Garden Variety

Garden

Hummingbird Garden

Who doesn’t love hummingbirds? They are the tiny feathered jewels of the bird world, able to fly like a helicopter pattern. Beating up, down, sideways, front, and back and even upside down! Hummers are also able to hover by flapping their wings in a figure-8 pattern. Beating about 80 times per second, their wings make a humming noise, thus the hummingbird’ s name.

There are approximately 332 species of hummingbirds that are found only in the Americas, and only the Ruby-throat is normally seen here in North Carolina. Occasionally the Rufous-sided hummer visits our area in the winter. For two consecutive years, my husband Ron and I were lucky enough to have a Rufous visit our feeders all winter long. We spent many hours watching her out our kitchen window as she enjoyed the nectar at our feeder. On cold nights, we kept it from freezing by attaching tiny Christmas lights under it.

The main source of food for hummingbirds are insects, which are rich in protein. Planting many of their favorite flowers will attract them to your yard. Tubular flowers, such as salvias (sage) and honeysuckle contain the most nectar and are a hummingbird favorite. Other flowers they enjoy are bee balm, cardinal flower, catmint, agastache, columbine, penstemon, hosta, impatiens, petunias and foxglove. By planting a variety of their favorite flowers and augmenting them with hummingbird feeders, you can make your yard an oasis for hummingbirds. And you will be the envy of your neighborhood.

BY DOLORES MULLER

N.C. Cooperative Extension Service

Master Gardener Volunteer

• Stagger the bloom time of the flowers you plant so there is a constant source of food throughout the season. • Hummers arrive in our area in late March or early April and stay into

October. During their twice-a-year migration, they fly over 2,000 miles, flying an average of 25 to 30 mph. So put your feeders up now to welcome the tiny travelers. • Do not use red dye when making your nectar. It is harmful to the birds.

Instead, prepare clear sugar water (1-part white sugar mixed with 4 parts water). Heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves then cool before filling your feeder. • Pineapple sage blooms late in the season and continues until the first frost.

Planting this will supply hummers migrating south in the fall with a lateseason snack. SP

/NCMGMooreCnty

At the Table

Mussels

By ROBERT NASON

Mussels, part of the bivalve aquatic family that includes clams, oysters and scallops, is one of the most sustainable food sources on the planet. These filter-feeders can live in fresh and saltwater and they clean the water around them to create a healthy environment for other species. Bivalves eat by extracting microscopic nutrients as the water passes through their shells.

In addition, they require no added supplements to live and grow, so the farming of bivalves can be both environmental friendly and economically viable as a business. Plus, mussels are extremely high in protein and iron, which makes them a great alternative to other seafoods and meats where harvesting can negatively affect the environment. They also contain omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins A and B12, zinc and selenium.

A bit of caution: If bivalves are harvested from unsanitary water they can carry disease. Always inquire where the mussels are harvested before buying or consuming. Farmed bivalves are the safest as they require strict regulations to produce.

Mussels with White Wine & Lemon Aioli

epicurious.com Serves 4

Ingredients

Lemon aioli:

1 large egg yolk 1 garlic clove, finely grated 1 teaspoon (or more) fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt

Mussels:

2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, chopped Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1/2 cup white wine 4 pounds mussels, debearded, scrubbed 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves Sliced country-style bread, toasted (for serving)

Directions

1. For lemon aioli: Whisk egg yolk, garlic, and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, drizzle in vegetable oil, then olive oil in a slow, steady stream; whisk until aioli is emulsified.

Season with salt and more lemon juice, if desired.

Cover; chill. Aioli can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. 2. For mussels: Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it begins to darken, about 2 minutes. Add wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is slightly reduced, about 1 minute. 3. Add mussels and 1/2 cup water to pot, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mussels open (discard any that do not open), 10-12 minutes. 4. Ladle mussels and broth into shallow bowls and top with thyme; serve with bread and lemon aioli. > Consumption of mussels dates back 2,000 years. > Pearls are cultivated from some freshwater mussel varieties. > Mussels can be found around the world. > Pale white meat indicates a male mussel and a more orange color indicates females. > Mussels should be bright, undamaged and closed before cooking. If a mussel is open, give it a squeeze. If it closes, the mussel is still alive and safe to use. If not, it is dead and should not be eaten. The bad smell of a dead mussel is the best indicator.

