Scabby Potatoes & Summery Salads

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Scab is the athlete’s foot of the garden, present everywhere

Cleaning Up Scabby Soil

The Pea Patch I inherited produced a lot of volunteers this spring, relicts of past crops. I left a lot of the borage for the pollinators, which are eagerly nuzzling the bright blue blossoms from dawn until dusk. Kale also sprouted everywhere and we ate the thinnings for months. Potatoes also popped up everywhere, as they do; once you grow potatoes, you’ll always have them. Those tiny potato-ettes hide in the soil when we harvest the bigger ones and lurk over the winter, only to sprout vigorously come spring. I harvested over ten pounds a few weeks ago from plants spilling into the path, and this weekend dug up almost as many more. Sadly, they’re all scabby to some degree. Happily, that doesn’t matter to their flavor or nutrient quality. Some can be scrubbed fairly clean, but the worst of them do need to be peeled, which does remove some of the vitamins.

I can’t complain about the volunteer crop, but I am concerned about the soil contamination. Common pretty much everywhere potatoes are grown, potato scab is caused by Streptomyces scabies, a saprophytic, bacterium-like organism that can find a host in nightshades as well as carrots and beets and related weeds like Queen Anne’s Lace and pigweeds (Amaranths). Scab also overwinters in soil and decomposing foliage, which makes getting rid of it entirely unlikely. The best way to clean the soil is to use only fully mature compost and to grow a cover crop from a family that is not an alternate host (that rules out buckwheat). Once I clear the bed in autumn, I’ll sow annual clover and plant cool season greens, from arugulas and chicories to (of course) several kinds of kale. As volunteer potatoes appear next year, I’ll dig them out and plant more greens in their place. When I do grow potatoes again, I’ll only use organically raised seed tubers from scab-resistant varieties such as Russets such as Norgold, Nooksack, Russet Burbank, and Targhee, which are less susceptible than smooth-skinned potatoes.

Scrubbed with a nail brush, the baby skin is revealed

Caring For New Potatoes

Meanwhile, we’ve been enjoying a succession of potato salads, since young potatoes are best used quickly. These youngster potatoes come in all sizes, some quite large, yet dug this early, their skins are still baby soft under that scabby coat. Unlike potatoes harvested at maturity, soaked and scrubbed baby potatoes should be used within a few days. Don’t refrigerate raw potatoes; cool temperatures convert raw potato starches to sugars, making them taste oddly sweet and altering their cooking properties. Store potatoes in a cool, dry place, always out of direct light, as light shock from bright indoor lights can cause them to develop the same green protective coloration as sunlight does in the garden. The green color is caused by chlorophyll but can also indicate the presence of glycoalkaloids such as solanine, a bitter flavor agent that is best removed by peeling.

Here are two summery potato salads that won accolades at a community dinner last night. Both are lighter and fresher tasting than the usual gloppy kinds and both taste best at room temperature (though any leftovers should be refrigerated). Both recipes are easily doubled for potlucks.

Potato & Sugar Pod Pea Salad

The last of the sugar pod peas meet the first of the potatoes in this light, fresh tasting salad that’s bright with lemon thyme and fennel greens. If you don’t like cilantro, use parsley (or use both if you’re a fan!).

Potato & Pea Pod Salad

4 cups potatoes cut in 1-inch pieces (more or less)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup rice or plum vinegar
2 cups sugar snap pea pods, cut in half-inch pieces
1 cup thinly sliced celery with green tops
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fennel foliage
1 teaspoon stemmed lemon thyme
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1/2 cup stemmed cilantro or parsley

Cook potatoes in rapidly boiling water with 1/2 teaspoon salt until just fork tender (about 12-15 minutes). Meanwhile put 2 tablespoons vinegar into a serving bowl with pea pods, celery, onions, fennel, and thyme. Drain cooked potatoes immediately when done and put them into the serving bowl on top of the other ingredients. Sprinkle hot potatoes with oil, remaining vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon salt and let stand for five minutes. Add cilantro and/or parsley and gently mix. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 4-6. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.

Basil Dressing Light

This flavorful yet light dressing partners well with this ever-changing version of the usual potato salad; it’s ‘run through the garden’, rich with anything and everything that’s ripe and ready. Using some vegetables cooked and others raw makes for a pleasing variety of textures and flavors. If you have a stick blender, put the basil in a larger measuring cup, add the oil and blend for a few seconds, then use a small rubber spatula to get all the dressing on the salad.

