Pick of the Planet, Plants and Beyond

Healing aloe

2011-12-19T11:52:00.000-08:00

My latest experiment in healthful smoothies, liquados as they are known here, is the inclusion of fresh aloe. It is delicious and very good for you. Aloe is well known for healing skin or epidermis, the lining of the stomach and the intestines has the same properties and for this reason aloe delivers great curative powers to the stomach. The important ingredient is the preparation of the aloe “filet”. After experimenting with a few methods this works best for me, take a lovely large and juicy leaf and clean and dry it. (Be prepared to get your hands all gooey, but the amazing thing is if you rub it in like a lotion it disappears and you get lovely soft hands. ) You'll need a sharp peeler, a sharp knife and a soup spoon. First of all the cautionary notes: at the base the leaf exudes a bitter yellow to bronze juice, DO NOT USE THIS! This bitter juice will cause severe diarrhea. What you want is the clear jelly inside. I like to have all my other fruit ready in the blender and add the aloe last.

A few pieces of pineapple, some papaya and fresh water is all that is needed. Additions such as other fruit or yogurt are also tasty. The curative effects come from the aloe, papaya and pineapple. The Pineapple and papaya both contain valuable enzymes that aid in digestion. Blend your fruit and if you like throw in a couple of ice cubes. The frothy mixture is a delight to the mouth and taste buds and your insides will thank you.

2011-12-09T10:32:00.000-08:00

Home for lunch, best smoothie so far... fresh coconut, papaya, pineapple, yogurt and a splash of water, nice and refreshing and love those helper enzymes from papaya. An early morning trip to the "bomberos" market yielded some necklaces for Amelia and got the abuelas all excited to bring more next week. I finally figured out how to look interested in something else while I am checking out what I really want. Duh you say, that seems so obvious, I just don't have the acting ability!

I also found some very simple and light sandals at the sunday market and have been wearing them just about full time. They cost about $4.65 a pair with good solid rubber soles.

In these days the weather is dry and sunny and then there are sets of 3 or 4 days with lots of wind, the ritual for the shop keepers is to sprinkle water all around their stalls and on the busy street to keep the dust down. It really helps. This shot is overexposed, the sun is so bright but up on the left is a man sprinkling water all around.

At the dock the other day a man was selling macadamia nuts, not cheap (relative) he says he buys them for about 70Q per pound a little less than $10.00 but they are so amazing fresh from the shell, he carries a hammer with him to release the nuts. That and a few tortillas made lunch. That day I only had boat fare so could only buy a small handful of nuts. If you think I'm obsessed with food here, I AM. So many amazing fresh things, so challenging to clean, the ongoing battle. Off to the lake, that's all for now.

2011-12-08T15:49:00.000-08:00

Sunset tonight a tapestry of grey, black and gold. Usually there is more pink in there. I feel the same way. A day of emotions, the phenomenon of NGO's (non governmental organizations) in 3rd world countries can be trying at times.

In the boat ride to Santa Cruz I overhear some exhuberant, dewey (white american) young men talking about their church and projects here. Don't get me going, isn't this how the troubles began here back in the days of the spanish conquistadors?! At any rate the question remains, such a beautiful country and so much need but how to help by teaching people to help themselves.

Here is my friend Jiff in the new kitchen at Cecap in Santa Cruz. The kids are having fun baking cookies, notice the rapt attention, but after they bake they go over the recipes and talk about what it cost to make the cookies and what they might sell for or what someone might buy one for. This includes time to go by boat to town, gas to bake, not even mentioning the existence of an oven which is a rarity. Most cooking is done on wood fired stove tops. The fact that the school is there to begin with is something short of a miracle and much work by the Amigos de Santa Cruz take a minute to read about this group.

Looking down from the windows of the school one sees incredible beauty and great poverty, the song of life here. These are two views from the same window. When I am walking up the switch back road to the village there is a characteristic smell in the air, wood smoke from cooking fires, dry soil and a slight pitchy dry scent from the grasses that grow alongside the road. I'm not going to mention the other less enticing odors this time!

My friend Francisco and his family live farther up the hill. He has just finished hauling about 300 of the 600 cement blocks, 40 bags of cement, much sand, rebar and wood to add on to his house. The original adobe house has one main room where he, his wife and their 5 sons live. The last several hundred yards of the delivery process is on your back which is actually and improvement from a few years ago when the small pick up truck could only get to the town center with materials! The industry and perseverance is admirable.

2011-12-07T09:18:00.000-08:00

Soaking in the sweet Guatemalan breezes, outside the window a jasmine perfumes the air. I have a few projects brewing, enfleurage for my collection. By placing a small amount of an unscented light olive oil, soak fresh flowers in the oil, replacing the flowers each day until you are happy with the scent. Last year my jasmin kept it's fragrance all year. Soaking from left to right is alyssum, jasmin, gardenia& honeysuckle.

Last night I decided I needed a touch of home and made some potato latkes much to the surprise of my local family. We ate them inside corn tortillas which was really quite delicious. (Yay for the double carbs.) I was unable to find applesauce in the market and too lazy to make my own. But they were still yummy. I was worried they'd be soggy with the potatoes here but after a brief soak and wringing out in a towel they latkes were deliciously crispy.

Today the plan for a morning swim was altered by strong wind and waves, maybe it will settle down a bit for an afternoon visit. I'm trying to rest and recover after all the work getting the new greenhouses ready for spring production before I left. I'll be hunting around for some odd seeds to trial as I do every year.

Now my idea with the blog is to keep it light and simple so I don't stress about the content and just get some words and images out there for you to enjoy. I would love to get feedback or suggestions if you want me to look at any particulars.

Today in the garden Miguel found this snake and gave him his due, the poisonous snakes have taken over a bit since he was in the states working but he's been out there every day since we arrived trying to get things back under control. Anybody know the identification of this particular snake?

Walking to town the other day I followed a local abuelo in his traje (the customary clothing). I never want to invade people and sneak shots from behind. I hope to include a study of the lovely color combinations that the women put together for their daily dress. Well and I had to put in this photo because it just cracked me up. Barbie goes to Panajachel!

