Gain From Rain

For me, and most of Southern Californians, rain is simply magical, as it is already rare these days.  With an ongoing drought, we welcome even a gentle sprinkling to quench and revitalize our plants.  For me, rain symbolizes cleansing and renewal, and adds a striking glistening glow to my garden.
I just love capturing the dews and drops on my plants and vegetables after a gentle precipitation.  
My lemon tree, especially appreciates this as it helps it get over the hump, to a great harvest.

Spirits in the Garden

Today marks the second year anniversary of the passing of my grandmother, Veronica Ohanian.
Veronica was a kind, loving soul.  She was a superb mother being.  She was a nurturer, a wise advisor, a giving soul who took pity on others who were less fortunate. She was a keen observer and lover of the natural world as well.

Veronica saw nature the way I did, like a child, with eyes particularly pointed towards the softness of a flower, or the fluttering grace of a songbird's wings.  She would be captivated by details and with childlike excitement, would burst into a massive smile as she'd notice an impossibly gorgeous flower, like the purple and pink fuchsia.  What we shared and agreed on most were these simple things. So, when a short time ago, I came across an impossibly beautiful butterfly in my vegetable garden, I thought for a moment, it may or may not be the spirit of Veronica coming for a visit.

This winged lady was unlike any who visited lately, and more impressive than even a monarch.  She fluttered about for an unprecedented 20 minutes, amidst my newly emerging vegetable seedlings, unafraid of human proximity.  This lady seemed preoccupied in absorbing the vibrations from the earth. She pranced and pranced, and displayed no fear as I came closer with each camera shot to capture her delicate features.

Now, I do believe in spirits, more importantly, the divine energy among all living things, in that when a physical being leaves this earth, its spirit energy is spread across the whole of our natural world.   She may or may not have been speaking Veronica's voice, this butterfly, but I do know one thing: She captivated me with her own language, and conveyed a loving message of peace and sacred divinity.

Worth the Weight

They say zucchinis are one of the easiest crops to grow-  With this summer topping the charts with record heat and humidity,  my zucchinis went a bit overboard.  Particularly this one,  which  registered at a whopping 2.3 pounds!   Well-  needless to say, I not only created a dinner for 4, but had enough for grilling over the next week.   Ain't she a beauty?

Just Like Grandma Gathered

Summer is in full force- Lemons are abundant. 

In my grandmother's backyard, I stumbled across a bunch of ripened, fallen lemons. So, in typical old-world Grandma Veronica fashion, I picked them up and carried them in my shirt. Her spirit lives on through the giving lemon tree....

The Sunflower Thrives Amidst a Cloudy Day

When you feel blue....

And nothing seems clear

Your mood precedes you

All your inner doubts and fear

But look at the sunflower

She peeks out to the world!

With each passing hour

Lets her beauty unfurl

She shines and allows the world to see 

Her true beauty and vulnerability 

Inch By Inch

Many of life's lessons consists of failing and trying again and again.  Gardening lessons are much like these life lessons.   Inherently, and inevitably, gardening mimics life as you tend to the living things, helping the first seed burst from Mother Earth, then nurturing the seedling until it matures and bears fruit of its own.  At the same time, you become that life, you are a mirror image of what you care for, as you and the earth are inseparable.  Symbiotic.  One can't live without the other.

One of the lessons I have learned in my own gardening experience is to try something a different way.  There really are 4 components to growing a successful plant: Seed, sunlight, soil, and moisture.  If any are inadequate or suboptimal in some way, growth and survival is compromised.

After several unsuccessful attempts in the past years, I very much wanted to have healthy cucumbers this season. But no matter what I tried to plant directly into the earth, I ended up with dead plants within just weeks.  So I finally decided to do something different.  I reverted to container planting. Choosing a more isolated, sunnier spot to grow, these guys have so far had a good, healthy start.

Cheers to change!

Edible Anomaly of the Week!

I just love fruit and vegetable anomalies! 

 I think they are worthy of our attention. Some people may think anomalies are just freaks of nature. Well, they are.  But they are also the very living, breathing fruits and vegetables that grew wild and undisturbed. They never succumbed to human regulations and modifications imposed on our primary food source. Anomalies may look funny, but are just as beautiful and fascinating (and in most cases delicious), as any perfectly round tomato!

This group of lemons together makes the perfect zing, like a jazz quartet :)

You Say Tomay-to, I Say Tomah-to....

Let's call the whole thing off....

Or, not....

Here are several little varieties of tomatoes, most of which grew completely spontaneously from organic tomato seeds that had been discarded as compost back in December. The seeds slowly gave way to seedlings, and came full circle completing a life cycle.  I am still quite amazed at what earth, sun, and water are able to accomplish together.

The purplish one is the only one that comes from a local nursery, and is an heirloom purple variety. The rest are different tomatoes of unkown names,   just waiting to burst with flavor this season!

Flower of Remembrance

Taking a slightly different turn here...

 
Aside from planting vegetables, I am also a big fan of  flowers and foliage.  So, on this special day of remembrance, I planted a special kind of wildflower.

