Rose Moradian’s garden is looking fabulous. The combination of flowers and vegetables is a wonderful combination. Driving into the winery’s property the 10 foot high Sunflowers are impressive, standing as guards at the entrance. Several years ago we wondered what would be a good use for this small plot — too small really for grapes — and I think we came up with the right solution.
After much deliberation and excitement, I picked the first ears of corn today! I plucked an ear off, tenderly tore the husk and silk off and bit right into a DELICIOUS cob of corn! I could feel the magic of the earth carouse through my body, an exciting rush of natural sugars triggering my fantasy of rolling around the corn field devouring every ear in sight.
It made me giddy! I had to wait a few hours to drive I felt so high from eating it right there on the spot it was grown! I am surprised, because corn can be a tricky crop to grow and bugs love it. Organic methods of corn bug control are few. Because of the pollination requirements the wind is the only force that can pollinate corn, unlike open flowered crops like squash in which bees’ bumble around drinking nectar from flower to flower inadvertently pollinating the crop.
Since I don’t have even an acre to plant on, I was worried that I may not have planted enough close together. I grew peas in with the corn to provide a natural nitrogen boost to the soil and corn is a natural trellis that supports vines. I went ahead and planted sunflowers there, too, just for artistic effect. The choices of corn varieties are many so I decided to plant just one kind at that time to ensure proper pollination. The following 4 successions of corn plantings I had 50% success unfortunately.
Then the time came where I had to decide what to do with the two side shoots that occur on each stalk as the plant begins to gain in height. UC Davis and many other agricultural website I consulted advised to leave them on but with no explanation as why. Many of my Latino friends advised to get rid of them immediately, it was bad for the plant. So, I left some on a few and got rid of a few.
Months later the side shoots I left on formed ears that are short, stumpy and flat that popped out of their husk before any thing else was ready. The bugs loved those. Incredibly, the regular ears developed normally with NO insects! Nature made a little catch crop! The corn makes those homely little pretend ears of corn to protect the good stuff. Smart plants! Good information to know for the home gardener!
My co-worker, Mirella, at Lafond Vineyards, told me that she makes a creamy corn and pasilla soup with queso fresco cheese. The way she described it made my mouth water. I personally cannot get the corn home to cook it, I end up eating it raw the moment I touch it. I promise to restrain myself enough to bring to the Bistro and Market Deli for you to enjoy!
The Pierre Lafond Bistro (516 State St.) has introduced “Weekly Sundowner Specials” to their menu, which are offered from 5-7pm Sunday-Wednesday. It is now one of the few places in town offering a happy hour that extends throughout most of the week as opposed to just one day.
The Sundowner Special includes:
House Salad or Small Caesar Salad
Chicken, Salmon, Steak, or Pasta (from the menu, listed below)
Ice Cream, Sorbet, or Glass of House Wine
25.00
Shelton Farms Chicken Scallopini with spinach, wild mushrooms, roast garlic, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, white wine, and capers (regular menu, 18.00)
Grilled Organic Salmon with artichoke, corn native tomatoes, summer greens, and dijon glaze (21.00 regular menu)
Grilled Marinated Bistro Steak with roasted baby potatoes, sun dried tomatoes, arugula and tuscan salsa verde (21.00 regular menu)
Fusilli Pasta with smoked chicken, sun dried tomatoes, olives, pine nuts, basil pesto, fresh parmesean, and drizzled with local olive oil (17.00 regular menu)
Wild Mushroom Sacchetti Pasta with exotic mushrooms, sweet garlic, tomatoes, spinach, pea shoots, and Santa Barbara Chardonnay sauce (18.00 regular menu)
With plenty of options available for such a great price you can make everybody happy, especially the person paying the bill!
Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery
I’ve been growing peas and beans right next to each other a our Bistro Garden. I installed two 80′ trellises, and grow beans on side peas on the other. Its easy to see and reach to pick that way. We had great peas earlier and I will plant them again in the Autumn, but now its BEAN TIME! I have a mixture of pole beans, bush beans and french filet beans all together. There are several types of beans I’m growing; POLE BEANS - In general, pole beans are later than bush beans but have larger pods.
They should be given poles, string, or a fence to climb on and usually will climb about 8 feet.”Northeaster” gives a very heavy yield of very long flat green beans and is early for a pole bean. “Goldmarie” is a wonderful wax bean similar to Northeaster. It has long flat yellow pods, is a heavy yielder, and is perhaps slightly earlier than Northeaster “Romano” is large and slightly flat with a wonder flavor. FILET BEANS - These are French green beans that are generally early producers.
