Edible Eastern Redbuds

Freshly-picked Eastern Redbud flowers from my garden on a bed of lettuce. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Edible Eastern Redbuds

When people think of growing plants in a garden for cooking, most people think herbs, or at least that is what a garden visitor told me during a recent visit. And for the foragers, they’re after morel mushrooms. But there’s an ornamental tree in most of the US that has quite edible parts, the Eastern Redbud.

Eastern redbud tree flowers at the end of their blooming cycle. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Eastern redbud trees have been grown as ornamental trees since the 1600s although some may not realize several parts are edible. Native Americans have used the flowers in dishes for centuries.

The beautiful pink flowers, young seed pods and young buds of Eastern redbuds are all edible. They each have a mild, sweet flavor and a crisp texture.

How to Use Eastern redbud Tree Flowers

The flowers can be sprinkled into a salad, used as a garnish or even baked into cookies or cakes.

The young leaf and flower buds can also be added into a stir fry, salad, or even lightly sautéed with other greens as a vegetable side dish.

The long seed pods, when young and purple, can also be plucked from the tree. These make a brilliant addition to a stir fry, or when finely chopped, they can be added to dressings and dips.

Preparing Eastern Redbud Flowers

Pick the flowers early in the morning. Make sure you are not picking from an area that has been treated with chemicals.

Wash gently with cold water. Let drip dry.

Store in refrigerator until you plan to use.

The flowers will last in a storage container for a couple of days. So pretty!

For more cooking, gardening, beekeeping and easy home decor tips, subscribe to Garden Notes.

Charlotte

Chanterelle Mushrooms

locally-sourced chanterelle mushrooms after a rain. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

Chanterelle Mushrooms

We’ve had unusual prolonged rain this summer, making mushroom hunting a favorite, and productive sport. Friends shared their chanterelle finds after the only thing I brought back from a jaunt was a number of ticks.

It's worth noting that while chanterelles are generally safe to eat, it's essential to correctly identify them before eating, as some wild mushrooms can be toxic. If you're not experienced in mushroom foraging, it's safer to buy chanterelles from reputable sources or farmers' markets. Or hope you have friends willing to share.

History of Chanterelles

Chanterelle mushrooms have been used in culinary practices for centuries and hold cultural significance in various parts of the world. Chanterelles belong to the genus Cantharellus and are known for their distinctive trumpet-like shape, vibrant color, and delicious, earthy flavor.

Chanterelles have been part of traditional cuisines in Europe, Asia, and North America for a long time. They were gathered and consumed by indigenous peoples in various regions. In Europe, chanterelles have been documented in medieval manuscripts, and their use in culinary practices dates back centuries. In some cultures, they were considered a delicacy reserved for royalty or special occasions due to their unique taste and appearance.

Culinary Use

Chanterelles are highly prized for their flavor, which is often described as a mix of fruity, nutty, and peppery notes with a mild and delicate aroma. They have a meaty texture that can hold up well in cooking. Here's how you can use chanterelle mushrooms in cooking:

1. Cleaning: Start by gently brushing off any dirt or debris using a soft brush or cloth. Avoid washing them with water as they can absorb moisture and lose their texture and flavor.

2. Cooking Methods: Chanterelles are versatile and can be used in various cooking methods:

   • Sautéing: Sauté chanterelles in butter or oil until they're golden brown and slightly crispy. This method helps bring out their natural flavors.

   • Grilling: Larger chanterelles can be grilled for a smoky flavor. Brush them with oil or marinade before grilling.

   • Roasting: Roasting chanterelles with other vegetables can enhance their flavor and texture.

   • In sauces: Chanterelles can be used to create creamy sauces for pasta, risottos, and more.

   • Soups and stews: They can be added to soups, stews, and braises to impart their distinct flavor.

3. Pairing: Chanterelles pair well with various ingredients, such as garlic, onions, fresh herbs like thyme and parsley, cream, white wine, and mild cheeses. They can be used in dishes like pasta, risottos, omelets, and even as toppings for pizzas.

4. Preserving: If you have a surplus of chanterelles, you can preserve them by drying, freezing, or pickling. Drying helps intensify their flavor, while freezing helps retain their texture.

