Bountiful bonsai _ create instant indoor container gardens with edible fruits, herbs and flowers ( PDFDrive )

g-Term Bonsai Care 99 the best window. Depending on your me artificial lighting. For most situa- less-than-ideal window is good option g-tube fluorescent plant lights are easy ve and don’t really work well anyway, o provide adequate light a few inches deal for growing seedlings, but not so that is several feet tall. There are large hts that can be hung high and will illu- are expensive, burn lots of energy, and ght like this could, however, be used to lection, even where there is no natural incandescent spotlight-type full-spec- 75 to 150 watts, do put out some heat, tance of four to ten feet from the plant. sockets, so they can fit into lamps that are inexpensive and easily available at b selection. This is an ideal solution to directional light from a window. A 150- ard square, giving enough light to grow ce of natural light. I would recommend consistent. A bonsai in an east-facing t later in the day; one in a west window day. You can also turn the lights on in ys to help you enjoy viewing your bon- e to day length and can be stimulated on with increased—or, in some cases, as light conditions, and a good indoor work well. Extra peat moss can be added hich prefer a more acid soil. The soil can Extra organic matter or vermiculite can

100 B O U N T I F U L be added for plants like Australian cherr benefit from soil that holds more moistu crystals” under various trade names, wh forty times their weight in water. Small q absorb extra water and release it as the s eficial for bonsai that need constant moi that dry out quickly. For plants that need many tree species, perlite, coarse buildin be added to the same basic houseplant p of these plants are not extremely fussy, a in nearly any good potting soil, even wit This book departs significantly fro and deeper pots than are conventiona the ideal bonsai pot is no deeper than t it holds. This is possible with slow-g that have been in training for many ye required to keep the specimen alive. M edible bonsai are active year-round, an bonsai. They need more room for their it much easier to keep them alive. Prec won’t have to repot as often. These sp ting than slow-growing bonsai that go and geraniums in particular will beco no matter what size pot you use, and pruning, including the roots. Depend much it is pruned back, your bonsai m will usually do better if moved up to a give it fresh soil and room to grow. Sl go a couple of years between repottin as they age. Always prune the crown w the water loss through leaf transpirat through the disturbed and pruned roo

L BONSAI ries or figs, which use lots of water and ure. Garden centers also carry “water hich are polymer crystals that absorb quantities mixed into potting soil will soil dries out. These can be very ben- isture or are restricted to smaller pots d well-drained soil, such as herbs and ng sand, or very small rock chips can potting soil to improve drainage. Most and with careful watering will survive thout additional amendments. om bonsai tradition by using bigger ally used. By traditional standards, the diameter of the trunk of the tree growing traditional outdoor bonsai ears, though very careful watering is Most of the varieties we are using for nd grow faster than most traditional r roots, and using bigger pots makes cise watering is less critical and you pecies require more frequent repot- o through a dormant season. Herbs ome root-bound in less than a year will benefit from an annual severe ding on the plant’s growth and how may fit back into the same pot, but a slightly bigger pot. It is critical to lower-growing shrubs and trees can ngs, and need them less frequently when repotting a bonsai to balance tion with the reduced water uptake ots.

CHAPTER 5 Long Edible fig trees in particular nee root systems that can reach quite Although they are known for thriv drought when dormant, they need l ducing fruit. Use as big a pot as you is fruiting. In my opinion, with br crown full of leaves and fruit, it is im Using bigger pots than is tradi bonsai and make it easier for you to the pot will have a more prominen The appearance of the larger soil sur your edible bonsai looks. Because dry indoor environment, my basic s gravel or coarse sand. Coarser grave local sand, gravel, and rock compan likely let you get a bucket or two of well-placed rock can provide the per decorating the expansive surface. W rocks—always using an odd numb can bring to mind a natural scene hills and spotted this beautiful aged sible to use an accent plant like baby although this common greenhouse work with plants that need to dry o for most plants would be a dwarf, sp.) or one of the creeping thymes ( Irish moss (Sagina subulata) or the tiny attractive white flowers, also m tiny scale. These plants can fill the g pulled out and divided before the b In addition, bonsai shops usually c urines of people, animals, or building

