Caprese

The name of the recipe means a salad in the style of Capri. This year we have a climate that must be similar to southern Italy as the tomatoes are abundant and delicious and the basil is vibrant and prolific.

On a large platter, place thin slices of sourdough bread, place medium thick slices of fresh tomatoes on the bread; on the tomato slices place a thin slice of fresh mozzarella cheese and top the cheese with one or two leaves of freshly picked green and/or purple basil; lightly drizzle organic extra virgin olive oil over each stack. Finish with cracked black pepper and cracked sea salt to taste.

These were served at a small dinner party recently as one of the appetizers. The entire meal was a series of appetizers. The Caprese went fast and everyone loved the summer flavors.

A note about fresh mozzarella: once opened, the cheese needs to be consumed pretty much right away. The mozzarella should be all gone by the end of the next day's meals.

Tomatoes are ripening more rapidly this week. So far we've stored away twelve dozen plump cherry tomatoes in the deep freeze. The small group of plants are producing between one and two dozen ripe tomatoes a day now. No sign of stopping as we look into the near future hoping for more constant perfect growing weather such as we've had all summer.

The larger tomatoes are also ripening. Delicious.

These next few weeks will be full of great food celebrating the tomato.

Chicken Soup with Tomatoes and a Thousand Cloves of Garlic.

Last night we had Chicken Soup that's based on a WeightWatchers recipe called Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic. This recipe doesn't actually call for that much garlic; it's less than forty, more like twenty or thirty, separated with the skins on. Get the garlic ready, Then heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan or dutch oven. Brown all sides of two chicken breasts cut into four pieces in the olive oil. It takes a few minutes. A nice brown crispiness gives it good flavor. Once the chicken is browned, remove it to a plate. Drain the pan of excess oil. Put the pan back on the stove. Over medium heat add between half and one cup of delicious wine left over from the last dinner party. Add the garlic along with two or three cups of homemade chicken stock. Bring that to a simmer as you add a couple sage leaves, a bay leaf, about a cup of basil leaves and stems, one or two stems of marjoram leaves, and stems of leaves from three types of oregano. (If you only have one type of oregano, use that and make a note to buy more varieties next spring at Dry Creek, because it's great to have several types of oregano for delicious summer cooking.) Then take two large fresh garden tomatoes -- we used Red Krim, which were amazing -- dip the tomatoes into boiling water for just a few seconds, remove the skins, chop the tomatoes into large chunks, about an inch square (use large 'Beefsteak' sized tomatoes). Add that to the broth. In a 3 qt oven safe casserole pan that has a lid, place the chicken into the pan, pour the broth over the chicken. Bake with lid on for 1.5 hours. Check occasionally to see how it's doing, but until your house is filled with that delicious aroma that comes from cooking garlic, let it simmer. Once out of the oven, remove all herbs, shred the chicken into the soup. When served, instruct your guests to remove the garlic from their soup bowls. Put it on a bread plate. The cooked garlic cloves easily come away from their skins and make a great companion to fresh baked bread.

This year the nine pumpkin vines have only produced two tiny pumpkins. We know not why, except that the soil needs to be reworked from several seasons of vegetable growing. Maybe a lack of bees to pollinate the flowers, but even hand pollination has only taken twice.

And yet, all is not lost; the plants have produced an abundance of flowers -- more than enough to create several delicious meals this summer.

There are many ways to bring squash blossoms to the table. You can find recipes online for "Battered Squash Blossoms," or "Stuffed Squash Blossoms," or "Squash Blossom Pizza," or "Squash Blossom Frittata." You can add them to soups and omelets. Make everyone wonder what on earth you've done to grandma's famous hush puppy recipe by adding squash blossoms to the potatoes.

Enjoy these remaining great days of summer weather and may your cold sensitive vegetables ripen before the killing frost.

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Geraniums are very popular plants, but here in the high desert most types you find in local nurseries and garden centers are grown as annuals or indoor plants. Not so with this hardy Blue Geranium. This interesting low to medium high growing ground cover is cold hardy, will grow outside even in bright sun and come back to make you happy with its interesting foliage and true blue flowers that bloom all summer. Deadhead for an extended bloom.

This plant works well as a medium high border plant in sun or dappled shade. You can also grow them in containers, or as pictured here, in full sun in a xeric rock garden setting. They are drought tolerant, enjoy average, well-drained soil.

