Land of Fruits and Nuts – Preserving the Harvest – Day 5 – Loquats & Loquat Jelly

May 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment

bigstock-Loquats-7718853It is May 6, 2013, and loquat trees hang heavy with fruit in Southern California. Driving home from picking up my kids from after school care, we pass 6 or 7 trees in our relatively short drive just covered with fruit – trees that are in the area between a house and the sidewalk. It would be wonderful if all that fruit could be picked and used.

However, I have found that loquats bruise very quickly and spoil – I’ve had loquats spoil overnight. And we’ve got at least 3 loquat trees at the Land of Fruits and Nuts so I really don’t need any more loquats. I hope the birds and other animals enjoy the loquats . . . .

What to do with loquats? They are wonderful eaten fresh, although the season is relatively short.  I like loquats. Ripe loquats are juicy and delicious. The taste is a bit like an apricot, with some citrus zing. We have two types of loquats – small ones, about the size of a large grape, and big ones, about the size of a small apricot. I’m not sure whether these are two different types of loquats or not.

But I could never eat 3 trees worth of loquats before the fruit goes bad.  So, I tried turning the loquats into jelly, having stumbled upon an approved recipe at the National Center for Home Food Preservation. I also understand that loquats are used for medicinal purposes, particularly in China. If I have time, I’m going to research making loquat cough drops or a syrup.

The loquat jelly recipe calls for 4 cups of loquat juice. To get the juice, you have to remove the seeds from the fruit and also the blossom end, then boil them in water and strain. Removing seeds from loquats is a time-consuming process. Cutting them is difficult, because there are usually 2 to 3 seeds inside, and you end up wasting a lot of flesh. I found the easiest thing to do was to stick my thumb in the process end and pull the seeds out, discarding the seeds and the blossom end. Then I put the remaining portion in a pot.

This takes forever, particularly with a large pile of fruit. I did it while I watched television, but I would recommend having a canning party and inviting some friends over. You will be covered with pieces of pale orange flesh, and the loquats will be jammed under your nails.

After de-seeding and removing the blossom end from the large pile of fruit I had picked, I covered the fruit with water and brought to a simmer on the stove to soften the pulp and flesh. This took about 30 minutes. I then strained, pressing the flesh to get all of the juice.

I found I had 12 cups of juice left. At this point, I was exhausted, this process having taken me almost 3 hours. So, instead of moving on to making the jelly, I refrigerated the juice and cleaned up before going to bed. Day 6 will be about making (and tasting) the loquat jelly.

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Land of Fruits and Nuts – Preserving the Harvest – Day 3 – Elder

May 16, 2013 By Leave a Comment

fresh elder flowers against a white backgroundSo, my third day of preserving the harvest at the Land of Fruits and Nuts found me too exhausted to think of canning. For the record, for the past two days, I’d been canning after the kiddos went to sleep, which meant that I was up pretty late.  Plus, I had to tend to the garden in the morning. After that, I had to coach volleyball practice. Then I wandered about the property checking out what was blooming, what was about to bloom, etc. Also had to figure out if we were going to meet the fire clearance requirements or if we had more brush clearing to do.

So, instead of tackling a new canning project, I decided to take stock and look through my cookbooks to discover some new recipes. I also want to prep for a class I was taking the following day on Elderflowers as part of the Wildcrafted Medicine series launched by the fabulous Rebecca Altman and Emily Ho.

So first, checking out my cookbooks led to shopping on Amazon for new books on canning and preservation. I picked out several for Mother’s Day (as a hint to my husband) and will post as I try some of the recipes.

After that, I started reading the information on the Elderflowers class and making sure I was prepared. As I was researching proper identification, it dawned on me that we may have Elder trees at the Land of Fruits and Nuts. The flowers looked vaguely familiar, as if I had just walked by them. But I, quite mistakenly, thought that Elder trees (and flowers and berries) were limited to England, Scotland and the like. I associate Elder with Celtic traditions, priestesses, the Lady of the Lake and, of course, Harry Potter. The thought that I might have Elder trees had never even crossed my mind. And I was off and running down the hill to check it out.