Remember that culinary preferences vary, so feel free to explore different methods and combinations to find what you enjoy most when cooking with chanterelle mushrooms.

And if you are and about sourcing your own, make sure you know how to accurately identify them growing in the woods!

For more cooking, gardening, beekeeping and easy home decor tips, subscribe to Garden Notes.

Charlotte

Gift Apples

Gift Apples

Never underestimate the gift of fresh fruit!

Recently a neighbor stopped by with this little basket of apples she had picked from a friend’s orchard. The apples were spicy and crisp, different than the local popular grocery store apples.

I was so intrigued with the flavor that I shared a couple of the apples with another two friends.

There was a time when we had hundreds of unique apple varieties instead of the main half dozen we find in produce sections today.

The idea of growing my own fruit, including apples, inspired me years ago to add apples to my Christmas tree. I just picked up another stash and have them keeping me company in baskets.

If you have extra produce, share it, it will be appreciated!

For more cooking, gardening, beekeeping and easy home decor tips, subscribe to Garden Notes.

Charlotte

Types of Honey

most states require honey to be labelled with type and where it was collected. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

Types of Honey

There are more than 300 different types of honey produced worldwide. They can be simply divided into monoflorals, which are honey from one type of flower, and multiflorals, honey from a variety of flowers.

When not sure, beekeepers are encouraged to label their honey as wildflower honey. Bees collect flower nectar from a 2 mile radius around their apiary. It takes 1.5 million flowers to produce enough nectar for one cup of honey, or 12 ounces. Honey in US is sold be weight.

The following are the most common types of honey:

• Clover honey: This is the most popular type of honey in the United States. It has a light, sweet flavor and is often used as a general-purpose honey.

• Wildflower honey: This honey is made from the nectar of a variety of wildflowers. It has a more complex flavor than clover honey and can range in color from light yellow to dark amber.

• Manuka honey: This honey is produced in New Zealand from the nectar of the manuka tree. It has a strong, slightly medicinal flavor and is known for its antibacterial properties.

• Tupelo honey: This honey is produced in the southeastern United States from the nectar of the tupelo gum tree. It has a mild, sweet flavor and a delicate, floral aroma.

• Buckwheat honey: This honey has a dark color and a strong, earthy flavor. It is often used in baking and cooking.

• Sage honey: This honey has a light color and a mild, sweet flavor with a hint of sage. It is often used in tea and salad dressings.

• Eucalyptus honey: This honey has a strong, minty flavor and a light amber color. It is often used for its medicinal properties, such as relieving coughs and colds.

The type of honey you choose will depend on your personal preferences and the use you have in mind for it.

If you are looking for a general-purpose honey, clover honey is a good option.

If you are looking for a honey with a stronger flavor, wildflower honey or manuka honey may be a better choice.

If you are looking for a honey with medicinal properties, eucalyptus honey or buckwheat honey may be a good option.

Prices for honey vary based on a number of factors. Time of year and how the beekeeper extracts are two considerations that impact price. In general, it is recommended that $1 per ounce is the going rate. Additional costs are added to cover the cost of jars, labels and consignment prices.

For more cooking, gardening, beekeeping and easy home decor tips, subscribe to Garden Notes.

Charlotte

Local Honey Facts

My first batch of hand extracted 2023 honey. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

Local Honey Facts

August is the informal beginning of the US Midwest honey season. Temperatures are hot enough to make honey extracting easy and most beekeepers prefer to get the extracting, and selling, done all at once. You bet it gets sticky!

If you haven’t tried honey:

Honey is twice as sweet as sugar.

One teaspoon of honey is 64 calories.

Honey is sold by weight. One pound of honey is equivalent to one cup and 12 fluid ounces. Honey weighs more than water.

One honey bee colony needs to store between 50-80 pounds of honey for winter use before storing additional honey for beekeeper use. It can take one colony collecting flower nectar for 2 years before a colony has extra honey to share.

One pound of honey is the nectar of 1.5 million flowers bees have dehydrated to 18%.

One pound of honey is the dehydrated nectar of 1.5 million flowers. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

There are a number of guides on how to cook with honey. The wife of a good friend just substitutes honey for whatever sweetener the recipe requires.

