Bothered by bugs–but trying to avoid potentially harmful chemicals and additives?
Download this handy chart of natural bug repellent recipes. In case you got bit, see page two for myriad all-natural, soothing remedies.
Many using ingredients you already have around the house. Post a copy in your kitchen or medicine cabinet today!
Got a Hungry Pooch? Click here for more of Arden Moore’s homemade dog treats>> |
Your treat-welcoming canine will be your best four-legged friend when you offer these homemade goodies. Best news is that you can make a batch and freeze some to s-t-r-e-t-c-h treat time.
Ingredients
Preparation
 Is It a Candy or a Cookie? I was introduced to this winning combination of chocolate and peanut butter by a college friend. Her family in Michigan always made these delectable “no-bake cookies” for the holidays. Simple enough to put together in a dorm room, they quickly became our favorite post-exams treat. Calling them cookies rather than candy may make them seem less decadent, but thankfully it doesn’t change their irresistible flavor. Ann’s Buckeyes Ingredients
Beat the peanut butter, butter and vanilla together in a large bowl. Gradually add powdered sugar until the mixture is smooth and holds its shape if made into a ball. Roll into one-inch balls. Place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet and refrigerate at least 20 minutes. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Using a toothpick or a spoon, dip the candy balls in the chocolate. Remove to the lined cookie sheet and let stand until chocolate is firm. |
Text and photos by Adrianne L. Shtop
It happens every December in homes and offices all over the country: The mail arrives and everyone perks up, expectant. Special delivery rings the doorbell and hearts beat a little faster; chores become easier.
A wrapped box is dropped off and visions of sugarplums begin their ecstatic dance.
Candy is the universal gift—everyone loves it!
Why not try candy making any time there’s a special occasion? Find 6 recipes to try at home, like:
We send candy to the young, the old, the infirm and the successful. We give it to those near and dear, and to people we hardly know.
Artfully boxed sweets communicate love, admiration, gratitude and general good cheer. This holiday season–or any special time–let your gift express even more by making the candy yourself.
Sound complicated and exotic? It’s not.
Long before corporate candy giants sold packaged cures for sweet cravings, Great-grandma patiently simmered, stirred, pulled and dipped away the family’s blues in her very own kitchen.
Although some candies require concentration and finesse, most are easy and fun to cook.
Here are a few old-fashioned candy recipes, from “you can’t go wrong” to “a bit challenging.”
No matter which you try, be prepared: When there’s homemade candy in the house, it rarely lasts long. If you intend to give these treats as gifts, plan your wrappings and your hiding places before you start!
Candy making is a lost art. Revive it in your kitchen this season with some old-fashioned recipes.
It’s Crystal Clear
Candy making is an art, but it uses science to create its magic.
The basic ingredient in candy is sugar; it’s sugar’s crystalline chemical structure that’s responsible for the amazing diversity of sweets available to us.
A basic knowledge of the chemistry behind candy making will help you adapt recipes to your own tastes and correct any problems you may encounter along the way.
Candy can be hard and smooth, soft and grainy or anywhere in between; it all depends on the size and arrangement of the sugar crystals.
Dissolving sugar in a liquid and heating it is the most common way to control the crystals. Hard, dry candies, such as lollipops or toffee, are made by cooking sugar for a long time and to a high temperature. Soft, moist candies, like fondant, are cooked only briefly. The top temperature of the boiling sugar syrup tells you what the candy will be like when it cools.
That’s why the temperature of the candy mixture is critical to the success of the recipe.
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Sugar Syrup Temperatures
There are two main methods for determining the temperature of sugar syrup.
The more scientific choice is to use a candy thermometer. Some candy chefs will not even attempt a recipe without one.
The other option is to drop small amounts of the boiling sugar into a bowl of ice water and then check the cooled syrup’s texture. This method, aptly known as the “cold water test,” is likely the one used by your Gran.
The cold water test involves five stages of candy texture, each corresponding to a particular temperature range. Most modern candy recipes specify both a temperature in degrees and the appropriate cold water stage.
Stirring and beating also affect the size of sugar crystals, and therefore the texture of the candy.