Gardenly Potato Salad With Basil Dressing

4 cups potatoes cut in 1-inch pieces (more or less)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cups chopped sweet peppers
1 cup thinly sliced celery with green tops
1 cup green beans, chopped in 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup lightly packed, stemmed basil, chopped
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1/8 teaspoon hot paprika

Cook potatoes in rapidly boiling water with 1/2 teaspoon salt until just fork tender (about 12-15 minutes). Meanwhile put 1 teaspoon oil into a skillet with onions and 1 cup of the peppers over medium heat and cook for 3 minutes, stirring now and then. Add celery and green beans, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt, cover pan, reduce heat to medium low and cook until beans are barely tender (2-3 minutes). Remove from heat, set aside. Drain cooked potatoes immediately when done and put them into a serving bowl. Sprinkle hot potatoes with vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon salt and let stand for five minutes. Add cooked vegetables, remaining peppers, and cherry tomatoes and gently mix. With an immersion blender, blend basil, remaining oil, paprika, and a pinch of salt, drizzle over the salad and gently stir to coat. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 4-6. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Care & Feeding, Early Crops, Garden Prep, Health & Wellbeing, pests and pesticides, Soil, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living, Vegan Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

There’s Power In A Single Tree

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Urban neighborhoods benefit even from tiny trees

Planting Trees For People & The Planet

During the recent heat dome event, walking through my increasingly urban neighborhood made the value of neighborhood trees clear. Even as temperatures soared, places where trees provided shade stayed noticeably cooler than nearby streets and sidewalks, which reached egg-cooking heat. In homes without shade, indoor temperatures were in the 90s, proving dangerous for elderly occupants. Shortly afterward, I was asked to make a determination about a tall cedar that’s impinging on two neighboring homes. Five years ago, an arborist had noted that both neighbors had added on structures that crowded the large trunk of the cedar, in one case cutting into the tree’s base to make room for the building extension. Now the tree is slowly pushing over the power pole on one property, crushing gutters and breaking the roof soffits, and buckling the deck on the other.

I live in a neighborhood of mobile and manufactured homes, some brand new, most older. Decades ago, the neighborhood was surrounded by Doug firs and cedars, many of which were left in place as the mobile home park developed. As the park grew, so did the trees. Now, there’s a lot of pressure to remove the oldest and largest evergreen trees. Huge widow maker limbs can fall during wind storms. After some sixty years, an over-planted row of firs is full of dead and damaged trees with roots unstabilized by increasing building and water drainage, and some have fallen on home roofs. Wildfire protection warnings encourage removal of evergreen trees that overhang homes, which can help fires hop from roof to roof. So what do I do?

The Value Of A Tree

Like most of the way-too-many mature evergreens in the neighborhood, this random cedar was probably a volunteer that was simply left in place despite the fact that it would become a nuisance if not a hazard over time. Removing huge, maturing trees like this one is expensive, no doubt. Not only will it cost thousands of dollars to have the tree taken down, but its removal will displace a significant amount of the wildlife that makes this urban neighborhood feel like a country oasis. We love our birds and squirrels (well, mostly) and every big tree that comes down takes away food and shelter for the critters. Equally important is the amount of air cleaning and oxygen production large trees provide. Last and least, the cedar protects my home from blistering afternoon sun.

I’ve been pondering all this and grieving that thoughtless planting and planning has created such a sad situation, where majestic, life-supporting trees are cut down because they impinge on human preferences. As with so many equity issues, most of us talk a good talk about loving and protecting trees, but when it comes to our own property, or our neighborhood, or our cities, or our highways, or even our parks, trees almost always lose out to “progress”. Just how much do we actually value trees? Do we truly recognize how much trees contribute to our comfort and well being? Most of us vaguely understand that trees support every living thing on our planet, from bacteria to behemoths like elephants and whales. We may know that trees convert carbon dioxide and other harmful-to-humans gasses into the oxygen we breathe and the natural sugars that nourish trees and create autumn foliage colors. We might even realize that, in some situations, trees can even promote rainfall.