Lo and behold, the Land of Fruits and Nuts has at least 7 mature Elder trees. Apparently, we have Mexican or Blue Elder, although looking at references there is some dispute as to the taxonomy. Oh well. Doesn’t matter much to me – we have loads of the flowers (which smell like summer and magic to me).

Elderflowers can be used to make herbal effusions, elder cordial and a host of other products. I can’t even tell you how excited I was to find so many mature trees present at the Land of Fruits and Nuts. Elderflowers are mysterious and magical to me – growing my own, harvesting them and making a medicinal elixir is an act of defiance against conventional medicine. Off to do some more research!

 

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Land of Fruits and Nuts – Joining Team ENERGY STAR

May 15, 2013 By 1 Comment

Epic Team ENERGY STARSo, in the Land of Fruits and Nuts, we have to remodel the home. “Have to” is an understatement – the home’s major systems are failing – we’ve had the sewer pipe burst underneath the house, the water pipes have failed in 2 separate locations, the furnace broke down completely, and electrical panel is shot. So we are undertaking a full house remodel.

In doing so, you can be sure that we will be making the home as green as possible, including making it more energy efficient. Yes, we will be joining team ENERGY STAR.

ENERGY STAR is a program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that is designed to help us save money and protect the environment through energy-efficient products and practices.  Now, for my husband, energy efficiency is more about saving money. If you don’t think energy efficiency can save you money, keep in mind that the average US household spends more than $2,000 per year in energy bills.  With ENERGY STAR, you can save over one-third, or more than $760, on your household energy bills.  For me, energy efficiency is critical to preserving the environment and conserving our natural resources. Yes, for me, it is all about the EPIC fight to combat climate change. And that is why we are joining Team ENERGY STAR – an initiative developed to engage and educate American youth and their families about saving energy in the home. This year, ENERGY STAR partners PTO Today and LG Electronics have brought in the heroic characters from the new movie EPIC, to help kids learn about the importance of saving energy while having fun at the same time.

Why does being energy efficient help the environment? Because most of our energy – about 70% of the electricity we use – comes from power plants burning fossil fuels.  Burning fossil fuels causes greenhouse gas emissions – the gases that contribute to climate change. Also, burning fossil fuels spews out a host of chemicals that cause severe  health concerns for those living near and far from the power plants. Don’t think it matters because you don’t live near a plant? Much of the mercury contaminating our seafood is a result of mercury released from fossil fuel burning power plants. We are all part of this amazing interconnected web, and our personal choices do matter.

In any event, because we have to replace so many appliances and products, virtually all of them, we will be purchasing products that bear the ENERGY STAR certification.  If we can, we will select products that are part of ENERGY STAR’s Most Efficient – the best of the best in energy efficiency. The ENERGY STAR’s most efficient program has products identified in the following categories: boilers, clothes washers, furnaces, refrigerators, windows and more (even computer monitors)! If you have to by new appliances, be sure to check out the ENERGY STAR Most Efficient models.

We will also be looking for energy efficient lighting. Did you know that the average home spends about 12% of its electricity bill on lighting? A single ENERGY STAR certified light bulb can save between $40 and $95 in electricity costs over its lifetime. So we will be looking for certified fixtures and bulbs.

So, for us, being part of Team ENERGY STAR and the ENERGY STAR program is very important this year.

Not buying new stuff this year? That’s okay. You can still take the ENERGY STAR pledge and take personal actions to reduce your energy use at home. You can also help your family and friends, perhaps even your school, to reduce energy. Take some easy steps – turn off lights when not in use, replace bulbs as needed with energy efficient bulbs, set your thermostat so you don’t run the heat or air conditioning when you don’t need it, etc. Our personal choices can help us not only save money, but conserve energy and thereby minimize climate change. Go check out the ENERGY STAR website for more tips and information. Join Team ENERGY STAR to work towards educating our kids and take the ENERGY STAR pledge to do something now.

FULL DISCLOSURE:  I am writing about Team ENERGY STAR because I support the program and because I believe it is important to educate the public about energy efficiency and climate change. The opinions expressed in this post are my own. However, please be advised that I did receive a modest “thank you” reward from LG, an ENERGY STAR partner, in appreciation for my post.