Honey has been established as an excellent treatment for cuts on both humans and animals.

More doctors are now suggesting local raw honey consumption to try to reduce allergies. Real honey includes flower pollen. Consuming the honey with pollen helps to develop a tolerance for the pollen exposure.

My doctor has also suggested honey in hot tea when I have a sore throat.

local honey is a great gift for people with allergies. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

Every honey frame has a collection of different nectar flavors and unless the colony is in a monoculture area, the honey in the frame may taste different from one area to the next.

Spring honey tends to be lighter than fall honey. Fall honey tends to be darker and contains more antioxidants.

Most beekeepers harvest all of the honey at once, mixing the different honey frames and loosing the uniqueness of the flower nectar collection. I harvest small honey batches by hand to better appreciate the different flower nectar flavor combinations.

Honey prices vary depending on how beekeepers extract, prices of jars and labels, consignment rates and scarcity.

Local honey from a beekeeper is most likely real honey. Some may mix corn syrup in to ensure a stable shelf life. If your honey crystalizes, that’s a sure sign it’s real honey.

One worker bee makes 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey in her 6 week-lifetime. Pretty amazing, isn’t it?

Charlotte

Crystalized Honey Still Good

My honey for sale at Pine Street Vintage Goods, 713 Pine Street, Rolla. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Crystalized Honey Still Good

Over the years, friends have asked if their murky honey has gone bad. Actually murky honey is not only good, honey that crystalizes is proof that it’s real honey.

Honey is flower nectar bees collect to dehydrate to 18% and cap for winter food. If the honey is stored in an area where temperatures fluctuate, it may crystalize or turn muddy or even get thicker. Creamed honey is basically honey exposed to cold temperatures for several days before it’s poured into jars.

If your honey gets too cloudy or thick for your taste, it’s easy to fix. Put the honey in a glass jar - don’t use plastic - in hot water you’ve removed from the stove. Within a few minutes the honey will re-liquify.

So if you have honey on a kitchen shelf and it never changes or crystalizes, look closely at the label. Chances are you have sugar water or adulterated honey, not real honey.

Charlotte

Delicious Tulips

Some of my Darwin tulips in bloom; deer missed finding this batch. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Delicious Tulips

Some of us hear, or have, the challenge of growing tulips without wildlife eating them but did you know tulips are edible by humans?

According to Bloomeffects.com, there is a Dutch tradition of eating tulip bulbs and petals that started during a famine in the last year of World War II.

December of 1944-45, a freezing winter fell over the Netherlands that would last multiple months. Unlike other countries such as France, German troops still occupied the Netherlands and enforced strict food rationing and restrictions on farming as a form of punishing the Dutch public for the government’s non-compliance. The combination created famine conditions that were known as the Hongerwinter (The Hunger Winter). 

The war had put a temporary stop to tulip farming but there was a stock pile of unplanted tulip bulbs. The Dutch government began selling bulbs in grocery stores and publishing recipes in local magazines in an effort to overcome the famine.

Recipes included drying and milling the bulbs to make a flour for bread, tulip soup, and boiled tulips. Even Belgian actress and Hollywood icon, Audrey Hepburn, whose family had moved to the Netherlands during WWII, recounted eating tulips to survive. 

Tulips are a member of the allium family like hyacinths and garlic. The bulbs have an onion-like flavor and the petals can taste like peas, cucumbers, or nothing depending on the tulip variety. 

1. Always make sure to use unsprayed bulbs.

2. Remove the bitter, yellow core of the bulb as it is poisonous.

3. Consult your doctor if you have any health concerns before consuming.

Many years ago a family member made a meal out of tulips. Today I prefer to just enjoy their beauty.

For more cooking, gardening, beekeeping and easy home decor tips, subscribe to Garden Notes.

Charlotte

Edible Eastern Redbuds

Freshly-picked Eastern Redbud flowers from my garden on a bed of lettuce. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Edible Eastern Redbuds

When people think of growing plants in a garden for cooking, most people think herbs, or at least that is what a garden visitor told me during a recent visit. And for the foragers, they’re after morel mushrooms. But there’s an ornamental tree in most of the US that has quite edible parts, the Eastern Redbud.

