Yield: Serves 15 to 20.

Golden in color, chewy in texture and chock full of raisins, this is great toasted for breakfast or served as a treat with afternoon tea. It also makes an excellent alternative to traditional fruitcake.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups golden raisins
• 2 cups dark raisins
• 2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup cold breakfast tea
• 1/2 cup Irish whiskey
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• Grated rind of 1 medium-sized lemon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 tablespoon honey dissolved in a little warm water, for glazing

DIRECTIONS
 
Combine the golden and dark raisins, sugar, tea, and whiskey in a large bowl. Cover and let soak overnight or about 12 hours.

Add the flour, eggs, baking powder, lemon rind, nutmeg, and allspice to the raisin mixture, blending well.

Pour into a greased 9- or 10-inch round cake pan and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 80 to 90 minutes or until nicely browned or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove the bread from the pan and let cool on a wire rack. Brush the cooled loaf with the warm honey mixture for a shiny glaze.

Here is where one may mix cultures and get away with it.  However, this is not Lenten, so you will have to wait until AFTER Pascha.

Tapas

According to legend, the tapa tradition began with Alfonso X of Castile or Alfonso the Wise, when he recovered from an illness by drinking wine mixed with small dishes between meals. After regaining his health, the king ordered that taverns were not allowed to serve wine to customers unless the beverage was accompanied by a small snack or tapas. The word became a kind of loophole in the law to allow drinkers to imbibe alcohol.

Original tapas were slices of bread or meat which sherry drinkers in Andalusian taverns used to cover their glasses between sips. This was a practical measure meant to prevent fruit flies from hovering over the sweet sherry. The meat used to cover the sherry was normally ham or chorizo, which are both very salty and activate thirst. Because of this, bartenders and restaurant owners began creating a variety of snacks to serve with sherry, thus increasing their alcohol sales. Soon the lowly tapa (from tapa derived the verb tapar, “to cover”) became as important as the sherry.

Tapas evolved over Spain’s history through the incorporation of ingredients and influences from many different cultures and countries. The east coast was invaded by the Romans, who introduced the olive and irrigation methods. The invasion of the North African Moors in the 8th century also brought olives to the south, as well as almonds, citrus fruits and fragrant spices. The influence of their 700-year presence remains today, especially in Andalusia. The discovery of the New World brought the introduction of tomatoes, sweet and chili peppers, maize (corn), beans and potatoes. These were readily accepted and easily grown in Spain’s micro-climates.

Tapas can be enjoyed with Sherry (Spanish: Jerez), or a dark, sweet Concordia, or even a sweet, tawny Port wine.  Irish Tea Bread is always enjoyed with your favorite hot tea: I prefer a Darjeeling or something with burgamot.

For an Irish boy living in Spain, you must remember: tapas at mid-day, Irish Tea Bread in the late afternoon.

Tapas Pinchitos Morunos

(one of my favorites)

Small Spicy Moorish Kebabs

Europe’s first kebabs were brought by the Arabs from Africa. Pinchitos morunos are eaten everywhere in Spain as a tapa, though nowadays they are made of pork, rather than lamb.

Spices for them are sold ready-mixed in Andalusia. I use a mixture of curry powder and cumin and other similar herbs.

Serves 6

Preparation time: 25 min. plus 2 hours marinating

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. lean pork loin, cut into small cubes
• 2 garlic gloves, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
• 1 teaspoon mild curry powder or pinchito spice mixture
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon Spanish paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• Freshly ground black pepper (coarse)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Diced vegetables, such as onions, bell pepper (red, yellow, orange and green), poblano/ancho, habanero or jalapeño peppers (if you like things on the “spicy” side…)

DIRECTIONS

Crush the garlic with the salt in a mortar (or with the flat of a knife on a board), then work in the other ingredients.

Skewer the pork, 3-4 cubes to a small stick, and marinate them in a shallow dish with the herbs (pinchito spice, coriander, paprika, and thyme), turning so they are well coated. Leave at least a couple of hours.

Spread the pinchitos out well on a barbecue or on foil under a grill. Cook them under a high heat for about 3 minutes on each side.

Have some soft flour tortillas on hand to wrap them up like a taco or burrito.  (I know this is not Andalusian, and more like a Mexican dish, but trust me… it makes for easier eating; unless you leave them on the skewer.)

If you can’t travel to Peligro, where they have the most authentic artisan-quality yellow seasoning for the pinchitos, you can always make your own.  You’ll just have to get someone from Peligro to give you the recipe.  Good luck!

Pinchitos (kabobs) favored by Andalucians — the people of Southern Spain — are my favorite. This traditional “Condimiento para Pinchitos” recipe is from the small town of Peligro in Granada — the last Moorish kingdom in Spain.

If you want to barbeque these according to traditional Andalusian tradition, then you will need charcoal made from the Dehesa, or oak forests of south-western Spain, the Encina oak is king.