The Blue Geranium is a Drycreek favorite, but the nursery also sometimes carries hardy geraniums in other colors, too, like pink, purple, magenta and white.

As late spring turns to warmer days, the Pin Cushion (Scabiosa) begins its prolific display of beautiful long stemmed flowers. When exactly depends upon the particular microclimate within which they grow, but this plant (pictured) loves its full morning sun and mid-afternoon shade. Just this week the blooms have begun to open. The blooms will keep coming for weeks and will respond well to deadheading, especially if the the long spent flower stems are cut away. You can also let some of the flower stems mature to collect the seeds, and as years go by, you can divide the root ball for propagation.

Give your Pin Cushion average well-drained soil and regular watering. It can handle semi-arid stretches, but it's best not to allow the soil to completely dry out between waterings.

Honeybees and butterflies love this plant. It works well for medium high borders and as a container plant. The cut flowers are great for floral arranging.

Aphids are tiny, soft bodied insects that suck plant juices from leaves, stems and flowers. They quickly form colonies and if left unchecked, can do quite a bit of damage to your plants. You might be tempted to buy pesticide poisons to fight your fights, but such chemicals are almost always completely nondiscriminatory when it comes to what types of insects they kill. Who wants to kill honeybees? Who wants to kill Lady Beetles (pictured)? Who wants to kill Praying Mantids? Who wants to risk such chemicals leaching into the ground water to kill earthworms and ultimately to contaminate the water supply?

If you find aphids collecting on your flower plant stems, rub them off with your fingers or spray your plants with a strong enough jet of water to knock the aphids from your plants. And encourage beneficial predator insects into your garden (by not using insecticides) such as Lady Beetles. A single Lady Beetle (Hippodamia convergens) will eat thousands of aphids during its life time!

Considerate gardeners also use home made sprays made with garlic and a tiny bit of Castile soap. Some make tea from other plants known to thwart aphids, such as yarrow, stinging nettle and tomato leaves. There are many solutions that don't involve deadly chemicals. Try this link for more organic suggestions.

It seems that after the biggest rain day in June in over ninety years, the penstemon are reacting in mass with abundant flowers.

There are almost three hundred species of penstemon (Plantaginaceae and/or Scrophulariaceae family). Also called beardtongue, penstemon vary greatly, with many shapes and sizes with flowers in a wide range of colors: blue, magenta, orange, pink, purple, red, white and even yellow. Foliage is varied, too, some with broad bright green leaves, others with delicate gray green, still others with almost blue leaves. Some types are tall, up to almost two feet; others are quite small, reaching only six or eight inches in height. Honeybees and hummingbirds are attracted to the flowers.

Nevada is a penstemon paradise. Several types are native to the area and thrive on dry air and dry soil. They are perfect for xeric landscaping plans as well as sun drenched rock and container gardens. Many types, including European hybrids flourish here with little care and little watering. Give them full sun and well drained average soil and they'll be on their way to making June a bright and colorful month year after year.

Traditionally, Native American cultures used penstemon as a medicinal plant. The plant is beloved by many. There is even a Penstemon Society for true penstemon enthusiasts.

Penstemon is one of Drycreek's favorite and most popular perennials. Each year you can find many different types available.

These last few days of perfect springtime weather has the Hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus) excited for blooms. This little gem (pictured) lives in a very sandy, well-drained south facing rock garden in downtown Reno. It's been living here for almost a decade. It usually blooms each year around the first of June, but this year it's a about a week and a half late. You can guess why.

Drycreek has a great selection of cold hardy cacti this year. These little hedgehogs usually go very quickly. They require no maintenance after becoming established and each spring the flowers are definitely something to look forward to. Hedgehog cactus plants are great for displaying in containers, and because they are slow growers, you can start out with a small sized pot. Just make sure they get full sun and a well-draining sandy soil. Most hedgehog cactus plants tend to stay very compact with their stems growing no more than a foot high. If you're lucky enough to live a long life with this cactus as your companion, you will get to see your little cactus develop into a fully mature mound consisting of many stems and many amazing flowers from year to year.

For potting cacti, it's easy to create a good soil match without having to purchase expensive mixes from the big box stores. All you need is some regular potting soil and some pumice. Mix the two with a ratio of about one third pumice to two thirds potting soil. Doing it yourself can save a lot of money, especially if growing cacti becomes a hobby.