Eastern redbud tree flowers at the end of their blooming cycle. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Eastern redbud trees have been grown as ornamental trees since the 1600s although some may not realize several parts are edible. Native Americans have used the flowers in dishes for centuries.

The beautiful pink flowers, young seed pods and young buds of Eastern redbuds are all edible. They each have a mild, sweet flavor and a crisp texture.

How to Use Eastern redbud Tree Flowers

The flowers can be sprinkled into a salad, used as a garnish or even baked into cookies or cakes.

The young leaf and flower buds can also be added into a stir fry, salad, or even lightly sautéed with other greens as a vegetable side dish.

The long seed pods, when young and purple, can also be plucked from the tree. These make a brilliant addition to a stir fry, or when finely chopped, they can be added to dressings and dips.

Preparing Eastern Redbud Flowers

Pick the flowers early in the morning. Make sure you are not picking from an area that has been treated with chemicals.

Wash gently with cold water. Let drip dry.

Store in refrigerator until you plan to use.

The flowers will last in a storage container for a couple of days. So pretty!

Charlotte

When Pears Are Ripe

Bartlett Pears don’t ripen on the tree. One of the signs the pear is ready to eat is it turns yellow. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

When Pears Are Ripe

If you have your own Bartlett pear trees welcome to the club. My 35-year old plus semi-dwarf Bartlett Pear tree has a good supply of pears this fall. Unlike apples and some other fruits, pears ripen from the inside so it can be tricky to know when it’s time to pick them.

Over the years, friends with pears have shared four ways to determine the age of a pear:

• Size and shape. Should be that of a ripe pear.

• Color. Check every couple of days and when the color yellows slightly, it's ready to pick.

• Feel. A slight softening of the texture from very hard to firm at the top of the pear where the stem is located, and the bottom, indicates it is ready to be removed.

• Ease of picking. Pears should easily twist off when bent at a forty five degree angle to the stem.

Once removed from the tree, store pears in a cool spot until you want to eat them. Those you took into the kitchen can be stored in a basket with apples or bananas so the ethylene gas helps the pears to ripen.

Enjoy!

Charlotte

The Food "Dirty Dozen"

Strawberries once again lead the list of food “dirty dozen” so try planting your own. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The Food “Dirty Dozen”

For many years, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has released an annual list of fruits and vegetables the group calls the Dirty Dozen. EWG's yearly Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce is based on test data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The group identified, according to a news release, which fresh fruits and vegetables contain the most and the least amount of pesticide residue.

Among the findings, the EWG concluded:

• 70% of nonorganic fresh produce sold in the U.S. had pesticides.

• 20 different pesticides were found in a single sample of the three leafy greens in the No. 3 spot.

• 115 pesticides — the highest amount — were found on bell peppers.

“Whether organic or conventionally grown, fruits and vegetables are critical components of a healthy diet,” said EWG toxicologist Thomas Galligan in a news release. “We urge consumers who are concerned about their pesticide intake to consider, when possible, purchasing organically grown versions of the foods on EWG’s Dirty Dozen, or conventional produce from our Clean Fifteen.”

Although the list has its detractors, I use the list as a guide of what I should try to grow myself and buy local so I know how the food has been raised. With an estimated 10 million new gardeners this past year, there’s an opportunity to get healthier versions by growing our own and buying local.

EWG's 2021 list of most contaminated fruits and vegetables includes:

1. Strawberries

2. Spinach

3. Kale, collard and mustard greens

4. Nectarines

5. Apples

6. Grapes

7. Cherries

8. Peaches

9. Pears

10. Bell and hot peppers

11. Celery

12. Tomatoes

At the same time, EWG's Clean 15 include:

1. Avocados

2. Sweet corn*

3. Pineapple

4. Onions

5. Papaya*

6. Sweet peas (frozen)

7. Eggplant

8. Asparagus

9. Broccoli

10. Cabbage

11. Kiwi

12. Cauliflower

13. Mushrooms

14. Honeydew melon

15. Cantaloupe

Only one in 10 Americans eat enough fruits and vegetables daily, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC recommends that adults eat 1½-2 cups of fruit and 2-3 cups of vegetables per day. 