Even A Single Tree

A big, flourishing tree like the cedar next door can provide enough oxygen to keep four of us alive all day. Over the course of a year, a tree like this absorbs and store nearly 50 pounds of carbon, some in its wood, some deep in the soil. Its shade and wind protection are increasingly important as weather becomes more extreme. This is especially true in urban settings, where even highly artificial parks provide measurable benefits. According to a recent study, even narrow, raggedy roadside verges host surprisingly diverse microbial communities that sequester carbon and filter pollutants from soil, air and water. Even the simplest urban greenspaces form similarly complex ecosystems that also promote human mental and physical wellbeing.

A new study from American University shows that even a single tree can reduce pollution, mitigate neighborhood noise, and lower ambient temperatures for hours in urban settings. Another recent study measured temperature differences in urban neighborhoods just a few blocks apart. Not surprisingly, heavily treed neighborhoods were cooler and cleaner, while those without trees and greenery were far less pleasant. Now guess which were wealthy neighborhoods and which were lower income? Correct.

How We Can Protect Our Trees

All this makes me curious about how we can support more trees and greenspaces in our neighborhoods, towns and cities. A quick search brings up many options, notably the Arbor Day Foundation, which offers free saplings of fast-growing trees to all who request them. True, the saplings are tiny, but I’ve had very good luck in growing them on and transplanting them with school kids over the years. Many people know about that program, but fewer are aware of the Arbor Day Foundation’s full range of opportunities to get involved in tree planting initiatives pretty much everywhere. The Community Tree Recovery program promotes healing and replacing trees after natural disasters. Tree City USA connects us to community forestry projects and helps us start one locally if need be. Tree Campus K-12 offers tree stewardship programs to schools, helping kids connect human quality of life with the health and wellbeing of trees. There’s a lot more to explore, so check it out:

https://www.arborday.org/

Unless you can provide ample water, high summer isn’t the greatest time to plant trees. However, it’s a great time to locate both private and public places where trees would be a blessing. It’s also a good time to do some research and make a list of appropriate trees for each spot. Appropriate placement is a good way to avoid having to kill a healthy tree because it was planted in the wrong place. Remember that trees grow, so make sure they’ll have both ground space and air space to reach their full potential. Don’t place trees too near a home; shade trees should be placed far enough away that branches won’t touch the building even at maturity. Be aware of overhead wires and the overhanging, ever expanding canopy of existing trees.

A good source for partnering plants and placement in the Maritime Northwest is the Great Plant Picks website. Created by a panel of local and regional plant professionals, this annually updated site offer lists for many situations along with cultural information, including accurate height and width at 10 years and at maturity. So let’s all pledge to partner with trees, helping to care for existing trees and planting new ones whenever possible. Onward, right?

https://www.greatplantpicks.org/

 

 

 

Posted in Birds In The Garden, Climate Change, Garden Design, Gardening With Children, Health & Wellbeing, Plant Diversity, Plant Partnerships, Social Justice, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living, Teaching Gardening | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Of Peas And Inner Peace

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Tasty and beautiful garden bounty

Snappy Summer Salads That Celebrate Peas

As I harvest my peas, I often think about a friend who died some years ago. Dave Ullin was a big man in every sense of the word, large in stature, huge in spirit and enormous in kindness. If you didn’t know Dave, a timid person might have crossed the road to avoid passing him on the sidewalk; his hulking form, shaved-bald head, worn canvas overalls and giant tool bag added up to a formidable looking whole. Yet stop and speak to him and his face split into an engagingly sweet smile. His manner was unfailingly courteous, his voice always low and gentle. He seemed like Paul Bunyon’s brother, a man out of time, not least because he spent a lot of time helping people fix things with the traditional tools stowed in that old fashioned canvas tool bag. Dave treated everyone with respect, young or old or in between: Not many people would take the time to make a small adze or wood plane for a curious child who wanted to try woodworking the old way, but Dave did such things often, freely sharing his skills and knowledge with anyone who showed up.

Over the years, Dave Ullin helped with many community projects at schools and in island parks. He helped a team of volunteers rebuild an old settler’s cabin using traditional techniques, demonstrating to an awestruck crowd how to cut down towering firs with an axe and a cross-cut saw, then hauling away the trunks with the help of his friend Betsey’s enormous draft horses. If his great size and strength made him seem dangerous, he was absolutely a man of peace. He talked often about how much more peaceful the world would be if we could slow down and take pleasure in simple, purposeful work. Dave enjoyed teaching others how to mend clothes and tools, something he did often, as he was a firm believer in the old adage; “use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.” He preferred to do whatever work came to hand rather than anything that might seem frivolous, but did enjoy both practical and philosophical conversations about many things, from gardening and mending socks to defending personal freedoms and making sure no one was ever left out in anything he was involved with.