They are usually picked when the pods are very slim. Older varieties develop strings fairly rapidly but newer varieties tend to be stringless. “Fin de Bagnols” is a traditional long podded variety. The pods of “Deuile fin Precoce” are long and large and heavily streaked with purple. The large seeds are buff speckled with purple. “Blue Lake” is a heavy yielder with beans that remain tender and stringless for a long time. BUSH BEANS-short and early, I’m growing “Purple Podded” “Rattlesnake” striped beans as well. RUNNER BEANS - Runner beans have large showy flowers, usually red or white, and will cross with each other but not with other beans.
The plants have runners from 4′ or 5′ long to twice that length. They like a lot of water and should be given something to climb on. The pods are long and plump, and rough textured. The oval seeds are very large and plump. Eat as a snap bean, or a fresh or dry shell bean. I will be growing Fava and Lima beans as well as Cowpeas in the near future. My favorite way of eating beans is straight off the bush, but I’m funny that way. Aside from that practice, if the beans is Romano type, that is, long, I will cut them up and sauté with butter and garlic.
The best way I like to eat beans at a restaurant is Niçoise Salad, so satisfying! When I went to Las Vegas and stayed at the Bellagio, I ordered this in for my lunch and dinner! All of these ingredients, except for the fish, can be acquired a few steps away from each other at the Lafond Vineyard. So fresh, so healthy, so delicious! If we are what we eat, then I’m in health heaven. Look for Lafond Produce to be featured at Pierre Lafond Deli Montecito soon, as well as the Bistro.
Bean Appetit!
[ Image can be enlarged by clicking. ]
Photos taken this week of the Bistro Vegetable Garden at the Lafond Vineyards. The garden was created and is managed by Rose Moradian. Rose will shortly, as well as supplying the Bistro, be displaying her work at the Pierre Lafond Deli in Montecito.
This is the first year of the garden and we will be experimenting with different items seeing what grows best in this environment. Using the French concept of ’terroir’, as we do with grapes, to produce the finest product we can.
Rose Moradian on Cucumbers
Cucumbers are known for their green skin, but did you know that they come in different colors? White cucumbers are probably better known in Europe and Asia where they are used in cooking and pickling. Because of their high water content, cucumbers are very cool; their internal temperature can read much lower than the surrounding air temperature.
I decided to grow unusual cucumbers, both heirloom and newer hybrids this year. So I turned to the Asian seed catalogues and a small seed collective in Long Island for some unusual cucumber hybrids. As you can see, we have success. We have “Boothbys Blonde” which is an heirloom variety which turns orange when over ripe but still tastes very good; “Pearl”, which is an Asian cucumber and “Cucino” which is a green cucumber.
Generally there are three types of cucumbers; slicing which are long, smooth and slender;or pickling kind that are large, spiny and chunky, or the beloved “Lemon cucumber” that is round and yellow. Then there’s gherkins or corniches; tiny little cucumbers that taste a little more lemony than regular cukes. Cucumbers are technically a fruit, containing their seeds, but are perceived as a vegetable because of their flavor being bitter sweet.
Cantaloupes and cucumbers are kissing cousins and in some countries cantaloupes are pickled when they’re young and fuzzy and eaten like pickles. Cucumbers are vines that you can support on a trellis as I do, or let them snake around on the ground. They prefer heat. They are susceptible to fungus on the leaves so its important to keep the leaves dry when watering.
Fertilize regularly with fish emulsion. Pick them carefully with sharp scissors, as twisting them off can disturb the rest of the vine. I love my cucumbers raw but there are many recipes that include them. In India, cucumbers are staple, so you’ll find them in many Indian dishes. “Raita” is basically dill and cucumber soup that is a dip in India. See CookThink and Recipe.
When I’m in the field harvesting, having a juicy cucumber is the best treat; its as satisfying as any sweet treat and helps to rehydrate.
Enjoy!!
These are portions of an article in the From the Wine Imbiber. The festival was well attended with, by some counts, 2,000 people. The day was glorious and the festival was held on the beach. Our Wine Cakes, which have been a long time favorite, were just right for the day. These can be purchased at the Bistro in downtown Santa Barbara, or at the Deli in Montecito.