Alexis Temkin, Ph.D., EWG toxicologist, says the group advises that eating a diet that is high in fruit and vegetables, organic or conventional and including frozen and canned, should be a priority.

"There is increasing evidence that low dose chronic exposure to mixture of pesticides may have adverse effects on human health, particularly during sensitive windows of development like pregnancy and childhood," Temkin said.

EWG said it is aware that access and being able to afford organic is not always an option. That is why, they said, the group created its "Clean 15" shoppers guide.

While the EWG's list is based on USDA data, most pesticide residues detected fall within established government levels.

Well, a girl can have garden dreams, can’t she?

Charlotte

Cherokee Purple Tomatoes

My first Cherokee Purple tomato, beautiful and delicious right off the plant. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Cherokee Purple Heirloom Tomatoes

Of all of my favorite tomatoes, Cherokee Purple Heirloom Tomatoes are now on top of the list.

These dark red tomatoes are not only beautiful but delicious, a nice combination of sweet and savory.

A friend gave me some starts many years ago but they didn’t make it so I decided to try them again this year. An indeterminate variety, Cherokee Purple Tomatoes will keep growing and blooming until a hard frost kills them off. In warmer parts of the country, Cherokee Purple Tomatoes will keep growing through our four seasons. If i had room to bring them inside over winter, they would continue to grow and produce, something I have done with other favorite indeterminate tomato plants over the years.

According to National Public Radio, a retired chemist from Raleigh, North Carolina gets the credit for introducing recent North America residents to this tomato. Craig LeHoullier has one of the largest personal tomato collections in the country. In his small yard at his home in the Raleigh suburbs, he can grow only 200 plants, so each year he must pore over the collection to decide what makes the cut.

Cherokee Purple Tomatoes are now readily available for spring planting. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

An avid gardener for much of his life, LeHoullier joined the Seed Savers Exchange in 1986 and began connecting with other gardeners and seed savers. One day in 1990, a packet of tomato seeds arrived in LeHoullier's mail with a note. The sender was John Green of Sevierville, Tenn., who wrote that the seeds came from very good tomatoes he'd gotten from a woman who received them from her neighbors. The neighbors said that the varietal had been in their family for 100 years, and that the seeds were originally received from Cherokee Indians.

No one has been able to confirm the story but the Smithsonian Institute said it’s possible the seeds were indeed from the Tennessee Valley where the Cherokee lived more than 100 years ago.

Charlotte

Winter Reading

The start of my winter reading stack has a decided theme - herbs. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Winter Reading

It’s still summer as far as the temperature is concerned. However fall is around the corner on the calendar which means it’s time for me to start my winter reading pile.

Ever since I can remember, I save a stash of books for reading during snowy cold winter days. Some are picked up at garage and library sales, others are gifts that require quality time to fully appreciate.

I started this year’s pile this spring after finding a couple of wonderful herb books. Since I have abolished that four letter word from my vocabulary, weed, I increasingly find that I have a treasure trove of herbs already established and growing in my Missouri limestone garden.

Although I can now identify many of them, I would like to know what I can do with them including cooking. Some of these books also have detailed information about these herbs - their background, their medicinal use and, in one case, their use around the home.

One of my brothers cautioned me on the medicinal part. I don’t plan to use the remedies. Just as I enjoy reading recipe books in winter but not necessarily making the dish, I will read about their background to better inform myself.

Usually my pile has a variety of books. This ongoing herb theme developed all by itself.

Do you save books to read in winter?

Charlotte

Impossible Hamburger

This fast food chain is now carrying an impossible meat product in Rolla, Mo. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Impossible Hamburger

When one thinks of American cooking, the hamburger is at the top of the list of quintessential American cuisine. With our rapidly changing climate and demand to ranch less cows and find a protein alternative for our ever expanding world population, enter the “impossible food.”

Interesting name for a food creation that has little relation to the beef-based burger. And the food it is designed to replace has its own issues.