The "Forget-me-not" is the official flower of the centennial of the Armenian Genocide.  One hundred years ago, today, an orchestrated event took place which began with massacres and ended with deportation of some 1.5 million Armenians, in the Turkish occupied lands of Western Armenia.  Among them were my own grandparents on both sides of my family.  My father's father himself marched along the death march in the deserts of Der el Zor, Syria, before finding his way to safety in Beirut, Lebanon.   A lot has happened since then, and I am glad to be alive, to have traversed land and sea to be living in freedom, and to never forget that I'm a grandchild of survivors.  However, the genocide itself, though recognized by 20-some countries around the world, is still to be officially recognized by the U.S. and Turkey.  An overwhelming 44 U.S. states have already recognized it as an official historical event called the Armenian Genocide.   On this, the centennial of the start of the massacres,  the "Forget-me-not" flower has been declared the official flower symbolizing life and the forever memory of all the lost lives. It is usually a purple hue but this one I found is more of a blue periwinkle.  Nonetheless, I found this delicate wildflower to be lovely enough to add to my garden collection.  

A Head Start

I feel like I'm ahead of the game this season. These tomato plants that I actually never even planted are showing promise!   You see, earlier, around December, a good soul named Vincenzo offered me a bunch of organic material in the form of compost that I can incorporate into my soil.  This compost had partially decomposed scraps consisting of seeds, leaves, shells, and other purely organic material.  I could tell this was good stuff since red earth worms were busy doing their thing to help aerate the soil.  Unbeknownst to me, there were tiny tomato seeds invisible to the naked eye, and just about a month later I saw the sprouting of small tomato seedlings.  One by one, side by side.  A few months later, here I have the first of these babies actually giving fruit.   Usually, at this time I'm preoccupied picking out different tomato seeds, or seedlings to plant for harvesting by early summer.   In this case, I am ahead of the game, and I never even planned it.   Pretty cool.

~Bunny Love~

Happy Easter! It's bunny season! And what better time to harvest these bunny treats than on Easter Sunday. It's like having a little egg hunt of my own.  These lovely little guys are actually "Parisian carrots", they grow rather round than long and tubular. Beautiful, fragrant, super, totally organic, and comes with a little extra zing, sort of like a radish.  My dog, Zola, (pictured below), very much approves.  Next to bunny rabbits, she is the biggest fan of carrots!

Happy Easter to everyone- May the peace and beauty of this season translate into gorgeous growing things in your garden. 

Premature babies are simply homed back into the ground for later harvesting.

Flyaway Fennel

It's one of those rebel, flyaway seeds that decided to make its home in the most inconspicuous corner of my vegetable garden.  This sole fennel seed managed to somehow grow between two slabs of concrete and under a bed of walk-on bark, and looks like it has a good promising future.

Sneek Peek at the Underground

Nature's miracles occur every single day.  Some of the neatest ones are foods that grow just below the surface.  In the dark, silent spaces they wait, snugly fit. And slowly, they grow. Here are my babies coming round the corner this spring season.  A few more weeks and they should be fully matured. These seeds were planted shortly before Christmas of last year.

BEETS

CARROTS

ONIONS

Birth of Vine-us

I gave this young Cabernet grape vine a home last July, not knowing what will become of it. I planted according to the instructions and kept close watch.  I even wrote a little haiku for it.

Shortly after this haiku, my vine began to see its demise, becoming yellowish, nearly dead, as if cursed by my poetic efforts.

In the days that followed, my friend Vincenzo offered 2 big barrels of organic matter he had collected-mostly green scraps and some egg shells which had not fully decomposed yet- and needed to get rid of, as he was getting ready to move back to Italy.  So I said, bring them over!

We dumped one barrel into my large compost bin, and the other, we mixed directly into the ground not far from the vine. In about a month, the fresh organic scraps saw to it that my soil got massive nutrients and a new life.  This became a thriving space for some very interesting and beautiful regrowth. But little did I know it would also cure my sick baby vine.  The other day, as I came upon it and looked closer, I saw not only green and healthy new grape leaves, but what appeared to be clusters of grapes just beginning to blossom. I think nature has a breathtaking way of expressing itself while teaching us some lessons.  Will continue to monitor the progress of this Cabernet vine, but I must say this one blew me away.

Flowering Buds of February

Ah!  Southern California Rain.  And sunshine. Then rain.  Then sunshine. Even amidst these strange and unpredictable weather patterns in good ol' So Cal, I'm happy to report my plants and trees are alive.  And kicking.  One minute it's 95 F, worthy of a surfer's sun tan,  and the next a chilly overnight cold with a nice rainfall.  Sure makes for some strange seasonal harvesting!  But nonetheless, the leafy greens are blooming, the buds are popping, and the citrus blossoms, fragrant as ever :)

Planting Turmeric Root

Some time ago, I learned about the immense health benefits of turmeric. Turmeric is a spice that is extracted from the turmeric root (much like ginger), and is widely used in the culinary traditions of the East, to create delicious dishes like curry. It has also been widely studied for its medicinal properties, for the treatment of arthritis, pain relief, and is even said to be an anti-cancer agent. For this reason, turmeric has gained a major spotlight in both the worlds of food and medicine. 