g-Term Bonsai Care 101 ed big pots. Figs have large, aggressive a distance when searching for water. ving in dry climates and can tolerate lots of water when leafed out and pro- u can and water heavily when the plant right light, good soil drainage, and a mpossible to overwater a fig tree. itional will benefit all of these edible keep them thriving; however, it means nt place in your artistic presentation. rface can make a big difference in how traditional mosses won’t survive in a solution is to cover the soil with a fine el can be used on larger specimens. A ny can offer a wide selection and will f gravel at minimal cost. An attractive, rfect accent to a bonsai specimen while With a big surface, an arrangement of er and random-seeming placement— e, as if one were walking through the d tree. With larger pots it is also pos- y tears (Soleirolia or Helxine soleirolii), plant must be kept wet, and may not out between watering. A better choice low-growing compact sedum (Sedum (T. serpyllum or T. pseudolanuginosus). golden “Aurea” Scottish moss, with its make a stunning appearance with very ground over a year, and may need to be onsai needs repotting. carry selection of “mud men”—small fig- gs that are often used to decorate bonsai.

102 B O U N T I F U L These dwarf Australian cherries planted in flower buds. This specimen is twenty-six in While I prefer a more natural look, ever you like the idea you should decorate yo your fancy. I once placed a small round m and it looked just like a small pond, nee complete the illusion. Your bonsai is an a out your theme and vision through the g Another way to display bonsai is to or grove planting. All trees in a grove they should be odd in number. Austr have always wanted an orange grove, even in Colorado.

L BONSAI n a forest grove setting are full of nches tall. ryone has different preferences, and if our edible bonsai with whatever suits mirror with hidden edges on a bonsai eding only a small “mud men” boat to artistic creation, and you should carry groundcover. o combine several trees into a forest e should be of the same variety, and alian cherries work well like this. I and bonsai allow me to have one,

CHAPTER 5 Long Traditional bonsai authorities ad slow-growing outdoor trees that sho are a hundred years old or more wi Traditional bonsai are fertilized very fertilizing later in the summer can pu through a cold dormant season. Mos at half strength, and some recomme as a gentle fertilizer. Edible bonsai, o regularly, just like any other housepl for edible bonsai are from tropical go dormant and can grow all year. that need to be fed more often; the from that of traditional bonsai. Edi some size that will produce a crop within a few years at most, rather than waiting decades or centuries for the tree to mature. Plants also need more food when producing a harvestable crop. Faster-growing herbs and scented geraniums in particular can be heavy feeders. I like to mix a slow time-release fertilizer with about a nine-month time span into the potting soil; fertilizer can also be used as a top dressing on an established bonsai. When a bonsai is actively growing or producing fruit I often fertilize again at least once a month while watering. A mild fertilizer like fish emulsion can even be used on a weekly or bimonthly basis to

g-Term Bonsai Care 103 dvise using fertilizers only sparingly, as ould be only a foot or two tall when they ill not look good if growth is pushed. y lightly just once a year in early spring; ush late soft growth that may not survive st bonsai guides advise using fertilizers end using a mild organic fish emulsion on the other hand, should be fertilized lant. As most of the species best suited or Mediterranean climates, they don’t . They are also faster-growing species e time and size scale is very different ible bonsai enthusiasts want a tree of These variegated calamondin oranges were planted together to create an orange grove reaching a height of twenty-six inches.

104 B O U N T I F U L provide constant nutrients to actively drawback of fish emulsion is its odor: s for their fragrance, which is not impr general-purpose balanced fertilizer sh time-release plant food into the soil. M treatments can be used to provide spec like acid soil, or to deliver a high nitr vegetative growing phase; a fertilizer h can be used to stimulate flower and fr nitrogen, which pushes vegetative rath good for herbs and scented geraniums This nice harvest of strawberry guavas wa lemon guavas and fermented into two cas

L BONSAI y growing or fruiting bonsai. One some species are grown particularly roved by the smell of rotting fish. A hould be used when mixing a slow Monthly or bimonthly extra fertilizer cial needs like acidity for plants that rogen dose to a bonsai in an active higher in phosphorus and potassium ruit production. A fertilizer high in her than flowering growth, is always s where the harvest primarily comes as combined with a similar quantity of ses of wine.