Americans consume about 5 billion hamburgers a year. It is presumed that most fast food hamburgers are composed primarily of meat but that’s not the case. In a study of 8 fast food hamburger brands, water content by weight ranged from 37.7% to 62.4% (mean, 49%). Meat content in the hamburgers ranged from 2.1% to 14.8% (median, 12.1%). In other words, about 10% of fast food hamburgers are actually beef.

What do you think, does this look like a beef hamburger? (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

By comparison, the Impossible Foods' website notes the five main ingredients of an Impossible Burger 2.0 are: Water. Soy-protein concentrate and coconut oil, all plant-based materials. The combination includes wheat, coconut oil, potato protein, soy protein isolate, and a little known molecule known as heme, which is how the burger is able to simulate the meaty original. Heme is responsible for our blood carrying oxygen, and which gives it its red coloration.
Impossible "meat" also contains 2% or less of:

• Methylcellulose.

• Yeast extract.

• Cultured dextrose.

• Food starch, modified.

• Soy leghemoglobin.

• Salt.

  Now I don’t eat much red meat, maybe twice a year. I also realize the jury is still out in terms of whether this product is healthy. It’s best to eat real food in moderation and, like anything else, not to make a habit of making this part of our regular diet.

  But let’s get to how does it look and taste?

  I tried a Burger King “Impossible Whopper” which cost $6.40 late August 2019. It looked like what I remember a fast food hamburger looks like. It also tasted like a grilled hamburger to me, especially the grilling flavor.

  They did not have it in a smaller size but once that is available, if you are wanting another non-beef option, this may be worth a try.

  Charlotte

First Thanksgiving Pumpkin

Cushaws are often used where I live for decoration. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

First Thanksgiving Pumpkin

I was on a quest of sorts. By the time I had checked favorite recipe books, I was convinced Cushaw’s deserved their reputation for being a Southern cook’s best kept secret.

While pawing through the piles of squash usually available in fall where I live, I knew this green-striped winter squash as the gooseneck squash. I used to think it was only ornamental, a lovely pop of green amid the yellows, oranges and white locally-grown squash varieties.

Then a friend gave me one and I started to research. 

This striped beauty goes by many common names, including Tennessee Sweet Potato Squash and Japanese Pumpkin. Depending on where you live, you might also hear it referred to as a Kershaw Squash or the Juirdmon. Botanically, the Cushaw is known as Cucurbita argyrosperma.

It is very closely related to the Zucchini, Yellow Summer Squash and a closer relative to the Acorn squash and Pumpkin. The Cushaw fruit is basically a gourd and it is the most likely candidate for being the original North American Thanksgiving pumpkin.

It has long roots in North America. Horticultural historians estimate the cushaw has been grown in this part of the world since 7,000 B.C.

Several native tribes in the modern US Southwest have cultivated the fruit for thousands of years because of its tolerance to hot and dry growing conditions and resistance to pests and disease. Not only is the flesh tasty, the seeds contain a high amount of oil compared with other Cucurbita varieties. 

Cushaw pie made with the traditional pumpkin recipe. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I was hooked at the thought of finding the original Thanksgiving pumpkin but this vegetable has many lives. The person who shared one with me cooks it into an applesauce-like breakfast food. Cooks in Tennessee still make Cushaw Butter, while their neighbors in Appalachia commonly use Cushaws (instead of orange pumpkin) in their holiday pies. So do the Cajuns and Creoles in Louisiana. 

Cushaw fruits average 10 to 20 pounds, grow to be 12 to 18 inches long, and are roughly 10 inches in diameter at the bowl. The skin is whitish-green with mottled green stripes.

The flesh is light-yellow; it is mild and slightly sweet in flavor; meaty in texture and fibrous. It is sometimes called cushaw pumpkin and is often substituted for the standard, orange, jack-o-lantern pumpkin in pie-making. The cushaw has a green summer squash flavor and scent to it. It has a smoky-ness in taste and is moist without being wet. It is used for both savory and sweet dishes and is great for northern climates because it provides vitamin C for the winter. It also stores very well.

Though most pumpkin varieties are high in Vitamin E, fiber and a dozen other healthy minerals, the Cushaw has a distinction — it also tastes wonderful on its own.  Roasted like Spaghetti Squash, the Cushaw offers up a slight nutty sweetness.