For example, some candies are stirred only to combine the ingredients or to prevent scorching, whereas divinity, a combination of egg whites and sugar syrup, is beaten “until the mixer burns out” to ensure it holds its shape.
Another common way to manipulate sugar crystals is by adding interfering agents to the recipe. Ingredients like butter, milk, corn syrup or lemon juice not only add flavor to the candy, but, by inhibiting the formation of crystals, also help keep the sugar’s grains small and the texture smooth.
 Candy Making Makes You Strong “I remember my mother making a candy called Sea Foam,” Dr. Corrine Brown reminisces. “It is very similar to divinity, but a bit lighter. This was before the days of electric mixers. Mother’s mixer had a handle on it that she would have to crank. She would use that until the candy got too stiff and then she would switch to a wooden spoon, beating the mixture by hand until it would hold its shape. As you can imagine, this took a while—and a strong woman.” “I haven’t been able to find anything quite as light as Mother’s Sea Foam, so occasionally I will settle for a piece of store-bought divinity. I do find that making candy using the old methods produces a better product.” Ingredients
Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside. Combine sugar, water, salt and cream of tartar in a heavy-bottomed pot. Cover and boil for 5 minutes. Wipe down the sides of the pot with a damp cloth. Do not stir. Continue to boil until the firm-ball stage. Slowly pour the cooked sugar syrup over the egg whites, beating constantly. Stir in the vanilla. Beat this mixture until it holds its shape. Drop teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper. * Adapted from The Household Searchlight Recipe Book, edited by Ida Migliano, Harriett Allard, Zorada Titus and Irene Nunemaker (The Household Magazine, 1939). |
Try This at Home
Some candy recipes insist you follow them to the letter, but others, especially many of the oldest ones, contain only vague instructions and ad-libbing is expected.
My mother handed down the latter type of recipe to me; it was my ever-busy grandmother’s version of toffee.
The lack of exact measurements may at first make this candy seem impossible, but it is, in fact, practically foolproof and leaves plenty of room for experimentation. Sometimes a bit grainy, sometimes smooth, we kids never cared; we always loved it.
Make several batches, each with a different flavoring, for a simple gift with lots of variety.
Note: The more butter, the richer the candy. For the smoothest texture, the butter and sugar should be in approximately equal proportion. If using unsalted butter, a half-pinch of salt may brighten the flavor.
As American as Fudge
Fudge, that much-loved, chocolaty square, is a true American success story and a born sentimentalist.
Folklore pins the origin of fudge to Valentine’s Day, 1886. True to the spirit of American inventiveness and thrift, this now ubiquitous confection is said to have gotten its start as a “fudged” batch of caramels.
Actress Jane Lincoln Taylor’s family has celebrated this happy accident for many generations. Their time-tested recipe relies on homey, old-fashioned visual cues rather than scientific temperature measurements, but, as Jane says, “It actually works and makes great fudge.”
Ingredients
Melt chocolate and cream together over medium heat, stirring so chocolate doesn’t burn. Add sugar and salt. Boil 6 minutes, stirring all the while until it reaches the soft-ball stage. When it’s ready, it will look as though little ladies are holding a quilting bee underneath; little quilting stitches will pull down toward the bottom of the pan. Add butter and vanilla; beat well until your arms get tired. Add nuts. Spread in a greased pan. Cut into squares before it gets impossibly hard.
1. The equivalent of 2 T.
2. “We always pour in a lot more because it smells so good.” —JLT
The Black-tie-and-tails Treat
When it comes to candy, chocolate truffles define the word “elegant.” As prized as the elusive gourmet mushrooms that share their name, truffles are far simpler to make than most people think. These two truffle recipes are from Old-Fashioned Candy Recipes, compliments of Bear Wallow Books. Neither is extremely complicated; both are delicious.
