10 Steps for Stripping Down in the Garden

This is the briefest guide to simple living, but it’s a place to start if clearing the clutter, reducing the load and building community is what you’re after. Perhaps the most personal way to make it simple is join the fun on World Naked Gardening Day – yes it’s a real thing. (Maybe it's just me, but barefoot spade work doesn't sound too appealing, likewise running a rototiller or trimming the blackberry canes,) 

But, here's the truth: For more than a decade, people around the world have been dropping their socks and everything else on the first Saturday in May – in 2017 it’s May 6 – and heading to the garden in their birthday suits to plant, weed, prune and frolic in the buff.

WNGD observers say there’s plenty of friction, dissatisfaction and fear to go around these days. Resisting these forces takes courage and tenacity, the naked gardeners say. And, they claim one way to find strength for the long haul is to strip away the things that weigh us down and live lighter and brighter – unclothed – as nature intended.

SEASONAL INTERCHANGE

by Michael Aitken

In Winter, when the trees are bare,
We mortals don our winter wear.
In Spring, when trees begin to dress,
We mortals then start wearing less,
Until, for some, with Summer's heat
The role reversal is complete.

Whether or not naked bathing is appealing, here are 10 simple steps you, your family, friends and neighbors can take to use less energy, become more mindful about choices, and build stronger bonds within your family and your community. 

1.              Build community. Relationships are the foundation of resilient communities. Get to know your neighbors by organizing a potluck, sharing something, or simply stopping by to say hello.

2.             Grow some of your own food. You can start simple by growing in containers on a patio or windowsill or renting a plot in a community garden. Or, if you have access to land, start a garden or go all out with a permablitz, a way of bringing the community together and turning a suburban house into an urban homestead... in a single day.

3.             Share and repair. Two simple and rewarding ways to reduce consumption and save money are by sharing things you don’t use all the time (vacuum, car, tools, etc.) with friends and neighbors, and by repairing items when they break instead of buying new ones. The New Dream Community Action Kit is all about sharing: everything from starting a tool library to organizing a solar cooperative, from holding a clothing swap to launching a time bank.

4.             Minimize waste by buying fresh and bulk foods to avoid extra packaging, and start composting organic waste.

5.             Help keep wealth in your community. Buy local when possible, and consider switching to a local bank or credit union.

6.             Reduce home energy use and save money by hanging a clothesline or conducting a home energy efficiency audit.

7.             Conserve water. Fix the leaks, take shorter showers, sheet mulch your lawn, and install a greywater or rainwater harvesting system.

8.            Green your ride. Walk or get a bicycle, learn how to use public transport, or redesign your routine to minimize your drive.

9.             Build inner resilience. Cultivate meaningful relationships, practice mindfulness or spend time in nature. The Japanese call it “forest bathing,” a cornerstone of preventive health care and healing in Japanese medicine. http://www.shinrin-yoku.org/shinrin-yoku.html

10.          Join a Transition town or community resilience initiative near you, and start transforming your community!

Here is the "Simple Living Manifesto" http://zenhabits.net/simple-living-manifesto-72-ideas-to-simplify-your-life/

Information about World Naked Gardening Day is online at: http://www.wngd.org/

Table-top Diplomacy & American Style

If the White House is supposed to be, among other things, a showcase for American hospitality, then it would seem food and flowers produced in America would be at the heart of every party. That didn't appear to be the case last week at the Governors Ball.

Call me picky, but I'm a Californian and prickly as an artichoke when it comes to where table grapes are produced in February in the U.S. Likewise, cut flowers and foliage in the varieties showcased on the nation's dinner table for U.S. governors. The varieties I see didn't grow in winter snow and rain. Most likely the table-top decor highlighted at the new administration's first major social occasion came straight off a plane from South America.

Sec. of State Rex Tillerson at the White House Governors Ball
in February. The table-top decor featured imported
table grapes and flowers. 

Truth is, regardless of the season, there's always food and flowers grown in the U.S. worthy of gracing the most important occasions, as well as the humblest family gatherings -- domestic fruit, flowers and greenery abound.

The Californian Table Grape Commission notes the state's farmers have been cultivating grapes for two centuries and offers this brief history: 

"Grapes have been around a long, long time.  In fact, the first grape varieties might date as far back as 6000 B.C.

