planted since the 1960s with cultivars such as ‘McIntosh’, ‘Empire’, ‘Cortland’, ‘Golden Delicious’ and spur strains of ‘Delicious’. Trees with cultivars such as ‘Gala’, ‘Stayman’, and ‘Granny Smith’ tend to lean excessively and require support.

This is what this apple will look like one day, God willing and the creek don't rise. 

Here is the description from Seed Savers:

Apple Tree, Monarch 0076 Essex, England, 1918 introduction. Large, flattish shaped apple. Flesh is crisp, tender, white, subacid to sweet. It has been a very reliable, annual bearer and an excellent pie apple at Heritage Farm. Ripens early September - October.

Pesto Chango!

Basil and parsley, both of which will make it into this first batch of pesto.

This happens every year, I plant five or six basil plants and come June, I've barely used any of it as it begins to bolt. The best way to harvest basil is to whack it off just above the bottom few leaves making a clean go of it. But what to do with all that basil, which might last in the fridge no more than a couple of weeks? You don't really have a choice but to make a big ol' batch of pesto.

Pretty much all the ingredients except salt and pepper. Getting down to the last of my yummy garlic. I'll have to hit the farmers market for a couple of months until the new crop is ready to harvest.

The cheese in pesto is optional (keeps it vegan for those so inclined) and I always put it in when I cook with the pesto as the pesto stays fresh longer without the cheese, whether freezing it or merely storing it in the fridge.

This first pesto I'm making uses walnuts. I find the flavor is deeper if they're toasted for a few minutes before using.

This is a triple batch of sauce and it barely fits in the food processor. Take your time and pulse it.

All that for three small jars of this mighty sauce (a scant 24 ounces/3 cups/1 ½ pints/710ml) all told. I cover the top with olive oil to keep it from turning brown. Then it's into the freezer for a few months. It's just the thing mid-winter.

I actually made two triple batches of pesto. The second made from unsalted raw pistachios from Trader Joes instead of the walnuts. No toasting necessary. Also, six cups of basil and no parsley. Otherwise, samo-samo.

Basil-Parsley Walnut Pesto

This Basil Walnut Pesto recipe comes together in 15 minutes with just  6 ingredients. (Not really. Took me an hour.)

Servings: 16 (totally made up number)

Calories: 191 kcal

Ingredients

6 cloves garlic

1 cup walnuts 

4 cup packed fresh basil leaves

2 cup packed fresh parsley leaves

1 ⅓ cup olive oil

2 teaspoons salt 

1 teaspoon  freshly ground pepper

4 oz.  (1 ⅓ cup) Parmigiano-Reggiano  grated

Instructions

To toast the walnuts:

In a  skillet on medium heat, and add walnuts. Toast until fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes, shaking frequently to prevent scorching. Remove from heat.

To make the pesto:

1. Drop garlic cloves into running food processor. 
2. Add nuts and grind to a coarse-meal consistency. 
3. Add the basil and parsley, salt and pepper.   Chop until completely integrated with the nuts and garlic.
4. Add olive oil in a stream with blender running.
5. If adding cheese, do so now or wait until actually using the pesto.

Serve as a topping on pasta (3/4 c. pesto per pound of pasta), as a spread on sandwiches or bruschetta, or as a garnish to soups.

Beet Greens, Chard, and Steel Cut Oats (Recipe)

This is pretty much a case of taking an existing recipe, in this case one from Anya Kassomff's excellent cookbook, Simply Vibrant, and pretty much changing everything. Her recipe, Creamy Steel Cut Oats With Rainbow Chard and Pine Nuts looked good (simple and vibrant, actually), but perhaps a little bland for my taste. This recipe has become something else altogether under my unsubtle touch. In my version there is no rainbow chard, and no pine nuts. I added onion, garlic, beet greens, Fordhook Swiss chard, fresh herbs, beets, and pistachios. So, this is really my recipe now, for better or worse.

Trader Joes is my go-to source for steel cut oats. Make sure you buy the regular slow cooking variety.

Pretty much a complete one-pot meal. A salad would be nice, of course, as well a crusty loaf of bread, but not necessary.

Steel Cut Oats with Beet Greens and Chard

1 pound of beet greens &/or chard, washed

½ yellow onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup steel cut oats (slow cooking)

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (whatever is handy. I used thyme, basil & chervil)

beets from beet greens, roasted, skinned, and sliced for garnish (optional)

1/4 cup unsalted pistachios

olive oil

3 cups of boiling hot water

1. Sauté onions on medium heat until translucent (about 5 minutes)
2. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute
3. Add the oats. Sauté until starting to toast and turn brown, 3-5 minutes.
4. Add hot water. Bring to a boil, turn down heat to to simmer, cover and cook for 25 minutes.
5. While the oats are cooking, separate the chard/beet greens from their stems. Coarsely chop stems. Sauté for 5 minutes and set aside. 
6. Chop the chard/beet green leaves into 1-inch pieces.
7. After the oats have simmered for 25 minutes, add the coconut milk and the chopped herbs. Continue to cook on low, partially covered, for 15 minutes, until creamy, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
8. Add chopped greens, mixing thoroughly. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes.
9. Serve in pasta bowls. Garnish with sliced beets and pistachios.

The Great Garlic Scape

If garlic were art, it would be a triptych, deserving of a place in the most holy of culinary shrines. Garlic gives of itself thrice in a single season. In May, when the young garlic plants pop up, we're treated to an aromatic garlicky scallion called spring or green garlic （青蒜 qīngsuàn）, wonderful in eggs and soups and pastas. In the fall, the garlic itself is ready to harvest, to be stored hanging in the basement throughout the winter, with the perennial hope it will last until the following fall harvest. But in between these two deliveries, we have the lesser-known, and some might even say lowly, garlic scape (蒜苔suàntái, 蒜芯 suànxīn, 蒜苗 suànmiáo, or 蒜毫儿 suànháor, depending on where one is in China). My first experience with garlic scapes came in Beijing in the fall of 1988 when I was attending Peking University . Back then, I was a carnivore, and one of my favorite Sichuan dishes was 鱼香肉丝 yúxiāng ròusī (shredded pork in garlic sauce). Usually the dish is served with a green vegetable such as 空心菜 kōngxīncài (water spinach), 芹菜 qíncài (celery) or 莴笋 wōsǔn (celtuce, also called stem lettuce, celery lettuce, asparagus lettuce Wikipedia). However, our favorite place to eat, the Restaurant Number 5 at the Friendship Hotel, 20 minutes from our dorm by bike, used garlic scapes whenever they were in season. And these babies will last for months in the fridge, so they were available for at least half the year.

A fairly large and robust garlic crop this year. I've raved about this wonderful Italian variety in previous blog posts.

The scapes are actually the flower of the garlic plant. As such, it pays to remove them when they're still young and tender as the plant can then concentrate its energy in developing large bulbs and the 5-6 big cloves this variety is known for.

I think they're king of cute, like a pig's tail.

Yikes. This is but one third of the harvest. I better get stir frying. Perhaps to make my go-to replacement for 鱼香肉丝, 鱼香茄子 yúxiāng qiézi, which replaces the pork with eggplant. Quite delicious.