2011-11-11T05:35:00.000-08:00

So, long time no posting. There has been a lot going on. Today will be the short version. I have moved my business to a new location. New and Improved! We are in the construction/restoration phase at the moment but will be planting crops in February 2012. We will be at 192 Breakfast Hill Road in Greenland New Hampshire. I am restoring the greenhouses at the Garden of Eves. It is going really well thanks to the huge amount of support and help from my friends and colleagues, I am forever grateful.

2011 Catalog is now ready

2011-02-08T12:27:00.000-08:00

What a lotta snow we've been getting. Last week we had to shovel and scoop off the snow on the hoop houses to keep them from collapsing! That was fun! This weekend I had to shovel off roofs at my home to keep the water out, more fun. I almost launched myself off the roof into a snow bank, at least I hope it would have eased the landing.

The catalog is out, but it is only in pdf form (no paper copies) so if you are reading this and would like a copy send me a note. I am trying to save paper and mailing costs to offset the cost of transitioning into a biodegradable planting pot. It is made of coconut coir fiber. We are excited about it but do see some issues with the soil filling. It's always something. It will be great for the plants because there is no transplant shock/root damage and when they are planted they will be very happy, and then at the end of the season the compost pile will be happy too.

Here is a closeup of the nice root growth. Another exciting thing is that these pots do not wick like the old peat pots AND they don't turn into a slimy mess that you don't want to touch! I'm off to batten the hatches against this lovely temperature drop. More later.....

(other) Home again

2011-01-12T05:18:00.000-08:00

Returning to the cold, dark north is particularly painful, leaving the warmth of my friends, family and gardens in Guatemala, where going out is as easy as slipping on sandals and skipping down the stairs. I return to my family and friends here and this home is lovely, showing all the love and hard work that went into creating it and in June with the sun shining in it IS the best place in the world. This morning brings the second N'or easter to the coast, and the first I've seen this year. Yes it is lovely, snow falling to almost white out, the bees are huddled in their protective ball protecting the Queen. I am huddled in my home praying the electricity stays on for the greenhouse! Yes, the generators are at the ready.

Life in Guatemala is an amazing blend of contrasts, running the gamut of deliciousness to horrific. I live an insulated life thanks to all the protections and services here. A particular incident comes to mind, taking a good friend to a clinic for an ultrasound revealed the daily frustration of the third world indigenous person. First, there are no appointments, you show up when the place opens and hope to get your name on the list early. Second, if there is an emergency, every one gets bumped forward for however long it takes. Third, you are told it is alright to leave and come back in 1 or 2 hours but then when you come back mysteriously your name is now farther down the list. Fourth, you may wait all day and then be told it is closing time and you still haven't been seen and please to come back tomorrow and start the whole process over again. Did I also mention, if you happen to be an indigenous person, you will be treated like you are not human and have no mental capacity?

Walking out on the street I see carefully laid stone paving, palm trees, Justicia, banana trees, trumpet vines, bouganvillea, but !watch out!, while you were looking up you almost stepped in excrement. The powerful volcanoes loom over the lake of indescribable beauty, but that lake is being polluted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Why? Because some town official and all of his lackeys feel it is more important to pad their pockets than to take the designated money to build the sewage treatment plant to protect this environmental wonder. Sigh.

My friend Murray likes to say that his home is in the first world and when we go out on the street it is back to the third world. A simple trip to get food can be a mind bending flashback if you go to the open air market, or you can go to the local "dispensa" a mini version of an american super market. It is true, returning exhausted from the 2 hour event that is sunday shopping, the relief of turning down our little street and seeing and smelling the fresh plants and blooming flowers soothes the soul.

Randomness

2010-11-28T15:48:00.000-08:00

This has happened many times on this visit, I sit absorbed in my book, or my work or my mundane musings and then hear a bird call and look up to see the marvel which surrounds me. How can it be? Deep inside my mind it is dark and textured, somewhat cartoon-like in the internal balloon vision. It keeps shocking me, the mountain, the lake, the scent of the moist gardenia out the window.

Being surrounded by so many short and beautiful people I feel like a pale freak, the ancient abuelos on the street, less than 5' tall and thin and brittle but tough as the dry leaves on the avocado tree that rattle in the wind. The scenes in the street so much chaos and dust, sweetness and need.

I find the sites and sounds don't startle me as much as they used to, a good thing? What will tomorrow bring and can I open my mind to blur the line between internal and external....

The Feria Santa Catarina

2010-11-24T15:18:00.000-08:00

Today is the opening day of the feria for Santa Catarina, a festival celebrating the town, it's protector Cofradia, an association of the town fathers, and the protector saints. It is a fair complete with lots of food vendors, huge marimba band, lots of stuff being sold, kids, rides etc., etc., etc. I stole the girls and we headed over the mountain in the back of a pick-up truck. We took a turn down by the lake to see the view and again how high the water is. We had thought there would be more happening this morning, tomorrow is the big day, but it was nice to see town preparations without the chaotic crowd factor.

During the time of the feria the tradition is for local families to present one another with a vat of their own pulic and tamalitos. Pulic is a rich caldo or stew and each cook has their own twist on it. Miguel's mother is famous for her recado, the base of the caldo. She specially requested a photo of herself stirring the giant vat of recado that she made. As you can see already half of it is gone, they receive many visitors and exchange Pulic. We carried a huge portion home for Miguel and the family to lunch on. This soup is a many layered broth made with onion, tomato, achiote, cilantro,
mashed and run through a sieve for smoothness and thickened with masa. The traditional vegetables are potato & guiskil, the meats are beef and chicken. It is served with lots of tamalitos that in this case are made from the corn grown by the family made into masa and steamed in wrappers of green corn leaves that are from their field.

I need to revise the recipe a bit to make it make sense and so I will post it another day.

Not tomorrow as I will be cooking for a gringo thanksgiving in Guatemala! I couldn't resist this photo of the boats lined up at the edge of the lake, a classic tourist shot.

Morning Light on the Lake

2010-11-13T09:25:00.000-08:00

Here is a new video of the morning volcanoes. In the background is the sound of the water rushing down the stream that runs through the garden. We start out looking to my right towards Panajachel then to Santa Cruz and then pan toward volcan San Pedro moving to the space next where there is a cove and that is where Santiago is. Next pan toward Cerro de Oro the small bump, behind is Volcan Toliman and then the back is Volcan Atitlan. Next I pan toward the garden to the star of the neighborhood, Pote' the dawg!

