Strawberry Cashew Shake- So yum!

Judging by past photos of our garden, spring was indeed early this year in the Pacific Northwest.  This is both a good and a bad thing, in my opinion.  Good because spring is fun and I love watching things bloom and grow and burst into life.  Bad because weeds are also doing this.

I spent a couple hours weeding in the strawberry patch and "orchard" today, in between rain showers.  While I was out there, I collected our first good strawberry harvest of the year.  I'm glad we decided on getting varieties that fruit at different times, so we can have a prolonged strawberry season!

I thought I would share a really simple recipe for a drink I've been having a lot lately, usually with frozen strawberries.  Tonight's strawberry shake was a treat because I made it with fresh-from-the-garden strawberries.  The cashews have a substantial presence, without making the shake too rich.  Yum yum yum.

You should really try this and get your yum on.

Strawberry Cashew Shake

This will make one large shake or two medium-sized shakes.

Ingredients:

4 good-sized strawberries*
1/4 cup raw cashew pieces
2 cups non-dairy milk of your choosing (I usually use rice)
3 dates, pitted
Agave, optional (if you want added sweetness)

Method:

Blend all the ingredients in a blender until smooth!

*If you use frozen strawberries, as I usually do, the shake will be a little thicker.

Today's Blooms

It's happening now that several times a day I find myself outside, inspecting the progress of the members of my garden.  I snapped these photos this morning.

My beautiful and fragrant Lindera benzoin is budding.  This winter, we moved it from a too-sunny spot in the front garden to a shadier spot in the back.  I love this plant so much.  It's actually a Northeast U.S. native, but I justified the purchase by the fact that the dried berries can be used in the place of black pepper.  The leaves can also be used as a tea (they're so unbelievably fragrant!) and the bark has medicinal qualities.

My favorite plant in the garden.

We bought this Rhododendron from a neighbor who propagates several plants.

Non-native, garden variety rhodie.

The Berberis aquifolium we planted in the past couple of years are blooming for the first time.

The Berberis flowers have a light, buttery fragrance that I really enjoy, and so do the bees!

We now have probably a dozen or so native flowering currants in our garden.  The flowers vary from white, to light pink (seen below), to a more vibrant pink.  I love the fragrance of these guys.

The fragrance is not too sweet or 'floral', but is more clean and earthy.

Emerson's fig tree has 20+ figs already!

And the last of our three plum trees has FINALLY blossomed.

Hopefully there will be enough cross-pollination.

Andy accompanies me on my garden inspections.

I'm excited to announce that our weeping Santa Rosa Plum, which Matt and I planted in the fall of 2010, began weeping this past year AND this spring finally has blossoms!!  It's covered in them!  I hope this means it will be covered in fruit!

We almost gave up on you, you late bloomer!

Ribes sanguineum, red and white varieties.

This one has more vibrant flowers.

Dirt Cheap Cold Frame

Our vegetable beds look a little sorry.  Matt and I have been sowing them during the last few weekends, but have been leaving the greens alone until they've bolted.  Right now they're super yummy.

Silly-looking leaning greens.

I have to give a shout-out to my bud, Kittee, for this cold frame idea.  I chose to use this particular raised bed because this area is not being sown right now (actually it's for the tomatoes, which I just started in the cold frame.)  I nestled the starter pots in the soil for extra warmth and room to grow upwards, seeded them, and placed the window on top.  Not a bad cold frame for a $2 old window from the Rebuilding Center.

Grow little bebehs, grow.

I'm kind of over starting seeds indoors.  I don't like having to deal with leggy plants, losing dining room table space, nor doggles that like to knock everything over.  Hopefully this method works. I'll letchya know.

Isa's Smoky Tomato Lentil Soup

Our collards and kale have been excellent lately, so we've been enjoying them in a myriad of ways.  Last night I made Isa's Smoky Tomato Lentil Soup, but subbed ribboned collards for the spinach.

Enough left over for multiple lunches!

The soup is as you would imagine: smokey, full of good flavor, and hearty.  Just the thing for this almost-spring weather.  And for me, this meant throwing together a meal, rather quickly, with ingredients I had on hand.  I recommend making a batch for yourself!

Spring is coming! Spring is coming!

It's true!  The birds have been telling me and so have the flowers.  Take a look at what I have blooming already in the garden.

Indian plum is the first plant to leaf out and bloom in our garden.

Oemleria cerasiformis is native to the Pacific Northwest and will grow to be 5-16 feet tall. Important  as a source of food and medicine to Native Americans in this region, the Indian plum has a small edible fruit that birds, rodents, deer, bear, foxes, and coyotes also relish according to Rainyside Gardeners.   I doubt we'll see those larger mammals in our little urban garden.  We will, however see hummingbirds and bees hovering around the blooms of our two Indian plums.  I plan on taking a flower of each to work tomorrow to have our Taxonomist sex them.  If we don't have a male and female, no fruit!