 Ingredients
In the top of a double boiler, combine cream and butter over simmering water. Stir constantly while butter melts, then increase heat until mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate pieces until mixture is smooth and blended. Continue stirring mixture 5 to 10 minutes, until cooled to lukewarm. Cover with tight lid and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Stir occasionally during the first 2 hours of refrigeration. When mixture is firm, shape into one-inch balls and place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate until very firm. Roll in powdered cocoa (see below). Refrigerate until ready to serve. |
Extra-rich Chocolate Truffles
Ingredients
In the top of a double boiler, melt chocolate. Quickly blend in sugar, water and butter. Remove pan from heat and let mixture cool, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in egg yolks.
Pour mixture into a bowl and refrigerate for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Mixture will be firm.
Scoop spoonfuls of the truffle mixture and shape into bite-sized balls. Roll in powdered cocoa (see below).
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Powdered Cocoa for Dusting Truffles
You will need 1/2 to 1 cup of good-quality powdered cocoa.
Variations are limited only by the candy maker’s imagination. Whether you choose a flavoring oil (such as mint or orange), nuts or a liqueur, stir in the addition after all the other ingredients have been combined, but before the mixture is refrigerated.
About the Author Adrianne L. Shtop is a freelance writer and photographer with a passion for all the things that make life sweet. She wishes to thank the generous souls who contributed recipes for this article.
“This is one of my very favorite cookies, complete with a tender crust with almonds, raspberry filling and a crumbly streusel topping.
“I like to use my own homemade seedless raspberry jam when I have a jar on hand.
“These squares received rave reviews from fair judges and won numerous blue ribbons and special awards including Best of Division at the Los Angeles County Fair in my home state of California, the largest county fair in the country.” —Linda Amendt
Ingredients
Crust
Filling
Topping
Icing
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with foil, and grease with unsalted butter or nonstick vegetable spray.
Crust: In a bowl, whisk together flour, confectioner’s sugar and baking powder until well combined. Stir in almonds. Using a pastry blender, fork or your fingers, cut in butter until evenly combined and mixture resembles coarse crumbs and starts to come together.
Using the back of a spoon or your fingers, press crust evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Filling: Stir raspberry jam to loosen it. Spread jam evenly over crust.
Topping: In a small bowl, whisk together flour and granulated sugar until well blended. Stir in almond extract. Using a fork or your fingers, work in butter until evenly combined and mixture resembles coarse crumbs and starts to come together. Crumble topping over top of jam.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 24 minutes or until lightly golden brown around edges. Let cool completely in baking pan on a wire rack.
Using foil extensions, lift cooled squares from pan and place on a cutting board. Fold down edges of foil away from sides. If foil sticks, gently run knife blade between squares and foil to loosen.
Icing: In a small bowl, combine
confectioner’s sugar, 1 tablespoon of the cream and the almond extract. Using a small whisk or a fork, blend until icing is smooth and thin enough to drizzle from a fork. Add more cream as needed to achieve the right consistency. Drizzle icing over cooled squares.Let stand 20 minutes or until the icing is set. Using a long serrated knife, cut into 11⁄2-inch squares. Makes 36 squares.
Tip: Let icing set completely, then store squares between layers of wax paper in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for up to five days.
 © jeanmfogle.com |
When I entered my first culinary competition at the Wisconsin State Fair last summer, I confess I walked in with a dash of inflated attitude about my carrot cake entry.
This cake rocked, at least according to my family of taste testers.
I‘ve made it so many times, I assembled the batter on autopilot. I started mulling over where I would hang my blue ribbon as I pulled out of the driveway heading to the fair, my cake jiggling in the trunk.
What happened at the fair?
Get Baking! Blue-ribbon Winning Raspberry Streusel Squares
That was my carrot cake; sitting amongst the table of beautiful, show-stopping, perfect-cake masterpieces.
At first, I felt like the ugly stepsister who tagged along to the ball, hiding in the crowd of onlookers as the judges started tasting and commenting on the cakes.
But something funny happened on the way to the awarding of the blue ribbon. No, my cake didn’t win, but I had a ball.
I learned so much from the judges’ comments, drew inspiration from the other entrants and felt part of a homespun community of cooking enthusiasts like I had never felt before.
Am I going to enter again this year? You bet. But this time, I’ll be well-seasoned with a toolbox of experiences and tips.