Papaya Salad

2010-11-11T19:30:00.000-08:00

This is the second time this week we've had Papaya Salad with dinner. The idea was green papaya salad but they are all ripe at the market so I made it the same way and used the ripe fruit and it is very yummy! Sliced pieces of Papaya (1 large fruit) , thinly sliced pieces of cucumber (1 ) , slices of tomato (1), diced onion (about 1/2), hot chile pepper rocoto (about 1/2 depending on how spicey you like it). Then I added a ton of lime juice and juice of one sour orange, lots of salt, a dash of sugar and a large handful of purple basil chiffonade, and minced cilantro. Let it sit and blend for 1/2 hour, or while you make the tortillas for dinner and then eat it all up. It really makes your stomach happy too! Here's what I forgot in the original post...THE GARLIC, about 3 cloves finely minced and if you have it a splash of Thai fish sauce. The idea is that it is spicey, salty, tangy and sweet all at the same time.

pups in the calle

2010-11-09T20:06:00.000-08:00

On this street I often come across these same 3 dogs curled up for their afternoon nap. In fact, I don't know if I've ever seen them up and roaming around! It is one of the few quiet streets where a dog can actually sleep unmolested. It is the back road to San Ju Yu, the boat launch. This next is the vinery growing on the walls here, bouganvillea and orange trumpet vine (Pyrostegia venusta). This shot doesn't do it justice because I was taught to not put pink and orange together but it totally works. I'll try again tomorrow for a better shot if it is cloudy the colors will translate better.
This is a shot of Brazilian Red Cloak or Red Justicia (Megaskepasma erythrochlamys) in full show these days mostly in the fancy gardens around town here in Panajachel. It is grand to see these plants familiar to me as potted plants growing as shrubs and trees in the ground. I get clues about their care by observing them in a more natural habitat. Okay a garden isn't totally natural but it is a step closer.

I'll end with a photo taken after a large boat landed at Santa Cruz with many people heading up to the town's central square for some celebration. If you can note many of the women in their beautiful huipils (hand woven blouses) and cortes (skirts). And of course Abuela with his jazzy straw hat and the ubiquitous tuk tuk!

Chuwa'k chik!

Bird Sounds, an explanation

2010-11-08T06:34:00.000-08:00

After 3 fruitless hours trying to load the bird sounds I will have to find another way to share it. I guess my bandwidth doesn't have what it takes to get through! here it is finally!

ANYWAY, a photo of the delicious flowers we prepared for lunch on Saturday, up the hill in St. Cruz. Still having trouble narrowing down what it is, upon closer inspection the flower seems more like a bean, there are many wild vines here that are used. This one Miguel calls behuque or enrededora, in Caquchikel tzu re'k. Trouble is enrededora is a universal term for vine. I'll keep looking. The flower was prepared by removing only the petals to use lightly sauteed with onion and a dash of fresh tomato and added to noodles! Another way to eat them is a tamalito prepared with the cooked flower, tomato, onion and added to masa and steamed in a corn husk. I hope to get to make some of these since I love the tamales in any form!

A nice walk along the lake with the girls, Otilia, Delia, and Nancy gave them break from the daily work routine. It is hard to tear Otilia away from her work. Hmm, she reminds me of myself... Since it was Sunday there were more folks along the shores, at first the waves were ferocious and strong and then within an amazingly short span of minutes the lake calmed to a glossy, smooth sheen. Every day has so many different weather patterns. As you can see in the photo with the submerged willow the lake has risen at least 3-4 meters causing lots of changes. This water rise is due to all the rain in May during the deadly storm Agatha and also again heavy, destructive rains in September.

Bird sounds at Lago Atitlan

2010-11-05T16:43:00.001-07:00

The first tortilla of the visit! RICO!

Nancy and I have walked down to the lake for me to see how things look for this year. There is plenty of damage from the storm Agatha earlier this year and then again in September during some more horribly heavy rains. I wish nature would let up a little bit on this beautiful place! However, it is surprising cleaned up and as lovely as ever.

This morning was all about getting things set up here, phone card, groceries and just looking around to see what has and has not changed. We're having some yerba Mora for dinner tonight, it was exceptionally fresh at the market this morning, also a broccoli that I bought off the back of a pickup truck, 2Q for the head which is about $.25! The bridge is all repaired (again since it was rebuilt after hurricane Stan) but the little tienda at the edge of Jucanya as you can see is dangling over the edge of where the river washed out.

I had my first delicious latte at Crossroads just in the nick of time because the shop was inundated with a large group. I beat a hasty retreat.

I've been trying to load on a video for the last 3 hours so I give up. I'll try again in the morning and make a new post. here is the video

Halloween in my Maine

2010-10-31T17:16:00.000-07:00

Today is Hallowe'en, a brisk and windy day, a sample of what's to come. I've been studying my spanish each morning in preparation for my upcoming trip. This is my study nest. The morning tea and sun pouring in through the oaks.

Pulled the beets and made pickled beets today and a batch of green tomato mincemeat, which will be yummy baked into a pie later this winter. As it simmered for hours the whole house has the scent of vinegar from the beets and spices from the mincemeat. These tomatoes being chopped up were so beautiful and here's the simmering pot of sweetness. Now you can almost get a whiff: If you want the recipe I can post it tomorrow!

The colors are so amazing right now, it can make you weep for the fleeting beauty. This is our old friend, Euonymus alatus, now on the invasive species list, but I mean, just look at these colors. Leaves in the woods range from the palest pink to this deep red with these seeds (the evil culprits) in flaming orange red with deep burgundy wings, an exuberant ball gown for the autumn.
We've also had a flock of turkeys roaming the shop where I head each day to keep a look on the current experiment in organic hydroponics, looks and tastes good! What is the drift? There were so many industrious things to do today I never got to Hallowe'en.

A rare blooming.

2010-10-21T04:07:00.000-07:00

A rare treat and I am late in reporting it but it was lovely. This is one of 2 plants raised as seedlings that are now 3 years old. The vines graced my dooryard all summer and put on a wonderful show, starting with the lovely silver green leaves and robust twining vine stems. And then gracing my home with several lovely blooms in September. This is Argyrea nervosa in bloom in MAINE!!! (aka: Hawaiian baby wood rose) I took the picture just before bringing it into the greenhouse for the winter.