The flowers will soon emerge on this and the other dozen or so rfcs we have in the garden.

Ribes sanguineum, or Red flowering currant, is a gorgeous native plant, which we have planted in abundance throughout our garden.  Soon, to the delight of hummingbirds and pollinators, these plants will be covered in pink blooms.  Rfcs are especially fast-growing, which makes them all the more exciting.  The fruit is also edible, but not too tasty to humans.

White flowering currant

Ribes sanguineum 'Alba' is a white variety of flowering currant.  Matt and I just purchased two from Echo Valley Natives in Oregon City, which we installed along the foundation in the front of the house.  I look forward to the cascading white blooms covering the shrubs as they mature to their 13 ft height.

How many fruit will you produce this year?

One of our non-native plum trees has begun blooming.  Hopefully it will save some of those blossoms for pollination with the other two plum trees.

While I was busy snapping photos of the blooms around the garden, these two were stealing collard leaves.

Matt and I are getting our vegetable beds in order.  For now we have some delicious kale and collards that are probably the tastiest they've been in a while.  Doggle approved.

Vegan MoFo: Fig and Ginger Jam and Cream Cheeze

I told ya all about my Fig and Ginger Jam yesterday, right?  Well, while I was busy at work making the jam, Julian was working on the cream cheese recipe by Miyoko Schinner in the recent Cheese Issue of VegNews.  Each of these things are wonderful standalone toppings, but when spread together on a baguette, they become pure magic!

Don't believe me?  Try it for yourself.  Sooooooo goooooooood.

The jam, as you can imagine, has a nice ginger flavor that isn't too over-powering.  You get extra jolts of gingery goodness when you get a chunk of the crystallized ginger, as you can see here.  I realized after taking this photo that strangely, there weren't any fig chunks in this plop of jam. The creamy, slight smokiness of the cream cheese adds a richness to this snack.  Seriously, this is good stuff.

VeganMoFo: When life gives you figs...

You know, I'm not sure why the phrase "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade" exists.  They're not just some sour, single-use ingredient.  I put them in everything.  Enough about lemons, though.  Today we're talking about figs, and more importantly, fig jam!

Our neighbor has a 20+ ft tall green fig tree in her yard, which happens to have sent a bunch of branches over our way.  We're not complaining and neither are the dogs, who immediately zoom to the spot below the fig tree when they're let out.

Yesterday I set out with my ladder and my biggest colander (which I had to empty three times) to collect roughly 170 figs (and I left a ton on the tree).  Remember, this amount was only from the branches that have grown over from our neighbor's yard since Feb 2011 when we put up the fence!  Basically, I got a lot of figs.

This photo is deceptive.  This bowl is HUGE.  I ended up only using half of these.

Then I made Super Scrumptious Fig and Crystallized Ginger Jam 

I am not a canning expert, so I mostly just followed the directions that came with my pectin box.

Here's what I did:

Ingredients:

24 cups quartered figs (will turn into roughly 12 cups when cooked)

1/2 cup water

Juice and zest of one lemon (~1/4 cup juice)

1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger

6 cups sugar (can you believe this is the "reduced sugar" recipe?)

A full box of Pomona's Universal Pectin (follow the directions on the pectin box you choose)

1. I sterilized several jars (although not enough, so I ended up making a few jars to keep in the fridge) and their lids.  As they were sterilizing I began chopping figs and preparing the rest of the jam.

Sterilizing the jars at 350* F for 20 minutes.

2. I quartered figs until I had 24 cups of fruit, which was all that would fit in my biggest soup pot.  I placed them in the pot along with the water, lemon juice, lemon zest, and that calcium water made from a packet that came with my pectin (yours may differ).  I cooked this over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the volume decreased by half and the figs were pretty soft- about 10 minutes or so.

24 cups of quartered figs!

3. I mixed the pectin powder (your directions may differ) with the sugar, then added the mixture to the figs, stirring continuously for 1-2 minutes.  Then I brought the mixture to a boil and removed it from heat. 

4. I filled my jars, leaving 1/4" of space on time, wiped the rims clean, screwed on the dried lids, and tightened the lids until my wrists hurt.  I gave them a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

That's it!

15 jars of varying sizes

Oh we did some very yummy things with the jam last night.  More on that tomorrow!  For now, some more dog and fig photos!

Emerson Fig Lover, has become quite adept at standing on his back legs to position himself directly under a particular fig.  He'll even stay outside in the rain, something he ordinarily avoids.

Getting Emerson to look at the camera has never been easier.  A fig was the answer.

Andy, Jungle Beast.

Vegan MoFo: A Quick Weeknight Meal

Quick!  Dinner time is approaching and you haven't planned a meal for your family.  What should you make?  Last night I faced this very dilemma (as I do multiple times a week) and made something that all four of us proclaimed 'downright tasty'!

And so a creamy (and healthful) pasta dish made its way out of the kitchen and into the tummies of our household.

Remember that delicata squash I received in my CSA this week?

Well, I cubed it and set it steaming for a few minutes while I started on the the rest of the meal.  I based a sauce off of the cheeze sauce in Vegan Diner, working with what I had on hand, adding some silken tofu that was open in the fridge and the delicata squash.  The squash added an even creamier texture to the sauce, packed in some nutrients, and added a greater depth of flavor.  Try it!  (I wouldn't recommend summer squash, though.  I wouldn't recommend summer squash in general- blech!)

I boiled some pasta, throwing in collard ribbons during the last minute of cook time.   Then I tossed the pasta and sauce together, topped the dish with more sauce, then a pile of collard ribbons, and finally some chopped tomatoes from a friend's garden.

Crappy night-time photo.  C'est la vie.

Voila!  A quick, tasty, and healthful weeknight meal, featuring collards from our garden!

A laundromat in the garden

I don't think there are many that claim washing laundry is fun, but when you can go outside on a breezy, sunny day and hang your clean linens and clothes to dry in your garden, well- that's pretty nice.  Plus it saves money and makes for a happier planet, so you can feel pretty good about yourself too.

The Methley plum and bed sheet make friends.

I decided to install a 40-foot retractable clothesline along my plum orchard and I have to say, it has motivated me to wash laundry more frequently instead of letting it pile up until the hamper is overflowing.

Not in focus, you can see the clothesline attached to the soon-to-be office.

I recommend this type of clothesline, especially for urban spaces.  It's easy to install and definitely easy to set up/retract upon each use.   I also have a stretchable clothesline (similar to this one) with hooks on the end that I string between two posts on the deck when I'm motivated to wash a few loads in an afternoon.

Mr. Dufresne finds soothing the swaying of linens on the clothesline.

Bonus plum shot.  This is our staggering Methley plum harvest.  I don't think the tree liked being transplanted this spring.  We have several more plums coming in on the Brooks plum tree.  And absolutely none on the weeping Santa Rosa plum for the second season since we planted it.

Garden Quinoa Salad

A hearty salad to eat in the garden!

A few weeks ago I stopped by the home of my friend Kittee (of Cake Maker to the Stars), where my hungry tummy was generously fed a delightful bowl of quinoa salad.  Quinoa salads are so easy and healthful.  I asked myself, "Why don't I make these more often?"  So later that day I did just that.

Here's what my quinoa salad contained:
quinoa, cooked
walnuts, chopped
canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
an apple, chopped
dried and sweetened cranberries
the zest and juice of a lime (or two)
fresh-from-the-garden mint, chopped
onion stems, chopped (also from the garden)
cilantro, chopped
chipotle olive oil
salt and pepper

I topped it with garden collards, chopped and sauteed with tamari, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and red pepper flakes.

It was really good! What are you waiting for?  Go make a quinoa salad!

A growing garden= lots of changes

It's true.  It seems each time I step outside, something is noticeably different, whether it's plums, apples, or pears growing larger, something new blooming, or, as is often the case in our garden, a completely new plant (or two or twelve)!

Matt and I took advantage of a "20% off native plants" coupon this past weekend and purchased an oval-leaved viburnum, six checkermallows, one Washington lily, and a gooseberry.

I love the dense shrubby habit of viburnums. Viburnum ellipticum is deciduous with leaves that turn red in the fall.  Its white flowers appear in the late spring.  You can bet I'll be keeping my eye out for them.

Viburnum ellipticum

These Sidalcea hendersonii will likely end up in the front rain garden this weekend.  Their happy pink flowers are really something great.  I would love it if they spread throughout the rain garden and created a sea of pink.

The lily is hidden among the soon-to-bloom checkermallows.

A native with edible berries, Ribes divaricatum will grow six feet tall, and is sure to be a hit with birds.  We planted it along with the other, nonnative gooseberries, around the back rain garden.

Andy inspects the new gooseberry.

Other recent additions to our garden include a Brown Turkey fig tree (a gift from my dad and his girlfriend) and a Meyer lemon tree.

Emerson will be so excited when he gets to eat more figs.

Concerned our Meyer lemon might be lonely, we brought home a friend for him.  My plan is to buy two nice ceramic pots and flank the steps on the deck with the two trees in warm weather.  During the winter, we'll need to bring the citrus indoors.

The vegetable garden continues to grow really well, despite Andy trying to sneak tastes of everything.  The greens have been loving this cool, wet spring.

While the garden changes everyday, there are some things that never change: the doggles still enjoy their sun bathing on the deck.

Bloomin' Garden

Our first flowers of spring have appeared.  Everyday I like walking through the garden, taking a look at the progress made by our plants.  I snapped these photos yesterday.

Clockwise from top left:
1. Chocolate rhododendron: This is perhaps the only rhodie flower/foliage combination I like.  Matt and I picked this up from a neighbor who was having a plant sale.  Matt loves rhododendrons.  I prefer them without flowers.  I know, I'm strange.  (Update: It's possible this is not a chocolate rhododendron.  We got two rhodies from our neighbor, but I don't know which is which!)
2. Oregon grape: A native.  I know this is not a picture of the flower, but look at that color!
3. One of our plum trees: I'm hoping the other two are going to bloom soon.  Otherwise, no plums.
4. Red Flowering Currant: Another lovely native.  I can't wait until  our red flowering currants are mature.  I've spotted a few around town and they're spectacular this time of year.
5. Our neighbors' evergreen clematis

What do you have blooming in your garden now?

A garden pest

Ack!  I have a horrible, kale-munching, collards-crunching pest in my vegetable garden. 

Please don't judge the horrible, neglected condition of my veggie garden!

Sure, he looks like an innocent grass-muncher in this photo, but you can be sure Andy jumped the fence to chew on some greens as soon as my back was turned.  A perimeter reinforcement is in order before our new veggie babes get tucked into their beds.

Creamy Collards Soup and Greening Your Winter Windowsill

Although the climate in Portland suites me perfectly, it seems everyone else has complaints about the grey and drizzly winters, longing for the dry, sunny summers.  I love it all.  Just as each season is on its way out, I welcome the next.  Winter is not too cold, calm, and comforting.  Spring is still cool and provides the excitement of seeing new buds and flowers.  Summer is warm (luckily, on too-hot days I can retreat to the basement to sleep) and sunny and colorful, but can also be exhausting.  Fall is relaxing and allows me to use the oven again.

It's still winter here and right now, we're not growing much in our vegetable garden except for some greens and herbs.  I'm happy to have year-round collards, because, among other dishes, I'm able to make Creamy Collards Soup.  This recipe, found below, was one I posted during VeganMoFo 2011.

If you don't have a winter garden, or any garden space at all, I have a solution to winter blues you may be experiencing.  The first item is something I started doing when I lived in a Philly apartment that was lacking in the natural light department.  It's not a novel idea, but it's a fun way to have a little "garden" on your windowsill.

Idea One: Sprouting!
All you need is a clean jar with lid and a small handful of sprouting seeds.  I've had success with dried mung beans, lentils, alfalfa, etc.

Here "salad mix" seeds have sprouted.

Method:
Day 1: Place a tablespoon or so of seeds in the jar and cover with water to soak overnight.
Day 2: Drain water by placing lid loosely over the jar and turning upright, removing as much water as possible.  Replace lid and set on a windowsill.
Day 3-7 (or longer): At least once a day,  rinse and drain the seeds/sprouts, until they're ready to be eaten!

If you want to make your job easier, you can get a small section of screening, place it over the mouth of the jar with a rubber band, instead of dealing with the lid.  Alternatively, you can get an actual sprouting jar, equipped with a fancy lid-with-screen.

Idea Two: Continuously grow your own green onions

I learned about this idea on Pinterest.  And thought "of course!"  Simply purchase a bunch of green onions at your grocery store.  After use, save the bulbs and roots, stick the roots in water, and watch the green grow back!  Empty and refill the water once per day.


Creamy Collards Soup
makes two generous bowls of soup

Ingredients:
1 large yellow potato, peeled and cubed
1 small bundle of collards, stems discarded, and chopped
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 carrot, shredded
1/2 small onion, diced
1 sprig parsley, chopped
1 clove garlic, smashed
4ish cups vegetable broth (I just used "Better Than" bouillon and added water until the right consistency was achieved)
salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce to drizzle on top

Method:
1. Boil the potato in water until soft (about 8-10 min).  Meanwhile, steam collards (about 5-6 minutes) until bitterness is gone and collards are soft.  Reserve about 1 cup of the potato cooking water, draining the rest.  Cool.

2. While potato and collards cool, saute the carrot, onion, parsley, and garlic in olive oil for 5-7 minutes.  Add vegetable broth.  Add half the cooked potato.

3. Blend the other half of the potato and the collards in 1 cup of the potato cooking water until smooth.  Add to the vegetable broth mixture and stir until the contents are well combined.*

4. Serve hot with a swirl of hot sauce and nice piece of sourdough and a salad.

*If you have a high-powered blender (like a Vitamix) you may need to spoon foam off the top of the soup.