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- From Garden to Plate: Fresh Flavors, Naturally Grown
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Experienced gardeners are well aware of this reality and have even come to enjoy the ephemeral nature of their outdoor spaces.
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Did you know that what we call a banana tree is not a tree at all? Or that a banana is actually an herb AND a berry? Learn more bizarre botanical facts about this misunderstood tropical perennial plant, which can actually be cold-hardy down to zone 5 if you choose the right variety for your climate. I’m not much of a banana person (unless it’s cooked in rum and butter, though that combo will make anything taste divine), but I loved having banana trees around when I used to live in zone 10b. Among the many trees that grew in my Southern California garden years ago, there was an abundance of bananas flourishing year-round, all in different stages of ripeness. A few of them even grew over my hammocks and infused such a balmy and tropical feel to the setting, it was easy to forget that we lived in the city with foghorns blowing from the Port of Los Angeles every day. Even though I call them “trees,” they’re actually plants—and to be more specific, banana plants are herbaceous perennials. In other words, herbs. They’re one of those things in life that aren’t what they seem to be, the way tomatoes are technically fruits (not vegetables) and dandelions are herbs (not weeds). Bizarre botanical fact #1: A banana is an herb. That’s right—a banana plant is technically a large herb, distantly related to another garden rhizome, ginger. While most people think of basil, parsley, or rosemary when they think of herbs, it’s easier to see how a banana can be an herb if we look at more “exotic” herbs like lemongrass, horseradish, and wasabi. A banana is considered an herb in botanical terms because it never forms a woody stem (or trunk) the way a tree does. Rather, it forms a succulent stalk, or pseudostem. The pseudostem begins as a small shoot from an underground rhizome called a corm. It grows upward as a single stalk with a tight spiral of leaf sheaths wrapped around it. Banana leaves are simply extensions of the sheaths. Bizarre botanical fact #2: A banana is also a berry. During the flowering stage, an inflorescence (also called a banana heart, as it emerges from the heart of the plant) appears on the end of the stem. It is usually a long, tapered, tightly wrapped, deep purple bud. Bizarre botanical fact #3: Banana anatomy was coined by slave traders. A hanging cluster of hands on a banana plant is called a bunch, with each bunch holding 7 to 14 hands of bananas. As you likely guessed, individual bananas on a hand are called fingers. Bizarre botanical fact #4: Modern bananas have been bred to be sterile… but they DID have seeds at one point. A plant produces a single crop of bananas and then dies, propagated only by new shoots from the corm. Each of these shoots (pseudostems) goes on to live for only two to three years, but because the corm can survive for many years, the banana plant’s reproductive process is unique for a fruit. Bananas are bred as parthenocarpic plants and don’t require any pollination to produce fruit.
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Squash is one of those annual fruits that provides year after year in multiple seasons. Some are overwhelmed by the amount of squash they produce and find different ways to store them. You might wonder how summer squash compares to winter squash in this regard. Perhaps you already know that certain methods work best for one or the other, or maybe you’ve decided to grow kabocha, pumpkins, or butternut for the first time. One thing is sure: if you successfully harvest, cure, and store your squash, you can enjoy it year-round. Spaghetti squash in summer, or zucchini all winter long is possible! Harvesting these fruits before the first frost and after the last frost is easy, and the curing process is too. Storing options abound, as well. Food Safety Be sure to follow food safety guidelines when preserving the crops. You should remain vigilant when it comes to safety, especially in canning, preserving, or fermenting foods. Improper storage can cause disease. The CDC has a guide on Home Canning and Botulism. Consult this guide first if any of these methods are unfamiliar to you. Another excellent resource for storing food long-term is the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Their guide for storing long-term is great. Consult this to learn ways to add shelf life to your efforts in the garden. Follow guidelines properly before you embark on this endeavor. How to Store Winter Squash After harvesting the crops, sort out any with soft spots or dings on their surface. After you harvest winter squash, sort out any with soft spots or that have a little ding on the surface. These should be removed from long storage and consumed immediately or composted. Some types, like your butternut squash harvest, should be at the right color for its variety. Once you harvest winter squash, wipe it down with a dry cloth to remove dirt and debris. Cure winter squash in an area at temperatures of 70 to 85°F (21-29°C) with relative humidity at 80 to 85 percent. Make sure the fruit is in a single layer. Some guides recommend curing squash in the sunlight out in the yard. While this is great for some regions, others may be too cold. Proper curing of these winter fruits gives them a hardened protective layer of skin that keeps out mold and rot. It also promotes sweeter and more pleasing flavors by increasing the content of natural sugars in the flesh. Curing also reduces the fruit’s respiration rate, which makes long-term shelf life easier. Curing Times Curing time for the crops will depend on the variety. Harvest all the squash on the vine before the first frost of the growing season. Cure both fully ripe and immature squash. This prevents the rot of fruits and gives you more fodder for cooking experiments. Keep good air circulation around the fruit either with a window screen or a structure made of chicken wire. A root cellar is a great place to cure and store squash from your pre-winter harvest. Properly cured fully matured squash is such a treat. Different winter squashes require different curing times after harvesting. Some