Sorrel Soup and Other Spring Delights

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Ann Lovejoy
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Which Sorrel Is Soupable? Two Out Of Three…

I’ve taken a bit of time off while some website changes were made at Loghouse, but now I’m back with more recipes and thoughts of spring to share with you.

Back in January, I began snacking on the first tender leaves of wild sorrel as I weeded my way through the garden. Now, there’s enough of both the wild sorrel and the French garden sorrel to cook with. Last year, a reader reminded me that to some folks, wild sorrel means wood sorrel (Oxalis oregana), a clover-like carpeter of the shady forest floor. That is NOT the kind to cook with or eat.

Aupre de Ma Blond

The wild sorrel often used in salads or cooking is a common weed (Rumex acetosella) that forms small, leafy rosettes in winter. By March, taller stalks shoot up, tipped with tiny, dock-like red flower-ettes. Now, in April, wild sorrel spreads in carpets of long stems trimmed with skinny leaves that have a brisk, lemony tang. French sorrel (Rumex acetosa or R. scutatus) is a larger, more richly flavored cousin. The most common type, ‘Blond de Lyon’, boasts large, succulent, mild yet still citrus-tasty leaves.

A Silky Sorrel Soup

Each spring I invent a new recipe for this refreshingly tart herb. This year’s sorrel soup combines garden sorrel and spinach with leeks and fresh thyme. If you’ve got loads of sorrel, use up to 6 cups of it and less or no spinach. I like to garnish this silky soup with wild sorrel, which has a lovely sour-lemon flavor that can’t be beat. However, if your garden lacks weeds and you can’t find any (poor you), Italian parsley makes a tasty garnish as well.

Spring Sorrel Soup

1 tablespoon fruity olive oil
2 leeks, thinly sliced (white or pale green parts only)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, stemmed
2 cups fresh sorrel, stemmed and shredded
4 cups baby spinach
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup wild sorrel OR flat Italian parsley, stemmed

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add leeks, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt, the pepper and thyme, and cook until tender (about 10 minutes). Reduce heat to low, add sorrel and spinach, cover pan and cook until limp (2-3 minutes). Add broth, adjust salt to taste, and simmer until warm (do not boil). Blend with an emersion blender or in a food processor until smooth. Serve garnished with wild sorrel or parsley. Serves four.

Spunky Sorrel Sauce For Fish

This foamy, spunky green sorrel sauce is an excellent counterpoint to the richness of wild salmon, and complements haddock, trout, and rockfish as well. Serve it over any grilled fish with garlic rice and a green salad enlivened with fresh herb tips.

Glass garden salmon by Isaiah Heyer

Salmon with Sorrel Sauce

1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
1 teaspoon fruity olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2-3 cups French sorrel (2 bunches), stemmed and shredded
1 cup flat Italian parsley (about 1 bunch), stemmed
1 cup watercress (about 1 bunch), stemmed
2 tablespoons fresh garlic tips OR chives, chopped
1 cup sour cream OR Greek style yogurt
1 lime, cut in quarters

Preheat oven or prepare grill. Rinse fish, pat dry and rub with oil. Sprinkle skinless side with half the salt and pepper.  Grill skin side down until fish turns opaque and flakes easily (6-8 minutes). While fish cooks, combine remaining salt and pepper, herbs, and sour cream or yogurt in blender or food processor and blend. Serve fish with sauce, garnished with lime wedges. Serves four.

A Most Surprising Spring Pie

The sumptuous sorrel souffle pie combines sorrel and young spinach with creamy ricotta and tangy asiago cheeses. This golden puff of a pie is easy to make yet delectable enough for company.

Sorrel Souffle Pie

1 9 inch pie crust
2 teaspoons fruity olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
3 cups French sorrel (1 bunch), stemmed and shredded
3 cups young spinach (1 bunch), stemmed and shredded
2 eggs
1 pound ricotta
1-1/2 cups (3-4 ounces) asiago cheese, coarsely grated
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour OR unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put piecrust in pie dish, crimp edges, and rub lightly with oil (about 1/2 teaspoon). Combine remaining oil, garlic, and onion and cook over medium heat, stirring, until onion is pale golden (3-5 minutes). Add shredded sorrel and spinach, cover pan and cook until greens are wilted (3-4 minutes). Uncover pan, remove from heat and set aside. In a bowl, beat eggs lightly, then stir in ricotta a spoonful at a time.  When mixture is blended, stir in 1 cup grated cheese, flour, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and wilted greens and stir well. Fill pie shell evenly, topping with extra cheese. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake at 350 degrees F until puffed and golden brown (35-40 minutes). Serve at once. Serves 4-6.

