Anticipating Irises

Nutty Granola

This Nutty Granola from Ellie Krieger's book "The Food You Crave" has become a regular, every two weeks you gotta make it, sort of thing around here. I have this with Silk for breakfast & it keeps me happy for hours.


* 3 cups old-fashioned oats
* 1/2 cup chopped raw, unsalted walnuts
* 1/2 cup chopped unsalted almonds
* 1/2 cup chopped unsalted pecans
* 1/2 cup maple syrup
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 cup raisins, optional (I add these after the granola has cooled, it's less chewy this way.)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
In a medium bowl combine the oats, nuts, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon and the raisins, if using. Spread the mixture onto the baking sheet and bake until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Transfer the sheet to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Potato Latkes

I first remember tasting potato latkes in the Oregon country side, visiting a friend's friend while going along our road trip. I remember hearing that this couple had moved out to the sticks to live off the land, get off the grid and raise their daughter. This was a new concept to me at the time. For their living, the woman made beautiful tie dye skirts and hand blown pipes to sell at country festivals and fairs, while her husband farmed a vegetable garden for them. They made an impression on me, they were living a certain way, choosing it consciously. The latkes we ate for dinner, also made a big impression. Served with sour cream and applesauce, I was hooked. Here is the recipe that I love.

Potato Latkes (serves 4)
2 cups shredded potatoes
2 tablespoon grated onion
3 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup peanut oil for frying

Directions

~Place the potatoes in a bowl of salted water for at least 20 minutes.
~Drain in a colander & press to extract as much moisture as possible.
~Combine all ingredients.
~In a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until hot. Place large spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the hot oil, pressing down on them to form thin patties. Brown on one side, turn and brown on the other. Let drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

If you can get your hands on some home made Apple Butter, you will die of delight at your breakfast table.

Growing Chitted Potatoes

I'm planting some chitted organic red potatoes today. They chitted themselves quite nicely and accidentally in the garage. The dark of the moon is the best time to plant underground plants while the moon draws the moisture deeper into the earth for the next couple weeks. I learned about chitting from Jamie Oliver, but it must be an art as old as potatoes themselves. Cut a one inch square around a growing eye in your potato.

Cut this section from the potato & plant in a well cultivated trench. Once the potato plant sprouts and starts to grow a stalk, mound soil up around it's neck, as the weeks pass, continue this process, as high as you can mound the dirt. (Hence starting in a trench.)

The underground potato stalk will grow potatoes all along the stalk as long as it keeps getting buried, producing a lot more potatoes from just one plant. This is great news for small spaces!

Happy May Day!

Here in the 2nd year, everything is growing well, the kitty used to sniff these little chicks, but soon they will be taller than her it seems.

A look through the Rose garden. This is really my heaven. Our black oil sunflower seed filled bird feeder gets visits from red & brown finches, chickadees. They descend on the yard together, especially after a rain.

We spent at least three back-breaking hours weeding our lawn last week, doesn't it look fine? Doing it naturally takes such work but it is so satisfying when the birds peck through it & I know they are safe.

Our new Hammock! The garden's in danger of being neglected by lazing book lovers now. This is a wedding gift from Seth & Melissa-thank you friends & come try it out soon! Our plants will need to be moved this fall to make a path here, the hammock ended up being much larger than expected once we got it home.

Coral Bells, these always shock me with their amazing color...I hope to divide them this fall & move some to the front yard to let them show off a bit.

Our new purple smoke bush is leafing out now. We bought this at a great sale at McLendon's this past fall. It had a lovely branching shape but this is the first we've seen of it's color. Nice!

Our street side plant sale had a homemade bird house on our last visit. It's reclaimed Cedar will blend well with our fence. We are past nesting season I believe, but hopefully next year we will have some boarders. In a few years it will be more protected by the Lilacs we've planted along the fence line.

One of the Lilacs, branching out well this year. This grew from a Lilac branch I stuck in the ground at our old house in preparation for our move. We hated to leave the beauties behind, and we're thrilled to see them starting to take off here. I wonder how many years until we have the luscious blooms?

Chives in bloom.

I'm having a little love affair with my compost bin. I am probably nuts but I just get so excited by this process. I have topped it off with a load of coffee grounds from a nearby coffee shop. Looks like I have to start a new pile.

Starting special plants indoors

Special seeds from friends' gardens get their best chance of becoming big beautiful specimens in my garden when I start them indoors. If I cast them directly outdoors I'm bound to forget about them, let them get too dry and watch them become a bird's lunch. Indoors though, they are under my watch each day & I love to care for them. Here I have started pink double poppies and red Hollyhocks from Carol's garden, Helga's violet Lupine (which resist our PNW diseases), and bright blue Salvia from Marne's garden. There's something special about seed sharing, and I just relish these plants as they sprout, grow true leaves and become strong healthy bloomers.