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Land of Fruits and Nuts – Preserving the Harvest – Day 2 – Orange & Whiskey Marmalade

May 14, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Calamondin Citrus OrangesSo, having successfully made and canned strawberry jam (see my blog post on Day 1), I was ready to move on and try something to preserve the actual harvest. And boy do we have oranges. There are many mature orange trees on the Land of Fruits and Nuts. I don’t know what kind of oranges, but we have tons. And I was told you must remove all the fruit from the tree each spring so I figured I would tackle one tree, harvest the fruit and do some pruning. And then can the harvest.

Well, the harvest netted bags and bags of oranges – most of which were taken by a friend to be donated to a food bank. But I kept some of the oranges to try my hand at making marmalade.

I really wanted to make a whiskey marmalade. I have quite a fondness for whiskey – American whiskey to be frank. My current favorite is Leopold Bros. Georgia Peach Whiskey (YUM!) (although I am also stuck on Apple Pie Moonshine). I wanted to mellow out the marmalade with whiskey but I couldn’t find a recipe designed for whiskey until I hit upon one in Preserve It!.  The recipe was for “Clementine and Whiskey Marmalade” and while I don’t know whether or not I had clementines, I just used the oranges I had picked. I am pretty sure that they were NOT clementines.

It came out okay, but I found the recipe instructions to be a bit confusing and incomplete. For example, if you read the recipe literally, it doesn’t tell you to put the lids on until after you have processed the jars in the water bath. That would be a complete and utter disaster! Also, you are supposed to juice the oranges before cutting the peel, and then use water to cover the orange pieces. Seems to me you should use the juice and I’m going to try that. In any event, here is the recipe:

  • 2 lbs (900 g) organic clementines, scrubbed, rinsed, halved, seeds removed
  • juice of 2 large lemons
  • 4 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 to 2 tbsp whiskey (I used Leopold Bros. Georgia Peach)
  1. Prepare your jars for water bath canning. I made 4 1/2 pint jars with this recipe. The recipe says it makes about 3 medium jars or 2 and 1/4 pounds. If you need help on prepping, see my Day 1 post.
  2. Either juice the clementines and then shred the skins with a sharp knife or put in food processor and chop until shredded but not mush. I started by juicing and making nice slivers with my sharp knife, but quickly gave up and stuck in the food processor.
  3. Place chopped fruit in a preserving pan and add 3 cups of water, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook gently until rind has softened (30 minutes or more). Next time I am going to use any juice (assuming I juice first as opposed to using the food processor).
  4. Add lemon juice and sugar. Cook over low heat, continuously stirring, until sugar is dissolved.
  5. Turn the heat up to bring to a boil. Keep at rolling boil, stirring constantly, until gel point is reached. This took my stovetop FOREVER – really, 40 minutes I think.
  6. Take off of heat and stir in whiskey. I added 2 to 3 tbsp, but hey, that’s me!
  7. Place into prepared jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Add lids (that have been properly warmed) and screw tops (finger tighten). Place and process in water bath for 5 minutes. Remove and place on towel. Let sit for 24 hours and check seal.

This is a more traditional marmalade as my mom says, with the bitterness of the orange present. I am going to try adding whiskey to a sweet marmalade for my next batch of oranges. I only have 6 more trees at least to depopulate of fruit – lots of opportunities for experimenting.

 

 

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Land of Fruits and Nuts – Preserving the Harvest – Day 1 – Strawberry Jam

May 13, 2013 By 1 Comment

bigstock-Breakfast-of-raspberry-jam-on--16477550Well, we’ve finally reached the beginning of the harvest so to speak here at the aptly named Land of Fruits and Nuts. Yep, we’ve named the “farm” the Land of Fruits and Nuts . . . we actually went through a bunch of names, the top runner being 1 Bullet, 2 Squirrels after my sister-in-law’s adventures on her spread, but the reference to guns was too polarizing for our farm (and grand plans of turning it into something). So, the Land of Fruits and Nuts it is, which seems appropriate for an urban farm in Southern California, right?