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Savoring Our Company As Well As Our Food

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Ann Lovejoy
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Slow Dining For Peaceful Evenings

Slow dining is a grand concept but actually making it happen can be hard to wangle when everybody is rushing off to various meetings and engagements. Sadly, once the habit of leisurely dining is lost, it can be difficult to recreate. To encourage lingering, serve dinner in courses. Attractively presented individual portions seem festive, as do candlelight and flowers.

Wondering what to make? Something simple, of course, so we can concentrate on congenial company. Why not celebrate spring with a salad based on Bigleaf maple blossoms? The delicately honey-flavored flowers are also delicious sprinkled over vanilla ice cream with a few shreds of candied ginger. When the maple flowers are gone, you might substitute rose petals or nasturtium or squash blossoms. Always use organically grown edible flowers (without toxic pesticide residues).

Bigleaf Maple Salad With Scallops And Maple Dressing

2 cups baby spinach
2 cups Savoy cabbage, finely sliced
2 cups Romaine, finely sliced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 yellow pepper, finely sliced
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
12-16 ounces bay scallops, rinsed
1 teaspoon Grade B maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup bigleaf maple flowers, pistils and stamens removed *

* Remove the fuzzy bits at the center of each blossom to eliminate pollen, a possible allergen.

Gently toss greens and divide between four dinner plates. In a wide, shallow pan, cook oil and garlic over medium high heat for 2 minutes. Add onion, pepper, and salt, cover and cook, stirring, until barely soft (2-3 minutes). Stir in scallops, cover pan and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in maple syrup and pepper, cover pan and cook until opaque (2-3 minutes). Spoon over greens and serve warm, garnished with flowers. Serves four.

Marvelous Maple Syrup

Grade B maple syrup is cheaper than the paler Grade A and has a fuller, rougher, more robust flavor. It’s terrific in dressings and sauces and can replace honey in many recipes. Rice oil is almost flavorless and really lets other ingredients shine.

Maple Dressing

1/3 cup canola or rice oil
2 tablespoons plain rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
1-2 teaspoons Grade B maple syrup

In a bowl, whisk oil, vinegar and soy sauce together, then add maple syrup to taste. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 1 week. Makes about 1/2 cup.

A Bounty Of Beets

Here’s another spritely spring dish; Beautiful Beet Salad, lively with fresh mint and tart-sweet CaraCara oranges, which are extra rich in flavor as well as in carotene and other phytonutrients.

Beautiful Beet Salad

1 cup diced cooked beets, drained
1 organic CaraCara orange, rind grated
1 tablespoon fresh mint, minced
1/4 teaspoon shoyu or soy sauce

Combine beets, orange rind, mint and soy sauce, set aside. With a sharp knife, slice all white rind off orange, dice the fruit and add to beets along with any juice. Toss gently and serve. Serves four.

Sumptuous Coconut Curls

This made-in-minutes dish is lovely on both plate and palate. I make it with Bob’s Mill unsweetened coconut, which comes in generously wide, curling shavings. Coconut milk and oil provide healthy fats and a pleasant feeling of satiety, so a little goes a long way.

Curried Salmon Stew With Coconut Curls

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 small bulb fennel, thinly sliced
1 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 organic orange, juiced, rind grated
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon garam masala OR curry powder
1 pound skinless salmon fillet, cubed
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups organic coconut milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange coconut Lon a baking sheet and bake until golden (6-8 minutes), set aside. In a soup pot, combine onion, fennel, and pepper, orange juice and rind, salt and garam masala. Cover pan and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Add broth and bring to a simmer. Add salmon and cook until opaque (2-3 minutes). Add coconut milk, bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered for 5 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with coconut curls. Serves 4-6.

Mushrooms Are Always In Season

In any season, Fresh Mushroom Soup is a quick and delicious treat. It features baby Portobello mushrooms (often sold as Criminis), shallots, and spicy-hot daikon radish sprouts.