Agricultural Fairs in America
The first American agricultural fair dates back to the early 1800s with the Berkshire County Fair in Massachusetts, with a goal of creating a venue for farmers to come together, share information and educate each other.
This revolutionary idea fully sparked during the mid-1800s with fairs flourishing on both the state and county levels.
While the emphasis remained on celebrating and improving American agriculture, these fairs also quickly became a valuable social outlet and anticipated annual event for farmers in isolated rural areas.
The culinary divisions during these early fairs focused on the practical aspects of home farm life, such as preserving food and making butter and cheese.
As modern times evolved in the 1900s, “table luxury” categories such as cakes started appearing at fairs, indicating how rural life no longer needed to focus on just the basic necessities.
Today, more than 3,000 state and regional fairs take place annually, but the culinary competitions have taken on new roles and perspectives.
With the growth of fast food and convenience outlets, most folks today cook as a hobby and for personal interests rather than out of necessity.
This growing group of people who are passionate about cooking—perhaps fueled by popular cooking competitions on the Food Network—adds a healthy dose of renewed enthusiasm to these culinary competitions.
Top 10 Entry Tips
Tempted to enter your best recipe? Here are 10 tips to help make your experience a success.
While these tips and my experience at the Wisconsin State Fair focus on the baked-goods categories in the culinary competitions, remember there’s a wide range of other categories to enter, from jams and preserved foods to appetizers and casseroles.
1) Start With Research
The culinary arena at the Wisconsin State Fair was not only my first baking competition, it was my first state fair. Bad idea.
Try to visit and check out your county or state fairs the year before you plan to enter, and study the food items on display.
What makes the winning entries special? See if you can identify a “hidden gem” category—one that maybe doesn’t receive that many entries and therefore will be a good entry point for you.
Study cookbooks dedicated to blue-ribbon winners, as they’ll showcase a range of winning recipes across the country. While perspectives and interests vary geographically, study the recipes for commonalities and ideas that you can use in your entry.
2) Register Early and Read the Rules
Most culinary competitions require you to register several weeks or even months before the competition date, with many now offering easy-to-use online registration applications.
Each competition will provide detailed entry instructions, often posted online.
Bottom line: Read the rules carefully and follow them to the inch, ounce, minute. While there’s plenty of opportunity for creativity (see tip 4), interpretation of the rules and regulations is not one of them.
For example, the rules might specifically state that the item must be presented on a certain-sized white paper plate.
“Don’t be concerned if this seems very plain because the plate is not taken into consideration during the judging,” explains Linda Amendt, winner of more than 600 first-place ribbons and currently a competition judge and cookbook author. “In this case, the judges will be focused on the taste and appearance of the item.”
Professional chefs are ineligible to enter. While Amendt amassed her blue-ribbon collection during her culinary competition years, once her Blue Ribbon Preserves cookbook came out, she no longer qualified as an “amateur” and shifted instead to judging competitions.
Some culinary competitions are sponsored by specific companies and require you to use certain brand ingredients in your recipe. King Arthur Flour sponsored the cake competition I entered, and I was required to bring in the empty flour bag to prove I used their flour.
Once you officially enter, the fair organizers will provide you with detailed instructions on the exact time and location to bring your entry, right down to convenient parking recommendations.
With many fairs lasting a week or more, the judging schedule is quite detailed with different categories being judged on different days.
Make sure you read all of this ahead of time and call the fair organizers if you have any questions.
Organizational mistakes can be made, so double check the judging time you’re given with the master schedule that’s usually posted on the fair’s website. During my cake competition day at the fair, a woman walked in with a beautiful appetizer tray. Unfortunately, the appetizer judging took place the day before.
3) Choose Categories Carefully
There are many baked-goods category options for you to contemplate, from the classics like chocolate chip cookies to newer categories based on modern trends, like gluten-free baking.
Pick your category carefully, sticking to something that you feel comfortable and are experienced in making.
