Strawberry-Loquat Jam

When I moved into my house seven (SEVEN?!) years ago, I had no idea what a loquat was. Sure, I'd seen the bushes here and there, adorned with pretty fruit at weird times during the year, but I didn't really know what it was.

And then, nearly a year after we moved in, my neighbor invited me to try a few Japanese plums. I wasn't sure about it, but he'd been eating them for years, and he was still alive. Right? Right.

The *huge* loquat tree that overhangs my fence.

So I tried one ... and then another ... and Drew and I couldn't stop! They were so incredibly delicious, like a sweet, juicy plum filled with gorgeous copper seeds. And I love plums!

I learned that the "proper" name for this plant is a loquat (or an Eriobotrya japonica, if you want to get really technical), though they are commonly called Japanese plums around here and Chinese plums in some other areas. It is edible, though the seeds - which are prolific sprouters, by the way - and the leaves apparently contain some deadly toxin, like cyanide.

A better view of the delicious Japanese plums.

This year, the neighbor's loquat is simply loaded. We've picked and picked from the tree, and it hardly looks like there are any missing. So, as usual when there is an abundance of something edible growing nearby, I try to come up with some use for it.

And since strawberries are in season, too, and since I happen to have some jelly jars and other necessary supplies, I decided to make strawberry-loquat jam.

Drew and I picked as many fruits as we could ... or, that is, until our arms were too tired to pick any more. We brought them inside and I washed them well. Then I squeezed the juice from the loquats until my hands were too weak, then I recruited Drew to squeeze the rest.

Washed and ready to be juiced.

I decided to make freezer jam since it doesn't require any proper canning techniques. I began by cooking the loquat juice with the pectin, then added strawberries and sugar (and a little local honey!) to finish it off. It seemed a little sweet, but I figured I could live with that. Once the jam was ready, I placed in freezer jam containers and placed it in the fridge so that it could set before freezing.

Strawberry-Loquat Jam

The real test, however, would be how it tasted on a biscuit. Since I couldn't wait to find out, we changed our dinner plans from pork chops with a parsley pesto and cherry tomato pasta to (freshly laid) scrambled eggs with extra sharp cheddar cheese and hot buttermilk biscuits.

Surely this needs no explanation.

While I thought the jelly was too sweet when sampled on a teaspoon, it was actually just right. I can imagine this glazing a nice brie served with water crackers or layered, perhaps, in a lovely goat cheese torte. But on a piping hot, fresh from the oven biscuit? Divine! This strawberry-loquat jam definitely passed the test.

Amaryllis by morning ...

In 1996, I bought my first house. By the spring of 1997, I had my first amaryllis.

My neighbor, Sheryl, was an avid gardener, and I was definitely a beginner. She watched me move a raised bed in 100* + temps when I was 8 months pregnant; she gave me lots of advice about native plants; and, best of all, she shared some amaryllis bulbs with me that first spring.

Sheryl said that they would grow anywhere, so I initially stuck them all in an old whiskey barrel with a little dirt in it. They thrived. Sheryl said that they would multiply like crazy. They did. Over the years, I shared some with my mom and other people. When I eventually moved, a few amaryllis bulbs joined me. When I moved again, I was happy that I had shared with my mom, because I was able to replenish my supply.

Now, in what I hope is my forever house, I still enjoy the bright reddish-orange blooms that shock the senses every spring. As Sheryl promised, they grow anywhere, and they're still multiplying like crazy.

Who knew that Sheryl's simple act of kindness would bring me so many years of joy? She did. Yes, she knew, because she, too, had been given her first bulbs by a kind soul, and she had enjoyed them for years before passing the treasure along to me.

Apples vs. Oranges ... blossoms, that is.

Well, it's apples vs. satsumas in my yard. But both are in bloom and both smell divine!

Citrus, as you may know, grows quite well in south Louisiana. I planted my own citrus - a satsuma, an orange, and a kumquat - a few years ago, after I discovered that my son has quite a taste for it. The kumquat has been productive, the orange tree died during an extended freeze, and the satsuma has yet to produce a ripe fruit.

Yet the satsuma makes flowers each year, and this year - the third year after being planted - is no exception. Every time I walk outside, I can smell the blossoms in the air. The bees can, too, and have been busily working to pollinate all the flowers!

Citrus is big here, as are figs and blueberries, and my pear is quite productive, too. But apples? Well, two of my co-workers have apples trees - actually, two of my co-workers' mothers have apples - but they bring them in now & then ... though I must report that they never share.

So last year, in my effort to expand my mini-orchard, inspired by my co-workers and with much help from the folks at Stark Bro's nursery, I found two apples that will grow in my warm climate. Grow AND hopefully produce fruit one day!

After talking to Stark Bros. customer service, reading its website, and doing some research on my own, I settled on two dwarf apple trees: Winter Banana Antique and a regular old Golden Delicious. While red delicious and a couple of others were recommended for pollinating my Winter Banana, none of the selections were recommended for my zone. The Golden Delicious, on the other hand, is, plus it is self-pollinating, which greatly increases my chance of getting apples from at least one tree.

The Winter Banana, which is reported to have a "subtle aroma of banana," was the first to leaf our and bloom this year.

The first few leaves came out, and I anxiously awaited the blossoms. My pear tree is generally covered in blossoms before any green leaves appear, so I thought that maybe I would have to wait until next year to see an apple blossom.

Imagine my delight, however, when I saw these buds!

Who knew apples began their blossoms in pink? Just lovely.