Fresh Mushroom Soup

8-10 ounces baby Portobello (Crimini) mushrooms
2 teaspoons virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons butter
2 shallots, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or any)
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup daikon radish sprouts, rinsed, roots removed

Remove mushroom stems, trim cut ends and chop. Slice mushrooms caps thinly, set aside. In a saucepan, combine oil and butter over medium high heat until melted. Add shallots, mushroom stems, and half the salt and cook until soft (2-3 minutes). Add sliced mushrooms and remaining salt, stir to coat, cover pan and cook over medium low heat until soft (8-10 minutes). Stir in flour, cover pan and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in broth 1 cup at a time, bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 5 minutes. Season with pepper and serve, garnished with daikon sprouts. Serves four.

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Days of Slugs and Roses

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Ann Lovejoy
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Some Unsuspected Uses For Rose Foliage

Flower Slug mosaic by Raquel Stanek

In horticultural terms, to combine slugs and roses–even mentally–is to travel from the sublime to the faintly obscene. Indeed, the two are rarely connected, for roses are one of the few plants which do not fatally fascinate slugs. The connection is this; rose leaves can remove slug slime.

Now, this may not seem like such an accomplishment, yet few cleansers can match it. How many cotton garden gloves or trouser knees have been permanently disfigured by gloops of slug slime? I am always amazed at the way slime seems to have washed out, only to magically reappear when the clothing emerges from the clothes dryer, stiff as a board where beslimed. Even more remarkable is the way slime rehydrates instantly when you next kneel in damp grass or earth, as sticky as ever. Isn’t nature miraculous?

Discovery Lurks In A Lost Hanky

Some time ago, Lindsay Smith, a lovely gardener with impeccable style, told me an intriguing story. While weeding, she had gotten seriously slug slimed, as one so often does. Naturally, she had no hankie handy, so she grabbed a handful of greenery from her weeding basket and tried to clean her hands. When her hands did, in fact, become clean and slime-free, it took her a minute to realize the significance of that fact.

It took another minute to recognize that the slime-removing foliage was some slightly spotty rose leaves. We pondered this together, wondering whether an elixir of rose leaves or rose water might be an effective slug repellent. Though I never carried out those experiments, I have often since used the rose leaf trick to get slug slime off my hands or clothing.

Suffering Sensitive Slugs

One spring, after writing a column about some interesting things to do to slugs, I received a letter from a former U.W. professor explaining that most of my bright ideas were cruel and inhumane. After saying she felt sure from my writing that I have deep respect and admiration for living things, she added that “Slugs are very advanced, sensitive creatures capable of feeling, recognition, and memory.” She went on to liken slugs’ bodies to the cornea of the eye, in terms of sensitivity to pain (or ammonia water). Having had a number of corneal accidents myself, this made me cringe.

Now, however, I was in a quandry. Naturally, deeply sensitive and respectful people like yours truly don’t set out to torture any living thing. However, I was not about to watch ten trillion field slugs destroy the beauty of my garden without lifting a finger to stop them. Am I not a part of nature? And what about my plants? Does Ligularia “Desdemona” feel no pain when being made into slug sushi? Don’t hostas mind turning into leafy lacework? Do baby chrysanthemums want to die?

The Big Chill

My learned colleague allowed that if one must off the occasional miscreant slug, it is less inhumane to clip in half or stomp (short and swift) rather than skewer (slow and painful). Her recommendation is to “drop them into a plastic sack and put them in the freezer, since they quickly lose nerve function in the cold.” Well, now, that is an intriguing thought. Except what if one forgot and blithely tossed them into a casserole thinking they were chopped mushrooms?

Perhaps it’s time to make those rose leaf experiments, grinding a few leaves in the blender with water for spraying, shredding some for scattering. I’d love to hear from readers who know more about rose leaves as slug barriers. If, however, your rose leaves are showing signs of powdery mildew or black spot, pull off the offenders and burn them (you don’t want to be spraying those diseases around the garden). Instead, try this on the funky rose (or azalea, or anything mildew-prone) leaves:

Safest Rose Spray

1 Tsp. baking soda
1/4 Tsp. Joy or similar dish soap (to make the stuff stick)
1 gallon of water

Spray both the tops and undersides of the leaves, re-applying after each rain (there’s always a catch). Lots of rosarians swear by this simple solution.