Meet The Man

Here’s a short video of this remarkable man at work and at rest. Take five minutes to watch it and I’m guessing your day will have a new savor:

One With The Work
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK0U3oxya84

Of Peace And Peas

I remember Dave when I harvest peas because his jam-packed memorial service featured not just stories and music but a big burlap sack of local snap peas, plump and sweet. Handfuls of peas were passed around the room as people gathered to remember or learn more about this unforgettable man. Now that I’m gardening in the community garden he helped create, I think often about Dave and his love for growing things and especially for fresh vegetables. Is there anything more delicious than fresh peas, straight off the bush? Crisp and tender, earthy and sweet, raw peas are a favorite nosh for my grandkids too, and when we pick peas, we eat as many as make it into our harvest bags.

Growing, harvesting, and eating fresh food all seem equally joyful to me. I often think of Dave and how simple, practical, daily work was so satisfying for him. In the community garden, I see other people peacefully puttering, weeding and watering, harvesting and amending soil, planting fall starts or another crop of greens. Many of them say that gardening kept them sane during the pandemic shutdown. For me, gardening has kept me grounded and given me more peace than anything else in my life. And more peas, too. What’s not to love? I think Dave Ullin was living the true Beautiful Life, one of service and kindness, generosity and humble abundance, sharing his skills and knowledge and nurturing community wherever he found himself. Like Dave, I find worthy work deeply satisfying and his life is a model I strive to emulate in my own bumbling way every day. Onward, right?

About Those Peas

Fresh sugar pod peas are too delicious to waste in cooked dishes, but simple, summery salads help celebrate each ingredient. The diagonal cut lets ingredients mingle especially well.

Raspberry Sugar Snap Salad

1 cup sugar snap pea pods
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon maple syrup
pinch of sea salt
2 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 cup raspberries
1/4 cup basil, finely chopped
2 cups ribbon-sliced Romaine lettuce (chiffonade)

Top and tail intact pea pods, pull off the strings and slice in half-inch diagonals, set aside. In a serving bowl, whisk together the lime juice, maple syrup and salt. Adjust to taste, add remaining ingredients (including peas) and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately. Serves at least one.

Terrifically Tart

Tart pie cherries, fresh ginger root, and cilantro or parsley give pod peas even more snap. Raw cabbage adds to the crunch factor, though a few minutes rest in the dressing pre- “cooks” it a bit.

Pod Pea & Tart Cherry Salad

2 cups (about 16) snap peas in the pod
1 cup chopped pitted tart cherries (or any kind)
1 cup very thinly sliced red cabbage
1/4 cup finely chopped Walla Walla Sweet onion
1/4 cup stemmed cilantro OR parsley
1-2 teaspoons grated ginger root
1-2 teaspoons seasoned rice vinegar

Top and tail intact pea pods, pull off the strings and slice thinly on the diagonal. In a serving bowl, gently toss peas with remaining ingredients, adjust ginger and vinegar to taste and let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Best at room temperature. Serves at least one.

 

Posted in Health & Wellbeing, Recipes, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living, Vegan Recipes | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Freedom From Fear

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Soothing, scented roses help us relax

Seeing Our Way

While I truly love my country, I really don’t enjoy the Fourth of July. Last night, as fireworks exploded all around the island, our cats cowered and cried in terror, along with millions of other critters, domestic and wild, all around the country. Veterinarians, veterans, and recent immigrants also dread the annual barrage, which triggers PTSD in those for whom big booms awaken fear and represent destruction, death, damage and endless loss. I woke up this morning to swirling fog, heavy with the smell of smoke from regional wildfires. Like last week’s heatwave, the stench of burning forests leaves me feeling sick and sad. Oh, and scared. Still scared: When the heat hit like a hammer, many of us found ourselves reacting with fear, as if to a fresh trauma, which in a way it was.