On the same day, I noticed that another branch had blossoms ... real, true, live apple blossoms. All the way down here at the top of Zone 9. Of course, I had to have a little sniff, since I am so spoiled with satsuma blossoms right now.

The smell is so sweet and lovely, I just can't describe it. It's different than the citrus and even the pear, with its light and delicate scent. It's not bold, like the satsuma, or elusive, like the pear, but just a very sweet and welcome addition to my life experience.

I am so happy with my apple trees, even if it is another or two before I see a fruit. The words attributed to Martin Luther remain ever true today:

"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree."

Broccoli

As my non-southern friends begin starting their broccoli seeds - a thought nearly incomprehensible in southern Louisiana March - I am reminded of what a nice broccoli harvest I had this year.

Broccoli is such a lovely winter plant down here, adding lush greenery to the yard while producing a yummy vegetable treat.

As the broccoli heads grew, I harvested them. As the side-shoots developed, I harvested those, too. And when I could see that it was nearly ready to flower, I harvest the remaining broccoli shoots that were large enough, and we had broccoli for dinner more nights than I care to remember!

And then, within 10 days, the little shoots that were too tiny to harvest turned into beautiful, bright, and cheery plants that drew compliments from passers-by. Little did they know that the broccoli plants were spent and nearly ready to move from the garden.

Now that winter is over, my spring and summer garden begins. The pear tree and blueberry bushes are coming along quite nicely, and I'm working on removing winter's build-up of weeds so that I can start my tomatoes and peppers and cucumbers for a summer of yumminess.

But I will miss my broccoli.

Micro-Gardening

I like to practice what I call micro-gardening. Instead of having a traditional vegetable garden where I overwhelm my neighbors with cucumbers and cabbages, I try to grow just enough for my household to eat while it's in season.

Right now, for instance, I have two heads of cabbage, two bok chois, four broccolis, two tiny Brussels sprouts, a few lettuces, one parsley plant, two cilantro plants, and a few green onions. (Stay tuned for a future post on green onions!) The bok choi and lettuce have provided much seasonal delight, and the cabbage heads are developing nicely. We've eaten the main heads on the broccolis and now we've got a few side shoots sprouting, awaiting our eager appetites. I planted two more broccoli plants, but I forgot to cover one of them during a recent night in the low 20s. Oops!!



In the spring, I'll plant a few tomato plants, a couple of cucumber seeds, three or four varietiers of peppers, a few okra seeds, some beans of various varieties, maybe an eggplant or two. This is enough to feed us fresh veggies every day while they are in season, with maybe enough extra to freeze some okra for a good winter gumbo.

Amazingly, however, there's always enough to share. My little neighbor likes grape tomatoes, and no matter how many he munches, there's always enough for our own dinner. One cucumber plant gives us more than one cuke per day .. and really, how many more than one per day can a person eat?! So the excess go to my office or my mom or neighbors who are on my walking route. And eggplant: one bush gives us three to four eggplants per week! Roasted, grilled, dips & spreads ... it's all yummy, but geezum, that is just way too much eggplant for me!



So ... I practice micro-gardening in theory, but somehow it turns into plenty enough to share. Amazing.

Appreciating the Little Things

One of my old friends commented on facebook the other day that she wished she had something to be excited about. My immediate reaction - perhaps unsurprisingly, to those who know me - was, WOW, Look around! There is SO MUCH to be excited about!!



But she wanted something big, and it made me think about how we don't really appreciate the little things in our lives ... well, until they are gone or we're worried they'll be gone.



Yet every day, every single day, we have something we can be grateful for and excited about. It just might take a bit of looking to figure out what it is on any given day, but I'm confident that each of us has something to light up our lives every day.



Here are a few things I'm excited about ... truly. excited. about. Even if I don't always say it ...



* I've got a great kid, and so far, I've been blessed with another day and another day to enjoy his company.



* I've got a great family and untold numbers of friends. I don't talk to them all every day, but they remain in my heart with each and every beat. It's wonderful to know that I've got a support system, should I need it ... assuming that I haven't already used up my quota in this lifetime!



* I've got the best pets ever. My dog is the prettiest husky-lab mix I've ever seen, and my cats are fairly well trained ... for cats. Every day that I come home and the dog hasn't eaten the sofa or a wall (yes, both have happened), I am pretty darn excited!



* On sunny days, I'm grateful for the sun, and on rainy days, I'm happy that my plants are being watered. On cold days, I appreciate the summer, and during the summer, I am happy to be able to walk outside despite the heat and humidity and enjoy the sauna that masquerades as Mother Nature.



* When I find some really great food, I relish in its yummy goodness. When I find something I'm not so crazy about, I am glad to have food to eat, and it makes me appreciate the deliciousness all the more.



* I admit that I am not a fan of mowing the lawn, but I am thrilled that I can start the lawn mower (quite a feat all by itself!) and that I am physically able to take care of my yard the way I want to. Plus cutting the grass makes my flower beds look so much prettier!



I could go on and on, but I'll stop after boring you only a little.



We are so spoiled that we, as a society, tend to think that we need something big all the time, but when it comes right down to it, it's the little things that make our lives what they are. It's the little things that really matter.

Oh dear Broccoli, how I love thee ...

Oh dear Broccoli, how I love thee:

Let me count the ways.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

(plain or over a potato)

Broc Sauteed with Garlic

(and maybe a tomato)

~

Raw for hummus dipping

(with my other favorite: carrots)

Roasted with a pork loin

(but don't be serving parrot!)

~

Okay, okay. It's bad poetry, and even that's a stretch.

But I love*love*love broccoli,

and I can't wait to start harvesting from my little garden.

~

YUM!