>Every day a mussel will filter more than five gallons of water. > Farmed mussels have shiny blueblack shells while wild mussels have a dull blue colored shell with white erosion marks and sometimes barnacles. > Mussels have beards, which they use to attach themselves to rocks, or ropes when farmed. Their beards are so strong, scientists have tried to develop adhesives based on their properties.

At the Table

Pasta with Mussels in Tomato Sauce

nytimes.com Serves 4

Ingredients

1 can chopped or whole tomatoes (14.5 ounces) 3 fat garlic cloves; 1 crushed, 2 minced 1 shallot, chopped ½ cup dry white wine 2 pounds mussels, rinsed, scrubbed and beards removed 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or marjoram, or both Pinch sugar Salt to taste ¾ pound linguine or other pasta ¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Directions

1. Pulse tomatoes with juices in food processor just a few times to break down into a coarse purée; set aside. Bring large pot of water to boil for pasta. 2. Meanwhile, in a wide skillet or saucepan with lid, combine crushed garlic clove and shallot with white wine. Bring to a boil and add mussels. Cover and cook, shaking pan from time to time, 2 to 4 minutes, or until mussels open up. Check mussels after 2 minutes; transfer open mussels to a bowl using tongs. Cover pan again, wait another minute, and repeat until all mussels have opened. 3. Leave mussels to cool in bowl until easily removed from shells. Remove half from shells and leave other half intact. Taste a mussel; if it is sandy, give them all a very quick rinse and drain in a colander. Transfer to a bowl and keep covered while you make tomato sauce. 4. Place a strainer over another bowl, line with cheesecloth and strain the liquid in the pan into bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup. Rinse and dry pan. 5. Heat olive oil over medium heat in pan and add minced garlic and red pepper flakes.

Cook, stirring, just until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add tomatoes, thyme or marjoram (or both), and sugar. 6. Turn heat up to medium-high and cook, stirring often, 5 to 10 minutes, until tomatoes have cooked down slightly. Add 1/2 cup broth from mussels, stir together and bring to a simmer. Taste and add salt as needed (you may not need to add any). Tip all mussels, shelled and unshelled, into sauce, cover and turn heat to very low or remove from heat if not serving right away. Keep warm while you cook pasta. 7. Warm a large bowl for the pasta. When water for pasta comes to a rolling boil, salt generously and add pasta. Cook al dente, following the directions on the package.

Drain and toss in the warm bowl with tomato sauce, mussels and parsley. Serve right away.

rachaelraymag.com Serves 6

Ingredients

2 shallots, thinly sliced 6 sprigs fresh thyme 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 tsp. crushed red pepper 1 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for drizzling 2 lb. mussels, scrubbed and debearded 1 cup blonde ale 6 tbsp. butter, cubed 1 lemon, juiced Toasted sliced ciabatta, for serving

Directions

1. In large pot, cook shallots, thyme, garlic and red pepper in 1 tbsp. oil over medium-high, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. 2. Stir in mussels and ale. Cover and cook until mussels open, about 5 minutes. Stir in butter.

Drizzle with oil and lemon juice. Serve with ciabatta.

Mussel Soup

culinaryginger.com Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup yellow onion, chopped 3/4 cups carrot, peeled and chopped 1/2 cup celery, chopped 1/2 cup fresh fennel, chopped 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 cloves garlic, grated 1 1/2 cups dry white wine 3 cups unsalted or low- sodium chicken stock 2 cups passata/pureed tomatoes 1 bay leaf 40 fresh mussels, scrubbed with beards removed 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

1. In a large soup pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, fennel and salt.

Cook, stirring often until the vegetables start to soften, about 8–10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. 2. Add the wine and cook until the wine has reduced slightly. Add the stock, passata and bay leaf.

Bring to a simmer, then stir in mussels. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes until all mussels are open.

Discard any that stay closed. 3. Remove the bay leaf. Taste and add salt if necessary. 4. Serve garnished with chopped parsley and crusty bread.