CHAPTER 5 Long

g-Term Bonsai Care 105 Above: A ripe kumquat seen close up. Left: This kumquat has been in training for about five years from a five-gallon nursery stock plant. The fifty-eight-inch specimen is carrying more than fifty ripe kumquats. from the foliage. This is especially true if one is trying to cultivate bonsai from a species that grows and flowers very rapidly, like basil. In more than twenty years of growing commercial bonsai from faster-growing species that can grow year-round and live indoors, I have always found that my plants

106 B O U N T I F U L respond well to heavier fertilization pr duction and trying to produce attrac Using fast-growing varieties allows fo bonsai over months and years instead well with commercial production as instant gratification. Creating a good period of time greatly expands the pot easier for newcomers to consider train Another consideration is the desi bonsai. This changes some of the basic severe miniaturization of large trees to into medium- to large-sized bonsai up duction that is more than just symbo and feeding provides the nutrients tha the harvest is fruit or foliage, excess gro be regularly removed from the bonsai. Many of the species discussed in and especially edible figs—have large tance between leaves than traditional b lar pinching over several years to dev tips need to be pinched regularly, leavi between each pinch. If the plant is g vide a regular fresh harvest. If your b fruits, you need to be aware of the flow remove flower buds or fruit when pinc is important, it is sometimes best to let allowing it to flower and fruit before tri Many of these species will sprou trunk, main branches, exposed roots, removed as soon as they show. Somet from a main branch can be allowed to crown. Most citrus plants sold comme

L BONSAI rograms. Of course, we were in pro- ctive bonsai as quickly as possible. or the creation and maintenance of d of decades and centuries. This fits well as modern society’s desire for d-sized, attractive bonsai in a short tential of this art form, and makes it ning bonsai. ire to harvest a usable crop from a c concepts of bonsai cultivation from o shaping small- to mid-sized trees p to eight feet tall. To encourage pro- olic, a good-sized bonsai is needed, at will support your crop. Whether owth fed by regular fertilization will . this book—notably guavas, citrus, er leaves and greater internode dis- bonsai. Such plants may need regu- velop a classic full crown. Growing ing no more than two or three nodes grown for its foliage, this will pro- bonsai is a species that flowers and wering season and be careful not to ching the growing tips. If the harvest t the bonsai grow a little unchecked, imming it back to the desired shape. ut new shoots regularly from the , or soil. As a rule, these should be times a strong new shoot sprouting o develop into a new section of the ercially are grafted onto a rootstock

CHAPTER 5 Long that may be from another species strong shoots that look very differe and these should be removed imm can often sprout new shoots above t branches that will flower and bear Watch your citrus shoots closely a This twenty-five-year-old hibiscus bonsai needs some pruning, but flowers frequently through the winter in front of an east facing sliding glass door.

g-Term Bonsai Care 107 entirely. The rootstock will send out ent from the desirable top of the tree, mediately. A six-foot tall citrus bonsai the graft from the trunk and bare main r fruit when only a few inches long. and perhaps let them develop a bit to see if they start to flower. Clusters of fruit will hide the classic lines of your bonsai’s trunk, but the ripe fruit will look stunning. The short twigs can be removed after flowering or fruiting. We are changing the philosophy here from trying to create the “ideal” ornamental bonsai to a compro- mise between perfect form and bountiful harvests. In my opinion, the attractiveness of the flowers or fruit overshadows any short-term imperfections in form. Not every- one agrees: try displaying a large blooming rosemary or a variegated calamondin orange with flowers and ripe fruit at a Bonsai Society show. A few other exhibitors will start muttering to each other about the imperfections in your bonsai. You might even hear, “This is not real bonsai!” Meanwhile, the larg- est crowd in the show, including many of the other exhibitors, will be gathered around your specimen