This past Saturday, we ventured north for the Santa Barbara installment of the [1] Reds, Whites & Blues California Wine Festival. In true Santa Barbara style, the seasonably warm weather alternated between overcast and sunny, with a refreshing ocean breeze—perfect for wine and food tasting…
A final favorite was found at [9] Pierre Lafond Bistro. Their Wine Cake samples had people coming back two and three times for more. The simplicity of the cake is what appealed most to us. It’s very similar in texture to a pound cake and not overly sweet. Whereas the previously mentioned Wine Nuts don’t actually contain wine, Wine Cake actually has wine in it (Riesling, to be precise). This cake is at the other end of the spectrum from Bacara Resort’s artful dessert offerings, but we (and many others) seemed to like it more for its unpretentious flavor and homemade appeal…
Rose Moradian on Squash Blossoms
Squash blossoms are an old fashioned delicacy. Because they are delicate and perish quickly,you won’t find them in many grocery stores. Farmers will bring some to the market for their elderly customers who remember back in the day. In America, such delicate blooms would be ruined in transit. Luckily for us, we grow squash and I will be bring Squash Blossoms to the Bistro.
Any kind of squash, summer or winter, sets blossoms before they fruit. Bees love this! I counted 8 bees in one blossom the other day having some kind of pollen party. Squash blossoms are thick and sweet like no other sweet. Many people stuff them with Ricotta cheese and herbs fresh from the garden, eaten uncooked as an appetizer. This is a beautiful display. Squash Blossom Omelets are pretty common in Spain. They are great in quesadillas. Some people stir fry them.
Some people float them on top of cream of squash soup. Many people get creative. Picking squash blossoms help curb the abundance of summer squash. Pick only the male blossoms, which are on a longer stem and are a smaller bloom. Female squash will actually have a tiny lump of a fruit at the end of the blossom. By picking off some of the males, you ensure less reproduction of the plant by the bees pollinating them. Which is good if you’ve planted too many plants.
Cross pollination happens in the field and often you will find strangely beautiful zucchini like yellow with dark green stripes. If you like what you see, let the squash grow big and save the seeds for next year! Here is a recipe for Squash Blossom Quesadillas I found on the web.
In fact this web blog has some very exciting recipes and beautiful images:
For 1 quesadilla (but I know you’ll want to make more than 1), you’ll need:
1 large flour tortilla
3 or so squash blossoms
1 tblsp cottage cheese, or queso fresco, or any soft white cheese
A few sprinkles of cheddar cheese
1 tblsp salsa
In a saute pan on medium heat, brown tortilla and then flip. On one half of the tortilla, add squash blossoms (I like to leave the petals facing outside.), a spoonful of cottage cheese, or queso fresco, or any white cheese, and a scoop of salsa. Fold the other half of the tortilla over to seal in the heat.
Rose Moradian writes about Chinese Brocoli:
Although it is not widely available in Western markets, Chinese broccoli is quite versatile and is very common in Asia. A member of the mustard family, this handsome vegetable can be prepared much as you might prepare broccoli, although it looks more like kale. The flavor is a bit stronger than Western broccoli—peppery and pungent in the aftertaste.
It’s delicious—and most typical—in a stir-fry, but also makes a tasty addition to a fresh salad. This is entirely different than the Italian Broccoli Raab, which I have tried with little success. The average Spring/ Summer temperature at the La Fond Vineyard is perfect for Chinese Broccoli. There are at least five different hybrids and we will grow much of this versatile vegetable. “Green Lance” is the variety we are growing at the La Fond this season.”Green Lance” hybrid has thick stems with white flowers and green stalks.
The stem, leaves and buds are edible. I’ve had four harvests from this crop so far and have at least three left. Chinese Broccoli is used in stir-fries with meat, chicken or prawns or in soups with noodles, mushrooms, pork, seafood or chicken. There are many varieties of Chinese Broccoli, as the Chinese have been doing this much longer than I. “Te You” is one of the best selling Chinese kale/broccoli open pollinated varieties on the market. The dark green leaves are smooth with long thick stems.
The stems of this vegetable are considered the best part of the vegetable. This variety is heat tolerant and can withstand cool temperatures as well. Young thick stems and leaves are crispy and flavorful. “Te You” is delicious when blanched, then stir-fried with garlic then dressed with oyster sauce. Chinese Broccoli is loaded with anti inflammatory amino acids, vitamin C and is in the Brassica family, which includes regular Broccoli and Cauliflower, both of which we grow.
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