In some Native cultures, the seeds are toasted for snacks or made into sauces and moles. The flowers are stuffed and/or fried. 

Sometimes the fruit flesh is used for livestock feed.

More recipes that can be altered are available in the American Encyclopedia of Cooking.

Charlotte

Missouri Rice

Giveaways from Missouri Governor's 2016 Agriculture conference at Lake Ozarks.

Missouri Rice

We grew up eating a lot of recipes with rice in South America but I didn’t expect rice to be an important Missouri crop.

According to Missouri’s 2016 Agriculture Economic Impact Report, rice is the 6th largest Missouri grown agricultural crop, almost as much of an accident as how rice came to North America.

it began in 1885, when a storm-battered ship, sailing from Madagascar, limped into the Charles Towne, South Carolina harbor. Town citizens helped to repair the ship. To repay their kindness, the ship’s captain made a gift of a small quantity of “Golden Seed Rice.”

That’s the story Missouri’s Rice Council likes to tell. The council is a lobbying group for Missouri rice farmers and a charter member of the U S Rice Producers Association, an association representing rice farmers in Missouri, Mississippi, Texas, Arkansas, California and Louisiana.

Long grain rice has been grown in Missouri for almost a hundred years. The first rice field in was located west of Dexter. In 2015, 212,000 acres of rice was grown in the southeast Missouri counties. This part of Missouri provides more than 780 million pounds of rice valued at $160 million dollars. According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service and the Missouri Department of Agriculture, Missouri is ranked 4th in rice acres harvested among the top ten states.

Missouri’s Crop Resource Guide notes rice yields have increased over 62 pounds per acre per year. At the same time, the pounds of fertilizer used to produce that rice has decreased.

“This double efficiency of increasing yields and decreasing input simultaneously sustains profits and environmental quality.”

I still think the Missouri Rice Council's slogan is very funny. Don't you?

Charlotte

Popcorn Snacks

Yellow popcorn popped on stove top in oil, bagged for later snacking.

Popcorn Snacks

I tend to joke when I am going to watch something that I should pack the popcorn. Now that I am watching my calories to loose weight, I was curious about how many calories one cup of popped popcorn in vegetable oil has.

The answer is 60 calories. To burn these calories off, I would need to walk for 14 minutes. No point in looking at jogging, only 5 minutes to burn these off but bad knees put running out of the question. Walking is the best, sustainable for a lifetime so I will stick to taking my breaks wandering through my garden after I have my little popcorn snack.

If this were air-popped, the one cup would be 35 calories.

I don't add anything to my popped popcorn - no butter, caramel or other additives. I do sprinkle a shake of salt, then toss thoroughly.

What I like about bagging the popcorn for later is that I can measure out the popcorn and make my own snack bags. If sealed, the popped popcorn will last for several days and come in handy when I need a little something savory without having to make something elaborate or browse for a recipe that hits the spot.

Which reminds me, I have been wanting to read this 1966 Weight Watchers book by the founder of the weight loss program. Wonder if popcorn was part of their original treats.

I used to toss out my extra popcorn for my birds, only the next morning, almost before sunrise, it would all be gone so I'm not quite sure who exactly was eating it. This way, I can make some snacks and not encourage wildlife to be comfortable hanging around my front door.

Yes, it's the simple things in life. Pass the popcorn, please.

Charlotte

Parsley Power

I enjoy adding fresh parsley to my dishes, this is what remains from my little fresh parsley.

Parsley Power

Whenever I can, I include fresh parsley in my herb garden, among my potted plants and in my hanging baskets inside.

Parsley may be considered a nuisance, or purely decorative, by some but it's actually full of antioxidants, nutrients and is practical, it is a natural breath freshener. Have you ever munched on a sprig?

The two most popular types of parsley are curly parsley and Italian flat leaf parsley. The Italian variety has a more fragrant and less bitter taste than the curly variety. 

Parsley is referred to as the most popular herb in the world. 

Parsley is native to the Mediterranean region of Southern Europe. While it has been cultivated for more than 2,000 years, parsley was used medicinally prior to being consumed as a food.

