Putting the Loom in Heirloom

We're back from Maine and the heirlooms are coming fast and furious. Time to plant the winter veggies.

Garden Vacation

This is the last post until we return in a couple weeks from our trip to Maine.

I've been neglecting my side and back yards as I've been working on the front. The side yard has the fruit trees (background) and a marvelous hard maple (foreground, behind the peonies).

This little tree produced the most delicious and abundant peaches last year (might have been our Mediterranean climate of a year ago). If you've ever had a peach ripe from the tree, it will spoil you for anything store-bought. 

Still wondering what edible landscape I can plant back here. Hosta and fern salad anyone, or WWEGE (What would Euell Gibbons eat)? Open to suggestions. 

Pie or Jam, Pie or Jam?

Just plucked these from my Montmorency cherry trees. What to make?

Greens With Envy

Green Mashed Potatoes

This simple recipe is a relatively healthful version of a comfort food usually slathered in butter (not that there's anything wrong with that).

The olive oil and bitter greens make this dish. The potatoes are just a delivery device. Makes a good side dish or even a main entree. Consider it on your next meatless Monday. Or, if you're a vegeterrorist like me, any day of the week. You can also veganize it by leaving out the cheese, of course, and it's still delish.

Fresh from our garden: turnip and dandelion greens. Bread crumbs on the left, and taters on the right. 

Green Mashed Potatoes

Based on a recipe from the NYT by  Mark Bittman (March 6, 2009)

Time: About 45 minutes

Ingredients

2 pounds of golden butter potatoes (or any thin-skinned potato) cut into small chunks. No need to peel.

1 pound dandelion or other bitter greens or a mixture (turnip, mustard, etc.), washed and trimmed of thick stems

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Salt

1-1 1/2 cups homemade bread crumbs (four or five slices of crusty bread coarsely chopped in a food processor and mixed with 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan Reggiano and black pepper)

Steps

1. Put potatoes in a large, deep pot and cover them with cold water. Add a large pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Cook until soft but not falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.

2. Add greens to water and cook for about 1 minute. Rinse under cold water. Drain well, then chop.

3. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mash potatoes, adding enough olive oil to moisten them well. Mash in the greens, adding more olive oil as needed. Sprinkle with salt and lots of pepper.

4. Put mixture in an ovenproof dish and top with bread crumbs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake until bread crumbs are golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Serve hot or warm.

Yield: 4 servings.