In any event, I am looking forward to and dreading at the same time the abundance we shall harvest. So I’ve been getting prepared by brushing up on my preserving skills. My mom used to can and dry and bake the harvest, and I remember some of it but not all. So I decided to start by making strawberry jam. And then I realized I should at least blog about it. And then I figured I would blog about the entire adventure. So this is my official day 1, which started on May 2, 2013.

First, this recipe is for strawberry jam, without added pectin, and processed by water bath. If you aren’t familiar with water bath processing, it is used to allow storage without refrigeration to preserve foods.  Boiling water canning is appropriate for most fruits because they have enough acidity to prevent growth of botulinum bacteria.

Second, there are a number of recipes that have been tested to ensure food safety. This recipe is from the Institute of Domestic Technology which adapted it from  Saving the Season: A Cook’s Guide to Home Canning, Pickling, and Preserving by Kevin West. Always make sure you are using a tested recipe to prevent botulism and following safe preservation techniques.

So, the recipe calls for 3 pounds of prepped fruit. I used strawberries, and I want substance to my strawberries in jam, so I washed them, cut off the tops, and cut them into quaters. I tried to keep the quarters even in size, so the smaller strawberries may have been cut into thirds or halves, depending.

I placed the cut strawberries into a stainless steel bowl and added 3 cups of sugar and 2 tablespoons of organic lemon juice. I gently combined and let macerate for 30 minutes, covered with a towel.

While the fruit was macerating, I made sure my jars were prepared. This recipe makes 2 and 1/2 pints, or five 1/2 pint jars. To prepare, wash the jars, lids and bands in hot, soapy water. You can use a dishwasher, but I usually hand wash. Then place the jars in the rack in the pan you are using for the water bath, and keep at a simmer at medium heat, but don’t boil. Depending on the size of your water bath pot, you may need to start this well before – you are going to have to get it up to a boil eventually, and if it is a lot of water, it may take some time. The water should cover the jars with at least an inch above the tops.

Leave the screw bands near your work area. The lids will need to be in a saucepan and cover with water. You will bring this to just a simmer but not yet – you do this to soften the material on the lid to form a good seal, but you have time.

I then placed the mixture into my jam pot. Now, you can use almost any non-reactive pot – meaning you cannot use pots made from aluminum or untreated cast iron – but hot jam is really  hot, and can splatter, so if you have any interest in canning, I highly recommend a pan designed for canning. I have a Kilner jam pan from Williams and Sonoma because I had a gift card there. I love it, but I absolutely lust after the Mauviel copper pans which just seem, so, well stunning (although to be honest, I’m usually not that into copper . . . ).  But you judge for yourself: Mauviel Copper 15-3/4-Inch Jam Pan

So, put your mixture into the preserving pan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring regularly. Once it reaches a full rolling boil, reduce the heat and stir as it boils, until it reaches the gel point (which is 8 degrees above boiling). Again, this depends on the strength of the heat source and the shape and size of your pan. Sometime before it reaches the full rolling boil, turn on the sauce pan with the lids so they are ready to go.

There are three ways to check the gel point – I prefer to place spoons in the freezer before I get started, and then dip into the mixture and see if the jam drips or sheets off (sheeting means it has reached the gel point). Until you are used to it, you may want to use a thermometer . . . .

Once the gel point is reached, take off the heat and skim if necessary. Put the hot jam into the jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Now, to get the jars out of the water bath, a jar lifter is extremely nifty and useful. To measure the headspace until you are used to it, a bubble popper and measurer is useful too – although you can certainly make your own. Wipe the rims with a clean, damp towel if needed, and place the lids on the jars. This is where one of those handy, dandy magnetic wands comes in handy to lift the lids out of the hot water.

Finger tighten the screw tops. Place in the water canning bath and process for 10 minutes, measured from when the last jar is in and the water has reached a boil.

Once the processing time is completed, remove the jars with your jar lifter and place on towel. Let sit for 24 hours without disturbing and check the seals. The tops should be indented (concave) and shouldn’t move when you push on them. Remove the screw bands and store for up to a year in a cool, dry place. Oh, and don’t forget to label.