108 B O U N T I F U L Drastic pruning was needed for this large, neglected pineapple guava to be reshaped as a bonsai. A couple months after a severe pruning, it was potted into a deep bonsai pot. oohing and ahhing, saying, “This is Take full advantage of every feature w Serve a tea made from its foliage, perha another bonsai) on crackers. Plan a using foliage and/or fruit from your va wine to dessert, with your prized bon part of your art while it continues to f to a unique new level. With the hectic schedule of the m a large, fast-growing specimen get ou sized to fit in the available space. If y

L BONSAI This fifty-five-inch pineapple guava has been trained for twelve years. It started as a one-gallon nursery plant. the neatest bonsai I’ve ever seen!” hen you display your edible bonsai. aps with limequat marmalade (from dinner party with a bonsai theme arious bonsai in every course, from nsai as the centerpiece. Consuming flourish, grow, and change carries it modern lifestyle, it can be easy to let ut of hand. You will need to keep it your edible bonsai grows too fast, it

CHAPTER 5 Long This variegated Calamondin orange ha being cut back severely from an overgr specimen is forty-two inches tall.

g-Term Bonsai Care 109 as been in training for two years after rown five-gallon nursery plant. This

110 B O U N T I F U L may require a severe pruning to keep t ever, that it will regrow quickly. I have number of my other bonsai back to ba and watched them grow a tight new cr The variegated calamondin orange Bonsai Possibilities,” was created from a neglected corner of my busy bonsai g ally developing a weak, loose, open cro and hung near the ground. Finally it After pruning the entire crown down stubs with no foliage, I cleaned the s This lemon guava has been moved from a training pot to nice pottery.

L BONSAI the size in check. Rest assured, how- e trimmed citrus, figs, guavas, and a are one- or two-inch diameter stubs rown within months. e pictured in Chapter 3, “Bountiful a five-gallon nursery plant. It sat in greenhouse for several years, eventu- own that was too large for the trunk became infected with mealy bugs. n to the trunk and a couple branch specimen thoroughly and repotted it into clean soil in a nursery pot. After two years of regrowth with constant pinching, it was repotted into into a bonsai pot; six months after that it was photographed for this book. The lemon guava shown on this page was a prized plant that had been allowed to grow with little pruning for several years to maximize crop production. It grew to twelve feet tall and had rooted out the bottom of its ceramic pot, with one-inch- diameter roots disappearing into the floor of the greenhouse. After cutting the entire crown back to six feet tall, I smashed the ceramic pot with a hammer to protect the roots, which I then dug out of the ground. Less than a year after this stub of a tree was set in its bonsai pot, it

CHAPTER 5 Long bore the fruit in the picture. Those lemon guavas, mixed with some strawberry guavas, are currently aging in my wine cellar. In the spring of 2012, during the massive wildfires that ravaged Colorado, I was evacuated for twelve days while a forest fire burned within a hundred yards of my home and greenhouse. A neighbor who didn’t evacuate was kind enough to water my greenhouse, but missed a thirty-six hour period where the outside temperatures reached a hundred degrees and there was no power to run the cooling system. Some of the bonsai illustrated in this book died completely; some died to the ground and sprouted out again; and all were damaged. After being pruned back, the plants that lived are starting to look good again. A group of strawberry guavas that brushing the fourteen-foot ceiling o and died back halfway to the groun from the bottom six feet, I dug these trunk and branch stubs. Some of th and have dozens of new shoots spr undesirable shoots and regularly pin crown. Although they are between s be spectacular bonsai with nice crow a little more than a year after underg

g-Term Bonsai Care 111 This strawberry guava was pruned down to sixty-seven inches after being dug out of the ground in the greenhouse. Four months later, it was seventy-six inches tall, as shown here. were also rooted into the ground and of the greenhouse turned totally brown nd. When new shoots began sprouting e trees out and pruned them to a basic hese stubs are two inches in diameter routing below the cut. I removed the nch those that are left to fill out a new six and eight feet tall, these guavas will wns and should bear a good crop of fruit going the damage and severe pruning.