The shipping season

2010-06-03T03:45:00.000-07:00

Hi to all my imaginary friends that I think are reading this blog since no one posts any comments!!!! That means YOU! Early morning and we have been shipping plants out like crazy, still maybe one week to go. Arms are sore, fingers scratched up, Oh and the finger I slammed in the car door last week during the heat wave, it is fine - if a bit bruised. That is when I know I am over the edge when I start getting injuries. Spring shipping is like a 4 week marathon, everything has to be in a fine rhythm. Starting with food, rest, vitamins and a positive mental attitude. The breakfast of choice has been a smoothie packed with goodies: nuts, yogurt, banana, fruit of the day (pineapple, blueberries frozen last summer, strawberries), a stalk of celery, 1-2 leaves of dinosaur kale, golden flax seed meal, flax oil, maca and sometimes ginger and lots of filtered water. Now the combo with pineapple is particularly pretty because the kale green carries the color. This is good fuel for 4-5 hours!

The plants are looking really good this year, despite the losses in fuchsia land ( the freeze night was also very windy and the remay blew off!) I now have a foolproof system to hold it down but that will be for next year, sigh.

I have been expanding my herbal studies and also my perfume studies. A good friend just went to Longwood Gardens and visited the making scents display, rave reviews. It is definitely on my field trip list for this summer.

I will have some exciting news to break later this month as soon as things are in place, I don't want to jinx it! It is growing related and fun!

That's it, off to be a "hose jockey" for a few hours.

Time for beautiful weather.

2010-03-21T15:35:00.001-07:00

What a beautiful week we had, the weather warm and sunny, just what was needed to recover from the extreme storms we've been having. The plants are all growing happily now. I had a wonderful brunch with friends at my favorite restaurant, Tulsi . What a spread and it was all delicious. Brunch is served every Sunday from 11:30 to 3:00. Check it out, you will be glad you did. We are going to be growing some plants for the restaurant garden. It is a small garden but enough for edible flowers for garnish, greens, tomatoes, herbs and bitter gourd. Oh, and of course, tulsi the holy basil after which the restaurant is named. You can tell that food is always a theme for me!

Another new direction is the raw food thing, one of my co workers got me excited about it, now I am not rabid but when I eat this way I feel so good. Tonight I am making some "crackers" and breakfast snacks for the busy week. The base is soaked whole oat groats that get blended to a smooth paste and then I split it up and add to the different batters. For the basic cracker it is oats, sage, a dash of flax oil, a dab of onion and soy sauce . For the breakfast bars I pulse in the food processor walnuts, dry cranberry, sunflower seed, apple and raw ginger. Then I add that to the plain ground oats and add cinnamon to taste. The two batters are then dotted onto wax paper about 1 tablespoon each and spread out a bit (this part is challenging) then the whole deal goes into a food dehydrator for overnight to "cook". I know, sounds weird, but they are tasty and nutritious! REALLY. I will post a picture of the finished product.

Earlier this month I took the weaving from my Guatemalan friends to show and tell at the meeting of the Southern Maine Guild of Spinners and Weavers. It was fascinating to see what is going on in the world of spinning and weaving.
They were also working on a color project and many fantastic textile projects were shown by the group. This image is a scarf that was spun, dyed and woven to depict the similar colors in the photographic image, stunning! hey, gotta go make those crackers, more later! Leave a comment if you are out there reading!

The Big Wind Storm

2010-03-03T04:04:00.000-08:00

What a fortunate set of circumstances surrounded the latest offering from Mother Nature! I was ready with the generators but never imagined it would be for so long.

This is the neighbor's house about 3 houses up with an uprooted, gigantic spruce on their roof. Luckily no one was harmed, it came down around 11:30 and it is a miracle they were not upstairs in their bedrooms!

The large oak out front is still standing and that is a miracle!

The night was warm (ish, this is New England after all.) I was waiting expectantly for the automated alarm call from the other greenhouses but it never came. I thought that was amazing but great luck! Also great luck that a friend was visiting and offering moral support. Then at midnight as I was filling the generator here for the night I decided I should go up there and check. That was when all the fire trucks and police were flashing up the street so we abandoned the trip. Good thing I didn't go out because further up the street was another huge white pine down in the road with lots of wires, another tree on a car, etc etc.

After a fitful night of sleep I went to Eliot to check and the power and phone lines had been down probably at the same time as the damage on our street. The good news is that it was warm enough for a greenhouse full of cold crop spring material and the wind didn't damage the un-inflated plastic! We grow in double wall hoop houses with air pumped (by electric motor) into the sandwiched layers. My storage shed did get a new look however ,this is minor!

So Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday making runs to Eliot fuel the generator every 6 hours
and the set up at home, one generator on the greenhouse and apartment and one for the house I feel fortunate to be so well set up. The weather did get much worse, rain, snow, wind, inevitably at midnight when I was driving to fill the tank. The sun didn't come out, which was lucky because no pumps for water either!

Back to plants here are some lovelies plucked while sticking cuttings: Vigna caracalla with it's exquisite snail shaped bloom, and Mannetia flowers that are like little glowing fireflies! The plants are as happy as I am to have the power back on, little details like water, air fanning from the horizontal air flow and a grower, after a few naps and a good night sleep, who can see again to take care!

Post Valentines, Phew

2010-02-19T10:23:00.000-08:00

At long last a new post, having gone into a paralyzed depression and now back out the other side. Coming back to January in Maine was painful, snow, ice, wind, and that pesky work! The pansies are now transplanted and growing happily. We have been having great weather and they will be in bud and bloom in 4 weeks.

Meanwhile taking cuttings and getting all the rooting going resulted in this scrumptious collection of flowering abutilon:
That is a bowl of Abutilon: dark red is Nabob, Big Pink & Apricot Belle.

Cuttings on the bench at present, all the Pelargoniums, Lavenders, Abutilons, all of the fuchsia and many of the tropicals:
So far, very happy. Critters are under control and the sun has been adding just enough during the day to keep things growing.