I'm also starting an herb garden for my mom for Mother's day here. The Cilantro has gone to the devil & hopefully will show up this next week? I collected Borage seed from a start Helga dug for me from her garden, and here it is in the lower left, looking quite robust considering it's delicate, edible blue flowers that are to come.

The Parsley is doing surprisingly well.

The Tomatoes and Basil are ready, yet waiting for really warm soil. I'll start hardening them off this week and plant them out mid-late May.

Light Blue Columbine seed collected from the garden at my last home. Watermelon, Butternut Squash and Yellow Pear Tomatoes from Reesie. Cerinthe, Pumpkin and Larkspur also started.

Calla Lily from Helga. Thai Basil and Italian Parsley from Reese.

White, Pink and Dark Red Hollyhocks from Helga. Lavender Poppies with curly leaves from Betty who lives down my street. Thank you to all my friends, I love sharing the wealth.

Do you think it's time for me to pot these tomatoes up to a larger pot size? I can't believe how big these have gotten. I'm learning this is what happens when you start them a bit too early. Next year I'll try to do it differently, but for this year, I can't complain about these giant heirlooms.

I did get them into gallon size pots this week, and tied with stakes made from Buddleja prunings.

Front Garden in Springtime

The Pink Dogwood in bloom.

The Miranda Tulips give the last of their show, I will definitely get more of these if I come across them.

A new mini rose in the front yard! "Rise and Shine".


We've tied up the allium and peonies so they'll keep standing even with heavy blooms.


I love this path, it's so welcoming. We've created bamboo pyramids for Helga's precious beans! She counted out 7 beans from her stash for me. I will plant them when it's warmer & hope for a big crop.

They are a bit of a mystery, but a dry bean that is mottled and striped brown and cream. I love a mystery.

The front yard has exploded in Iris. Just a couple weeks ago I thought they wouldn't make much of a show, but now I'm amazed at how many flowers have emerged.

Seed Planting

It's nearly May and in the Northwest that means it's Seed planting time! If you're like me then a patch of dirt is an exciting thing (hence my pictures here). My progress:
In the front yard between bedding plants:
Arch of Sweet Peas
Rainbow Swiss Chard
Larkspur + Marigold together (both 4 feet tall)
Chives
Portulaca
Godetia
Chamomile

Shirley Poppies

Red-orange Poppies

Lavender Poppies with curly leaves
Trailing Sapphire Lobelia



In the parking strip:
Borage
Ice Plant
Portulaca
Violets
Larkspur
Godetia


Front porch North:
Mammonth greystripe Sunflowers (12 feet tall!)
Red Sun sunflowers
Del Sol Sunflowers
Cosmos (from Hazel)
Shirley Poppies


Front porch South:
Mammonth greystripe Sunflowers (12 feet tall!)
Red Sun sunflowers
Del Sol Sunflowers
Delphinium
Cosmos (from Hazel)
Godetia


In gravel along North sidewalk:
Shirley Poppies

In gravel along South sidewalk:
Lavender Poppies with curly leaves
Shirley Poppies

Started indoors to plant out in a month:
San Marzano Tomato
Bright Blue Salvia
Light Blue Columbine
White Columbine
Dark Blue Columbine
Crystal Palace Lobelia
Double Pink Poppies
Violet Lupines (from Helga)
Red Sweet Peas (from Carol)
Red Hollyhocks
White Hollyhocks
Pink Hollyhocks
Dark Red Hollyhocks

Started indoors for Mom's future Potted Herb garden:
Cilantro
Chives
Basil
Tomato
Parsley
Dill
Rainbow Chard
Borage (outdoors, will divide)
Oregano (outdoors, will divide)
Spearmint (outdoors, will divide)
Thyme (outdoors, will divide)
Still need for her: Edible flowers, Marjoram.

10 Layer Bean Dip

A can of organic refried black beans inspired me yesterday. The results were fantastic! My take on the recipe is below.

Scallions
Cheddar + Pepper jack cheese
Sour cream + taco seasoning
Chopped Olive
Tomato + Red Pepper + Salsa
Avacado + Lemon Juice + Sour cream
Red Onion
Jalepenos
Cheddar + Pepper jack cheese
Beans + Chicken stock + Taco seasoning (heated together)

Nearing April's End

A volunteer Rose, always a welcome sight. May have come in with the Iberis from Betty's yard.

Kohlrabi progress.

Dicentra.

A sunny morning today had me in the garden early looking for where to start the annual seed planting. Lots of space!


This Cottoneaster has lovely berries in winter, and pink blossoms in Spring.

Kitchen compost. The worms will be in heaven.