Dan Hinkley’s view

I wanted to include a photograph from Dan Hinkley, original owner of Heronswood Nursery. This is a view from his newly built home and gardens off Puget Sound in Washington. Take a look at his website at www.danielhinkley.com for more photographs and the writings of an excellent plantsman. Now, I will try to go back and work in my little mess of a garden!

Support the Earth, one bookmark at a time

As well as planting your own vegetable garden this year, you can support Earth Day everyday with a ‘Grow Green’ bookmark. 25% of the purchase price will be donated to The Nature Conservancy. Images of fresh green peas, carrots and hot chile peppers are available on premium card stock or magnetic backing at www.mixitandstixit.com. Just click on ‘bookmarks’ and type in discount coupon code ‘Green House’ when purchasing, to register a donation to The Nature Conservancy.

Pink Poodles or Parasols

Coneflowers come in so many different shapes and colors these days. This one has a frilly pink center like little Victorian parasols. It is available at the Morton Arboretum Plant Sale. Members must order online by April 13th. Visit their website, www.mortonarb.org for more information.

Salsa with Eggplant

1/3  cup olive oil

3  cups chopped onion

1 1/2 cups chopped green pepper

1  cup chopped celery

2  large eggplants

1  8 oz. can tomato sauce

1  6 oz. can tomato paste

1/2  cup water

5  cloves garlic, minced

1  6 oz. can black olives, chopped

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

3 Tbl. sugar

1 1/2  tsp. oregano

1  Tbl. salt

1  tsp. cayenne

1  tsp. pepper

Peel eggplant and cut in 1-inch cubes and soak in salt water for 20 minutes. 

Drain well. 

Meanwhile, saute onion, green peppers and celery in olive oil until limp. 

Cover eggplant and cook 40 minutes. 

Add tomato sauce, tomato paste and water. Cover and cook 15-20 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients and cook additional 10 minutes.

Chill.

Serve with small rounds of Italian bread or tortilla chips.

Keeps for 2 weeks in refrigerator.

Makes 2 quarts.

Enjoy this as you dream about planting your vegetable garden. 

Grow everything yourself except the olives!

Spring...do you feel it?

We have had some tolerable but I won’t say warm days in February this year. Yet, somehow I can feel Spring tapping me on the shoulder. I quickly turn around but...no one’s there. February is mostly ready to turn itself over to March, that mean month. Sure we’ll have to shovel some more snow before we sip those margaritas, but I felt Spring’s presence and that gives me hope.

Time to chop up some salsa and get ready.

Happy Holidays!

Swedish Cardamom Coffeecake

FOR DOUGH:

1 1/4 cups warm water (105 degrees F)

3/4 stick (6 T) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

6 T granulated sugar

Two 1/4-oz. packages active dry yeast (5 T total)

3 large eggs beaten lightly

1 1/2 t salt

1/4 cup powdered nonfat dry milk

5 -6 cups all-purpose flour

FOR INSIDE:

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 T ground cinnamon

3 T cardamom seeds, (ground in a mortar with a pestle or in an electric spice/coffee grinder)  or ground cardamom from the store if fresh isn’t available

Make an egg wash by beating 1 large egg with 2 T water

MAKE DOUGH:

In a large bowl combine water, butter and sugar. Sprinkle yeast over mixture and let stand 5 minutes, or until foamy. Then, stir in eggs, salt and dry milk until combined. With a wooden spoon, stir in 5 cups flour, 1 cup at a time, and stir mixture until a dough is formed.

On a floured surface, knead dough about 10 minutes, adding enough of the remaining 1 cup flour to make dough smooth and elastic. Put dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat and let rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place until doubled in bulk. About 1 hour.

Punch down dough and on floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll into a 15-by-20 inch rectangle. (or make two smaller ones) Spread butter over dough and sprinkle with granulated sugar, cinnamon and cardamom. 

Roll the dough lengthwise to make a log. Beginning at the top of the log, use clean kitchen scissors and snip about 3/4 of the way into the log every inch. Begin at the top of the log to ‘open  out’ each snipped piece, laying each piece to the left, then to the right. It will almost look braided on the cookie sheet.

Let braid rise on a buttered cookie sheet in a warm place until increased 1 1/2 times in bulk, about 1 hour.

While braid is rising, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Brush top with egg wash and sprinkle generously with sugar. Bake in middle of oven until top is a pale golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Makes 1 large coffeecake or 2 smaller ones.

—recipe adapted from Gourmet magazine and my grandmother, Esther Randstrom

November colors

The colors are so perfect at this time of year. Actually, this was taken over a week ago at the Rollins Savanna Forest Preserve near my house. The light brings out those dusky chocolate and maroon colors that contrast with bleached tan grasses. No mountain or ocean is more inspiring than the autumn grasses of the Midwest. Excuse my bias.

~Susan