Where Master Gardeners share their knowledge.
The first recipe that comes to mind is the raspberry rhubarb pie that I make with Mom’s pastry. So I just HAVE to include the pie crust recipe too. Mom used to make this recipe up often so that she had several pie crust “balls” in the freezer, ready for any occasion. Mom’s raspberry rhubarb pie was a favorite at the church potlucks and I used to excuse myself as I cut in line just to get a small piece before it was all gone. I believe that I learned Read More …
No, that’s not a ‘title typo’, while this potato soup is ‘homey’ it is also a great way to use up those random ‘homely’ potatoes we end up with while digging spuds. (Which leads me to wonder, is ‘homely’ even an acceptable term anymore?) Setting that rumination aside, the potatoes I’m referring to are those that may have been impaled by a digging fork, or sliced by a shovel; they may have gnarly, scabby skins (a problem in 2018, when the critical early tuber set period was marked by a Read More …
As summer quickly turns into fall, the wild roses shed their petals in exchange for the beautiful cherry fruits called rose hips. The sight of rose hips blanketing the bushes is as sure a sign as the fireweed turning to fluff that fall is on it’s way. I know many people who like to pick rose hips as a vitamin C laden snack on late fall hikes, or to dry and preserve them for teas. That was the plan one late summer as I filled gallon Ziploc bags full of Read More …
With the shorter days and snow on the ground, hearty soups and stews are often on the menu. A good stock is the foundation of these recipes as well as the base for many sauces and gravies. If you hunt game meat, or know someone who does, don’t let those wonderful bones go to waste. Making your own stock from moose, caribou, or beef is surprisingly simple. A wild game stock can be used in any recipe that calls for chicken or beef stock or even water. You will need Read More …
Everyone in Alaska smokes salmon, right? It’s in our blood. We just know what to do. Chances are you have a section in the food preservation department of the garage that is dedicated to salmon smoking paraphernalia. This department we visit throughout the year to replenish jars or stash more Food Saver bags when we find them on sale, but at a minimum we take inventory right before the salmon runs are expected so we aren’t caught short handed. There’s nothing worse than having fresh salmon ready to brine, running Read More …
For my choice of recipes that utilize some of the things I’ve grown this season, I went with one I like to make in the fall and winter to help fend off the chill and that’s Lima beans and ham. In this recipe I get to use some of my home grown carrots and garlic that grew this summer. In the past, I’ve even included some Yukon Gold potatoes in the recipe, but they are optional. I always try to do an overnight soak for my dried one pound of Read More …
What is Pemmican? Native Americans needed a simple and reliable source of high-energy food packed with lots and lots of calories in order to sustain their outdoor lifestyle, so they developed pemmican. Today, persons who live and work in the outdoors can burn up to 4500 calories per day; therefore, a food source which is light, concentrated and has a long shelf-life is essential for those of us who wish to travel on foot in the bush. Hunters, trappers, fishermen, miners, hikers, cross-country skiers and anybody who burns a lot Read More …
My Climate I live in a subdivision in the middle of Palmer and Wasilla so all of my neighbors, including myself, have raised beds. One great benefit of raised beds is that they thaw much faster in the spring than frozen ground, so that means you can prepare and transplant earlier. Another reason raised beds work here is our ground is very rocky so it’s just easier to have a raised bed. The raised beds have better drainage, which is great for a rainy week. Benefit or challenge? I have Read More …
Mountain View, Anchorage: Garden Climactic Zone Intro Growing in Anchorage has been simple this summer mainly. In the micro-climate of Mountain View (Zone 4b), the most significant challenges resident gardeners have observed consist of locating the right spot to grow, due to the amount to buildings which block the sunlight from reaching plants. Some residents choose to use containers that make for easy transport and weeding should the chosen location not work out for that year, as seen in figures 1,2, and 3. Furthermore, there have been challenges with the Read More …