112 B O U N T I F U L When visiting people’s homes, you plants. Ficus, palms, Dracaenas, Sheffl others are ubiquitous, with a few othe can be grown in the same spaces as t just have a little space for a tabletop b several six-foot edible bonsai, it can b ble crop from your indoor plants. Per in going green and eating locally. Now it, too.

L BONSAI often see the same variety of house- leras, jades, spider plants, and a few er species in the mix. Edible bonsai these common plants. Whether you bonsai or a sunroom with space for be very satisfying to produce an edi- rhaps this is the ultimate statement w you can have your bonsai and eat





114 B O U N T I F U L

L BONSAI

CHAP The Bo Har he main purpose of thi T will bear a harvestable of bonsai can provide a your cooking. While here, most of my personal bonsai h amounts to accent and add flavor to can be dried, and fruits can be froze as needed. The various herbs and t and all, such as the calamondin ora cially useful in this way. A single enough to flavor an entire dish. D mountain home, my citrus bonsai c ing every week; they are the most p entire collection. It is also possible to create long duction. With a larger harvest, or saved by drying or freezing, there a sai crop for years. Small fruits can b

115 PTER 6 ountiful rvest s book is to help you create bonsai that e crop for home use. A small collection a surprising variety of flavors to add to I will include some specific recipes harvest is used in two ways. I use small o dishes I already make regularly. Herbs en, lasting for a year or more to be used the small citrus that can be eaten peel nge, kumquat, and limequat, are espe- fruit from these small citrus can be During the cold, snowy winters at my carry enough ripe fruit to use in cook- productive and useful specimens in my g-lasting foods from your bonsai’s pro- by combining several small harvests are several ways to preserve your bon- be canned in sugar syrup, or made into

116 B O U N T I F U L jams, jellies, or chutneys. These can th vor dishes. One batch of rosemary jelly continuous supply of unique, sweet ro My favorite way to preserve a bonsai h savored for years, or even decades. He specimens have contributed to my win Perhaps the simplest bonsai are th productive. A single rosemary, thyme, enough fresh and dried herbs to supply the leaves fresh to chop and use as need the leaves for later use. If you enjoy g them in water, and throw them on the fruits. Basil doesn’t keep its flavor wel quickly enough to provide a nearly con to preserve an oversupply of basil is by just enough water to whip it up into a ice cube trays. These frozen basil cubes are very useful in the kitchen: one cube to preserve these culinary flavors is to generally served with lamb, but rosema roast turkey. Making herb jellies is as adding sugar and commercial pectin. tute your favorite herb for the mint. H toast or crackers, and can be added to a fresh rosemary sprig into a jar of bon create a unique holiday gift. Other fragrant plants such as lemo Costa Rican mint, and scented gerani potpourri or herbal teas, but they all vide unique accents to dishes. Don’t herbs in new ways that aren’t covered stituting lemon thyme for regular thym

L BONSAI en be used like the fresh fruit to fla- y canned in small jars can provide a osemary flavor to use in the kitchen. harvest is to make wine that can be erbs, flowers, and fruits from bonsai ne cellar for more than twenty years. he various herbs, which are highly , sage, or savory bonsai can provide y a household for an entire year. Pick ded. When shaping your bonsai, dry grilling, save your herb stems, soak e coals to flavor meats, vegetables or ll when dried, but fortunately grows ntinuous fresh harvest. The best way y freezing it. Put it in a blender with a thick green slurry, then freeze it in s will keep their flavor for a year and e will perk up any dish. Another way o make herbal jellies. Mint jellies are ary jelly makes a wonderful glaze on simple as brewing a strong tea and Use a mint jelly recipe and substi- Herbal jellies are delightful spread on glazes and sauces of all kinds. Tuck nsai rosemary jelly before sealing to on verbena, lavender, pineapple sage, iums are considered more useful as can be used in the kitchen to pro- be afraid to experiment with your d in traditional cookbooks. Try sub- me, or adding lemon verbena when