After a friend gave me a few fresh pieces of turmeric root, she instructed me to let them "sprout" before planting. So I let them hang out for a couple months, in the slightly warm and damp conditions of my kitchen, until "rhizomes" started sprouting from the root. (This will help establish a larger network of roots while growing in the soil.) Finally, I decided to plant them.  

It is said that the turmeric root takes anywhere from 6 to 12 months to harvest after planting.  I dug in a couple larger pieces directly into the ground, and one smaller piece into a pot. They will require regular water, and good drainage, and full to partial sunlight.  The rest will be nature's work :) 

Rhizomes growing from the turmeric root, at the top, and along the sides.

Planted one root about 1-1/2 inches inside a pot, filled with good soil and compost mix. Cover, and moisten with water. 

Planted larger pieces directly into the ground, about a couple inches deep, then covered with soil and water.

Marking my area with a few sticks, until we see it grow! (about 6-12 months).

Where Seeds Will Grow

One of the coolest things to see in gardening is how a plant will grow in a wilder, unexpected spot, while in places you expect it to grow, it remains stunted.

Take for example these lettuce leaves.  Just beyond the grassy border, (and a sadly shattered stepping stone), in the midst of very sandy soil, squeezed between an aloe plant and a succulent, these seeds not only grew into seedlings, but are about to become fully mature, edible lettuce leaves.  This is where the miracle of nature occurs.  This tells me that the seed is not only strong, but can grow well in less than favorable soil. Aside from being a good seed, the other big determinant factor here is good sun exposure, about 6 hours per day.

Gimme a Beet!

Beets are often underestimated when it comes to adding an exciting, delicious staple to the winter menu. They may not be the most gorgeous thing to look at, as they appear rough, rigid, often irregular.  But these root veggies are dense with nutrients, rich in fiber and potassium, and full of antioxidants.  They come in different varieties and colors, and are also fairly easy to grow in your home garden. Here, I grabbed a nice organic bunch of golden yellow beets from the local store.  I was able to pick out the largest, most striking ones, for the same price per bunch!

For the beets themselves,  I sliced them thinly, lightly greasing a pan with olive oil, and then threw on a dash of salt, before roasting them at 450F for about 25 minutes, or till they come out slightly browned.  They make a delicious, sweet side dish, or a nice addition to a lovely green salad.

As for my main course, I tried something different: Beet greens, which my grandmother often revered as being so full of nutrients!  I always thought it was odd, cause the greens look too 'wild',  too rugged to be any good.  But after all the cooking is done, the greens will taste like a mix between cooked spinach and swiss chard. Beet greens contain good amount of Vitamin A,  as well as carotenoids and flavinoid antioxidants. Now, that is a mouthful, and a stomach full of goodness!

Here, I cut off the greens from the roots, chopped and rinsed them, then sautéed them with garlic, in some good olive oil.  Note that some recipes for beet greens call for onions, but for this very spontaneous dish, I omitted them, just because I wanted to focus on the garlicky flavor when served over plain pasta.

After the greens were cooked till tender,  and the garlic was slightly browned and fragrant (but not burnt), I added sliced cherry tomatoes to the skillet, and tossed together lightly. Adding salt and pepper to taste (or any seasoning of your choice), I removed the greens from the heat, and placed them on top of a small bed of mostaccioli (or any tubular) pasta. You can, of course, substitute traditional pasta for the gluten-free kind.

Finally, I sprinkled some crumbled feta cheese on top of the greens (even goat cheese would work with this recipe). And there it is, a beautiful nest of pasta and greens.

This was a simple, hearty, yet beautiful and super healthy main course.  And, did I mention....it turned out delicious!

RECIPE:

• 2 cups cooked tubular pasta (e.g. mostaccioli, or penne)
• One bunch (about 3)  Golden Beets, with green leafy tops
• Two cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• Extra virgin cold-pressed olive oil, 2-3 tablespoons
• Handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• Crumbled Feta cheese
• Salt/pepper, and/or any seasoning of preference

Beet Greens:
1) Cut greens off tops of beets. Slice or chop roughly, and rinse well.
2) Heat a flat pan or skillet with olive oil at medium heat.
3) Toss in greens first, stirring for about a minute, then add garlic afterwards. Continue cooking until garlic becomes fragrant, and greens are tender.
4) Add tomatoes and seasoning, and cook for another 30 seconds.
5)  Place pasta in a bowl, like a little nest, and place greens atop pasta, and add crumbled feta.

Beet Roots: 
1) Preheat oven to 450F
2) Rinse and peel beets with a good knife or peeler.
3) Slice thinly (can also use a mandolin for more precision).
4) Place slices on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, and drizzle with olive oil
5) Sprinkle sea salt and black pepper and roast at 450F for about 25 minutes, or until beets are tender and slightly browned at the edges.