But for California, the fresh grape boom hit in 1839 when a former trapper from Kentucky, William Wolfskill, planted the state’s first table grape vineyard in the Mexican colonial pueblo now known as Los Angeles.  An agricultural entrepreneur, Wolfskill was the first farmer to ship fresh grapes to Northern California.  R.B. Blowers expanded the idea and sent the first 22-pound box of California grapes to Chicago via the new transcontinental railroad in 1869.

The gold rush may have ended, but the grape rush continues.  Today, over 99 percent of grapes commercially grown in the United States come from California.  With over 85 varieties grown, California grapes come in three colors – green, red and black – and are available May through January.  

During the 2015-16 season, California's table grape growers harvested their third largest crop ever, sending 110.5 million boxes of grapes to more than 55 countries around the world, and setting a new record for crop value at $1.83 billion."

Photo By MEG PEROTTI

The commission's website offers creative ways to decorate table tops with grapes at http://www.tablegrape.com/DecoratewithGrapes.php

So, if the intent of the new administration is to make "America Great -- Again," starting at ground level makes sense by using the products actually produced in America. There has long been complaint by U.S. flower growers that in international trade deals low tariffs on flower imports have put them at an extreme disadvantage. Perhaps in negotiations, flowers have been seen as a minor sacrifice to good trade deals. But for hardworking Americans who make a living producing them, it's about economic survival -- jobs, innovation and growth.

Flower farmers have been fighting back, however, emphasizing the importance of their products through the "American Grown Movement." In recent years growers around the U.S. have been hosting "Farm to Vase" dinners in their greenhouses and on their farms, featuring locally grown food by top local chefs and floral arrangements by leading designers. Pre-dinner, floral design professionals offer guests workshops on arrangement techniques, as well as tours and entertainment. The dinners have all been sell-outs The list of dinner dates and locations is online at: http://www.americangrownflowers.org/

Campaign organizers say the American Grown Flowers brand symbolizes a unified and diverse coalition of U.S. flower farms representing small and large entities across the country. Together, they want to give consumers confidence in the source of their flowers and assure them that the bouquets and bunches they purchase come from a domestic flower farm. 

W

ith less than a month to go until the first stop on the 2017 American Grown Field to Vase Dinner Tour, F2V announced the lineup of the all-star floral designers who will lend their talents to the tablescapes and other floral designs at each of the upcoming seven dinner tour locations.

Photo courtesy of F2V. Design by Carly Cylinder of Flour LA, Inc.
and author of  “The Flower Chef: A Modern Guide to Do-It-Yourself Floral Arrangements” (named to Best Books of 2016), 

All the F2V designers are acclaimed in the floral design community and organizers say consumers have seen their work in magazines, on television shows, at celebrity weddings and all over social media. The Field to Vase Dinner Tours offer a chance to experience their work first-hand.

Sorry, couldn't resist these floral purse and shoes by Francoise Weeks of European Floral Design, 

John Jay Chapman (born March 2, 1862, New York, died November 4, 1933) was an American poet, dramatist, and critic who attacked the get-rich-quick morality of the post-Civil War “Gilded Age” in political action and in his writings. Ancestors on both sides of his family had distinguished themselves in antislavery and other causes, and he sought to continue that tradition among the upper middle classes, whose integrity he felt had been eroded by the upsurge of big business. He wrote:

"If you are to reach masses of people in this world, you must do it by a sign language. Whether your vehicle be commerce, literature, or politics, you can do nothing but raise signals, and make motions to the people." 

Food and flowers are the signs and symbols of  style, culture, art, prosperity, dignity, humility and diplomatic acumen.

If we are to make America gracious again, it's best to start from the ground up, embracing American grown food and flowers to showcase our nation's regional diversity and seasonal bounty!

Thoughts? Comments? Share? Thanks for visiting the garden.

We Are The World -- Even the Fish

If you take Michael Jackson’s “We Are the World” concept to heart than it’s not a stretch to believe that the health of the oceans is directly connected to the way we catch, farm and eat seafood. We are the guardians of our oceans, we have a say about what we eat. If we  fish too much, the food goes away. Eat a fish tonight that took decades to reach maturity and pretty soon your favorite meal is no longer available.