We got a big snowstorm the other day and it was lovely and thankfully the worst of it has already melted away. I can feel OK about it now that spring is in sight, my hands and shoulders however were not too impressed. That's what happens when you get out of shape. No snow to shovel most of January and February keeps mama happy. This was the lovely version, a white frosting on everything and then enough breeze to dislodge it before it takes the electrical wires down! These are the things we think about here.

I will have to indulge in a dog photo opportunity because they have been so darn cute lately. These are the sunbathers at lunch time.

did I mention Valentines? No? Well, lets just say if you have ever been thinking of splitting up with your spouse, don't do it on Valentines day because it makes all the subsequent valentines days kinda suck for the one that got ditched. just saying. And that's why I prefer dogs!

Making Chuchitos

2009-11-23T05:42:00.000-08:00

I'll tell you what, this program is not very handy but I'm doing my best here! Making chuchitos is usually a two day affair but we did it all in one this time. We start by making the salsa. About 3 pounds of plum tomatoes, 3 dry chili paz and 3 dry chili huaque just barely covered with water are brought to a low simmer for about 1/2 hour.

Meanwhile there are pumpkin seeds (pepitos) that have been rinsed and cleaned and are set on low heat to toast lightly. This is about 1 1/4 cup of seeds. When they are done set them aside in a bowl to cool.When your pumpkin seeds are done toasting, clean an equal amount of sesame seed and toast lightly. These get blended to a smooth paste using some of the tomato water. Run through a sieve to make a smooth sauce.

The tomatoes and chilis are simmering gently to make the sauce. When they are nice and soft they are pureed in the blender to make a lovely rich sauce, save aside some of the tomato juice to use when the seeds get pureed. Run the tomato chili sauce through a colander to make sure it is very smooth. Return the tomato sauce to the heat and add the pureed seeds and then add chicken, about 4 large breasts that have been cut up into 1-2" pieces, the skin is removed but bones are left in for added flavor. Cook until the chicken is done, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside while everything is gathered for assembly!

In the meantime the corn husk wrappers are prepared by separating and washing in clean water.
Now comes the manual labor, for this recipe about 20 cups of masa is kneaded together with about 1 cup of safflower oil (some people use lard) and salt to taste (about 3-4 tablespoons), adding water as necessary to create a smooth, pliable dough.

I give up trying to get the pictures in sequence!!
Take some of the masa and pat out a fat tortilla, place a good dollop of sauce and a piece of chicken and fold the dough over the filling. Place it in one or 2 corn husks for wrapping. Tie it up into a nice bundle and pile them into a large kettle which has been prepared by layering in about 2" of dry corn husks and water so the chuchitos steam gently for about 1-2 hours depending on your fire. Then get ready to eat a whole lot, for dinner, breakfast and then lunch again!

Our Big Adventure

2009-11-19T13:57:00.000-08:00

I am somewhat recovered from our big adventure, a hike into the hills behind where I am staying. 4 of us set out at 8:00 am for a hike to go and see Miguel's milpa. A milpa is what the locals call their fields for growing corn for the coming year's tortillas. It was a gorgeous morning with a light wind coming from the south west, the temperature was just right for a hike, wearing jeans, tshirt and a cotton shirt. We packed up tortillas and fruit and water for snacking. This is the view from my front porch, volcanoes Toliman and Atitlan with little Cerro de Oro in the foreground.

Okay, I have to admit I am a wimp about these paths, the altitude makes me slightly dizzy so I have to be careful to maintain my equilibrium. We are climbing for about an hour on this bitty path at about 60 degrees or more of an incline. If I don't look down or around I am fine! This is Miguel, who walks up these paths at least once a week to keep the water ditch clear. Along for the adventure are Otilia and their daughter Nancy, who is also an old hand at this path. We came to a lovely waterfall and pool that used to be very pure water, now alas it is not, like so many streams around the lake.

We continued up to San Andres and walked through the little market there, it was lovely, clean and with just the right amount of mercado commotion. We looked at everything and bought some fresh lychee fruit. We continued along the road to the milpa and stopped to snack. Miguel spent some time digging up the tunnels from some moles that have been trying to move in this year. In this field he produces enough dry corn to supply his family for the whole year, about 1200 to 1500 pounds. He grows a very old variety which was a good thing this year because the old varieties can withstand the drought that happened early in the season this year. It takes almost 9 months for this crop to mature. The whole field is cultivated by hand, hand weeded 2 times in the season, mounding soil around the bases of the stalks to support it against the wind. Then it is all harvested by hand and carried by hand down to where he can get pick-up rides to transport it home. Bear in mind it takes him 2 hours to get to this field, hiking and catching pick-up rides. Let's talk about how precious these tortillas really are! This is a view of his milpa looking across the hill from the road we are walking on.

This is the view from the mirador at Santa Catarina, now looking across the lake at volcan San Pedro. Now we spend another 2-3 hours decending, with a snack stop and a stop at Miguel's father's land to pick a bunch of jocotes. Yum. By the time we got to the bottom of the hill in Sta. Catarina Otilia and I were spent, we got a pickup ride back to Jucanya, otherwise it would have been another 1/2 hour walking. Of course all in a days walk for Miguel and Nancy!

We had a quick stop at M's parent's home for some water and to check out the latest weavings from his mother and sister, Magdelena. Nancy gets a chance to visit with the new puppy!

.

Delicious Tortillas

2009-11-10T07:02:00.000-08:00

Each night when we make the nixtamal we are measuring the ingredients to get at least a framework for the recipe. So two nights in a row have met with success at the molina. Starting with the dried corn, in the states I had to locate organic dent corn which is different from the corn that is used here at Lake Atitlan. We started with 8 cups of water, 5 1/2 cups of dry corn and 2 tablespoons of cal/ pura crema (this is the lime soaked in water into which it dissolves and becomes a fine creamy paste.)

This next picture is the nixtamal almost ready, this is the corn that is cooked with the cal for about 30 minutes, depends on the fire and how dry the corn is. The kernels become whiter and the germ takes on a reddish brown color, the corn is fully swollen and cooked through. Now we rinse the corn and take it to the molina, the local grain mill.
Now,finally we get to the good part, making the tortillas and eating them. I like this the best of course.

Por Fin, estoy aqui! Tortilla obsession.

2009-11-08T05:01:00.000-08:00

Hello All, I have made my way south to my beloved Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. I was surprised to find wireless internet in my bungalow so I will be able to make lots of updates here! I'll post some pictures later. I spent the evening with my friends having a focused lesson in the fine art of making nixtamal for tortillas.

