tel: 512 280-1192 Friday, Oct 18 2013
Nursery notes: 50% off all metal work, including scarecrows and
pumpkins and trellises. 50% off antique roses: 2 gal. for $9.99
(Knock-outs not included). Also in stock: Annuals: snapdragons,
pansies, violas. Perennials: American beauty berry, Gregg's mist-
flower, garden 'mums. Texas lantana on sale for $4.99 (reg. $7.99),
deer resistant. Stop the weeds in your lawn with corn gluten: large
bags $45.99 for 4,000 square feet... or available for $1.25 per lb.
Coming this Sunday: Pesto and Beyond. 2 p.m. Chef/writer Mick
Vann will teach you how to turn your harvested basil leaves into a
delicious Italian pesto, and will then venture into a series of culinary
variations on this theme (such as almond arugula pesto). Free. (Oct
20) (See below for more about basil.) Next Sat: Bee Keeping 101,
and the Art of Honey Spinning 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
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Garden Makeover in a Weekend. To create a truly stunning garden,
think about design first, and plants second, writes Rachel Matthews
in Garden Therapy http://gardentherapy.ca/garden-design-in-a-weekend/
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Central Texas Gardener KLRU TV. Surprise yourself with bulbs
that return every year. Brent Heath from Brent and Becky’s Bulbs
shows how. On tour, an old garden gets a new look and solution to
drainage disaster. Sat. noon, 4 p.m. or Sun. at 9 a.m www.klru
Basil & Cilantro: Opposite Worlds
by Chris Winslow
One of the great characteristics of culinary herbs is that besides look-
ing attractive within your landscape, they remain evergreen through-
out the winter season.
This evergreen list is a long one: rosemary, garden sage, thyme, ore-
gano, garlic and onion chives, salad burnet, savory, lavender and the
two parsleys (Italian and curled) all keep their leaves during the winter.
I must mention two herbs however that are actually annuals in their
growth habits: basil and cilantro. These culinary herbs grow in entirely
opposite seasons.
Basil loves the heat of summer, while cilantro loves the cool tempera-
tures of fall and winter. So now is the time to plant cilantro… and now
is the time to harvest basil before it is lost to the first freeze.
If you are wondering what to do with all these basil leaves, you might
try your hand at making some pesto.
Pesto (from the Italian verb ‘to crush’) is a versatile sauce with many
uses in pasta, soups, pizza and for flavoring breads. Also it is easy to
store in the freezer. (We fill old-fashioned ice trays and use cubes for
soups and pasta dishes.)
All you need to make a great pesto is olive oil, basil leaves, pine nuts
(substitute walnut or pecans), garlic, and parmesan cheese. Here is a
traditional Italian recipe that my family always enjoys.
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CLASSIC GENOESE PESTO
Ingredients:
2 to 3 cups washed basil leaves
3 tablespoons pine nuts
½ cup of olive oil
2 peeled garlic cloves
½ cup fresh parmesan cheese
A pinch of salt
3 tablespoons soft butter
Mix the basil leaves, pine nuts, olive oil, salt and garlic in a food
processor and process until blended into a smooth paste. If it’s too
dry, add a little more olive oil. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the
grated parmesan cheese and the soft butter. Your pesto is now ready.
If you want to take your pesto making to a higher level, please visit
the nursery this Sunday, 2 p.m., to learn from the amazing chef/horti-
culturalist Mick Vann about more magical possibilities of this amazing
Italian sauce. Happy gardening everyone!
Visit the website: www.itsaboutthyme.com Visit the nursery:11726 Manchaca Road, Austin, 78748 Like us
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