P.Allen Smith's
NATURALLY August 2016
Hot Summer Tomatoes
20 minutes to Salsa Party
Boxwood Basil: Double-duty plant
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Allen
Be connected...
Today, the world basks in unprecedented connectivity. The ability to tweet ideas, chat our thoughts, and forge new friendships on different continents is the order of the day. But I believe true connection is measured in forward movement, improvements to communities, or a kind word of encouragement, whether it’s one mile or 10,000 miles away. Make your mark by leaving the world better than you found it. How will you be connected today?
We are preparing the farm for fall, and we hope you'll visit!
P.Allen Smith's
NATURALLY PUBLISHER
P. Allen Smith CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
Mike Mueller BRAND MANAGER
Laura Grimes ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Alix Fiorino EDITOR
Melissa Tucker DESIGNER
Katherine Laughlin SOCIAL MEDIA
Heaven Mercer PHOTOGRAPHER Mark Fonville 4
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P.Allen Smith's
NATURALLY
Table of Contents
BUY
LOCAL
Panicle Hydrangeas 8
Tomato Quiz 18
Homemade Ketchup 21
Take a Turn for Feta 22
Two-for-One: Boxwood Basil 25
20-Minute Salsa Party 30
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL FARMER
CONTACT For advertising inquiries, email mmueller@pallensmith.com For editorial and general feedback, email mtucker@pallensmith.com
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“I’ll tell you what hermits realize. If you go off into a far, far forest and get very quiet, you’ll come to understand that you’re
connected with everything.” — Alan Watts
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Summer Hydrangeas Inside and Out In years past, hydrangeas didn’t bloom very far into the summer. Luckily, today’s varieties are created to rebloom vigorously from midsummer until late fall, and we can enjoy their beauty for an additional few months. These plants like part-shade to full sun, as long as they don’t get too parched. Though hydrangeas bloom in a range from pink to blue to purple, I love to make arrangements with the cool white blossoms inside the house during the hottest part of the summer. It’s like a snowstorm in a vase and so calming. Look below for a quick hydrangea cheat sheet – when to plant, how to maintain and the varieties I find most refreshing in my home.
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Hydrangea Care Guide: • Plant them in early summer or fall in well-drained soil. Don’t plant hydrangeas under trees where moisture and nutrients are in shorter supply. • Mulching will hold in moisture and keep plants cool during the summer months. Being generous with mulch is well worth the investment. • When it comes to pruning, you’ll need to know your hydrangea type before you proceed. Some need no pruning at all, while others only bloom on “new wood,” so they can handle pruning. The two that do best when cut back are Hydrangea paniculata (also known as panicle hydrangeas) and Hydrangea arborescens. These can be pruned in late winter or early spring, before new blooms appear. For more detailed instructions on pruning, look here. • Pay close attention to the hydrangea’s watering needs during the first few growing seasons. While hydrangeas are establishing their root systems is not the time to be neglectful. Don’t overdo it, though! Standing water is bad for hydrangeas. • Feed hydrangeas once a year, preferably in early spring using granular fertilizer formulated for woody plants such as a rose fertilizer. If you want to change the color of your hydrangeas, click here for more information.
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Make Arrangements for Hydrangeas: Big, beautiful hydrangea blossoms are stunning in arrangements all on their own. But broad flowers like zinnias or long, tall delphinium and eucalyptus can hold their own among hydrangeas and add color and height. When adding hydrangeas to arrangements, follow these tips: - Wait until blooms have fully developed, and cut at a diagonal - Keep out of direct sunlight to prevent wilting - Let flowers soak in cool water for an hour or two before adding to the arrangement - To ensure blooms last as long as possible, dip the lower ½-inch of the cut stems in Alum, a spice used in pickling, and return to the vase. Or use a commercial floral preservative to the water.