Nixtamal is the preparation of the dry corn with cal/ lime rock that breaks down the outer skin of the corn makes the proteins digestible. Tortillas are the life blood of the Maya, and learning to prepare them at home has become my mission. I made several vain attempts last year. Usually the daughters work along side Mother and learn all the nuance of the operation. And so I have become the old daughter of my friend Otilia to learn as best I can.

There are many different types of dry corn, which I will delve into after I get some new pictures at the Solola market. The corn also varies from year to year as the growing seasons change. There are differences in the strength and purity of the cal. Then there is the cooking on a wood fire which varies according to types of wood and the levels of heat! Muy complicado.

This year was a very bad growing season. It was extremely dry at the early stage of growing the corn. My friend Miguel is using very old seed stock that has come down through his family, this corn takes almost 9 months to mature but it is very strong and resilient. Many other farmers had modernized for varieties that mature closer to 6 months, but therein lies the problem. This newer corn needs to sprout and grow very quickly in order to produce full corn, because it was so dry a large amount of the corn fields died. The ancient types can struggle along slowly, slowly until the weather cooperates and then it flourishes. This corn problem will cause difficulty this year for the people here eat tortillas 3 times a day, and sometimes tortillas are all you have for a meal. The corn prices are going up and it will be a challenge until the next planting season.

Stay tuned for nixtamal and the mercado!

2009-07-02T04:16:00.000-07:00

Hello all you soggy campers! I'm off to Pig island with lots of rain gear and tarps and books. At this point I'm so exhausted I'll be sleeping most of the time anyway! We just finished planting the 4200 mums in the rain, okay we had 1 day of sun. It went fast with a team of capable young lads helping Kathleen and I. So if the sun ever comes out again they will be great!

We're hoping for some sun eventually. Mora is looking forward to some swimming. I'll be visiting with the fellow Piggers and baking the traditional double crunchers with hordes of children drooling in the cabin!

The Crew at Work

2009-05-20T17:15:00.000-07:00

Just had to make a quick entry to show a bit of the goings on in a May week! Too funny, no matter where Hughie is he has to be at the end of the tether. Here he is guarding the trailer as we load up some orders!

Adam likes to play a different instrument each day at lunch time. This is his tailgate concert.

Here are Kathleen and Kathy setting up an order, and next is a batch of darn good looking plants!

Rainy May Sunday

2009-05-17T08:33:00.000-07:00

I know it is bad for business, but one nice rainy morning can give me a lot of mileage! It has been very hectic, weather is breaking early and so orders are leaving at a break-neck speed. That is GREAT!

Check out this container, I just love the Dianthus red cascade and it has been blooming seriously since planted in early April. I don't understand why more people don't get into dianthus as an addition to the spring pansy theme.

One of my colleagues has some wonderful pottery pots in spectacular colors, I have re-purposed one as a fruit bowl on my counter, love that glaze! http://www.greenart.com is where to go to find out more.

There are many lovely options but you will need to make an appointment to see them due to the busy landscaping season!

More Snow Ding Dang It

2009-03-02T07:57:00.000-08:00

More snow again. I hope this is the last of it, the chickens are upset, they don't like to walk on the snow so I shovel out a path for them to scratch on. It was decidedly spring-like on Friday. The pansies are all planted and so are the grasses. Opening the Eliot greenhouses went smoothly until Oscar the Grouch (our pet name for the alarm) wouldn't cooperate. We have been busy planting and propagating and a large order of unrooted cuttings came in last week, they look great. Here is the dream team in full cleaning mode last Wednesday. The ritual is satisfying, and a bit easier this year since I recovered all the big houses last October so all Katie and Kathy had to do was swab the decks again. I actually followed Katie's suggestion (photo right) and did a more thorough job of putting things to sleep last fall.

We did a side project for our menageries and planted up some wheat grass for the cats to graze on. Here is Minnow enjoying her treat last week before this snow hit!

Cuttings are filling the prop bench up and another 2500 to stick this week, the intricate choreography of my little greenhouse has already begun. The pansies went out for potting, the cool crop cuttings moved to that spot, the new cuttings were stuck and put on the mist. This constant rotation will continue until April when we are busting at the seams and taking risks by putting other crops outside under remay.

Seeds are germinating on time and for the moment we are on target! I just finished snow blowing all the paths for the fuel deliveries, chicken tending, and Mora's night time path off the back porch!

catalog, unusual plants, guatemala, greenhouse growing

2009-01-28T09:00:00.000-08:00

Hi folks, I did my mailing a while ago so if you think you should be on my mailing list please go the the website and send me an email! I have pared the list down because it is so expensive. Thanks.

Back to work

2009-01-06T10:35:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful time I had on my recent trip to Guatemala. I was able to see lots of lovely plants, cook amazing food with my friend Otilia and her family, work in the herb gardens at the Fundacion Tradiciones Mayas, swim in Lake Atitlan with the dogs, walk walk walk everywhere especially Panajachel, and study more spanish language.

I will be posting other details of the trip including some amazing cooking lessons. For now, it's back to work and getting things organized for another growing season. Pansies to be planted and some other ornamental spring crops growing nicely. So who has the crystal ball to see what we will be looking forward to this spring?

I'm trying to down size th plant list, we will be looking at utility, form and function and how that relates to the gardens here in New England. Simple elegance and reliability is the criteria.

I had some amazing walks in the hills around the lake and collected many interesting seeds to experiment with. This is my friend Miguel collecting some pods for me.

travel

2008-11-04T13:48:00.000-08:00

Well, I don't know what happened, time flies when you are growing plants. We had a great season, weather was excellent and the plants were all wonderful this year. I have great women helping me and we really produced! June brought the usual exhausted planting of the MUMS. The timing on that crop is so painful when we are all planted out and need to crank out another 4000 pots!

Those honey bees really outdid themselves, the original hive number 1 produced over 60 lbs. of honey! The new split spent all season getting themselves organized. They've all been put to bed with their fall feeding and winter doors installed.

I am getting ready for a trip to Lake Atitlan. This year I am committing to a Spanish intensive class and have been priming here with the local adult ed. This is the year I am branching out of present tense! Por fin!