don’t require any curing time at all. For instance, pumpkins or pie pumpkins, spaghetti squash, acorn squash, delicata squash, and a few others are ready to eat right after harvesting. In particular, delicata squash has such a thin rind that it can be eaten right along with the flesh. Butternut squash, Hubbard, large kabocha squash, and Lakota squash have specific curing times. It’s essential to cure them for the skin to eventually coalesce for edible fruit. Here is a list of the times needed for each winter variety that requires curing: Butternut: 2 to 6 weeks Hubbard: 4 weeks Large kabocha: 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the variety Lakota: 1 to 2 weeks Dry Storage The crops can be stowed in a dry place for up to 6 months. Winter squash can be stored in a dry place for up to 6 months depending on the variety. In a place with higher humidity than your average kitchen, or colder, they won’t last as long. Store them this way if you don’t want to incur the extra cost involved in canning, fermenting, and preserving. Refrigeration Cooked or pureed crops should be placed in the fridge in an airtight container. Since whole squash is best left in a place with good air circulation at room temperature, the refrigerator isn’t a good option for long-term storage. However, cooked or pureed winter squash keeps in an airtight container or resealable plastic bags for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator. Of course, this is not a good option for long-term storage, but it’s a great way to enjoy the squash multiple times in one week. Freezing The crops freeze very well by keeping them in a plastic bag or an airtight container in the freezer. Winter squash freezes very well. Keep it in plastic bags or an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months. Butternut squash stored in the freezer can then be used in soups and bread recipes. Note that you must remove the skin before storing it in the freezer. Freezer containers are great for storing winter fruits. Dehydration The crops can be dried in an oven or a dehydrator. To dehydrate winter gourds, peel the skin, cut it in half, and remove the seeds and stem. Save the seeds for next year’s garden, or enjoy them roasted and spiced. Cut the entire squash into ¼ inch strips and steam them until they are tender (about 3 minutes). Then dehydrate them at 140°F (60°C) for 2 to 3 hours. Reduce the temperature to 130°F (54°C) and let the squash dry until it’s brittle. Store it in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Use this method if you have access to a dehydrator or low-temperature oven. Freeze-Drying The crops can be freeze-dried to prolong their storage. Winter squash can be freeze-dried. It is best to cook the squash in your preferred method before freeze-drying as the firm flesh reconstitutes better if pre-cooked. This can prolong other methods of storage, such as smoked squashes. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for your unit. Pickling The crops should be quick-pickled and stowed in the refrigerator for about 1 week. Winter squashes don’t keep at room temperature in cans because they are low-acid foods. It’s essential to refrain from pureeing winter squash for these storage methods. Any winter squash that is pickled or canned should be treated as fresh food and stored in the refrigerator—never at room temperature, which is too warm for foods with low acid content. The result of pickling and storing winter squash in a warm room is botulism. Pumpkins, acorn squash, and butternut squash can be quick-pickled and stored in a refrigerator for about one week. Skin the squash, remove the stem, and seeds. Then slice them or cube them. Make your preferred brine with equal parts vinegar and sugar, and cook the squash in the brine before placing it in your jar. Let it cool and tightly seal it for the refrigerator. Smoking A shot of orange crops being smoked in a smoker in a well lit area outdoors To smoke the crops, a smoker is required, but it will result in some of the tastiest ways to enjoy the crops. Although this method requires access to a smoker, it’s the tastiest way to enjoy winter gourds. It will not, however, store for long. Smoked winter squash should be eaten immediately, or 1 to 2 days after it is prepared. After curing your gourd, cut it in half and remove the seeds and stem. Season it, and wrap it lightly in foil, poking holes in the area where the seed cavity is. This provides ventilation and air circulation that allows the smoke to permeate the skin. Place the squash in the smoker at temperatures of 225 to 230°F (107 to 110°C) for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or your preferred consistency. Serve it whole or sliced, and add butter and other spices. Fermenting Cut the crops into bite-sized pieces, submerge them in brine, then transfer them to a container with a lock. Although it’s not necessary to ferment winter squash, it is possible to do so. It’s important to err on the safe side and treat all forms of canned winter squash as fresh foods rather than those that can withstand long-term storage without spoilage. Use a gourd that is easy to cut into bite-sized pieces. Submerge it in brine, then transfer it to a can that has been pressure sealed, or has a fermentation lock. Allow it to ferment in the refrigerator. Winter squash is great in chutneys, with raisins, cinnamon, and garlic. Properly fermented winter squash will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 year. Once it is opened, consume it within a month. Canning Cube the gourd before placing them in a pressure-sealed container. Canned winter squash must be pressure canned as it is a low-acid food. It is essential that you cube the winter squash rather than puree it. You can always puree it later when you’re ready to use it. This method requires access to a pressure canner, seals, lids, and a tool to remove air bubbles. These aren’t incredibly expensive but can cost around $100 on the lower end. Also, you need space in your kitchen to can gourds and other winter squash. Use a tested and safe recipe from the National Center For Home Food Preservation. Store winter squash in cans for 3 years. Properly canned winter squash can also have a storage life of up to 5 or 6 years. These cans are perfectly ok to store at room temperature, but once you open them, keep an eye on them and consume them quickly.