“Remember, the simpler a recipe, the more perfect the end product needs to be,” advises Jeanie Jung, a seasoned home economist who has judged Wisconsin state and county fairs for more than 40 years. “Baking-powder biscuits are a good example, as the ingredients don’t really vary; therefore, they need to be made absolutely perfect.”
4) Season With Creativity
What personal, unique touch can you add to the recipe to give it that special something the judges glow over?
Here are some ideas:
5) Write a Perfect Recipe
Make sure your recipe is perfectly written.
Your recipe title should be both engaging and descriptive, pulling the judges in to take a closer look at your entry.
Consider using a rhyme or alliteration for the title, still focused on communicating the entry, such as “Crunchy Cranberry Cobbler.”
6) Add Organization
Entering a culinary competition is different than everyday home cooking.
Take extra care getting organized.
7) Attend to Details
If you take your usual home cooking up a notch when company comes over, think of baking your fair entry as if the president of the United States was stopping by.
“Remember that people—judges included—eat with their eyes, so take particular care that everything looks just right,” advises Jung. “If you’re making multiples of something, such as cookies or rolls, aim to form them as uniform in shape and size as possible.”
8) Transport With Care
Remember how I confessed that my cake was “jiggling in the trunk”?
Avoid that and craft a perfect arrival of your entry with a dash of strategic preparation.
“Stop by a cake-supply store [party-supply store] and pick up a cake box,” Amendt recommends. “These inexpensive cardboard boxes work well to transport your item, and then you can simply carry the box into the judging area. Add twisted towels as needed in your trunk to hold the box in place so it doesn’t slide around.”
9) Learn from the Judges
“Remember that every judge brings their own personal preferences and biases to the judging session, such as some like crunchy cookies while others prefer chewy varieties,” Amendt explains.
“The key for you as an entrant is to not focus on the winning, but to simply relax, have a good time and learn from the process.”
From my experience, the judging session, which is typically open to the public, proved to be the most interesting part of the process.
When I first saw Jung on stage “eating with her eyes” and staring at my entry, I felt self-conscious, but this quickly melted away as she started talking to the audience about successful baking, cake tips and savvy insight based on her years as a trained home economist.
Judges, like Jung, aim to be constructive and positive. Judging is anonymous, so no one, including the judges, knows which entry belongs to whom until after the awarding of the ribbons. Even though I came out of that session sans blue ribbon, I took home a bushel of tips and left itching to get back in the kitchen.
If your entry wins a ribbon, it typically will be held for display throughout the rest of the fair, at which point it will be thrown out for food safety issues.
Remember to bring some Tupperware or other containers to bring your item back home if you don’t win. Non-winning items usually need to be picked up immediately after the judging session.
10) Have Fun and Return
Bottom line: Culinary competitions at fairs create reasons to gather together as a community to celebrate the joys and pleasures of home cooking.
“But be forewarned: Entering county- and state-fair culinary competitions can be addictive,” Amendt says with a smile. “Folks may enter one item their first year and come back the following with entries in multiple categories.”
Amendt accurately recaped my experience: I started plotting what I would enter next year as I sat in the audience watching the judging.
Think about involving friends and family and coming to the fair together, each entering items in the same category.
I’m planning to recruit my mother, another enthusiastic cook, to come next year and we’ll both take on another favorite category of ours—appetizers—and share a fun day together at the fair.
“The spirit of these competitions remains enjoyable and encouraging to everyone to further develop their love of cooking,” sums up Jung. “I remember I once had two loaves of bread in one category that were totally different bread recipes but were identical in shape and size and must have come out of the same pan. Turns out the entries were from a husband and wife who each entered their own bread version.”
In addition to all the personal benefits of entering culinary competitions, such as fun and learning, you’re also helping to keep this agriculture-rooted fair tradition alive and vibrant.
While the exhibits might have changed over the years, the fair’s roots remain true to celebrating and enhancing American agriculture. Who knows—you or I may someday claim the title of “Queen of the Fair,” an honorary distinction many fairs give to the person winning the most ribbons each year.