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My Paniculata Picks: Some of my favorite paniculata hydrangea varieties are: ‘LIMELIGHT’ – huge flowers, time-tested variety, popular with florists, and a reliable bloomer FIRE LIGHT® – hardy, very forgiving, large flowers, long-blooming ‘LITTLE LAMB’ – dainty blooms, white to pink flowers, unaffected by soil pH BOBO® – abundant bloomer, hardy, dwarf variety, best-seller QUICK FIRE® – blooms early, white flowers turn pink, easy to grow
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POULTRY WORKSHOP 2016
Join me for our Fall 2016 Poultry Workshop. thof e SEPTEMBER th17 2016
at MOSS MOUNTAIN FARM in ROLAND, ARKANSAS ticket price $90 per person Poultry and hatching eggs will be available for sale. Please bring appropriate transportation items for the poultry you plan on buying.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE FOLLOWING PRESENTERS
Space is limited. Visit www.PAllenSmith.com, email gardenhome@pallensmith.com or call Joyce at 501.519.5793 to make your reservation! 12
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Chicken Coop for the Soul Sign up for our Fall Poultry Workshop If you’re raising chickens or think you might add birds to your backyard in the near future, the Poultry Workshop is for you. It’s ideal for everyone from small-scale chicken farmers to novices wanting a pet bird. Guest speakers throughout the day will discuss techniques for breeding and raising heritage chickens as well as egg production, housing, predator control and more. You can also expect seminars on humane poultry processing, biosecurity and how to choose the best birds for your home flock. You’ll also learn about the differences between a home flock and choosing birds for the show ring using the American Poultry Association Standard of Perfection. Young chicken enthusiasts can learn about careers in animal science. Best of all, you can meet Allen and tour the grounds of Moss Mountain Farm, which is the staging area for his Garden Home and Garden Style television shows. He will take you on a tour of Poultryville, and you’ll see how he feeds, nurtures, and protects his own flock of heritage breeds. And he’ll be on site answering your burning questions and sharing his long-standing love for chickens. Lunch will be provided, and some great prizes will be given away. You could even purchase chickens to take home and add to your flock! This workshop is quite a deal! Reserve your spot today before they’re gone. Click here to purchase tickets.
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Friendship
Friendships are like flowers: brilliant, sometimes wild, and with some attention, last year after year.
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Staff favorite: THIS IS A MUST HAVE FOR ME! “I love having friends and family spend the night in our guest room, I call it the Laughlin Inn... and I can’t wait for this ‘little gem’ to greet them!“ -Katherine Laughlin
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find your favorite at shop.pallensmith.com Enjoy 15% Off a Single Purchase Use coupon code: AUGUSTMAG 15
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Organic Vegetable Garden at Moss Mountain Farm
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Homegrown
tomatoes are
responsible, in large part, for making summer bearable. They bask in the heat and turn it into something delightful. What’s your favorite tomato combination? POP QUIZ! The tomato’s best friends are:
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a. salt and lime
b. vinegar and mozzarella
c. mayo and fresh bread
d. all of the above
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(Answer: d. all of the above)
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Ketchup If You Can Make a smoky addition to top your burgers and fries. Once upon a time, tomatoes were thought to be poisonous, and they were only planted, grown and admired as ornamentals. One brave soul set out to prove the old wives wrong by consuming a basket of them in the public square. That man lived to dine another day. Despite the public exoneration, tomatoes were not immediately trusted. At first, they were highly processed — heated, pureed and vinegar-ed to become ketchup. Yes, that’s right. Ketchup has been enhancing roasted potatoes much longer than you suspected. And if your forefathers can make ketchup, there’s really nothing to it. The recipe below is light on ingredients and ends with a smoky flavor that’s perfect for meatloaf and hamburgers. Try it and bust a few wives tales of your own.
