Nip it in the Bud

Orchard work began today. 

Jim is doing a  deep pruning of some of the trees.

When I first saw it, my immediate reaction was *Y*I*K*E*S*

But I knew better than to worry because he rotates heavy and light pruning of half the trees each season, which is one reason that we usually get a nice crop of apples. And every few years he does an extreme pruning. 

.

Obviously, this is the year. :)

I can only imagine how these trees must feel. On one hand, they might be feeling a little bit bare naked. But maybe they have a feeling of relief; shedding old wood in order to grow new branches and limbs.

Either way, one thing is for sure. Delicious, home-grown apples are on their way.....

Marcheta * wait for it...wait for it

What's in a Name?

 

 

 

Here is my morning work, Ida Red apples, Bartlett pears, and Stanley plums waiting patiently to be sorted and packaged for today's NorthSide Farmers Market. Pretty colorful, huh? And tasty, too!

 

 

 

What's in a name?  I am always being asked about my first name,

which has led to a curiosity as to the origins of other names, even

fruits and veggies. Mostly, they are named after the developers, and

 their stories, like the Wealthy apple, are sometimes very

interesting. See what you think about today's harvest.

 

 

The Bartlett pear is known as the Williams pear

in other countries. So, what happened? Well, as I hear it, the variety

was first planted in the U.S.A. in 1799 at the Thomas Brewer

estate in Massachusetts. Enoch Bartlett bought the place he decided

to introduce it to the U.S. markets under his own name. How that

was allowed to happen is a mystery to me, I feel for the Williams

guy.

 Enoch's tactics worked; today Bartlett is among the top

pear varieties in the U.S. Why? It could have something to do with

the sweet pear flavor and smooth texture, or because it is travels

well. Lucky for us, we don't have to eat pears that have traversed

the country. It is a relatively easy tree to grow and many small

orchards and home gardens boast a few Bartlett pear trees.

 

Pear pie, anyone? Yes, Bartletts are great in pies and crisps. Often I

mix them with apples when I make crisps.

 

And then there's Stanley. So far I haven't found the origin of the name. Mostly Old Stan is known for morphing into prunes, but it is also a great  plum to eat fresh. And to make into plum jam. And plum sauce. How about cake?
 

A German baker bought Stanley plums from me to bake in Kuchen.

I wasn't sure what a kuchen is, so I looked it up.

 This recipe, from allrecipes.com looks

yummy, and I plan to give it a try. Since I haven't had time to test

it I can't give a review, but it has been my experience that the

recipes from this website are always good.

 

Ida Red is an old variety that has stood the test of time because it makes the most excellent pies, cobblers, and crisps. Was it named after the Civil War era song, Ida Red? I don't think so. 

 

The university of Idaho Agricultural Eexperiment Station crossed a Jonathan with a Wagener in 1942. Sometimes it is called Idared, one word, which is a combo of "Ida"ho and "Red" (for it's rich, red color). When cooked with the skins on, Ida Red (or Idared) makes a Pretty in Pink apple sauce :)

 

Looks like I need to fire up the oven and make some of these yummy treats. How about you?

 

Marcheta *plum crazy for Ida and William Bart

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



I Don't Always Drink Kale...

...But when I do, I add fruit.

Why?

Just look.

Are you thinking "pond scum in a wine glass"?

I am.

Even with the pear garnish.

But, really, it tastes ok.

 

 

 

The thought of drinking a salad is not all that appealing to me. But the health benefits are marvelous.

To cut the taste of the greens, most people add fruit. Today I added a fresh picked pear from the orchard to a green mix when I needed to take a break from sorting Red Bartlett pears and Wealthy apples for today's NorthSide Farmers Market. 

I also added flax seeds, almonds, and hemp protein powder.

 

Making a green drink is more of a process than following a recipe. For sweeter drinks, add more things like half a banana, half an orange, pineapple, melon, peach, or a combo of fruit. whatever you like. And a dash of cinnamon doesn't hurt, either!
Just be sure to add some greens for that extra vitamin boost!


Marcheta *stay healthy, my friends

Curried Chicken Salad Recipe

Fresh picked Wealthy apples gave me a hankerin' for chicken salad for my lunch break from sorting them for tomorrow's Bucyrus Farmers Market. That's one of the glories about Wealthy apples; they are an excellent all-purpose apple. Another glory is that it ripens early. In my corner of Ohio they are ripe for the taking now.

I love to add curry powder to chicken salad. Of course, if you do not like curry you can omit it. When Wealthy apples are first ripe, they are a bit on the tart side. When they continue to ripen they sweeten up a bit. Today's version was on the tart side, so I added a small amount of sugar to the salad after I plated it.

Eating lunch on the run or planning a picnic?  I like to make all sorts of sandwiches with chicken salad; from rustic types like bread, buns or wraps, to fancier croissants. Win, win, win, and win!

Marcheta *yum...

Curried Chicken Salad

Makes 3 salads or 4 or 5 sandwiches or wraps

Ingredients

1 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip (whichever you prefer)               1 teaspoon curry powder

1 med. apple, diced  (about 1cup)                               2 celery stalks, sliced thin (about ½ cup)

¼ c walnut or pecans (optional)                                                                       1/8 teaspoon salt

1 T water or juices from cooking the chicken

1 cup chopped grilled or cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast       

Preparation

Combine mayonnaise, water, and curry powder in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add the chicken, apple, celery, and salt; stir mixture well to combine. Cover and chill. Garnish with nuts, if desired.

A "Wealth" of Information

We are picking Wealthy apples now.

Say what?

Wealthy is one of the most famous of the hardy, all-purpose varieties. Wealthy is also considered to be a standout among pie apples.  If you want to make a single-variety crisp or pie, try Wealthy.  At peak ripeness, the flavor is more sweet than tart, and the texture is soft without being mushy.  Just at ripeness the pie flavor tends to be slightly tart. Wealthy makes a tart, creamy sauce. I like it chopped and added to salads, especially chicken salad.

But why the name, “Wealthy?”

Here is a condensed version of my research from several sources.

Peter Gideon was born in Champaign County, Ohio in 1818.  When he was still young, his family moved to Illinois.  In 1849, he married Wealthy Hull, who was born in Madison County, Ohio. 

Peter and Wealthy met and married in Minnesota. At that time, only crabapple trees were able to withstand Minnesota’s harsh winters. Gideon sent for seeds from an apple grower in Maine and began crossing the seeds with his best crabapple. Just one variety of seed was successful. Gideon named this new variety after his wife.

I found several different accounts of where Wealthy was born and where she and Peter met. I went with a copy of her obituary that I found online.

An interesting fact: Wealthy Hull was a descendant of Joseph Hull, founder of Barnstable Mass, and the niece of Isaac Hull, commander of “Old Ironsides” during the War of 1812.

Marcheta *and now you know...