Bye for now, it's off to see what's happening with the election.

And then there were two.

2008-05-18T15:35:00.000-07:00

Big excitement at the farm this weekend! Sitting by the big window on Saturday morning, I was taking the first slow morning I've had in about 3 months, I saw that the bee hive was exceptionally busy. Well I thought, it's a warm sunny morning, all the trees are blooming, my plan was to put on the honey super that I had meant to get on earlier in the week. The bees had another plan. I was out in the barn getting the super and was deluged by bees within moments of opening the boxed and plastic wrapped super of drawn comb. I knew right then that something was up, ran back to the hive and sure enough they had swarmed. I had missed the moment! I wandered around a bit looking for the bees and saw them up in the apple tree that Frank had carefully pruned for me this winter.

I ran and got the ladder, suited up and tried to figure out how I was going to catch this gang. Of course I don't have a tall enough ladder so had to do some gymnastics to get up high enough. Climbed up at least 4 times with unsuccessful attempts to catch them. After about 2 hours I finally got them settled into a new home and as of today it looks as if they will stay. Pure luck, that I was home, that I noticed the ruckus at the old hive and that they were in a place where they could be caught!

It took me another 2 hours to calm down enough to continue with my day! What a thrill, perched up in a tree with bees buzzing all around! What a miracle! What a great weekend!

Here's the first truck loading of the season, heading off to Wayland, Massachusetts. Orders are flying out quickly, it is always amazing that 8 months of preparation leads up to these 3 or 4 weeks of plant insanity! The weather is cooperating and that is great.

Check this out, I know just a lowly petunia but so pretty, it just about glows : Merlin Blue Morn, I love it!

Mother's Day

2008-05-13T03:43:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day was gorgeous! I have Sunday watering duty but the day was so pretty I didn't mind. It was doubly nice because the predicted rain never materialized. That's good, we need lots of sunny weekends this year for May! It is still running cold here, only 40 in the morning and yesterday with a brisk breeze off the ocean. We made a field trip to a local retail garden center last week and it was an amazing sight. (I don't get out much.) I watched a woman at a giant table of beautiful blooming geraniums as she specifically selected the smallest, no bloom, one measly bud! What is that about?

My darling daughter made me the most delectable lunch for Mother's Day. Home-made spelt biscuits with rhubarb & strawberry compote, sauteed kale with vidalia onion and some of our fresh eggs with a dash of fresh sage and gruyere, YUM! I ate 3 biscuits! We had a glorious long walk along the ocean. Then came home and I went off to spray the greenhouses! Not my favorite job but a necessity.

Truck runs all this week will give us the needed space to finish up the last plantings, this spring has gone really fast. Now compacted into 3 weeks of shipping because the weather has been so cold. The dang heat is still running!

eucomis

2008-05-03T04:19:00.000-07:00

Eucomis comosa, this is a great plant, so exotic looking and the pale green color marked with burgundy is so rich. I potted this up in mid January, a tad early but the bulbs I had kept over were starting to sprout so I figured I'd follow the timing they wanted. Needless to say it's a bit early for New England spring. I wanted to put it on my counter for a recent dinner party and had it all prettied up and sitting there late afternoon. I went out to cut some quince blossoms and when I came back inside ---what was that smell? Ugh, something of a cross between propane gas and rotting fruit. You guessed it, Eucomis aka Pineapple Lily, definitely an out door plant, now gracing my back door porch. P.U. I got the original bulb maybe in 2000 at the old Heronswood in Washington State. I made field trips to the nursery for several years while my daughter was in school in Olympia and combined visits to my brother and sister-in-law on the Olympic penisula. What a great plant spot!!!! It was such a great place to visit to see all the gardens and so many interesting plants from so many far flung places. Now we do get to hear from Dan Hinkley in Garden Design and that is great but the nursery and gardens were so personal it was as if you were walking around with an old friend.

Of course, one great thing about the gloomy Washington fall is that the moist overcast lighting is perfect for viewing and photographing plants! I also remember coming around a corner into a garden with a large patch of Phygelius New Sensation with a backdrop of Fuchsia m. aurea absolutely glowing in the rain. It's raining now reminding me of these glorious flowers in the mist.

Rough Week

2008-05-02T04:18:00.000-07:00

That's Katie with the last hanger to go on the truck! It's been a rough week at wit's end, we had torrential rain at the beginning of the week, that is always hard to work in. The greenhouse is like a giant drum that amplifies the pelting sounds. Plants still looking good, the sun came out just in time to avoid stretching. The mega pansy hangers went to their spring home in Manchester NH at Anheuser Busch . I know they will be very happy there! They are in a cold pocket so they don't change the hangers out for the summer until June.

Shipping has begun and not a moment too soon, there are a bunch of zinnia seedlings waiting patiently for their potting. I like to try for a sunny stretch when they get planted so they can take right off and not stretch. The vines are all planted too. We had a cold night on Wednesday and some of the tips of the dahlias took a hit despite being covered. That hurts but they had to be outside to make way for more tender seedling transplants.

Tragedy struck in the chicken coop on Wednesday night also, we thought all the girls were closed in but 2 of the wiley RI reds never came in to roost. Amelia heard a blood curdling cry in the night and sure enough one is missing and the second one has a big tear at the base of her comb. She was milling around under the forsythia dazed and confused. I put her in the coop and fed her some moist mash and she did seem a bit better by bedtime last night. That combined with Tiny, our hen pecked underchicken who also requires special feeding, has lent drama to the formerly soothing existence of the backyard chickens. Ah the trials of agriculture! That's Tiny on the left and poor Henrietta with a head ache on the right.

2008-04-20T05:19:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning, we've had a beautiful week of weather, the plants are growing like crazy, dahlias are budded already, that's good because they get booted out this week, ready or not!
We have a skadzillion plants waiting to pot with little space left so this is the crunch time.

I taught my first full NIA class last weekend, it was fun and in the words of my lovely teacher Casey, I wasn't afraid to suck or blow, and there were a few rough transitions but we all got sweaty and felt good afterward! More on nia later. Very tough to fit my dancing into a full schedule with spring but it is necessary for my balance.

