Author Archives: Debra

Shrubs, part 2: cold process

Posted on 12 September 2015 by Debra

I attended the Yum Yum Fest in Madison, Wisconsin, last month and enjoyed several excellent shrub-based cocktails. Refreshing. The chefs I spoke with all used the cold process for making shrubs because it leaves the most fruit flavor in the … Continue reading →

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Birds in the garden

Posted on 20 August 2015 by Debra

Perhaps because the garden is very luscious this year, there are a lot of birds. Sparrows raise their chicks and peck for insects. A cardinal pair nests nearby. There is always the robin couple who raise their broods on the … Continue reading →

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“Want some keenies?”

Posted on 17 August 2015 by Debra

Here is my charming and erudite friend Julia with many large zucchini. What to do with them is a persistent problem for vegetable gardeners who choose to grow summer squash. After making all the usual zucchini and summer squash dishes, I discovered an … Continue reading →

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Shrubs, part one

Posted on 6 August 2015 by Debra

No, this is not a post about shrubs, bushes and trees. Shrubs, deriving from the Arabic word for beverage, are the original soft drinks.  A recent New York Times review calls them sipping vinegar and the rediscovered ingredient in chic cocktails. … Continue reading →

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Cherry pie

Posted on 30 July 2015 by Debra

With sour cherries picked last month and froze, I made a pie and shared it with friends who made perfect whipped cream. A cool treat on a hot summer night.  

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In Memoriam: Pamela Haley

Posted on 23 July 2015 by Debra

My dear friend Pam Haley died peacefully on 21 July. Pam was a very caring person whose abiding generosity, good humor and natural tenderness embraced people, animals and gardens. May she now dwell in the Garden of Delight. Pour yourself a … Continue reading →

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“Garlic is as good as ten mothers”

Posted on 22 July 2015 by Debra

I harvested my garlic crop yesterday. Lots of beautiful heads now cure in my kitchen. I harvest the garlic when 4-5 of the leaves have browned but the paper that surrounds the head of cloves is still fully intact. This means … Continue reading →

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Pesto

Posted on 18 July 2015 by Debra

The basil is ready for eating, for making pestos. Just perfect.

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Fruits galore

Posted on 17 July 2015 by Debra

I go away for a week and come back to a garden bursting with produce. Six cups plus of raspberries. Beets and carrots for roasting. Three colors of fillet green beans. A green pepper, the first tomatoes, the first eggplant, … Continue reading →

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Tarragon terrific

Posted on 8 July 2015 by Debra

This year, the French tarragon — thriving, delicately flavorful and beautiful, is having a terrific year. For reasons I don’t fully comprehend, the thyme did not survive last winter’s bitter cold but the tarragon did. (Thyme and tarragon are perennial herbs which I … Continue reading →

Posted in beet, tarragon | 1 Comment