A new report from Monterey Bay Aquarium notes that a boat load of scientific studies show that despite the gigantic expanse of the Earth’s oceans, they’re increasingly affected by human activities. The aquarium's marine scientists say most commercially important populations of ocean wildlife have been in decline for decades. Food webs are weakening and marine habitats are being altered and degraded. While many human activities strain the marine environment, scientists say the primary factor in the oceans’ decline is our demand for seafood.

Love lobster? It takes six to eight years to reach marketable size. Average time it takes to eat one – about a half hour, if you’re being polite. Pacific lingcod eight and 10 years to mature, while spiny dogfish sharks often served as English-style fish and chips take 20 years to reach harvestable size. Beluga sturgeons, which take up to 20 years to reach maturity and can live to be 100, produce caviar (fish eggs) that sells for as much as $3,000 to $5,000 a pound. But don’t worry about the price. Over fishing, poaching and an active black market have about wiped out the species.

Throughout the world, total landings of wild-caught fish have been declining and now scientists are zeroing in on chowder houses. The idea is that consumers need to know what they’re ordering when they order “fish.” Some are farmed, some are tightly controlled in terms of catch, and some are the bounty of species that in the coming decades may no longer exist.

So, what’s a hungry seafood lover to do? I mean wasn’t buying dolphin-safe tuna enough? No, but the answer is simple mindfulness. It's not hard. The folks at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, as well as many others, offer pocket guides to ordering sustainably harvested fish, all tasty and good for you. And, like me, when you do break down and order grilled swordfish, know that the supply is not endless.

But, the experts say there are new signs of hope — we appear to have reached a turning point. On many fronts, new data point to a brighter future thanks to the actions of informed consumers, businesses, fishermen, fish farmers and governments. Through better science and monitoring, we understand more fully the effects that fisheries and aquaculture have on the marine environment. In several regions of the world, proactive fisheries management is preventing overfishing and allowing marine ecosystems to recover.

Here, here, and please – pass the tartar sauce!

Factoid: 900,000 - Metric tons of wasted fish - 28% of the annual catch gets tossed overboard because they are not the desired species.

Check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch online at http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx

Ripening Persimmons

Yi Gao -- illustrator, storyteller

Gently squeeze to see

if fruit yields using a firmly

placed thumb. Astringent

types are yielding when ripe.

Non-astringent varieties

go either way, but note

size and color of each exotic

piece. Place in brown paper

bag with an off-gassing banana,

crumple or nestle together

in a deeply rounded bowl

for a couple of days and long

nights, nesting, entwined. Eat

strawberries while you wait,

sip champagne, embrace, slip

 into our luscious sweetness

n  Kate Campbell

Note: Scientists in California and Japan have discovered how to sex persimmon trees. Male trees code for a very small piece of RNA that acts as “molecular scissors,” cutting down gene expression to create a female tree. But, the experts say RNA scissors can be “fickle,” and this may help explain why “dioecious” plants that are genetically one sex can also function as another.

Boiling piss on St. Patrick’s Day

Went to the grocery store to pick up corned beef for St. Patrick’s Day. A gaggle of old folks gathered around the meat cooler, turning over the shrink-wrapped meat, picking and choosing, taking their bloody time. What were they looking for? It’s all the same, right? Why are all the purchasers of this traditional Irish meat just old folks (me included)? Good questions. I’ll get to them.

In the meantime, here’s another question: Everybody celebrates St. Patrick’s Day, right? Green beer, green rivers in Chicago, green lights on the opera house in Sidney, green parades in Canada, green pubs in Buenos Aries where not a single person of Irish decent shows up. There are jokes on the Internet about drunks in yoga positions. “Kiss me I’m drunk or Irish or whatever” T shirts. On March 17 the whole world is Irish and few people know why.

Never mind. I’ll cook corned beef today in honor of the part of me that’s Irish, wear orange on St. Patrick’s day for the part of me that’s not. No one will give a rip about what I wear and I’ll wipe my hands on the seat of my pants while cooking – in my Irish way. People don’t know the history of what they’re celebrating, don’t care, they just want somebody to pass them another Guinness stout.