Back to the plants, we've done a great job with our pinching this year and plants are looking full and well branched, starting to sell now and that is great. In this business the money streams out on a daily basis and only really flows back in for 2-3 months, it's always exciting when the direction reverses to incoming.

This is a picture of Mora masquerading as Amelia. She was out feeding the chickens on a cool morning. Smacking her lips, hmm was she eating chickens or feeding chickens. bad dog.

2008-04-06T15:01:00.000-07:00

This is the marvelous A team at lunch, they didn't have enough fiddly little work to do with seeding all day so had to make origami cranes! See how pleased we all are with our handiwork, which is going to go to Kathy's bridal shower as favors! (left to right, Kathy, Katie, Amelia)

As you can see in the background there is more snow! Imagine 7 days ago and snow. I am just praying that this pattern of weather on the weekends is not going to continue into May, we really need a good May this year for all the garden centers.

Plants are growing beautifully this year, a good mix of sunny bright weather with a few cloudy, rainy bits tossed in intermittently. Sunday evening, a fine cool mist is falling and I have warned the pansies and linaria that they are about to be booted outside so we can use the space! I always have the remay at hand in case they need a little blanket for a cool night. Lucky they are so rugged. We are all amazed that we are on week 14, doesn't seem possible

Spring Sheros

2008-03-26T04:51:00.000-07:00

That's part of the spring shero team, Kathy was missing. These women are responsible for all the planting and hauling and watering and feeding! They are doing a great job and the plants look wonderful this year. There's a picture of the trio on the right, Amelia, Katie and Kathy. We have a ton of plants planted and another ton waiting on the side, full swing and not too many weeks before we are in crazy plant mode!

I have a pot of quinoa simmering on the stove, breakfast ya know. Mora is having her morning nap and soon we'll be off to the seedlings. The wind finally let up, after a week end of torture, you could just stand and watch the fuel gauges go down! I'm hoping we're into a warming trend now and let March go out like a lion, be gone with you.

seedlings

2008-03-18T04:41:00.000-07:00

This is the time of year when we are constantly rotating plants. Stick cuttings and hurry them along so the next batch can go under the mist. Sow seeds and hurry them on for the next week's list! There's a small backlog of plants waiting for potting at the moment but I was waiting to turn the heat on in the next greenhouse. Fuel costs are killing us this year. The plants look great and stock is healthy and fully recovered from the December freezing incident that happened while I was in Guatemala.

Ahhhh, Guatemala, just thinking about it soothes me. We had great adventures this trip, night time cross country buses, boat ride down the Rio Dulce, amazing meals at the Rosa in Livingston. When we got back to Atitlan we found an apartment and were able to go to market and get all the pineapple, avocado, fresh beautiful veggies and fruits that we wanted. Our little yard was beautifully tended by an elderly man. We had orange, tangerine, lemon, lime and grapefruit trees.

This year the dahlias came in looking the best I've ever seen them. They get started early so they can be already blooming by the time they go in the garden in May. They are easy but hog a lot of space. If the weather cooperates we can get them outside with remay and then replant that space with more tender annuals. The bananas and colocasias came in looking very fine this year also. Last year they were shipped during a freeze and they were all a bust. Well back to the work at hand.

weather spirits

2008-03-06T04:03:00.000-08:00

Here's the team on Monday morning with hundreds of dahlias waiting for potting! By midday this house was half full of the little budding lovelies. My marvelous helpers from left to right, Amelia, Katie, and Kathy.

Amelia and Minnow at lunch time!

Now poor Katie is sick with the flu and we're all fighting it off.

Mondays

2008-02-25T03:52:00.001-08:00

Week 9, in full swing here. Monday in plant land, lots of seeds to sow this week. We are going to start our greens too, day has dawned sunny and grand. The week is mapped out and there is a ton of work to do. Lucky for me, the dream trio will be arriving soon to get things rolling. Of course there are a slew of pictures to take and get onto the web site and the desk surface is starting to disappear under waiting piles of paperwork. It must be spring in green land.
Since the house has been finished my dog has taken to trying out different napping sites, unusual for her and quite funny for us. We also had our first dinner party with the new kitchen!

Bring it on!

2008-02-24T07:59:00.000-08:00

Spring is around the corner, I can feel it in my bones. The days are getting longer, the daily late afternoon dog walk is no longer in the dusk! The pansies are all planted and growing nicely, so far so good. Grasses are all divided and rooting out, the greenhouse critters are all at bay for now. This may be the last resting Sunday for a while, I am enjoying it fully NOW!

Wind makes me crazy.

2008-02-11T04:55:00.001-08:00

Wind blowing hard all night long, sounds like a freight train running at top speed directly at the front of the little propagation house. I don't sleep well on nights like this, waiting for the alarm to go off, wondering if I will know how to fix what ever is broken when the alarm goes off. It is just howling. You know it is cold when the arborvitae are black green, standing like frozen soldiers and the rhododendron are all hunched in, curled leaves dancing around. My favorite oak tree is waving and rattling like a Shaker dancer. I wonder what life is like when hard weather doesn't make you fret and fume. This is the part of horticulture/agriculture that you don't learn about until you live it. We are at the mercy of the elements. You have to do your work to plan, build and maintain accordingly and then it is up to faith.
It's Monday and that means seed day. Any seed crops for week 7 get started today, we fill our seedling trays with a peat perlite germination mix, get them nice and moist and then in goes the seed. These weeks that are early in the season are the nice because we still have space! We have some perennial plugs arriving later and will be opening up the big greenhouses for the planting season. That means cleaning, fixing, and getting all the systems ready to roll.

Getting Started

2008-02-09T04:51:00.000-08:00

Here we go, my first entry into the bloggosphere. I've called this plant rants but you know I'll be branching out from there. No pun intended. I've been a professional grower for too many years to mention until I know you better. Right now we're in the greenhouse propagating our vegetative plants and planting seedlings. Actually, Katie is doing all that because I am still repairing all the systems that broke when I was in Guatemala and one of my house sitters let the greenhouse freeze in December. Really, just my huge collection of Coleus got blasted so it was an opportunity to update the gang AND it was my fault because of the crappy back door latch and the malfunctioning alarm system.
This is the apple tree out the dining room window. It has been snowing, cloudy and misty for days now. Great for the mist bench because the little rooting cuttings don't have to fight the sun drying and excess heat.