Stop Making Sense

As for the slugs, well, over time, my heart has changed. I no longer bother to bait, except in my vegetable container garden tubs. Ever since I spent time in Costa Rica, creating a series of gardeners‘ and naturalists‘ tours for EcoTeach, I have found myself unable to interfere with critters except in the mildest ways. Perhaps our respect for nature and life in all its complexity really does grow on us as we age. Perhaps as my own life spins on I am less moved to intervene with other forms of life on our shared and lovely planet. It makes no sense, but neither does life as we know it. Onward!

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Bringing In The Beneficials

Posted on March 8, 2012 by Ann Lovejoy
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Inviting Bees, Bugs and Butterflies

One key to garden success is the garden’s ability to attract and host beneficial insects of many kinds. Not only will we experience better cropping as pollination rates improve, but beneficials also chase away or gobble down a multitude of garden pests.

Wise gardeners may set aside an area near the garden proper to act as the host space for beneficials. Organic growers call such areas “bug banks,” since they become storehouses of invaluable insect garden allies. In its simplest form, a bug bank strip might hold herbs like borage, dill, and mint, as well as early blooming rosemaries. The more plant variety you can offer, the greater the range and volume of insect helpers you will garner.

Northwest Natives For Insect Habitat

Native plants that bloom early are excellent bug bank additions, including various kinds of Oregon grape (Mahonia), Indian plum (Oemleria), and flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum). Native violets, foamflower (Tiarella), Mother of thousands (Tolmia), and fringe cup (Tellima) are also good candidates.

So are all sorts of “weeds,” which are so often more appreciated by insects and other critters than by control-oriented gardeners. The garden that supports a few thistles will also support goldfinches, and those dockweeds, buttercups, and dandelions are always in hot demand among the non-human garden users.

I’ve Got A Little List

Some years ago, Sean Phalen, then Site Coordinator at Seattle’s Judkins P-Patch presented an inspiring workshop on attracting beneficial insects at Interbay P-Patch. I saved his list of nectar-producing flowers, which Sean arranged by blooming season to help gardeners make appropriate and attractive planting choices.

Sean’s Plants For Attracting Beneficial Insects

Key

P= perennial;   B=biennial; no notation=annual;   I=intermittent through the year;  F=through to frost;   **=super nectar producer

ULTRA EARLY (through winter)

autumn croci (**; P; pulchellus,albus,zonatus…)
cyclamen (**; P; neapolitanum, hederifolium, coum…)
snowdrops (**; P)
aconite (**; P)
borage (I, **)
calendula (I, **)
earliest narcissici (**P)

EARLY

early daffs and narcissi (**; P)
species tulips (**;  P; tarda, hageri…)
glory-of-the-snow (**: P; Chionodoxa)
iris reticulata (**; P)
rosemary (P, **)
primrose ( P; early)
bolting cruciferae (**)

MID-SPRING

Single Daffodils (P)
species primrose (P)
Öscillas (**; P)
violets (P; **)
violas ( P, I, **)
anemones (**; P; Spring-St. Brigid’s mix, monarch de caen…)
alyssum (annual-I; and perennial; **)

HIGH SPRING

Late Single Daffodils (**;P)
Tulips-single (P)
Dutch iris
Aquilegia (P;columbine)
Armeria maritima (P; **; native-sea pinks)
Candytufts (annual-F, &P, **)
Dianthus (sweet Williams, some F; and per.pinks)
creeping phloxes ( P; **;incl. native P. subulata) Campanulas (P)
Centaurea (**; A-I; &P)
Digitalis (**:  B; foxglove)
English daisy (B; **;bellis)Godetia ( F; **;s summer’s herald-native)
Clarkia (F; **; native-mountain garland)
Linaria (F; **0
Lupines  (A&P)
Lunaria (B; money plant)
Pyretheum ( P; painted daisy)
Saponarias (P; soapwort)
Stocks (F, **)
Cal. Bluebells (**, Phacelia campanularia)
Nemophila (**)
Tidy tips (**)
Myosotis ( B; **; forget-me-nots)
Poppies-single (all, A &P, **, California poppies-I)
Sweet peas (**)