If you are buying equipment, I don’t recommend many of the canning accessory kits because the funnels are usually plastic. If you want a wide mouth canning funnel, get a stainless steel one so you don’t have to worry about plastic stuff leaching into your food or the plastic melting or staining. You can get a jar lifter and a magnetic wand separately from the kits.

 

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Wild Edibles – Foraging for Dinner

April 15, 2013 By Leave a Comment

SAMSUNGSo the other night I didn’t have any veggies or greens to add to our dinner. I had fruit and I had potatoes, but nothing green and bright. So I did a quick foraging expedition in our backyard – choosing both some so called weeds and some components from the garden. And I thought I would share what I found in early April in Los Angeles near the coast.

First, I found tons and tons of Tropaeolum, commonly known as Nasturtium, a flowering plant. It is a “weed” in our yard - that is, it is growing everywhere and I didn’t cultivate it.  

The genus Tropaeolum contains several popular garden plants, including T. majus, T. peregrinum and T. speciosum.  I specifically found T. majus, which is also known as garden nasturtium, Indian cress or monks cress.   For T. majus, the leaves and flowers can be eaten.  Even the fruit is edible and is used as a caper substitute by some. 

I’ve eaten the flower petals and the young leaves.  The flowers and young leaves have peppery taste with a very faint bitter note at the end. I haven’t collected the fruit ~ but this year, I am going to try. T. majus is growing rampant in my yard – it really is like kudzu.

In any event, the flower petals added a nice peppery note to the salad. It seems the most common use of T. majus is to use them to add color and some peppery notes to a salad.  But if you want to try a nice recipe with it, I found this recipe for Nasturtium Leaf Pesto at RootSimple (I met one of the authors this weekend ~ more to come).  Also, Miche Barcher has a very interesting recipe for Nasturtium Goat Cheese Ice Cream in her book Cooking with Flowers I am going to try tomorrow.

I also collected dandelion greens, some blueberries from our blueberry plants, a handful of French sorrel and a leaf from my tree collard.  The French sorrel added a lemony note.  Dandelion greens taste different depending on when you harvest them. I’ve always been told to harvest the greens before the plant blooms – if you wait too long, they are bitter. To be honest, I still find the young greens have a bitter note – but if you shred/tear into a salad with other components, the bitterness is welcome.  So, I took the greens and the fruit and rinsed, shredded as appropriate, added a dash of sea salt and served with Blood Orange Olive Oil and Georgia Peach Balsamic Vinegar, it was delicious.

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Los Angeles with Kids – Archery Adventure

April 1, 2013 By 1 Comment

bigstock-Sunset-5952930I love how much there is to do and experience in the greater Los Angeles area. You want the beach – great. You want to go skiing – it is a relatively short drive up to the mountains. You want Hollywood,  you got it. Disneyland, we got that too. Not to mention Knott’s Berry Farm, Universal Studios, Six Flags and more.

There are also some less well known adventures perfect for an urban or suburban family seeking to explore more traditional activities. Recently, my family tried out archery at Archery Outpost and loved it. It was a great time together as a family.  We all enjoyed it. My 10 year old Minecraft addicted son loved it, as did my 8 year old daughter and my husband.

I have always loved archery. Or at least the thought of it. I did it a summer camp a couple of years when I was young, but I remember it being a frustrating experience. The bows were either too hard or too easy to draw, the arrows didn’t have tips and nothing seemed to work right.

But, at Archery Outpost it was a different experience.  It matched my idolized version of using a traditional bow to shoot.

We all  had a good time. The equipment was well maintained. The instructor was helpful and worked well with the kids. Plus, it was a female instructor so my daughter felt empowered.  We took the Safety Class.  Archery Outpost offers a Safety Class Tuesday at 1 pm, 3 pm and 5 pm and Sunday at 1 pm and 3 pm.  The instructor goes over the basic equipment and safety. You then get to shoot in the indoor range with coaching from the instructor. Bows are selected with appropriate draw.  We were able to shoot for more than an hour.

We ended up getting some less expensive bows for home and set up a range on our property.  We have all used it several times in the weeks since taking the class.  In fact, I think I may acquire a more expensive bow for myself . . . .