But, you see, just like every Hispanic is not Mexican, every Jew is not Polish, every Swede is not blonde, everyone of Irish decent is not Catholic. I’m Presbyterian, which has been an issue in England, Ireland and Scotland since before the 1600s

My ancestor Archibald Campbell, a stout member of the Church of Scotland, which became the Presbyterian Church, was beheaded on the 'Maiden' in 1661 for his religious and political beliefs. People in Great Britain have been killing each other for religious, economic and political reasons for more than 500 years. This conflict helped launch the founding of America.

The Maiden. Courtesy: National Museum of Scotland

“I love Highlanders, and I love Lowlanders, but when I come to that branch of our race that has been grafted on to the Ulster stem I take off my hat in veneration and awe." Lord Rosebery, 5th Earl of Rosebery, 1st Earl of Midlothian, British Prime Minister 1894.

Until 2010 in America, I was part of this stem, this distinct ethnic group of immigrants identified since the founding of the nation through the U.S. Census as Scots-Irish. In 2010, Scots-Irish citizens comprised 1.05 percent of the U.S. population. The government no longer recognizes this minority even though more than a third of all U.S. presidents had substantial ancestral origins in Ulster, the northern province of Ireland.

President Bill Clinton spoke proudly of this fact, and his own ancestral links with the province, during his two visits to Ulster. Scots-Irish Presbyterians founded what is now Princeton University in the U.S. as a seminary for its ministers. Mark Twain and Elvis Presley were Scots-Irish, for heaven’s sake.

If this marginalizing of a minority had happened to Puerto Ricans, 1.52 percent of the U.S. population; Chinese, 1.12 percent; or Sub-Saharan Africans, 0.9 percent; there’d be a huge outcry from Americans. For the Scots-Irish—not a peep.”

Here’s a Wiki list of famous Scots-Irish Americans – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Scotch-Irish_Americans that may be a surprise.

We’re talking a lot of history here. For example, during the American Revolution, Scots-Irish troops fought successfully to prevent the British from taking control of the Hudson River Valley during the Saratoga Campaign. George Washington said of the American troops who fought those fierce battles that, if the war was lost everywhere else, he would take a last stand among the Scots-Irish of his native Virginia.

The Surrender of General Burgoyne at Saratoga by John Trumbull. The painting was completed in 1821, and hangs in the rotunda of the United States Capitol in Washington, D. C.

He saw the Highlanders’ heart, knew the Lowlanders’ tenacity. After the Scots-Irish successes in battle, Congress declared December 18, 1777, a national day "for solemn Thanksgiving and praise;" the nation's first official observance of a holiday with that name.

So, keep in mind that Saint Patrick’s Day is a holy day of obligation for Roman Catholics in Ireland. It’s also a feast day in the Church of Ireland. The church calendar avoids the observance of saints' feasts during certain solemnities, moving the saint's day to a time outside those periods. St Patrick's Day is occasionally affected by this requirement, when March 17 falls during Holy Week.

So, not everyone of Irish descent is obligated to go to church or get drunk on Saint Patrick’s Day. Not everyone wants to wear green. Not everyone wants to kiss leprechauns or idiots who have no idea what the holy day of remembrance is about.

I guess it’s the loss of history, culture and tradition that bothers me most. People assume I’m Irish, which is true, but I’m also Scottish, which they don't seem to get. I’m a two-for-one American with history that literally stretches back to the late 5^th Century and some say the Campbell's are descended from the Briton Arthur the Hero King, the one in the Knights of the Round Table myth.

I guess I’m miffed because these days being Scots-Irish doesn’t mean much in America anymore. I get what's going on, but only pinch me for not wearing green on St. Patrick's Day if you're looking for a fight.

Under every kilt are Irish genes.

Now, about that corned beef. Here’s the deal. The old people at the grocery store know best. They take their time looking for a firm, rounded cut of brisket with no sign of gristle and a good balance of fat for tenderness. They will, as my mother used to say, take the beef home and “boil the piss out of it,” throw onions, carrots, potatoes and cabbage in the pot.

The meat will be tender and sweet, make great sandwiches on rye bread the next day, and remind me and my family we are Scots-Irish, enjoying the leftovers.

