UC Santa Cruz Botanical Garden Funhappytime:

I have the extreme good fortune to live in one of five Mediterranean Climate regions of the world...California!  BUT...if I didn't live in this sun-kissed, natural wonderland, and had to pick one other region of the world to live in, it would be South or Western Australia.

Protea magnifica, South Africa

Or South Africa.

...or maybe the central coast of Chile...

...or maybe somewhere along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea...

All incredible places on this planet!

By definition, these "Mediterranean Climate" regions are characterized by warm to hot, dry summers and mild to cool wet winters. (Wikipedia has an excellent description of Mediterranean climates:   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_climate

In short, in California we can grow lots of beautiful plants from regions of the world that share our climate.

Banksia, Australia

Recently, some friends and I did the next best thing to a world tour of the Mediterranean regions- we went to the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum, an invaluable treasure in Santa Cruz, California.  The UCSC Arboretum houses the largest collection of Australian and South African plants outside of their native countries and is home to a world-class living collection of fauna from California, Australia, South Africa,  New Zealand and Chile.   The regal Proteas and Banksias alone are reason enough to visit the arboretum. Go if you ever have the chance!
http://arboretum.ucsc.edu/

Caesar: King of Salads

My friend Dana is one of the best chefs I know.  She used to work for a caterer and- lucky for me- snagged this recipe for Caesar Salad Dressing, which I now make by the gallon.  The recipe below makes a lot, and should last for a while in the fridge.  It's the real deal and contains raw eggs and anchovies....It also makes a great dip for crudités.

CAESAR SALAD:

I came.  I saw.  I conquered. Then I ate salad.

1 head of organic hearts of Romaine lettuce, torn
1/2 cup Dana's Caesar Dressing (below)
1 cup garlic croutons (below)
1/4 cup shaved asiago or parmesan
black pepper to taste

Dana's Delicious Caesar Salad Dressing:
6-8 cloves of fresh garlic
ground black pepper to taste
2 oz canned anchovies
3/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
2.5 tbs dijon mustard
3/4 c. grated parmesan or asiago
1.5 tsp worcestershire sauce
juice of 1 lemon

2 raw eggs
1.5 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 c. vegetable oil (canola is good)

In a cuisinart, blend all ingredients except for eggs and oils.  When well blended, add oils and then eggs to emulsify.  Let cuisinart run until dressing becomes thick (milkshake consistency).  Refrigerate to store- keeps for at least 2 weeks.

Garlic Croutons:
6 cups cubed sourdough (or another white bread)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 fresh garlic cloves, chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Toss everything to coat bread evenly. Bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until golden.  Cool.

Compose salad.  Toss lettuce with cooled croutons and shaved asiago or parmesan and dressing.  Serve!

Two Passover Flourless Cakes

I was the luckiest kid in the world.

Every time we had dinner at my grandparents' house, my family would constantly remind me of my incredible good fortune.

As they savored every morsel of chopped liver, matzoh ball soup, and succulent brisket, aunts and uncles would exclaim, "Your Bubby is The Best Cook In the Whole World!"

Of all the billions of people in the Whole World,  I was amazed that my own Bubby was bestowed with this honorable distinction!  And I got to eat at her house all the time!

Who wouldn't be grateful?!

Although there may have been a few other contenders for the title, she really was a great Jewish cook and made a mean flour-less Passover banana cake, which I'll share at this opportune time.  Although she never made a flour-less chocolate-almond torte, she might have if she'd known about it-

Manya Kleinman's Passover Banana Cake

8 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp sweet wine (optional)
6 tbsp potato starch
6 tbsp matzoh cake meal
2 small mashed bananas
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Pre heat oven to 325.  Spray a 10" angel food pan and set aside.  Whip yolks until light, add sugar and beat until fluffy. If using wine, add to yolk mixture.  Add mashed bananas to the yolk mixture.  Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites, then sift in matzoh cake meal and potato starch until blended.  Gently fold in chopped nuts, if desired.  Bake for one hour and 10 minutes.  Turn pan upside down on rack when done and let cake cool in pan for 1 hour.

Flour-less Chocolate-Almond Torte 


1 cup whole almonds, toasted
7 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
7 large egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
unsweetened cocoa powder
lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 350.  Butter a 9" springform pan and set aside.  Combine almonds, chocolate, 1/2 cup of the sugar and the salt in a food processor until almonds and chocolate are very finely chopped but not completely pulverized.  Set aside.

