The garden still gives up its bounty
While puzzling over which branches to trim next as I worked my
way through our apple, pear and fig trees Sunday, I began to think
about winter in our gardens.
I love the look of our small patch when it finally is cleaned.
Fallen fruit and leaves are gathered, trees and shrubs reduced to
their scaffolding and dormant oil applied in anticipation of
controlling pests sure to come next spring. It may look a little
stark, but it also hints of the anticipation of the months ahead,
like Christmas Eve does for a kid.
The garden still gives up its bounty
While puzzling over which branches to trim next as I worked my way through our apple, pear and fig trees Sunday, I began to think about winter in our gardens.
I love the look of our small patch when it finally is cleaned. Fallen fruit and leaves are gathered, trees and shrubs reduced to their scaffolding and dormant oil applied in anticipation of controlling pests sure to come next spring. It may look a little stark, but it also hints of the anticipation of the months ahead, like Christmas Eve does for a kid.
While working my way through the apples, I began thinking about what the garden yields this time of year. Late last summer was a busy time, and we didn’t get to our winter garden. The peas and other cool season crops never happened.
But it soon occurred to me that even a small urban garden like ours can still offer fresh additions to the table in the coldest months.
Thanks to our lack of foresight a few months ago, what we can pluck will not be adequate for the entire menu. But the addition of some fresh flavors from right out the back door is rewarding and delicious. Some chile plants in a protected spot are still waiting for the kitchen.
Our Meyer lemon tree is bending under the weight of its fruit. Meyers are not often found in supermarkets, where the Eureka variety prevails. Meyers do not ship as well, because they have thin, tender rinds. It’s thought that the variety may be a cross between a Mandarin orange and a lemon. Left on the tree to ripen, the lemons have lower acid and a lemon drop perfume. The taste of citrus in winter is a flavor that many people crave.
Hardy herbs such as rosemary, marjoram, oregano, parsley and others are always waiting. One of our favorites is the lemon balm, a leggy looking shrub with long, pointed leaves that carry a strong scent of pure lemon. A sheltered corner is still filled with nasturtiums. While their bright blossoms are gone until warmer weather, the lilypad-shaped leaves are waiting for a salad bowl.
We seem to eat more potatoes this time of year, and the garden’s meager offerings can brighten their flavor.
Nasturtium Salad
The leaves of this easy-to-grow plant are quite peppery, so the proportion of nasturtiums to include is up to you. Actually, like most salads, it’s all up to you, defying a typical recipe format.
Mix young nasturtium leaves with other mixed greens to taste. Add thinly sliced shallot or red onion slivers. Blanch a handful of green beans, preserving the color by cooling them in cold water after boiling. Add a slivered red bell pepper and hard boiled eggs, cut into wedges, if desired. Combine a minced garlic clove with 2 tablespoons of wine vinegar and three times that amount of olive oil. Blend the dressing and add it to the salad, tossing lightly. A sprinkling of salt and pepper completes the salad.
Rosemary Potatoes
These are a family tradition.
1 potato per person, washed but not peeled
1 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves, minced, per person
Drizzle of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut the potatoes lengthwise into halves or quarters, about ¼ inch thick. Place on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and toss with rosemary. Add salt and pepper. Slide the potatoes into the hot oven, leaving them for the first 20 minutes. Turn and toss them, returning them to the oven until browned and aromatic. If you would like, orange zest can be tossed in during the last 5-10 minutes for a brighter taste.
Meyer Lemon Sorbet
¼ c. lemon balm leaves
2 c. sugar
5 c. water
1 c. sparkling water (preferably with no salt)
Grated zest of one lemon
Juice of 5 lemons
Boil the water and sugar with the herbs, stirring occasionally until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for five minutes. Strain the herbs out of the syrup. Combine three cups of the syrup with the remaining ingredients, chill, and freeze in an ice-cream machine or in the freezer. If using the freezer, stir the contents of the bowl to break up ice crystals from time to time to ensure a smoother sorbet.
This dessert, as light as it is, is a great way to end an otherwise-heavy winter meal. It came to us from a cookbook we purchased long ago, and one I’ve not found elsewhere. “Herbs: Garden Decorations and Recipes,” by Emilie Tolley and Chris Mead, is worth seeking out.