About the Author: Lisa Kivirist is the co-author of ECOpreneuring and Rural Renaissance and is a W.K. Kellogg Food and Society Policy Fellow. You can find her dreaming about her blue-ribbon winner for next year’s Wisconsin State Fair on her Wisconsin farm and B&B, Inn Serendipity.
 Photo by Stephanie Gang |
Keep a steady supply of these cookies on hand for your canine pal.
Ingredients
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
Mix together the oats, bouillon cubes, and margarine in a large bowl. Add the boiling water and allow the heat to dissolve the bouillon cubes and margarine. Add the remaining ingredients except the all-purpose flour. Form the mix into a big ball, adding flour as needed to make a stiff dough.
Roll out the dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Use dog- or bone-shaped cookie cutters to cut out cookie shapes. Place them on the cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Let the cookies cool completely before offering as treats.
Arden Moore has a few more of the homemade, healthy dog treat recipes from her book to share. (Have you seen the ones people can eat, too?)
It’s time to toss out one of gardening’s last unwritten rules.
You know the one: Hide the vegetables out back, and give the strictly ornamental plants top billing along walkways and in front of the house.
There’s a new aesthetic taking shape—edible landscaping.
The conscious mixing of utilitarian plants like beans, greens and tomatoes with ornamental ones is blurring the old lines between the plants we really use and those we grow simply for show.
The concept isn’t exactly new. After all, we’ve all seen fancy cabbages and kale in cool shades of purple and teal mixed with the requisite mums of spring and fall.
Still, while they’re technically edible, those brassicas probably look better than they taste. Palate-pleasing and just as attractive are heirloom varieties of kale, Swiss chard, collards and other hardy greens that readily accentuate annuals like cheery pansies and Bachelor’s buttons, and they look good on a plate, too.
In the right climates, some veggies can add a little winter interest and, as it happens, many vegetables and herbs can solve specific problems in your garden beds.
For example, because it will smother competing plants, lettuce sown thickly between established perennial flowers can cut down on the need to weed around them.
Whether it’s to save on trips to the grocery, to grow more produce from less space, to try out new varieties, or to break out of a gardening rut, there are plenty of reasons to create new landscapes that are as luscious as they are lush.
Before you break out your shovel, make a list of the produce you’re sure you’ll actually use.
After all, some purple kohlrabi or mammoth red cabbages may look stunning when paired with those Oriental poppies, but what good are they if you’ve never gotten the hang of preparing them in the kitchen?
In addition to your personal preferences, you’ll also want to consider the preferences of the fruits and vegetables you wish to grow. Most will require at least six hours of full sun each day and at least 1 inch of water per week, and most everything will perform best when grown in well-draining soil that’s rich in organic matter.
Not sure about your soil quality? You can contact your county extension office to arrange a soil assay; amend your edible landscaping beds accordingly.
Fresh compost, worm castings or sea kelp meal are just a few organic soil-building options, if needed.
Also, before growing any produce in close proximity to your home, barns or outbuildings, it’s a good idea to have the surrounding soil tested for harmful levels of lead, dioxin and other harmful contaminants. Should you find a problem in a particular area, plan to stick with only ornamentals there.
As with traditional ornamental beds, the most prominent edible landscapes offer a variety of plant heights and habits, bloom times, colors and textures, but deciding just what should go where can be a little overwhelming.
Before you start any seeds or head for your favorite nursery, grab a pencil and sketch pad. Trying different ideas on paper first will save wear-and-tear on you and your plants.
Because they’ll take up the most space, start with fruit or nut trees, berry-laden shrubs, and trellises for pole beans, peas and other climbing vegetables. Make a note of the height and spread of different varieties at maturity, then plan to fill in the gaps with medium- and small-sized plants.
If you’re located in a warm climate, you have many fruit- and nut-tree options at your disposal:
They all can be shaped into attractive topiaries or espaliers by more advanced landscapers.
Northerly gardeners have some toothsome choices, too, including:
Unless you have room for multiple trees, look for “self-fruiting” varieties, which can be planted by themselves and will bear fruit via their own pollen.
Both well-suited to beginners, most apple and pear trees usually require at least one other variety to be growing nearby for cross pollination. Among the easiest fruit trees for beginners to grow, pears like the New Century Asian pear are hardy to zone 4 and are at least partially self-fruiting.