CHAPTER 6 The preparing eggs with fresh herbs. Bot lating hot tea on a cold winter mo made with foliage trimmings as we Flowers such as hibiscus and jasmi flower, make great additions to herb green tea. Small citrus that are edib calamondin orange, can be sliced t to add to your tea blends. Herbs lik Costa Rican mint have intense yet ve intoxicating when used as aromathe herbs is to garnish a mixed drink or brushes the nose with every sip. Aro if it just brightens your mood and b fragrant herbal bonsai, touch them day. Don’t forget to stop and smell t Natal plum, or citrus is in bloom. Tea is nice, but sometimes a dr Dandelion wine is not the only flow and jasmine-flower wine in my cella lon and a couple quarts of dried hi these delicate vintages. Making flow a strong tea, adding sugar and win turns into wine. Adding raisins as p body and character, and is especial that don’t contain any other fruit. detailed instructions at your local h includes a covered bucket for prima tle with a fermentation lock for seco I used four one-quart jars packe pounds of sugar, two pounds of gold to make two cases of jasmine-flowe two gallons of boiling water over t

Bountiful Harvest 117 th rosemary and thyme make a stimu- orning. Soothing lavender tea can be ell as the flowers of French lavender. ine, as well as the petals of any citrus bal tea blends, or can be used to flavor ble whole, like kumquat, limequat, and thin, dried, and chopped or crumbled ke pineapple sage, lemon verbena, and ery pleasant fragrances that are almost erapy. One of my favorite uses for these r even lemonade with a fresh sprig that omatherapy can be very beneficial even brings a smile to your face. If you have m and breathe in the fragrance every he flowers when your jasmine, myrtle, rink with a little more kick is desired. wer wine—I have hibiscus-flower wine ar. I’ve used a quart of jasmine per gal- ibiscus per gallon of wine to turn out wer wines essentially involves brewing ne yeast, and then waiting as your tea part of the sugar gives the wine more lly helpful with flower and herb wines You’ll find winemaking supplies and home-brewing store. Basic equipment ary fermentation and a large glass bot- ondary fermentation and aging. ed full of dried jasmine flowers, fifteen den raisins, and a packet of wine yeast er wine with the following recipe: Pour the flowers and chopped raisins, then

118 B O U N T I F U L add another gallon of water in which f solved. When cool, add wine yeast. Stir another five pounds of sugar dissolved repeat once more. After ten to fourteen strain out the flowers and raisin pulp a glass container, sealing it with a fermen or five-gallon glass carboys from a ho will finish fermenting and start to age, in three to six months. This same reci wines, which are great for sipping and I have been accused of being obses am past the middle of a third decade of hundred cases of homemade wine. M most of the edible bonsai discussed in thyme wines made from bonsai trim cellar for more than twenty years; my o The artistic symmetry of drinking a de while viewing bonsai that have been i ing. I treasure my bonsai harvests, and vest to enjoy for years is to make wine themselves. Herbal and citrus wines can be inte ritif in small servings. For cooking, h They can be used in sauces or marinad them to baste foods cooking on the gri salad dressing. My favorite way to pre oven-baking bags and one to three cu steam it and infuse it with flavor. A c cooked the same way. The meat will b liquid will make great gravy or soup st Flower and fruit wines are more bottle of over dinner. As mentioned a

L BONSAI five pounds of sugar have been dis- r twice a day. After several days, add d in water; after several more days, n days of this primary fermentation, and pour the fermenting wine into a ntation lock. You can use gallon jugs ome-brew store for this. Your wine , and will be ready to drink or bottle ipe can be followed to make herbal d incredible when used in cooking. ssed with winemaking. Admittedly, I f building a cellar containing several My cellar contains wines made from n this book. There are rosemary and mings that have been aging in my oldest is a lavender wine from 1986. ecades-old wine made from a bonsai in training that long is very appeal- d the best way to preserve that har- es that can age along with the plants ense, and are great served as an ape- however, nothing else can compare. des and splashed over any sauté. Use ill, or as an ingredient in homemade epare a turkey is to use one of those ups of wine, depending on size, to chicken or any type of roast may be be tender and juicy and the leftover tock. conventional and easier to drink a above, jasmine and hibiscus flowers