To say the least, the Hedgehog cactus is a spectacular addition to any xeric landscaping plan.

Speedwells are great plants for borders, rock gardens, planters and other areas with sun or partial shade where small ground covers are needed. Both of the plants pictured have similar growth patterns and texture, so if planted together, will fill a space more or less evenly, but with contrasting color. Both are rapid growing, compact floriferous perennials that take sun or part shade. Both bloom from late May to August into September. Flower stalks on each plant reach a a more or less even height between twelve and eighteen inches with a spread between eighteen and twenty-four inches. And both have deep green foliage setting off their spikes of long lasting flowers. One, the Royal Candles Veronica (Veronica spicata 'Glory') produces deep blue flowers. The other, Eveline Speedwell (Veronica longifolia 'Eveline') produces deep purple flowers. The combination is striking, complimentary and will produce color for your garden all summer long.

Easy to grow, simply give these Veronicas ordinary, well-drained soil that stays evenly moist. In winter, make sure the roots don't sit in water as root rot is probably the plant's greatest danger. Since our summer heat can be intense, it might be best if they receive a full dose of morning to early afternoon sun, then the rest of the day with dappled shade. This will help in keeping the roots moist. If the summer sun seems too intense, try giving the plant a modest layer of mulch. If you find your plants fainting, don't worry, just give them some water. They usually will perk back up in quick time. In the summer, deadheading will promote more flowers and a longer blooming season.

We woke up this morning to frost on the roofs in downtown Reno. At 6:30 the temperature read 32 degrees at the Reno / Sparks Convention Center. Higher up the mountain there were even more severe conditions. New snow on Peavine makes it look like early April rather than late May. But the afternoon proved wonderful. People are eager to get their plants all in a row and ready for the inevitable warmth coming in June.

Drycreek came to the rescue for many gardeners this week with their supply of reusable protective covers -- they still have a good supply and it's always a good idea to have protection at hand. And for those that missed the opportunity to add cover, Drycreek's green house was full this morning with all sorts of heirloom tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and many other healthy and happy vegetables, kept safe from the low temperatures last night.

Everyone is waiting for that moment -- any day now -- when "all danger of frost is past" and it's safe to put everything in the ground for this year's growing season. Is it tomorrow? It's only one more day till June; three weeks till Summer.

If you have a partly shady spot on a ledge where you would like to place a show plant, or a partly shady crevice in your rock garden that is crying out for something unique and interesting, Irish Saxifrage (Saxifraga x andrewsii) is a great choice. This hardy evergreen forms offshoots that grow into a cluster, eventually spreading into a nice sized mount. Great, too, for containers you can move around to where the plant receives just the right amount of easy sun and dappled shade. In other areas where cloud covered days are many, Irish Saxifrage can take more sun, but here in the desert, they seem to prefer more shade.

The plant forms clusters of saw toothed leaves that are fun to touch. The leaves fit into a variety of garden themes, from desert to alpine. In May and June, Saxifrage sends up tall, crazy looking reddish stems with tiny clusters of symmetrical white flowers with pink speckles. The stems reach to almost a foot in height and as the plant matures, multiply into a nice spray of delicate white flowers that sway in the breeze.

You can propagate this variety by dividing the root ball. If the flowers actually produce seed (some will not), you can let them dry on the plant, then collect for experimental sprouting. Growing from seed is a long process, but if you give it a try, scatter on a fluffy sprouting medium without much cover and keep moist.

Give your Saxifrage rich, well-drained soil. Keep it nicely moist, especially throughout the hottest part of the summer. Be sure to water them regularly while they establish themselves.

There are many different types of Saxifraga and many more gardeners who love them. So many, in fact, that there's even a Saxifraga Society. Drycreek often has several varieties of Saxifraga in stock. The one pictured arrived this spring.

This morning the National Weather Service is predicting the possibility of snow this holiday weekend down to the valley level with temperatures to the freezing level. The low temperatures, they say, will allow up to an inch of snow in the Truckee Meadows. The western mountains are in a Winter Weather Advisory. With gusty winds, snow and a cold night, conditions could definitely do some damage to delicate annuals like tomatoes, eggplant and peppers.