Another way to get the most out of your growing area? Opt for a dwarf or semi-dwarf tree that will produce normal-sized fruits on another, smaller tree’s rootstock. While dwarf trees usually grow to between 8 and 15 feet high, semi-dwarf trees can reach 12 to 20 feet tall.
For gardeners with more room to play, the American persimmon tree is certainly worth a look. Typically hardy to zones 4 through 8, the American persimmon features blue-tinged leaves that contrast well with its orange, apricot-like fruits.
Another handsome producer, the paw paw tree grows well in Kentucky and Virginia, zones 6 and 7, respectively. It bears mango-sized fruits reminiscent of the Cavendish banana.
There’s at least one highly productive tree to avoid in the edible landscape: the black walnut. To prevent competition from forest understory, the tree releases juglone, a chemical that is toxic to many plants. As a result, getting other plants to grow alongside or underneath a black walnut tree can be tricky.
Black raspberries, currants, gooseberries and even blueberries are just some of the woody shrubs that work well when mixed with ornamentals and, with the exception of blueberries, which prefer slightly acidic growing conditions, they shouldn’t need any special treatment in loamy soils.
Just what will they need? Plenty of space.
Many berry-producing shrubs will grow up to 5 or 6 feet tall, but dwarf and semi-dwarf varieties are sometimes available.
For camoflaging unsightly spots or providing a little extra privacy, you can train sweet potato vines, sugar snap peas or climbing beans up a few teepee-style poles or along a high fence or wall.
Featuring deep-red and red-and-cream-colored flowers respectively, Scarlet Runner and Painted Lady are just a couple of runner bean varieties that will thrive in cooler climates or in spring or fall gardens.
Gardeners with very hot summers—especially those in the South and Southwest—will have success with East Asian long beans like the Taiwan black long bean and the Chinese red noodle bean.
True to its name, the Taiwan long bean boasts lime-green bean pods about 40 inches long with black beans inside. Nearly as dramatic, the Chinese red noodle bean produces crimson pods up to 18 inches long. (And, unlike other brightly colored bean varieties, when cooked, these pods will retain much of their color.)
For a more long-term privacy screen, gardeners in mild climates can trellis grape vines; before committing to a particular variety, contact local vintners to arrange a taste test and to find out which varieties will thrive in your area.
Not all fruits need be born of vines and shrubs.
A perennial favorite, strawberries can be used to cover large, low spots, but the usual running varieties won’t stay in one place for long.
For a more low-maintenance solution, you can plant alpine strawberries, which don’t reproduce by way of runners. What’s more, unlike June-bearing strawberries, alpine strawberries produce fruit all summer long; the berries are much smaller than those of running strawberries, but they’re flavorful and sweet. Bordering a bed of Shasta daisies, baby’s breath or yarrow, the alpine strawberry’s glossy green leaves and bright scarlet berries really pop.
Herbs such as chamomile, thyme, rosemary and oregano may have understated flowers, but they bring an impressive range of foliage textures and colors to the table.
Pair them with silvery lamb’s ear, dusty miller or caladium for a bold effect.
Even asparagus has a place in the edible landscape. Long after its tasty spears have gone, asparagus sends up arching, feathery plumes that can make a perfect backdrop for sunflowers, coreopsis or black-eyed Susans.
Some of our traditionally ornamental plants also have culinary value. Case in point: The flowers of calendula, sometimes known as pot marigold, are edible and make a somewhat spicy addition to fresh salads.
So, too, do nasturtium blooms and leaves, which grow nicely next to many varieties of basil. (Incidentally, if you plan to harvest any basil leaves for use in salads or sauces, once the plant is allowed to flower, its leaves will turn bitter. To maintain good flavor, simply pinch off any flower buds.)
Blending herbs, vegetables and fruits with tried-and-true ornamentals may feel a little bit rebellious, but it definitely has its rewards.
The unexpected combinations of color and texture range from pleasantly surprising to downright breathtaking. Best of all, edible landscapes don’t just feed the gardener, they feed the soul.
