There are places we all look forward to returning to every year. Village Harvest is no different, and today we harvested the first of several small orchards in the Santa Cruz mountains. Even though it’s still August, and plenty hot, it feels like the turning of the season. These are Bartlett pears, and, like all [...]
I had another busy day, but managed to squeeze in my berry activities. First, I rode my bike along Los Gatos Creek Trail, and brought my clippers and a bag along. Kind of surprisingly, this is the only elder bush along the side of the creek where I usually ride. I clipped those trusses of [...]
I rode my bike on the Los Gatos Creek Trail today and saw an elderberry bush loaded with fruit. Then I went to the Willow Glen farmers market and bought some raspberries and blackberries. (They’re not really vibrating.) Then I spent the whole day helping a friend shop for a new car, and ate two [...]
First, there is a new fruit fly in So Cal. “This is the first time the white-striped fruit fly, which is native to tropical Southeast Asia, has been detected in the Western Hemisphere.” Needless to say, there is a now a huge quarantine zone in part of LA and San Bernadino counties. How long do [...]
I know I have no one but myself to blame for the torrent of fruit rushing through my kitchen, but it’s still pretty amazing. You may recall that I signed up for the extra fruit option in the CSA, although I can’t think of why just now. So I had a box of fruit (and [...]
Hank Shaw has his Sacramento garage, I have a dehydrator in my back porch. Drying the zucchini was so worth it, if only to reduce drastically the space they take up in the fridge. But I like how the shriveled little things taste. The flavor of zucchini is often described as “nutty,” and these fit [...]
And strawberry ice cream. That’s what I’m currently making to take to the Veggielution cookout this evening. But what is in the box this week, you ask? Well, let’s see. Clockwise from lower left: Eggs, cilantro, dill, kale, romaine, nappa cabbage, carrots, green beans, potatoes, zucchini (round and grey), cucumber, garlic. Red oak leaf lettuce [...]
I told the old Midwestern joke at Veggielution about not leaving your car unlocked in the summer, lest someone leave a bag of zucchini on the front seat, and was surprised that it was new to my captive audience. I like zucchini, but I’ve decided over the years that I like them best when they’ve [...]
As I mentioned yesterday, I made another batch of strawberry jam on Monday. The house is, for the moment, free of fresh strawberries, although Thursday will be here before you know it. Making jam, especially using commercial pectin, is dead easy, and I wish that people didn’t find it so intimidating. No more than ordinary [...]
I’ll admit that I bought the little bag of wheat berries last week mostly because I can’t resist unusual foods at a farmers market. When I thought about how to use them, I had hazy intentions of making something savory, like a pilaf. Then in the Craft: blog I saw a recipe this week for [...]