CHAPTER 6 The A few of my vintages: Lemon Lemon Dr Strawberry Lemon Guava wine. can be dried and saved for making make heartier fruit wines. Mellow even kumquat can make delightful w with water, sugar, and wine yeast to tasting citrus like lemons, limes, and especially if a greater quantity of favorite cooking wine is made from limes fermented together. It’s a citru and adds great flavor to any dish. O rice is to add half a cup of herbal wi of steaming. This adds delightful fl can be paired with specific main dis

Bountiful Harvest 119 rop, Citrus Symphony blend, and g wine. Figs, guavas, and some citrus citrus like orange, blood orange, and wines by using a couple gallons of fruit o make five gallons of wine. Sharper- d limequats make more intense wines, fruit is used per gallon of wine. My m lemon basil, lime basil, lemons, and us explosion on the palate when sipped, One of my favorite tricks when cooking ine to the rice for the last five minutes lavor to steamed rice; different wines shes to be served alongside.

120 B O U N T I F U L I never use sulfites, which are sup wines, yet my vintages have lasted fo In fact, an opened partial bottle kept c months without it going bad, making ent cooking wines open for regular us Making wine is definitely my favorite harvest. It is not too difficult, and one your counter can make two or three b this and you will have a unique supply special gifts. The most prized and useful part This is in part because I take pleasure citrus crop in a colder northern clim large citrus like oranges or grapefruits easier, and the smaller limequats, kum be extremely productive and are exc removed—for use in cooking. Key lime very thinly. Kumquats are smaller and same amount of flavor as one of the lar fruits are sour, and may need to have s Limequat marmalade and toast.

L BONSAI pposed to kill yeast and “preserve” or decades and improved with age. corked in the fridge can be used for g it possible to have several differ- se in the kitchen to provide variety. e way to preserve an edible bonsai e five-gallon fermentation bottle on batches of wine a year. Learn to do y of wines for cooking, drinking and of my bonsai harvest is the citrus. e in being able to produce a usable mate. It is more difficult to produce s indoors, but lemons and limes are mquats and calamondin oranges can ceptional, peel and all—with seeds es can also be used like this if sliced you may need to use several for the rger citrus. These intensely flavored sugar or honey added when used in Ingredients for sautéed asparagus with peppers, basil, garlic, cashews, and calamondin orange.

CHAPTER 6 The desserts. They can be used to flavo cream. Whole kumquats and quarte used as an edible garnish for mixed The small citrus really shine in fresh, frozen, or canned; you can eve ing into wine. Limequats and calam flavors, make an intensely flavored added to any sauce that would benef substitute the finely chopped, seede any orange marmalade recipe that u some marmalade with a splash of ci like, and use as a final glaze on gril thyme would be good with this—o with Chinese five-spice blend. Small citrus are at their best use and added to your favorite sauté or asparagus with almonds and garlic mondin orange and add with the ga the asparagus and a sharp citrus bu Chopped, seeded citrus can also be or soufflé. Try onion, garlic, celery, a limequat for a lively combination. citrus enhances everything. A dish I like to take to parties is oil, sauté onion, garlic, ginger, celery one hot pepper, cashews, parsley, a calamondins. Add about four ounc crab or chopped shrimp). Splash in food and finish the sauté. Stir the r veggies and salmon into a package chill and roll into a ball. Roll the ch you don’t overcook the vegetables,