Even creatures of habit can make new habits.
If you continually relegate your vegetables to the same rigid rows in out-of-the-way plots, you might want to ease your way into the edible landscape.
One simple way to start? Add a bountiful border of salad greens to your existing annual and perennial garden beds, or add a surprising dash of color with dwarf peppers and tomatoes.
For a well-defined, more formal-looking landscape, make sure the soil is level and well-cultivated before direct seeding, and use small garden stakes and twine to cordon off the edges to be planted.
What types of edibles you’ll plant will depend in part on what established ornamental varieties you hope to accent.
With its profusion of chocolaty-purple leaves, red Romaine lettuce deftly sets off a bed of nasturtiums in full flower, for instance.
Edible selections can just as easily serve to soften hard edges in the garden and add a little sophistication to the most pedestrian of annual beds.
Present in edible landscapes largely for the texture of their foliage, fern-like carrots or feathery dill, when grown in wide bands or solid patches, really dress up the dwarf ageratum, marigolds, coleus and other annuals they surround.
Of course, those carrots along with lettuce, spinach and other cool-weather veggies will, ultimately, go to seed when the weather turns hot, but even when allowed to bolt, the remaining vegetation still can serve to shade out many summer weeds, translating to less time with the hand cultivator and hoe.
Easy to grow and somewhat heat-tolerant, Swiss chard is another good choice for edible landscape beginners. With vibrant stems of fuschia, red, neon orange and pale yellow, Bright Lights Swiss chard is a must-have for splashes of high-impact color.
If you prefer especially tidy planting beds year-round, you can always pull up any spent spinach and lettuce plants and replace them with a few heat-loving peppers such as the bushy Tabasco chili. Growing up to 4 feet tall, Tabasco chili pepper plants produce pale-green pods that range from a warm orange to the pepper’s trademark fire engine-red.
If space is a little tight, you might try something smaller, like the more compact Thai dragon chili pepper. Pretty and prolific, the Thai dragon chili grows to about 2 feet tall.
Tomatoes are another good bet for those new to the edible landscape. A couple worth noting are Yellow pear—an extremely productive and sweet-tasting heirloom cherry that will need to be caged or staked—and Red robin—a dwarf cherry that reaches just 8 to 12 inches tall and packs on tight clusters of tiny-but-serviceable red fruits.
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This is a stunning vegetable dish. However, don’t serve it alongside the pork—that would definitely be overkill. With a pot-roast or some well-roasted beef, these fantastic root vegetables will have your mouth watering.
Ingredients
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Peel the parsnips, halve them crosswise and then halve or quarter each piece lengthwise. Place the parsnips into a roasting pan. Pour the oil over the parsnips, and mix them well so that the oil covers all of the pieces. Pour the maple syrup over the parsnips, and transfer the roasting tin to the oven.
Roast the parsnips for 35 minutes or until they’re tender and golden-brown. Serve while hot and crispy.
Ingredients
Preparation
Break the eggs into a bowl and beat well. Whisk in flour, salt and milk to make a very smooth batter of pouring consistency. Set aside for at least 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, take a metal muffin tray and pour a tiny amount (less than a teaspoon-full) of light vegetable oil into the base of each individual “muffin place.” Heat the oven to 400 degrees F and pop the muffin tray in to heat up the oil.
When the oil is hot (you can test by dropping a tiny spot of batter into the tray—the oil should sizzle when the two meet), give the batter a quick stir and then fill each muffin place with batter to almost full.
Hurry the tray back into the oven for 35 to 45 minutes—try not to open the oven door for the first 30 minutes, but check on them after that. Muffin trays vary in size, and your cooking time will vary accordingly. They should come out of the oven when they’re golden brown and risen.
Serve hot with pure maple syrup and sour cream. Serves 6 (two small puddings per person).
Got a Hungry Pooch? Click here for more of Arden Moore’s homemade dog treats. |
Have some fun and hone your dog’s fetching skills by tossing him a few of these meatballs at dinnertime.
Ingredients
Preparation