Post a comment, I'd love to hear from you. Éirinn go Brách Ireland Forever!

The Run Around: Sac Town Shuffle

With friends out traveling the world, my stay-at-home self often feels envious and a bit left out. With the expense of two sons in college and a delightfully demanding job as a writer, photographer and editor, it's hard to throw darts at a map and start packing.

But, what I found yesterday in my own backyard lifted my spirits. There's lots to see at home, all that's needed is a welcoming eye and a bit of gauzy smoke from forest fires burning in the Sierra. My son and I set out for Old Town Sacramento for fish and chips (Railroad Fish & Chips on Front Street - the best!) and a walk-about. Here's what we saw:

Sacramento River Water Pavilion

Son Mike, Sacramento River Bridges in the background

Old water intake pump

Train bridge

Near Train Museum

Mike

Murals

Smokey twilight

Good Night Light

Mother Trees Feed the Future

Sometime ago a Santa Barbara avocado grower invited me to take a walk to what he called the “Mother Tree.” I’d heard the term, but didn’t really know what it meant. I gathered it referred to an old tree that had been grafted to create more trees and then, with more grafting, more trees, eventually resulting in an orchard.

But, the way the farmer asked, his shy offer to show me his Mother Tree, implied more than simply visiting a hearty tree with prolific off-spring.

He would have blustered at the suggestion it was something sacred, yet I couldn't help feeling he was taking me someplace special. We walked quietly in the early evening deep into the grove, scuffling leaves and stepping over sprinkler lines. He carried a long pole with a gripper on the end.

As dusk gathered, we stood at the base of strong tree with lush canopy and looked up. Although the grove had recently been picked, this tree had lots of fruit. The farmer hoisted his pole and plucked the huge fruit, handing each piece to me, explaining he saved the fruit from this tree for family and friends.

I stuffed my backpack, not realizing how much the fruit weighed until I tried to lift it. The farmer gave me a hand with the load. The fruit I brought home weighed a couple of pounds or more apiece and when ripe the flesh was smooth and creamy, flavored like nuts and honey.

The experience changed my way of thinking. Today when I buy avocados, I secretly know what I’m getting isn't the absolute ultimate best and I listen closely when someone talks about Mother Trees to find out more about them, hungering for fruit that comes straight from the source.

And, now I know the beauty and abundance of California’s millions of acres of groves and orchards are the product of strong, prolific mothers. But, although the tree where I first tasted Mother Fruit isn’t actually the oldest avocado tree in California or the original mother, I'm convinced it’s her oldest daughter.

The actual Mother Avocado Tree died in La Habra Heights in 2002. Every Hass Avocado in the world can trace its lineage to that tree. The tree's wood is currently stored in a Ventura nursery awaiting decision on a fitting commemoration of the original Hass Mother Tree.

Which brings me to the newly launched effort of the Felix Gillet Institute. This newly formed group aims to properly place Gillet, who was a Nevada City nurseryman in the mid-1800s, in the history of California and United States agriculture through research and education. The foundation said it’s goal is to educate farmers and gardeners about the many tree and plant species he introduced because they continue to provide valuable genetic material for modern propagation.

Amigo Bob Cantisano
Organic grower and Founder of FGI

Gillet brought cuttings from Europe for fruits, nuts, grapes, berries and ornamentals to the Sierra foothill’s during the Gold Rush period from the 1860′s until his death in 1908. These original plants have provided food and fiber that play a strong role today in American agriculture.

Along with all of his many accomplishments, Gillet was a two term City Councilman of Nevada City, was responsible for creating Nevada City’s first water system, moved the City Hall to its present location, was a prime mover in the Workingman’s Party, was a founder of what is now the State of California Department of Food and Agriculture, and was a prolific author whose work appeared in numerous agricultural publications.

The Felix Gillet Institute is raising funds to collect the more than 100 original plant varieties imported by Gillet that are scattered throughout the Sierra foothills and plant them in a Mother Orchard on Heaven and Earth Farm on San Juan Ridge. All of the trees will be propagated from the Grandmothers, which were planted and treasured in the 1800s by miners and homesteaders, and are now feral and endangered in the wild.