Bountiful Harvest 121 r yogurt or homemade sorbet and ice ered, seeded limequats or oranges can d drinks. n cooking, however. They can be used en use the pulp left over after ferment- mondins, which have sharply different d marmalade to be spread on toast or fit from that sweet-tart flavor. You can ed fruits, plus a little added water, in uses commercial pectin. Gently warm itrus or herbal wine, add spices if you lled meat or a roast bird. Rosemary or or, for a unique twist, flavor the glaze ed fresh. Any of them can be chopped r stir-fry. A simple favorite is to sauté in olive oil, then chop a seeded cala- arlic. You’ll get a nice citrus note with urst when you bite into a piece of peel. added to eggs in an omelet, scramble, red pepper, cashews, mushrooms, and . The bright flavor that comes with the s a Salmon Citrus Cheese Ball. In olive y, bell peppers (red, yellow, and green), and two chopped, seeded limequats or ces of flaked salmon (you can also use some herb or citrus wine with the sea- resulting three to four cups of sautéed of cream cheese while still hot, then heese ball in crushed nuts if you like. If then your cheese ball will be crunchy

122 B O U N T I F U L Top: These Bacon-Shrimp Citrus Wraps, made with blood orange segments, are ready to roll. Center: Rolled and pinned appetizers ready for the grill. Bottom: Bacon-Shrimp Citrus Wraps fresh from the grill.

L BONSAI and full of veggies and nuts, with just enough flavored cheese to hold it together—it’s actually a healthy dish. You can easily substitute or add any other fruit, vegetables, nuts, spices, even mushrooms, to customize this recipe to your taste. Citrus Fire Chicken is a simple main dish that is quick and easy to prepare. Cut one boneless chicken breast per serving into long thin strips. Sauté the strips in coconut oil with one or more hot peppers of your choice and one chopped, seeded limequat or calamondin for every two breasts. Add a couple of spoonfuls of citrus marmalade near the end for some sweetness to balance the fire. Serve this as your meat course, alongside rice, or on top of a salad. Peeled, chopped blood oranges or chopped kum- quats could also be used for the citrus. Hopefully your hot pepper bonsai will provide the fire. My favorite appetizer, Bacon- Shrimp Citrus Wraps, is made with segmented blood oranges, although I’ve also used tangerine segments when I can’t wait for my blood oranges to get ripe. Use very ripe oranges with deep color for the

CHAPTER 6 The best effect. Take one medium to large shelled and deveined shrimp along with one blood orange seg- ment, wrap with a half strip of turkey bacon, and pin with one or two toothpicks. (Note: I use turkey bacon, not only because it is health- ier than pork, but also because it is made from pre-cooked turkey and only needs to be browned. With pork bacon, the shrimp and cit- rus would be overcooked, if not burned, by the time the bacon was ready.) Spray or brush with olive oi combination of powdered garlic, gin on the grill, turning frequently. Dep take ten to fifteen minutes to cook herbal or citrus wine while cookin with a glaze of your choice for the la the heat briefly. I’ve used all kinds o tail sauce, for the glaze. My favorit and either citrus marmalade or a f make twice as many of these appet serve them at a dinner party and tu be gone. Dried figs are easy to find, but warm climate where they survive ou figs, although when I started growi fig until I had enough to create a v halved or quartered, on salads or as My Kadota and Peter’s Honey figs cut, and my Celeste figs are a dee

Bountiful Harvest 123 Grilled Bacon-Shrimp Citrus Wraps served alongside a sautéed orange asparagus dinner. il and season to taste. I recommend a nger, paprika, and lemon pepper. Cook pending on the heat, the appetizer will k. You might spritz them with a little ng, especially if the fire is hot. Finish ast two minutes, exposing the glaze to of prepared oriental sauces, even cock- te is a blend of Thai sweet chili sauce fruit jam like apricot. I advise you to tizers as you think you’ll need. If you urn your back for two minutes, they’ll fresh figs are rare unless you live in a utdoors. I’ve never really cooked with ing fig bonsai I saved and froze every intage of fig wine. I serve them fresh, s an edible garnish on a serving plate. s are a beautiful golden yellow when ep ruby red. Brown Turkey figs are a

124 B O U N T I F U L This Kadota fig got so ripe it opened like a flower. Pineapple guava flower petals are white on the outside and red on the inside but curl shortly after opening, hiding the red inside. pineapple-guava bonsai flower every y apparently they are not self-fertilizing. flower, but are worth growing for the f white petals are thick, fleshy and swee and eaten fresh. They can be a unique e While I have grown every plant va of them have never borne an edible