Ingredient: 1 pumpkin 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon butter 1/2 onion (chopped) 1 can sweetcorn Vegetable stock 1 cup pine nuts Ground allspice Preparation: Pre-heat the oven to 400° F. Cut the pumpkin in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Place the halves, face down, in the oven for 45 minutes or until soft […]
By Richard Flowers, ACCNP-Green Thumb Nursery-Ventura Winter will be here before you know it and certain fruit trees need to lose all their leaves as one of the main requirements to set a quality crop of fruit the following season. If you have Apples, Apricots, Plums, Pears, Peaches, Cherries, Nectarines, Persimmons, Figs, Pomegranates, and Nuts […]
Written by Susan B. September may conjure mental images of hot spiced apple cider, earthy Autumnal colors, and crisp air, and shorter days, but Southern California isn’t like the rest of the country. We’ll continue to enjoy warm weather, and our gardens will continue to feed our stomachs with food crops and our eyes with […]
Ingredient: 28 round cracker ⅔ cup fresh mozzarella (sliced thinly) 4 fresh, ripe tomatoes (washed and sliced) 4 ounces serrano ham (thinly sliced) Kosher salt (to taste) Freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Fresh basil leaves (for garnish) Preparation: Lay out 28 cracker rounds on a serving platter or board. Top […]
Written by Susan B. Before we can talk about California native plants, we need to define the concept. Native plants are indigenous plants. They are plants whose origin is often impossible to trace, but they’ve likely been growing in the region for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Native plants are native because we don’t […]
Ingredient:For the Cupcakes: 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar 2 large eggs, room temperature 1 tablespoon lemon zest, about 1 lemon 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice, about 1 lemon 1/4 cup (60 ml) whole milk, room temperature 1 1/2 cups (195 g) […]
Written by Susan B. Fall is the season for vibrant and earthy colors. It combines the colors of the harvest and the colors of the leaves of falling leaves on deciduous trees. The way Californians experience the season may differ vastly from the way New Englanders experience it at the opposite end of the country. […]
Ingredient: 15 oz. can red kidney beans 15 oz. can garbanzo beans 15 oz. can black beans 3 roma tomatoes (or grape/cherry) 1/2 small red onion (or green onions) 1 cucumber 1/2 cup fresh parsley (or less to taste) 1/2 cup fresh cilantro (or less to taste) For the Lemon Dressing: Juice from 1 lemon […]
Written by Susan B. As Southern California residents, we value our climate and the outdoor lifestyle it affords us. We spend a lot of time thinking about and planning before we choose plants and flowers for our gardens. And we understand the importance of curb appeal when we’re thinking about landscaping for the front of […]
Ingredient: 1/2 cup butter melted 1/3 cup sugar plus 2 Tablespoons sugar divided 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt divided 1 cup flour 8 oz cream cheese softened 1/3 cup dark brown sugar 1 Tablespoon lemon zest + 1 teaspoon lemon zest divided 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice divided 3 pints blueberries 1 teaspoon honey […]