Smokey Tomato Catsup INGREDIENTS:
8 to 10 roma tomatoes ¼ large onion ¼ cup sugar 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar 1 Tbsp liquid smoke INSTRUCTIONS:
Combine tomatoes and onion in blender. Pour into saucepan, simmer on medium-low heat until reduced by ¾ (about 3 hours), finish with the sugar, vinegar and liquid smoke. Cool and serve. Yield: Approx. 1¾ cups
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Take a Turn for the Feta If you feel like it’s all Greek salad to you, feta cheese can do more than brighten up tomatoes and olives. This tangy cheese tastes fantastic on top of black bean enchiladas, roasted sweet potatoes and, of course, pizza. It’s generally low fat and a small dose adds a ton of flavor without adding too many calories. Saute some vegetables, drop them over rice, and top with feta, and you instantly look like a master chef. Here’s a few more easy ways to try the ever-versatile feta cheese:
Chicken and Black Bean Burrito Bowl Rosemary Feta and Potato Grilled Pizza Roasted Sweet Potato and Feta Salad Marinated Feta Bruschetta
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Two-for-One: Boxwood Basil
Once you recognize the boxwood shrub, you’ll see them everywhere. In most neighborhoods, they are more ubiquitous than speed bumps. But what if I told you the boxwood basil has the same aesthetic as the soughtafter boxwood shrub, but it pulls double-duty by also being pesto-ready at any moment. And like the traditional boxwood, this basil is beautiful for edging your garden or shaping into a topiary. I bet you never thought your basil could also look like a bunny. The leaves of the boxwood basil are smaller and more delicate, but they pack the same flavor and aroma of traditional basil. It’s the best of both worlds. This plant grows quickly in warm weather, and you should harvest and preserve your basil before the first winter frost.
BOXWOOD BASIL PLANT PROFILE: TYPE: Warm season annual; 60 days to harvest PLANTING: Outside, after the last frost HEIGHT: 16 inches or less SPACING: 12 inches; also great in containers SUN: Full sun WATER: Moderate drinker, but likes well-drained soil CARE: Pinch off the buds to extend growing time of foliage. Feed with vegetable fertilizer when appropriate. PRESERVE: Dry the leaves or freeze in plastic bags
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Marketplace
MEZA MORNING BLEND westrockcoffee.com HYDRANGEA INCREDIBALL shop.pallensmith.com
BASIL MARIGOLD CANDLE shop.pallensmith.com
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PINK BIRD SCARF shop.pallensmith.com
GOOD DIRT SOIL AND HANDIGGER good-dirt.com
GARDENING TOOL SET shop.pallensmith.com
WOODEN COUNTER STAND shop.pallensmith.com STARGAZER BARN ORANGE TULIPS shop.pallensmith.com
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The more
connected
we are to the land, the freer we are to experience our lives and embrace our rights. 29
Food, Fiesta, Friends:
Throw a salsa party in 20 minutes 30
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Gathering: Salsa Party
Photography by Mark Fonville
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With the fresh tomatoes, peppers and jalapeùos in season, it won’t take much to throw together a colorful salsa party with your best friends. All you need is a basket of farmers market goodies, some light cocktails, a casual backdrop and your besties. For this salsa party, we borrowed the gorgeous dining area of Heights Taco and Tamale Co. in Little Rock, and chef Scott McGehee prepared a delightful bowl of salsa and shared the recipe. So, pick a day, text your friends and find inspiration for your next girls night in.
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Summer Garden Salsa Fresca courtesy of Heights Taco & Tamale chef Scott McGehee INGREDIENTS: /4 cup small diced onion
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3 cups small diced ripe garden fresh tomatoes (try mixing different colors and textures of heirloom tomatoes) 1 cup small diced sweet (not spicy) peppers (try different colors and varieties. Anaheims, Marconis, Lunchbox Peppers, or Bell Peppers) 1 Tbsp seeded and minced hot peppers (jalapeĂąos and fresh cayennes, or fresh habaneros for a spicier salsa) /2 cup canned or fresh roasted peeled and seeded green chilies 1
/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
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3 large cloves garlic minced 1 Tbsp kosher salt 1 tsp cracked pepper 1 Tbsp good quality olive oil /2 tsp garlic powder
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Optional: 1 Tbsp of your favorite Mexican style hot sauce or habanero sauce. DIRECTIONS: Mix together in a bowl. Dig in with chips. Serves: 6 to 8 people
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Visit us at PAllenSmith.com to find more of your favorite recipes and creative tips.
Meet Amos
Something of a Chicken Casanova, Amos the Buff Orpington does not lack for personality. This Head Rooster in Charge is dedicated to protecting his harem and expanding his flock every chance he gets. When he’s not busy with the hens, Amos likes to supervise day to day operations around the farm and welcome new guests to the farm by soliciting for treats.