Unprecedented high temperatures are traumatic and terrifying because such heat is one more thing we have no control over. It can be life threatening for people who live in urban settings, in small apartments or homes that lack air conditioning, or for everyone when power goes out. Such heat is a harbinger of worse climate changes in the wings. Fortunately, heatwaves in the maritime PNW are far and few between. Or they were. Recent decades have seen a steady increase in the number and intensity of heatwaves, along with a steady reduction in rainfall. Drought has triggered a legion of woes for our native plants as well as people, and when plants suffer, so do birds, bees, bears and other wildlife. The past few years have felt like a blur of continual assaults on the natural world and on people. The inexcusable lack of effective leadership during the pandemic created even more trauma for millions of people in our country and billions worldwide. After all that, BOOM isn’t what I want to focus on.

Keeping Track Of Hope


What I do want is to find and appreciate ways in which our beleaguered country is improving. Fortunately, I’m finding them every day, in my family, in my neighborhood, in my community, in my state, and in the world. To help me remember them , I’ve started keeping lists of positive programs and beneficial changes that are shifting us inch by inch towards a more equitable world culture. Among those things to be hopeful about, here’s a big one for me: Washington State’s new Office of Equity, headed by Dr. Karen Johnson, a woman whose curriculum vitae reads like a lifetime of being a tireless force for good. (Curious? Check this out: https://www.governor.wa.gov/news-media/inslee-names-karen-johnson-phd-director-new-state-office-equity). Recently Dr. J met with equity groups all over the state, inviting responses to a listening survey designed to identify gaps, shortfalls, and blind spots in current programs and services that contribute to inequities. That openness and willingness to see and hear make me hopeful.

Here’s another powerful woman who gives me hope: Hilary Franz, Washington State’s Commissioner of Public Lands, who is responsible for protecting some six million acres of public land. She has worked hard to create positive relationships on both sides of the mountains, helping communities recover after wildfires destroy towns and homes, reminding us that about 88% of wildfires are caused by human carelessness. When she issued a state-wide burn ban before the Fourth of July weekend, it got less pushback than usual, since our wildfire season has already started and the state is tinder dry. People are starting to take more responsibility and be more aware of the consequences of their actions. Hilary’s wise, thoughtful community building work and its results make me hopeful.

Hello, Fear, What Are You Doing Here?

Over the last few years, many of us have developed a reflexive fear response to anything that feels like a threat. Last year, smoke levels were so high here that household smoke alarms were set off in the middle of the night. Everyone was constantly monitoring air quality along with local covid rates, and this morning’s smoky start had me checking AQI levels again and again, just to be sure. By midday, the outdoor fog began to lift but I was still caught in a fog of fear. Not just the pandemic brain fog so many of us are still experiencing, but an unreasoning fear that too often clouds my ability to see situations clearly. Fear can blind any of us, especially when we are repeatedly knocked off base. We may center back up the first few times, but eventually it gets harder to find our way home. Fear creates blindness, and while it’s classically easy to see blind spots in other people, it’s much trickier to see our own.

These days, when I notice my automatic fear response, I greet it and ask it what it wants. That may sound silly, but listening for an answer helps me slow down, breathe deeply, and center up before reacting. Fear wants to keep us safe, but when it blinds us, we’re apt to stumble around in the dark. When fears flare, I’m learning to refocus on thoughts and actions that are helpful and healing. Nearly always, that guides me to promoting and nurturing community. Encouraging conversations instead of confrontations. Listening to younger generations and unfamiliar voices. see our way clear together, now and into the future. Onward, right?

Soothing Rose Salve

When the heat hit, I gathered dozens of withering roses, stripping the petals and drying them for many uses. This simple salve is soothing to dry skin, its fragrance comforting to the spirit. Wide mouth 4-ounce canning jars are easiest to use, but any kind will do.

Rose Petal Skin Salve

8 cups petals from organically raised roses
4 cups organic coconut oil

Strip petals from roses and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Let petals dry indoors in shade to preserve the fragrance (it usually takes a day or two to dry them). Fill clean 8-ounce canning jars with rose petals, gently packed. Put the coconut oil in sunlight until it’s melted, then pour into the jars. Seal jars and put them in the sun to heat up for 2-4 hours. Move jars to indoor shade and let stand overnight. Next day, return the jars to the sun until oil is melted, then pour oil through a fine mesh sieve into clean 4-ounce jars. Seal jars and let cool, refrigerating if indoor temperatures keep the oil liquid. Rub a little oil on your skin and breathe in the lovely, refreshing fragrance. Makes about 4 cups.

Posted in Climate Change, Health & Wellbeing, Recipes, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living | Tagged , , | 2 Comments