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Growing mustard greens in your garden allows you to put a pop of zingy flavor into your salad mixes. A cool-season crop of peppery leaves also adds interest to the garden. Rebecca Hendricks has a step-by-step guide for you.Mustard is an excellent cool-season crop with interesting leaves ranging from purple to bright green. Mustard can taste mild, or it can be spicy and peppery. It is a favorite in southern gardens. Growing mustard greens is simple, and they are high in antioxidants, a good source of fiber, and high in vitamins A and C. Mustard greens are popular in a variety of dishes, from microgreens to curries and stir-fries. They have been consumed for more than 5,000 years. They were originally grown in Asia and the Mediterranean, and today, countries like India, Nepal, China, and Japan are the leading growers of this delicious green. In addition to being prized for its leaves, mustard can be grown for its seeds, which are used to make the condiment mustard. Mustard greens include a variety of species such as black mustard, white mustard, brown mustard, and more! Other members of the mustard family include tatsoi, mizuna, and bok choy. Mustards are also related to other Brassicas such as broccoli, kale, cabbage, and cauliflower. Growing mustard is easy and can provide nutritious leafy greens and seeds. Let’s talk more about it. What are Mustard Greens? Mustard is an easy to grow annual cool weather leafy green that is grown for its spicy leaves, seeds, and edible tuber root. There are several common varieties of mustard, including black mustard (Brassica nigra), white mustard (Sinapis alba), and brown mustard (Brassica juncea). Brassica nigra, or black mustard, is considered invasive in some places. It produces allopathic chemicals that prevent other plants from growing where it is growing. Garlic mustard, or Alliaria petiolata, and brown mustard, Brassica juncea, are also considered invasive in some locations. The best way to stop their spread is to cut off any flowers that form to prevent them from going to seed. You can also cut it down at soil level and remove all organic matter.
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No green thumb? No problem! Growing vegetables doesn’t need to be hard. Some veggies are easier to grow than others, making them perfect for inexperienced gardeners. Here are 3 easy vegetables to grow. 1. Lettuce Most households eat lettuce a few times a week, if not everyday. Imagine salad fresh from the garden! Luckily, lettuce is super easy to grow and maintain. Lettuce comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Decide which variety to grow based on the time of year (some varieties cannot cope with very hot weather) and the taste and texture you prefer. Try the melt-in-the-mouth leaves of the Butterhead, and the tender and colourful Red Oak. Lettuces have shallow roots, so are sensitive to water. They require moist, but well-drained soil, and partial sun. You can sow lettuce seeds every two weeks or so to ensure you have lettuce to harvest throughout the growing season. 2. Potatoes If you’ve never tasted the difference between a homegrown and store-bought potato, you’re in for a real treat! Homegrown potatoes have a firmer texture, and much tastier flesh. Plus, potatoes are easy to grow, even for inexperienced gardeners, and they store well. You can grow potatoes in a garden bed, or in a container. You’ll need to properly prepare the soil, and do a little research on companion planting before you get started. Proper cultivation is essential when growing potatoes to prevent them going green – green potatoes are poisonous. Potatoes are very sensitive to the sun, so work well as a winter crop in warm climates. There are many varieties of potatoes you can grow, including sweet potatoes. Try out a range of colourful varieties, which are packed with nutrients. 3. Bush beans Beans come in two main varieties, bush beans and pole beans. Pole beans require a trellis, so they aren’t a low-maintenance plant. Bush beans, however, are very easy to grow. Bush beans do not require the same level of soil fertility that other plants need. In fact, overly rich soil can leave plants vulnerable to pests and diseases. So, if you don’t have your own compost heap, no worries. Bush beans do require well-drained soil and plenty of sunlight. They are best grown during warm summer months, and you can sow seeds every few weeks to ensure a continuous supply of delicious beans. Provider, Blue Lake and Tendercrop are good varieties of green bush beans that are widely available.
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Healthy, hearty and nutritious bowls filled with whole grains, plenty of veggies, and a simple peanut sauce that is absolutely to die for!
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Cooking this pork tenderloin in the air fryer results in perfectly juicy, tender meat that's nicely flavored with fresh thyme and garlic. For ultra-crispy bacon on the exterior, make sure to use regular-cut bacon instead of thick-cut. If the tenderloin has tapered ends, tuck them under so it has an even thickness. While the pork rests, air-fry sliced vegetables and fennel to round out the meal.
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A delicious French Toast made with delicious Cinnamon Rolls! What could be better?
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