The Lavender Apple

InstaFriday May Week 1

3:00 AM

Caring for your apple trees, part 2

5:14 AM

Ok, time to finish up our 2 part post regarding caring for your apple trees. Our vintage trees here are the farm are obviously very old and set in their ways. But when you are first starting out or have younger trees, its ideal to do some apple tree training with them.

What is apple tree training? You simply tie the branches together to help the tree keep its shape and maintain good health. The practice of training an apple tree actually takes many years. A caregiver should look at an apple tree's trunk then try to create an arrangement of limbs (growing outward from the trunk) that have plenty of room to expand. Many farmers train their apple trees so that the branches are longer on the bottom and shorter at the top of the tree. This makes sure each and every branch is able to receive sunlight. As an added benefit, this adds to the beauty of the tree as well.

One other item to consider when you are growing apple trees is making sure you keep an eye out for any diseases that can effect your orchard. We have been lucky to escape any problems like this over the years. Sometimes mildew can form on the leaves of an apple tree. This mildew looks like a white powder on the leaves. This happens when an apple tree is exposed to too much dampness or humidity. Proper pruning as discussed in our prior post can help in the prevention this. Apple scab is another disease we've heard can effect your apple crop. The disease gets its name because of the scabs that are often discovered on the surface of the apples themselves. Dark spots also appear on the tree's leaves. Once again, areas with a lot of dampness can contribute to the development of this disease. As long as your trees get ample light and sunshine, you should be protected from this problem.

Finally you will reach the harvest. Its the best part. We wait to harvest our apples until after the first frost of the fall. Ripe apples have a firm exterior as well as a crisp texture. You may be tempted to harvest as soon as you see apples begin to fall to the ground, but you will want to wait. Fallen apples that are rotting should be cleared away so they don't attract bugs or other animals. Once you harvest your apples, you will want to store them in a cool dry spot. We love pressing ours into cider and of course making all sorts of pies and treats. We look forward to sharing many recipes with you here when harvest time comes!

caesar

Easy Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons

4:54 AM

almonds

Brocoli Almond Crunch Salad

5:53 AM

brocoli

Asian Citrus Steak Salad

4:14 AM

The steak in this salad is so so good. After eating this for dinner tonight I have all sort of garlicy red meat dreams running through my head. This marinated meat would be good on a bed of rice, inside of an asian stir fry, so many things. I'll have to get back to you with my "to be continued" ideas for this delicious meat. But back to tonights featured attraction, this wonderful asian citrus steak salad. I love that this salad uses skirt steak. Its relatively inexpenisive, but will still fix your "I need red meat" craving. The soy and garlic flavors of the meat are balanced by the sweetness of the oranges and lime juice. Its a real winner.

Steak Marinade:

1/4 cup soy sauce
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1 orange
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 large garlic clove, minced

Salad Ingredients:

1 lb skirt steak
1 1/2 tablespoons of good olive oil
Juice of 2 limes
Salt and Pepper
1 head green leaf lettuce
1 head broccoli, washed, trimmed
1 orange
Chinese Noodles or Crispy Wontons for garnish

Directions: Place your soy sauce, lime juice, orange juice, ginger, and garlic all in a large zip lock bag. Add your steak to the bag and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Heat up a grill or cast iron grill pan to medium high heat. Remove your steak from the marinade bag and discard the marinade. Grill the meat for 2 minutes on each side, then let rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes. What a beautiful piece of meat!

While the meat rests, assemble your dressing. Your dressing is simply your olive oil, juice of 2 limes, and a little salt and pepper to taste. Whisk together. Peel and cut up your orange into small slices. Once your meat is done resting, cut it diagonally into small bit sized slices. Place your lettuce, oranges, broccoli on a platter, lay your steak on top of the salad and add your dressing. Add your Chinese noodles for a little crunch.

This is a nice hearty salad because of the red meat, but it still manages to not feel heavy due to the sweetness of the citrus. Its a lovely easy meal. And the rich flavor the marinade adds to the meat is delish. Enjoy!