Beat the egg whites with cream of tarter until soft peaks are formed.  Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue to beat until the egg whites are stiff but not dry.  Add 1/3 of the nut mixture to the egg whites and fold in.  Gradually fold in the remaining nuts.

Pour batter into pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.  Place pan on a rack and let cool for 10 minutes, then turn onto rack.  When cool, dust with cocoa powder.  Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Two Words: “Recycled” “Concrete”

As we head into our fourth year of this long recession, all of us in the landscaping profession have become increasingly astute about how to provide homeowners with landscaping remodels that they can afford.  Yet, while they request more economical garden installations, our clients continue to desire beautiful and, increasingly, environmentally sustainable design solutions.  The challenges presented by these requirements actually offer some surprisingly creative opportunities for landscape designers and contractors who are willing to try new and unconventional approaches. 

This quandary brings back memories of my wise grandmother who taught me about the treasure trove of beautiful and pragmatic solutions awaiting those who are imaginative- and economically savvy.

Repurposed concrete driveway

When she immigrated to the US in the early 1900’s, this impoverished young woman had nothing but hope for a better life- and gumption.  Her uncanny ability to fashion haute couture from salvaged remnants of fabric; to serve up feasts from cut-rate groceries; to cultivate lush, prolific gardens from scavenged seeds – all demonstrated an artful determination to transform scarcity into beautiful and valuable commodities. 

As a designer committed to providing quality landscapes to discerning clients during these challenging economic times, my grandmother’s wisdom constantly resonates with me. Homeowners have had to navigate the maze of this ongoing recession by being increasingly practical and creative about home improvements.  Their renovation priorities are typical: to enhance their quality of life by creating a more enjoyable outdoor space; to capitalize on the value of their home; and, for an increasing number of environmentally conscientious homeowners, to incorporate sustainable landscape features in their remodels.  Of course, all of these requirements must be economically viable.  

Graceful recycled concrete terraces

Given the above parameters, Grandma’s pragmatic adage, ‘Waste Not; Want Not,’ is often the best approach to modern landscape design.

The growing trend to use recycled concrete in landscaping projects perfectly illustrates this principle. From elegant terraces and innovative planter beds, to artistically reimagined driveways turned into patios, repurposed concrete provides an inexpensive alternative to new materials for constructing beautiful and functional landscape features.  Although labor costs can be similar to construction with new materials, overall costs are less using recycled concrete. Because pre-existing concrete is ubiquitous on many residential landscapes, repurposing it on-site rather than hauling it off to dumps reduces landfill waste, conserves fuel used in transporting materials off and onto the site, and reduces carbon emissions generated by transportation.  In addition, recycled concrete can add beautiful texture and color to a garden.


In the words of one wise grandma, “What’s not to like?”

Graceful recycled concrete terraces

Graceful recycled concrete terraces

Repurposed concrete driveway

                   

Best Beet Lentil Salad Ever

Lentil Beet and Winter Squash Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette and Feta

This is one of the most delicious salads on the face of the earth- it's an adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison, a fantastic chef.  I usually use a combination of organic baby beets: golden, red and Chioggia.

1 pound (or more) beets
1/2 winter squash (banana squash)
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
ground pepper to taste

1 cup French green or Russian black lentils (firm lentils are key)
2 carrots, diced
1 small onion, diced
bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt

1/4 c chopped parsley
1/4 c chopped cilantro
1/2 cup crumbled feta
Lemon vinaigrette (2tbs lemon juice, 1 tsp grated lemon zest, 1 shallot, 6 tbs olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt, pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350.  Peel the beets and banana squash and cut into 1/2" chunks.  Toss with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper and bake on a cookie sheet for 1/2 hour until tender. Meanwhile, cover lentils, carrots, onions and bay leaf and salt in a pot with water.  Bring to boil and then lower the heat and cook for about 20 minutes, or until lentils are just tender.  Drain. Spread mixture out on a cookie sheet to cool evenly.  When cool, combine with roasted veggies and vinaigrette.  Toss in parsley, cilantro and feta cheese.

Adventures: virtual and visual...

Welcome to my new blog.

I've finally bitten the bullet and joined the ranks of the virtual explorers: bravely roving uncharted terrain and venturing into the internet wonderland...

On my own small virtual plot, I'll try to do a few things: sow some seeds of wisdom about California home landscaping; explore the beauty of the Best Coast's remarkable terrain; offer up delicious seasonal recipes; and rake over some random Native California thoughts.

Let's see where this goes...