You might not think of a turnip the way you do a carrot, but you could. Turnips can be eaten raw or cooked. Like a carrot, the turnip can be boiled or steamed. You can serve them in soups and stews or puréed, stuffed or braised. There are two seasons of the year when turnips
Can there actually be two “World’s Best Cucumber”? To decide, taste ‘Diva’ and ‘Amira’ two very tasty slicing cucumbers. ‘Diva’ comes to the competition with all of the fanfare. In 2002, ‘Diva’ became an All-America Selection—which is a sort of growers’ Academy Award for best performing plants. ‘Amira’ has never taken home the All-America Selection
You might compare the flavor of a pluot to a blend of fruit juices. That’s why you will often hear the pluot described as intensely sweet and fruity. That’s not too surprising given that the pluot’s parents are the plum and the apricot. Because the pluot is ¾ plum, it is no surprise that it
Rainer cherries Not all cherries are created cherry red. Ranier is a yellow and red skinned cherry that it is one of the sweetest cherries you will ever taste. There are two cherry varieties with patially yellow or golden skins: Rainer and Royal Ann. Royal Ann–sometimes called Napoleon–is golden yellow blushed with red. Rainer is
Wood ash from a fireplace or woodstove can be a good source of plant nutrients calcium, potassium, and phosphorus in the garden. Wood ash is alkaline—about half as alkaline as lime—so it can be used to balance acid soil, but it should not be used on alkaline soils—as found in most of the western United
You don’t have to get fancy to enjoy Brussels sprouts. Simply steam or sauté the sprouts and serve them with butter or lemon or sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, like you see here. To steam Brussels sprouts, arrange the sprouts or pieces on a steamer rack. Bring 1 to 2 inches of water to a rapid
Battered and baked turnips Let turnips surprise you. They may not be wildly popular but they can be tasty. Here are a few suggestions for serving turnips: • Serve slices of raw young turnips with olives and cherry tomatoes to make a simple appetizer. • Shave raw turnips, crisp them in iced water, sprinkle with
Getting seeds started indoors can be as simple as re-purposing pressed-paper egg cartons. Egg carton cups are just the right size for starting seeds and growing seedlings on to size. Half egg shells and newspaper cones set in egg carton compartments will work just as well. Poke a hole in the bottom of each egg
Seviche is a blend of fresh raw saltwater fish, lime juice, and the addition of vegetables and spices. Seviche is popular as both an appetizer and main course in many Latin American countries. Seviche–which is also spelled ceviche or cebiche–is said to have originated in the ancient Inca civilizations of Peru and Ecuador. The essence
Apple slices and snow peas A refreshing, fruity balance of sour and sweet, apple slices are versatile—and widely matched for flavor. Sweeter varieties such as Fuji and Gala are right for desserts—match them with cream, ice cream, and honey; tart varieties such as Braeburn and Granny Smith are suited to dark greens such as spinach