Archery Outpost offers indoor shooting range rental with or without equipment and lessons. Also, they have birthday party packages.  There is an upstairs room for the birthday party (or other groups).

 

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Edible Landscaping – Scented Geraniums

March 13, 2013 By 2 Comments

Geranium Flower EssenceI got to plant some of my scented geraniums this weekend. Whoot! I love scented geraniums. They are so deliciously fragrant! You just brush against them and breathe in the wonderful scent. Crush a leaf or two and your hands will smell divine!

There are so many different species and hence scents. There are apple scented, nutmeg scented, lemon scented, etc. My favorite – mostly because it makes a divine syrup – is Attar of Roses. It has rose scented leaves and pink flowers. Rober’s Lemon Rose is also wonderful.

Scented geraniums are pretty easy to grow – you can grow them indoors or outdoors. I had several that did exceptionally well in containers in my rooftop garden. Now, I’ve moved them to in ground and they seem to be doing well. Because it gets so hot where I am, I do keep them shaded from the afternoon sun.

You may be familiar with scented geraniums and not even know it. Many species are important in the perfume industry. In fact, scented geranium oil is often used to supplement (or adulterate) expensive rose oils.

The best thing about scented geraniums is that the leaves and flowers are edible. They can be used to flavor jellies, cakes, butters, ice creams, iced tea, sugar and more. I prefer the rose scented for culinary uses, but the lime and some of the others are nice too.

Scented geraniums aren’t really geraniums – they belong to Genus pelargonium (although they are still members of the family Geraniaceae). So don’t think that you can use the geraniums that may be in your yard already – you need to make sure you are using scented geraniums.

Certain of the scented geraniums have also been used for various medicinal purposes. Scented geraniums have been used for intestinal problems, wounds, respiratory ailments, fevers, kidney complaints and respiratory/cold remedies. The essential oil is used to balance the hormonal system.

If you are in the Los Angeles area, Sunflower Farms in Gardena, California has a fantastic selection of scented geraniums. I have also found Attar of Roses at Armstrong this year, but that was the only type. There are several mail order sources. Or, if you have a friend, you can take cuttings. Make sure you take at least 6 to 7 nodes or lobes in your cutting, and root in soil-less media. Most recommend to treat the cuttings with rooting hormone.

What to do with scented geraniums? Making rose scented syrup is my fave – and it is delicious added to lemonade or an afternoon cocktail (hmmmm).

Rose Syrup:

2 and 1/2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup or so of rose-scented geranium leaves

Place water and sugar in deep saucepan and place on stove over medium-low heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Let reach boil and boil gently 5 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat, add rose geranium leaves, cover and let steep at least 10 minutes. I usually let it steep 20 or so. Strain into clean pan and boil 30 more seconds. Add to sterilized jars. If you want, you can add red food coloring after the last boil but before adding to the sterilized jars but I don’t.

 

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Kim Kardashian As An Earth Mama?

February 21, 2013 By 4 Comments

bigstock-A-beautiful-young-pregnant-wom-24168806Last night an article on Yahoo caught my eye – the title boldly asserted Kim Kardashian – Earth Mother with her new pregnancy. I snorted my drink onto my computer screen and almost fell out of my chair laughing.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am happy from Kim and wish her the best. I am even happy for her if she is discovering a healthier lifestyle because she is pregnant. But doing a photo shoot with less make up does not make one an Earth Mother. Nor does reducing one’s Diet Coke intake make one an Earth Mother.

It actually might be great if Kim Kardashian were becoming an Earth Mother. She garners so much attention (whether you love her or hate her) that it could bring attention to some of the issues that so called Earth Mothers hold dear – whether the issue is climate change, energy issues, reducing lead exposure, safer chemicals in consumer products, fracking, GMOs, or whatever.

But Kim Kardashian’s Earth Mother experience seems just as fake as her reality TV life. I don’t think she is eliminating doing her nails or at least using a less toxic nail polish. I don’t think she is avoiding synthetic fragrance because of the possibility of hormone disrupting phthalates or carcinogenic compounds.  I don’t even think her comment about limited Diet Coke has anything at all to do with the artificial sweetener or the possibility of exposure to bisphenol A due to the lining of the aluminum can.