Farmers use this wood to slowly smoke peppers for the famous Pimentón de la Vera paprika. They also produce the sweet green acorns that are feasted upon by the legendary black-hoofed Iberico pig – essential for producing Jamon Iberico, the finest ham in the world.

If you’re not lucky enough to find the succulent pork of the Iberico, then just about any good grade pork loin will work.

These chips are perfect for the grill. Simply soak them in water and throw a few on hot coals. They will add flavor to meats, shrimp and seafood.

• If you find unwanted creatures in your kitchen, don’t reach for the ant and roach spray! (It will set off the environazis into the stratosphere.)

For example, discourage ants trailing in and out with sprigs of pennyroyal or wipe your counters with vinegar. It might make your kitchen smell like a pickle for a while, but it will wear off.

If your pet is bothered with fleas, try putting a drop of lemon oil, or oil of rosemary on its collar for flea control.

Moths in the closet? Hang a sachet bag in the closet with lavender and potpourri.  It smells better than mothballs, and your clothes won’t smell like your great-great-grandfather’s Civil War uniform.

Bugs in your garden? Well, if the above remedies don’t seem to work in your area, then try hanging mothballs in a sachet bag, tied to a stake away from the plants.  It won’t kill bugs, but sometimes the pungent odor of Grampa Jeremiah’s old Civil War uniform (and moth balls) is enough to ward off the most evil of bugs…

…and a few varmints.

At this juncture, we have a pair that regularly patronize the Four O’Clocks in the late afternoon, and the Phlox earlier in the day.  Perhaps I should set out some colored sugar water in a feeder to appreciate them more.

They make their annual return about mid-May, poised on blurred, invisible wings just before the first garden blooms appear, dipping and sipping the nectar, then zooming away like UFO’s.  My!  These little fellas can move at the speed of light!

By early August their visits tend to drop off, then towards the middle of the month they disappear, getting an early start on their southern migration.

The frail and tiny hummingbird is the hardiest of birds.  It’s a marathoner, an epic migrator, making its way from the east coast of New England, down through west Texas, and finally to Central America. That’s a long haul in anybody’s book, and it takes a long time: hence, their early start.

By Saturday, I will probably not have noticed their departure as I sit at the Farmer’s Market in Levelland, Texas.  I will return home after a long day to find them gone.  No note, no goodbyes.

It’s hard to watch for their absence, but I will welcome them back next spring, along with the barn swallows, orioles, and the ever entertaining grackels.

Manure tea can be made from cow or horse manure, and I’ve heard of some using other varieties. However, I’ve been warned not to use sheep or goat manure because of the various pathogens inherent. I don’t know…

Steps For Making Manure Tea

• Step 1 – Fill a 5 gallon bucket one-third to one-half full of well-cured, dry manure. If you don’t have access to your neighbor’s horses or cows, you can buy it in bags at just about any nursery.
• Step 2 – Add water to fill the bucket to the top.
• Step 3 – Let it steep for three to four days.
• Step 4 – Strain the mixture through cheesecloth or other porous fabric into another container. Add any remaining solids to the garden or toss them into the compost bin.
• Step 5 – Dilute the remaining liquid with water so it’s the color of weak tea.
• Step 6 – Apply manure tea according to each plant’s requirements (check seed packets and gardening books for details). For best results, work early in the morning or on cloudy days.

My recipe is actually much simpler, because out here in west Texas it gets so hot during our summers, and I use a “replenishing” method to brewing my tea.

I have access to lots of manure produced by three horses: they provide plenty of well cured manure. There must be several hundred pounds of the stuff dried, and sitting inside one of the barns.

I don’t use foliar feeding techniques with my tea, but use a “side feeding” method where I pour about a cup of the “brew” between two plants… be they tomatoes, okra, corn, or whatever. I let the liquid soak into the ground real good, then give it a good watering for a couple of hours to get it into the ground.

I’m careful not to put too much, too close, to the roots of my plants, because the nitrogen in the manure can cause root burn. After transplanting, I usually wait a week before side feeding my new plants because the ground out here in west Texas tends to be high in pH acidity. Giving the transplants too much nitrogen will burn the root balls and kill them within 3 days!

I have a very simple recipe for brewing my manure tea: I fill up a 5 gallon bucket with dry manure and then saturate it with well water. Let it “cook” outside for a day or two and then carry it around the garden as I side-feed my plants (taking care not to slop it on my pants). Argh!

For heavier applications, I’ve rigged up a 55 gallon drum (with the top on it, but ventilated) filled with dry, well cured manure, then saturate it with well water. Sometimes I have to “stir” the stuff with a shovel to get good hydration. As long as it smells like horse or cow manure, it’s all good.

I don’t separate the manure particles in a “brew bag” like some folks (it’s okay if you do, and you want to expend that much energy to do so) but rather leave it in the tea and put it on the ground after a month.

Out here in the west Texas sun, on 100+ degree days, my tea brews up rather fast — sometimes in 24 hours. After it has been “refreshed” or rehydrated once or twice, I spread the remaining manure on my compost pile and work it in with the tiller. Then I make a new batch of tea.