If you've already planted summer vegetables, it's probably a good idea to devise some protection for the weekend. Drycreek still has in stock Gardener's Season Starter Early Season Plant Protectors. The plant protectors safeguard plants like tomato starts, eggplant, squash, pepper starts, cucumbers, melons, herbs and other annuals, shielding them from damage. They carry Wall of Water protectors, too, that will protect plants down to 16 degrees Fahrenheit.

This time of year everyone is anxious to plant their summer garden plants, gambling to win more time in our typically short growing season, but as the saying goes, the snow isn't off Peavine yet, and this weekend we just might see more rather than less.

Jacob's Ladder (Polemonium) is a perfect plant for fully shaded to partially shaded areas of the garden. The plant begins to develop tall flower stems in early spring -- at up to three feet high -- then blooms late May into June. Extend the blooming season by deadheading.

It's imperative that the right spot for growing Jacob's Ladder be found. It seems the variegated Polemonium need even more shade, but definitely, excessive sun and dry soil will produce negative results. This particular plant has been growing in a mostly shaded corner protected from the sun by an eastern and southern facing fence. A few feet to the west is the wall of the house, so the plant receives very little direct sunlight. It does receive a bit of late afternoon sun, but only for a short while. Certainly this plant thrives in this location.

Remember, well-drained soil is very important for this plant. And, as is typical for many shade loving plants, it enjoys a somewhat consistently moist, but not soggy, soil, although, if it doesn't bake in the sun, it will tolerate some drought. The flowers attract honeybees which is always nice since honeybees need all the help they can get these days.

This spring Drycreek has both deep green and variegated varieties of Polemonium.

This Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora), a member of the Agave Family, has been living in downtown Reno for five or six years. It commands a warm and sunny south facing spot, which it loves. Each spring it sends up several flower stalks that rise up above the leaves by at least two feet. Sometimes there are as many as ten flower stalks; other years less than half that amount.

Red Yucca is a hardy, drought tolerant, carefree evergreen perennial that's perfect for desert themed xeric landscapes and large rock gardens. The plant grows somewhat slowly, and will eventually become shrub-like, reaching a spread of up to five or six feet wide and three feet high.

In well drained soil, give your yucca a good occasional watering to encourage blooms. If your plant receives regular blasts of Nevada's drying winds, it will appreciate a drip line or weekly watering during the summer. The long lasting bright pink flowers are a major attraction to hummingbirds and the tall flower stalks make it easy to see when the hummingbirds make their rounds. Honeybees are also a frequent visitor. The flowers themselves last most of the summer, developing pods of flat black seeds that can be sprouted.

As the single plant spreads out, suckers will appear around the base that can be separated and planted elsewhere. You can propagate from seeds, too, although it will be several years before you'll be seeing flower stalks emerging.

Drycreek carries several varieties of yucca.

In spring and autumn Drycreek offers six packs of vegetable greens for cool weather gardening. Several varieties of cabbage and lettuce are available, plus mustard greens, kale, collard greens and others. These foods are easy to grow and good for you. The plants don't mind the late cool weather snaps, and in fact, thrive on them. Just give them good soil, lots of sun and plenty of water and you'll be eating some of nature's super foods grown from your own garden.

This hardy purple cabbage along with kale and collard greens was planted last fall and spent much of the winter under a layer of snow. The collards and kale have been recently harvested, cooked and deliciously eaten. The cabbage remains and is now beginning to form heads. This spring, another set of cabbage has been planted to replace these as they mature. The spring planted cabbage will form large, firm heads, hopefully by late June, as they did last year.

It's exciting to grow your own food. Plus, not only is cabbage beautiful, but it contains substantial amounts of vitamin B2, vitamin C, glutamine, and amino acid, all of which are essential for human health. Cabbage is also a great diet food since it is very low in calories and can be prepared in a variety of interesting ways. You can eat it raw or cook it, ferment it, can it, freeze it. Even the outer leaves and stems can be used as an ingredient in soup stocks. Try making sauerkraut and coleslaw. Your friends and neighbors will be amazed. More than once someone will say, "You grew that in the desert?"

Note: Be sure to prepare the soil. Make it rich and well-drained with lots of organic material. If you can, grow your garden vegetables in a raised bed for better protection from typical garden insects. They can also be grown in containers. Just make sure the pots are large enough to allow for proper root growth.