It’s time to get cracking. With Thanksgiving only a few weeks away, I’ve ordered my turkey and invited guests. But I have a lot of pecans to shell, still, for the Thanksgiving pecan pie. Last year our half-dozen pecan trees yielded so many nuts that our lawn became slippery with them underfoot our dogs became [...]
Pumpkins originated in Central America more than seven thousand years ago, experts believe, and had spread throughout North America well before Europeans arrived on the continent. Their diverse species, Curcubita pepo, includes a diverse host other gourds and squashes, as well. Pumpkins are easy to cultivate and grow, tolerating a wide variety of conditions. The [...]
According to the Tortilla Industry Association, sales of tortillas in the U.S. are increasing dramatically – and poised to outpace sales of sandwich bread for the first time in history. This may not surprise you if you’ve always had the good fortune to live in Texas. For here, our tortilla culture extends far beyond the [...]
Falling temperatures mean radishes are coming back to Texas markets en force, and we say, “Welcome back!” The cool-season crucifer – a near relative of cabbage, turnips, and mustard – is known for its swollen red root. The color of that root, though, varies by variety from white to deep purple. You’re most likely to [...]
Also called Mexican limes, these green citrus fruits stand apart from their standard, or Persian, lime counterparts in their diminutive size: Typically they don’t reach a girth of more than 2 inches. They’re harvested at this time of year in Texas by producers who protect them from winter freezes, which they can’t tolerate. To those [...]
Mushrooms, you soon discover, are wild things in every way, beings pursuing their own agenda quite apart from ours. Which is why “hunting” rather than harvesting, is the mycophile’s preferred term of art.
–Michael Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma
If you’re even reading this blog, there’s a good chance your interest piques at least slightly at the thought [...]
Want Texas water? Turn on the tap. Or purchase one of a handful of brands of bottled water that are registered “Go Texan” by the state Department of Agriculture. Why drink Texas water? Because it’s free and safe, if you’re drinking what comes out of the tap. Drinking-water quality is regulated federally and by the [...]
If you’ve always lived in Texas, you may not realize how very lucky we are: Not everyone can grow rosemary year-round, but here in Texas, we can. Rosemary originally hails from the Mediterranean region, so it’s adapted to thrive even in poor soils and with little water — just not significant freezes. It’s long been [...]
Eggplant likes it hot, and that makes it a great crop for Texas. But is it a great crop for you? It’s one of the great polarizing vegetables – anyone not passionately for it is against it. But already, we’re proving how little many of us know eggplant. Though we treat it like a “vegetable,” [...]
It’s the sexier name for soybeans, in vogue for the past few years eaten Japanese-style — steamed, sprinkled with coarse salt, and bitten out of their pods. You might not think soybeans are a big part of your diet, but you might think again. 66.3 million acres of them were planted in the U.S. in [...]