If you don’t have a corral or stable full of horses, buying cow or horse manure from the ag store can work.

As far as pathogens go, I haven’t had any problems with it. The only thing you must remember to do while shoveling a load of dry manure: the small flakes tend to blow in the wind, so wear a particulate filter over your face and nose. A sore throat caused by a manure infection can be AWFULLY sickening and painful. It can be really bad when your breath starts smelling like manure. Yuck!

CAVEAT: There is only one warning I must advise you about; this stuff is like Viagra or Cialis for vegetables. If they appear “erect” in less than 24 hours, you have nothing to worry about: you won’t have to call the doctor after a 4-hour erection. However, at night, I sometimes hear a commotion out in the garden… sounds like they’re all having a party or something out there. And I’m sure it’s NOT the coyotes!

Hmmm…

Ben Franklin extolled the merits of the rocking chair. By the early 19th century, Americans were making several different types of rockers. Some U.S. presidents even made history with their rocking chairs: Abraham Lincoln was assassinated while he sat in a rocking chair watching an opera (not a good way to go), William McKinley planned his presidential campaign from his porch rocker, and John F. Kennedy brought a rocking chair to the Oval Office.

A porch with a rocker or two is a friendly and welcoming place. But more than that, a rocking chair invites us to slow down, relax, and enjoy life.

Speaking of slowing down, don’t be mislead to think that Cooksterz has the biggest zucchini on You Tube.  Slow down and take a look at this 8-1/2 pound monster! The video is a bit grainy, but you’ll see that I am now the record holder of the Biggest Zucchini on YouTube and the web.

It is only two weeks old, and was wondering how big one of these monsters could get if you left it on the vine for 3 or 4 weeks… hmmm.

I guess I better get out of my rocking chair more often and go check on my garden, huh?

Summer squash, of the yellow varieties, along with pan and zucchini, are versatile in a lot of dishes. There must be a thousand ways you can prepare it and eat it… if you like squash.

I guess the most gratifying thing about it is watching squash grow from sprouts to bearing fruit. Watching the sprouts grow from seedlings to bearing blooms is a lot like watching your children grow… only you don’t eat your kids.

Summer squash, particularly the yellow variety, is a popular vegetable in the South. Actually, it’s a fruit, because it bears its seeds inside the squash. But you get my drift.

You can freeze or can it just about any time of the year. At Sagebrush Gardens, planting starts around May 1 through the Full Moon, depending on when the cotton farmers start planting. The best soil temperature is at 70 degrees F., but I’ve been lucky to plant them a few weeks early and still see sprouts. As long as you don’t have a late “killing frost” you should get away with planting a little early.

Summer squash is easy to grow and prolific; you don’t need to put more than a few seeds in a mound and have plenty of squash for a family of four. I have several mounds planted with two or three cultivars in each mound. My mounds are about 3 to 4 feet in diameter and about 12 inches high so that they have room to spread and have good drainage. Summer squashes are perfect for just about any size garden, and I’ve had reports of small squash mounds being successful in backyards and even in some apartment setting.

With the number of squash mounds I have planted, when they start producing, I should have enough harvest to feed half of Hockley County. You’ll know when people are getting tired of getting squash from you when you drive into town and people start locking their doors and turning off their lights… acting like they’re not home.

For best flavor and most tender seeds, squash should be picked when they’re young, from 6 to 10 inches long. Pattypan, a saucer-shaped squash, should be no more than 4 inches in diameter.

Butternut squash, a winter squash, can be planted later in the summer around July or August, and take about 150 days to mature. They will eventually yield a lot of fruit in late Fall or early Winter months.

Summer squash can be served raw with other vegetables as part of a vegetable platter with dips, in salads, grilled, broiled, steamed, stir-fried, deep-fried, boiled, baked, or stuffed. Because of its mild flavor, it can be added to almost any main-dish recipe or pasta sauce for texture, flavor, and color. Grating squash or zucchini into bread mixes can make for some tasty artisan breads, too. So, don’t limit yourself to just “side dishes.”

Fresh herbs and spices will enhance the flavor of summer squash. Dill, pepper, basil, marjoram, rosemary, chives, and mint are particularly well-suited to squash, and it is delicious cooked with garlic, onions, and tomatoes.

Summer squash can be bruised easily and should be handled with care.

Look for firm, glossy skin; fairly heavy for size. Stored in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator, they should keep for a week. Freezing softens the flesh of the squash, but it will still be usable in casseroles and other dishes where crispness is not important. Blanch cut up summer squash 2 minutes before freezing, then cool them down in ice water before storing in the freezer. They should keep for up to 4 months without freezer burn. For breads, freeze the raw squash whole or grated.

Well… it’s been a while since I’ve last posted to any of my other blogs, but I hope you’ll stick around and find some interesting articles on gardening. Feel free to leave a comment about your gardening experiences.