This orchard will preserve the best of 19th century fruit and nuts for lifetimes to come. To support this horticultural preservation effort, contact the Felix Gillet Institute at http://felixgillet.org/?page_id=61 

Information about the fund raising effort is online at Barnraiser. https://www.barnraiser.us/projects/eureka-help-save-heirloom-fruit-nut-trees-of-california-s-gold-rush

From Farm to Family -- Time to Celebrate

 

La Jolla Farmers Market - squash and pomegranates

National Farmers Market Week

 August 3-9 

With the nation's harvest of fresh fruits and vegetables streaming into farmers markets, it's time to get out and celebrate the abundance and the beauty. Farmers markets are an integral part of  our history and the urban/farm connection. The number of markets nationwide has continued to grow in number and  popularity, mostly due to growing consumer interest in obtaining fresh products directly from the farm.

Farmers markets allow consumers access to locally grown, farm fresh produce, enables farmers to develop a personal relationship with their customers, and cultivate consumer loyalty with the people who grow their food.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says direct marketing of farm products through farmers markets has grown 3.6 percent increase since 2012.

The USDA's National Farmers Market  Directory lists more than 8,100 markets that feature two or more farm vendors selling agricultural products directly to customers at a common, recurrent physical location.

Maintained by the Agricultural Marketing Service, the Directory is designed to provide consumers with convenient access to information about farmers market listings to include: market locations, directions, operating times, product offerings, accepted forms of payment, and more.

Search for markets by zip code, geographic proximity, product availability, payment method and even whether the market participates in Federal nutrition programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). You can also search by typing the official name and indicating state.

To find a market close by try USDA’s National Farmers Market Directory!  or the National Directory of Fruit Stands & Farmers Markets 

California leads the nation in the number of farmers markets, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports. Across America, these markets have more than doubled in the past decade, mushrooming from about 2,900 markets in 2000 to more than 6,100 today.

Although it's difficult to pinpoint how many Californians regularly shop at farmers markets, it's estimated that each week millions of families grab their canvas produce bags and walk, bike or drive to their local market.

Pear harvest is under way in California.

Here are some farmers market

 shopping tips from the experts

•  Quickly circle the market once to see what's available before buying anything.
• Check for new, in-season produce and compare prices.
• Purchase only enough for one week's meals.
• Ask for a taste sample, particularly if buying in large quantity for canning or preserving.
• If canning or preserving fruits or vegetables, ask the grower if "uglies" or seconds are available. Preserved food is going to be cooked or sliced and the flavors are just as tasty in produce with a few blemishes.
• Remember to ask growers for suggestions on methods of preparation.
• Peaches and apricots and the stem end of melons should smell good enough to eat; that means they're ripe.
• Growers are happy to suggest the perfect apples for baking or squash for roasting or greens for salad—just ask.

Remember to thank your local farmers for providing fine-tasting and healthy food for your family.

—Joanne Neft, founder of Placer County farmers markets and cookbook author

For an online guide to year-round farmers markets, go to www.cafarmersmarkets.com.

In California many farmers markets operate year round, here's a feature about my trip with Joanne Neft to a winter market: http://californiabountiful.com/features/article.aspx?arID=766

Fresh Produce for the Rich & Famous, as well as the rest of us. Click for a feature on my visit to the iconic Los Angeles Farmers Market.

Blackberry Millionaires with Recipes

They stopped beside a wild blackberry bramble on a two-lane road into Guerneville, along the way to Russian River. It was late summer and the ripe berries called to them, my sister and my son. I waited for them at a rented cottage, listened for the sound of a car pulling up outside while I puttered with potato salad and sandwiches. They were late. I did not know why.

Eventually the warm hum of my sister’s car signaled they were outside and I went to greet them. My son burst past me with a small box in his hands. “Where’s the refrigerator?” he shouted, charging into a small bedroom, turning, bursting back into the living room, frantic.

“In the kitchen,” my bewildered reply. Where else would it be, I thought, and followed him. My sister appeared with luggage in hand and followed into the kitchen, dropping the load in front of the stove.

“We can make millions!” my son shouted my sister laughing and running water in the sink. “Let’s go back and get more! Let’s sell em!”

