April 2011

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Perfect day at the coast Shopping nirvana in Half Moon Bay

living in the west April 2011 Spring-fresh salads | award-winning gardens | grow your own herbal teas | top 10 city parks

Spring-fresh salads

LIVING IN THE WEST

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Delicious recipes from your garden

Hot color!

25 new plants we love

reinvented city parks:

is there one near you? P. 31 Easy and impressive Greens with grapefruit and flowers p. 84

APRIL 2011

Sunset.com

Sunset.com

7tosecrets beautiful backyards

P. 66

Healthy living

Herbal teas to ‌ Plant now. Snip, steep, and enjoy this summer

By Johanna Silver | Recipes by Amy Machnak | Photographs by THomas J. story

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… grow You won’t find most of these at the market, so pull out your trowel! All grow well in pots or the ground, and need well-draining soil, full sun, and regular water until established. (They’re perennials except as noted.)

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Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) Try both the licoricetasting blossoms and leaves of ‘Golden Jubilee’ (grows to 3 feet).

Bee balm (Monarda didyma) Its mildly citrus-flavored pink, red, or pure white blossoms look spectacular in a mug or cup.

Chamomile Snip the fragrant, mellow blossoms of this 2-foot annual to use fresh or dried.

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Feverfew (Chrysanthemum parthenium) We chose bushy ‘Golden Feather’ for the beauty of its chartreuse leaves (which can be bitter); for our tea, though, we used the mildly herbaceous flowers.

Lavender Though it’s compact, silvery ‘Thumbelina Leigh’ English lavender produces plenty of blossoms for steeping.

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) In the same family as mint but not as invasive, this bushy plant tastes like mint plus citrus.

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) Flavor is concentrated in base; harvest by separating a stalk, roots and all, from clump.

Annual except in mildest climes.

Lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla) Intensely flavored and highly fragrant. Prune to contain this rambling shrub, which grows up to 6 feet.

… and drink 1 | Blossom tisane Put about 10 each fresh chamomile and feverfew flowers and about 20 individual buds from a fresh lavender blossom into a heatproof pot. Pour about 1 cup hot water over flowers. Steep 3 to 4 minutes. Pour tea into a mug, straining it if you like.

Serves 1.

Nutmeg geranium (Pelargonium fragrans ‘Nutmeg’) It’s all about the aromatic leaves, which really do taste (as well as smell) of nutmeg. Annual except in mildest climes.

2 | Sunset Palmer Put 2 stalks fresh lemongrass, trimmed and chopped; 1/2 cup each fresh lemon verbena and lemon balm leaves; and zest of 1 lemon in a teapot. Pour 2 cups boiling water over herbs and steep 20 minutes. Strain, then stir in 1 tbsp. sugar.

Divide liquid between 2 ice-filled glasses.

Top each with about 1/2 cup cooled brewed English breakfast tea.

Garnish with lemon verbena. Serves 2.

3 | Garden chai Put 1/4 cup fresh nutmeg geranium leaves and 3 fresh anise hyssop flowers

in a heatproof container. Pour 1 cup boiling water over them and steep 15 minutes. Strain and divide liquid between 2 mugs. Pour 1/2 cup each hot brewed

4 | Flowering bee balm Pour 1 cup hot water into a heatproof glass or mug. Put 1 fresh bee balm blossom on top and steep

about 2 minutes (blossom will wilt as it stands). Serves 1. ■

English breakfast tea and warm plain soy milk and 1 tbsp. sugar

into each mug. Stir to combine. Serves 2.

How to grow them: sunset.com/plantfinder To change background color (fill), with direct selection tool (hollow arrow) in layer palette to select “background shape” layer, then choose color from swatch

To change mouse color, (fill) with direct selection tool use layer palette to select “compound shape” layer and shape layer, then choose color from swatch palette.

Sunset April 2011

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