I also don’t think she is going to buy products for  the nursery that are safer than conventional products, whether it is formaldehyde free furniture or avoiding polyurethane foam pieces.  Do you think she is considering flame retardants? I don’t. And I don’t think she will look for safer baby products such as Earth Mama Angel Baby’s products.

Perhaps she means something more than a trendy label to improve her public image, but I honestly don’t think so. I don’t believe a Teflon-coated reality TV star enamored of modern conveniences (fake nails, fake tan, fake eyelashes, disposable clothing, disposable water bottles) can be an Earth Mother.

But it would be great if she proved me wrong.

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Edible Landscaping – Miner’s Lettuce

February 20, 2013 By 2 Comments

bigstock-Miners-Lettuce-3924059So, if you have read any of the recent posts, you will know that we have moved to a much bigger property. You will also know that the house on the property is, well, a bit of a fixer-upper (and that is being kind). While we work on figuring out the remodel, I have been a bit depressed. The house is depressing – it doesn’t get much natural light, the ovens don’t work, the fireplaces don’t work, there is very little water pressure, and it is ugly.

I’ve been wallowing in my self-pity.

But I am done with that (at least for now ~ don’t hold me to it). The daffodils are in full bloom across much of the property (gotta love the early Spring in So Cal) and I’ve decided if I can’t love the house, then I will love the property. And I’ve got 5.64 acres of property to plant with edible landscaping. WOOT!

It is overwhelming trying to plan a functional edible landscape.  We already have more than 110 avocado trees (OMG), and tons of citrus (orange, blood orange, grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, lime, limequat) as well as a huge loquat. We also apparently have some peach and apricot, but it is hard to tell since the trees are mostly dormant right now.

Over the weekend, I planted the existing trees I had from my rooftop garden – 3 weeping mulberries, a variety of dwarf apples, a plum, a persimmon and 2 jujubes – as well as my blueberry bushes (including the 3 fabulous Pink Lemonade blueberry plants).

Then, I went shopping.  On President’s Day, I had fun visiting some (but not all) of my favorite local nurseries and also browsing through seed catalogs. I picked up some fruit trees to add to the orchard at Sunflower Farms in Gardena, California. They are being delivered on Saturday. I fleshed out our selection, adding 2 more Persimmon trees (Fuyu), a pluot, and more. I’ll post pictures.

I also hit Centrose Nursery and picked up 2 tree collards and 2 grapes.  I’ll post pictures of the plantings.

But mostly I planned and plotted how the landscape should look and investigated options for sun, partial shade and shade. I have a lot of shade because of the mature trees and I need some plants to fill in underneath. I was at a bit of a loss and overwhelmed about what to plant where.

But, I was reminded of an old staple, Miner’s Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata) at Sunflower Farms.

I grew up with Miner’s Lettuce in Marin County. My sister and I used to eat it on our rambles around the neighborhood. We would pick it to take home, but we hardly ended up with any by the time we got home.   It was everywhere. It was and is good. It is perfect in salads or on sandwiches (though I also like mustard leaves in my sandwiches for a bit of “pop”).

It is so easily recognizable and so abundant that I am surprised I didn’t think of it first.  It is native to America – unlike many of our edible “weeds.”  Plus, and most important, it is a great plant for shade. In fact, it prefers moist shade.

If you aren’t familiar with Miner’s Lettuce, it is not really soft but not crunchy, has a mild taste, and stays tender even when it flowers. It packs a punch of Vitamin C and iron.  According to a study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 100 grams of miner’s lettuce—about the size of a decent salad—contains a third of your daily requirement of Vitamin C, 22 percent of the Vitamin A, and 10 percent of the iron. You can buy seeds or plants (it is super easy to grow from seed). I bought some plants just for a jump start and to cure my doldrums.

Here’s some more detail on Miner’s Lettuce.

That’s a picture of it too in this post. If you are doing some wild foraging in Northern California, you should be able to find it in the shady spots, particularly near water.

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