EARLY SUMMER

Anagalis ( P; blue pimpernel)
Bidens (P; golden goddess)
Achilleas ( P; I; F; **; incl. native A. millefolium)
Nasturtiums (F, **)
Chives (**; P; both garlic and regular)
Parsley (**: B)
Cilantro (**)
Erigeron
Dill (**)
Mints (**)
Dymorphotheca ( F; African daisy)
Dahlberg Daisy (F)
Shasta Daisy-single ( some F)
geranium (some F; true geranium-NOT Pelargonium)
Gilia (**; birds eyes)
Purple tansy (**; Phacelia tanecetifolia)
Silene (**; P;  catchfly)
Hesperus matronalis ( P;  **; sweet rocket)
Linums (**; A & P)
Lobelias (A- F; &P)
Monarda (**; P)
Nepetas ( **; P;F; catnip, catmint…)
Potentillas (P, F)
Spireas (P)
Viscaria (**; rose angel)
thymes (**; P)

HIGH SUMMER

Agastaches (**; P; licorice mint…)
Asclepias (**; b-fly weed)
Asters-single (A&P; F; **)
brachymone ( F; swan river daisy)
Basils (**)
Catananche (P; cupid’s dart)
Centranthus ( P; F; jupiter’s beard)
Cleome ( F; spider flowerù)
Annual chrysanthemum (F)
Convolvulus (F)
coreopsis (F; **)
Cosmos ( F; ; A&P)
Dianthus ( F; A &P; carnations, ann. pinks… singles)
Eupatorium ( **; joe pye weed)
Gaillardia (F; **;  A & P)
Gazania (transvaal daisy)
Hollyhocks-singles (**; P, B & A; singles)
Marigolds ( **; F; singles-“gem” series T. signata)
summer savory
Zinnias ( **; F; singles; Africans “profusion”series)
Salvias and sages ( some F; **; A & P)
Oreganos ( **; P)
Malvas (P)
Mimulus
Penstemons ( P; some F; incl. natives)
Gauras ( P; F; **)
Phlox ( F; A & P)
Physostegia (F; P;  obedient plant)
Portulaca (F)
Sunflowers-singles ( **; F; A & P)
Tahoka daisy (**; F)
Torenia (F; wishbone flower)
Trachymene ( F; **;blue lace flower)
Verbenas ( F; **; A&P)
Verbascums (**; P)
Veronias ( P; **; F; speedwell)
Lilies (**; P)
Daylilies-singles (**, P; some F)

LATE SUMMER

Asters-singles ( F: A&P: late)
Amaranthus (F)
Echinaceas (**; P; F; coneflowers)
Cal´liopsis( **; F)
Rudbeckias-singles (**; F; P;  black-eyed susans)
Ratibida (**; F; P; prairie coneflower)
Ornamental grasses (P- important part of beneficial bugs’ life-cycle)
Oenothera (**; P; F; evening primroses)
Sedums (**; F; P; incl. natives)
Early, single mums (F; P)
Tithonia (**; F; Mexican sunflower)
Solidagos (**; F; goldenrods)

FALL

colchicums (**; P)
late single mums (F; P)
late sedums (**:F; P)
fall anemones(**; F; P)
saffron crocus (**;P; all autumn crocus)….

So what to do with all this stuff?

As Sean says, “What’s the bare minimum, maximum benefit plan?? I give a 4-6″ border along my raised beds to marigolds, nasturtiums, alyssums and dw. zinnias. Throw in some herbs throughout your plot- mints grown in a coffee
can with both ends cut out, some chives and thyme (these last 3 are good near cruciferae), summer savory with your beans, some basils and garlic (to flower) among solanums, some dill intersown with a tall crop or at back of plot, some overwintered parsley to bloom, a radish (to bloom) in each hill of cucurbitae- and your plot is a bennie (beneficial bug) truck stop!”

“Use some “living mulches” among taller crops (cruciferae, solanum, corn…) such as alyssums, Nemophila, tidy tips, California poppies and bluebells, even Dutch white clover increases the effect exponentially.”

“Let some crops bolt (deadhead before seed matures) to take it to the next level. Throw in some of the real nectar-super producers along the edge w/ the annuals (linums, Phacelia, gilias, clarkias, godetias, dw. coreopsis, violas, dwarf bachelor buttons…) and some fall/winter/spring bulbs and prepare for the haze!” (Sean likes to see a “living haze” of insects in the garden as often as possible.)

“You’ll get more more reliable pollination and consistent control of your pests. Beyond that, it’s a personal art-you’ll refine your plan for your crops and microclimate as you go. A minimum of “land wasted on flowers”, a maximum of output with little labor. It’s the only way to fly!!”

Thanks, Sean!

Posted in fall/winter crops, Garden Prep, Pets & Pests In The Garden, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living, Weed Control, Winterizing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment