Arwyn's garlic

This is Creole, a purple stripe hard neck variety of garlic grown by my pal Arwyn out in Sooke. It's so gorgeous hanging on my kitchen wall I (almost!) don't want to eat it. It will be saved for very special treats like bruschetta made with tomatoes and basil from the garden, aioli sauce, or just baked and spread on good bread. We can't grow garlic in our garden for the time being, as our soil has a fungal disease - we're trying this: growing brassicas and then tilling them under. Apparently, the chemicals released in their decomposition are toxic to the fungus. Meanwhile, getting good, gorgeous garlic grown out in Sooke is the next best thing to home grown. Yum! and thanks, Arwyn!

Raspberry Summer

Luscious raspberries grow like jewels dangling amongst the lime-green foliage. Summer is here when the raspberries are ready~the variety we grow doesn't keep well, so if not eating within a day of picking, or used in baking, they are frozen. This raspberry vinaigrette is good on a nutty or fruity salad: Toss a handful of cranberries, pine nuts or walnuts on your salad along with raspberry vinaigrette for a sweet treat.

• 1/2 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preparation:

Add all ingredients, except oil to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Slowly add oil until well combined.

Luscious raspberries are also exceptionally good for you: this from Wikipedia: Raspberries contain significant amounts of polyphenol antioxidants such as anthocyanin pigments linked to potential health protection against several human diseases.^[6] The aggregate fruit structure contributes to its nutritional value, as it increases the proportion of dietary fiber, placing it among plant foods with the highest fiber contents known, up to 20% fiber per total weight. Raspberries are a rich source of vitamin C, with 30 mg per serving of 1 cup (about 50% daily value), manganese (about 60% daily value) and dietary fiber (30% daily value). Contents of B vitamins 1-3, folic acid, magnesium, copper and iron are considerable in raspberries.^[7]

Raspberries rank near the top of all fruits for antioxidant strength, particularly due to their dense contents of ellagic acid (from ellagotannins), quercetin, gallic acid, anthocyanins, cyanidins, pelargonidins, catechins, kaempferol and salicylic acid. Yellow raspberries and others with pale-colored fruits are lower in anthocyanins.

Due to their rich contents of antioxidant vitamin C and the polyphenols mentioned above, raspberries have an ORAC value (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) of about 4900 per 100 grams, including them among the top-ranked ORAC fruits.

The following anti-disease properties have been isolated in experimental models. Although there are no clinical studies to date proving these effects in humans, preliminary medical research shows likely benefit of regularly consuming raspberries against:

• inflammation
• pain
• cancer
• cardiovascular disease
• diabetes
• allergies
• age-related cognitive decline
• degeneration of eyesight with aging

In the Greater Victoria area, you can find organic raspberries at Echo Valley Farm, Haliburton community organic farm, Kenyon Farm in Sydney, and Saanich Organics on Mt. Newton X Rd.

Raspberries love lots of water and compost and a well-drained soil. Pruning out old canes and spreading suckers is important to the health of the plants. See here for how and when to prune raspberries: http://gardening.about.com/od/berries/a/Prune_Raspberry.htm I also love raspberry leaf tea with a bit of lemon balm added - iced is very refreshing. Now I'm off to make a pie!

Garden in July Abundance and Beauty

Images of abundance and beauty for you

Herbes de Provence

These are the herbs I grew to make my own herbes de Provence: mint, oregano, marjoram, lavender, rosemary, summer savory, tarragon, fennel, bay leaves and thyme. I didn't have any chervil, which has a mild licorice flavour. Basic Recipe:

Ingredients: 1 tablespoon thyme 1 tablespoon chervil 1 tablespoon rosemary 1 tablespoon summer savory 1 teaspoon lavender 1 teaspoon tarragon 1 teaspoon marjoram 1/2 teaspoon oregano 1/2 teaspoon mint 2 powdered or chopped bay leaves

Preparation: Mix together all of the ingredients and store in a tightly sealed container. Makes about 1/3 cup herb mix.

The herbs are so good on sauteed mushrooms!

and in vegetarian lentil soup, chili, salad dressing, potato salads, omelets, roasted garlic pizza, and vegetarian cassoulet:

http://www.ivu.org/recipes/european/vegetarian-cassoulet3.html

Have fun experimenting in recipes using herbes de provence, you can't go wrong!

herbfest

Gathering fresh herbs to add to a meal is a wonderful Summertime treat ~ I love brushing past spearmint with its pungent and sweet scent, rubbing rosemary sprigs between my fingers, crushing lavender buds to release their essential oils, snipping oregano and thyme - the variations and combinations are endless - that is where creativity with fresh herbs come into play. Of course there are are the classics like Herbes de Provence or a bouquet garni, but try using whichever herbs you like most. I tend to use bay leaves, thyme, cilantro, basil, rosemary and parsley a lot. Adding fresh herbs to grain and bean casseroles makes them savoury and delicious. Marinating tofu or tempeh with herbs gives them a spark. Make a herby focaccia bread~any herbs (try tarragon!) with garlic is great. Making herb-butter is easy- just soften butter, mash with your fresh herbs, shape into a roll in waxed paper and keep in the fridge. When cooking, just slice a bit off for new potatoes, steamed veggies or tofu. I always add fresh herbs to both salads and dressings and when making croutons or pasta salad. Bees absolutely love herbs that are allowed to flower in the garden - I always leave oregano, marjoram and sage to flower for the bees. And of course if you're lucky enough to have a few tomato plants ripening, fresh basil for bruschetta is to die for. If you don't have a garden you can grow herbs in a sunny place in a window box: use a soil (vs peat) based compost mix, and feed with a sea-weed plant food March - September. Check here for box basics: http://www.herbcompanion.com/gardening/garden-spaces-joyful-windows.aspx Recipes: From Eat, Drink and be Vegan~ Quinoa Confetti Casserole: 1 and 1/4 cups uncooked quinoa 1 cup veg. stock 2 cups water 1 and 1/2 cups chickpeas 1 and 1/2 cups fennel bulb 1 cup red bell pepper 3 or 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 T. olive oil 1 t. fennel seeds 1 T. fresh basil 1 T. fresh rosemary 1 t. fresh thyme 1 t. sea salt pinch allspice 1 fresh or dried bay leaf freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 - 3 T. fresh lemon juice (for finishing) 2 T. olive oil (for finishing) fresh parsley for garnish Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a lightly oiled deep casserole dish, combine all ingredients except lemon juice, oil for finishing and parsley) and stir to combine well.Cover and bake 55- 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until quinoa is cooked and has absorbed all liquid. Remove from over, stir in lemon juice, and season with additional salt and pepper if desired. To serve, drizzle a touch of olive oil on top and sprinkle with parsley. From Veganomicon: Marinated Italian Tofu 1 pound tofu, pressed 1/2 cup white wine 2 T. olive oil 2 T. balsamic vinegar 2 T. tamari 2 T. lemon juice 2 cloves garlic, smashed fresh basil, marjoram and thyme preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. cut the tofu widthwise into eight equal pieces. marinate for an hour, flipping after 30 mins. Place the tofu on a baking sheet and bake for 20 mins. Flip over and bake for another 10 mins. Place under the broiler for about 3 more mins. for extra chewiness.

Neat bug!

Found this beautiful insect- Rosalia funebris-aka Banded Alder Borer- on the wall of our house yesterday - there were about 10 of them, and apparently they're attracted to the paint, which mimics male pheromones. I found out about them here: http://bugguide.net/node/view/15740 These insects are beneficial because they only eat the dead matter in hardwood trees. One article I've read puts forth the suggestion that they may have been the model for ancient Hopi clowns, or Kachina Spirits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/laheringer/2951732753/In any case, they're one of the neatest bugs I've ever seen!

Flower Power! edible flowers

You would be surprised to know how many flowers (and trees) are edible in your garden! Begonias, primroses, hollyhocks, Carnations, pansies, petunias, Roses, even Tulips are all edible. Herb flowers are also very good such as oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme or yarrow. Some vegetable blossoms are edible such as Zucchini, which are wonderful stuffed. Check it out: http://allthingsnice.typepad.com/tastebuddies My favourite flowers are nasturtiums, chives, and borage. The sky blue of borage is amazing contrasted against dark green leaves. I love the peppery flavour of the nasturtium leaves and flowers. The name "Nasturtium" means "nose twister" in Latin due to its spicy scent. Tree flowers such as creamy, white Elder are also very lovely. Flowers should be sprinkled onto your salad at the last minute ( and preferably picked last minute, too), on top of the dressed greens. A light raspberry vinaigrette made with fresh raspberries goes very well with the flowers. Fresh Raspberry Vinaigrette Ingredients: ¼ cup fresh or frozen raspberries (thaw if frozen) 2 tsp lemon juice 1 tbsp of Balsamic vinegar 1 tsp Dijon mustard 2 tsp Honey (liquid) Salt to taste Pepper to taste 80 ml of extra virgin olive oil/sunflower oil ( I prefer to mix the two) Place first five ingredients in food processor or blender, blend for a few turns, then while mixing, add in oil bit by bit. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Shelf life is for about a week in the refrigerator. Here's a pic of my flowery salad!

Simply in Season

Simply in Season: Recipes that celebrate fresh, local foods in the spirit of More-with-less, by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert is one of those books I'm finding indispensable right now with the garden coming on stream. The book is divided by season, by recipe type, and provides a list of whichever produce you happen to have tons of highlighted in a list down the outside of each page. The book is commissioned by the Mennonite Central Committee "to promote the understanding of how the food choices we make affect our lives and the lives of those who produce food." The MCC has a website about the book: http://www.worldcommunitycookbook.org/ which includes a children's cookbook, and recipes. The book also offers 'spiritual nourishment' in the form of anecdotes, food politics, blessings, quotes from the recipe providers, religious text, and poetry. I am currently using the cherries, berries, cilantro, green beans, kohlrabi, peppers, and summer squash (zucchini !) recipes. This is not a vegetarian cookbook-but most recipes provide a veg. alternative, or you can create your own. I am always happy to find recipes using zucchini. Simply in Season is a community cookbook about good food, and promoting fresh, local foods~ this is good for us, and for the earth we share.