SC - Gardening Time and the harvest begins-Part 2 Long

[LrdRas]

Well, folks.  Much is happening in the garden this time of year.  The
daffodils have faded.  Tulips are in full bloom, Lilacs, crab apples and
cherries scent the air with their heady fragrance.  For the serious gardener
this is a time of planting and harvest.

Harvest?  Yep, already! 

Sorrel is particularly crisp and tasty right now and makes a refreshing
addition to salads and, with it's lemony flavor makes a wonderful addition to
recipes calling for "herbes." 

Rhubarb is also beginning to enter it's peak season.  Eaten stewed and
sweetened with sugar it's "medicinal" value readily becomes apparent.
Although not documentable as period, you might want to reconstitute the last
of the dried apples left over from the fall and combine them with rhubarb to
make a nice apple rhubarb pie/tart.  Remember to only pick the largest stalks
and leave some for strengthening the plant for next year's harvest.  Strip the
leaves from the stalks and discard because the leafy parts contain oxalic acid
which is poisonous.  It causes severe gastric disturbances and can result in
death.

Dandelions are almost past there prime for use as "herbes" BUT a special treat
can be had if you collect the unopened flower buds and prepare them as you
would the leaves.  Served with a little salt, pepper and butter, they become a
gourmet's delight.  Opened flowers can be gathered and processed for dandelion
wine.

Violet flowers are starting to appear.  Those that bloom first are always
larger and nicer than those that come after so pick and candy them as they
become available.

Assorted grasses while not thought of as human food except in times of famine
can be utilized as a snack while working in the garden.  Simply pull the
central blades out of the plant The white part at the bottom of the blade is
sweet, succulent and tasty making a great on the spot snack not often enjoyed
by others.

If you neglected to harvest all of your garlic and onions last fall, you may
find some strays in your garden areas.  Green garlic is especially nice when
used in salads and the green onions harvested now will be sweeter than at any
other time of the year.  Parsley plants left over from last year may be
sending up new leaves also All of these make fine additions to your "herbes"
basket.  For a nice main course, try a Tart In Embry Day using 4 eggs, 2 cups
of ricotta or small curd cottage cheese and 2 cups of chopped blanched
"herbes" (Dandelion buds, green garlic, sorrel, violet leaves, parsley, green
onions).

For those who haven't planted their favas, peas, onions, shallots, garlic and
spinach there is still time to do so but be prepared for hot weather to slow
or stop their growth.  Carrots, beets, dill, parsley, broccoli, cabbage, chard
should all be planted now.  Red and white varieties of carrots are available
from Gurney's and Burpees as well as long-root beets.

Those who have late period personas might want to consider starting the seeds
of white tomatoes and planting "blue potatoes" to give their ornamental
gardens a touch of New World exotica to awe the neighbors.

The addition of a few ivy plants around your deity altars will spruce them up
and make a fine gift to your sacred spaces.  For those of the Christian
persuasion, constructing an arbor and planting species roses around your
grotto would serve the same purpose.

Tidy up your garden area by removing dead plant material from your herb beds.
If you have the space construct a compost bin where plant debris and
vegetable/fruit trimmings can be recycled back to the garden.  Never put
animal waste in the compost pile.  Not only will it cause foul and stinking
odors but it may also attract undesirable creatures such as plague rats to the
garden.

Happy gardening! :-)

al-Sayyid Ras
"I can only please one person per day.  Today is not your day.  Tomorrow
doesn't look good either.}
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