Ancient Greeks held parsley to be sacred, using it to not only adorn victors of athletic contests, but also for decorating the tombs of the deceased.

The practice of using parsley as a garnish actually has a long history that can be traced back to ancient Romans.

If I have to pick only one herb to have, I start with parsley. Who honestly would only have one fresh herb??

Charlotte

Purslane Power

Volunteer purslane growing in one of my deck pots in my potted vegetable garden.

Purslane Power

Poor purslane, relegated to a "weed" and other names in a derogatory expression. No one could have missed the mark more!

Purslane contains more omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid i than any other leafy vegetable plant. Although considered a weed in the US, it is much more appreciated in other parts of the world. The stems, leaves and flower buds are all edible.

Purslane may be used fresh as a salad, stir-fried, or cooked as spinach is, and because of its mucilaginous quality it also is suitable for soups and stews. The sour taste is due to oxalic and malic acid, the latter of which is produced through the crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) pathway that is seen in many plants living in dry conditions. Best time to harvest is early morning.

Greeks use the leaves and the stems with feta cheese, tomato, onion, garlic, oregano and olive oil. They add it in salads, boil it, or add it to casseroled chicken.

In Turkey, besides being used in salads and in baked pastries, it is cooked as a vegetable similar to spinach. 

Good Companion Plant

As a companion plant, purslane provides ground cover to create a humid microclimate for nearby plants, stabilizing ground moisture. Its deep roots bring up moisture and nutrients that those plants can use, and some, including corn, will follow purslane roots down through harder soil that they cannot penetrate on their own.

When in bloom, I sometimes find butterflies visiting their tiny flowers.

It is considered a weed but a beneficial one where its not specifically grown for a crop. In my potted garden, purslane volunteers on its own so I just watch for the telltale signs of their fleshy leaves.

Pass the purslane, please!

Charlotte

Orange Strawberry Heirloom Tomatoes

Orange strawberry heirloom tomatoes from Meusch Farms, Rolla Farmer's Market.

Orange Strawberry Heirloom Tomatoes

I found these at our local farmer's market, heirloom tomatoes that are orange when ripe shaped like strawberries.

Our family likes - well, anything strawberry so finding a favorite vegetable with a strawberry hint was bound to end up in my shopping bag.

This tomato reminded me of some of the less common recipe ingredients one sometimes finds in old recipe books. 

Eric Meusch, Meusch Farms, said this was an heirloom variety from Baker Seeds. He grew them because they have a lot less seeds and an interesting flavor, which they do. Eating one is more like eating a peach than a tomato.

I was going to use these in salads but they never made it to the bowl, so much easier to eat them like an apple.

Have you tried an orange strawberry heirloom tomato?

Charlotte

Delicious Daylilies

Orange daylilies in bloom June 2016 along one of the Bluebird Gardens paths. 

Missouri's Orange "Ditch" Lilies

Missouri’s orange "ditch" daylilies were once a staple of European gardens, every part of the plant edible.  I was intrigued to find that our European North American settlers carefully packed these lilies in their first shipments to their new world home, along with bee hives, in 1622.

Not having been raised to disdain these flowers, I have gladly welcomed discards over the past decades. I now have orange day lilies lining rock-filled garden paths, popping up behind shrubs and adding spots of color in mixed borders.

When my house was first built in 1982, I used these lilies for soil control and color where nothing else would grow. Today leaf drop decomposition has created soil and now every year I have new surprising spots of orange day lilies. A bit backwards, I agree, but then I had daffodils planted in my garden before we broke ground on the house.

All Plant Parts Edible

Orange day lilies are completely edible from root to flower. Flowers are rich in protein and can be eaten in bud or full flower.

Hemerocollis fulva are native to Asia.  Chinese cooking uses them in such dishes as moo shu pork and hot and sour soup.

They grow well in both sun and part shade USDA hardiness zones 5-10.

Although the flowers only bloom for a day, they are prodigious bud developers and will bloom continuously for several weeks. No riding lawn mowers, either. A friend’s husband inadvertently mowed over one of her orange day lily flower beds last year and they came back looking totally unscathed. I suppose that could be a bit scary.

Charlotte