I realized then my son had been bitten by an abundance of berries, acres of the fruit ripening on the twisted mat of vines, that he’d been seduced by the idea of scooping berries up by the handful and bringing them home to share, to sell.

I know the feeling of being in the brambles, of the luscious fruit just beyond reach. We used to pick blackberries in the fall, taking long boards to lay against the vines, creating wobbly platforms into the richest parts of the brambles. I know the lust.

I also know about wearing long-sleeved flannel shirts, jeans and boots in the heat of the day to protect from the thorns. I know the peril of falling into the brambles, of waiting still until help arrived to carefully pull me out, the thorns cutting like razors and tattering my clothes. I know it’s not easy to be a blackberry millionaire.

I didn’t prick my 9-year-olds euphoric bubble that afternoon, didn’t explain about the perils. Instead, we ate sandwiches and potato salad. My sister made a cobbler for desert and we talked about what we’d do with our blackberry millions.

There’s no need to put yourself in harm’s way for berries. There are skilled farmers who take the risks and bring the berries to you. Summer is berry season and the Oregon Raspberry & Blackberry Commission offers two summer recipes featuring blackberries to enjoy while figuring out where to spend your millions:

Tuscan Quinoa Salad

Serves 4

Salad Ingredients

·        1 cup Quinoa uncooked

·        2 cups water

·        ¼ teaspoon of salt

·        ½ Tablespoon vegetable oil

·        1 lb chicken Italian sausage, cooked and sliced

·        ½ cup parsley

·        ½ cup shaved Parmesan cheese

·        ¼ cup green onions, sliced

·        ½ cup red pepper – sliced thinly lengthwise

·        1-cup fresh or defrosted frozen blackberries

Dressing Ingredients

·        ¼ cup white wine vinegar

·        ¼ Extra Virgin Olive Oil

·        2 Tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley

·        ¼ teaspoon salt

·        1/8-teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

Whisk vinegar, olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside

Bring water to boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in quinoa and salt. Reduce to low; cover. Simmer 10-15 minutes or until water is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy. Transfer to large size bowl. Cool 10 minutes.

Toss quinoa with dressing. Stir in green onions, red pepper slices, sliced sausage and parsley. Mix well.

Gently stir in blackberries to combine with salad

Top with shaved Parmesan. Serve immediately

Almond Buttermilk Shortcakes with Blackberry Filling

Serves 6

Ingredients

·        2 1/4 cups all purpose white flour

·        1/3-cup sugar plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling over biscuits

·        1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

·        1/4 teaspoon baking soda

·        ¼ teaspoon salt

·        ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

·        2/3 cup buttermilk

·        1 beaten egg

·        1 teaspoon almond extract

·        1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

·        1 tablespoon grated orange peel

·        1 tablespoon whole milk

·        1/4 cup sliced almonds

Preparation

Coat a baking sheet lightly with non-stick cooking spray or line it with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, 1/3-cup sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, cut butter into the flour mixture until crumbly. In a small bowl, combine buttermilk, egg, Grand Marnier, orange peel and almond extract. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the buttermilk, mixture. With a fork, stir just until combined, adding additional buttermilk, as necessary, to from slightly sticky dough. Do not over mix.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and sprinkle with a little flour. With your fingertips, gently pat dough to an even 1-inch thickness. Using a 3 inch round cookie cutter, cut out shortcakes and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet. Gather together scraps of dough, re-roll and cut remaining shortcakes. You should have 6 shortcakes. Brush milk over shortcakes. Scatter almonds over the tops and sprinkle lightly with the remaining 1 Tbsp. sugar.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Bake shortcakes for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Transfer them to a rack and let cool slightly

Fruit filling

·        6 cups fresh or thawed frozen blackberries or Marionberries

·        1/3-cup sugar preferably superfine

·        1-pint heavy cream

·        1 tablespoon sugar

·        1 teaspoon of Grand Marnier

In a large bowl mix berries and 1/3 cup sugar set aside for a few minutes. Whip cream with tablespoon of sugar and liqueur until soft peaks form.

Using a serrated knife split the shortcakes. Set bottoms on dessert plates: spoon on whipped cream and then the fruit mixture and crown with lids. Top with whipped cream if desired. Serve immediately.