In My San Diego Garden and Kitchen
The tagline for ediblegardens52 is “celebrating the seasons in my Southern California garden.” We celebrate the beginning of apricot season, especially my husband who grew up in the Santa Clara Valley, at one time the largest apricot producing region in the world. His childhood home was built on land that previously was fruit orchards.
I just ordered California Apricots: The Lost Orchards of Silicon Valley, written by my freshman college roommate, Robin Chapman. I can envision an afternoon in the Adirondack chair on the front porch reading her recounting of California apricots as I savor a few heirloom Blenheims.
We prefer the smaller apricots since the flavor seems more intense. There’s a natural fruit drop that occurs when the apricots are about the size of jumbo olives so thinning isn’t necessary. The first pound of ‘Gold Kist’ gathered is somewhat scruffy and picked from a limb hanging over the alley fence. They grew in a way that invited the birds so we harvested them a little early. They ripen well in the kitchen.
The last Harvest Monday post was mostly about vegetables. Today’s will focus on fruit.
As the navel orange crop wanes, I knew I wanted to make candied orange peels again. It moved to the top of my kitchen list last week (after the strawberry guavas were processed). A couple pieces are a sweet snack or after dinner treat. See my previous “how to” post Candied Citrus Peel.
Weeding one of the front yard flower beds has its perks. Some of the alpine strawberries don’t make it to the kitchen.
Handfuls of blueberries and strawberries show up at dinner or in the morning atop Greek yogurt and granola.
Several times last week I made strawberry guava puree for the freezer (and later jam) from the overwhelming harvest. We’re not weighing them this year, but guessing this off-season harvest will be 30-40 pounds. I have a ready-made text group of four friends who will take strawberry guavas anytime.
Last week ten pints went to the freezer and there’s another in the fridge.
Rhubarb leaves in the way of the lawnmower prompted my husband to harvest a few stalks. I’ll make compote later today and add some guava puree for color and flavor enhancement.
My Sunday bouquet: lavender dream roses, alstroemeria, scabiosa, salvia, cuphea, nectaplum and eleagnes foliage. My heart sings as I pass by the dining room table.
You may enjoy seeing what other garden bloggers harvested last week at Harvest Monday hosted by Dave at Our Happy Acres.
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